A couple I knew from California left with their infant daughter to work in Japan as missionaries with an established ministry in Okinawa. They went through the normal difficulties of adjustment, but they were doing pretty well. However, this man had a rare blood condition which could kill him if not managed correctly. The hospital in Okinawa treated it for a while, but the hospital eventually ran out of medication and refused to treat his condition unless the family paid something like $9000 for the meds.

They had to move to a larger city with better hospitals, so they went to Ibaraki prefecture, on the northern outskirts of Tokyo. An aunt worked there as a missionary. There, they had virtually no fellowship, little money, and an unclear vision about what they were supposed to be doing. During this time, the wife had an asthma attack that nearly took her life, and after months of prayer, they packed up their bags and left Japan for good.

This is a true story. I tell it for two reasons. (more…)