Hm?

I don't know how to change the date on my previous blog, but I actually just wrote that today...May 8, 2006. I'm a little behind!

Oh, I was reminded by my friend Brian Atwood that I never explained why I like umbrellas so much. Well, I'm not actually sure. They are just adorable to me in all shapes and sizes and colors. :-)

Livin' in America

I've been getting emails from people saying 'Where are you? Did you make it back yet?'. My sincerest apologies for being MIA, although I'm sure everyone understands why. :-( Yes, I made it back to the States safely.

It's been surprisingly busy since then. Two days after I got here my friend, Mika (from Hokkaido) arrived and I was hanging out with her and my friend, Joni. We had a nice Japan reunion. Then a day or so later five other ladies from Hokkaido, including missionary Debbie Griffin, arrived for a week and we spent time with them. In between all the fun of running around Nashville I also had several doctors appointments and went to Georgia for a day (we spent more time in the car than anything else!). After my Japanese friends left I had one week before starting my part-time job at our International Missions home offices. I used that week to buy a car that I absolutely love. It was kind of scary, but it was the right move. Then I made a spontaneous trip to Huntsville, AL with my cousin and friend to rescue a cute little dog from a madwoman. Good times :-) Then I started working three days a week and also found out that I have rheumatoid arthritis. Oh, and most recently we had a wedding shower for my cousin, Heather, who is getting married June 2. I think that covers the big stuff, except for the hours I've spent looking at and applying for jobs in Chicago and graduate school applications and research. I'm tired.

I can't believe I left Japan almost a month ago. It's the strangest feeling in the world and I think I'll just not talk about it right now. To my friends in Japan, I love you and miss you. This transition for me is a lot about learning to be content in all circumstances I suppose. I've seen God provide many times already. He knows what I need, and don't need.

I hope I haven't lost too many of my readers from being absent this past month. If you've left...come back! But if you've left, you'll never know I wrote this, will you?

Serenity Prayer

I've heard about the Serenity prayer for years, but I've only heard one part of it. Here's the prayer in its entirety, maybe it will encourage you as it did me.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
and Wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.

Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it.

Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with Him forever in the next."


If I had written it though, I wouldn't have used 'reasonably' happy. I think God wants more than reasonable happiness for us in this life. Either way, these are words of perseverance, faith, and hope in the love and plans of a Holy God.


Thought for the week:
きみは愛されるため生まれた....You were born to be loved.

Hokkaido, one last time

For those who may not know, my first year in Japan I lived in the northern island of Hokkaido. So this past Wednesday I flew up here to spend some time with my friends and say good-bye. I even get to go snowboarding on Monday!! A few months ago the church I used to attend started having monthly worship events at the local community center. I am thrilled to be here for this month's event, I'll try to have some pictures for you guys later.

That said, I may not have many blog entries until I return to Tokyo, at which time I hope to have several more pictures and stories to share.

Have a fabulous weekend! And as my friend, Chris Wright, always tells me...remember to have fun!!!

Pictures, pictures!

This was my last week of teaching English here in Japan. Teaching is not necessarily my favorite thing anymore, but I have absolutely loved being with my students! We've had lots of fun times! This week was full of good-bye parties and good-byes (which I won't talk about), and some other fun stuff. Enjoy....I know I did :-)


Monday: Yumi San (back right) and Yumie San (front right) have been wonderful. We had a final lunch at my favorite Indian restaurant in the neighborhood. Yumie is not a Christian, but I have been privileged to see the Holy Spirit working in her heart. I've been amazed at how many times over the last year God has given me opportunity after opportunity to simply give testimonies of what He's meant to me in a particular week. She mentioned a few weeks ago that she wanted to start reading the Bible daily. On Monday she explained that if the Bible was so important and made such a difference in my life, then it must be important for her too. Wow! It was all I could do to hold back my tears. I was floored at what God was allowing me to be a part of. With all of my flaws, mistakes, and ugly sins...God STILL chooses to use me? "Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world." ~Psalm 98:1~



Mizuki and Natsumi. My two favorite kids to teach! Oh yeah, that's Shirley next to me! She's my replacement. If she were not here, I don't know if I'd have the same peace about leaving.



