To Our Friends and Family,
As another month has quickly past, as it seems with much of our time in Japan, it is hard to believe that we have been here for over a year now! What an exciting and fast-paced year it has been! Within this year, the Lord has certainly stretched us and grown us in areas of ministry that we did not imagine we would be a part of so significantly. We have also experienced ways in which God has shaped our passions and talents for His glory, which has been both rewarding and challenging at the same time, such as with Jeremy’s video productions and Kathy’s worship leadership. And, as we continue our time here in Japan for the next several months, we continue to desire to deepen and blossom our relationships with the Japanese non-Christians we have met with the hopes of leaving the imprint of Jesus’ love on their hearts.
This past month we were a part of many conferences all around Japan from the Tokyo area to the southern most part of Japan in the islands of Okinawa. In the beginning of the month, we joined with a group of Dokkyo University students to visit a very active and blossoming church in Osaka, Japan, called J-House. This church is known for being able to bring many non-Christians to a saving knowledge of Christ through their dynamic outreach programs, such as their Friday night ministry called “Funky Party.” Here, many college students are invited to the church to experience fellowship, fun, food, and a “funky talk” (a message). Coming to this church, we were able to extract many ideas and ways in which we can be more creative and effective in our own “Youth Alive” young adult ministry as well as with Dokkyo Bible Study. It was a great learning experience that left the whole group eager and excited for the new college semester to begin in this month of April.
Further preparing for the university life to begin once again, we also were a part of the annual Chi Alpha Evangelism Training Seminar, which was held over a weekend in mid-March in Tokyo. About 50 students gathered, representing colleges all over the Tokyo area as well as some students from colleges in the Osaka area. At this conference, students were exposed as to how to start a Chi Alpha bible study on their individual campuses if there was not one already. And, students were also given new ideas of how to expand and flourish within their existing campus XA clubs. Focusing on evangelism, the main speaker ministered in a way that encouraged and energized the students for the coming semester. There was also a passionate time of prayer over each campus as well as prayer over rising freshman students. In the end, the conference achieved to prepare purposefully and equip effectively the many students who desire to see their campuses won for Christ.
Finally, in the last week of the month, we had the wonderful opportunity to go with the Bible school students of Riverside Chapel for a missions trip to Okinawa. Although this area is known for its tropical climate and hospitable people, it is also an area of Japan that thirsts for spiritual fulfillment. Since the migration of Chinese to these islands, the people of Okinawa have long since participated and incorporated ancient religious practice of Buddhism, Shinto and native traditions into their worship. Thus, during this time, we visited many historical sites, from castles to beaches to shrines, where ancestral worship and cultic strongholds still reside. Together, we prayed for God’s deliverance and victory. Moreover, we also ministered at various Okinawan churches. As a team, we offered special numbers, led worship, presented testimonies, as well as delivered the main messages. During the last several days of our trip, we were joined by Riverside’s head pastor, Pastor Amano, who was the main speaker at an annual youth revival seminar called Fire Typhoon International Conference. Over three days, we not only ministered to others through special songs, human videos, and skits, but we were blessed to see many young people pour their hearts out and cry to the Lord for their homeland. It was so encouraging to witness the overwhelming passion and ardent faith that these young people had as they prayed and worshipped God. By the end of our time in Okinawa, the experience was both sobering as well as inspiring as we first discovered the deep presence of pagan worship but also found a fervent fire for God’s power spreading among the youth of these islands.
As we reflect on this past year, we certainly see the way the Lord has guided our steps, used us in ways in which we did not even imagine as well as stretched us to trust in him faithfully. Although our commitment of one year in Japan has already come and gone, we humbly thank you for continuing to support us financially and spiritually as we believe it's the Lord’s will for us to stay for several more months. This mission in Japan has been a blessing to so many people, especially us, because of all the love, help, support, and prayers that have been selflessly and consistently given by all of you back home. There have certainly been moments of trial here in Japan, but more than that, this has been such a joyful and growing season in our lives in which you all have played a significant part. Thank you so much.
Always,
Jeremy and Kathy
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
February Newsletter
To Our Family and Friends,
Greetings from a blustery Japan! This past month we were surprised to encounter unusually strong and, at times, severe winds making traveling by train as well as bicycle quite the challenge. Yet, many Japanese have likened the recent weather to the moving of the Holy Spirit across this nation. So, we continue to pray that the environmental condition of this nation will reflect the spiritual condition that hungers for revival to burst forth. And, we also pray, as we have been ministering in this country for almost a year now, that the Lord will continue to renew our vision and our strength as well as give us creative and fresh ideas to reach out to the Japanese people.
However, not everything is gusting in Japan, as the universities across the nation remain quiet due to spring recess, which began mid-February until beginning of April. Tokyo University is the only campus that continues its Bible studies, while Waseda and Dokkyo have both been on break. As Jeremy carries on his weekly involvement at this campus, he has been able to witness God’s hand bless this group as there have been a few newcomers who have attended and expressed interest in further Bible learning. Furthermore, although colleges are on holiday, the next two months of March and April will prove to be crucial to the campus ministries as we prepare for the arrival of many new students. With April being the start of a new school year in Japan, we will once again face the flood of first years, who will be making their first official appearance on the college campus. As we saw last year during this time, these students are bombarded by dozens upon dozens of clubs and activities to become involved in. Thus, advertising effectively and convincingly is of the utmost importance for the Bible clubs during this time. As a result, we seek favor from the Lord as well as pray for divine appointments as we anticipate and get ready for a new school year to begin.
While work has not been as heavy with Chi Alpha, we remained busy with RIS due to the semester coming to a close during the last several weeks of February. Making and grading tests, along with tallying semester grades has consumed much of our time during the past two weeks. As a testament to the influence and stature that Riverside Chapel is gaining, the upcoming semester that starts beginning of April will see at least two new students entering the International Church School! Moreover, in addition to the growth of Riverside International School, Riverside Chapel has also expanded as it was recently able to secure an adjacent building to the main sanctuary, which will allow for more classrooms for its church school as well as overall ministry meeting space. This has truly proven to be a blessing to the church body as it is one of the few churches in the Tokyo area that actually sees a growing congregation.
Finally, we want to take this time to extend our many many thanks to all of you for the money that you gave to the Japan Chi Alpha Student Center. For our supporters who were not aware, back in December when we traveled back home briefly, as part of our testimony of the work God is doing here in this nation, we promised to give our ministry support for the months of January and February to the Japan Chi Alpha Student Center. Through your generosity, we were able to give XA, 300,000 Yen! (This roughly translates to nearly $3,000.) While this is a wonderful contribution that was greatly appreciated, there is still over $50,000 to be raised in order to make this building fully operational. We still have faith that this building will open its doors within the next year as we hold on to the grand vision that it will be a mighty catalyst in bringing the youth of Japan to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. And, your giving has certainly furthered this vision into becoming a reality. Thank you so much for taking part and supporting Japan Chi Alpha in this immense undertaking! As there is still much to be done to this project, we continue to welcome any love offerings towards the student center. If you feel led by the Lord to do so, please just “Japan XA Student Center” in the memo of your monthly support to us, and we will pass it along accordingly. Again, thank you so much for your generous hearts through money and prayer in this endeavor.
