As you know from our previous update, July started in Fiji. From Fiji we flew to Japan to pick up the next team. It’s when you realize Fiji is roughly 10 hours by plane from LA, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo that you were in the middle of nowhere. Ha! This Japan team was amazing and I’m excited to share some updates and prayer requests.

Each year we take a team to Japan, and it is a unique trip. The team invests its time and talents in getting a youth camp ready for campers. Over the years we have been adding components to the camp, from zip lines, to tree forts, to rock climbing walls. We also have organized a game room, painted, yard work, and installed flooring. This year’s team may take the cake for tackling the most projects. Too many to list as I think the list reached 28 different projects we all worked on and completed.

Part of the team installed flooring in the kitchen and bathrooms. Another group installed ceiling grid tiles, while others work on planting and gardening. We refurbished a gazebo, swing sets, and basketball court. We built what we called the swing of terror and bridge of death. LOL Another group tore down some stairs attached to a deck that were rotten and dangerous. We secured that area and a Japanese team of carpenters were coming a week later to install new stairs. We even built a corn hole set and introduced the Japanese to this new game.

Another part of the trip is a giant fellowship with Japanese churches. They all come to the camp for a day and we work alongside each other, encourage each other, and get to fellowship with believers from the other side of the world. These churches will be bringing youth groups over the course of the next few months to the camp. 

I talked to this team about how important this work it. They are serving people they will never meet on this earth. But, their investment gives the opportunity for those children to come to a camp and hear the Gospel. You don’t always get to hear the fruit of your labor, but this year we did. During the first camp after we left we found out Pastor Tanii got to lead a 10 year old boy to the Lord on the gazebo we refurbished. I’m sure the swing of terror played an important role in this process too. 🙂 

In all seriousness, it is a beautiful thing to be a part of and getting to see the impact on lives after we leave and a blessing and a bonus. I head out on Monday to Cambodia, then to Korea, then Mongolia to provide medical care in the Gobi Desert and finally to Fiji. Kim and Kayli will meet me in Korea. We will make it home the end of September. I look forward to sharing updates along the way. 

Thank you for your prayers and support. Enjoy the pictures.