This is my Canadian friend, Kara. I just met her in November, but we hit it off and I have been so grateful for her friendship these last few months. She and her husband will be here until June. We love Starbucks!



Here's a unique man, Nakamura San. He's a character. Please pray for him as he continues a friendship with Donnie McDonald.



I only a few more times with my Starbucks ladies :-( (Interesting sidenote: the only time I've actually been at SBUX with them was when I met them! But somehow the nickname just stuck) Anyway, I've prayed for a few months now about 'transferring' my friendship with them on to Shirley. Of course I hope to continue from the States as well, but it's not the same. A few weeks ago they were really nervous about meeting someone new, but God answered my prayers and we couldn't have asked for a better time. Shirley liked them and they all liked her!



Left: Shimotomai San, a very sweet Christian lady. She's a great addition to this English class. Right: Nobu San, who from one day to the next can be open and inquisitive about the Gospel, or against it.



I don't know where I'm looking, but they all look great! The lady on the floor to my left (your right) is Etsuko San, she is one of the leaders of the Good News church and helps teach the Bible section of our English classes.
Top: Shimotomai San, Nobu San, Yamakawa San, and Nemoto San
Bottom: Nozomi San, me, and Etsuko San


Well, that's all folks! I'll be back later with more...there's always more.

Rabbits

Not exactly real rabbits, although we didn't get my rabbit imitation on camera (good thing for you AND me!). But aren't we cute? This is Caroline McDonald, five years old and youngest daughter of my teammates Ruth and Donnie (their name is also McDonald...haha). She is hysterically funny!

Have a great week everyone :-)

信じられない...unbelievable!

Boys and girls, have I got a story for you! Here's a taste of the brick walls you run into occasionally when you try to do anything outside the box in Japan...live and learn, right?

Yesterday was a beautiful day and I was ready to hit Tokyo for some gift buying, etc. On my way to the train I stopped by the post office to mail mine and my sister's walking sticks from climbing Mt. Fuji back in August. These sticks come up to my chin and I had taken the time to carefully wrap them and prepare them to be mailed. I walk in and up to the counter, here's how it went down:

Bethany: Good morning, can I mail this please?

Clerk #1 (or じゃまな人 1 for you Japanese readers): Just a moment please, I need to measure its length first. ........
I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it's too long and we can't mail it.

Bethany: You can't mail it at all?

Clerk #1: We can't mail it, it's too long for our regulations.

Bethany: Well then what should I do? How do I mail it? Please, this is really important.

Clerk #1: I'm sorry. We can't mail it, it's too long.

Bethany: I understand that, but how do I get it to America? (side note: no way I'm taking those things on an airplane!)

Clerk #1: We just can't do it, it's too long. Can you cut it in half?

Bethany: NO! They're Mt. Fuji walking sticks, they're really important!

Clerk #1: Just a moment please....

**Clerk #1 proceeds to call another co-worker and her superior to the rescue. They step aside for a few minutes and discuss the issue. The boss makes a telephone call behind closed doors. He steps back out to talk to me**

Boss: We can't mail this, it's too long.

Bethany: *internal feelings* AAHHHHHHHHHH!!!! how can you NOT mail something that is packaged?!?!?!?!
*actual words* I don't understand. What am I supposed to do then? I need to get these to America!

Boss: Let me measure it again. .... Yes, I'm afraid it's too long. We can't mail it. Can you cut it in half?

Bethany: NO!

**By now, I had already dug in my heels. I was not about to leave until they found a way to mail the sticks. I'm sorry, but I just had to be an obnoxious American for once. I thought about calling a Japanese friend to talk to them on the phone, but then decided I might have an advantage without that.**

A few minutes pass, of no one saying anything at all, and me starring them down. FINALLY! I hear the hallelujah chorus in my head...

Boss to clerk 1: Well, check with the EMS company, aren't their rules a little different? .......

Clerk 1: Yes, it looks like this might work. Is this company ok?

Bethany; YES. Please!!

Clerk 1: Ok, the price is 2,400 yen (*that's a little less than $24*), is that ok?

