Happy Thanksgiving everyone. We hope that wherever you are, you are able to gather, and that you have plenty to thank the Lord for this year. I’d like to start by saying how thankful we are for all of you. The support we have received this year has been so encouraging. We feel your prayers covering us often, and we love the kind words that you send our way regularly. Thank you for continuing to stay in our lives and read these updates. Thank you for praying for us. Thank you for partnering with us in the gospel just like the Philippian church did with Paul.
November has always been my favorite month. Both Alishia’s and my birthday happen in this month. We can listen to Christmas music and the Scrooges and Grinches among us can’t really complain (they still try, maybe I just am better at ignoring them this time of year). The weather is really nice down here in November and Thanksgiving is here. This November has been really special though. Last year we were unable to celebrate Alishia’s birthday, but this year some of our friends from church threw here a party. We had pizza and hot chocolate and cake. We watched Home Alone and fellowshipped. It was an amazing night that truly ministered to Alishia. To have different people open their home, make a delicious cake, bring very thoughtful gifts, and take an evening to spend with us was great. Thank you to everyone that made it possible.
Alishia had a very successful and humbling response to her Thanksgiving centerpiece fundraiser. She made 28 centerpieces, which was far more than we hoped or expected. It’s always a huge blessing for Alishia to be able to use her talents for God’s glory. She doesn’t always feel like her skill set lends itself to ministry in a natural way, but God continues to open doors for her to use it. Another way He did that was at a women’s event that the church held earlier at the end of October. During the message, there was an illustration about the different roles that all the women of the church fill within the body. The pastor’s wife, Debbie, asked Alishia to create a flower arrangement while she talked. The different elements used in the arrangement illustrated the different roles that the women had, and at the end the finished arrangement showed how beautifully all the parts come together in unison.
Missions is that way too. Some of us are called to go and some to stay and some to support and some to pray. It’s takes all of us to reach the world, and we are so excited to be used in the same arrangement as you. We are excited to continue to move forward toward Japan, and are trusting that the Lord will use all of you to help get us there. The best way you can help us is by praying, here are some things you can be praying about for us.
Praise Report:
- We have jobs and a place to stay, which is a huge blessing and we’re thankful for the security that it provides.
- Some of the ladies at the church threw Alishia a birthday party!!
- Our internship is going well, and we are continuing to see growth and opportunities.
Prayer Requests
- We are planning our vision trip to Japan. Please pray for the timing and itinerary for that trip.
- Please pray for God’s continued provision for us.
- Please pray for ministry opportunities among the Japanese population here in California.