Thursday, February 14, 2008

He Said Go...

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.


...so they WENT.



The top picture is of my missionary friend, Mrs Jan Fischer. We work together in my 3&4 year old class. She has been such a blessing to me. She and Bro Paul, her husband, took my husband and I out to dinner-we wanted to take them!! We had such a wonderful time. They are missionaries to the Japanese in our church. They even hold their own services.

The bottom picture is me with my dear missionary friend Alice...she started speaking Japanese at age 12! In this picture we are at a Starbucks...which is very popular here :) We weathered typhoon like conditions outside and we had quite the amphibious adventure in trying to get there-to have some time of fellowship. I have had the blessing of walking the streets and door knocking with her and have learned so much about witnessing to the Japanese from her. She also teaches Kindergarten at the Maranatha Baptist Acadamy which reaches out to the Japanese! Many Japanese will allow their children to attend just so they can learn English-what a door to be able to take the Gospel to whole families. Alice is just an amazing young woman with such a heart for God.

Well, we have had the incredible blessing these past two and a half years of attending and serving in Maranatha Baptist Church Pastored by Steve Nutt, here in Okinawa Japan. They are missionaries to the military here on Okinawa and to the Japanese. The experience has just been *amazing* ( I wish I had a better word!)...

Before we moved here, we were in the Southern Cali desert attending Calvary Baptist Church in Yucca Valley. I can't describe the work the Lord did in our lives there...I am just in awe of how our Father works. While I was there, I had the blessed opportunity to be a part of the Ladies Missionary Fellowship-they involved me in a way that I never thought possible and I was tremendously humbled by these dear dear ladies allowing me to "grow" in that ministry. One of the churches Calvary supports is Maranatha Baptist and so all along, I had been praying and giving towards a missionary that would eventually become MY Pastor! How amazing is THAT? We have many missionaries that work and dedicate their lives to the ministry of this church, and to see how the Lord allowed even my prayers to be involved in the ministry of this church before ever dreaming of attending it...I mean, JAPAN, of all places, just leaves me, again, IN AWE, of my Lord. He is so very real to me...the depths, the heights...I can't wrap my brain around it :)

Anyway, as we wind down to only having a few months left here at this wonderful church, I look back on the time spent here serving the Lord, and all I can say is, we have been SO blessed to have worked along side these missionaries. We have had the blessing of...walking the streets with them...seeing revivals, souls saved, teaching, praying, loving...it has been amazing and the experience of a lifetime. To have the opportunity, myself, to witness and see souls saved here in Japan is an undeserved blessing that I hold very dear to my heart..God is so GOOD ALL THE TIME...all the time. I don't share a whole lot on here about the work that is the Lords..because..I never want to be puffed up about something that is the LORDS' and His doing...but I do want to tell you that God's work is BIGGER than I ever imagined. He uses the tiniest, most unlikely of people to do His most important work-and oh how I love Him and His mysterious ways.

5 comments:

Pam--in America said...

Amen to that, Heather!

And you're once again making miss all of those loving faces! :(

Anonymous said...

Hi Heather,
No, I didn't track you down to pester you;0) I just wanted to apologize that things got so heated last week over on Missy's blog. Sure didn't want to leave you thinking that either n8 or I had hard feelings because of a difference of opinion/perspective.

I'm sorry that your hubby will be leaving again soon. It must be so hard for you and the kids.
Yay, that he's getting to stay home an extra week:0)

Happy Valentine's day, and blessings to you and the family.
Shauna

HOPE said...

I just rejoice in the sweet outlook you have Heather...serving and submitting to the LORD. What a blessing to read of all that the LORD has involved you in and will continue with the heart you have for him! He will always open doors to those who desire to be used of him!

Thanks for sharing this...it is nice to know about these people you have mentioned and with the Faith that is true...we hear and know some of the same people!

I'm so thankful that Pam knows you and know I do! :)

BTW...did Pam tell you she met my daughter just a week or so before moving to meet me! Just...the timing of the LORD! My daughter was living at Camp P.

Heather said...

Pam, we sure miss you :( People ask about you all the time :) I'm soooo excited about your TRIP!! Everytime I think about it I get excited for you!

Shauna-no problem, it is hard to know where someone is coming from-on a blog when you don't know their tone or anything...I think I was just surprised! I have never been in a blog "debate" before! The more I tried to defend myself, the worse it got!! I got a little panicked for my testimony! Thanks so much for stopping by :)

Hope-I just LOVE you and I am so jealous that Pam "knows" you in real life, and I don't. *sigh* well, are paths are sure to cross-hopefully before we are in Glory :) You are such an encouragement.

Anonymous said...

Hey Pam nice to know that in japan you into such a wonderful service to our LORD. He has called you by your name and to are doing a wonderful job. Here too we are in GOD's service at Holy Trinity Mission and Ministry in India Bombay. We just recently celebrated feast of Saint Gonsalo Gracia. do write back to me. Bernard