현재 사역 현황 및 2015년 계획안

히로시마에 도착한지 이제 4년이 조금 지났습니다. 올해 6월이면 1기를 마치게 됩니다. 미국에는 6월부터 내년 1월 3일쯤 까지 있게 됩니다. 4년반만에 미국으로 돌아가 그 동안 함께해 주신 많은 분들께 감사를 드리며, 지난 4년간의 선교보고와 2기의 계획들을 함께 나누고 교육을 통해 영적 양식을 채우는 귀한 시간이 될 것 같습니다.

저희가 협력선교사로 섬기고 있는 히로시마 복음자유교회는 코요채플(모교회), 카베채플(지교회), 아사미나미채플(지교회), 그리고 아사미나미바이린구아르채플(“ABC”, 지교회)로 이루어져 있습니다. 거리상으로는 약 20-30분씩 떨어져 있습니다. 히로시마 복음자유교회는 어른수가 약 120명쯤 되는 일본에서는 큰 교회로 쳐지며, 히로시마 지역 내에 교인이 100명 넘는 3개의 교회 중 하나입니다.

현재 피터 선교사는 코요채플과 카베채플에서 어린이 영어 수업 “키즈 브라운”(Kids Brown)을 일주일에 한번씩 가르치고 있으며, 토요일 오후에는 ABC 예배의 찬양인도를 맡고 있습니다. 주중에는 영어수업 준비, 일어자습, 수요기도회, 금요일 일어수업, 토요일 찬양과 예배 준비, 회의, 그리고 때로는 설교 준비에 바쁩니다. 요즘은 미국 갈 준비를 하느라 바쁩니다. 처음으로 가는 안식년인 만큼 모르는 것이 많아, 알아봐야 할 것들이 많은 것 같습니다.

제니 선교사는 아사미나미채플에서 “키즈 브라운”을 매주 금요일 2개의 영어교실을 가르치고 있으며, 가능하면 2월말까지는 계속해서 가르치고 싶어합니다. 같은 채플에서 한 달에 한번씩 유아(0-3세) 어린이들을 위한 “스마일 클럽” 영어교실도 2월까지 가르칠 생각입니다. 그 외에도 여선교회 모임들, 여선교회 행사 준비, 영어수업 준비, 주희의 초등학교와 성제의 보육원 모임들, 주희의 영어 읽기와 쓰기 지도, 집안일, 손님접대 등으로 바쁘게 지내고 있습니다. 3월 21일 출산예정일인 딸을 맞이할 준비에 요즘 새로운 일어단어, 일본에서의 출생에 관한 정보를 많이 알아보고 있습니다.  

2015을 내다보며…

1월: 주환 아찌 (제니 선교사 동생) 방문, 피터 선교사 31일 ABC에서 설교
2월: 피터 선교사는 첫 주 까지, 제니 선교사는 마지막 주 까지 Kids Brown 수업 가르침 (가능하면 3월에도), “타이세”라는 한국계 일본인 강도사가 이사 들어옴
3월: 출산예정일 21일, 아기의 출생등록 및 여권신청, 성제의 여권갱신을 위해 오사카 미국 영사관으로
4월: 주희는 2학년, 성제는 年中(일본 보육원 및 유치원 3년간의 두 번째 해)가 되고, 아기의 여권을 받은 후 일본비자 신청
5월: 성제생일, 짐 싸기, 제니 선교사 가능하면 한달간 Kids Brown 가르치기
6월: 미국 북가주로! 시차 적응, 가족휴가(?), 짐 풀고 다음 목적지를 위해 다시 짐 싸기…
7 월: 제니 선교사의 여동생 가족과 함께 지내며 달라스에 있는 후원교회들 방문, 보고
8~11월: 산호세 지역에 머물며 주희는 미국 초등학교 2학년, 성제는 유치원에 입학, 주말에는 북과 남가주에 있는 교회들에 방문, 보고
12월: 주희의 생일, (성제의 미국에서의 첫 번째) 크리스마스

2016년1월초에 히로시마로 돌아오면 아이들 개학 준비와 함께 아이들이 빨리 일본학교와 생활에 적응 할 수 있도록 돕고, 저희가 현재 임대하고 있는 집 주인들이 2016년4월에 돌아오기 때문에 3월에 이사할 준비를 해야 합니다. 다음 15개월 동안 여행 가방과 이삿짐 꾸기고 풀기의 반복에 바쁠 것 같습니다. 그래서 이미 짐을 싸기 시작했고 앞으로 15개월간 삶의 큰 변화들을 많이 겪어야 할 주희와 성제가 마음의 준비를 할 수 있도록 힘쓰고 있습니다. 

