From Shan, 12/29/2023:

Dear Family and Friends,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  Thank you for your prayers for me and the ministry in Japan, especially during December and advent.  I will share more about those activities in my next newsletter.  Today I want to share with you the miracle that happened for me on the most unusual, and hopefully never to be repeated, Christmas Eve.

During our morning worship service the church phone rang and one of the ladies answered it.  A minute later she called me to the phone to talk to my neighbor.  He called to say that there was smoke coming out of my apartment!  I dashed out of church realizing I had forgotten to blow out my advent wreath candles.  I arrived to most people from my building standing outside and met a firefighter who took me to my apartment where they had quickly put out the fire with water from my dish pan.  There was a lot of smoke but only a very small area of my window shelf had burned as well as a corner of my table which was next to the shelf. 

Praise the Lord no one was hurt and no other apartments were affected!  Praise the Lord for the neighbor two floors up who smelled the smoke and went to investigate, calling the fire department when he found it.  Praise the Lord for my next door neighbor who searched the internet for our church and called to inform me of what was going on.  Praise the Lord for all of the kind neighbors and friends who have been working tirelessly alongside me all week to clean and wash and pack everything.  Praise the Lord for a kind building manager and neighbor who continue helping me get workers arranged to fix my windows and balcony partition.  Praise the Lord for Yuri’s generosity in letting me invade her apartment and for working long hours cleaning during what should be a restful time off of work!

Please pray for Yuri and me as we have many decisions to make about remodeling my condo, what to throw out, and more things I don’t even know to list yet.  I have found an apartment to rent so that I don’t have to stay with Yuri indefinitely.  Praise God for providing a place in just the right area nearby my condo, at just the right time, and at a decent price.

Every time I turn around I see another miracle in the situation.  I am truly experiencing Emmanuel this Christmas season. 

Thank you for praying with me.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Shan in Japan