Roberta lives in Tokyo where she is coordinating a volunteer program with the Japan Baptist Union by finding places in Japan needing a volunteer, and then finding the right volunteer from American Baptist Churches to fit those needs. She also speaks in churches and conducts Bible and English Classes.

She writes: Work at Schools The month of February has found me trying to catch up on a number of tasks while getting over a cold.  After delivering the message at a local church, I was asked again to give the children’s story at the kindergarten.  That particular day, the kids were really hyped up for some reason, and me showing up sent another wave of excitement through the room, “Roberta sensei is here, Roberta sensei is here.”  Oh brother, I thought.  The story was a hard one as it was, the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda.  I prayed hard as I sat in the preparation room waiting for the time.  When I went in and began the story, there was a quieting over the whole group of seventy 4-year olds.  It was nothing short of a miracle to see how God created a hush that lasted through the end of the story.

In Japan the end of one year bumps right up against the beginning of the next year without much break for students and teachers.  … This year I have been asked to be the main speaker at the 6th grade baccalaureate service on March 7th.  I feel a real burden to get across three themes.  Continue to stay in the Word of God and hide it in your heart; facing the fluctuation of friendships and lastly, I want to somehow address the perils of bullying.  All this in just 15 minutes?!??

Current Projects  The Japan Baptist Union Women will have their annual retreat March 23-25th.  I’m working on giving a seminar on having a devotional life.  I’ve been working on curriculum for the new year in April for 4-year olds, helping the Kanto Gakuin Sigma Circle plan for their upcoming volunteer experience in Thailand with Akha Hill Tribes and with the New Life Center and House of Love, and studying for and meeting weekly with the Friday Bible study group with the addition of a new member. 

• Pray for Roberta as she ministers for Christ in Japan.