아이들이 가는 곳 마다 잘 적응하고, 수많은 만남과 이별의 인사들에 너무 힘들어하지 않도록 많은 기도 부탁 드립니다. 2015년도와 2016년도 전반은 저희 가족에게 지금까지 가장 힘든 기간이 될 것 같습니다. 함께 기도해주실 모든 분들께 미리 감사의 인사를 올립니다. 정말 큰 힘이 됩니다. 감사합니다.  

2015 Big Picture

A request from one of our supporting churches had me looking back at our e-newsletter archive a few days ago. I was shocked (and somewhat horrified), that we'd only sent out ONE Korean e-newsletter in 2014. And that newsletter began with an apology for it having been a year since we sent out our previous one! Yikes... Major FAIL! :(

As I was reading it, I also realized how much things had changed in our planning of 2015 and our thoughts on our second term during the past six months. 

So I write this blog posting with a BIG disclaimer: this is what we know so far about some of the main events / plans for our 2015. HOWEVER! All of this may change... And we're open to that. :) (Although we would definitely prefer for it to not change too much!) If things do change, I promise to try and keep you updated as much as possible.

Sungjae said during dinner the other night that he wants to ride an airplane again soon. Juhee told him that we will be because we're going to America. So I told him a little bit about what will probably be happening this year and I figured it'd be good to give you a quick updated summary overview too.  During dinner that day, we actually got side-tracked after July and never made it to December even with me just telling him about one thing per month. :P 

January - Uncle John (my brother) coming to visit, Peter preaching on 31st at ABC 

February - Peter's birthday, Peter finishes teaching Kids Brown classes after first week, hopefully Jenny will be able to continue till end of month (maybe longer?), Taisei coming to live with us 

March - baby due on 21st, our 8th wedding anniversary, trip to US Consulate in Osaka to register birth of baby, apply for her passport, and renew Sungjae's

April - Juhee starts second grade, Sungjae becomes 年中 (2nd of 3 years of preschool), apply for baby's Japan visa once we get passport

May - Sungjae turns 5, pack pack pack!!! Jenny teach one month of Kids Brown?

June - fly to America, get over jetlag, family vacation?, unpack and repack for...

July - Dallas (reconnecting with supporting churches, spend time with sister & her family! :D) 

August, September & October - back in SJ Bay Area, Juhee will attend 2nd grade and Sungjae will start kindergarten at a U.S. Elementary school, speaking engagements up and down CA

November - Jenny's birthday, Thanksgiving (Sungjae's first ever in America!), more speaking engagements

December - Juhee's birthday, Christmas (again, Sungjae's first ever in America)

We then return to Hiroshima in early January of 2016, unpack our suitcases, get the kids back into their Japanese school routines, and pack up the house in preparation to move in March.

I included a bit about the beginning of 2016, because we wrote about only 2015 on our Christmas / New Year's cards to our church members, and as a result, I've had people come up to me and ask if we won't be returning - oops! I've had to apologize and explain that we are, but because it's in January of next year, we didn't include it in. We definitely should have though... Next time!

The owners of the house we currently rent in Hiroshima return in April of 2016, so we'll be busy packing and preparing to move as soon as we get back. We'll probably be moving at least once while we're in the U.S. too. Lots and lots of packing and unpacking during the next 15 months - suitcases and boxes!

As many of you know, we've been praying about where and with whom God wants us to serve during our second term. When we move at the end of March next year, it'll either be to a different home in Hiroshima or down south a few hours to the Fukuoka area. We'll hopefully have an update on that for you soon!

Here are some "regular life" pictures for you from this month to finish off, one of pics of us at home, and one of us outside the home. Click on the pictures to see larger versions.

We woke up to lots of snow on New Year's Day! Juhee & Sungjae were so glad they had another chance to make a snowman (didn't get to finish the first one). :) 

One Sunday after church, we ended up having a young family over for some playtime & dinner. We had a great time playing Wii together, our first ever Wii fellowship time! :D Thank you Mo's for the Wii! 

One of our supporting churches, DKC, sent us a whole bunch of refill rubber bands for Rainbow Loom - our kids and their friends are loving it! It's only recently started to become really popular here so it's still pretty expensive. We're grateful for the abundant supply we've received from the US! It'll last us a long time and having so much makes it so much easier to share. :P

I took the kids to our old neighborhood in Yagi during the last day of their winter break. It was the first time in about six months (morning sickness, busyness) that I'd managed to go. I had thought that their homes were unaffected by the landslides that happened in August, but that wasn't the case. The field that Sungjae (with a big head of fresh broccoli) and our neighbor are standing in was completely flooded and all of the remaining vegetables had to be thrown out. They had to replace the flooring of their whole first floor too. The same goes for our old house and the house next to it too! We also found out that one of the grandpas that we had become close to passed away soon after my last visit. It was so sad to hear... :'( 

As part of Juhee's winter vacation homework packet, she had to practice her "katakana", an alphabet used to write words that have come from a different language. One of her words was "Christ". She was so happy to see a Christian word in her homework!

For New Year's, many flower arrangements have bamboo. Most of them are pretty small, but the one in front of my OBGYN was really big, bigger than Juhee! Juhee and I went to eat udon after that appointment. Juhee was so happy she got to see the baby, eat udon while sitting next to mommy, and go on a date with mommy. :) Later that day, I took Juhee to a friend's house from her kindergarten days. They had lots of fun coloring and creating lots of cute things while the moms chatted in English (mostly) about education in Japan. We're so grateful that this family are regulars now at ABC! :)

God bless! :)

Remembering the Blessings

November and December were two very busy months. There were about 15 Christmas events – at the Christian kindergarten Sungjae attends, at all four chapels of Hiroshima EV Free Church, and at a college campus for the first time – and a few non-Christmas events too.  Here are a few stories about just some of those events. 

November 19th was the day of the Christmas flower arrangement class at Samuel Preschool. On that particular day, all of the moms at my table were good friends that I’d known for 3-4 years. As we were chatting, I asked the mom next to me, J, a member of Kabe Chapel, about the Women’s Ministry outreach the following week. I’d been invited to it just a few days earlier and so didn’t know much about it. She told me that there were going to be lots of delicious desserts and that she would be giving a testimony. I asked her if she’d invited anyone and she said that as she’d be giving her testimony, she felt too shy about asking anyone. I told her that her sharing her testimony is the best reason and time to invite friends! :) She turned to the mom on her other side, one of her best friends, and asked if she would like to come. The mom said yes and added that they talk about so many things, but they don’t ever really talk about faith. We arranged for me to pick up J’s friend the morning of the event. J later texted me to say thank you for creating an opportunity and giving her the courage to invite her friend. Praise God for opportunities like the flower arrangement class where I can sit and chat with moms while doing something that we enjoy and use them to encourage the body of believers! 

Before (at Samuel) and After (in our entryway at home)

On November 21st, there was a Women’s Ministry Christmas candle craft outreach at Koyo Chapel. Among the 30 or so attendees there were about 15 church members and 10 of my friends. I thank God for allowing me to invite friends who are not yet believers, the opportunity for them to deepen their friendships with church members and beome more familiar with “church”, and to be able to hear the gospel through such events. Koyo Chapel’s Women’s Ministry was thankful that I supported their event by bringing so many friends. Most of the church members did not invite anyone, while I showed up with 10 women. The Women's Ministry members are primarily older ladies with children who are in college or beyond, so they really welcome young mothers who come with little children. It’s also always encouraging for those that organize events when more people attend! 

Two left pics: handmade candles (top) + supplies to make Christmas candles (bottom); Top right: all five of the friends in the picture attended last and this year's Christmas craft making event at Koyo Chapel - would be awesome if they continued to go even if I'm not here!; Bottom right: udon lunch with one of my friends after - udon with mochi is a winter special.

The morning of Wednesday, November 26th was Samuel Preschool’s annual Adult Christmas Service. I remember being shocked the first year as there was a choir of about 50 moms on the stage, the pastor, a few other staff, and only about 5-6 moms there to listen. Juhee had been asking me to be a part of the “Hallelujah Choir” since her first year and so during her third and final year, I finally did. This past Christmas was my second time taking part. I’ve enjoyed being a part of it for a few reasons – I love singing, Izumi-san (Pastor Yamada’s wife) has been the guest conductor for the past few years, Izumi-san explains the meaning of the English lyrics and the background too, and she prays at the end of every practice session. I also get to add a bit when I explain to them things like the importance of singing “King of Kings” instead of “King of King” (Jesus is the King of all Kings) and “sleep in heavenly peace” instead of “sleep in heavenly pea-“! The pastor’s message is always clear, simple, and touching, perfect for the listeners. There were about 80-90 moms in attendance this past Christmas (including the choir) and Izumi-san and I were the only Christians. Please pray for the moms in the choir who sing Hallelujah, sing praises to God, and know about the reason for Christmas. Pray that the head knowledge will become heart knowledge, that a Christian mom will reach out to them and make Christianity “real” to them, and that their years as a mom attending a Christian preschool will be life-changing. 

Moms performed carols on flutes, on a trumpet as well as singing carols and the Hallelujah Chorus as part of the Christmas service. After the service, the moms had lunch together and thanked Izumi-san for conducting.

November 28th was the day of Kabe Chapel’s Women’s Ministry Christmas outreach. As previously arranged, I picked up J’s friend and drove her to Kabe Chapel. J’s testimony about being a mother, the shock of finding out about her daughter’s learning disability, and how God is changing her heart and attitude toward her daughter moved many women to tears. Pastor Kitano’s message about the history of Christmas in Japan was very interesting and I’m sure it was new to most people there too. During the game time, I found out that most women have “secret money” which they keep hidden from their husbands! As we were eating our delicious lunch (LOTS of yummy desserts!), I learned more about parenting in Japan… The moms shared about how hard it was for some of them to go to the park with their infants / toddlers due to the fear of being bullied or excluded by other moms. One mom didn’t leave the house for four years except to go to hospital visits, etc. She didn’t go on walks, go to the park, to other play areas… Her daughter had very little interaction with the outside world and didn’t speak till she was four. Her eyes welled up with tears even just recollecting those difficult years. Their stories gave me even more to pray about, especially as I will soon be entering into this world of playground bullying – by moms! Pray that I’ll be able to reach out to moms who are afraid and become a friend to them. 

Top row: J giving her testimony; Pastor Kitano's sermon. Bottom row: J's handmade wreaths decorated each table and the candle holder was handmade by a member of Kabe Chapel for candle services too; two of the members sang a medley of carols beautifully; a delicious buffet lunch! 

Every few months at Juhee’s school, the parents are invited to a “Participation Day”. We observe one class, the kids are dismissed, and then there’s a short talk by the teacher and/or principal. Most of the parents actually leave when the kids leave. On December 2nd, I had a bit of a surprise awaiting me as in addition to moms that I already knew thanking me for inviting their child to another event at Asaminami Chapel and confirming their RSVP, some moms that I didn’t know at all (didn’t know their kids either) also thanked me and told me that their child would like to go. The problem is that they say their name pretty fast and I don’t usually catch it! Juhee and I had stuck on labels with personalized invitations including my contact details on each invitation that Juhee had handed out. Thankfully, a few moms contacted me later on to confirm their RSVPs with me. Following the Participation Day and kids’ Christmas Party, I started LINE chatting with one mom in particular. When she told me that she went to college in NYC, I was glad to find another mom who speaks English and she was glad to have someone to practice her English with too! She also told me that she would sometimes go visit a church when she lived in NYC and so was glad when her son received an invitation to an event at a church. She said that she would like to visit during a Sunday service sometime too. She really wanted to come to our Christmas Eve evening service as she felt that that was the most “authentic” thing to do for Christmas, but she couldn’t make it. However, she and her son did join us for Sunday service on the last Sunday morning of 2014. Juhee was super excited to have a classmate there and for me, it was another “wow, thank you God” moment. Praise God that the mom said that she felt a sense of peace and refreshment and would like to visit again sometime.  

Top row: Parents lined up against the wall to observe the class; Juhee put her hand up and was picked to answer the math question. Bottom row: Getting ready to go home; the Principal and the three 1st grade teachers had prepared short talks for the parents. I'm sure they were just as shocked that so many just went home!

