Well, lessee.... we got to Japan 28 years ago and started attending Kotake Cho Bible Church. In that time, our kids were born, passed around all the 'aunties' at church, grew up, moved out and got married. Aileen and I went from being wet-behind the ears kids just out of college to being one of veteran couples in the church. We've had four pastors, and even moved to a new building. BUT, we are still using the same hymnals!!

In a long overdue move, at our annual meeting last February the church decided its time to update our singing a bit with new song books, with the Big Change happening this coming January 1. This is ground-shaking stuff for most of the folk here :-)

But the recession has hit us pretty hard. Giving is way down, and barring the Lord's intervention, before the year is out we're not going to be able to pay the pastor his full salary. And with the overall small size of the church in Japan, it's hard to get 'economies of scale' going on Christian materials. The new hymnals are going to cost $40 each! (Well, $42 but let's call it an even $40).

Unfortunately, our young pastor is kinda getting himself worked up in a knot over the finances. Aileen and I plan to kick in for a good handful of the new books, but we'll need about 20 more. With this once-in-a-lifetime recession going on, it's crummy timing, but we were wondering if some folk back home might want to bless the church by buying them a hymnal or two.

If you'd like to encourage the folk here in that way, you can click the Paypal button here, which will let you use your credit card online -- pretty quick and easy. Unfortunately, we can't give you a tax-deductible receipt that way, though. If you'd like such a receipt, you can send the funds to TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187 -- put in a little note saying that it's for Selanders/Hymnals.

Hope you don't mind us asking for your help like this -- we're not trying to pressure anyone. Blessings!

With a tip o' the hat to Aretha Franklin, I gotta tell you I am respecting Aileen more than ever these days. And I'm so glad she was back at church this weekend.

As I've mentioned here before, our little church started up Sunday School again after at least a decade hiatus and Aileen and I are having fun working with it. Along with singing, a Bible story, praying and play time, Aileen has been doing an English corner with the kids, too. They eat it up.

Well, last week, TEAM sent her to Taiwan to help translate for meetings between folks from HQ in Wheaton, and Japanese missionaries. So on Sunday, I inherited the English corner!

Can you say, "disaster" boys and girls? Good, I knew you could!

Where Aileen has flawless kiddie control and has them eating out her hand, and having a ball doing it, I had said barely three words when this cherub-faced four year girl hollered, "I hate English!" and every single kid there took off running in different directions screaming at the top of their lungs. Managed to herd them back together for another attempt at a simple game using English, which merely disintegrated into more pandemonium. There was nothing to be done, but laugh. The other adult leaders were in stitches, the kids were bouncing off the walls. Time to admit defeat and chase them all outside to let them play for the rest of the time.

And there she was today, that same wild bunch of kids just putty in her hands, eatin' it all up and loving English. I am married to an amazing woman.

Can you say, "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" boys and girls? Good, I knew you could!