18 MARCH 2000 - PRAISE & PRAY from the HILLS of JAPAN

It has been a week of learning the glory and wonder of waiting on our
Lord's timing. Proverbs 16:9 says "The mind of man plans his way, But
the LORD directs his steps. Almost everyday this past week in some
significant way, my plans were not coming together "as planned" and I
learned to know that my steps were being guided. (I've even started to
give thanks for red lights...)

At one time this week when called by a young man to confirm an
appointment we were to have later in the week, I confused the starting
and ending times, and told him the starting time was that which we had
previously agreed as the end. But on the appointed day it turned out
that those additional two hours were just what I needed.

But the startling lesson came as we were trying to find housing for a
new missionary family. We were turned down earlier in the week for an
apartment we thought ideal. So plan B was set into action and we
found ourselves sitting in a realtor's office. She pulled several items,
among them the very same we had been turned down for at a
prefectural housing office. A telephone call was made directly to the
owner's agent of this apartment building to see if he would allow
foreigners. We could not make that contact then, but at the agent's
suggestion an application was filled out, which included Rev. Okita's
name as a guarantor.

It turns out the owner knows Rev. Okita and this was the deciding
point in our favor. If we had made contact by telephone earlier in the
day, we may have been turned down without even getting to the
discussion of the guarantor.

>From the human point of view we felt we had to get on with things and
the waiting the one more day for all of this information to process was
extremely difficult. But patient and trusting in God's timing was an
extremely useful and maturing lesson learned.

This coming week:
SATURDAY - 18th:
Family time in AM. This now and...

Awana Club in the afternoon. Victory Prayer Meeting in the evening.
Discipleship training with Yoshiya and Nao.

SUNDAY 19th:
Preach at Shonan Grace Chapel (sister chapel to Midorino) near
Yokohama. Preaching from Joshua 10:1-27 on "Be Strong and
Courageous." Lead there youth group session in the evening.

MONDAY - 20th:
Go to the Awana Conference with 6 other Awana leaders.

TUESDAY - 21st:
Assist new missionaries getting appliances etc.... in AM.

Pick up Mrs. Koizumi and Eriko at the Airport. Also our short term
missionary to Ogden, UT, Mr. Masayoshi Konno returns on the same
flight.

WEDNESDAY - 22nd:
Meet with fellow missionary for time of prayer and encouragement in
AM. Prayer and prep in the afternoon.

Lunch with Aki Taido.

THURSDAY - 23rd:
I will meet with same young couple as last week Thursday, who have
requested to have a wedding ceremony at Midorino Chapel. Rev. Okita
will lead this session. Pray for their Salvation. Their names are Masao
& Hiromi.

High school and Adult English in the evening.

FRIDAY - 24th:
Office day...

Date out with Cheryl. (Didn't think the term "out house date" quite
fit.)

UPDATE ITEMS: (refreshed on 18 MAR 00)
* ERIKO KOIZUMI *
Eriko meets with Pastor Okita weekly for discipleship. Pray for her
continued spiritual growth. Praise as her father has returned to work
after his cancer surgery. Praise also for God working out the details of
high school for Eriko.

* ERIKA MORIGUCHI *
She has become more comfortable in the regular classes at Weber
State Univ. Pray that she will give witness of her faith and for her
continued growth in her personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Pray
for her mother's salvation who is here in Japan. Pray for us as we
miss her "extremely".

* NOBUE KONNO *
Nobue is ministering together with Washington Heights Baptist Church
and MTA missionaries Robert & Karen Nakaoka. Pray for her as she
leads the weekly prayer and study time with Erika and Sanae.

* SANAE HOYA *
In Ogden with Nobue and Erika, studying at Weber St. Univ. Pray that
she will have the courage to make a public confession of faith in Jesus.

* AKI TAIDO *
She attended church with us! Pray that she will continue to move
towards Christ and His family of love.

* NOZAKI FAMILY *
Pray for fellowship with this family and their salvation.

* RYUNOSUKE NOZAKI *
Pray that Ryunosuke will choose Jesus Christ as his special friend.
Pray for him in his new life in Aiken, South Carolina. He has made
contact with Rev. Frank & Betty Noell!

* CHERYL (the Mama) HILL *
Unless otherwise indicated, Cheryl is always the one running Jeffrey's
program and there is ALWAYS A SPECIAL PRAYER NEED for her.

Thank you for your ever faithful prayers. We praise God for you!

Your Compatriots in Christ's Kingdom,

The Hills: Abigail, Jeffrey, Cheryl & Leon