Cookies to go....to Ishinomaki

Today we got together at ICCS to make cookies to go to the Shintate neighborhood of Ishinomaki where our friends, Dean and Linda, are coordinating ministry to survivors of the March 11 disasters. As they hold concerts or have visits with people in the neighborhood in small groups or individually, having good food is always welcome.  And while we personally can't get up there and talk with the people right now, we can be a part of providing a special taste of Christmas for those visits.

E. is putting the chocolate kisses on "Peanut Blossom Cookies."  Her family brought the two bags of chocolate kisses with them when they came to Japan to serve with us this month.

Dan and Stan broke apart a bunch of small letters that went into a special cookie press. 
And Eri and A. rolled out sugar cookies.

With the press, we made cookies that said Love, Faith, Hope and Joy.

Bonnie has these small ginger bread boy and girl cookie cutters--
and nearly everyone took time to decorate the cookies

--each one was a unique masterpiece!

Each package was topped with cooking paper loosely folded to keep the cookies
from shifting and breaking in shipment.

The packages were taped closed and ribbon tied around them.

When we finished our project we gathered for a group photo.
We put together 66 boxes of cookies.

Tomorrow I will package all of these into one box and send it by delivery service to our friends. Perhaps by the end of the week they will have brought some LOVE, FAITH, HOPE, and JOY to people in Ishinomaki.

And for a glimpse of what God is doing there, this photo was taken at a Candlelight Service up there just a few days ago ~

The caption from our friend, Dean:

I'm overwhelmed by it.

Look at the faces...

55 people at a home concert...

that came together just three days ago...

no advertising...all by word of mouth...neighbors inviting neighbors...

the Lord is at work in people's hearts...