A double role

Last week saw another job added to the Ferguson portfolio. It goes by the rather grand title of OMF Interim Regional Director for Hokkaido. Quite a mouthful that one. The former Director is moving next month with his wife to Miyako in Iwate Prefecture, one of the areas hit by the tsunami. A new OMF work has already begun there due to a couple coming back to Japan from the UK for some weeks over the summer and teams of volunteers which have gone to help. However, from next month there will be permanent presence there for at least the next two years. Anyway, back to Sapporo, this left us with a gap to fill here. Quite a big gap actually as the Regional Director role involves many things and easily fills the time of a full-time worker. Now we take on this role part-time for six months. David plans to be in the office Tuesdays and Thursdays but it is unlikely to work out as neatly packaged as that. There will be lots of juggling! We hope for no great crisis during these coming months. The work at Hiragishi continues and these are important days as we look to see the church built up here and some of the many people we know beginning to move closer to Jesus. We are happy to serve our colleagues here in Hokkaido and work together with them as we live and minister among the people here. These are challenging days with much to learn, lots of new experiences, many people to speak to, listen to and encourage. But they are also exciting days to be in Japan. Today saw yet another new Prime Minister. Governments come and go but our unchanging God is working out his purposes for this land and the people that he made.

All change - again!

The holidays are over. The older two boys left on Monday for India. The new school year at Hebron begins today. The younger two have a few more days before second term begins here. It was great to be a family of six again for some weeks, though during our holiday time we were not always all together as the boys had different camps in which they were involved. Daniel is now in his last year at Hebron. It's amazing this has come round so soon! He is a school prefect and has various other responsibilities during this final year. Next year will see him finish and hopefully move on to university. Matthew has three more years at Hebron but as Daniel goes into his final year there, Calum starts his final year in Japan. If all goes to plan, he will go to Hebron next year. Next year will be a time of even more comings and goings than normal - whatever might be considered 'normal' in our lifestyle! And as if that were not enough, there will be a major change of role for us at the end of next year with a move to Tokyo after that. But that is stil far off. While we prepare for the future, we live in the present and we are looking forward to continuing the task to which God has called us in Hiragishi once we are back into 'work mode' next week. There is another change of role to be faced then too - but a post on that can wait till then. Meanwhile we are glad to know Daniel and Matthew are safely at Hebron and we will enjoy our last few days with Calum and Alistair before we get back to the busyness of the coming weeks.