Three weeks. Three cities. Three highlights.

One of the best highlights of the entire trip was reconnecting with our old friends and disciples. We were blessed to hear of Elijah (center) who continues to lead Bible studies in his dorm of Filipino coworkers. King (left) trusted Christ in January and was baptized in April. They both are finding ways to share the Good News with their families and those around them. Please pray for these two as they head toward full-time missionary service.

We also met up with other friends and loved ones, hearing how they continue to thrive as believers, sharing the light of Christ where they are.

The following picture wasn’t a highlight! Fourteen hours on one plane is a very long flight! Thankfully, we were able to catch a few winks and made it safely to Tokyo.

First stop in Japan: Chiba, a city beside Tokyo proper. Here we met the Vannings, a missionary family with whom Chloe will be learning under in 2026. There are about 3-4 apartments buildings like this surrounding a shared park area. The Vannings live on the 8th floor of one of these and hold a Sunday morning church service in their apartment.

Second highlight: Getting Chloe settled. This is the sight that met us upon arriving. No one had lived here for several months, and weeds took over! With the help of two young, energetic short-term helpers, we got the yard fixed up, as well as cleaned and organized the inside.

A third highlight: Visiting with the ABWE Japan team! We enjoyed fellowship with missionaries we’ve known for years, as well as meeting some newer additions to the field and visiting friends. Please pray for these warriors as they continue to fight off the darkness with God’s marvelous Light.

During our time with these folks, I had the joyous privilege of sharing my salvation testimony and the gospel to a middle-aged Japanese woman whom some of us missionary women met at the hotel where we stayed. Pray for this dear woman to read her Bible and pray for understanding. God helped my rusty Japanese along to be able to share how much Jesus means to me. Thank you for your prayers!

About a week ago, Chloe and I began praying.

Let me back up a little. Chloe has been planning for some time to go on an 11-month internship to Japan. She put her preparations on hold while she finished up her last year (on-site) at college, so she could focus her attention on studies and school. During the final semester, she applied to ABWE in order to be sent through this missions agency (same as her parents). Following school in May, she began contacting churches to seek a meeting to present her upcoming ministry opportunity and request prayer and financial support. Many of the same churches she has formerly visited, either with us on our furloughs or while having a concert there, graciously allowed her to come and share her vision of what God’s leading her to do. That was early May.

Now it’s the end of July. We looked at this thermometer chart above, and about a week ago, it read that her support was at 25%. . . . with only three weeks before departure time! Yikes! Chloe was feeling pretty low, I’d say, assuming that there was no way she would be able to leave with Norman and me in August. So, we started praying to the only One who has deep pockets, compassion that reaches the heavens, and who knows how to give His children good gifts. We prayed each night together, and alone throughout the day, begging God to make it possible for her to leave as planned. We also realize that God’s plan may not be our plan, and we want to praise Him and follow Him whether He allows her to go or not.

About three days after we began praying, God brought in several substantial gifts from His people. That brought the total up to what you see above – forty percent of what she needs. We kept on praying. It’s been about a week now since we started, and we remembered the verse in Ephesians 3:20-21 that claims that God is able to do more than we can ask or think (or imagine or dream)! We prayed that. And God graciously answered!! He did something that I had never considered as a solution.

He lowered Chloe’s costs!

Norman had been away for a week, and when he returned, he took another look at the costs he had estimated with ABWE some months before. Since that time, though, he had received some actual amounts needed for various parts of the upcoming trip and stay. All in all, he was able to remove $4,000 from the total cost! Chloe double-checked it with ABWE, and they agreed to the changes.

Chloe still does not have all she needs, but we aren’t finished praying yet! I hope you will join us as we beseech God to teach us how powerful He is, how He meets needs and answers prayers. Faith triumphs over doubt and fear. Jesus said to ask anything in His name, and He would do it, so God the Father would be glorified. We know He doesn’t always give us what we want, but when our requests are in line with His will, He is happy to provide what we desire.

I’ve been so blessed to watch Chloe’s doubts turn to faith and praise. Praying together with someone for something important is so exciting. I encourage you to try it!

Hello from Chloe!

The Lord has opened the door for me to go back to Japan this summer
and spend a year there on a short term missions trip. I hope to leave
in early August.

This trip is very exciting for me, because it will allow me to truly
experience what missions will look like if I were to return to Japan
as a full-time missionary in the next several years. From August to
December 2025, I will be in Kumamoto Prefecture, the same area that my
parents served in for 20 years. I will be working with a missionary
family there and getting involved with two local churches (one
national and one international). I also hope to use this time to
refresh my knowledge of the culture and language, as well as taking a
few classes online through Faith Baptist Bible College in order to
finish my degree.

From January to June 2026, I will be moving up to the Tokyo area to
work with Jared and Nozomi Vanning, who I am very excited about
working with. Their approach to ministry aligns well with my own, and
I look forward to learning and growing with them.

As I look forward to potentially moving into full-time ministry in the
future, this missions trip is a huge part of figuring out where I
would serve and how God can use me on the mission field. I would
appreciate your prayers through this whole process!

