Welcome to Cornerstone’s Missions Page, a resource for news and information related to our call to making the gospel known to the world.

Letters from the Field

FROM PAUL AND MARY CLIFT, SERVING IN JAPAN

      

Spring!  Everybody loves it, and often for different reasons.  Many of you know that Mary and I bet each other every March as to when the last snow in our yard will disappear. The one who is farther off the target has to buy an Italian gelato ice cream cone for the closer one.  After a total of 7 meters snowfall this winter (22 feet!), Mary thought it would last until April 14, and I guessed the 10th. It actually went on the 9th, so I enjoyed a "coffee/milk and chocolate chip" double cone all at Mary's expense! (She also bought herself a cone with 2 completely different flavors as well). Anyway, spring is here, and we're sure delighted. 

Another reason has to do with why I came to Japan back in 1968.  That spring, when Lois and I were all decided on coming to Japan, I attended a high school reunion, and met my debate coach after 10 years.  He asked what I was up to, and when I told him I was going to Japan as a Christian missionary, he exploded. "How can you be so rude to those Japanese folks, Peter? They have their own religion, their own stable society.  How dare you go there and create confusion by forcing your values on them?"  He made me think then, as I have so often done since, "On precisely what basis do I go to Japan, preach about a God totally foreign to a pretty well-satisfied people, and tell them to change their religion?" That's my other reason for loving spring -- without any room for doubt, my Lord and Savior literally rose from the dead on a spring morning in either 30 AD or 33 AD, and it is He Who told me, and all of us believers, to take His Gospel to the ends of the world. A Japanese brother lined up the evidences and airtight arguments on March 23 at our Easter service, he'll do it again at our next Men's Breakfast on April 23, and I'm planning to do it again tomorrow morning at our Family Bible Hour.  That's our apology, our basis and authority for being here, and we thank you for your supporting prayers for us, as well as for others as well.  Lord, please help us to make the Good News understandable and persuasive every time we proclaim it!

As you know, after almost 14 years in Iiyama, we're still in the very beginning stages of getting a local church established.  A crowd always makes it easier to draw a crowd, and we still have so few believers, especially Japanese.  Many seekers are coming to the Family Bible Hour and other Bible studies and English classes, but in a ingrown, rural setting like this, everybody is "looking at the eyes of everybody else", and worrying about how others will react to their interest in Christ.  I heard it again today from a lady with real interest.  Another problem is that of being afraid of making the Lord Jesus the #1 priority in their lives, and again we've seen that problem over and over again in recent weeks.  Lord, please give S-san, H-san, H-san, G-san, K-san, M-san, M-san an overwhelming sense of the reality of Your resurrection, of Your love for them, and of Your rightful claims on their loyalty. 

Some shorter notes:

- Junya, the high school student who has been investigating Intelligent Design of the universe, made a good presentation on March 21 at the city auditorium, and people have been impressed with the essay he wrote.  He's not an open believer yet, so keep praying!

- The 9 students who went to America for a Homestay in March came back all enthused, but we understand that some of them were quite opposed to the idea of One Almighty God telling them what to do.  Lord, give us just the right approach!

- Bob and I keep on singing Handel's "Messiah" on Friday nights, and the other week, the conductor dropped a hint that she might like me to give an explanation of what the words of the oratorio mean, not just the correct pronunciation. Lord, lemme at 'em!

- Mary is doing her level best to try to get a Ladies' Bible Study group going, besides all the individual studies she has with women. Lord, open it up! Draw people!

- The 3 couples with marital problems (none of them in Iiyama) that we mentioned last year are still no closer to resolution. Lord, work in their hearts in Your inscrutable ways, and give us wisdom, if our intervention is called for!

- Kristen Ismert's visa was granted last Wednesday, and we're sure hoping she can get here real soon to take over the English teaching ministry from Rachiel. Lord, please give Kristen the same "in" with Japanese folks that Rachiel has had, and may they both see fruit for their labors!

- For those of you who know Bob and his blood clotting problem, he had an extensive blood work-up 2 weeks ago, and the results are encouraging -- stable condition at present, being held in check with 17 or 18 milligrams daily of Coumadin or Warfarin. His lifestyle is normal as well - last week we snowshoed up a mountain nearby, and then skied down. Thank You profoundly, Lord!

Thank you to all of you as well!

