Money on the Move – Part 4 of 4

When it was time for us to leave Japan, we had no idea how we would pay our way back to the airport. Then unexpectedly, one of the Japanese workers who helped us get on a train to the airport gave us some money. Not only did he give us enough for our fare, but there was also enough to buy a few souvenirs at the airport. During our time in Tokyo we had firsthand experience of God working through people and through us.

Life is not all about shopping at the mall, watching TV, or playing computer games. As parents, it’s our responsibility to shape our children’s world-view. Most kids don’t even appreciate what they have. The best way to combat materialism is by giving away money or things. The best way to combat selfishness is by giving away time through acts of service.

Consider taking your kids with you on a short-term outreach during a holiday or summer break. Allow them healthy exposure to the outside world so they can learn how other people live. Teach them to be grateful, compassionate, and generous. God has blessed us so that we can be a blessing. God doesn’t want the resources we possess to stop with us. He wants them to keep flowing.

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Money on the Move – Part 3 of 4

We spent the two final weeks, before flying back home to South Africa, at a Bible printing organization. The workers were mostly singles who lived on the property in dorm rooms. We were offered a single’s room with a small kitchenette; the bathrooms were down the hall. Lunches were provided and we were blessed with a small allowance to cover the other meals.

During the day, the place was alive with the hustle and bustle of many people hard at work. At night, they all disappeared into their rooms. The halls were deserted and the place fell silent. It went from one extreme to the other. The atmosphere lent itself to work productivity, but after working hours there was just nothing happening. Sadly, there didn’t seem to be any life outside of work.

Most of the people there were Japanese. Since we had arrived in Tokyo, I had learned that the Japanese were generally not accustomed to practicing hospitality. The Lord showed me that as often as possible I was to invite one person from the building to our room for dinner. I wasn’t sure if we would have enough food to feed ourselves, let alone provide a meal for someone else. I also knew how particular the Japanese were about their rice. What if I couldn’t cook it right?

Whatever my reservations, we managed to open our door to several of the missionaries there. We could see that they were surprised when we invited them for dinner. It might have been a small thing, but it was an opportunity for us to be a blessing. They needed to know that they were loved for who they were and not only for what they did. We were also blessed by some who did the same for us.

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Money on the Move – Part 2 of 4

Please read Part 1, if you haven't already.

On our first morning there, they invited us to their apartment for breakfast. We could tell by the questions they asked us that they thought we were crazy to make the trip to Japan without concrete arrangements. When we had finished eating, they read their morning Bible devotional with us. The topic happened to be about faith and trusting God for the impossible.

We were about to pray together when the wife mentioned that Japan was experiencing a serious drought (the year was 1996). It had become a national crisis. As we bowed our heads in prayer, I asked the Lord to please bring rain. The wife looked out the window, and the next thing she saw was a pedestrian pulling out an umbrella. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Perhaps God had sent us there for that short time just to refresh them in the area of their faith.

Having heard our heart for Tokyo, they felt moved to connect us with another missionary family, who invited us for dinner. We discovered that the husband was the overseer of all the regional mission organizations. They were just the right people to learn from and they eagerly shared from some of their years of experience with us. We mentioned that we were on a short-term visit and they invited us to come and stay at their house for a week.

The following morning we said our goodbyes to the first missionary couple that had welcomed us to Tokyo. They gave us a little Japanese outfit for the baby on its way and surprisingly told us that we didn’t need to pay for our stay. We went onto our new host family and continued to learn much from them. While we were there, they arranged for us to stay with a Japanese family for a week so that we could have first-hand experience of Japanese culture. This turned out to be our toughest week emotionally and spiritually, but we learned a lot.

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Thankful in Times of Need - Part 3 of 4

I’ve walked the road of faith with my family and I can testify that when God calls, He also provides. I’ve learned to trust God wholeheartedly and to thank Him for his faithfulness even when life isn’t going my way.

A story that always sticks in my mind is about what occurred in the life of George Mueller (1805 - 1898). He was born in Prussia (now Germany), but felt called to England during the time that child labor was a major problem. To try and protect some of these children, he started a few orphanages where they would be properly cared for. These were not government-funded orphanages, and Mueller didn’t personally own lots of money. He ran his orphanages on faith alone.



One morning, he and his orphans sat down for breakfast, but there was a hitch: they had no food. In faith and obedience they thanked God for their food while looking at any empty table. Right after giving thanks, there was a knock at the door. They were surprised to receive a basket full of bread which a baker had felt prompted to give them and the milkman decided to give them milk, because his cart broke down outside their orphanage.

These were just some of the many miracles that God performed for George Mueller and his orphans. They had big needs, but they had an even bigger God. Just as God was faithful to them, He’ll be faithful to you.

The photo below is of the five orphanages that were built because of George Mueller's great faith in a miracle-working God.

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