Friday, March 25, 2011

Thoughts and Prayer Requests

{Here is a piece I've written for PWOCI, I thought I'd post it here too as it shares my thoughts and feelings during this week.}





Pray for Japan

De’Etta Goecker (Asia Region President)

My daughters and I had planned a PWOC Adventure to Korea, but God had other adventures for us in March.  Many of you heard I was driving from Misawa to Tokyo for the Tokyo Area Retreat when the earthquake hit. We left Sendai 40 to 60 minutes ahead of the earthquake.  It took eight days for me to get home to my family. It was 20 hours before I heard from my family. Our children were alone during the earthquake. It is not a time I want to relive, yet I wouldn’t trade the lessons I learned during the week of March 11th for the world. Someday, I’ll share.

It is no accident that Asia Region was formed 1 ½ years ago. As we’ve focused on this year’s theme, “Shine in the Light of His Glory,” and as we’ve prayed for revival in Asia, I believe God has been preparing us for this season. Light shines brightest in darkness.  We are poised to SHINE in Asia (both to frightened military spouses and to a beloved land which has lost so much).  I’m eagerly anticipating the kingdom business God will do when we all meet together in Tokyo for the First Annual Asia Region Conference in November 2011.  God has been setting things in motion for revival in Japan. I know this.

We so appreciate the outpouring of love, prayers and offers of assistance from across PWOC. You’ve often moved me to tears.

Please continue to pray for the nation of Japan, the rebuilding process which will take years, the HOPE of JESUS to be seen and embraced in Japan, and for your fellow PWOC sisters in Japan.  You’ve heard about the voluntary departures, the shortages, and the continued worries.  I’m sure as you place yourself in our shoes (crocs), the Holy Spirit will guide your prayers.  There are challenges for both those who chose to leave and those who chose to stay.

Japan has been called “The Graveyard of Missions.”  While I don’t believe God caused the earthquake, I DO believe He can bring great good from terrible disasters. Our God is in the business of redemptive restoration.  As I prayed about this in the days after the earthquake, I believe God directed my prayers in a clear direction. Please join me in praying for the cultural narrative in Japan to change. Previously, it was considered dishonorable to accept a gift which you could not repay in kind.  I believe as Japan begins to understand there is no dishonor in accepting a free gift you cannot repay, it will create a new bridge for the gospel of Jesus to speak into this culture.  Pray for missionaries and Christians who will invest their lives in crossing that cultural bridge to bring the Hope of Jesus to Japan.  We dare not miss this opportunity.

 I continue to choose joy in Misawa, Japan!



Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

5 comments:

Unknown said...

De'Etta, I'm taking your picture and posting it on my blog too... may none of us forget our part in all of this... Praying and believing...

Kim said...

Oh, De'Etta! I had no idea you had DRIVEN to Tokyo! And through Sendai. I'm so so so glad you made it to Tokyo safely. HOW did you make it to Tokyo safely? Oh, God is so good! Tears AGAIN!!!

Anonymous said...

Dear friends,

I am a friend of Tammy's and came to your blog to read your post after Tammy posted today. I sure appreciate what the Lord gave you about not receiving gifts and seeing that change so that the Gospel will have an inroad. My heart has been so gripped for Japan. It is good to have specifics to pray. By the way, I am a missionary in Hungary for many years now but my mom was PWOC for years in the sixties and we have many PWOC sisters and friends from the Hohenfels, Germany area who we colabor together with. Love PWOC! Thank you for writing and for loving the Japanese people to Jesus. I would like to follow your blog!

In His love,

Patricia Varga

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Kim....we just kept driving until we ended up at Yokota. God IS good, is He not?

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Wow! Patricia connections with our friends and with PWOC. Welcome to my spot on the net.