Bethany: Yes, anything is fine.

**After it was all finished I walked out backwards, bowing all the way to the door, excusing myself (in my head for being a foreigner) and thanking them over and over like any good Japanese person would after they've really been a burden.

A day in the life of a foreigner in Japan. This wouldn't have happened to a Japanese person (unless they were really strange), because the Japanese person would've known about the rules and never even thought to break them. :-) I was exhausted after those twenty minutes!

Bumbershoot

Props to my sister again, who told me about this word 'bumbershoot'. Apparently it's another word for umbrella, that is obviously rarely used anymore (except in England maybe?). Since I collect umbrellas I love this word!

I was having lunch at one of my favorite places here, Saizeriya, when I had an experience that I realized I won't have much longer. That is...listening to people talk about you in Japanese thinking you don't understand them. Granted I don't understand them 100%, but I get a whole lot more of it than they realize! Here's the gist of the conversation:

Friend 1: Do you speak English?
Friend 2: I studied it in high school, but I don't understand a thing!
Friend 1: Do you think she's an English teacher?
Friend 2: Probably, aren't most foreigners here English teachers?
Friend 1: What is she eating?

What's funny this time is that I was sitting between two tables, and both tables were having the same conversation. :-)
Here's the deal: if you're having a good day this doesn't bother you, and it probably makes you chuckle a little, but if you're having a bad day your desire to catch the next plane to the States where you are 'normal' kicks in. Thankfully today was a good day and I just enjoyed my lunch. Come to think of it, those off days have been less and less frequent. I realized too that my days for such experiences are numbered. C'est la vie. (That's life in French) しょうがない (It can't be helped, in Japanese)

In these emotional days it's a comfort and necessity to know, to really know, that I don't have to be in charge of my feelings all on my own. I would certainly be doomed to disaster and failure to handle them correctly without the work and power of the Holy Spirit. All I have to do is ask, and God will never say 'no' to the growth of his children and his own glory.
'"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit." ~Ephesians 3:16
"May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation-those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ-for this will bring much glory and praise to God." ~Philippians 1:11

Change of subject, I know that many of you who read my blog don't comment on it (which is fine) but this time I need some feeback! Please! When I return to the States should I keep this blog going? If so, should I give it a new name since I won't be in Japan anymore? Don't let me down guys, give me some comments.... :-)

Transitions

Transition: a passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another; a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another.

Stress: a state resulting from a stress; especially one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium.

Grief: deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement; a cause of such suffering.


That's what Webster calls transition, stress, and grief, and I forgot to add packing. Anyway, I have a word that basically sums all of these words up into one....YUCK.

Does anyone want to come pack for me? It's going to take longer than I expected and I'm wanting to throw everything away. The funny thing is, it's almost easier for me to take things back to America to trash there!!! LOL!!! (If you have never heard about the intricacies of the Japanese trash system that probably won't make sense)

By the way, I just got my plane tickets today and will be arriving in Nashville, TN on April 13. I'll see most of you then, with mixed emotions, so be prepared :-)

'More'

My sister introduced me to a great Christian songwriter/musician a couple years ago, Andrew Peterson. Here are some lyrics of his that echo my thoughts today. Although the first part of the song is about a funeral, the last part is what I want to share with you.

"There is more, more than we can see
From our tiny vantage point in this vast eternity
There is more

A thing resounds when it rings true, ringing all the bells inside of you
Like a golden sky on a summer's eve, your heart is tugging at your sleeve
And you cannot say why, there must be more

There is more, more than we can stand
Standing in the glory of a love that never ends
There is more, more than we can guess
More and more, forever more, and not a second less

There is more than what the naked eye can see
Clothing all our days with mystery
Watching over everything
Wilder than our wildest dreams could ever dream to be
There is more"


'Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.' ~1 Corinthians 13:12

'Then Elisha prayed, 'O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!', The Lord opened his servant's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.' ~2 Kings 6:17

I absolutely love the story of Elisha's confrontation with the Arameans. I can identify with the servant, who was reacting logically to what his eyes saw, which was uneven numbers and a certain defeat. Elisha asked God to open his servant's eyes to see the invisible, the impossible.
I don't face the Arameans in my life, but I have plenty of my own confrontations. And God may or may not choose to literally open my eyes to the unseen world, but if I ask he can open my spiritual eyes to give me faith and hope in what I cannot see.

