Yabuki Breeze Blog

We are grateful for everyone who lifts up this ministry before the Lord and contributes their resources so students can be impacted. Recently we have seen the power of prayer in some key areas. Our colleague Ron was able to lead Alex, a newly arrived student from South Korea, to Christ within weeks of his arrival. Their relationship started with an early morning airport pickup and coffee that led to their first spiritual conversation. Also, Lisa has been able to minister to Grace, an older student experiencing some adjustment difficulties. After a week of intense prayer for her, it seemed that some of her depression had lifted and we saw joy in her expression. Praise the Lord! You also might remember Ting, a student from Taiwan who came to Christ earlier this year. We have learned that he is now studying in Australia, and our friends the Phillips’ have been able to connect him to a church in that country.

Continue to pray as we juggle ever-increasing family responsibilities with daily ministry realities. Now that Roy is helping a lot with the TCU ministry, we sometimes feel our time is divided between 2 campuses. On October 31, we were able to combine the two groups and help with a fall festival at a church in Fort Worth. Regarding TCU, praise God for bringing Cassie on staff as an ISI intern there now that the Willis’ are leaving. She is also getting married in January, so has a lot of transitions to look forward to.

Please pray for Lisa as she ministers to Grace and also to Carol, a new believer and young mother from Taiwan, married to a UTA professor. Also keep Charlotte in your prayers. She and husband Canon have returned to Taiwan for an extended visit and for Charlotte to get some medical testing. Though she isn’t yet a believer, she is trusting God for answers to some perplexing problems. Pray that He reveals Himself mightily in her situation. We are also excited about a young student couple from Iran who have been coming to Bible study. Pray that God would soften their hearts to the gospel.

Lastly we covet your prayers for our family. We are adjusting to teaching J-12 (7th grade) at home this year through a virtual academy. Though we have had some struggles, it seems that things are starting to smooth out. Pray that we’ll have patience with him and that he’ll have a good attitude. He has also transitioned into the youth ministry at our church. T-8 (3rd grade) finished a season of kid-pitch baseball this fall that was challenging for him, but we’re proud of him for sticking with it and seeing his skills improve. He also got baptized in October. It was a special day because Roy got to baptize him. Pray for him as he learns to live out his faith, especially with difficult kids at school. C-5 is doing well in kindergarten and has made some new friends. It’s exciting to see her learning how to read and write. Sometimes she struggles with thinking we love her less than her brothers. Pray that she will know that we love all of our children equally, and especially that she will know she is loved by God.

Tags: family news, praises, Prayer Requests

We want to start by wishing you a wonderful Christmas season and a New Year full of hope for the future.

This past year has flown by for us, and we would like to let you in on some of our highlights so you can know what we’ve been up to.

This year marked our 10 year anniversary of working for International Students, Inc., and Roy’s 4th as the city director for the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

Also this year, Roy finally graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his ThM! It is hard to say if Roy or Lisa was more excited at the graduation ceremony on  May 13. After all, we moved to Texas 9 years ago to start this degree, so its completion was sweet.

Our kids are growing up, too. J-10, age 10, accompanied us on a 2-week trip to Japan this past July, where he enjoyed learning about his heritage. As a 5th grader, he is about to end his tenure as a Cub Scout and graduate into the Boy Scouts next year. Jonathan is our technology buff (where did he get that?) and enjoys using media to entertain and educate.

T-6, age 6, is now a first grader and budding reader. He continues to be fascinated by all things Lego and to have a zest for life that makes him a delightful member of the family. This year he joined the Cub Scouts and was the first in his den to earn a Bobcat patch.

C-3, age 3,  has emerged from toddlerhood and is becoming a charming and communicative little girl. Many of the Chinese students with whom we work are especially enthralled with her. She shows a lot of spunk and determination in tackling any project, with her favorite activities being cutting, gluing and taping.  She also enjoys singing in English, Chinese, and Japanese!

Fun Christmas Snack

Heat oven to 170 degrees. Set a number of bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels (one for each treat) in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss or Hershey’s Hug. Bake for 4-6 minutes (the white chocolate will melt more quickly), until the chocolates feel soft when touched with a wooden spoon. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and quickly press an M&M candy into the center of each Kiss. Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. If you like, place handfuls of the candies in clear plastic bags and tie on colorful ribbons to give to your friends!

Tags: family news, Recipe