One month

We have now been in Japan for 1 month and 1 day.  There are days where I feel like I am in a hotel room in a strange city and other days where I feel like I have finally found a home for which I had been searching.  While I have posted many pictures on Facebook about differences I see here, it is certainly for other reasons than eating Japanese food that we have traveled half-way around the world.

My husband spent 3 years in a boarding school while his parents were missionaries.  I am thankful for those that cared for him so his parents could spread the gospel but also sad for times when he did not feel surrounded by those who cared.  Jeremy and I are working on building relationships with our students so they can know we care about them.  We have many students who are in Japan so that their parents can tell others about Jesus.  Several of the students travel an hour each way on the train to get to school.  We are to instruct them in science while telling them above the love of Jesus by showing them our love to them.  These students are so precious and I wish I could tell you about each one of them.  Many of them have hearts so full of God's love that their kindness is overflowing out of their lives.  There are others who are well-planted Christians but still growing as young adults and trying to find their place. 

We also have students who are at our school for a good American education.  I had one student write about how he just pretended Bible class was a fairytale and that he thought all the stories in the Bible were make-believe.  I had another student write about her Buddhist parents but how she is interested in knowing more about Jesus.  We are here to be a living example of Christ's love.  It is sometimes easy to tell someone quickly how to become a Christian but it is more difficult when they see you five days a week over many years.  We must be that example.

Our school is an amazing place! For those who have worked in a Christian environment, you might have an idea.  There is such love for others that permeates the lives of the staff that staff and students can't help but feel it.  What kind of school has students that don't seem to want to go home?  We do!

We are looking for ways to interact more in the Japanese community.  I joined a weekly Japanese lesson at City Hall last week.  We are still looking for other ways that we can begin to talk to those outside of the school about our faith. 

Our first month of transition has been made very smooth thanks to the staff here.  We hope we are now in a position where we can be of service to others.  Our one year in Singapore made us aware that we will become more "homesick" in months to come, but we are prepared to weather the storm because we are here for a purpose. 

Finally in Tokyo

The Erwin family in Tokyo

It is hard to believe that we have only been in Japan for two weeks! While we are lacking language skills, we know that we have been called to minister here. The theme at Christian Academy in Japan (where we will be teaching) is “Doing Hard Things”. Following God is rarely easy!

Praises:

· All 17 bags and 5 carry-ons made it to Japan and not one item was lost or delayed!

· Our apartment was beautifully decorated and ready to live in when we arrived.

· Staff have taken us to get our residence card, cell phones, and a bank account. We have been invited to various outings such as visiting parks, eating at staff houses, and beetle hunting.

· We have visited a church that meets at the school and have been blessed by it!

· We have bought a TV and scheduled to have it delivered, rented movies, asked for things in a store, went out to eat, and got a library card all without using English!

· The kids have seemed very excited about the move despite the fact that they left their friends in Texas.

Prayer Requests:

· We need to acquire more language skills to be able to communicate better in the community. Pray that we will be faithful students in our spare time.

· Our own children are starting school at CAJ with many children who will speak Japanese as their social language outside of class. Pray for friends for our kids.

· Jeremy and I will begin teaching our classes this week. We are here to bring these students closer to God while we teach science. Pray that we impact those students. I have a folder in which all my students wrote a letter to their new teacher. One of my students stated that Bible class was interesting but he just thought of it as a fairy tale. Another student talked about her Buddhist parents. God has brought us here to impact these students and their families for His kingdom!

While we receive a salary in Japan, it is only meant to be about 70% of our support. Please pray about supporting the ministry of caring for missionary children, witnessing to students in a country where less than 2% of the population is a Christian, and partnering with a local church to impact the community.

As God leads, you can support the ministry by sending a tax-deductible donation by:

· Setting up a monthly donation by emailing sponzani@caj.or.jp

· Using Paypal at:

       http://www.caj.or.jp/donations/

       Please find our name under “Make a quick online donation”.

· Mailing a check to:

Japan Christian Academy Association

P.O. Box 905, Wheaton IL 60187-0905

(Please write Jeremy and Sabrina Erwin

in the memo field.)