There is more in heaven than our imaginations can conjure up, but there is also more in this earthly life than we dared to hope. There is always more, because God is always more.

Fun week!

My birthday was on Wednesday (the 8th) and I was not forgotten, that's always nice, right? Cards and telephone calls from family and friends in the States were great. And my Japanese friends gave me a special party too. My starbucks ladies, as I call them, made sure I had a memorable birthday from Japan. They even dressed me up in one of the ladies' kimono! Unfortunately my camera wasn't working, so I have no pictures for you :-( I prayed before I went to Tomiko's house that the Lord would give me any kind of opportunity to talk about Him. And don't you know he did! For the first time ever, Tomiko asked me what/why I had come to Japan, besides to teach English. I smiled inside and started talking. It didn't lead to any further earth-shattering discussions, but it was an answer to prayer and a step in the right direction.

I had another cool birthday present too. My friends Beth and Jeremy Thomas gave birth to their first child, Brooklyn Kate Thomas, on my birthday!! Congratulations guys!!! It cannot be denied, she is a beautiful baby. I can't wait to see her :-)

Remember the Gospel Choir Workshop from the fall? We had a small dinner party this evening and it went very well. We were missing a few people, but I was encouraged to see how long everyone talked and mingled. They will be starting the spring Workshop late-March, so please pray for Ruth McDonald as she prepares to lead again. They are hoping for more people this time!


Yummy food!


The Sawai family. She is a terrific soloist!


Group picture...a must in Japan. We were missing some people, but we still had a good time.


I watched the Olympic opening ceremonies this morning, did anyone else? I absolutely love to watch the Olympics! I get teary-eyed when the participants walk in country by country. I don't even know them but I think of how proud each country must be of their own representatives.

Flu, sports, and age

Sorry guys, I was sick all last week and pretty much `out of order`. Today is my first day back in the real world and I have to say, it`s a cold one. I will try to have an entry with some real substance by the end of this week!

On a different note....I am not a happy camper about the Super Bowl. Not only because I couldn`t watch it, but because I found out the final results before I even got the chance to see the video tape!!!!! However, recent news of Jerome Bettis' retirement brings a smile to my face.

(**Warning: the following thoughts are highly capricious and dramatic**)
On yet another subject....it hit me today that I will be 27 years old on Wednesday. Most of you are probably thinking, 'yeah? so what?'. And I would normally agree, but something is surprisingly strange about 27. I am now only three lightning-short years away from the big 3-0. (*whimper*) It just doesn't fit me, you know? I'm much too immature and irresponsible to be 27 (or 30) years old, and to be quite honest, I think I just don't want to grow up. It will just have to be a strange combination I guess: a 27 year-old body inhabited by a girl who requested her Mom send her a SpongeBob Squarepants coloring book.


For your enjoyment, what others have said about age:
"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." ~unknown

"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." ~George Bernard Shaw

"Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again." ~C.S. Lewis :-)

"You can judge your age by the amount of pain you feel when you come in contact with a new idea." ~Pearl S. Buck

"If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should never grow old." ~James A. Garfield

Insanity!

Yes, I am insane. I am now officially registered to run in the Chicago Marathon, October 22, 2006. I`m doing it because I want to, because I have never been a good runner and I`ve always wanted to overcome that. Also, what a great way to learn discipline! There`s another reason too...but I can`t go public with it just yet.

I can`t even run a mile at this point (ha!), but I started pre-pre-training this past week and am proud to say I`ve been very disciplined so far. I`m feeling a great deal of exhiliration mixed with anxiety and fear, but I do not plan on quitting. So I`m taking it a day at a time, trying to make reasonable goals for myself, and rejoice in accomplishing them one by one. Eventually that will get me to the finish line on October 22.

I`m not aiming for fast time, but a fun time running through the streets of a city I love. Don`t anybody let me give up now, you here?!