If you are interested in supporting me financially, you can go to
abwe.org and click on “Support a worker” under the Give tab.
Currently, my name is the first in the list, but you can also search
for it in the search bar. Or this link
(https://give.abwe.org/worker/10963) will take you directly to my
information. My estimated support needs are $2,805.79 a month, with
the addition of a one-time cost of $3,500 for passage and a vehicle.
This brings the total amount to $31,557.90.

Thank you for your interest and your prayers!

Norman finished two books! Check them out on Amazon.

1. Self-Awareness is a Superpower is a book about seeing yourself for who you truly are — your strengths and weaknesses and everything in between.
2. Skin the Cat: Church Planting is Not Optional is for those considering church planting. Many churches and individuals may become bogged down or discouraged from ever considering starting a new church because their mental image is too overwhelming. Doesn’t it cost thousands of dollars to plant a new church? And what about a team to send to start it? Norman does a great job describing other options than the typical ways we do things in the US. Definitely worth the read.

Susan has also written two new books!

1. A Caregiver’s Refuge: 52 Devotional Thoughts from the book of Isaiah is written to encourage and challenge caregivers. Included in this work are discussion questions for each lesson, which is terrific to use in a small group setting, one-on-one with another caregiver, or just for yourself.
2. Hope in the Hard Days: Devotions for Caregivers takes various Scripture verses to apply to those facing the ups and downs of caring for another person. These passages are instrumental in the author’s life, and she shares from her heart how God has used them personally.

If you happen to read any of these books, please do us the favor of writing a review on Amazon.com. This will help other people be able to find these books. Thank you!

Easter was last Sunday, and my pastor spoke on Jesus, the firstfruits of those to be resurrected. He explained that the first fruit a plant or tree bears is considered the firstfruits, or, the first of much fruit to come later. Jesus was the first to truly rise from the dead. But He is just the first of many more to come! What a wonder it is to know that one day we will rise from the dead with a glorified body like Jesus’ body.

We also had wonderful news from our co-worker Elijah in Japan. Norman discipled Elijah for several years, and Elijah has been faithfully passing on all he has learned to the other Filipinos in the dormitory where he works. On Easter Sunday, Elijah baptized his friend and co-worker! King made a profession of faith, and he made the decision to proclaim publicly that he is a follower of Jesus. What a joy to see our children walking in truth! And now our “child” (Elijah) is reproducing more children for the Kingdom of God. Praise His name!

I know a lot of people who firmly believe in natural remedies, supplements, and holistic health. I basically know nothing about any of that, other than it’s good to eat healthy food and to exercise faithfully. I got a book from the library talking about detoxing, liver function, health benefits of avoiding trigger foods. My eyes glaze over, and it all sounds like a foreign language. It’s all a bit overwhelming to start from scratch. And really, I’ve been hesitant to step my toe into these waters. Why? Part of it is because there’s such a learning curve. Another reason is because I’ve met some . . . slightly odd … people who adhere to these ways of life. And some of these people are all about these things… like you can’t have a conversation with them without vitamins or holistic health popping up into the dialogue.

As I considered this, I realized that maybe these emotions run through a person approaching the world of religion for the first time. It’s a huge subject, with a lot of material to sift through. What’s true? What’s distortion by fanatics? How much is this going to require me to change? There are a lot of … slightly odd … Christians out there, who may turn someone off from searching deeper. There’s a bit of a foreign language to it, too — justification, sanctification, redemption, and original sin. Maybe a person could be hesitant to step foot into this learning curve. How do you know what to believe, whose word to trust?

I say all this to remind myself (and you!) that we should consider easing in new “seekers” little by little. Share with them what they are able to handle. We can give a broad overview of what God says He’s doing in the world, but then share piece by piece as the person is interested, answering questions that arise, not dumping everything on them at once. Of course, knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord is way more important than taking a vitamin pill, but hopefully, just as ardently as we push for good physical health, we will speak urgently and often about spiritual needs.

If I can avoid being slightly odd, that’s a bonus!

Our dog Fritz saw himself for the first time. He wondered, “Who is that?!” He stared at the image for quite a while, not really understanding what he saw.

Lately, I have been challenged to look at myself in a spiritual sense. Someone recently spoke on how we Christians can be like Pharisees. We like to go to the temple (church), we like to give offerings, we like to be acknowledged for our good deeds. But how are we doing inside? Where is my heart? Am I seeking to love the Lord with all my heart and soul and mind? Am I loving others as Christ has loved me?

What do I see when I view my heart as God sees it? It’s not a simple answer. It is cause for closer inspection.

Oh, Lord, please reveal to me how I look to You. What condition is my heart in? Am I more in line with Your will today than I was last year? Do I treasure the things You treasure and hate the things You hate? Please change me into Your perfect image, in Jesus’ power. Amen.

What do you think? If someone has 100 sheep, and 1 of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over that sheep more than over the 99 that did not go astray (Matthew 18:12-13, slightly changed from CSB).

