reunited

...today we went to nishinomiya chapel -- the head church from which gakuentoshi chapel has been planted -- where we joined the kansai team, a handful of japanese pastors, and asian access missionaries from other regions (kyushu, hokkaido) for a luncheon held for several purposes...

...first, to welcome senior leadership of asian access and to hear about and celebrate what God is doing in Asia through the work of asian access (www.asianaccess.org)...



...among the many highlights, doug birdsall (president of asian access) and jeanie -- his awesome wife and ministry partner -- shared about the way in which God is using the training modules and church-planting networks of asian access to powerfully unite and galvanize the once-depleted but now thriving church in cambodia...doug and jeanie bring a godly wealth of experience and enthusiasm to everyone they meet...

...second, to hear ministry reports from networks involving partnerships between japanese churches and asian access missionaries in kyushu (southern japan) and the expanding work of alpha-japan in hokkaido (northern japan) due to the commitment and caliber of service from gifted workers such as tim clark (pictured below with us later in the evening)...

...third, to affirm the outstanding leadership that peter (left) has provided as director of asian access' japan personnel...God has used him to bring much fruit to the entire mission family...


...so it was entirely fitting that we allow him to enjoy a fruit of a different sort...

...an apple: asian access colleagues pitched in to get him -- a mac enthusiast -- a black ipod nano...

...following the luncheon at nishinomiya church, we went to eric's and sue's home for dinner...during this time, claire and i were reunited with doug and jeanie birdsall...they became our dear friends and mentors while we attended gordon-conwell...as always, we enjoyed their presence and perspectives on life, marriage, and ministry...

...we also enjoyed getting to know ned kiser, a gifted and godly man who is the new v.p. of development for asian access...it is apparent already that God has called and gifted him to do this work...praise God!...

...exhausted, we left sanda for home...with our horizons and hearts enlarged regarding the work of the gospel in asia, we are so encouraged to be part of this work....join us in praising God for the seeds that He's planting in japan and asia and please join us in praying that God would strengthen the church and raise/release workers -- including us -- to go with the good news of Jesus...