For two days the Japanese staff from Japan Presbyterian Mission (JPM), our Japan religious corporation, came down to Nagoya from Chiba (headquarters) to tour the five different MTW teams and hear about the current ministries in the Nagoya area. Since Cathalain leads the JPM Nagoya Branch Office and works with the Chiba office she was the tour guide for two days.
On the final day there was a surprise retirement luncheon for Mrs. Suzuki who has been instrumental in helping the Nisshin Church Planting Team and CBI with bond projects to buy land/buildings. She also has been instrumental in helping to protect our religious corporation status and make sure we are functioning according to government regulations. In the last few years she helped advise us with Shiga Church/NCC’s bond project and helped establish the Nagoya Branch Office which assists four teams in paying their Japanese national staff and overseeing various intern apartments. It was a sweet time and even Michael Oh, former president of the Christ Bible Seminary sent a video message thanking her for over her 20+ years of ministry. For us personally it was wonderful to thank her since she was one of many who helped be a Japanese “mom” to Michael during his internship 22 years ago!
Our Japanese staff and partners are so integral to the work here. It was so nice to be able to stop and recognize this together as a Nagoya field even though we are a bit separated from the HQ of JPM.
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