Do victims of abortion feel the loss?

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month.

Loss implies something was wanted and will be missed. Often we do not think the mother of an aborted child sees the child as a loss and we assume she does not miss them either. Oh, how wrong we can be.

Some wise person, I can't think of who just now, once said no one ever really wants to have an abortion. And, I believe them. Some individuals would probably rather not be pregnant. Still others might be so bold as to say a child is/would be a burden and is unwanted. But, ultimately I do believe no one really wants to have an abortion...no more than you want to have a root canal.

Stick with me on this one. I am NOT comparing a child in the womb to an infected tooth.

Abortion is:

Surgery
Difficult physically
Emotionally draining both before and after
Causes bleeding and pain
Expensive
Invasive
Uncomfortable
Time consuming
Medical
Can cause death or serious injury

All of that is besides the moral issues attached to the procedure.

So, today if you know someone who has experienced an abortion please pray for them. Pray that they will recognize their loss if they haven't already. Pray that they will understand that it is good to miss that child. And pray that they will receive healing, because they have been hurt and feeling that pain means they are alive.

Giving

My camera is MIA so I can't post a lovely picture of how our cherry blossom tree is growing and our giving thermometer is "heating up". We ache b/c of how badly we want to be IN Japan. I know that God has already begun the work of our ministry and that we are in the midst of it but that doesn't squelch the burn we have to get on that plane and head West.

So, what are we waiting for? First and foremost God's timing is perfect and we know that. We are building towards a commitment of $7500 a month in financial contributions from people who are ready to join the Share-Affirm ministry team and $12,000 in one time gifts to get us moved. 

If you have been following the vision of Share-Affirm and you feel called to join this team please let us know how you want to partner with us. If you are being called to make a monthly financial contribution please click on the WIM logo at the right and it will take you to the giving page. We are branch #262.

Ministry

We've all heard of human trafficking -

Trafficking in Persons as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

Unfortunately it is not a thing of years past but a very real thing happening today. What gets me most about this is that those who are trafficked, often for use in prostitution, can become so brainwashed by their captors that even if they are freed they will return to a life of prostitution. 

To be sure trafficking can be found in many, if not all countries. We are learning more about the country we are called to serve and the kinds of ministry we will be called in to. Please take time to read the article below and pray for Share-Affirm's part in ending sex trafficking.

http://japandailypress.com/japans-fight-against-modern-day-sex-slavery-hurt-by-backward-attitude-0311022

If you give it a name...

...then you'll get attached.

We hope that is just what happens. By naming Share-Affirm ministries we hope it will give a sense of ownership to everyone involved in getting this ministry on the ground in Japan. Another thing we hope will solidify this ministry's presence is a visual reminder of what Share-Affirm exists to promote.

We would like to present the Share-Affirm Logo. Masterfully created by Shara's gifted brother Sam. Many thanks go out to him for offering his skills and talents to give Share-Affirm a look.

Please let us know what you think by leaving a comment on this post. Also look for this logo in Facebook and blog posts referencing this ministry.

Enjoying time with our new family member!

 At D&D

 The Big Pecan! This was actually David and Avelyn's first picture with it too!

 At the Mission's Baseball game. No, we didn't get another kid, but he's cute and I would have taken him;o)

 The boys got to go out on the field during the anthem and shake the player's hands (Carson in red, David in orange, and Shuntaro in black)

 Right behind home plate!

 I asked Dave to take a picture of me since I'm not in pictures much. Thanks babe!

 My sweet girl

Crazy kid!

Open mouth...proclaim God's goodness

I am a talker. If you know me, that is not surprising. I am likely to reveal my whole life's story within the first ten minutes of meeting you if it seems applicable. I LOVE to share each and every detail of what God is doing to move forward Share-Affirm. I don't often worry about jumping ahead of myself because I figure everything has a purpose so even if it doesn't pan out exactly the way I think it will it won't be fruitless.

All that said, I'm not going to share this latest bit of exciting news just yet. I WANT to! Believe me I do. But I'm just not sure for what purpose God is going to use it yet. I can say that just when I was getting discouraged about one particular aspect of our preparation "this" popped up. I so want to know what God's plan is and how he is going to use this, but I don't and that's ok.

On Sunday Pastor Nick talked about getting in God's will, not asking him to be in ours. That really really clicked for me. The devotionals I have read in the days following have been right on par with that same theme. As have the scriptures I've been reading in James (gotta love James).

So, I'm not going to jump ahead on this one and make plans that I ask God to bless. I'm going to put one foot in front of the other and let him lead the way. So excited!!!

You Have Been Forgiven

Please take a minute to read:

http://japandailypress.com/japans-aging-population-has-a-lot-of-potential-needs-a-chance-025720

I was reflecting on just this particular subject the other day. How often do we talk about forgiveness and second chances in the American Christian community. What if there was no such thing in your society. 

That is a dark sad thing for me to think of as I reflect on the immature and life altering decisions I made as a teenager.