Choices

Deuteronomy 30:15-20...

"Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between prosperity and disaster, between life and death. I have commanded you today to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, laws, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and become a great nation, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

Just as the nation of Israel was faced with a choice, so are we. Many in fact. We make daily decisions, consciously or not, that take us a step closer or farther away from God's best. We are wise to train ourselves to be alert and ready to make purposeful decisions.
I must choose to believe Truth over whatever human circumstances, emotions, and 'realities' life throws my way. Such acts of the will gradually align us with the will and heart of the Father, who faithfully gives life and blessing.

travel 101

If I were ever asked to teach a class on travelling (by air) I would start with this:

*Be sure that you know WHAT day the airline is expecting you to travel. This is very helpful, and will save you from waking up at 2:45 in the morning for nothing. (I speak from experience)



I have finally made it back to Japan though, and I'm hoping my jet-lag will subside before long since I have to start teaching again on Monday. Yay rah! It's very strange to think I'm beginning the end of my two years in Japan, where has the time gone?

Family pictures

This is all of my Crowson family. Do we look related? Sorry, but I'm just not going to name everyone for you unless you are dying to know us all. :-)


My family: Mom, Tim and Katrina, Dad, Natalie, and me.

Surprise!

I succeeded in surprising my entire family by flying home for Christmas on December 16!!! It was certainly the biggest surprise I've ever pulled off, thanks to my sister actually :-) And I don't think I'll be doing it again as it was a huge cause of stress to the point that I think it gave me my first gray hair. I have no problem keeping other people's secrets, but when it comes to my own (and especially if they are fun) I have a hard time.

My sister, Natalie, picked up me up at the airport along with my friend, Joni, and my brother and sister-in-law, Tim and Katrina, who were accidentally leaked the surprise two days before my arrival. My sister drove me to my parents' house and it was really fun to just ring the door bell and watch their reactions. They were very surprised! We then drove to a nearby hotel where my Turnbough relatives were staying, most of whom I'd not seen in nearly three years. I knocked on the door and watched them all go crazy at the sight of me too (although, that could've been because I looked a little scary after the trip). And finally we waited for my grandparents to arrive and they were also shocked. Sunday was the day we surprised the rest of my Crowson relatives when I arrived at church that morning. Since Christmas weekend will find us scattered throughout the country we had our Crowson family Christmas that Sunday, with all of us together for the first time in over four years. Now that's what I call special :-) I'll try to get a picture of us up soon.

Tomorrow my parents, sister, and I will make our way down to Georgia to spend Christmas with my Culpepper family (Mom's side). I haven't seen them since before I went to Japan and I think they will be surprised as well.

I'm starting to feel normal and hope the jet-lag will be gone by this weekend. There's no feeling like jet-lag (that doesn't mean it's good though). I was pretty incoherent the first day...talking about my 'week on the airplane' and hardly able to finish a sentence at all.

I will be in Nashville until January 9 when I return to Japan. So until then I may have very few (or no) entries on my blog, I'm not sure. Everybody needs a vacation, right? I hope you get one too and enjoy Christmas!!

**My apologies to any one of my friends who may find out through this blog that I am in Nashville right now. I hope no one's feelings will be hurt.

Christmas is in the air

I can't keep up with everything going on this Christmas season, no matter how hard I try. I'm enjoying it but it's definitely busy...


I teach an adult English at Iriso Church on Mondays'. This past Monday we had a spaghetti party for our Christmas celebration. It was all very yummy.
Left to right: Hideki (he's not actually in the class, he and his wife are member's of Iriso Church), Yumi, and Yumie...(yes, their names are different if you look closely). Pastor Kojima is in the class but he was taking the picture.


At the same church, Iriso, I also teach three other classes: two elementary classes and one high school class. These four girls make up my elementary students.
Left to right: top-Shiori, Aiko bottom-Natsumi, Mizuki

Shiori is Haruna's sister, my previous student who is now an exchange student in Canada. These girls are always lots of fun for me. Apparently Mizuki pestered her mother for about 48 hours asking if it was time to go to Bethany's house yet :-) They're so cute! Mizuki and Natsumi enjoyed opening every single drawer, closet, etc. in my apartment to see what kind of mysterious things they might find in a foreigner's place.


