Please click on the link below to read our latest prayer letter. Thank you!

Mar_April 2024

We delayed our departure to give Kim time to recover from her illness. On Thursday of last week, she was diagnosed with pneumonia and started an aggressive treatment. Today we went to the doctor to see if it would be safe for her to fly tomorrow. We thought we already knew the answer, but wanted to hear what the doctor had to say. She is improving, but she is not well. The doctor said she needed to give it a few more weeks for recovery.

Tim will be departing tomorrow as planned. He needs to take care of a visa issue that can’t be delayed any longer. Please pray for him as he travels and for Kim as she stays behind. Please pray that Kim will continue to improve without any setbacks. Thank you for your prayers and concern for us.

Kim has been struggling with a cough for several weeks. Last Thursday, she took a turn for the worse. She went to the doctor Friday and they treated her very aggressively because of our scheduled departure tomorrow. We are packed and ready to go, but today she is worse and we felt it would not be wise for her to fly in her condition. We were able to reschedule for next Tuesday, April 23rd. Please pray for her soon recovery and for all the logistics with the change in plans. Thank you!

I am writing this update as we are traveling on the highway after the last missions conference of our furlough. We are headed back to Greenville, SC where we will fly out in one week.

Thank you for your prayers on our behalf. It has been an unusual furlough for us with many challenges, but God has been faithful. With many supporting churches, it is difficult to be in every church every furlough. We are sorry if we missed you this furlough. We have prepared two video presentations you can share with your church to update you on our ministry.

8 minutes: https://youtu.be/Be4Q3xbdhEA?si=8hkniXdKyIpNjpOr

16 minutes: https://youtu.be/SPh4B9Rifu8?si=Qt20lVnVJEVuNEFL

Lord willing, our next update will be from the other side of the Pacific!

We have been hit with whatever bronchial virus is going around. Tim had it for a few weeks and after multiple treatments is finally on the mend. Kim hasn’t had it as long, but hasn’t quite turned the corner yet. We have a mission conference coming up and we have much to accomplish before our departure. Please pray for the strength to do what we need to do and for good health. Thank you!

A new prayer letter has been posted. You can read it here. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Tim returned on January 26 from his trip to Japan for visa renewal. He could not get the final visa, but they gave him a temporary one that will allow him to return. They told him they were understaffed and that it now takes between 50-60 days! We used to be able to take care of it in two weeks. He returned on a Friday and the following Monday someone messaged him that his postcard arrived telling him that it was finished! If he had known, he could have delayed his return. Please pray that the temporary visa he has will be sufficient for us to board our one-way flight on April 16th.

You may remember from our last prayer letter that Tim has been diagnosed with A-fib. He is currently on medication. The cardiologist here in the USA wanted him to have an echocardiogram in the middle of December. Since the cost was significantly higher here than in Japan and he was returning for visa renewal, Tim decided to have it done in Japan. The echocardiogram was inconclusive so they did a CT scan. The cardiologist in Japan said that everything looked good and recommended that he have an ablation. That was mentioned here in the USA as well. The doctor here and the doctor in Japan agreed that it is not urgent, so Tim plans to schedule that when we return to Japan in April.

We have many things to take care of before we return to Japan in April. We appreciate your prayers for strength each day and for good health.

Tim had to make a quick trip to Japan for Visa renewal. We will not be able to wrap up our furlough before his expiration date and he cannot renew stateside. He was spending New Year’s Day with his parents when everyone’s cell phone went off with an earthquake warning and 10 seconds later it started. They were not near the epicenter, but he said it was a long one and one of the most eerie ones he has experienced. They are far enough away from the sea that the tsunami warnings do not affect them. Tim and his family are all safe. Our church is further from the epicenter so they are all safe as well. Thank you for your continued prayers for us!

You can read our latest prayer letter here. Thank you for your prayers!