Gebedsflits (Augustus 2015) / Prayerflash (August 2015)
ENGLISH FOLLOWS HERE BELOW
Beste gebedsvriend,
Baie dankie dat jy tyd maak om te bid vir ons. Hier volg ons gebedsfokus vir Augustus 2015. Ons waardeer jou meelewing, en jou intree by God namens ons. Deel die versoeke asb. ook wyer met ander gebedsvriende.
Vrede en vreugde, in Christus.
Stephan en Carina
Gebedsfokus vir Augustus (saamgestel deur Tobie de Wet):
Van der Watt kinders se tuisonderrig:
Dit was ‘n baie goed-nagevorsde en deurdagte, maar ook ‘n geweldige groot en uitdagende geloofstap vir Stéphan en Carina om drie-vier jaar gelede op tuisonderrig te besluit, eerder as om hul kinders na ‘n plaaslike Japannese skool te stuur. Carina het egter die taak met absolute oortuiging en passie aangepak. Sy werk steeds elke dag baie hard om saam met die versorging van kleuters en haar daaglikse huislike en kerklike verpligtinge die tuisonderrig te behartig.
Met Stéphan se ondersteuning doen die kinders egter baie goed, ten spyte van die feit dat hulle van meet af met drie tale (Afrikaans, Engels en Japannees) worstel en hul onderrig-medium Engels is. Einde Julie sluit ‘n termyn af en 1 September begin die nuwe termyn wat tot Kersfees strek. Ons dank die Here vir wat gedoen is, bid vir ‘n goeie rustyd saam, en ook vir Carina se voorbereiding vir die nuwe termyn asook vir die pad vorentoe.
Van der Watts se gesins-verlof:
Die grootste deel van Augustus-maand is Stephan-hulle met verlof (3 – 25 Augustus). Na ‘n baie besige en veeleisende tyd vir beide van hulle is hul behoefte aan wegbreek, rus en ontspan nogal groot. Die bekendste, gewildste en goedkoopste vakansie-oord vir sendelinge is in die Noord-Ooste van Japan, ‘n plek met die naam Takayama. Daar het hulle geleentheid om met sendelinge en hul gesinne van verskillende lande en nasionalitiete wonderlike (sosiale en geestelike) gemeenskap te geniet.
Ongelukkig is dit in die rampgebied geleë, naby Fukushima waar die kernkrag ongeluk gebeur het, en bly die gevaar van bestraling baie wesenlik. Ons bid vir hul bewaring en vir ‘n goeie tyd saam as gesin met mekaar en ander gesinne. Ons bid ook vir ‘n veilige reis heen en weer (1100 kilometer een rigting). Met hul terugkeer lei Stéphan die English Fellowship by RCJ Tokushima gemeente. Hulle begin ook voorberei vir die groot skuif na Kobe…
Ds. Onishi se studieplanne vir Bloemfontein, SA:
Yoshi Onishi, sy vrou Miho en hul drie dogtertjies het twee dae by Stéphan-hulle kom kuier om hul planne te bespreek en raad en leiding te kry. Die plan is om DV begin volgende jaar as gesin na Bloemfontein te verhuis waar Ds. Yoshi vir minstens drie jaar nagraads aan Vrystaat Universiteit in Ou Testament (hy is reeds ‘n deeltydse dosent aan die RCJ Kobe Kweekskool) wil studeer.
Dis egter ‘n lang en moeilike proses om aanvaar te word as student, ‘n studie- en verblyfvisum vir hom en sy gesin vir SA, asook toelating tot ‘n skool en huisvesting te verkry. Daarby moet hy binne ‘n beperkte finansiële begroting beplan en werk. Kom ons dra hulle in ons gebede, en ook vir Gideon van der Watt en ander kollegas in Bloemfontein wat ‘n belangrike rol speel in hierdie proses.
Missie Japan se nuutste sendeling, Karen Strydom se voorbereiding vir Japan:
Karen is ernstig besig met deputasie, m.a.w. besoeke aan gemeentes en werwing van geestelik-morele-, gebeds- en finansiële ondersteuning. Sy is ook besig om haar geestelik en prakties (bestudering van taal, kultuur, geskiedenis en Christendom van Japan) voor te berei vir haar vertrek na Japan, DV aan die begin van 2016. Ons bid die toerusting van die Here op haar (Handelinge 1 : 8) en dat sy ‘n breë en sterk ondersteuningsbasis kan vestig voor haar vetrek.