On December 6th, Asaminami Chapel held a Christmas Party primarily for elementary school kids. During the previous two years, they held one combined Christmas party for all kids and didn’t ask people to register in advance, but as their annual events have become more and more popular, they split the kids’ party into two – one for elementary school kids and another one for babies up to Kindergarten age kids. They also asked attendees to call and register in advance so that we would be able to prepare better. We also thought that it might hinder some people from coming, making the numbers more manageable. ^^; Juhee was only going to invite some, but ended up inviting all 32 of her classmates (they asked) and friends from the other 1st grade classes as well as her ballet and calligraphy classes. Little Sungjae also invited a few of his friends (who had older siblings in elementary school). The Children’s Ministry staff planned for about 60 children to attend. But by a few days before the registration deadline, 70-80 had already made reservations and calls continued to come in, at which point they had to turn away with apologies any more parents who wanted to send their children! They also asked me to stop inviting friends—about 30 of the kids + a dozen parents who attended were our friends. At a small church plant where about 25 adults and 10 Sunday school kids meet on Sundays, around 95 people showed up that day who had the opportunity to hear about the true meaning of Christmas. Among the children who were there, only five were from households of believers. Supporting churches and individuals in the U.S. sent us many Christmas decorations, paper plates and cups, napkins, gift bags, pumpkin bread mixes, instant hot apple cider, etc., so that this new church plant with a limited budget could afford this event (as well as future Christmas events), and afford to host so many people. Thank you!!! Please pray for the seeds that were sown that day in the children's hearts, as well as in the hearts of the parents. 

Clockwise from Top Left: Juhee sticking sticker labels with personalized invitations onto the back of the Christmas Party flyers; contents of the goodie bags that were given to each child as they left - homemade cookies, information about the church and other Christmas events, a tract / story of The Three Trees; 100 goodie bags were prepared just in case and a good thing they prepared to many - there were only a handful left!; Juhee & Sungjae both made lists of names of friends that kept on growing; big platters of snacks were prepared for each table.

Clockwise from Top Left: Juhee's friends & siblings were spread out over 3 overcrowded tables and parents sat against the wall; Sungjae and two of his buddies, anxiously waiting to see if their names would also be called out of the hat; a panoramic view of the party; time to say good-bye - local kids walked or rode their bicycles, all of our friends came by car; I drove our kids + 4 others home and babysat them till their moms could come pick them up; Juhee & the friends at her table.

The morning of December 11th, the two of us helped out at two different events. Jenny went to Asaminami Chapel's Women's Ministry Christmas Party with seven of her friends (around 25 people attended in all), and took part in the handbell performance, was in charge of taking care of tables, etc. For two of her friends, it was their first time attending an adult event, hearing a message for adults, and getting to know the other ladies at Asaminami Chapel – an important first step! She also baked a loaf of pumpkin bread for the event and provided instant hot apple cider. We thank God for allowing us to have a blessed time that warmed both body and soul. Peter went with some other missionaries on our missions team to a Christian women's college in downtown Hiroshima to hold a Christmas service and Christmas café. It’s a Christian women's college, but the "Christian" aspect of it has almost disappeared. Please pray that our missions team would be able to continue to visit this college campus, as well as many other college campuses, and spread the gospel message to many more college students. 

Asaminami Chapel's new handbell choir - I'm fourth from the left; Me with 5 of the 7 friends who joined me that morning; Red & gold candle holders and nativity scene candle holders from the US; homemade snacks made by members of the Women's Ministry + pumpkin bread; Pastor Yamada giving a Christmas message to a room full of ladies, about half of them being not-yet-believers.

The often empty, beautiful chapel of the Christian women's college that our team helped at; a group picture of our team with the students; Christmas cafe time prepared by our team.

On December 9th, 11th, and 12th, we had Christmas parties for the Kids Brown children's English classes that we teach. It was a busy week of preparing at home and preparing & holding the events at each chapel, featuring short skits by the students in front of the parents, the story of the birth of Jesus in the Bible, a game to learn about the various meanings of Christmas, and refreshment times with hot apple cider plus pumpkin bread and snickerdoodle cookies that Jenny baked. Our kids had to go with us each time, but we were grateful that by the Lord's grace, they did not get sick and held up well. We were also thankful that among the children and parents who attended last year's Christmas parties, there were those who remembered the story of the birth of Jesus, the different meanings of Christmas decorations, etc. that they had heard for the first time in their lives last year. It’s encouraging for us as the teachers when the students remember even parts of the Bible stories that we went through. Pray that as the teachers continue to go through the Bible a second time this year, and again for a third time from the Summer, more and more of these stories of God’s grace, love, protection, and guidance will stay with the students. 

Pre-event happenings: checking Juhee's homework while baking, baking, baking with and without the kids' help; coordinating Christmas plates, napkins, cups, candy canes, hot instant apple cider, pumpkin bread mixes, etc from the US; counting and splitting them into bags & getting them delivered to each chapel; cutting, tying, and curling ribbons to tie onto the candy canes, arranging everything nicely for the students and guardians to enjoy. :)  

Kabe Chapel's Party: Peter on stand-by to cue his students at they perform the skit for the moms & siblings; Peter reading the story of Jesus' birth in English and Ogawa-san in Japanese; everyone enjoying the snacks and drinks. Moms & kids becoming comfortable at Kabe Chapel, hearts & bodies being fed & warmed, and relationships deepening are the real reasons for us teaching kids' English.