I’ve been considering this story lately. Sometimes in our churches, we have people who attend for a while, then drift away. Some may even be members, and then suddenly they aren’t there anymore. How do we respond to these? Do we even notice their absence? Do we shrug and think, “Oh, well. It’s their choice.” The larger the church, the easier for the “strays” to be lost through the cracks. Is it the pastor’s job to follow up on all these? Or should people in the church be equipped and challenged to follow up on those lingering around the exit gate?

As I think on this parable of Jesus, I see His concern for each individual “sheep” in His flock. We may scoff, “What’s one sheep?” But what if it were one of your children? You wouldn’t say, “I’ve got 7 of the 8 of our kids. Who cares if that last one isn’t found. We’ve got the ones who want to be here.” Right. It’s interesting to note that right before this parable, Jesus talks of becoming like little children, humbling oneself like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven. Immediately after this parable is a lesson on how to deal with a brother who has sinned against you. This is followed by another parable dealing on the necessity of forgiving each other.

John 10 has a lot more to say about sheep. The Good Shepherd is willing to lay down His life for the sheep, but hired hands will run at the first sign of difficulty.

What about me? Do I notice who is attending Sunday services and who has missed one recently? Am I willing to pursue a sister in Christ who has maybe been offended over something done to her? Should I feel responsible to give her a call, asking if she’s okay or needs something? Having smaller groups within our church body can help us keep on top of these things. I don’t always notice if one person is missing from our group in a good-sized church, but when one lady is missing from our Bible study, if I haven’t heard why, I can always follow up on her.

Why don’t we follow up? Maybe we’re scared that people will feel judged. As if we’re telling them, “Hey! Why were you absent, you slacker!” Hopefully, our attitude will be better than that! Recently, the small group of a friend missed an opportunity along these lines. My friend CJ was very sick and could have used some help (getting groceries, being checked on, being noticed). Unfortunately, no one reached out to him. Though God used other people in his life to meet his needs, the small group could have pursued him even a little.

So, the next time you notice someone isn’t in your midst, give them a call. Shoot them a text. Pray for them and tell them you did. Ask if they’re okay. See if they want to get together for coffee. Think of how God pursues you when you’re down, when you’re straying or growing indifferent, when you’re bogged down with irritations and frustrations, when you’re feeling unloved. How does God reach down to comfort and encourage you? Find a way to do that to someone else. Go after that 1 on the run. There will be great rejoicing when you catch up to them and they return to the sheepfold with your arm around them.

If a disciple is someone who is following Jesus, is being changed by Jesus, and is on the mission of Jesus, how does that impact our priorities in life? I take what some see as a radical view and believe that Jesus actually meant it when He said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.” What that means is that HE IS our priority. There is no other.

The question that each of us must ask is, “What does it look like for me to keep Jesus first in my life?” What would your workplace look like if Jesus was actually first in all you said and did? What about your community and your family? Your “free” time? We give lip service to the commands to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength; but what would our lives look like if we actually intended to live that out every hour of every day?

I don’t know about you, but I am easily distracted. I start out with good intentions and soon find myself wondering what happened. Busyness takes over my schedule, and I wonder how my priorities are being reflected. I will wake up again tomorrow knowing that TODAY, I need to choose Jesus first. And the struggle will ensue as “good” things compete for my attention. We need a revival, and I need for it to start with me.

Let’s pray for each other that God would so capture our hearts and minds that we can’t look away, and let’s commit to living out His values and priorities in every relationship that we have. If it feels like a struggle, it is. But it is worth the effort, so fight to keep your heart and mind aligned with His.

written by Norman Smith, originally created for the WARBC Regional Connect blog, 8/28/24

This week I have been spending some extra time thinking about the reason we gather as a church. It’s easy to come together and enjoy the fellowship and good relationships that we have with our church family without really paying attention to the deeper reasons behind our gathering. While not all inclusive or in order of priority, I want to consider some of the reasons we gather as the family of God.

To start with we should remember that we are God’s family. We belong to Him, and the time we spend together with His family should point us back to Him. The special relationship that we have is a result of the relationship that we have with Jesus. We are tied together in ways that aren’t possible without the work of the Holy Spirit. You didn’t choose God’s family any more than you chose your parents. God chose you and placed you into a spiritual family that has a purpose. You have a role to play and gifts that your spiritual family needs, if we all are to be the family that God intends.

It’s also helpful to remember that none of us have “arrived” yet. The relationships that we form with our church family point out our flaws and drive us to our knees time and time again. And that is as it should be. Embrace the challenge of getting along with people who are not like you! In those moments when we struggle to understand each other and still allow the love of God to hold us together, we are the brightest lights in a dark world. Have patience and love each other.

The last thing for today, when we gather as God’s family we are uniting for a purpose that is bigger than any one of us. The mission of Jesus in the world is big enough to encompass all of our lives. The ministry of reconciliation demands more than any single believer, or any single church can give. It is only when we unite at the foot of the cross, drawn by the working of the gospel in our lives, and are compelled outward by God’s grace that we really begin to understand the church and her reason for being.

Today I thank God for each of you and the local church body that you represent. May God be glorified as you are strengthened in your faith.

Rejoicing!

Norman