But what a joy to know our Lord has called us to share His message of forgiveness. Oh I pray that it will be received. It may take years to have one person understand but we will preach that message faithfully even if it takes ALL the rest of our years here on Earth.

Because God wants us to grow

I eluded to a special opportunity for our family on Facebook the other day. It just  popped up out of no where but I believe it could be a blessing. There is a foreign exchange student program that brings Greek and Japanese students to America for 3.5 weeks each summer. The students range in age from 12-18 and they hope to match them up with similarly aged American children to "shadow" during their time here.
Recently I spoke out loud to someone about how my highly social 10.5 year old needed a shadow, someone to talk to for hours and hours. Because, talking and being heard is his love language.
 Also, we have been wanting to practice our Japanese and trying to make our home a safe and regular place to do so. We would have someone in our home that speaks Japanese fluently and English limited. What a great way to practice!
We have not officially been approved to be a host family. Hopefully this weeks home visit will go well and they will approve us. We are all looking forward to the opportunity and to giving this young man the opportunity to learn about American culture.

This post's picture is of Aine in her new Kimono (all the way from Japan).

The Fourth of July

 It's hot in our town on the Fourth of July

 Real Hot

 But that didn't stop us from going to the biggest small town parade for what may be one of the last times in a long time.

 In case you can't tell that vehicle has little "virgin Mary's" all along the bottom of it. Yes, it was a "float".

Why did I post cars for pictures of the parade? Well because I'm not sure anyone else does it quite like our town. There are more low-riders than actual floats and I'm certain I will miss that some day.

Run for your life

I'm not a runner by hobby. In fact I am one of those that often said "If you see me running call 911." However, running is free, and it doesn't require equipment. So as a mom of 4 and a very busy individual I took up running to keep in shape and get alone with God for a few minutes.

I shared with one of my closest friends that when I am having a particularly hard time getting through my run I'll pretend I am in a unfriendly nation running for my life with a kid under each arm. Then I tell myself I'm "running for Jesus".

That may seem silly but it often brings up thoughts of what we have been called to do and I'll begin to dream. I'll dream of what the Pregnancy Center will look like and what it will be called. I will dream of that first young woman who walks through our doors in need of help. I will dream of my children growing up knowing that what is most important in life is that we lay down our lives for others. Some times I tear up when I think of the first child whose life is spared or maybe a set of grandparents who learn to forgive.

By the time I get to the end of my run I'm usually so ready to hop on a plane that I might just run towards the airport instead of back to my house...but I'm pretty sure I'd miss my kids so I don't;o)

Would you dream with us? You don't have to run, just sit and meditate if you wish. Let God speak to you about his vision for his children.

Newsletter

Our Newsletter will be in the mail tomorrow! If you would like to be added to our newsletter list, either by e-mail or snail mail, please send us an e-mail with your preferred method and your address.

sharalpierce@yahoo.com

Time for change

Here is an article from Cynthia of Life Hope Network. She is a regular contributor to Japan Daily Press and is spreading important messages through her articles.

http://japandailypress.com/japanese-womens-choice-between-abortion-and-adoption-043346

The tides of change are rolling in and even though I am irrationally afraid of sharks I'll be coming in with it.

Moving forward

We have been having discussions about what it is like to pack up and move across the globe. It's a daunting magnanimous task at best. So we decided we'd start de-cluttering and getting rid of things that aren't essential for life. One minute I'd contemplate selling my beloved mixer because it is worth some money (that could help us with the move) and since it weighs a good 30lbs it simply can't go with us. The next minute I would think of all the things I make with it and how I use it several times a week. I say to myself, it's just not time yet.

Now I don't want to ascribe to God any actions that are not His, but I do have to say that today when we woke to find our refrigerator was no longer cold I felt a kind of spiritual kick in the pants. We will need a new refrigerator. We do have two other small refrigerators to use temporarily and sure we could just continue to use those with some careful planning and conservation. But, what if we aren't supposed to get a new appliance. We are after all going to a place where we will have to learn to live small, even with 4 kids.

I don't know the answer. I'm not upset that our fridge broke. I did chuckle to myself...well that's one way to get rid of stuff.

Beyond Words...

We serve a mighty, awesome, powerful God! But you already knew that or you wouldn't be here reading this. So why am I surprised when he reveals himself, and a little more of his plan, in ways I never could have come up with? That I don't know.

Did you know God has a plan for Japan? Did you know he loves the Japanese people and he is calling out to them? Did you know that when he breathed life in to Share-Affirm ministries that he was also whispering his plan in to the hearts of others?

We are now aware of not 1, not 2, but 3 other pro-life ministries that are being birthed within the next year in Japan. We began this journey believing it was something completely new, and being intimidated by that. Now we know we have brothers and sisters in Christ who have been called to the same purpose for just such a time as this.

If that doesn't send chills up your spine and bring tears to your eyes you might just need to sit and meditate on that a while.

You are called for just such a time as this. Let us build this ministry together. Please don't miss what God is doing here. I believe it is something future generations will read about in history books. To God be the Glory!

