Dear <<First Name>>,
I don't usually want to have to talk about ambulances and the ER at the same time as my family vacation, but, so it goes...
After a long summer of dealing with fluctuating church situations due to covid and holding down the fort while several of our missionaries teammates visited the US for support raising, we walked through the wringer with our dear friends, the Hrubik family.
Our empathy for them runs deep. While it seems trite to even begin to compare, we come together in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Christ when they mourn, and when they rejoice. Our own faith has been strengthened as we walk together with them. We still haven't had a chance to even process everything, but here is a brief summary. You may already know what is going on if you follow them on social media.
First, Paul and Pri Hrubik recognized that their son Joey was struggling with some developmental aspects as a 3 year old while they were in the US this summer. Upon their return to Japan, they confirmed that he has some delays that could be associated with the Autism spectrum disorder. They quickly found out that the best options for early intervention was in Florida, and within a couple weeks packed up their home in Japan and headed back to the US for an indefinite stay. You can follow more of their story on their Go Fund Me page. We are praying that Joey will make quick progress and they will be able to come back to Japan later this year or early next year. They are supposed to help lead our church plant next year!
Two days before they were set to leave, and 12 days before a scheduled C-section, Paul's sister Debbie Block (Ben) headed in to the hospital because she stopped feeling the baby move. Silence. No heartbeat. Their fourth baby girl died in the womb. Our team joined in a two-day, all-out prayer war for her life. Debbie is home recovering, but the Lord took their daughter to be with him. It's the most heartbreaking thing a parent could ever watch another parent live through. You can see more about their testimony through it all on their website. Their attitudes and dedication to see God glorified in the middle of this is tremendous. A pure testimony of grace and perseverance. A family dedicated to making much of Jesus. Thank you for praying for them.
Last week was a double holiday in Japan. After the previous week of turmoil, our family and the Reutter family decided to try and still pull off a 3 night camping trip to end the holiday week. We felt like we needed a few days away with our kids. The first morning of our trip, as the coffee was being made, the 5 year old son of Nate and Ruth, Joshua, stumbled into a camp stove and dumped hot water on his arm and chest.
I called the ambulance and within a few minutes the paramedics arrived and began treating his 2nd degree burns. Nate and Ruth made a trip to the ER and were back to the campsite within a few hours, but in Joshua's best interest, we packed up their stuff and they headed back home. It was a restless day to say the least. You can read more and stay up with the Reutter's from this email that Nate sent out.
Our team just entered into a 21 day fast. We want to see where God is going with all of this. The spiritual battle is fierce. The adversary prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour...and after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Pet 5: 8b,10)
Will you pray with us? What encouragement do you have for us and our team? What is God revealing to you about Japan and the Church here? Let me know and I'll share it with our team.
So we stand together with the Hrubik family, and we proclaim the name of Jesus, the name above all names. The harvest is plentiful in Japan. These momentary afflictions are the testimonies of the saints laboring in the hardest field. Thank you for laboring together with us for Japan.
How can we pray for you this week? Hard things happen all over the world, not just here. We want to pray for you too.
In Christ alone,
John
PS - Our first ever Life Group leader training kicked off two weeks ago. It will prepare our current volunteers to begin leading more Life Groups from next year. Thank you for supporting us and the Choose Life ministry.
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