Thanksgiving Testimony

                                  by Michiko Day

 

 

“See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”                   

   Isaiah 43:19                                                         

 

It was the New Year’s Day of 2002, when our La Costa group, then Rancho La Costa church, send Rev. Makoto Okura to San Diego Church by the Conference appointment, and when Pastor Yamaguchi, then a pastor to our Vista group, was assigned by the Conference to minister our two groups, then churches.

 

The Lord, who reminded us of the word, “See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up.”, loved us even though we carry the history of division in the past.  He looked back our history and is re-working us even through the history and, I believe, is doing a NEW thing among us!

 

On February 24th of 2002, Community Church of Vista, that was a meeting place for our Vista group then, told us to close our meeting here from April.  We were speechless by the news.  It is embarrassing to see ourselves in that we had been innocently taking the advantage of their goodwill and thinking that we were okay for the last 8 years.  And so, as we entered the month of March, our weekly bible studies turned into prayer meetings.  Church members prayed for one another and sought His will.   The church theme, “Let’s follow Jesus without timidity” taken from II Timothy 1: 7 lifted our heavy hearts up higher, and that encouraged board members to search for a new location for our worship service.

 

“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along , just as he was, in the boat.”     Mark 4:35

 

On March 31st. of 2003, La Costa group and Vista group met at Christ Presbyterian Church of Rancho La Costa for the first time in 8 years.  We together celebrated the Easter Sunday.  Rev. and Mrs. Yamaguchi, then members of two churches, their friends and families, and some college students were there in the sanctuary, praising God, rejoicing Jesus’ resurrection, and thanking what Jesus did on the cross for us.  The Lord, there at that very moment, asked us to go over to the other side.  We had no idea on what we will face at the other side.  However, we all jumped in to His boat, believing in this Resurrected Man, and showed our obedience by leaving our fears to His hand.

 

“Yes, and from ancient days I am He.  No one can deliver out of my hand.  When I act, who can reverse it?”      Isaiah 43:13

 

Starting from the Easter service, two groups kept themselves together.    April, May and the time went by in this new condition.  In our weekly prayer meetings, Bible studies, home Bible studies, our joint board meetings, and even in the joint worship services, we began to create a new circle of prayers.  That moved us look not only at the current church situation, but also at our next generation, our current non-believing families and college students through prayers.  We lifted up many in prayers and yet our hearts were heavy.

 

We came to say daily in prayers, “what does our Lord want from us, the two groups?  And where is your heart?”  Then, “When I act, who can reverse it?” said the Lord, who had already prepared at that time to form the two groups into one body of Christ. 

 

On November 3rd. of 2002, we became new in one body of faith, new in name as North County Japanese Christian Church, and new at this place, Oak Hills Church.  November is our thanksgiving month.  This month became literally the thankful time for us to make a fresh start.  The Book of Ecclesiastes says, “God has made everything beautiful in its time.”  That is very true.  By His grace, we are what we are today.  In addition to that, we remember some people behind the scenes.  Rev. and Mrs. Yamaguchi were there for the church to pray intercessory prayers day and night, and to encourage us through God’s words.  We appreciate their ministry from our hearts.  We also appreciate Rev. Makoto Okura and our sister church, San Diego Japanese Christian Church, for their encouragement, prayer and support.

 

How encouraging it is when believing brothers and sisters pray intercessory prayers.  May the blessing of the Lord of heaven be upon those faithful of all His churches.

 

“For He himself is our peace.”  Ephesians 2:14

 

By His grace and love, the Lord made peace among the two groups and start us as a newly born baby.  On December 22nd of 2002, we borrowed the sanctuary from Christ Presbyterian Church of Rancho La Costa, and celebrated Christmas and prayed with a fresh mind to God so that we remain in His peace.

 

“Let us become reconcilers of God”, a theme taken from II Corinthians 2:18 came to us.  That was the New Years Day of 2003 when Pastor Yamaguchi preached from the Scripture on that day’s meeting.  We desired to go beyond our comfortable side and be pushed by His love so that we become His peace makers.  By the way I appreciate Mr. and Mrs. Mitsuoka’s hospitality on that day.

 

As we began to be bound by the love of our Lord Jesus, we peacefully celebrated Easter on April 20th.  We had more peace at that service than that of Easter a year ago.

  

On May 8th ~11th of 2003, there was Billy Graham Mission San Diego.  I was truly excited because I had wanted to experience this kind once in my life time.  How wonderful it is when people regardless of believers and nonbelievers gather under one Lord and praise Him together.  Though  this sense can’t be tangible,   I was filled with this sense there -- the sense of Emmanuel, the sharing a space with the Lord.   My heart was moved by it.

 

Approximately 270,000 people attended to this event, and many people sought the truth and made decisions to the Lord.  Mrs. Keiko Torigoe was one of them.  Many churches were involved in this and so were some Japanese churches, that are San Diego Japanese Christian Church, Skyline Wesleyan Japanese group, and Southern Baptist Church.  And so was North County Japanese Christian Church. That was wonderful.

 

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”     2 Timothy 1: 7

 

On July 12th of 2003, Pastor Yamaguchi finally came to the time to receive his ordination.  What a long-awaited period it was for our church!  From Japan, his parents and his older brother, Sasagu, and Kie’s mother came to attend.  He was surrounded by the Conference workers and sister churches during the ordination ceremony.  That was such a blessing moment for all of us.

 

Rev. Yamaguchi came from Japan in 1999 as a pastor to Vista group, then Vista church.   As I recall, his past 4 years were rather checkered years than anything else.  During those years, Pastor was married to Kie, assigned to two Japanese churches (groups), urged to unite the two, requested to help Billy Graham Missions, ordained as a licensed pastor, and this past October, was given a baby Inori and a fatherhood.  In his time of joy, he seemed to face many battles spiritually.  And yet, he continued his ministry and prayed for his church members, encouraged us, and fed us with His words.  Thank you, Pastor.  If you imagine how he managed himself to do that, you probably need to think of his steadfast walk with the Lord and his life-style through prayers.

 

On October 12th 2003, we had a first baptism ceremony of Mrs. Keiko Torigoe, and experienced together the joy of a spiritual birth with her.  Keiko-san, Congratulations!  May the peace and the blessings of the Lord be with Keiko, and her family.  May her walk of faith also be blessed. 

 

“Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.”          Psalm 127:3     

                                                                                      

Along with a new spiritual birth of Keiko, our church is experiencing some physical births, too.  That is God’s reward.  We have five newly born babies now.  There are Akashi of Pastor and Mrs. Mark McClure, Taiyo of Mrs. Rena Sederburg, Inori of Pastor and Mrs. Yamaguchi, Ami and Emily of Mrs. Yumi Grimes.  Father, God, thank you for sending these lives to these homes.  May you nourish and grow each child. 

 

We are having English service once a month.  For that, Rev. Brian Nakamura, Pastor Roy Toma, and Pastor Mark McClure have been helping us.  We thank them.  We wish their ministries to continuously bear some fruits.  May God bless them.

 

We are having more children these days.  Mrs. Hidye Reichard is organizing our Sunday school and she is very talented in teaching children.  Because of her patience with our Sunday school, we must say, thank you to her.  May God bless Hidye-san.  May God help and protect her husband Tom-san as he serves in Iraq now.

 

“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”                                                                     Jeremiah 29:11

 

Lastly, I want to thank again, for what our Lord has done to the land of North County San Diego.  His miraculous work will continue.  Although we are small in group, I can’t stop thinking how God will use us mightily in the future.  Thank you for allowing me to share this testimony today.  Praise the Lord.