Mother’s Day

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May 8, 2011

Today, we celebrated Mother’s Day. It has been a bittersweet Mother’s Day because it is the first one without my mom and also as a mom. My mom went to heaven after battling with cancer for a year. She was the best mother that anyone could ask for and I still miss her so very much. I often wish I could ask her for help and advice as I raise my son. I think of her when there are ministry opportunities because she was so gifted when it came to serving God and ministering to others. As I remember her, I am especially thankful for five things.

1. She loved God.

She put God before anything else. There was no question about it. She lived to glorify Him. She taught me to know Him, to love Him, and to make Him known. Even though it was hard for us to let her go, it was God’s time and she was ready to see Him. Her strong faith really inspired me.

2. She loved family.

It was such a blessing to be raised by such wonderful Christian parents. My mom was always there for me and we had a close relationship. She was there to rejoice and cry with me. She expressed her love for me by praising me and also by correcting me when needed. I always knew she loved me. As I raise my child, I always want to remember how she loved me and taught me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. She loved church.

She was at church 4 to 5 times a week. She was not a paid staff, but she was there because she loved helping and ministering to others. After she passed away, several ladies told me that they always knew they would see my mom if they went to church. They shared that my mom always took time to listen to their stories and concerns and to pray with them. I always enjoyed seeing her smile when she was at church. Her love for the body of Christ is something that I will never forget.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Preschool Sunday School that she taught. That was her favorite time.)

4. She loved missions.

Growing up, my parents drove 4 hours (each way) to the west coast of Japan to help the small mission church twice a month. They went without knowing how many people would show up. Sometimes, nobody showed up. They even went on snowy days. As a child, it was hard to understand why they spent their Saturdays going there instead of taking us to fun places. But now I do. It’s because they wanted to share God’s love with people who had never heard about Him. Now, that small mission church has their own pastor and is growing. Praise the Lord. God called me to do missions, but seeing my parents’ love for the lost helped me to have a heart for the world. I am thankful God gave me such a great example like my mom who showed Christ’s love and hope in her actions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(With Mr. and Mrs. Boatwright who lived in Japan for over 30 years as missionaries. She respected them and told me what she had learned from them.)

5. She loved children.

Anyone who knew her would say “oh how she loved kids!” and that is so true. She loved every single child with ALL her heart. She knew how to love them and to reach out to them. And the kids knew they were loved so much. There were several kids from broken families and they knew my mom would protect them and love them no matter what. When I was in college, I called her almost every week, and she shared a lot about each child she knew, and I truly enjoyed listening. Ever since we moved to Japan, I have heard so much about how she touched and changed the lives of the kids (and parents). Several girls told me how much they wish they could see her again, and it made me cry. As I raise my child and get involved in the children’s ministry, I want to follow her path. I want to love children like she did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Don’t you just love her smile?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I miss you so much, mom! I will always treasure what you have taught me. I am so thankful for my mom’s life, but I am also SO grateful that God gave me a son so that I could be a mom. Becoming a mom was always my dream, and it finally came true this year. Words cannot express how much I love Luke. He is the best gift that Michael and I have ever received. Even though being a mom is not always easy, I love being a mom and I never take that for granted. I pray every day that Luke will know how much God loves him. I know I am not perfect and I still make so many mistakes, but I pray God will help me to be the mom that He wants me to be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love you SO MUCH, Luke Kai! Thank you for being my son.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms in the world!

Categories: Family.

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Update on May 6th

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May 7, 2011

Thank you so much for your continued prayers for Japanese people.  After we shared our last update, we heard from some of our friends who read this blog and were encouraged to know that our blog updates help them to know how to pray for Japan.  Sorry we can’t update as much as we want to (we have been busy sharing our stories at different churches and companies.  Praise God for these opportunities!), but we hope our blog will help you understand how great our God is and how much Japanese people need Him!

Praises:

-We are still talking with the leaders of our sending church and organization to decide when to go back to Japan.  They have spent lots of time researching the situations in Japan and they approved us to go back!  This is an answer to our prayers!  Please continue to pray for God’s guidance and wisdom as we decide when and where to return.

