Well, God's timing is still beyond us. I had thought we were leaving Japan forever, but that has also turned out to be a wrong assumption. During the last six months we did indeed suffer many ups and downs, and today, well the race isn't over yet. To those who have taken the time to join us in our prayers: my family and I thank you. Connie's health appears to be holding its own now -- though she has cut back on much of her outreach. As our international driver's permits were expiring, we hurdled through Oita's automobile licensing examinations, wondering the whole while whether this would end our time here. However, with considerable patience, we succeeded in obtaining our Japanese driver's licenses, before which time I received the last of the monies from my secondary income. Our tax rate has gone up from that work I did with NBU the previous year and we are certainly feeling the pinch. But, on top of that: The department of immigrations in Oita was having trouble with my application for renewal of my missionary visa, and was holding back on completion -- to the expiry date! This action or inaction could have directly r esulted in our expulsion from the country, and would most likely haved resulted in my retirement from the program at Chapel Noah. Great news! Prayer hath availed much. As Pastor Hirota commented to me "I guess the Lord has plans for you in Japan yet." Praise to the Lord for not allowing us to return in defeat. There is still so much that needs to be accomplished in this country.

You know, in the three years I have been here, evangelism has been slow and this despite mega-conferences between international Christian leaders and the nation's evangelical churches, and despite numerous and frequent prayer conferences centering on revival in Japan. Still, there remains about 1% of the population who are Christian. Certainly this continued effect was the cause of the Christian writer Endo's remarks that Japan was a bog in which Christ could not be planted [my wording]. Certainly, an acquaintance of mine, who was investigating having a faith in Orthodoxy at the time, was right: "It will take more than evangelical fervour" to bring Christ to the Japanese people. There are indeed many parts that need to be played, and not just by one, or some, nor by church pastors alone, but by the faithful themselves.

We are in a new decade, century and millenium! This I have said before. And then I had intended to wrap up my work on this Chapel Noah site, but shortly thereafter developed computer woes that have not been overcome until now. However, Praise Jesus -- I am afforded the chance to finish what I last thought I would finish by March. Over the next two months I hope to complete the Chapel Noah index. The final results, as I have said, should yield a complete referencing of the sermons we have been able to have translated into English as presented to the congregation of Chapel Noah, principally through Pastor Hirota.

It is my continued wish to dedicate this work to God, the holy Church, and Japan. "May you be -- forever young."

All Sermons were translated by Junko Okamoto - Edited for the Net by Shido
A Returning Word: Prophecy!
For all sermon indicies see: cHaPeL nOaH sErMoN iNdEx