As the short month of February comes to a close, we continue to seek your partnership in prayer for:
➢ Japan Chi Alpha: that we, along with XA staff, will use this next month to prepare efficiently and innovatively for the new school year. And, that the Lord will ready and soften the hearts of all the new students that we may interact with.
➢ Renewed Strength and Vision: that the Lord will continue to give us purposeful and refreshed minds and hearts as we have been in Japan for almost a year and continue with our routine ministerial duties with Riverside Chapel, Riverside International School, Riverside English School, Chi Alpha, as well as our coffee nights.
Always,
Jeremy and Kathy
Greetings from a blustery Japan! This past month we were surprised to encounter unusually strong and, at times, severe winds making traveling by train as well as bicycle quite the challenge. Yet, many Japanese have likened the recent weather to the moving of the Holy Spirit across this nation. So, we continue to pray that the environmental condition of this nation will reflect the spiritual condition that hungers for revival to burst forth. And, we also pray, as we have been ministering in this country for almost a year now, that the Lord will continue to renew our vision and our strength as well as give us creative and fresh ideas to reach out to the Japanese people.
However, not everything is gusting in Japan, as the universities across the nation remain quiet due to spring recess, which began mid-February until beginning of April. Tokyo University is the only campus that continues its Bible studies, while Waseda and Dokkyo have both been on break. As Jeremy carries on his weekly involvement at this campus, he has been able to witness God’s hand bless this group as there have been a few newcomers who have attended and expressed interest in further Bible learning. Furthermore, although colleges are on holiday, the next two months of March and April will prove to be crucial to the campus ministries as we prepare for the arrival of many new students. With April being the start of a new school year in Japan, we will once again face the flood of first years, who will be making their first official appearance on the college campus. As we saw last year during this time, these students are bombarded by dozens upon dozens of clubs and activities to become involved in. Thus, advertising effectively and convincingly is of the utmost importance for the Bible clubs during this time. As a result, we seek favor from the Lord as well as pray for divine appointments as we anticipate and get ready for a new school year to begin.
While work has not been as heavy with Chi Alpha, we remained busy with RIS due to the semester coming to a close during the last several weeks of February. Making and grading tests, along with tallying semester grades has consumed much of our time during the past two weeks. As a testament to the influence and stature that Riverside Chapel is gaining, the upcoming semester that starts beginning of April will see at least two new students entering the International Church School! Moreover, in addition to the growth of Riverside International School, Riverside Chapel has also expanded as it was recently able to secure an adjacent building to the main sanctuary, which will allow for more classrooms for its church school as well as overall ministry meeting space. This has truly proven to be a blessing to the church body as it is one of the few churches in the Tokyo area that actually sees a growing congregation.
Finally, we want to take this time to extend our many many thanks to all of you for the money that you gave to the Japan Chi Alpha Student Center. For our supporters who were not aware, back in December when we traveled back home briefly, as part of our testimony of the work God is doing here in this nation, we promised to give our ministry support for the months of January and February to the Japan Chi Alpha Student Center. Through your generosity, we were able to give XA, 300,000 Yen! (This roughly translates to nearly $3,000.) While this is a wonderful contribution that was greatly appreciated, there is still over $50,000 to be raised in order to make this building fully operational. We still have faith that this building will open its doors within the next year as we hold on to the grand vision that it will be a mighty catalyst in bringing the youth of Japan to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. And, your giving has certainly furthered this vision into becoming a reality. Thank you so much for taking part and supporting Japan Chi Alpha in this immense undertaking! As there is still much to be done to this project, we continue to welcome any love offerings towards the student center. If you feel led by the Lord to do so, please just “Japan XA Student Center” in the memo of your monthly support to us, and we will pass it along accordingly. Again, thank you so much for your generous hearts through money and prayer in this endeavor.
As the short month of February comes to a close, we continue to seek your partnership in prayer for:
➢ Japan Chi Alpha: that we, along with XA staff, will use this next month to prepare efficiently and innovatively for the new school year. And, that the Lord will ready and soften the hearts of all the new students that we may interact with.
➢ Renewed Strength and Vision: that the Lord will continue to give us purposeful and refreshed minds and hearts as we have been in Japan for almost a year and continue with our routine ministerial duties with Riverside Chapel, Riverside International School, Riverside English School, Chi Alpha, as well as our coffee nights.
Always,
Jeremy and Kathy
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
January Newsletter
To Our Family and Friends,
It seems like ages since the last time we have updated everyone on the happenings in Japan. In fact, it was last year that you all received a letter from us! So, first off, we want to wish all of you a very prosperous and blessed 2008. Upon coming home in December for about three weeks, we were able to see some of you though we wished we could have visited with each one of you individually to thank you for your prayerful support for us for what was most of 2007. As we testified to some of you at Jubilee Christian Center over the holiday, we have been blessed tremendously, and, in turn, we have been able to bless the people of this nation. Every penny given and every prayer spoken has undoubtedly been purposeful in advancing the kingdom of God here in Japan.
Although you are reading this in February, since there was no newsletter for the month of December, we want to share with you all how Chi Alpha’s main event of the Christmas season went. As you might recall, the program that we spent many hours for in prayer, preparation and promotion was called “Jazz in Christmas.” Chi Alpha was blessed to have Steve Sacks, a professional Christian saxophonist living in Tokyo, as our guest for the night. On the way to creating a melodious Christmas mood, Steve Sacks shared the meaning behind tunes such as “Silent Night” –a song which many Japanese are familiar with but may have never known the significance of. After a brief Christmas message was given and the final encore was finished, many people filled out welcome cards, which revealed that many in attendance were not Christians or had never even been to a church. Looking back, the event exceeded many expectations as the size of the 120-person sanctuary was filled to capacity with many non-believers. Even now, we continue to believe that the many seeds that were planted and watered on that night will blossom into a desire for and belief in Jesus Christ.
Since coming back to Japan in early January, we have adjusted back into our schedules at Riverside and Chi Alpha fairly easily. While our daily classes at Riverside International School (RIS) keep us busy, we continue to give private lessons through Riverside English School (RES). Last year, Kathy had many more students simply because of the number of females signing up. Yet, this year, Jeremy has been given three new students to teach once a week. RES has been and continues to be a wonderful opportunity for people from the community to learn English at a cheaper rate from native speakers. And, most importantly, it exposes them to the Japanese church as all the classes are held at Riverside Chapel. Through RES, we have been able to invite our students to outreach events going on in the church as well as to our coffee nights. We ask you to please keep all of our RES students in your prayers since most are not Christians.
