Voices from the Field Paul and Melissa Ewing Get to know Paul and Melissa

Preparing the Family for Time Away

Published on August 31, 2016
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Dear Friends and Family,

“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.” I am sure many of you recognize this as Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” I am also sure anyone who has moved or needed to clean and organize a house knows why this phrase keeps running through my mind. As we prepare for our year of home assignment, ministry continues; classes continue to be taught; and events continue to happen. There are days it feels as the miles are long and sleep will need to wait.

Thank you for all your prayers as our mothers, Jean and Linda, stayed with the boys as we traveled to Hungary for the missions meeting that happened there. We are so thankful for their love and care of the boys and the many that helped them while we were away. Our family was blessed beyond measure.

Once returning from Europe, the extreme humidity and heat began in Japan. June was filled with ending school activities for Noah and Jonah, fellowship with friends, and helping to care for a friend’s daughter. Our house bustled with activity and daily schedules that needed to be organized. At the end of June we had our annual mission conference in Nagasaki, a city rich in history. Of course many remember this city as the second site of the atomic bomb dropping for WWII, but Nagasaki is rich in Christian history as well. There was much Christian persecution during Japan’s time of seclusion and borders being closed, but great joy as the underground church emerged to enthusiastically welcome missionaries once again when the time of seclusion ended.

July arrived along with thoughts of packing and where to start to clean and organize. I am thankful I don’t have to pack up the entire house but I do need to organize it for any possible need for someone to live in it. English classes, Bible classes, and special events continued at the church. We hosted the Kansai Christian School High School for lunches to celebrate the end of school and blessings for the future. Elijah finished his first semester of 6th grade with his time at the Japanese Elementary school ending. Wow, our time in the Elementary school has come to end, almost hard to come to terms with this idea. I pray that God will continue to use us to serve and help the school in the future.

Continue to pray for the Johnson family, as they too, are experiencing many of the same things with their preparations for moving to Japan. They will be arriving in Japan on August 25. God is so good and has prepared a wonderful house for us to rent for their family. The landlord and his wife are looking forward to young children being their neighbors and spending time with them. What a great gift that God has prepared; surrogate grandparents already for the Johnson children. Their house will only be a 5-minute walk to Kansai Christian School. Please pray for their immigration papers. God has been so faithful to this point! We are asking God to move a mountain and have the Japanese government approve their visas before arriving on the 25th!

Continue to pray for Komyo Church as they prepare and move into servant positions with the Ewing 5 gone for a year. It is exciting to see how God moves in people’s hearts. We will be celebrating membership and baptism with some of the people. We will be welcoming 3 people as members and baptizing 2, one being Elijah on August 14! How exciting and what joy it will be to send pictures to you all. Please continue to pray for those who are young in their faith at the church as they work through their faith and grow in knowledge and wisdom of God. Pray that they become bold in their faith and begin to share with those who they walk through life with.

Continue to uplift Y san and her daughter and Rumi san. Pray they are drawn to God’s word and understanding. Pray that even through life’s ups and downs they would be able to see God working and be affirmed that God loves them very much.

Kansai Christian School, where Noah and Jonah attended, has a new teacher and her family is arriving this summer. Keep the Swallow family in your prayers as they make the necessary preparations to come and the adjustments needed once here.

We appreciate the churches that have contacted Paul concerning a visit this coming year and look forward to reconnecting with you. If you have a date that you would like us to come and visit your church, please contact Paul at pemedicus@yahoo.com as he continues to set the schedule for this year of home assignment.

Thank you for continuing to remember us in prayer.

Blessings,

Paul and Melissa

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KCS 2016 9th & 10th graders

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KCS 2016 11th & 12th graders

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Neighborhood kids that Noah grew up with.

 

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