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
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
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
Monday, July 2, 2007
June Newsletter
To Our Family and Friends,
The month of June marked a milestone for us as we joyfully celebrated our 1-year anniversary! It was a great opportunity for us to remember the many wonderful moments of our first year of marriage and renew our commitment to each other as well as our mission here in Japan. We owe much of the couple we have become to many of you who have influenced, encouraged, and supported us. So please know that the Lord has used you specifically to impact our lives in a unique way as well as make our vision and ministry here in Japan a reality.
Before we departed for Japan, much of the information that we were giving people focused on how the English language could be such a crucial vehicle for reaching the people of Japan with the Gospel. And it is with great excitement for us to report to you how significant and effective English has been to our ministry. As mentioned in previous letters, we have been taking part in what has come to be known as “Coffee Night” once a week. Here, we meet at a café and simply converse in English to build relationships. This has proved to be exceptionally popular among the Japanese as a result of their desire to learn English in a way that is convenient and cheap. Thus, it is no surprise that our Tuesday Coffee Night has grown so much that we decided it best to start another coffee night on Thursday evenings. By doing so, it ensures that our interactions can remain intimate and comfortable within a small group. However, in just the few weeks that we have started meeting on Thursday nights, the number of people attending has already grown larger than that of Tuesday nights! Both coffee nights have been such a blessing to us as we continue to grow more meaningful relationships with Japanese Christians as well as non-Christians.
In addition to using Coffee Nights as a vehicle to cultivate friendships with others, the young adult ministry at Riverside Chapel, known as Youth Alive, has also become more evangelistic in their vision to reach non-Christians of Japan. With the train station serving as the center of most towns and cities, it is natural that many people, especially college students, use these areas to shop, eat, travel, and to meet with others. Capitalizing on this opportunity, Youth Alive held two “Street Live” events this month that we were able to participate in. These outreaches were aimed at exposing many university students that gather at the train stations to Gospel music as well as to Riverside Chapel by inviting them to special events. Through handing out flyers with event information and by just setting up a small stage where we sang simple worship songs, we were able to meet dozens of people and explain the purpose of what we were doing. Furthermore, understanding that food and film (particularly foreign food and film) were two main things that could bring Japanese together and inspire conversation, Youth Alive hosted a movie night and tacos party at the church a couple weeks ago. Both events proved to be successful in drawing newcomers and heightening the visibility of Riverside Chapel within the city. However, there remains the great challenge of getting these students to continue to come to church as many young Japanese often get distracted by the stigma associated with going to church and, in their view, the negative implications it could have on their social life.
The leadership of Riverside Chapel has had its own set of challenges this month as Pastor Amano (Senior Head Pastor) and Pastor BB (English Service Pastor from Ghana) were both given poignant news. Pastor Amano had visited a doctor earlier in the month to find out that he may have had a type of leukemia. The subsequent weeks of June were trying for the congregation and leadership of Riverside because the worst-case scenario had to be considered. Hence, the people of Riverside, along with other churches and pastors in Japan, prayed earnestly for a complete healing and full recovery for Pastor Amano before his next appointment with a specialist at the end of June that would confirm or refute the initial diagnosis. Just three days before the date of this letter, Pastor Amano saw the specialist and the test results came back negative! Praise the Lord! As far as the English Service Pastor of Riverside is concerned, Pastor BB, thankfully, does not have any health issues; however, he was informed earlier this month that his father had passed away in Ghana. Just a couple weeks ago, funeral arrangements were made, and Pastor BB left to return home. He will not be back until late July.
As we close this update letter, we ask that you continue to pray with us concerning:
➢ Both our Tuesday as well as Thursday Coffee Nights – that relationships will grow deeper and opportunities to share the hope of Christ will arise
➢ Youth Alive – that this ministry will find even more creative ways to reach out to university students and that these students will be drawn to attend Riverside Chapel
➢ Pastor Amano – health and complete bodily restoration
➢ Pastor BB – safety as he travels as well as leadership guidance in his absence
Thank you for your continued prayers and support as our ministry here in Japan continues to develop!
Always,
Jeremy & Kathy
The month of June marked a milestone for us as we joyfully celebrated our 1-year anniversary! It was a great opportunity for us to remember the many wonderful moments of our first year of marriage and renew our commitment to each other as well as our mission here in Japan. We owe much of the couple we have become to many of you who have influenced, encouraged, and supported us. So please know that the Lord has used you specifically to impact our lives in a unique way as well as make our vision and ministry here in Japan a reality.
