*** *** *** 7 APRIL 2001 - PRAISE & PRAY from the HILLS of JAPAN ON THE ROAD AGAIN New Orleans I, Leon, flew down for my cousin's, Bruce Morrison, memorial service. Many of you have asked and indicated your prayers and we thank you for your faithfulness. It was a wonderful time of celebrating his life and ministry. I was honored to have a part in the service. Oregon This month I went to Oregon. I visited with Miss Eriko Koizumi a high school student at Western Mennonite School near Salem, Oregon. During that time Eriko & I discussed her developing situation, shared our hearts and prayed together. Living away from home for this 16 year old has not been easy, yet she is convinced of God's leading (and I and her pastor concur) in this direction. I was also able to get to know the staff at the school who have all been so wonderful and helpful. From the Admissions Department (with whom we discussed future partnership possibilities) and the International Students Coordinator to the office staff, they all have Eriko in their hearts. We shared dinner together with Eriko's host home family, the Moores, and discovered a warm and loving Christian environment. God has provided wonderfully for Eriko's needs. I thank God too that I was able to meet with the other two families that have had a significant role in Eriko's cross cultural experience. Jim Benson chauffeured me around and with his wife Kerry hosted me in Portland. I also met the Glenn & Nancy Barker near Salem. Both of these families have hosted Eriko and her family during the events leading up to her entering Western Mennonite Schools. Many friends and family reading this will ask, "Why didn't you stop in or call?" This was an extremely "quick" trip. Left Chicago Monday morning on a 6am flight and returned on a Tuesday flight. As our current schedule indicates a Fall trip to the West Coast, we felt it was important to squeeze in this trip for Eriko. Well, every time I sit down to do these I think that I'll just "knock" it out, yet another time it has gotten a little long. And yet again, we realize that God has caused our ministry to be full of great and wonderful relationships. God has yet again used our past to touch our present, which reminds us to live rightly now as it will impinge upon our futures. PRAYER REQUESTS * Please continue to remember my cousin's wife and family. Val and their 6 daughters still have much to consider for their future. They will return to China in June. We are trusting God for the specifics of their future ministry with the Chinese during these troubled times. * PRAISE God that we have settled in fairly well and have experienced God's protecting hand in our lives. Thank you for praying us over the hump of the culture adjustments. Both children have indicated that they are ready to return to Japan. But we thank the Lord that they both willing participate in the presentations to our churches. * This next two weeks we will be on the road. Traveling to Florida and back for a family reunion and some personal time. * Excepting Easter Sunday we will be ministering every weekend this month of April. Each assignment will be in Illinois so we will be able to return to our home base during the week. * PRAY for Tomoko Otake. Her English is progressing. PRAY for her continued progress and for her cultural adjustments. She has been here long enough for the feeling of "adventure" to wear off. She will give her testimony for the first time tomorrow in Tampico, IL. * PRAY for Aiko Tokumaru. She has started her ESL studies and this week moved to her homestay location. PRAY for Jeff and Denise Kaufman who will minister as her host parents. Their daughter, Kim Kaufman, served as a short term missionary with us this past term. Kim also will participate in Aiko's events here. Pray also for her salvation in Jesus. * As always please continue to pray for Jeffrey, Abigail and Erika (in Ogden). All are faithful in their studies. Pray for Jeffrey's continued healing. He will face many social challenges this year, probably his most difficult area in life just now. Thanks again for enduring & persevering in prayer for us! We praise God for you! Your Compatriots in Christ's Kingdom, The Hills: Abigail, Jeffrey, Cheryl & Leon