June 16, 2004
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
We have been on furlough four and a half months and have two
and a half months to go. At first we were antsy to get back to
our work in Japan, but we decided to enjoy the “temporary”
time here. We are staying in a log home in the woods of Kentucky.
Once in awhile, I will go out on the porch and just look at all
the green trees surrounding us and breathe a sigh of satisfaction.
It’s great here.
We have gotten to know our neighbors. Our 8-year-old daughter
Sarah has been playing with their 2-year-old Mollie. Our boys,
13-year-old Nathanael and 10-year-old Joseph feel quite frustrated
with nobody nearby to play with. They talk mostly of getting back
home to their friends. They’re upset that we miss Nojiri
this year. Nojiri is the summer resort to which missionaries throughout
Japan go. Their friends there share their bi-cultural missionary-kid
background. Having grown up in Japan myself, I understand their
feelings. Judy has focused on homeschooling the kids and making
this place a home.
Our 23-year-old daughter Naomi just graduated summa cum laude
from Berea College. This fall she's going with Mercy Ships (YWAM)
to help with a medical mission somewhere on the coast of Africa.
Please pray for her. She is raising support for the trip, which
starts in September and goes six months. Her email is naomi_elisabeth@yahoo.com
and her mailing address is c/o my brother Alex Carrick, 173 Pioneer
Drive, Richmond, KY 40475.
With the discussions taking place in our denomination, I decided
not to be left out. I have written two things, one on the Mission
Connections Web site stating my position on Scripture, the lordship
of Christ, and holiness. Please click here
to read. The other is an open letter I sent to the Presbyterian
Coalition, the Covenant Network, Presbyterian Outlook,
Presbyterian Review, Presbyweb, the Presbyterian
Layman, and Voices of Orthodox Women. I contacted the PC(USA)
Web site asking how to send them this article, but have not heard
back as yet. As of today, two of these sites have my “Open
Letter to the Commissioners of the 216th General Assembly”—the
Presbyterian Layman at http://www.layman.org
and Voices of Orthodox Women. To read that letter on the Web site
of the Voices of Orthodox Women, click here.
Also, I wrote a piece on Japanese history. Please click here
to read.
After visiting churches in Colorado, Tennessee, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Georgia, and Kentucky, we head for the west coast tomorrow. On
the June 20 we stop in to say hello to a supporting church in
New Mexico. On June 27 I speak in the first church I pastored,
in Los Angeles, then go on a vacation at Lake Tahoe with Judy's
extended family. Following this, we head north to see more relatives,
then back to Colorado where I will speak in one or two churches.
We'll return to Kentucky toward the end of July.
Pray for this trip back west! Last week I decided to take our
perfectly fine Nissan Quest to a shop in Berea, Kentucky, to have
it aligned and tuned for our west coast tour. The mechanic checked
the car and said it didn’t need to be tuned, but it did
“need” rear shocks, new transmission fluid, a transmission
cooler, new tires, and a timing belt. $1100 later, I got the car
back and felt confident for the trip. On Saturday, though, suddenly
the power steering didn't work. Checking the fluid, it was “below
minimum.” Why hadn't the shop caught that? Made me feel
less confident. That same night, the car suddenly lost power and
began jerking forward and back, as if it were operating on only
one piston. I limped it to the next exit and left it at the truck
stop there. So what did those mechanics do to our car? Monday
I called a dealer to have them tow it and fix it right. They put
it on their computer and told me exactly what it needed, for an
additional $600, but I feel that is well-spent money for the peace
of mind I can now have. Reminds me how we need to be keeping our
eyes on the Lord and not on the breakdowns of the machines we
own!
After returning from our west coast tour, we will pack, then
head to the sharing conference held for all PC(USA) missionaries
on furlough during the second week of August. Three days later,
we head to Alaska to share our missionary journey with my brother
Tim's church, then back to Japan on August 24. The day after we
arrive, poor Nat has to go to straight to school. He begins eighth
grade at International Christian Academy of Nagoya.
While we look forward to returning to our “regular”
job of youth evangelism in Japan, we treasure the chance to meet
so many special brothers and sisters here in the States. Please
pray (1) that the Lord of the Harvest will send laborers into
his harvest in Japan and elsewhere (Matthew 9:38); (2) that, since
we wrestle not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), the “strong
man” of Nagoya (and other places) be bound (Matthew 12:29)
so that evangelism can take place; (3) that our mouths will be
open so that we can preach the gospel of Jesus Christ (Ephesians
6:18-20).
Soli Deo Gloria,
Andy & Judy Carrick
The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
92
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