Gys en Linda Olivier, met Linie, ons Engelse onderwyser sendelinge by SEIWA Skool:
Gys-hulle versoek dat ons vir die volgende sal bid:
Bid vir hul dogtertjie Linie by haar Japannese kleuterskool. Om hul kind binne die anderse Japannese kultuur te laat opvoed en grootword bring allerhande uitdagings en bekommernisse mee. Bid ook vir ‘n groepie Amerikaanse Christenstudente wat vir drie maande by die skool kom uithelp, help met die Engelse klasse, geestelike boodskappe aanbied, en met ‘n Bybelkamp sowel as ‘n Engelse kamp. Bid vir die “English Day” vir kinders wat belangstel om by hul skool in te skryf en vir die groei van SEIWA Meisies skool.
Gys en Linda ervaar op hierdie stadium ‘n gevoel van “homesick” wat onvermydelik deel is van ons sendelinglewe ver weg van jou eie land, mense, taal en kultuur, veral in die veeleisende samelewing en werkssituasie soos dié van Japan. Laat ons ook die Here dank vir sy oorvloedige seëninge op hul lewe en werk.
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Dear friend in prayer,
Thank you for making an effort to find the time to pray for us. The following contains our prayer focus for August 2015. We appreciate your empathy, and your intercession with God on our behalf. Please share the requests with other prayer friends as well.
God’s Peace and Joy, in Christ.
Stephan and Carina
Prayer Focus for August (compiled by Tobie de Wet):
Van der Watt children’s home schooling:
It was a well-researched and well-considered, but also a hugely challenging step in faith, for Stéphan and Carina’s to decide to choose home schooling (3-4 years ago), instead of sending their children to a local Japanese school. However, Carina undertook the task with absolute conviction and passion. She still works very hard every day to cope with the home schooling in addition to the care of infants and her daily domestic and church obligations.
With Stéphan’s support the children are really doing very well, in spite of the fact that from the outset they have had to struggle with three languages (Afrikaans, English and Japanese), and that their language of education is English. At the end of July one term ends and on 1 September the new term commences, which will last until Christmas time. We thank the Lord for what has been achieved, pray for a decent time of rest together, and also for Carina’s preparation for the new term, as well as the way forward.
Van der Watts’ family leave:
During most of August the family will be on leave (3 – 25 August). After a very busy and demanding time for them, their need for a break, rest and relaxation is evident. The best known, most popular and cheapest holiday resort for missionaries is situated in the North-East of Japan, at a place called Takayama. There they have the opportunity to have a wonderful time of fellowship (socially and spiritually) with missionaries and their families from various countries and nationalities.
Unfortunately it is also situated in the disaster area close to Fukushima where the nuclear accident occurred, so that the threat of radiation is very real. We pray for their safety and a good time together as a family and with other families. We also pray for their safe journey there and back. (1100 kilometres one way). On their return Stéphan will lead the English Fellowship at RCJ Tokushima congregation. They will also start preparing for their big move to Kobe…
Rev. Onishi’s plans to study in Bloemfontein, SA:
Yoshi Onishi, his wife Miho and their three little girls paid Stéphan and Carina a visit for two days to discuss their plans and to ask advice and guidance. They plan, God willing, is to move to Bloemfontein as a family at the beginning of next year. Rev. Yoshi wishes to follow a post-graduate course in Old Testament Studies for at least three years at the Free State University (he is already a part-time lecturer at the RCJ Kobe Theological Seminary).
It is, however, a long and arduous process to be accepted as a student, to obtain a study and residence visa for himself and his family in SA, as well as admission to a school and accommodation. In addition he has to plan and work within a limited financial budget. Let us support them in our prayers, also Gideon van der Watt and other colleagues in Bloemfontein who are fulfilling an important role in this process.
Mission Japan’s new missionary, Karen Strydom’s preparation for Japan:
Karen is hard at work with deputation, in other words visits to congregations and requesting spiritual moral, prayer and financial support. She is also busy preparing herself spiritually and practically (studying of culture, history and Christianity in Japan) before her departure for Japan, God willing, at the beginning of 2016. We pray that the Lord will equip her (Acts 1: 8) and that she will be able to establish a wide and strong support base before she departs.
Gys and Linda Olivier, with Linie, our English teacher missionaries at SEIWA School:
Their request is that we will pray for the following: Pray for their little girl Linie at her Japanese kindergarten. Having their child educated and raised within the vastly different Japanese culture, causes all kinds of challenges and worries. Also pray for a small group of American Christian students who will be helping out at the school for three weeks, assisting with English classes, presenting spiritual messages, and helping with a Bible camp as well as an English camp. Pray for the “English Day” for children who are interested to enter at their school, and for the growth of SEIWA Girls School.
Gys and Linda are experiencing a strong sense of homesickness at present, an unavoidable part of missionary life far from your own country, people, language and culture, especially in such a demanding society and work situation as in Japan. Let us also thank the Lord for his abundant blessings on their life and work.
