Everyone!  Thank you so much for being a part of NORTHSTAR!  I know I’ve said it over and over but …. I will say it again~ it is because of YOU, our seasonal staff/interns that we are where we are!  It has been 10 years … wait, I will say it again ~ TEN YEARS!

10 years!  You are the reason we made it!  You served.  You gave.  You loved!  Thank you so much!  I still remember the first team from NEW ZEALAND and SFC!  That’s where it started.   Then it grew and grew and grew.  YWAM teams, SFC, snowboarders from all over the world!

We are stoked that NORTHSTAR has been involved in other’s lives … been involved in being a tool to start ministries … been a tool for people to be “hitched for life.”  Wow!

Thank you so much for being part of NORTHSTAR.  Can you believe little Anthony is now going to college?  How time flies!  We have been drastically affected by the TOHOKU disaster but it seems like we just might bounce back again through HIS strength and mercy.

If you or someone you know is interested in being seasonal staff/interns for this fall or winter please contact us.  We will need 4-5 staff for this fall and 6-8 for this winter.

Again, thanks for being a part of NORTHSTAR and I would love to hear from you!
Dan

Too often we don’t slow down enough to smell, see, taste, and touch beauty.  While in Italy, I was overwhelmed by the senses … the sight of beautiful churches, the touch of marble pillars that are centuries old,  the smell of pizza, the fun of laughing together, the joy of holding hands, the calmness of prayer.  Man is designed to “taste and see that the Lord is good” yet man has tainted it with sin!  The sin of pride when creating beauty for self, the sin of lust when we touch something that which isn’t ours, the sin of gluttony by consuming to much … ultimately the sin of the lost moment when we don’t slow down enough to experience God, experience the divine in the moment.  Will you slow down with me?

Wow, 18 years go fast and I guess only parents can understand that ….  We knew this day was coming but it still took us by surprise  Yet we are stoked to see Anthony go, be accepted into pre-med/biology at Chaminade University, and start his new adventure!   He has about 15,000 in grants and scholarships and needs another 4,ooo.  Will you pray for his finances?  Pray for his journey!  Pray that he will live life fully!

Moms are so awesome!  My wife is an amazing mom!  The investment she has made in her boys (including me) is beyond understanding!  Thanks Tina!  What a battle it has been for Tina with Anthony gone!  18 years together … the poof, he is gone!  The night he left, she didn’t sleep much.  The regrets, the empty bed, the empty chair, the memories, … pray for Tina, encourage Tina… she would love to hear from you.

We had a dream come true!  We had our 25th anniversary and Anthony’s graduation/college journey celebration on the same trip!  It was beyond expectation!  3 dear friends gave us a gift that allowed us to go and we want to say THANK YOU.  I personally dreamed about this since a youth and we got to do so many things over the 21 days ~ Paris, Switzerland, Venice, Florence, Assisi, Naples, Capri, Pompei, and Rome!  What a dream, what a memory!  It as so cool because it gave us such quality time as a family!  Thank you everyone for your support!

Dad going back to the States

It is good to see things within a historical perspective …  I received this letter from my dad.  ”Yes, for several days now we’ve been listening to the news about the Sendai earthquake and tsunami…. In 1954 when I first came on a freighter from Seattle and Yokohama was completely level because of bombing.  There was a strange emptiness in me but I realized that the Lord called me to Japan.   ‘For God so loved the world (Japan also) was the verse He gave me… God gave to us HIS one and only Unique Son Jesus…. therefore I obeyed Him and made ready to go to Japan as His servant!  I’ve been through WW2 and Japan , then, was my enemy but they became my neighbor.  Only God can do that!

God can change us inside out … He can help us to love when loving is hard.  He can give us strength when we are weak.

The future of NORTHSTAR is bright!

We are in the process of going into a new direction.  Due to our rough economic situation, staff have had to take a 50% pay cut for 3 months to just get through these spring months due to the tragedy.  But on the bright side, we are in communication with the parent company and owner, Scott Moore, to purchase NORTHSTAR from him.  This new direction will allow us to be more transparent thus raise funds, channel finances toward staff, and consider investments for the future.

Would you pray with us as we consider this option?

Would you want to support a staff member by giving?

Would you want to become an investor or donor for this direction?

If it is YES, please pray … please let us know.

Look at his right leg!

340 kilometers over two day!  I participated in the “Tour de Okinawa” last fall and was I challenged!  The second half of the first day it RAINED SO HARD that I had to just gut it out.  But look at this chap!!!  He did it all with NO legs.  NO legs!  We all say we can’t do this or that … we put so many limitations on what we do because we think we can’t do it.  Japan is in such a situation with the tragedy … NORTHSTAR is in such a situation with many changes that are happening…

What will you do with your TWO legs?  Let’s challenge ourselves to make an impact that is for now and eternity.

Local kids hearing the Easter Story

As many of you know, we have been hit hard due to cancellations from the catastrophe.  Next week is a national holiday called GOLDEN WEEK, when most of Japan goes to travel but … there is not a lot of traveling going on.  Will you pray that God will send us guests!  YOUR PRAYER MATTERS.

Also, I will be adding some more requests as we are making some serious, long-term decisions.  I will let you know in the next week ….

Bunrin San

A friend of mine who runs a mountaineering shop donated 6 boxes of shirts, fleece, long-johns, etc…  They were “old” but perfectly new and in beautiful condition.  People are giving … daily giving.  Time, money and goods.  I have another friend, Kyota … who will be donating rolls (he runs a bread shop).  Another friend, Milton who is donating 3 months worth of survival gear…. Etc.  Thank you so much for giving!