Before we departed for Japan, much of the information that we were giving people focused on how the English language could be such a crucial vehicle for reaching the people of Japan with the Gospel. And it is with great excitement for us to report to you how significant and effective English has been to our ministry. As mentioned in previous letters, we have been taking part in what has come to be known as “Coffee Night” once a week. Here, we meet at a café and simply converse in English to build relationships. This has proved to be exceptionally popular among the Japanese as a result of their desire to learn English in a way that is convenient and cheap. Thus, it is no surprise that our Tuesday Coffee Night has grown so much that we decided it best to start another coffee night on Thursday evenings. By doing so, it ensures that our interactions can remain intimate and comfortable within a small group. However, in just the few weeks that we have started meeting on Thursday nights, the number of people attending has already grown larger than that of Tuesday nights! Both coffee nights have been such a blessing to us as we continue to grow more meaningful relationships with Japanese Christians as well as non-Christians.
In addition to using Coffee Nights as a vehicle to cultivate friendships with others, the young adult ministry at Riverside Chapel, known as Youth Alive, has also become more evangelistic in their vision to reach non-Christians of Japan. With the train station serving as the center of most towns and cities, it is natural that many people, especially college students, use these areas to shop, eat, travel, and to meet with others. Capitalizing on this opportunity, Youth Alive held two “Street Live” events this month that we were able to participate in. These outreaches were aimed at exposing many university students that gather at the train stations to Gospel music as well as to Riverside Chapel by inviting them to special events. Through handing out flyers with event information and by just setting up a small stage where we sang simple worship songs, we were able to meet dozens of people and explain the purpose of what we were doing. Furthermore, understanding that food and film (particularly foreign food and film) were two main things that could bring Japanese together and inspire conversation, Youth Alive hosted a movie night and tacos party at the church a couple weeks ago. Both events proved to be successful in drawing newcomers and heightening the visibility of Riverside Chapel within the city. However, there remains the great challenge of getting these students to continue to come to church as many young Japanese often get distracted by the stigma associated with going to church and, in their view, the negative implications it could have on their social life.
The leadership of Riverside Chapel has had its own set of challenges this month as Pastor Amano (Senior Head Pastor) and Pastor BB (English Service Pastor from Ghana) were both given poignant news. Pastor Amano had visited a doctor earlier in the month to find out that he may have had a type of leukemia. The subsequent weeks of June were trying for the congregation and leadership of Riverside because the worst-case scenario had to be considered. Hence, the people of Riverside, along with other churches and pastors in Japan, prayed earnestly for a complete healing and full recovery for Pastor Amano before his next appointment with a specialist at the end of June that would confirm or refute the initial diagnosis. Just three days before the date of this letter, Pastor Amano saw the specialist and the test results came back negative! Praise the Lord! As far as the English Service Pastor of Riverside is concerned, Pastor BB, thankfully, does not have any health issues; however, he was informed earlier this month that his father had passed away in Ghana. Just a couple weeks ago, funeral arrangements were made, and Pastor BB left to return home. He will not be back until late July.
As we close this update letter, we ask that you continue to pray with us concerning:
➢ Both our Tuesday as well as Thursday Coffee Nights – that relationships will grow deeper and opportunities to share the hope of Christ will arise
➢ Youth Alive – that this ministry will find even more creative ways to reach out to university students and that these students will be drawn to attend Riverside Chapel
➢ Pastor Amano – health and complete bodily restoration
➢ Pastor BB – safety as he travels as well as leadership guidance in his absence
Thank you for your continued prayers and support as our ministry here in Japan continues to develop!
Always,
Jeremy & Kathy
Thursday, June 7, 2007
New Pictures added to Fotki!
Be sure to check out the latest pictures from Japan at our Fotki website!
Fotki.com/taylors
Fotki.com/taylors
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
May Newsletter
To our Family, Friends, and Supporters,
It is hard to believe another month has passed since our last update letter! Since our last letter, our time here in Japan has only gotten busier but filled with opportunity and hope. At the end of April, we were able to share in the water baptism of nine members from Riverside Chapel. Specifically, Jeremy was asked to be an integral part in helping to baptize each of the participants. It was wonderful to get to witness the public testimony of these nine Japanese hearts and their commitment to a new life in Jesus Christ.