In the Lord,

Peter and Mary

Amy Miller Plans Missions Trip to Peru

The Missions Team at CCC would like you to be aware of Amy Miller's (daughter of Ritch & Peggy Miller) upcoming short-term missions trip to Peru.  We are writing to inform you about the trip, as it is exciting to see one of our own serve the Lord like this, and to ask you to be in prayer for her and her planned time with Micah & Amy Tuttle.

 

Lord willing, Amy will be in Peru from May 20th - July 22nd.  She will be staying with the Tuttles, one of our closest missionary families, and serving in the following ways:

 

- regular visits to the orphanage

- Evangelism

- helping at the school

- helping at a boys home

- involvement with the youth group

- helping with the Tuttles' kids

 

The Missions Team is sending Amy a $300 gift to help her with her expenses, and she is trusting the Lord to provide the rest of her needs.  This gift from Cornerstone, along with a small number of personal gifts, provides about half her funding need for the trip.  Please join us in prayer for Amy about this trip and also for the remaining part of her spring semester at Emmaus Bible College, where she is very busy in her Elementary Education program.

 

In Christ,

Mark Kline for the Missions Team

Take A Trip

Short-term missions trips are a great way to experience and encounter God. Step out of your comfort zone. On this page you’ll find some great opportunities to serve, grow, plant spiritual fruit, and minister side-by-side with others in another culture. A growing number of people are finding that going on a Short-term Missions Trip helps deepen their spiritual life. Going to another country for a little while might mean giving up some other things you would like to do, but what a small sacrifice compared to what Christ had done for us!

Ireland Outreach Summer Teams

Consider spending a week to 2 months of the summer in Dublin, Ireland! Anyone can go during their summer team activities, which are both evangelistic and practical. Some go door-to- door in Dublin with gospel literature and evangelize. Some go to the busy pedestrian streets at the center of the city to witness. Others do important practical work projects at the headquarters, including remodeling, secretarial, and other important tasks that help keep the ministry running. This is a great opportunity for teenagers as well as retirees. Find out more at www.IrelandOutreach.org.

Spend some time in Romania reaching out to the “least of  these” (Matt. 25:40).  Ron & Sue Bates have been going to the North Train Station in Bucharest, taking hot soup and fresh bread (also clothing, medicine, New Testaments, and literature) to the street kids in hopes of helping them find the Lord and relief from their misery.  They also have a home for young mothers and their kids who would otherwise be wondering the streets, unable to adequately care for their children.  This is a unique ministry opportunity to care for and share the life-giving gospel with the hurting. Read touching stories about the Children of the Night at www.inasmuch.ro and consider going there to help in this ministry.

The Cornerstone Connection: Since this ministry was added to our quarterly missions love offerings in May and August 2007, we have almost doubled the best offerings before. Ron and Sue have both recently passed away to be with the Lord, so help is much needed.

Uganda

Bob and Sue Cullen welcome anyone who is serious about serving in a missionary setting to visit them in Kabale, Uganda and take part in helping teach children in the schools and their “Awana-like” Banana Band ministry, publishing gospel literature and Bible courses for the thousands of correspondence students, or help with construction of new buildings for ministry.  Email Bob & Sue for more information about their ministry and how to become involved at: bobandsusan@mac.com.

The Cornerstone Connection: Bob & Sue were here for 3 months at the end of 2004 and many who were here then got to know them personally.  They have also been a recipient of the love offering the past few years.

Immanuel Mission – Arizona

Adventures in Missions

The Cornerstone Connection: Through AIM, Christina Metzler went to New Zealand for several months, and Andrea Metzler went to Kenya for a few months.

Wycliffe Bible Translators

The Cornerstone Connection: There is a couple at Cornerstone currently working with a local translation team translating the Bible into a SE Asian language through Wycliffe.

Missionary Aviation Fellowship

Bright Hope International

Go to www.om.org to find out about “Global Challenge” international teams that run from 6 days to 6 months in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America... or on board one of OM’s ships.

Other Good Opportunities

Christian Missions in Many Lands (CMML)

Summer Missions Trips for youth in the Bahamas, Mexico, England, Ireland, Scotland, and Israel. Jay Fippinger is a friend of the leaders of this ministry (www.touchtheworld.org).

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Mark Kline at markemmaus@yahoo.com.