At the “end” of our year
The summer rains are gone, but sky-high humidity lies ahead. A green blanket of rice paddies (photo above) surrounds our neighborhood. Buckets of rain and heat waves are good for rice cultivation, but for physical energy, a deadly blow! We feel quite depleted ourselves (in Japanese: natsubate) …
Thankfully our yearly summer holiday break is around the corner, and we are eager to stop, rest, play and meditate. But before we leave (tomorrow), we first want to share some important snippets from recent happenings and experiences.
- There is a new 6-minute video about our family life as well as some of the ministries we have been involved in the last 2 months. Feel free to share it.
- We eagerly share more about our experiences and thoughts from our journey with homeschooling. Carina shares through her (new) blog: Whole in Japan
- We are faced with a big shift: Stéphan has officially been called to become a full-time lecturer at Kobe Reformed Theological Seminary
- We take the liberty to ask you to pray with and for us. This month’s Prayerflash is available here.
Your support is essential, and we appreciate it!
God’s peace and joy in Christ,
Stéphan, Carina, Annlie, Cornelius, Lodewyk and Stephan (jnr.)
Words often fall short in describing experiences. Therefore, this round, we compiled some snippets in colour and sound, in a six-minute video. It is easy to share with friends and other supporters, or in worship services and small groups.
Homeschooling is a challenging but extremely meaningful and rewarding journey. Carina is endeavoring on this road circumspectly, and wholeheartedly. And our kids are progressing well. We are very grateful! If you want to get an idea of what is happening, and how we experience this uncommon path as a family, visit Carina’s blog (or sign up for her newsfeeds), called Whole in Japan.
- Conversations and prayers about this possible shift have been ongoing for over three years (within the Reformed Church in Japan). Indeed, one of Mission Japan’s leaders has shared his vision for this to happen even before we came to Japan (in other words already in 2008)
- The local church with whom we cooperate, the RCJ, made this official request after careful consideration and discernment on their part.
- This call is a crucial part of the focus of the co-operating partnership in witness, between Mission Japan, the RCJ Shikoku Presbytery and the RCJ Kobe Theological Seminary.
- The decision-making process was handled and endorsed prayerfully on all levels: with the RCJ Tokushima congregation, Shikoku Presbytery and (God willing, October 2015) the full RCJ Synod.
- Personally, we feel a deep sense of peace and excitement about this new road ahead because it is centered in the heart of the local RCJ’s vision. We believe that the Lord has led us all clearly in this.
- Last year I had the chance to share our feelings and thoughts about this call at more than 60 opportunities with Mission Japan supporters in South Africa. We (as a family) received unified, affirming responses from all over. Therefore, this issue has been carefully considered by our global faith community and is not merely an individual idea or dream.
- The great need for Pastoral care and Counseling as fields of study and teaching is crystal clear. Please look at this 4-minute interview that I had with colleagues from the Kobe Seminary. Please view the video below.
- I (Stéphan) will still maintain my status as a minister within the RCJ, and thus I will still be involved in Church ministry in the future (focused on Shikoku Presbytery).
- We are afforded a fresh opportunity (as the Van der Watt family) to serve and be involved on a broader level within the RCJ, and wider ecumenically, in Japan.
- For us (as a family) this opens up new possibilities and breaks the (emotional) isolation we experienced in Tokushima. On the homeschooling front as well as in terms of a broader support network – e.g. of other missionaries within the same type of setup and similar challenges – Kobe’s location is ideal.
- The fact that Karen Stydom, our new missionary colleague, will also make her start (with language studies) in Kobe, is not a random coincidence.
- In short: we trust that our God-given gifts and passions, as well as our experiences and training up until now, will hereforth flourish even deeper, and can be a richer blessing to others. And that is why we believe this new call(ing) is within God’s will.
The great need for Pastoral care and Counseling as fields of study and teaching is crystal clear. Please look at this 4-minute interview that I had with colleagues from the Kobe Seminary.
Watch only the part from 59:30 up to 1:03:55
