3rd orientation meeting

Back row: John, Tin Lok, Huy
2nd row: Hoi-Yan, Grace, Alex, Ed
Front row: Joyce, Debbie, Julie

Finally, we managed to get a photo of the entire team together.

Tonight we had our final orientation meeting before we fly out for Japan. In a productive evening, we cleared up numerous administrative issues and prayed for the Ghents and our mission trip.

The following is what was decided for team roles and responsibilities:
1. Co-ordinator - Debbie
2. Medical person - Alex
3. Rosters - Grace
4. Thank you cards - Huy (English), Hoi-Yan (Japanese)
5. Music - Joyce, Tin Lok, John (action songs), Ed
6. Accountant - Huy
7. Drama/ Christmas presentations - Hoi Yan, Alex, Tin Lok, Julie and John (Christmas powerpoint)
8. Christmas parties - Grace, Joyce, Julie (games)
9. Video - Julie, Tin Lok
10. Photos - Joyce and Debbie
11. Photocopying - Grace and Ed
12. Gifts - all

Meet the Ghents!

The long-term missionaries we'll be partnering with in Aomori are the Ghents.

Martin was born in Ontario to dairy farmers in 1959. Ruth Mae was born in 1961 in Connecticut the youngest of 6 children. They were classmates at NBBI. After graduation in 1981,they married and moved to Toronto. They worked in CLC bookstore for a year, then as assistant pastor in EMBC for 4 years, before going to Japan as missionaries with OMF International in 1986. The first 4 years were involved in language training and gaining experience by assisting an established church. They began their current church planting effort in 1991.

They have a multitude of hobbies (woodworking, stained glass, sewing, cooking etc) which God is using for His kingdom.

They have 4 adopted children. Bethany (16), Micah (14), Aaron (11) and Naomi ( 9)

Where are we going?

The place we're heading off to is Aomori, the northern-most city of Honshu, the main island of Japan. The prefecture is famous for its apples. The other thing that Aomori is famous for is snow. Apparently in some places, there is an accumulation of 3 meters during the winter (over 5m in the mountains).



Above is a map of the north of Japan. Tokyo is south, on the Pacific coast. The big island to the north is Hokkaido, the "Pacific Northwest" of Japan.



There are 650,000 people living in the Tsugaru region. They live in 3 cities and 23 townships. It is a vast region that takes about 3 hours to go north to south and 3 hours east to west.

This region, although still more traditional than many other places in Japan, is entering a new age. New roads are cutting distances down, shopping malls encourage mobility and openness, older people are not as insistent on young people following traditional religions.

OMF has planted churches in the 3 cities and now with OMF missionaries, the Elliots and Ghents there is an advance of the work of Christ into the townships.