Party at Koyo Chapel for Koyo's and Asaminami's Thursday classes: For about a month leading up to the Christmas party (and in January), I helped at the Thursday Asaminami classes ( =Juhee had to skip a month of calligraphy classes and I had to ask a friend to pick-up Juhee from Asaminami Chapel to take her to ballet class) and here they are rehearsing one last time; Peter's Thursday class had to suddenly change roles on the day due to a couple of kids being absent but they still did a great job performing in front of the parents & siblings; Peter enjoying some rare down time with his students.

Asaminami Chapel's Party: for each of the three parties, I led the singing and "game" times, asking questions about the story that they heard and connections that they see between the story and images of Christmas; our little DVD player came in super handy that week as our kids waited patiently for mommy & daddy to do their thing and the time came for them to enjoy their snacks - some younger siblings joined our kids too!; Pastor Yamada had talks with the moms at all three chapels at the beginning, giving us teachers a bit of time to have a final rehearsal with the kids before show time; all 23 of my students crammed into one little room; students, moms & siblings enjoying the snacks after the program was done.

Besides these, there were many other events both within and outside of the church in November and December – our Pioneers Hiroshima Team’s Christmas Party, our first time ever taking part in Hannukah, Juhee’s preschool alumni Christmas service, Sungjae’s Christmas Nativity Pageant (last year he played a sheep, this year he played a star) & service, ABC’s Christmas Service & Potluck, Asaminami Chapel’s Christmas Party & Potluck, Asaminami Chapel’s Christmas Eve Service, Juhee's birthday party, mochi making at a friend's house... There were many more blessings we encountered and that we would love to remember and share through our newsletters and blog. But this post is, I think, already too long. If you made it this far, thank you! 

It took me much longer than I thought to write this blogpost, but as I was writing it, it was great to remember the many ways in which God blessed our busiest Christmas season yet. It's so easy to remember the stress and craziness and forget about the blessings! Even the fact that our busiest season happened this year and not in previous years was part of God's perfect planning. I seriously don't think we could have pulled everything off before without something bad happening in previous years. But this year, despite my difficult pregnancy and the few months prior having been our busiest yet ministry-wise too, we were in a good place and were able to communicate and work well with the many groups and people we needed to work with. Our marriage being strong really helped too! Hopefully one day, I'll be able to look back at this post and praise God once again for working in our lives and that of our friends, and for allowing us to serve Him and the Hiroshima EV Free Church in this way.

We are so grateful for the opportunity to be here serving God, despite all of our faults and weaknesses, and we thank you for your financial and continued prayer support that sustain us and help us get through the crazy busy, tiring, difficult times as well as the good times. We pray that He continues to use you and us Oh's for His glory, so that many more will come to know Him. :)

11월-12월의 간단한 사역 보고

11월과 12월은 정말로 바쁜 2개월이었습니다. 성제가 다니고 있는 기독교 유치원과 저희가 협력하고 있는 히로시마 복음자유교회의 모교회와 세 개의 지교회, 그리고 지역 대학 캠퍼스 등에 약 15개의 성탄 행사들이 있었습니다. 그 중에서 몇 가지 행사들에 대해서만 자세하게 알려드리겠습니다.

11월 21일에는 코요채플에서 여선교회 주최의 성탄장식 만들기 행사가 있었습니다. 참석인원 약 30명 중 교인이 약 15명, 그리고 제니 선교사의 친구가 10명이었습니다. 이런 행사들을 통해 제니 선교사가 아직 믿음이 없는 친구들을 초대해 교회분들과 친분을 쌓고 복음을 듣게 할 수 있는 기회를 허락해 주신 하나님께 감사를 드립니다. 코요채플의 여선교회측에서도 감사를 표현했습니다. 교회분들 대부분이 친구 한 명도 초대를 안 했는데 제니 선교사가 10명을 데리고 오고, 주로 대학생 이상의 자녀들을 둔 여선교회 분들이라 젊은 엄마들과 어린 아이들이 교회로 오는 것을 반기셨습니다.

