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.