Prayer & News on The Strattons in Japan

September Thanks

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 106:1, ESV)

It has been several years since I have added to this blog. Truth be told, I had not done it in such a long time that I completely forgot how to add content. After a while of trying to remember and after a loss of much of my data on a disc drive, I gave up.

Forsaking Fear

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

In late 2000 or early 2001, while I was in Bible college, I went through an extended season of fretting and worrying about the future. One day in class–was it “Prison Epistles”?–I found it particularly difficult to concentrate on the lecture. Instead of taking notes I wrote down a simple poem aimed at dealing with fear through trusting in our faithful Savior. Later I put it to music (though I am no musician). Now, twenty years later, we sing a version of it together as a family.

Our Ministry Video

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

These past several weeks we have been absolutely amazed by the love and kindness of our brothers and sisters in Christ here in Japan and abroad who have taken their time, talents, skills, and abilities and used them to help us move forward in ministry. The following video is one of the results. It is a labor of love by Lucas in the United States, a brother I have never met in person, and Norman, who is always spurring us on to better things.

Stratton Summer Update

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000

For the three or four of you out there who read this page, we thank you for your patience. In the next few weeks we hope to get you up to date on some of the more important events, happenings, and changes here in our lives.

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We want to express our gratitude to all of you who gave of your time in prayer and of your financial resources to support our brothers, sisters, and friends in Sathupally, India at the Siloam Home for Orphans and Widows. The KO100 (see the facebook page here) was a great success, raising a grand total of just over $9,000 (USD)! Our church has sent a portion of it which was donated on the Japan side (approximately $1,000). We plan to sent the remainder in the coming weeks.

Going the extra Mile

Mon, 18 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

My friend and big brother in the Lord, Norman Smith, is a person who really does go the extra mile. He has demonstrated this to me time and time again since I have known him. And, if you haven’t been following his KO 100 FaceBook page, he plans to run another ninety-nine miles after the first one. Why in the world would he do that? To help people in need.

'Daddy, don't make me fall.'

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

“Daddy, don’t make me fall,” my four-year-old son begged me a number of times as we crossed the suspension bridge in Aya-cho in the mountains of Miyazaki Prefecture this past week. He was really frightened. At 142 meters (465 feet) above the gorge I felt a bit giddy myself.

“Daddy won’t let you fall,” I tried to reassure my little boy. But he found it difficult to believe my words of comfort as he felt the bridge sway and bounce beneath his feet, that is, until I carried him in my arms. He was then able to calm down. In Daddy’s arms he felt much safer. Instead of looking down through the grating at the river, rocks, and trees hundreds of feet below he could look up–at the beauty of the scenery around and above and at me, his “Daddy.”

A Living Hope

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The photo above was taken this morning (2/18) at Kumabe Castle ruins in Yamaga.

About a ten-minute walk from our home/church building stands a massive Buddha. It measures about one-hundred feet high and more than thirty feet wide. Though perhaps not strictly made of stone, you might say that it is a dead stone. It certainly has no life in itself, no power to meet the needs of the people who come to it, no sight in its ever-staring eyes, and no words to speak from its unmoving lips. Just as the idols of which the psalmist writes:

A Christmas Photo Session

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The family Christmas photo above, like so many photos, is somewhat misleading. Here’s what I mean: It was the end of a long day when we arranged ourselves for the picture. We were tired and some of us were a bit irritable. It probably didn’t help that it took ten or fifteen shots to get one that we agreed was good enough to make public. A number of the of the shots were pretty funny to look at later–at least to ourselves–as some of our faces revealed impatience, disinterest, or annoyance.

Picking Fruit

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Back at the end of September I walked up the hill near our church building and reflected a little upon the mandarin orange (or tangerine) orchard that was full of weeds and decaying trees. The reason for its pitiable state was a lack of workers to tend it. As beautiful as the view was from the orchard (seen here), the orchard itself was rather depressing to look at. It reminded me of how great the need for workers (disciple-making believers) is in Japan.

His Eye is on the Sparrow

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Some people are afraid of spiders. I don’t quite get it. Some people are afraid of snakes. OK, I can understand that one a little better. Some people are afraid of paperwork. That’s me. Paperwork sends me into a cold sweat. I’m just fine with spiders and snakes, though people have good reason to fear some species at least. But paperwork? Yep, I have actually gotten the shakes as if I were experiencing stagefright when beginning to fill out paperwork. The i130 form began the same way.

The Harvest is Plentiful

Fri, 27 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Personally, I (Nate) think that late September to mid-October is the most beautiful time of the year in Japan: The HIGANBANA (pronounced “he-gone-bonna”), beautiful red or sometimes white flowers on long green stems, line the borders of the golden rice fields. The air is clean and fresh; and puffy, white clouds float along in the deep blue sky. The temperature is pleasantly warm, and, unless there is a typhoon, it is sunny almost every day. It’s perfect weather to take a walk and look at the fields and orchards before, during, and after the harvest.

Ibusuki-ing

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Late last month Azusa, the kids, and I traveled a few hours by highway from Kumamoto to just about the southernmost tip of Kyushu. We spent four days and three nights in Ibusuki (pronounced ee-boo-ski)–famous for geothermal sand-baths–for the purpose of fellowship with ABWE missionaries and a few others as well. What a treat it was for us to enjoy some time with missionaries! This time, however, none of the Stratton family chose to be buried alive in the hot sand.

Weeds and Snakes

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Summer in southwestern Japan is hot and humid. With highs generally in the mid to upper 90s, lows in the upper 70s to mid 80s, and frequent rains, the weeds absolutely thrive. In a week or two they can grow more than a foot. As such, during this season much time and energy is spent by farmers and property owners cutting down the weeds with various machines, the most common of which are viscious-looking, gasoline-powered weed-whackers with something akin to circular saw blades instead of nylon lines on their rotating heads.

Vacation Bible School

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

In the account of the rich ruler in the Gospel of Mark the disciples were shocked to learn from Jesus that it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. “Who then can be saved?” they asked. What great reassurance Jesus gave His disciples:

With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God. (10:27 –ESV)

Moving

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

We’ve moved … again! This week’s move makes the second move since the end of March when we moved into the Waifu House.

These past several months have been busy with a lot of cleaning, sorting, disposing of, packing, and moving–all times two! It has been a time for all of us to realize how much things can be a hindrance. Azusa and I in particular have felt at times ashamed of how many unnecessary items we have collected over the years. Through these moves we are learning to live more simply as we consider what is necessary and what is superfluous.

House-Cleaning

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Since late March of this year, in preparation for our anticipated trip to the U.S. in order to join the summer conferences with ABWE and begin pre-field, our family has lived in what I call the Waifu (pronounced “wife”) House–named thus for its location in the neighborhood of Waifu in Kikuchi City, Japan. This house was purchased by an ABWE missionary for the purpose of supporting other missionaries and interns. (And what a blessing it has been!)

Visa Challenges

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The picture above was taken from our airplane window on our way home from a trip to Naha on the island of Okinawa. It was not a pleasure trip. It was a trip Azusa and I took for Azusa to obtain a visa in order to, at least in our minds at the time, begin our journey into pre-field with ABWE.

We had not anticipated Azusa having any problems getting her visa. We had spent weeks preparing: writing emails, gathering information, making phone calls to our immigration attorney. Azusa was ready. Our papers were lined up. It was a no-brainer. We would be on a plane as a family heading out to Oregon within two weeks.