Moreover, January marked the time of the year where millions of college students across Japan began to close their academic semesters with final exercises and exams. Many students have also started to prepare for spring vacation, which will last until the end of March. While our work with Chi Alpha and university bible studies will consequently slow down slightly during these two months, our work with the youth of Japan will have only increased greatly. This is due in large part to a vision that Jeremy has been given in the year of 2008, which is to produce a documentary on the youth of Japan and who they say Jesus is. The project will be heavy on interviews in an attempt to capture the reality of the youth’s opinion of Jesus, the church, and Christians. Rather than make a video that highlights only the positive side of the state of Christians and the church in Japan, the project will seek to listen and put a face to the voice of the Japanese who are agnostic or even hostile towards the person and message of Jesus. The aim and audience in mind for the documentary is simply everyone. Once completed, Christians in America will hopefully be inspired to act on bringing the Gospel to Japan. Furthermore, Jeremy hopes to awaken the few Christians in Japan to the millions in darkness around them and motivate them to spread the power and love of Christ to those around them. With our schedules being as they are, finding sufficient time to do the interviewing, filming, and translating will prove to be a great challenge. We ask that you pray for not only the completion of this project but for blessing and favor from the Lord in all areas of this documentary’s production.
Although it was wonderful to have the opportunity to go back home to relax and visit with family and friends, we are very happy to be back in Japan, following God’s plan for our lives. As we press forward into this new year, we remain excited, eager, and expectant of God’s divine working through us in this great nation. Please continue to partner with us in prayer for:
➢ Renewed vision and strength for our remaining time here in Japan going into 2008
➢ RIS and RES: our role within these groups to spread the message and love of Christ through teaching English
➢ Jeremy’s documentary on the Japanese youth’s perception of Jesus
We can only step into this bright year with joy and anticipation within Japan because of the prayer and support we receive from you back home. As always, thank you so much!
Always,
Jeremy & Kathy
It seems like ages since the last time we have updated everyone on the happenings in Japan. In fact, it was last year that you all received a letter from us! So, first off, we want to wish all of you a very prosperous and blessed 2008. Upon coming home in December for about three weeks, we were able to see some of you though we wished we could have visited with each one of you individually to thank you for your prayerful support for us for what was most of 2007. As we testified to some of you at Jubilee Christian Center over the holiday, we have been blessed tremendously, and, in turn, we have been able to bless the people of this nation. Every penny given and every prayer spoken has undoubtedly been purposeful in advancing the kingdom of God here in Japan.
Although you are reading this in February, since there was no newsletter for the month of December, we want to share with you all how Chi Alpha’s main event of the Christmas season went. As you might recall, the program that we spent many hours for in prayer, preparation and promotion was called “Jazz in Christmas.” Chi Alpha was blessed to have Steve Sacks, a professional Christian saxophonist living in Tokyo, as our guest for the night. On the way to creating a melodious Christmas mood, Steve Sacks shared the meaning behind tunes such as “Silent Night” –a song which many Japanese are familiar with but may have never known the significance of. After a brief Christmas message was given and the final encore was finished, many people filled out welcome cards, which revealed that many in attendance were not Christians or had never even been to a church. Looking back, the event exceeded many expectations as the size of the 120-person sanctuary was filled to capacity with many non-believers. Even now, we continue to believe that the many seeds that were planted and watered on that night will blossom into a desire for and belief in Jesus Christ.
Since coming back to Japan in early January, we have adjusted back into our schedules at Riverside and Chi Alpha fairly easily. While our daily classes at Riverside International School (RIS) keep us busy, we continue to give private lessons through Riverside English School (RES). Last year, Kathy had many more students simply because of the number of females signing up. Yet, this year, Jeremy has been given three new students to teach once a week. RES has been and continues to be a wonderful opportunity for people from the community to learn English at a cheaper rate from native speakers. And, most importantly, it exposes them to the Japanese church as all the classes are held at Riverside Chapel. Through RES, we have been able to invite our students to outreach events going on in the church as well as to our coffee nights. We ask you to please keep all of our RES students in your prayers since most are not Christians.
Moreover, January marked the time of the year where millions of college students across Japan began to close their academic semesters with final exercises and exams. Many students have also started to prepare for spring vacation, which will last until the end of March. While our work with Chi Alpha and university bible studies will consequently slow down slightly during these two months, our work with the youth of Japan will have only increased greatly. This is due in large part to a vision that Jeremy has been given in the year of 2008, which is to produce a documentary on the youth of Japan and who they say Jesus is. The project will be heavy on interviews in an attempt to capture the reality of the youth’s opinion of Jesus, the church, and Christians. Rather than make a video that highlights only the positive side of the state of Christians and the church in Japan, the project will seek to listen and put a face to the voice of the Japanese who are agnostic or even hostile towards the person and message of Jesus. The aim and audience in mind for the documentary is simply everyone. Once completed, Christians in America will hopefully be inspired to act on bringing the Gospel to Japan. Furthermore, Jeremy hopes to awaken the few Christians in Japan to the millions in darkness around them and motivate them to spread the power and love of Christ to those around them. With our schedules being as they are, finding sufficient time to do the interviewing, filming, and translating will prove to be a great challenge. We ask that you pray for not only the completion of this project but for blessing and favor from the Lord in all areas of this documentary’s production.
Although it was wonderful to have the opportunity to go back home to relax and visit with family and friends, we are very happy to be back in Japan, following God’s plan for our lives. As we press forward into this new year, we remain excited, eager, and expectant of God’s divine working through us in this great nation. Please continue to partner with us in prayer for:
➢ Renewed vision and strength for our remaining time here in Japan going into 2008
➢ RIS and RES: our role within these groups to spread the message and love of Christ through teaching English
➢ Jeremy’s documentary on the Japanese youth’s perception of Jesus
We can only step into this bright year with joy and anticipation within Japan because of the prayer and support we receive from you back home. As always, thank you so much!
Always,
Jeremy & Kathy
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
October Newsletter
To Our Friends and Family,
With the temperature becoming cooler in Japan and the leaves beginning to change colors, October is welcomed by most Japanese as a relief from warmer weather as well as also a normalization of work and school schedules. For us, while September marked the beginning of an active school year for Riverside International School (RIS), October witnessed the recommencement of the university semester. As a result, we plunged back into the full rush of Chi Alpha campus ministry. At Tokyo University (Todai), Jeremy was given the opportunity to lead the bible study for the first time. As this weekly gathering demands a more investigative style of studying the Word, Jeremy found this experience to be rewarding as he presented before a more intellectual and inquisitive audience of students. At Waseda University, Kathy continues to remain faithful to offer her assistance as this group still struggles with non-committed students who do not place this fellowship as a priority. Although Waseda’s bible study is growing at a very slow pace, we maintain a positive, prayer outlook that God will move on that campus in His timing.