Shiori helping with the cooking.


As you can tell from the previous picture, I have next to no counter space so Aiko had to really improvise.


Everyone helped with the cooking and preparations. On the right is Pastor Kojima from Iriso Church.


Christmas cookies! I decided to make sugar cookies to give away to all my students, bad idea...do you know long it takes to roll, cut, cook, and decorate 60 sugar cookies from scratch?! Especially considering that my oven is the size of a regular microwave. Haha! Anyway, I did. Although I eventually gave up the decorating and decided the adults would have to forego the pretty colors.


Well, that's a little bit of what's going on in Japan this time of year. The Gospel Choir Workshop has a heavy agenda coming up as well. December 17th is the mass concert where all the choirs come together, about 200 people. December 18th is a small concert at Iriso Church. December 23rd is a special evening of music at our church, Good News Chapel.

On a personal note I've been enjoying the movie 'It's a Wonderful Life'. Does anyone else love that movie? Cause I've been recently disappointed to hear that some people don't. :-( It has a good message and this year has certainly been making me think. Do I lead the kind of life and exemplify such character that those around me would not hesitate to back me up? Do I understand what life means and am I thankful for every moment? How can one not appreciate such a story? It's a classic!

There's another classic story that is too often overlooked, even among Christians. The birth of Jesus Christ was more real than any Hollywood movie or Santa Claus creation could ever be. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the fun of presents and imaginary elves (yes, I'm still a kid probably). But don't you think it's sad that we can make 'Santa radars' (like NORAD has done for years) for someone who does not exist, and practically ignore, or condemn as some do, the actual birth of a real King?

Gum...yum

Yes, I am sometimes a random person :-) But, I feel the need to say that American gum (the kind you chew) is REALLY good. I never really chewed it all that much when I lived in the States, but when I came to Japan I cut it out altogether and nearly forgot what it was. Although, they do have a kind here that is pure caffeine, and it has been fun on rare occasions. So when Chris and Regina came a couple of weeks ago they had several packs of Orbit's gum that they decided to leave with me. I thought I would never chew it, but I tried a piece while they were here and it is good stuff!!
I may be high-maintenance (haha Ruth!), but it's pretty easy to bring a smile to my face and warmth to my heart :-)


PS: this is not a request for everyone I know to send me gum, thank you.

Waseda University E-Crew

A small group of missionaries has been eating lunch weekly at Waseda University to take part in an English conversation group called E-Crew ('E' for English, of course). This is something that is organized by the students themselves, with the missionaries providing native English speakers. A few of the students are Believers, but I believe the majority are not.

I came in contact with one of the missionaries who participates several weeks ago and that's how I got involved. This is an open door with tremendous potential for outreach right in my back yard. I've enjoyed so much having this connection with college-aged Japanese people and look forward to going every week. This age group in Japan is a different culture in itself it seems, and unlike high school kids, they have greater freedom in almost every area of their lives.

Who to pray for:
*Shion-he's the guy in the picture who is sitting in the chair across from me. He is a Christian and one of the influential people in the group.
*Yuichiro-in the picture he is standing to the left (your left) of the girl in the Gap sweatshirt. He is the fearless leader, big boss, of E-Crew. Please pray that his heart might be softened and curious about the Gospel.
*Kara Enns-the girl in the Gap shirt. She and her husband, Jeff, moved to Japan about four months ago for work and ministry. Please pray for healthy, quick adjustment to a new culture and lifestyle and for their lives to have a great impact on those they come in contact with.
*Steve Weemes-he's taking the picture. He and his wife are missionaries with OMF (Overseas Missions Fellowship), they've been here for a good long time. Pray for Steve as he helps plan various activities to invite the E-Crew to participate in, and for the Lord to use his relationships with the guys, in particular.
*Everyone else! I can't even begin to remember EVERYONE's names, but you can still pray :-) Pray for good relationships, good conversations and open doors through them, interaction outside of our regular times, and the power and work of the Holy Spirit in all that happens so that the Enemy may have NONE.