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- Summer 1986 - Marc first
goes to Japan with The Navigators to help the Yamagata University Bible, English,
Sports, Travel Club. Yumiko is one of the freshmen students.
- 1986-1991
- Marc hears God's Call to return to Japan and spends the next 5 years preparing before God gives a "Green Light."
Yumiko grows through her church, The Navigators, and KGK (Japanese Intervarsity). She also spends 2 years studying at Oakland
City College in Indiana.
- 1991-1994 - Marc returns to Sendai, Japan to work with The Navigators in student ministry
at Tohoku University, Tohoku Gakuin University, Tsutsujigaoka High School, and Tohoku High School. He develops University
Clubs while working 5 part-time jobs. Yumiko finishes school and does a 6-month Outreach with Youth With A Mission (YWAM)
in Okinawa, Guam, and Taiwan. Then she works as a High School English teacher in Atsumi Town and starts to share Jesus with
her students.
- Feb - August 1994 - Jesus miraculously leads Marc and Yumiko back together at Tokyo Narita Airport.
6 months later they are married!
- 1995-1996 - Marc and Yumiko return to Louisville, KY. Marc teaches Christian Ed.
at Christian Academy of Louisville while working on raising support to return to Japan. Our first son, Joseph Shinji is born!
- 1996-2001
- We return to Shizuoka, Japan to begin work with the Shizuoka University and Prefectural University Bible, English, Sports, Travel Clubs
along with many Japanese, American, Chinese, and Singaporian co-workers. We saw the Club grow to over 60 students. In 1997,
our daughter Joy Maki was born and in 2000, our 2nd son, Benjamin Takeshi was born!
- 2001-2003 - Along with 10 students
being transfered to the Engineering College of Shizuoka Univ. in Hamamatsu, we moved with them to start a new Bible, English, Sports, Travel Club
an hour south of Shizuoka in Hamamatsu. Our second year there, the Club grew to over 60 students.
- 2003-2004 - Because
Marc suffered burn-out our last year in Hamamatsu, we returned to Louisville for a year of furlough for emotional healing
and rest.
- 2004-2006 - We returned again to our larger team in Shizuoka, Japan where Marc did intensive Japanese study.
Together with our children, we began a children's ministry called The Children of Light Kids' Club to reach out to our kids
best friends with the Gospel.
- 2007 - God miraculously provided land, a builder, a bank loan, and support to
be able to build a 3 story house! The first floor is a large hall with kitchen, computer stations, 2 toilets, large screen
TV with video game systems, and Marc's office that we call "The Hotto Station." The Hotto Station ("hotto"
means to "take a break & be refreshed" in Japanese) is the center of our Children and Youth Ministry. Our family
lives on the 2nd and 3rd floor "Oasis House" where we continue various hospitality ministries, yet that gives our
kids more privacy.
- 2008 - present - We began our new Jr. High Ministry from April. Marc is sponsoring an Adventure
Club in English (ACE Club) that draws kids by teaching various crafts and going on different "adventures" in English
as well as Japanese. He is then able to share about Jesus and from the Bible through natural "openings" of doing
the activities together. We have had the help of a US church Youth Group Team and 3 US Collegiate "Summer Workers"
who helped us reach out to Japanese Youth this summer.
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