Although we have both maintained relatively the same amount of responsibility within each of these two XA bible studies, at Dokkyo University, our involvement has increased significantly. Since our arrival in March, the international bible study at Dokkyo mainly offered a Spanish led study with an occasional English led meeting by one of us. As of October, however, the full task of leading this group was handed over to us. Although, this change has added much more to our weekly ministry duties, we have thoroughly enjoyed the new venture. As the key purpose of this particular bible study is evangelism, we design the messages to appeal more to non-believers. However, as most of its attendees at the moment are already Christians, we also try to pose challenging study questions to both Christians and non-Christians, which then incites much needed discussion among the students. We pray that God continues to bring more non-believers to this weekly gathering. And, we also pray that the hearts and minds of these students will continue to grow as well as be sharpened in the Word of the Lord.
As our time in Japan has already been half way through, we continue to see multiple ways in which our talents and interests have been honed. For Jeremy particularly, he continues passionately to produce promotional videos, which have been used in various aspects of our ministry. Besides the video (which hopefully you saw – if not, you can view it online on our blog that is sited below in our contact information) which highlighted our initial two months in Japan, Jeremy has finished a video for the young adult service, Youth Alive, and, more recently, a video for RIS that will be shown to hundreds of students and teachers in an upcoming Tokyo Church School Conference in November. Just after completion of the RIS project, Jeremy was asked to make a video for Japan Chi Alpha to be shown in Tokyo at a region wide Assemblies of God conference. The purpose of this video is to emphasize the need for greater support and investment amongst Japanese churches for the XA ministry in Japan. As the Lord continues to shape and use Jeremy’s new passion of editing and producing videos for purposes of promotion, it has already been a great blessing to those who utilize these productions as well as those who merely watch them.
Finally, it is with great joy and excitement to inform you all that we will be coming home for the Christmas holiday! Although this was not initially planned for our year of missions, we feel this to be a wise decision as it is coupled with another significant change to our original plans for our time in Japan. In addition to these news, we would also like to notify you that after much praying, thinking, and discussing about our missions work in this nation, we have decided it best to stay until July of 2008. Originally, of course, we had committed a year to serving in Japan, which would mean coming home in March. Yet, after taking into account the RIS school year, which ends in July, as well as our ministry schedule at both Riverside as well as Chi Alpha, we have determined that the wiser decision, at this point, would be for us to continue on until July This would allow us to depart from our missions work in Japan at a more complete and opportune time. Thus, we anxiously look forward to seeing many of you and sharing with you more of what the Lord has been doing and has yet to do in the nation of Japan when we return home from Dec 18th until Jan 7th.
As all aspects of our ministry here keeps our schedules packed and busy, we continue to be grateful for all your thoughts and prayers back home. Although it is only through the Lord’s strength that sustains us, it is through your support that encourages as well as motivates us. Please continue to partner with us in prayer for:
➢ Our physical health, that the Lord will keep us healthy and free from any sickness as the weather becomes colder
➢ Our spiritual health, that we will continue to find renewed strength, joy, and patience in the Lord as we carry on with our busy daily ministry routine and responsibilities.
➢ The students and bible studies at Todai, Waseda, and Dokkyo University
With the holiday season quickly approaching, may the next coming months be a time of true thankfulness and expectant anticipation of the Lord’s hand working in all our lives.
Always,
Jeremy and Kathy
With the temperature becoming cooler in Japan and the leaves beginning to change colors, October is welcomed by most Japanese as a relief from warmer weather as well as also a normalization of work and school schedules. For us, while September marked the beginning of an active school year for Riverside International School (RIS), October witnessed the recommencement of the university semester. As a result, we plunged back into the full rush of Chi Alpha campus ministry. At Tokyo University (Todai), Jeremy was given the opportunity to lead the bible study for the first time. As this weekly gathering demands a more investigative style of studying the Word, Jeremy found this experience to be rewarding as he presented before a more intellectual and inquisitive audience of students. At Waseda University, Kathy continues to remain faithful to offer her assistance as this group still struggles with non-committed students who do not place this fellowship as a priority. Although Waseda’s bible study is growing at a very slow pace, we maintain a positive, prayer outlook that God will move on that campus in His timing.
Although we have both maintained relatively the same amount of responsibility within each of these two XA bible studies, at Dokkyo University, our involvement has increased significantly. Since our arrival in March, the international bible study at Dokkyo mainly offered a Spanish led study with an occasional English led meeting by one of us. As of October, however, the full task of leading this group was handed over to us. Although, this change has added much more to our weekly ministry duties, we have thoroughly enjoyed the new venture. As the key purpose of this particular bible study is evangelism, we design the messages to appeal more to non-believers. However, as most of its attendees at the moment are already Christians, we also try to pose challenging study questions to both Christians and non-Christians, which then incites much needed discussion among the students. We pray that God continues to bring more non-believers to this weekly gathering. And, we also pray that the hearts and minds of these students will continue to grow as well as be sharpened in the Word of the Lord.
As our time in Japan has already been half way through, we continue to see multiple ways in which our talents and interests have been honed. For Jeremy particularly, he continues passionately to produce promotional videos, which have been used in various aspects of our ministry. Besides the video (which hopefully you saw – if not, you can view it online on our blog that is sited below in our contact information) which highlighted our initial two months in Japan, Jeremy has finished a video for the young adult service, Youth Alive, and, more recently, a video for RIS that will be shown to hundreds of students and teachers in an upcoming Tokyo Church School Conference in November. Just after completion of the RIS project, Jeremy was asked to make a video for Japan Chi Alpha to be shown in Tokyo at a region wide Assemblies of God conference. The purpose of this video is to emphasize the need for greater support and investment amongst Japanese churches for the XA ministry in Japan. As the Lord continues to shape and use Jeremy’s new passion of editing and producing videos for purposes of promotion, it has already been a great blessing to those who utilize these productions as well as those who merely watch them.
Finally, it is with great joy and excitement to inform you all that we will be coming home for the Christmas holiday! Although this was not initially planned for our year of missions, we feel this to be a wise decision as it is coupled with another significant change to our original plans for our time in Japan. In addition to these news, we would also like to notify you that after much praying, thinking, and discussing about our missions work in this nation, we have decided it best to stay until July of 2008. Originally, of course, we had committed a year to serving in Japan, which would mean coming home in March. Yet, after taking into account the RIS school year, which ends in July, as well as our ministry schedule at both Riverside as well as Chi Alpha, we have determined that the wiser decision, at this point, would be for us to continue on until July This would allow us to depart from our missions work in Japan at a more complete and opportune time. Thus, we anxiously look forward to seeing many of you and sharing with you more of what the Lord has been doing and has yet to do in the nation of Japan when we return home from Dec 18th until Jan 7th.