-Our missionary friends and one of our friends from DBU (he came all the way from Osaka!) went to Oshika Peninsula to visit temporary shelters.  They delivered food and clothes, and people were so thankful.   They also handed out the Bible tracts.  Please pray they will take time to read them and feel God’s love for them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Our friend, Yuta, sorting items to be delivered.)

-We were encouraged to read an article about our Christian friend, Mr. Yamaki (http://www.baptistpress.org/BPnews.asp?ID=35105).  We are thankful for believers like him who are working hard every day to share hope with the hopeless.  Yu’s dad told him that so many people from all over the world are praying for him, and he was so grateful.  Please keep remembering him and his team in your prayers.

-Our church members, Mrs. Kimura (her husband is in Japanese army) and Mrs. Yonezawa (her in-laws died in tsunami), are doing better.  They told Yu’s dad that coming to church on Sundays gives them peace and strength.  Praise God for His comfort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(The lady on the left is Mrs. Kimura and the one on the right is Mrs. Yonezawa.)

-Thanks to your prayers and donations, we were able to get MORE rain jackets for kids in Japan.  Our friend, April (she graciously offered to let us stay with her), gave us 50 of them as well!  Yu’s dad is taking them to Japan and giving them to kids in Sendai and Fukushima.   Thank you for helping them to feel safe and protected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Yu’s dad visited us for a week.  We had a great time together and Luke was happy to see his grandpa!  Since he has been helping with disaster relief effort ever since the earthquake hit Sendai, he was asked to share his experiences at the Christian radio station in Seoul and the church in Suwon.  God truly blessed his time in South Korea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Photo with Dr. Billy Kim, who is a wonderful pastor and founder of Far East Broadcasting Company.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Proud grandpa!)

Prayers:

-Some people are staying in a crematorium shelter, but they have been told that they would have to leave by the end of this month.  Please pray that they can find a place to live.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(This picture was taken by our missionary friend.  They visited this place and gave them food and clothes.  They also spent time with them as these people shared their stories.)

-Sendai city government is trying to build many temporary houses for those who lost homes.  Please pray for a speedy process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Temporary housing in Sendai where we will be visiting when we go back.)

Thanks again for keeping up with us!  Please write us at michaelandyu@gmail.com and let us know how you are doing and how we can be praying for you all! We also love hearing from those we have never met.  We are looking forward to getting to know you!  Thank you for keeping us in your prayers.

 

 

 

 

Categories: Aid for Japan.

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Luke Kai’s 100th Day Celebration

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May 2, 2011

Wow, we can’t believe it’s already May! In April, we celebrated Luke Kai’s 100th day. In Japan and South Korea, a baby’s 100th day is very special. In Japan, the ceremony called “Okuizome” is performed in hopes that the child would never have to worry about food. As Christians, we know God will take care of Luke’s needs! In South Korea, a small feast is prepared to celebrate the baby’s having survived this difficult period. Long time ago, it was believed that a baby’s chance for survival increased after the 100th day. Once again, we thank God for protecting our son during the last 3 months.

Since we are away from our families in Japan and America, we invited our friends in South Korea to celebrate with us. We are blessed to have this “special family” here in Korea. They have been such blessings!

Luke was so happy to see everyone! I cooked Japanese food and we had a delicious ice cream cake for dessert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We couldn’t find “Happy 100th Day” decorations so we put “Happy Birthday” instead…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His Korean girlfriend came!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having fun but the babies were not interested in having their picture taken.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting sleepy… He will regret this someday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yummy ice cream cake!  He was asleep so mommy had to blow out the candles!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He got lots of gifts!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mommy was excited to get more clothes for Luke!  He is getting so big!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group picture!  Do you see our babies looking at each other? So sweet!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before we ended the party, everyone prayed for Japan and also for us.  It meant so much to us.  We have been encouraged by all the prayers and we know our God hears them.  We are so thankful for our friends who are making our time in Korea very meaningful.

Luke Kai, words cannot describe how much we love you!  We thank God for you every single day.  You make us smile and give us strength when we are tired.  You may not remember what you went through the last few months, but we hope you will always know how much you are loved.  So many people from all over the world are praying for you.  We pray that you will always trust our Lord who loves you and cares for you.  Thank you for being our son!

 

Categories: Family.

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