12월 6일에는 아사미나미채플(지교회)의 아이들 크리스마스 파티가 있었습니다. 주희가 같은 1학년 3반 친구들, 발레와 서예교실 친구들을 많이 초대했습니다. 어린 성제도 친구들을 몇 명 초대했습니다. 넉넉 잡아 60명을 계획했던 교회측에서는 70, 80명이 예약을 하고도 연락이 계속 와서 자녀를 보내고 싶다고 하는 부모에게 죄송하다고 해야 할 정도였습니다. 저에게도 친구들 그만 초대해 달라고 부탁했고요… 30명쯤이 저희 아이들 친구들이었습니다. 주일에 어른 약 25명, 주일학교 어린이 10명 모이는 작은 개척교회에 그 날 어린이가 약 95명 참석을 했고, 보호자도 10명 넘게 참석하여 성탄의 참 의미를 듣는 귀한 기회가 되었습니다. 그 자리에 있었던 어린이들 중 믿는 집안의 어린이는 5명 뿐이었습니다. 미국의 저희 후원교회들에서 여러 가지 성탄 장식, 종이접시, 종이컵, 냅킨, 선물 가방 등을 보내주어 예산이 작은 교회에서 이 행사, 그리고 그 외의 다른 성탄 행사들을 저렴하게 치를 수 있었습니다. 그 많은 인원을 감당할 수 있었고요. 이 날 어린이들의 마음, 그리고 보호자들의 마음에 뿌려진 씨앗들을 위해 기도 부탁 드립니다.

여대 크리스마스, 아사미나미 채플 여선교회 크리스마스, 어린이 크리스마스 전도행사, 

모든 아이들이 집으로 가져간 쿠키, 전도지, 교회 안내지

12월 11일 아침에는 두 가지의 다른 행사를 부부가 돕게 되었습니다. 제니 선교사는 아사미나미채플(지교회)의 여선교회 성탄 파티에 친구들 7명과 함께 참석하고 (전체 인원 약 25명 참석) 핸드벨 연주, 테이블 담당 등을 맡았습니다. Pumpkin bread도 구워가고 hot apple cider도 제공했습니다. 몸과 마음이 따뜻해지는 축복의 시간을 허락해 주신 하나님께 감사를 드립니다. 피터 선교사는 히로시마 시내에 있는 기독교 여대에 저희 선교단체의 다른 선교사들과 함께 가서 성탄예배와 크리스마스 카페에 함께했습니다. 기독교 여대이기는 하지만 기독교적인 면이 거의 다 사라진 대학입니다. 이 대학 캠퍼스, 그리고 더 많은 대학 캠퍼스들에 계속해서 저희 선교팀이 방문을 하여, 더 많은 대학생들에게 복음의 소식을 전할 수 있도록 기도 부탁 드립니다.

12월 9, 11, 12일에는 저희가 가르치고 있는 어린이 영어수업 “키즈 브라운” 교실들에서 크리스마스 파티가 있었습니다. 보호자들 앞에서의 짧은 발표회, 성경에서의 예수 탄생의 이야기, 게임을 통한 성탄절의 여러 의미 알기, 제니 선교사가 구운 pumpkin bread와 snickerdoodle cookies, hot apple cider와 함께한 다과의 시간등, 집에서의 준비, 각 채플에서의 행사 준비와 진행에 바쁜 한 주였습니다. 아이들도 항상 같이 다녀야 했는데 주님의 은혜로 아프지 않고 잘 버텨주어서 감사했습니다. 그리고 작년 크리스마스 파티에 참석했던 아이들과 보호자들 중, 작년에 평생 처음 들었던 예수 탄생의 이야기와 크리스마스 장식의 여러 가지 의미들 등을 기억한 아이들과 보호자들이 있어 감사했습니다.

 “키즈 브라운” 크리스마스 파티들과 “스마일 클럽” 

이 외에도 정말로 많은 행사들, 많은 축복의 만남들이, 교회 안에서도 밖에서도 있었습니다. 부족한 저희를 주님의 일에 써주시는 하나님께 감사와 찬양을 드립니다!

January Focus

Happy New Year! As we enter the year of the sheep, we pray that this year will be a year of revival, a year when many lost sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and return to Him. 

Can't believe half of January has already gone by! 

Here are some quick focus points for this month: 

Our baby girl is growing at an increasingly rapid pace inside my belly. My recent check-up was a comprehensive one done at the beginning of the third trimester and everything's looking good - Praise God! I'll be going up for check-ups every TWO WEEKS now (!!!) and then EVERY WEEK during the last four weeks (from mid-Feb). Please pray that the baby will continue to grow healthy and strong. Due date is March 21st. 