As all aspects of our ministry here keeps our schedules packed and busy, we continue to be grateful for all your thoughts and prayers back home. Although it is only through the Lord’s strength that sustains us, it is through your support that encourages as well as motivates us. Please continue to partner with us in prayer for:
➢ Our physical health, that the Lord will keep us healthy and free from any sickness as the weather becomes colder
➢ Our spiritual health, that we will continue to find renewed strength, joy, and patience in the Lord as we carry on with our busy daily ministry routine and responsibilities.
➢ The students and bible studies at Todai, Waseda, and Dokkyo University
With the holiday season quickly approaching, may the next coming months be a time of true thankfulness and expectant anticipation of the Lord’s hand working in all our lives.
Always,
Jeremy and Kathy
Thursday, October 4, 2007
September Newsletter
To Our Friends and Family,
With the vacations and heat of August quickly becoming a fading memory here in Japan, September marked the arrival of the typhoon season, the end of holiday travel, and the return to work and school for many Japanese. One important person that did not return to his job was the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, who resigned this month as a result of low public support, scandal, and physical exhaustion. While the two former reasons can be found in societies around the world, the resignation, in many ways, reflects Japan’s innate workaholic society, which can affect all persons right up to the Prime Minister. As we become more accustomed to as well as immersed in the Japanese culture, we can empathize but must also be cautious of this mentality to overwork as our own responsibilities have increased resulting in an even busier schedule for us both.
With the commencement of Riverside International School (RIS) classes in September, we resumed our weekly schedule of teaching English. For Jeremy, however, his workload was increased as he was given the added responsibility of teaching the RIS first grade class in addition to his Junior High students. Although this has certainly posed its challenges, Jeremy as adjusted well as the children have greatly enjoyed this new learning experience. Kathy continues to work with the same elementary students, who range from second to sixth grade. Moreover, this semester our teaching duties have moved beyond merely English classes. With RIS being a Christian school, all the students attend “Chapel Time” each morning before classes begin, where they learn memory verses, have worship time, and hear a message. Beginning this semester, we have both been individually added to the Chapel Time sermon rotation; so, we have also been given the greater responsibility of spiritually instructing the students once a month as well. Furthermore, Riverside English School (RES) also began again in September. Thus far, Kathy has been the one mainly involved in teaching these private lessons. Currently, she teaches five students, ranging from jr. high school age to middle-aged adults. Of her students, one has become a consistent attendee of our coffee nights. So, we are encouraged that Kathy’s time in RES will present more opportunities to share and show the love of Christ to the Japanese as these friendships continue to form.
However, the hard work of Riverside has not been confined to the academic area. For some time now, Riverside Chapel and it’s branch churches have been in fervent prayer and preparation for what has come to be known as the World Revival Center (W.R.C.). Birthed out of the desire to see a physical structure embody how God is moving in Japan, Riverside Chapel hopes to create this campus for the purposes of evangelism, discipleship, and worship. With the goal of completing this site in 2010, the grand vision of the World Revival Center consists of a 6 building spread across nearly four acres and would include the main church with a capacity for 5,000 people, a Bible School, the International School, dormitories, a gymnasium, and more. Although Riverside Chapel is one of the larger Assemblies of God churches in Japan, with members from around the world and even in places of public power, its congregants alone cannot financially support such an enormous undertaking. Moreover, due to the high cost as well as scarcity of land in Japan, the desire to see this project completed in a mere three years seems, from a human perspective virtually impossible. For these reasons, Riverside held a W.R.C. Renewal Conference to seek further wisdom and restored power from God as well as to revitalize and bolster support amongst the congregants. Indeed, the conference did not disappoint. In solidarity, many people came together to worship, to offer thanksgiving to God, and to find renewed strength for the unified vision of the future of Riverside Chapel. Unfailingly, God proved faithful as His hand mightily touched and encouraged countless hearts, restored broken spirits, and even miraculously healed physical ailments.
The WRC Conference was also a significant event for us because it was here that we were able to witness our first salvation of a Japanese friend! During the last service of the conference, one of our friends from our coffee nights, Kue Kudo, a 3rd year high school student, made the commitment to give her life to the Lord! After attending our coffee nights for a few weeks, she was able to connect with other Japanese Christians. Here, she learned that Christian friends were great to have because they would pray for you and love you with the love of Christ. Thus, igniting in her a desire to see what church and its people were like. After attending Riverside Chapel only a couple times, Kue finally made the decision to accept Jesus into her heart at the WRC Conference! And, at the following Thursday night coffee time, she made a public announcement to everyone present that she believed in Jesus and that she loved Jesus! Praise the Lord! It was amazing to hear and see how joyful, excited, and bold she was to express so openly this newfound love! And, this praise report is a direct result of all your continued prayers for us and for the people of this nation. As you all have continued to pray for our weekly Coffee Nights and the friendships we have made, we are so happy finally to see fruit of our partnered labor! And, we hope this testimony will encourage you, as it has for us, to pray even more for this desperate nation. This testimony of Kue only goes to show how hungry the Japanese people are for a true love and joy that only Christ can provide.
As we close, we continue to express our gratitude for all your prayers, support and words of encouragement. We always remember that our work and time in Japan would not be possible without all of you back home. As autumn approaches, and we all enter into this new season, we ask that you continue to partner with us in prayer for:
➢ Physical and Spiritual Well-being: As the weather changes, that the Lord will protect our health here in Japan. And, as we have been given more teaching and ministry responsibilities, that God will give us wisdom, patience, rest, and a teachable heart.
➢ W.R.C.: That the Lord will continue to renew the strength of Riverside Chapel and provide them with the guidance, wisdom, and finances to successfully see this project completed.
➢ Kue Kudo and Coffee Nights: That Kue will continue to hunger for the Lord and grow in her new relationship with God. And that the Lord will continue to stir and open the hearts of the other Japanese that come to coffee nights.
Always,
Jeremy and Kathy
With the vacations and heat of August quickly becoming a fading memory here in Japan, September marked the arrival of the typhoon season, the end of holiday travel, and the return to work and school for many Japanese. One important person that did not return to his job was the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, who resigned this month as a result of low public support, scandal, and physical exhaustion. While the two former reasons can be found in societies around the world, the resignation, in many ways, reflects Japan’s innate workaholic society, which can affect all persons right up to the Prime Minister. As we become more accustomed to as well as immersed in the Japanese culture, we can empathize but must also be cautious of this mentality to overwork as our own responsibilities have increased resulting in an even busier schedule for us both.
