“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved….. how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” -Rom 10:13-14

 

As a youth I had a lot to learn (and still do). One of the most influential things in a young person’s life are their elders. To this day I still remember the depressing feeling of a time when my pastor was upset with me! Even as an adult the same has an influence on us. The contrary is also true. Knowing that we have the support of family, friends, and our church, is very empowering – even across the world.

 

As we serve here in Japan the obstacles continually remind me that we must have a power greater than our own if we are to accomplish anything in a “Graveyards of Missionaries”.  We’ve seen so much of God’s provision before and during our transition to Japan, but will God continue to show his favor? If you are feeling discouraged, not seeing the power of God in your life, would you commit it to prayer and fasting? The power behind knowing God is behind you and sending you is incredible.

 

I recently got to meet a young man named Takumi Nishimoto – the son of two of my students (mentioned here); he joined my class for a few weeks. While several people had been praying for him, along with a parting gift, I was led to give him a gospel tract. That evening an open door also arose to give them a Christian testimony and to talk about the Bible. It turns out that Hiroko was praying for him at the same time, and Takumi has recently shown interest in, and began reading, the Bible. I didn’t realize what was going on behind the scenes, but the Lord did. We would love to see the Lord do a work in his heart and to reach his family for Christ! Please pray for the Spirit’s continued leading in Takumi’s heart and for his parents’ salvation as well.

 

Many of you have also been praying regarding how long we are to be in Japan, of which we thank you so much. This is a very difficult and impactful decision that we can’t haste in making, but we are again encouraged by more of how God is leading people here. One of the many things that are being done on our behalf in the U.S. is the care of our dog, Pippy. As you may know, Pippy (A.K.A. Pip) is very precious to us and she likewise is a very loving dog (she adores Hannah)! Nate and Janae Yoder (along with the stalwart aid of their children, no doubt!) have been selflessly taking care of her. While we don’t yet know all of the details, the Lord may be preparing a future door for Pippy to rejoin us, though it would be contingent on one thing, realistically – us staying in Japan. We ask if you would also pray for us regarding this!

A quick update regarding Tanpopoen, the elderly home. There was another invitation given to return at the end of the month – we are surprised by the continued open door. Please continue to pray for the salvation of the people at Tanpopoen. One of the next desires we have is to visit an orphanage in the next town. To my knowledge it is the only for in a large radius from our area. Honor is extremely important to the Japanese. So important, in fact, that suicide is a common thing here. People would rather end their life in honor than live it in shame. This also applies to children. Many children kill themselves because of bullying of other forms of shame – like the shame of being an orphan. Being adopted is looked down upon, so adoption is rare, and many children are left without a home. We hope and pray for an open door to reach these children. Lastly, please continue to pray for Mineo Moriai, the Japanese teacher I work with. We are determined and greatly desiring for him to trust the Lord – he seems so close!

 

Thank you all for your support and prayers, and we hope to update you again soon!