I Am Kerflumoxed! (Don't know what to feel.)

Well, I'm certainly no hero! But to quote the hero of "Tremors," "Doin' the best we can with what we've got!"--Bert Gummer.

 

It's a fairly usual Baptist constitution allowing for membership by baptism or by vote. But the thing is, Japanese are extremely sticky about membership. Often a person will be transferred on the job and spend years in another town and going to another church, but tithing back to the home church.

Well, amen!

Yep, no doubt that's the next step after our missionary leaves. I have to pray for guidance about that.

Anyway, it has helped to talk things out here. Thanks much for letting me talk it out with you! You've been a real blessing, as have you other pastors.

 

Patty and I had a wonderful night's sleep last night. Then all day today I have been feeling the presence of the Lord, as if many people were praying for us. Thank you to all who did!

Neither family came today, which is not at all unusual, since it is vacation time in Japan. And these problems may take a while to solve, knowing Japan. However, I know the Lord is with us and will work it all out.

The few who did come today had a wonderful spirit. We had a visitor this morning from a Japanese pastor friend's church about 4 hours away. Every time this lady comes she brings joy! And our lost lady, Mrs. Fujii, has turned into a friend. I hate eggplant, so she snuck one from her garden, stuck in our mailbox with the note, "I am delicious. Please eat me. From, Eggplant."

In the evening we had a precious Japanese missionary family who have spent ten years in Thailand. It was sweet to see them again after 11 years. God has been using them in a wonderful way there.

It's late here in Japan. Oyasumi nasai. (Sleep well.)

 

Hah! There is no way anyone can hide that terrible taste and texture from me.

 

Eat? Yes. Enjoy????

 

Yeah. Hmmm. :laugh:

I firmly believe that God did not create the eggplant, but it was corrupted from a better veggie due to the fall. :saint:

 

:laugh:
Well at least oysters can slide down your throat because they're slimy. Kind of like boiled okra. But eggplant you actually have to chew and use your muscles to swallow!

 

When fried, okra becomes manna. (You have to look at the Hebrew on this one.) :thumbs:

 

Thanks so much, Bill!

 

Thanks for asking, Tom. I believe the next step the Lord would have me take is to put in the bulletin, "Congratulations to the U. family for their baptism by Mr. K." This will allow both families to save face. It will also give a way for everyone in question to open the dialogue. If I were to criticize anyone publicly they would never come back. The next step will be to cautiously approach Mr. K. and ask some questions based on the fact that I now have to counsel Mr. and Mrs. U. about church membership. So I will have to know if Mr. K. has been ordained and where they have their own church membership, since they only come in the evening, and have a checkered church past.

All of this, as POB said, must be bathed in prayer. And I have to be very tactful in Japanese. Fortunately, Japanese syntax is completely built around tact and not offending people! They hate to say anything straight out! :type: