Mark & Mary Esther Penner

TV Talk Show

2008-10-03T12:38:04Z

Mary Esther will be busy while Mark is gone. Among other appointments is a trip to Shizuoka to be interviewed on a TV talk show about Wheelchairs of Hope, along with Pastor Kawasaki. Pray that the interview goes well, and brings the right people and resources to the project. Mark and Pastor Minamida will each take a wheelchair to the Philippines. Pray for a smooth trip through customs, and that they will meet up with their connection on the other end. Thanks so much for standing with us....(read more)

Philippines

2008-10-03T12:32:34Z

Mark and Pastor Minamida are leaving tomorrow for a week in Manila working with the Philippine Sign Language Bible translation team. It will be a wonderful chance for Pastor Minamida to share his expertise with the team there, get a wider vision for the world, and also to enhance his skill by learning how other translators approach their work. Pray for safety in travel and good connections with the team there....(read more)

Our Visitors

2008-09-27T09:19:01Z

Our Living Room at the Moment This might explain why we're so thrilled at the possibility of a huge new storage space....(read more)

Jonah

2008-09-24T11:46:36Z

Sign Language Bible Thanks for praying! The Jonah translation is finished. It was recorded in the morning, checked during the lunch break, and we only had to re-do one short segment to correct a slight “pronunciation” mistake. Also, Mark’s time with the Japanese Sign Language (JSL) researcher was a good re-connection, and opened the door for further contact in the future. We’re hoping that the research center he works at will collaborate with us on making some software available to linguists in Japan...(read more)

Celebrate!

2008-09-24T11:43:46Z

Praise God! Sure wish you each could have been there for the celebration of what God has done with Wheelchairs of Hope. There was a lot happening in the various communities connected with Wheelchairs of Hope, but even so, 51 people joined the party, put on by a donor to celebrate our NPO incorporation. For some key people, it was their first exposure to the project, and God opened many doors in the short time there. Some highlights: l The pastor of the church where we met attended, and was so touched...(read more)

Getting ready to Celebrate!

2008-09-16T12:03:54Z

Mary Esther has been busy gearing up for the big celebration next week, Sept. 23, with about 50 people coming together for a program and lunch, giving thanks to God for the milestone of gaining NPO status and seeking to build for the future. Thanks for praying. We finished cleaning and wrapping 4 wheelchairs at Denen Grace Chapel two Sundays ago and another 7 at yesterday’s cleaning day. That makes 44 chairs toward the 100 plus we want to send to earthquake victims in China....(read more)

Opportunity

2008-09-16T12:02:11Z

Keep praying! Mark has an appointment tomorrow with a top Japanese Sign Language researcher to discuss some research software development, and is hoping that this will lead to further opportunities for interaction as well. The research community has been very helpful and supportive of the Bible translation, and given a lot of good input, so we want to keep building on these relationships. We’re in the very last stages of preparation for Jonah, and hope to record the final product on Friday. Pray...(read more)

Breaking the silence

2008-09-06T22:40:29Z

9/1/08 We’re home! It wasn’t exactly a working vacation, but we stopped by Yamagata to teach a Galatians overview on the way to our vacation spot, had some leaders over in the middle, and stopped by Mito for a cleaning day on the way back. 9/7/08 Well, that’s how far we got on last week’s prayer update! It was another crazy week, but the re-make of Jonah is almost done, and six more wheelchairs are ready to go to earthquake victims. . Today we will be at Denen Grace Chapel teaching a Sunday School...(read more)

Genesis 36-42 Finished

2008-08-13T01:08:38Z

Thanks for praying. It was a crazy week and we needed you praying—just didn’t manage to squeeze in time to write and tell you about it. I was at ViBi working against deadlines, first on a comprehension check of Jonah, and then on the final check of the Genesis 36-42 DVD. The new DVD structure makes it easier than ever to use, but because of the changes, there were a fair number of flaws that had to be fixed, and we finished just in time on Friday to get it to the people who will give us 100 copies...(read more)

The Penner Saga, Part Two

2008-08-02T15:10:13Z

25 years ago today, we arrived in Japan as missionaries. Many of you have prayed for us and also supported us financially from the very beginning. Others of you have known us only recently and are not familiar with our story. As we think back, we want to say thank you for the many ways you’ve stood with us over these years, and give the second installment of the Penner Saga The Penner Saga, Part Two In December of 1979, we had told our Deaf friends in Yamagata that IF we decided to come back, it...(read more)

To the Northeast and Back

2008-08-02T15:07:31Z

Thanks for praying. Last weekend, Pastor Hori did a great job checking a translation for the first time. Pastor Matsumoto joined us Friday afternoon and spent the night too, so we had the evening and some of the next day to go over plans to adapt training material for Deaf people, and translate Ephesians. Sunday seemed like two days, it was so full, but what a blessing to join the worship service in Fukushima and see Pastor Hori in action. Back in Tokyo, Pastor Minamida recorded a new draft of Jonah...(read more)

Down to the Wire

2008-07-28T13:02:38Z

“Last week we sent our first wheelchair to Zimbabwe.” Sounds simple enough, but the reality was crazy. It started with “we’ve never done it in less than two weeks, but we’ll try,” and ended with “thank you Lord—no one but you would have put this together.” The only way we could do it, given all the logistics, was to take the chair to the airport in the morning, leave it with baggage claim, rush back to hand off the claim ticket to the traveler, and then head straight to our next meeting. Trouble...(read more)

The Penner Saga, Part One

2008-07-16T13:31:00Z

The Saga August marks 25 years since we arrived in Japan as missionaries. Many of you have prayed for us and also supported us financially from the very beginning. Others of you have known us only recently and are not familiar with the our story. As we think back, we want to say thank you for the many ways you’ve stood with us over these years. Recently a Japanese Deaf pastor borrowed my digital camera and when it was returned I noticed some video recordings that had not been there before. He had...(read more)

Back to Northeast Japan

2008-07-16T13:29:09Z

Tomorrow we head to the Northeast again, this time to work with Pastor Hori, training him to check Pastor Minamida’s first draft of Genesis. Pastor Matsumoto may also join us for a bit and talk about translating Ephesians and training materials. I’m also hoping to contact an old friend from Sendai. Pray that it will all work out. We’ll be at the Fukushima Deaf church on Sunday, where Hori pastors. We're looking forward to meeting the people there--our first time at the church though I've...(read more)

Sometimes it just pours

2008-07-02T12:46:05Z

When it rains, it pours! Of course, it IS rainy season here in Japan. I meant to ask for prayer for this week’s trip to the Northeast, but ran out of time trying to do all the preparation. But I’m sure many were praying anyway, because . . . The main reason for going was for me to interpret for Pastors Hori and Matsumoto at the Church-Based Theological Education seminar in Sendai. The main reason I said yes to interpreting, something I rarely do, was that Hori was the one who asked. I wanted to get...(read more)