Friends,

It's been a busy 6 weeks since Isaiah has been born, and we're sorry for not updating you a little sooner on the latest goings on.  The last three weekends straight, we've been in an emergency room, believe it or not.  Nothing major--it's just that we've been taking turns getting sick when the doctor isn't in...

Recently, I've been blessed with the chance to join the other chaplains at the Kanto Gakuin Junior High & High School in leading students on volunteer activities in our area.  In early June, Rev. Kimoto and I took a group of about 15 kids to a Christian school for the blind in Yokohama, to do cleaning and yard work.  Just last week, Rev. Oi and I accompanied another group of 15 to a day center for the mentally handicapped.  The attached picture is of one of our Kanto students with two of the friends she made that day in a sewing workshop.

Later this month, Rev. Kimoto and I will be taking a group of 10 students "down south" for a 4 day, 3 night volunteer camp to work at small churches on some of the islands near Hiroshima.  Please pray for us as we take students on these trips--only a small minority of these young people are themselves Christians.  In Japan, it's particularly hard to proclaim a "cerebral gospel."  Interpreting volunteering through a Christian worldview is a great way for us to demonstrate to students that the good news of Christ leads to the healing of our bodies, our spirits, and our surroundings.  Just like Christ, we exist, "not to be served, but to serve!"  And pray for me as I keep on trying to work hard at communicating in this insanely difficult language!

Please keep our family in your prayers, too.  For a very recent picture of little Isaiah, scroll down the following Xtreme Team web page-http://xtremeteamonline.org/2003%20Xtreme%20Team/July9JapanJournal.htm

About a week ago, this group of 10 American Baptist students from all around the US arrived here in Japan.  They're truly getting a taste of what life's really like in Japan.  While you're clicking on the above link, take a moment to check out some of the other "Xperiences" they've had, and pray that God would use their 3 weeks here to help them deepen their appreciation for the world church, and to enrich their own faith journeys.  Maybe YOU or someone you know would be interested in one of next year's Xtreme Teams?

Peace!

Dwight, Kari, Adam, Sarah and Isaiah