With the commencement of Riverside International School (RIS) classes in September, we resumed our weekly schedule of teaching English. For Jeremy, however, his workload was increased as he was given the added responsibility of teaching the RIS first grade class in addition to his Junior High students. Although this has certainly posed its challenges, Jeremy as adjusted well as the children have greatly enjoyed this new learning experience. Kathy continues to work with the same elementary students, who range from second to sixth grade. Moreover, this semester our teaching duties have moved beyond merely English classes. With RIS being a Christian school, all the students attend “Chapel Time” each morning before classes begin, where they learn memory verses, have worship time, and hear a message. Beginning this semester, we have both been individually added to the Chapel Time sermon rotation; so, we have also been given the greater responsibility of spiritually instructing the students once a month as well. Furthermore, Riverside English School (RES) also began again in September. Thus far, Kathy has been the one mainly involved in teaching these private lessons. Currently, she teaches five students, ranging from jr. high school age to middle-aged adults. Of her students, one has become a consistent attendee of our coffee nights. So, we are encouraged that Kathy’s time in RES will present more opportunities to share and show the love of Christ to the Japanese as these friendships continue to form.
However, the hard work of Riverside has not been confined to the academic area. For some time now, Riverside Chapel and it’s branch churches have been in fervent prayer and preparation for what has come to be known as the World Revival Center (W.R.C.). Birthed out of the desire to see a physical structure embody how God is moving in Japan, Riverside Chapel hopes to create this campus for the purposes of evangelism, discipleship, and worship. With the goal of completing this site in 2010, the grand vision of the World Revival Center consists of a 6 building spread across nearly four acres and would include the main church with a capacity for 5,000 people, a Bible School, the International School, dormitories, a gymnasium, and more. Although Riverside Chapel is one of the larger Assemblies of God churches in Japan, with members from around the world and even in places of public power, its congregants alone cannot financially support such an enormous undertaking. Moreover, due to the high cost as well as scarcity of land in Japan, the desire to see this project completed in a mere three years seems, from a human perspective virtually impossible. For these reasons, Riverside held a W.R.C. Renewal Conference to seek further wisdom and restored power from God as well as to revitalize and bolster support amongst the congregants. Indeed, the conference did not disappoint. In solidarity, many people came together to worship, to offer thanksgiving to God, and to find renewed strength for the unified vision of the future of Riverside Chapel. Unfailingly, God proved faithful as His hand mightily touched and encouraged countless hearts, restored broken spirits, and even miraculously healed physical ailments.
The WRC Conference was also a significant event for us because it was here that we were able to witness our first salvation of a Japanese friend! During the last service of the conference, one of our friends from our coffee nights, Kue Kudo, a 3rd year high school student, made the commitment to give her life to the Lord! After attending our coffee nights for a few weeks, she was able to connect with other Japanese Christians. Here, she learned that Christian friends were great to have because they would pray for you and love you with the love of Christ. Thus, igniting in her a desire to see what church and its people were like. After attending Riverside Chapel only a couple times, Kue finally made the decision to accept Jesus into her heart at the WRC Conference! And, at the following Thursday night coffee time, she made a public announcement to everyone present that she believed in Jesus and that she loved Jesus! Praise the Lord! It was amazing to hear and see how joyful, excited, and bold she was to express so openly this newfound love! And, this praise report is a direct result of all your continued prayers for us and for the people of this nation. As you all have continued to pray for our weekly Coffee Nights and the friendships we have made, we are so happy finally to see fruit of our partnered labor! And, we hope this testimony will encourage you, as it has for us, to pray even more for this desperate nation. This testimony of Kue only goes to show how hungry the Japanese people are for a true love and joy that only Christ can provide.
As we close, we continue to express our gratitude for all your prayers, support and words of encouragement. We always remember that our work and time in Japan would not be possible without all of you back home. As autumn approaches, and we all enter into this new season, we ask that you continue to partner with us in prayer for:
➢ Physical and Spiritual Well-being: As the weather changes, that the Lord will protect our health here in Japan. And, as we have been given more teaching and ministry responsibilities, that God will give us wisdom, patience, rest, and a teachable heart.
➢ W.R.C.: That the Lord will continue to renew the strength of Riverside Chapel and provide them with the guidance, wisdom, and finances to successfully see this project completed.
➢ Kue Kudo and Coffee Nights: That Kue will continue to hunger for the Lord and grow in her new relationship with God. And that the Lord will continue to stir and open the hearts of the other Japanese that come to coffee nights.
Always,
Jeremy and Kathy
Thursday, September 6, 2007
August Newsletter
To Our Friends and Family,
This past month has been one of much needed relaxation as our schedule, for the first time since we arrived back in March, was for the most part open and quiet. This time allowed us to reflect on our past five months here as well as prepare for the upcoming school year. We took advantage of our time off by traveling to Japan’s neighboring country of South Korea, where we spent time resting, exploring, and actually being tourists in another beautiful foreign country. While our time in South Korea was indeed a vacation, it also breathed a fresh perspective on our mission in Japan, and we became eager to return back “home.”
After coming back to Japan, we unpacked our bags only to pack them again, but this time for a shorter trip. As we traveled two hours outside of Tokyo into the mountains of Japan, we were given the opportunity to join about 40 of the Jr. and Sr. High students of Riverside Chapel for their district summer camp. Here, roughly 120 students from 9 different churches within the Tokyo area gathered for three days to fellowship, worship, and grow in the Lord. Despite the language barrier, we were both able to build stronger relationships with some of the youth of our church as we watched them open their hearts to the Lord and develop a deeper connection with Him. It was amazing to see the fervent passion and hungry enthusiasm that many of these students had for God. They absolutely LOVED singing, dancing, and praising God, and it seemed that this was all they wanted to do in the mere three days we were at camp! Furthermore, the speaker for the camp, Jun Sensei, brought a very relevant theme of messages on liberation to the students. Here, he focused on breaking down strongholds of various forms of idolatry within Japanese culture. He spoke truth and freedom into many lives where temple and shrine worship is still very prominent among families of these students. He also stressed the reality of the devil’s presence and his desire to destroy our lives if we do not guard our hearts against his evil spirits. For many students, this seemed to touch the core of their lives. And, we were able to witness an amazing night of release and liberation as the Holy Spirit filled the place and freed many hearts. For both of us, it was an unspeakable blessing to see the future of Japan in that one room so on fire for the Lord with an unparalleled excitement bursting from their hearts.
Despite the fact that August has been a month of vacation for all Japanese students, preparations within the Chi Alpha ministry in Japan remained quite active. In addition to the continuing project of cleaning, renovating, and getting ready the Chi Alpha Student Center, we have also been strongly praying about starting an XA bible study on another prominent university, Hitotsubashi University. Known for its highly intellectual degrees of economics, law, politics and social science, the students that come out of this university are some of the most capable, respected, and influential within the Japanese workforce. Therefore, as we desire to see more Japanese Christians graduate from here, the greater the hope that a bible study will be able to form on this campus. So a team of us, including the one student from this university who had the initial vision to start XA on his campus, had the chance to go and prayer walk throughout the college, believing that the Lord has a mighty plan for Hitotsubashi. Although the logistics of beginning this group poses its challenges, we believe that with this approaching school semester, the Lord will pave the way in what seems like a desert place.
