Urban to Rural: Diversity in Context and Ministry

The month of October was one where we were stretched and challenged by visits to Covenant personnel working in radically different contexts and ministries: first Japan, then a rural setting in one of Thailand's neighbors. Covenant missionaries in Japan gave us a warm welcome as we spent a minimum of a few hours with every couple there--seeing the churches in which they are serving, the school their children are attending, and the cutting edges of their ministries.


Several new mission ventures caught our imagination: one of the key pastors had recently left to serve, with his wife, as missionaries in Detroit, Michigan! They are hoping to reach the large Japanese population in that area who are connected with auto-making industries. One church had recently welcomed a young Korean missionary woman to work in their congregation--and she was having a significant, positive impact on the congregation. Then, almost the same day we arrived, Grant and Miho Buchholst arrived to take up their ministry of working with youth ministries in the churches.

From that experience, our trip to visit the country we lived in for so many years was like, once again, taking a step back in time. We were visiting short term personnel working in the southern part of the country, running a farm with pigs and fish and personnel issues to deal with--all very familiar to us. It was wonderful to see two good friends who, despite some initial personnel problems, seemed to have found a niche and passion in ministry. We were able to brainstorm with them, help with with accounting issues, talk to some of the staff about their issues--and, generally encourage them in the good things that are happening.