The Countdown

We are at T-16 days for blast-off to Japan. (Our plane leaves on August 6th at 7am to be precise.)  Most of the suitcases are packed but we still have a few more things to purchase and stuff in them.  While I have had a million questions (Sorry, CAJ staff!), we have a peace that passes all understanding about our upcoming journey.  We are ready!

This summer has flown past us!  Emme and I went went to children's church camp.  Jeremy, Drew, and Luke went to Glorietta in New Mexico for youth camp.  We have visited my mom in Oklahoma, my siblings in Texas and Oklahoma, my in-laws in San-Antonio, and drove to Houston twice to get visas.  We are almost ready (ready as we can be) for those last good-byes (at least until we come back to visit next summer).

Thank you to those of us who have prayed for us.  While we may be out of touch on Facebook for about a week during the beginning of August, we hope to be able to update you again once we get an internet connection in Japan.

Transitions

We are often asked, "Are you excited about moving to Japan?"  We, of course, answer a resounding YES!  How could I not be excited about a peace that comes from following God's will? I am excited about meeting new people, teaching and having our children in a mission school, and finding new ways to minister to others!  I am excited about having to put my faith into action.

But... as I finish up my last week of school here, I am also quite sad.  We will be having a lot of lasts coming up in the next few weeks.  The last day of working here, my kids last day of school here, the last Boy Scout and Girl Scout meeting, the last day at church.

I walked around my school today and thought about my last three years here.  I will miss those students who have sat in my classroom and those co-workers that I eat lunch with everyday.  I am sad about those people who I not be able to see on a regular basis. I will miss family and I will miss my dog!

So...I am also so thankful.  I am thankful for the gifts God has given us as he has prepared us for the next step in our journey.  I am thankful for those lives that have impacted me and have helped me grow to be a better mother, a better teacher, and a better Christ-follower.

We will be packing up our house and moving out in three weeks.  We will then have about 7 weeks to spend at  children's church camp, youth church camp, my in-laws in San Antonio, and my mother in Oklahoma.  I am excited about our summer and the transition that will come at the end of it but my heart still aches just a little bit!

Our Trader Project

Our Pastor has been talking about trading in something in our life that is good for something that is better and has eternal significance. For our trader project, we are moving our family to Tokyo, Japan. We are answering God's call on our life to minister to missionary kids by using our God given gift of teaching. In the process, we will be able to share the gospel of Christ with students and their parents from many countries. We will be involved in ministry in the community and partner with a local church to reach this very unreached country.

What we are trading in:
Time with family and friends
Money for retirement
American TV (OK, it is not all good but I will still miss my favorite shows and sports)
A big house
A car
Being able to see my kids often once they reach college age
A monthly income that requires no faith

What is better:
Following God's will for our life
Trusting God in the big things
Bringing God's plan of salvation to others
Helping missionaries stay on the field by caring for their children
Nurturing growing Christian students
Being able to teach science with a Christian worldview

We praise God for:
Our tickets have been bought and we leave on August 6th
We will be able to live on campus in a 3 bedroom 1000 sq ft apartment
We may have found enough luggage

We ask for prayer in:
We need to stay focused on finishing up our committments here in Prosper.
Our dog needs a great home.
We need wisdom in knowing what to pack in those 10-15 suitcases and what needs to be put in storage or thrown away.
Our children need reassurances as they transition to a new country and a new school.
We pray that our time with our extended family will be filled with joy instead of sadness.

If you would be willing to pray for us and our ministry at CAJ and Japan, please send us your email address to thefamilyerwin@gmail.com so we can add you to our monthly prayer letter.

While CAJ provides a salary, it will only provide 75% of our expenses. The salaries are kept low so that the tuition for missionary kids can be low. If you feel that God is leading you to partner with us in sending a monthly tax-deductible pledge starting August 2012, please let us know by email at thefamilyerwin@gmail.com and we will send you the contact information.

We thank God for your support as we make this transition. While we are excited about what the Lord has in store, we are also in the midst of major change in our lives and need your support. Thank you!

Jeremy and Sabrina Erwin (with
Drew, Luke, and Emme)