Pray for my physical well-being as I'm constantly tired and my whole body aches. As well as my usual pregnancy-induced anemia and leg cramps, I'm also experiencing lots of lower hip and pelvic bone pain this time around. For some reason I also don't have much of an appetite either... I'm hoping to continue teaching my classes till the end of February and Juhee has a ballet performance at the end of February too, so I'm hoping I'll be able to stay on my feet till then. Pray that I'll be able to be wise in knowing when to rest and when to ask for help. Please also pray for all of the prep that we still need to do for the baby's arrival and my time in the hospital (6 days!!!). 

Please pray for our Kids Brown & Smile Club classes. Jess has returned from her home assignment (yay!) and will take over her KB classes again from February. There have been a few changes so pray for a smooth transition back for her as well as a spirit of excitement and Kingdom-focused-ness (I know that's not an actual word, but you know what I mean, right?). It's not always easy teaching kids English, especially to the kids that don't want to be there! Please pray for a teacher for my Friday classes... They're doing so well English-wise and Bible-wise... Would love for that to be able to continue! I have one class left for Smile Club at the beginning of Feb before they finish for this academic year at the beginning of March. Pray that they'll have someone in place to teach the English Smile Club classes for when they resume English classes in May. 

Please pray for Peter's phasing out of leading praise at ABC too... 

Please pray for our time in the US. We've been saving up for it but it looks like living in San Jose is going to cost more than we anticipated. Thankfully, a couple of our friends / supporting churches have already communicated their willingness to support us extra during our time home - and not just financially too! We're so grateful for God's provision and know that He will provide exactly what we need, at the right time. We also know that He will provide the connections needed and fellowship time with many of you. We're looking forward to it 

Pray for our PI Hiroshima team as they'll be leading the monthly combined Wednesday night prayer meeting on the 14th. Scott will be preaching, Peter will be leading praise in Japanese and English. Please pray that our team will be able to be an encouragement to the Japanese believers. 

Early morning of the 19th, it'll be my turn again to go out and greet the elementary school students going to school and help with traffic control. Juhee will be so excited! :) Please pray for energy and safety. I'll be standing outside in the cold for about 30 minutes... :/ 

Pray for my last "Mary Poppins" flower arrangement class at Samuel Kindergarten on the 21st. It's through this class that I met and was able to deepen relationships with many of my current friends over the past four years. It's also through this class, while us ladies chat while arranging our flowers, that I've invited many moms to many church events. I'm so grateful for all of the opportunities that God provided me with through this class and am sad to say Good-bye. Please pray that I'll be able to finish well. This will probably be the first of many Good-byes to come... 

Toward the end of January, all of our PI Hiroshima Teammates will be gone for 1-3 weeks as they attend our Regional Retreat in Thailand. Pray that they'll be refreshed during their time there and for us as we hold down the fort.

Thank you for your prayers! :)

새해 복 많이 받으세요!

안녕하세요.  새해 복 많이 받으세요! ^^

아이들 한복 입고 찍은 사진들 올립니다.
제작년 겨울에 한국에 잠시 들어갔을때 친척들과의 설날 식사에 애들을 한복을 입혀서 데려갔더니 삼촌 중 한분께서 "해외파 왔네~"라고 하시더군요 ^^;  해외에서 자란 한복집 외손녀라서 그런지 매년 설날이 되면 아이들 한복 입히는 것은 빠트릴 수 없는...  애들이 더 크면 달라질까요?ㅎㅎ

혹시 오늘 보낸 전자카드를 메일함에 받지 못한 분들을 위해 아래에 적힌 인사를 여기 다시 한 번 적어봅니다.  아래 이미지에 잘 안 보이는 것 같아서... ㅡㅡ;

2014년이 눈 깜짝할 사이에 지나가고 벌서 2015을 맞이하게된 것 같습니다.

지난 일년간도 많이 사랑해주시고 저희를 위해 기도해주셔서 감사합니다.

2015년 양디의 해를 맞이하여 일본, 그리고 전세계에 있는 주님의 잃어버린 양들이 선하신 목자에게로 돌아오는 해가 되기를 기대해봅니다.

2015년에도 주님의 크신 사랑과 기쁨이 늘 함께하시기를 바랍니다.

새해 복 많이 받으세요~!