Karl in Japan July 2011 Update

MY AOMORI VISIT
Eating all of my favorite foods. Waiting an hour in rural train stations for the last train of the evening. Seeing preschool children dressed up in matching uniforms on a school trip. Hearing frogs and crickets singing from the rice paddies and cicadas singing in the summer woods. Walking in Hirosaki Park through the cherry blossoms with friends that I hope one day will see God’s glory through the beauty of His creation. The shared community and common goals that missionaries work toward. These are all memories that have come rushing back to me as I visited Aomori, where I worked previously for 15 months.

I have seen how God is moving and progressing the Gospel in Japan. Harvest House, the outreach point I worked and lived at during my previous term, has moved to a new property that they have purchased and are now having regular weekly meetings there. And, with change comes a new name: Harvest Chapel. During my recent visit with Martin, the missionary I had worked with, he asked me what I thought about the changes in light of the fact that I was directly involved in the development of Harvest Chapel. When I first heard that Harvest House had moved I was sad and disappointed because it was not only the house I lived in that they had left, but my home. Martin pointed out the connection between the progress of this ministry and the work I had been involved with at Harvest House. I was surprised with my own excitement of seeing where this ministry has clearly progressed. I was also excited to see where God will lead Harvest Chapel’s ministry in the future.

WHAT'S UP?
Japan is a country I have fallen in love with and the Japanese are the people I know God has called me to be a witness to. There is a place for me to begin ministry in Japan today; my visit has confirmed that I could start serving right away. I know and believe that God’s timing for me to begin long-term ministry in Japan is perfect. I expect when I leave Japan this time it will be just as hard, if not harder than it was the first time but for now I’m pleased to say that my stay in Japan has been extended to the beginning of September.

Since I started serving at Okutama Bible Chalet (OBC) in June, I have served at Joy Bible Camp, the kid’s camps for native English speakers. I had the privilege of attending the SEND Japan Conference where I was able to get to know and hang out with the SEND missionaries serving in Japan. Staying to serve in Japan longer was not in my original plans to visit. If it had been, I definitely would have brought my running shoes since it’s difficult to find shoes my size in Japan. My shoes should be arriving in a package from home any day now.

I have also been able to head north to the tsunami affected area where I was able to serve for three days. I helped clean several families’ yards by removing the dead trees that were killed by the salty sea water from the tsunami. Some people were removing the salty sludge from the surface of a farmer’s field and others were cleaning this out from the foundations of houses accessing it by removing the flooring from the first floor. There are many more families still in need of help with the clean-up of their properties. They can’t afford the clean-up or don’t have the time because they have to continue to work to provide for and feed their families.

Please pray that volunteers will continue to come to Japan to help complete all of the clean-up work that still needs to be done. Also pray that more people hear the call to work as witnesses for Christ in these disaster areas and that this work would continue long after the volunteers have finished the clean-up and serving in Japan.

Your brother in Christ,
Karl Friesen

CONTACT INFORMATION
SEND International - Canada

#1-22423 Jefferies Road
RR #5, Komoka, Ont.
N0L 1R0
http://www.sendcanada.org/
1-888-918-5036


Home
2946 Cardinal Place
Abbotsford BC
V2T 5P6
karlinjapan@hotmail.com
604-852-8877