Konichiwa

We had our first family Japanese lesson tonight! My children really impressed me with their willingness to learn and their participation. Well all accept David, I knew he'd love it. I'm excited to have some words we can use around the house to practice with.

Our homework assignment is to learn the Hiragana and Katakana so we can read Japanese. And, to use the words we've learned. Apparently this was an exhausting task for some:

As we wrapped up we looked over at the lazy boy and there we found this lazy boy, fast asleep. Sleep well Carson-kun. Konbanwa!

GOALLLLLLLLL!!!

No, we haven't switched countries of calling. But we are setting goals to get us there. In case you haven't seen the latest news headline 

"Tokyo Named World's Most Expensive City" 

Surprised? We weren't either. So what does that mean for us? That means that we will be offering many people the awesome opportunity of supporting pro-life work in Japan! Realistically we will need to raise $7500 a month for our bountifully blessed family of 6 to live and serve in Japan. See that neon green chart to the left? That's our goal tracker. It shows us how close we are to that $7500 a month mark. And look! We already have some filled in. Also, do you see a branch with a couple of flowers on it. That is a cherry blossom branch and the flowers represent our monthly partners. It helps us to remember to pray for them and to give thanks for the blessings they are to us.

We would appreciate your support. A gift of any amount is welcome. You can donate on-line through our mission sending organization World Indigenous Missions. We are branch # 262.

If you want to know more about Share-Affirm you can contact Dave or I and we'd be happy to set up a time to share with you. 

piercefamily@worldim.com

I am making a commitment that I will not be afraid to speak, practice, use Japanese as I learn. If I mess up or say/write something wrong I will accept my mistake without embarrassment and try again. I will not let language be a barrier to Sharing Truth and Affirming Life.

Reunion of sorts

Tonight Dave and I get to meet with the lady who first shared with me about the prevalence of abortion in Japan. I have not seen her since that day over 2 years ago when we were introduced. Here is how the story goes:

She came to the Pregnancy Center I was working at to visit a friend and co-worker of mine. My co-worker introduced us and we sat to chat about how she had gotten involved in volunteering with the center one town over. She is from Japan. She married an American man and has lived here for many years. She had an abortion at some point in her life and knows first hand the emotional ramifications of that choice. Now she serves women through post abortion ministry. She spoke of how abortion was not at all uncommon in Japan and that it was like birth control for many. Without much thought I told her that she ought to go back to Japan and start a Pregnancy Center, a place where women who thought they had no other choice could go to learn about God's love, his provision, and his hope for the unborn. As I watched the expression on her face, one that seem to acknowledge the need for what I had just spoken, I quickly blurted out "I'd be happy to go with you to help!".

The instant those words came out of my mouth I mentally recoiled and thought, "what did I just agree to" and "my husband is going to have a fit". Maybe the acknowledgement in her face had more to do with a word God had just given her or a wisdom beyond my spiritual understanding at the moment. She didn't offer to go to Japan to start a ministry but she didn't discourage me either.

We are excited to hear that she has been working on translating the post abortion materials she uses in to Japanese. We have been told this is a need. I hope to ask her to help me learn Japanese, specifically what I will need to know to minister to pregnant women.

Where We Have Been

Tokyo Japan, every thing you'd expect and so much more. As of May 25th 2012 we have made two trips to Japan to confirm our calling and begin building important relationships among the Christians serving there.

During our first trip, after a few days of culture shock and jet lag, we wandered the streets of Japan talking out loud about God's plan and soaking it all in. For two small town Texans this was a whole new world. We were both mystified and in love with Japan. We met with Project Amazon (PAZ) leaders,  and visited with pastors working within their organization. PAZ has been in Japan for 25+ years and they head up a host of church plants and outreaches. This is important because their organization is established in Japan and can now sponsor other incoming organizations, such as a Pregnancy Care Center ministry. They were very open to what God has laid on our hearts as well as many other missionaries and native people that we spoke with.

On the second trip Dave went by himself with the hopes of sharing our vision with other churches in and around Tokyo. Also, we wanted to find out just what was being done in the pro-life arena in Japan. Here is one amazing story Dave tells from his trip:

I had not planned on visiting Tokyo Baptist Church. It just wasn't on my list, but I found myself leaving a few hours early Saturday night to try and find my way there. The train system can be very complicated if you don't read or speak Japanese and I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time. My first train arrived right as I walked up to the dock and it was the same with the second train. I ended up at Tokyo Baptist church well before the service was to begin. I decided to wander around and noticed there was someone in the resource center. I began to talk with her, share why I was there, and what God had called our family to. Her name was Mary Ann. She was surprised that a Pregnancy Center ministry did not already exist in Japan and shared with me a story she had seen on the news. A reporter walked up to a girl in Tokyo to talk with her. She had her diary with her and began sharing from its pages. She opened it to a page with ultrasound pictures. The reporter said to her "so you are a mother?" To which she replied "No, I had to let that one go." There were other pages of ultrasounds in this girl's diary yet she was not a mother. 

There is so much more to tell about our trips, our calling, and the directions God is leading us in so please continue to follow along as we journey to the place where we belong.