Nobody was aware that in March of 2025, we'd receive notice Yoko's mother had died. Janice was already back in the U.S. so unable to attend the funeral or convey condolences to Yoko. (Here's a crop in the sketched colors.) But along with the news of her passing was another bit of surprising information.
We found out her mother had made intermittent visits to a church on the other side of the island, a place she had gone to as a little girl. Of course, we have no idea if Yoko's mother received the salvation message for herself. But we had never heard Yoko's mother had any interest in things of God; it was a ray of light, especially for brother and sister Masaki and Sachie, mentioned earlier in this blog (Feb. 5, 2024 - this is their picture, posted here in black and white).
When my sister Janice befriended Masaki and Sachie, they were children and the only Christians in their family. Their parents found the Lord--their father just before he passed away. This is the sketch that was blogged Feb. 17, 2024, posted here in black and white. Now the siblings are in their 30's. and are hearing a brother's mother-in-law may've received Christ too!
We just continue to obey as we plant seeds of hope, turn the sod, sprinkle the water, and weed out varmints. The way God then chooses to bring us fruit is, well, up to Him.
