If "every good and perfect gift is from above,"* then laughter is from God, too. Some events, like girls’ comments and Matti literally bouncing with energy, cause immediate [and often stifled!] laughter. Other events take some time to age into laughables. Someday, The Battle of The Bedbugs will age into humorous, though at that moment it is cause for much fervent petition and tentative praise: after a week of heavy fighting, we haven’t detected any further infiltration. We never did see a single one, nor any evidence besides the intensely itchy bites. Crazy!

A second good gift from above came, like many, only after what seemed like humiliating defeat. Gwen is now happily ensconced in a Japanese youchien (preschool) near our house with only one other American. She’s learning rapidly and loving it, as are we. It’s a much better situation that we’d been working toward for over a year. "God blessed the broken road…"

Though not without its accompanying difficulties, God has also blessed Sandi’s hard work with favor among the Japanese he serves. He has been able to make significant inroads in serving them and building relationships and credibility with them, personally and professionally. Would you continue to pray with us for "an open door" for the Gospel** among these Japanese who are also precious to God?

On the ministry front, we continue to move toward leading a marriage retreat in December for a local church and toward becoming certified marriage counselors with Love and Respect/Dare to be Different. Having two targets painted clearly on our marriage, please join us in extra prayer cover for intentionality, diligence, connection and protection.

Finally, as we’ve moved forward in careful confidence following your prayers for wisdom and guidance, God responded by moving hearts at the women’s Spiritual Health Seminar. Long and deep conversations, soaked by tears, bore witness to God’s work at the event. We continue to ask for God’s wisdom and unity for Donna and her fellow board members, as well as His ongoing work in individual ladies’ lives.

Thank you for walking this path with us. Please let us share your burdens as well.

*James 1:17

**1 Corinthians 16:9

Gwen’s first day of youchien.

A morning run through 3 miles of tori gates and stairs – three miles!! Matti stopped counting them at 2000, about half way through our hike the next day.