50-50 Day

Only a mathematician could determine the exact day, but it's pretty close. It's 50-50 day. Having turned 41 last month, my life can probably be divided in half. The first half...God's preparation in my life for ministry in Japan. The second half...well, mostly made up of ministry in Japan.

It was at the "tender" age of 20 1/2 in the summer of 1990 that I first stepped foot in Japan as a short-term missionary. Getting off the plane to Tokyo, I had little idea as to the crossroads in life I stood at. God was about to change the focus of everything for me. His love for the Japanese people was about to become my own (His love for one in particular--Kaori Fukase--was about to become my own, too).

At 41, my life has been more about Japan, than about anything else short of Him and my family. At 41, my heart aches twice as much as it did at 20 1/2 to see the Japanese return to their Creator. My passion for the revival and harvest in this country is twice as strong. 20 1/2 years...20 1/2 more years from now I will be nearing retirement. "Lord, help me to use the time you have given me to reach many, many Japanese with your Gospel of good news. Use me up for Your glory and name's sake. May I make You famous in this country."

Confessions of a Conference Disliker

I'm not much of a conference-goer. I'd much rather be doing, than discussing the doing. Sit and listen has never completely fit my learning style. I'm greedy about how and where I invest time and energy...who isn't?

But when we determined we needed to be in the States briefly, and when American Airlines graciously allowed me to book multi-city award travel, I jumped at the chance to fly to Seattle for a few days to be among co-laborers reaching Japanese for Christ. What a great time the "Reaching Japanese for Christ" conference was!

The worship, messages, testimonies, seminars and, yes, even the food and weather, were all great. The ideas and resources I gleaned were very helpful. But what made the conference particularly fulfilling for me was the opportunity outside of our ministry and country of service context to be among people who completely understood my calling, passion, and challenges in Japan. Our times in the States rarely have this dimension to it. Thank you, RJC2010 staff, for making this conference such a worthy investment of time. It was an empowering and satisfying oasis from which to return to life and ministry here in Japan.