With Chi Alpha ministry on our hearts, recently, Jeremy gave a challenging message at the young adult service, Youth Alive, on how each person has been commissioned to be Christ’s ambassador in various capacities, especially on one’s campus. Exploring this true meaning of “Chi Alpha,” he emphasized the importance of putting their faiths into practical action and not to keep the love of Christ contained within their Christian circles. In a society where many Japanese Christians allow their time to be consumed by tasks solely within the four walls of the church, they often have trouble balancing their schedules to include investing in non-believers. Thus, this type of message demonstrated its effectiveness by urging Japanese Christians to do more than simply pray for their non-believing friends and family, but rather, be active and purposeful in how they pursue and develop these relationships.
As the school year will be resuming once again within the next month, please continue to pray with us for:
• The youth of Riverside Chapel who went to summer camp, that the time spent with the Lord will not simply be a mountaintop experience but that God will continue to work in their lives and keep the fire for Him growing
• XA Student Center, that the time, money, and effort needed to complete this project will be provided, quickly and abundantly
• Hitotsubashi University, that the Lord will open the doors for a bible study to form, that the process to do so will be smooth, and that God will prepare as well as stir the hearts of the students on this college, Christian and non-Christian alike
We pray that as the summer closes for us all, you all find yourselves refreshed, renewed, and replenished by the love and strength of the Lord!
Always,
Jeremy & Kathy
This past month has been one of much needed relaxation as our schedule, for the first time since we arrived back in March, was for the most part open and quiet. This time allowed us to reflect on our past five months here as well as prepare for the upcoming school year. We took advantage of our time off by traveling to Japan’s neighboring country of South Korea, where we spent time resting, exploring, and actually being tourists in another beautiful foreign country. While our time in South Korea was indeed a vacation, it also breathed a fresh perspective on our mission in Japan, and we became eager to return back “home.”
After coming back to Japan, we unpacked our bags only to pack them again, but this time for a shorter trip. As we traveled two hours outside of Tokyo into the mountains of Japan, we were given the opportunity to join about 40 of the Jr. and Sr. High students of Riverside Chapel for their district summer camp. Here, roughly 120 students from 9 different churches within the Tokyo area gathered for three days to fellowship, worship, and grow in the Lord. Despite the language barrier, we were both able to build stronger relationships with some of the youth of our church as we watched them open their hearts to the Lord and develop a deeper connection with Him. It was amazing to see the fervent passion and hungry enthusiasm that many of these students had for God. They absolutely LOVED singing, dancing, and praising God, and it seemed that this was all they wanted to do in the mere three days we were at camp! Furthermore, the speaker for the camp, Jun Sensei, brought a very relevant theme of messages on liberation to the students. Here, he focused on breaking down strongholds of various forms of idolatry within Japanese culture. He spoke truth and freedom into many lives where temple and shrine worship is still very prominent among families of these students. He also stressed the reality of the devil’s presence and his desire to destroy our lives if we do not guard our hearts against his evil spirits. For many students, this seemed to touch the core of their lives. And, we were able to witness an amazing night of release and liberation as the Holy Spirit filled the place and freed many hearts. For both of us, it was an unspeakable blessing to see the future of Japan in that one room so on fire for the Lord with an unparalleled excitement bursting from their hearts.
Despite the fact that August has been a month of vacation for all Japanese students, preparations within the Chi Alpha ministry in Japan remained quite active. In addition to the continuing project of cleaning, renovating, and getting ready the Chi Alpha Student Center, we have also been strongly praying about starting an XA bible study on another prominent university, Hitotsubashi University. Known for its highly intellectual degrees of economics, law, politics and social science, the students that come out of this university are some of the most capable, respected, and influential within the Japanese workforce. Therefore, as we desire to see more Japanese Christians graduate from here, the greater the hope that a bible study will be able to form on this campus. So a team of us, including the one student from this university who had the initial vision to start XA on his campus, had the chance to go and prayer walk throughout the college, believing that the Lord has a mighty plan for Hitotsubashi. Although the logistics of beginning this group poses its challenges, we believe that with this approaching school semester, the Lord will pave the way in what seems like a desert place.
With Chi Alpha ministry on our hearts, recently, Jeremy gave a challenging message at the young adult service, Youth Alive, on how each person has been commissioned to be Christ’s ambassador in various capacities, especially on one’s campus. Exploring this true meaning of “Chi Alpha,” he emphasized the importance of putting their faiths into practical action and not to keep the love of Christ contained within their Christian circles. In a society where many Japanese Christians allow their time to be consumed by tasks solely within the four walls of the church, they often have trouble balancing their schedules to include investing in non-believers. Thus, this type of message demonstrated its effectiveness by urging Japanese Christians to do more than simply pray for their non-believing friends and family, but rather, be active and purposeful in how they pursue and develop these relationships.
As the school year will be resuming once again within the next month, please continue to pray with us for:
• The youth of Riverside Chapel who went to summer camp, that the time spent with the Lord will not simply be a mountaintop experience but that God will continue to work in their lives and keep the fire for Him growing
• XA Student Center, that the time, money, and effort needed to complete this project will be provided, quickly and abundantly
• Hitotsubashi University, that the Lord will open the doors for a bible study to form, that the process to do so will be smooth, and that God will prepare as well as stir the hearts of the students on this college, Christian and non-Christian alike
We pray that as the summer closes for us all, you all find yourselves refreshed, renewed, and replenished by the love and strength of the Lord!
Always,
Jeremy & Kathy
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
July Newsletter
To Our Family and Friends,
July was a month of headlines for Japan, as natural disasters and nationwide elections dominated news outlets and was often the latest topic of conversation. The first major storm of the Typhoon season ripped through the southern part of Japan killing nearly a dozen people before skirting the east side of Tokyo and drifting out to sea. Thus, Tokyo and surrounding areas were not affected by the gale force winds. In addition to Typhoon #1 (Japan doesn't bother to name the storms because there are so many), two earthquakes measuring almost 7.0 on the Richter Scale hit two different areas of Japan on the same day triggering a string of catastrophes ranging from derailed trains to collapsed buildings which resulted in hundreds of injuries and a few deaths. Consequently, the largest nuclear power plant in the world was damaged in a city 160 miles north of Tokyo, producing a crisis where radioactive material was exposed to the sea and air. In addition to these destabilizing events, Japan just held Upper House elections for Parliament, which resulted in major losses for the ruling party and has challenged the efficacy and legitimacy of the Prime Minister. Through everything that has occurred in this nation, we were thankfully protected and not directly affected by any of these national calamities. However, all of these potentially tragic events have challenged us to pray even more for this nation to be able to stabilize peacefully as well as to experience revival. And, we trust that upon reading this, you will be prompted in the same manner.
Although the physical and political landscape may have been shaken in Japan, we are pleased to report a mighty miracle that has occurred this month. In years past, the Chi Alpha staff has lamented at the fact that there is no “neutral” location for students to take part in activities and events without stepping inside the unfamiliar domain of a church. As a result of this need, the Lord has answered our prayers in the form of an uncommonly large building that was once a church in Tokyo. The building was donated to Chi Alpha with the understanding and requirement that it would serve as a Student Center to reach and disciple the nearly 1 million university students in Tokyo. In addition to various special events that would be held at the Center, Chi Alpha plans to use the building as its national headquarters and also as a housing facility for missionaries. While the Student Center has been revealed to various Assemblies of God churches and leaders in Japan, it has yet to be opened for events due to much needed cleaning and construction projects. For example, due to its residential location and the purpose for which Chi Alpha desires to use the building, the Center will need to have soundproofing completed on the entire structure, which has been estimated to cost $40,000. This month we were able to visit the Center, help to clean up as much as possible, and spend time in prayer for wisdom and creativity on how to be good stewards of such an unprecedented gift.
Also this month, Kathy was given the chance to give her first ever full-length sermon this month at Youth Alive. Here, she discussed the importance of taking prudent initiative and actively stepping out in faith. It was a message that was particularly pertinent to many of the Japanese Christians due to the very reserved nature of many churches and the inherent conservative mindset of many Japanese people. While Kathy was nervous about this undertaking, she was thankful for the first-time opportunity to be used to allow God to challenge and convict the hearts of many students at the young adult service.
Finally, this past month marked the beginning of summer vacation for students all across Japan, including Riverside International School (RIS). Until school commences once again in early September, the upcoming month of August will give us the chance to relax, reflect, and prepare for the teaching of the last quarter of the year. Yet, our ministry within Riverside Chapel continues, as we will be taking part in summer camps as well as resuming weekly church service responsibilities. We are excited though about being given a short time off from Riverside in order to travel to Japan’s neighboring nation, Korea, for a small vacation.
With everything that has happened this past month and with what we will be doing this coming month: please continue to partner with us in prayer for:
➢ Quick and smooth recuperation physically and politically of this nation after a month of damaging national dilemmas
➢ The Chi Alpha Student Center: that its opening will come to pass as quickly as possible, that the large sums of money for the much needed renovations will be raised, and that it will serve as a powerful catalyst for revival in Japan among the university students
➢ Our safety as we travel; restored spirits in this time of break, and pray that as we reflect on our time here so far, that God will continue to renew and reveal his vision for our work in this nation
We continue to give our countless thanks to the Lord for all of you and your steady support and purposeful prayers!
Always,
Jeremy and Kathy
July was a month of headlines for Japan, as natural disasters and nationwide elections dominated news outlets and was often the latest topic of conversation. The first major storm of the Typhoon season ripped through the southern part of Japan killing nearly a dozen people before skirting the east side of Tokyo and drifting out to sea. Thus, Tokyo and surrounding areas were not affected by the gale force winds. In addition to Typhoon #1 (Japan doesn't bother to name the storms because there are so many), two earthquakes measuring almost 7.0 on the Richter Scale hit two different areas of Japan on the same day triggering a string of catastrophes ranging from derailed trains to collapsed buildings which resulted in hundreds of injuries and a few deaths. Consequently, the largest nuclear power plant in the world was damaged in a city 160 miles north of Tokyo, producing a crisis where radioactive material was exposed to the sea and air. In addition to these destabilizing events, Japan just held Upper House elections for Parliament, which resulted in major losses for the ruling party and has challenged the efficacy and legitimacy of the Prime Minister. Through everything that has occurred in this nation, we were thankfully protected and not directly affected by any of these national calamities. However, all of these potentially tragic events have challenged us to pray even more for this nation to be able to stabilize peacefully as well as to experience revival. And, we trust that upon reading this, you will be prompted in the same manner.
Although the physical and political landscape may have been shaken in Japan, we are pleased to report a mighty miracle that has occurred this month. In years past, the Chi Alpha staff has lamented at the fact that there is no “neutral” location for students to take part in activities and events without stepping inside the unfamiliar domain of a church. As a result of this need, the Lord has answered our prayers in the form of an uncommonly large building that was once a church in Tokyo. The building was donated to Chi Alpha with the understanding and requirement that it would serve as a Student Center to reach and disciple the nearly 1 million university students in Tokyo. In addition to various special events that would be held at the Center, Chi Alpha plans to use the building as its national headquarters and also as a housing facility for missionaries. While the Student Center has been revealed to various Assemblies of God churches and leaders in Japan, it has yet to be opened for events due to much needed cleaning and construction projects. For example, due to its residential location and the purpose for which Chi Alpha desires to use the building, the Center will need to have soundproofing completed on the entire structure, which has been estimated to cost $40,000. This month we were able to visit the Center, help to clean up as much as possible, and spend time in prayer for wisdom and creativity on how to be good stewards of such an unprecedented gift.
Also this month, Kathy was given the chance to give her first ever full-length sermon this month at Youth Alive. Here, she discussed the importance of taking prudent initiative and actively stepping out in faith. It was a message that was particularly pertinent to many of the Japanese Christians due to the very reserved nature of many churches and the inherent conservative mindset of many Japanese people. While Kathy was nervous about this undertaking, she was thankful for the first-time opportunity to be used to allow God to challenge and convict the hearts of many students at the young adult service.
Finally, this past month marked the beginning of summer vacation for students all across Japan, including Riverside International School (RIS). Until school commences once again in early September, the upcoming month of August will give us the chance to relax, reflect, and prepare for the teaching of the last quarter of the year. Yet, our ministry within Riverside Chapel continues, as we will be taking part in summer camps as well as resuming weekly church service responsibilities. We are excited though about being given a short time off from Riverside in order to travel to Japan’s neighboring nation, Korea, for a small vacation.
With everything that has happened this past month and with what we will be doing this coming month: please continue to partner with us in prayer for:
➢ Quick and smooth recuperation physically and politically of this nation after a month of damaging national dilemmas
➢ The Chi Alpha Student Center: that its opening will come to pass as quickly as possible, that the large sums of money for the much needed renovations will be raised, and that it will serve as a powerful catalyst for revival in Japan among the university students
➢ Our safety as we travel; restored spirits in this time of break, and pray that as we reflect on our time here so far, that God will continue to renew and reveal his vision for our work in this nation
We continue to give our countless thanks to the Lord for all of you and your steady support and purposeful prayers!
Always,
Jeremy and Kathy
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