May was an exciting month for Chi Alpha (XA) in the Tokyo area as well! For the last several weeks, a team of 8 students from Sam Houston State University, Texas, was ministering at universities throughout Tokyo. Among the colleges that the XA team visited, two of the main colleges they went to happened to be the two universities that we’ve asked you to be in prayer about – Waseda and Todai.
At Waseda, we’ve continued to pray, not only for non-believers to come to know the Lord, but also for Christians on this campus to have the boldness and courage to proclaim their faith. And with the team’s ministry on this university, we’ve seen the Lord’s hand slowly move on Waseda in this direction. As we joined with the team in outreaches throughout this campus, we were able to meet a number of new students, Christian and non-Christian alike, who have either expressed the desire to be part of the Waseda bible study or shown an avid interest in simply learning more English and even more about Christianity. With the spark that has been ignited on this particular campus, we pray that these students will remain open and drawn to this fellowship and that the presence of God will only grow stronger.
At Todai, the team partnered with XA by taking part in the “Gogatsu” (May) Festival. Here, various clubs and cultural traditions were showcased for one day throughout the campus, bringing in thousands of visitors. Through prayerful and practical outside support, Todai’s XA fellowship had the honor of hosting two significant seminars – one from the famous Japanese author and humanitarian, Yokota-san, along with another by the distinguished Christian Scientist, Dr. Hugh Ross. Yokota-san’s testimony was both insightful and inspirational for many Japanese as she discussed how her faith has been impacted and strengthened through the tragic kidnapping of her daughter by North Korea over a decade ago. Furthermore, the session by Dr. Ross on the science of Creationism was extremely attractive for the highly intellectual minds of Todai as he presented how astronomers can actually establish the Creator as our Biblical God. In the end, both lectures were successful in offering Christianity as a relevant and realistic truth for our society today.
Through the ministry of the Sam Houston team, XA was able to hold special bible studies, offer campus parties, and share the love of Jesus Christ to many students on various universities. We believe that through these events, many seeds were planted in a number of hearts, and many Japanese students were introduced to a faith that has greatly intrigued their minds. Although their stay was short, we are excited to have the opportunity to continue the work the team has started. As a great number of doors were opened for relationships to be built, we hope to follow up with many of these students and lead them to an understanding as well as acceptance of Christ’s love.
As May proved to be an exciting month of outreaches, we simply ask that you join us in praying for the Japanese hearts that were divinely stirred. Please pray:
➢ That through the moving of the Lord’s hand in their spirits, the students we met will actively pursue and plug into both Waseda’s and Todai’s XA’s
➢ That the initial desire for fellowship will increase and the truth of God’s love will become more apparent
Please contact us!
Family 2-bankan 107
3-3-35 Soka
Soka City Saitama
340-0011 Japan
taylorsinjapan@gmail.com
Always,
Jeremy & Kathy
It is hard to believe another month has passed since our last update letter! Since our last letter, our time here in Japan has only gotten busier but filled with opportunity and hope. At the end of April, we were able to share in the water baptism of nine members from Riverside Chapel. Specifically, Jeremy was asked to be an integral part in helping to baptize each of the participants. It was wonderful to get to witness the public testimony of these nine Japanese hearts and their commitment to a new life in Jesus Christ.
May was an exciting month for Chi Alpha (XA) in the Tokyo area as well! For the last several weeks, a team of 8 students from Sam Houston State University, Texas, was ministering at universities throughout Tokyo. Among the colleges that the XA team visited, two of the main colleges they went to happened to be the two universities that we’ve asked you to be in prayer about – Waseda and Todai.
At Waseda, we’ve continued to pray, not only for non-believers to come to know the Lord, but also for Christians on this campus to have the boldness and courage to proclaim their faith. And with the team’s ministry on this university, we’ve seen the Lord’s hand slowly move on Waseda in this direction. As we joined with the team in outreaches throughout this campus, we were able to meet a number of new students, Christian and non-Christian alike, who have either expressed the desire to be part of the Waseda bible study or shown an avid interest in simply learning more English and even more about Christianity. With the spark that has been ignited on this particular campus, we pray that these students will remain open and drawn to this fellowship and that the presence of God will only grow stronger.
At Todai, the team partnered with XA by taking part in the “Gogatsu” (May) Festival. Here, various clubs and cultural traditions were showcased for one day throughout the campus, bringing in thousands of visitors. Through prayerful and practical outside support, Todai’s XA fellowship had the honor of hosting two significant seminars – one from the famous Japanese author and humanitarian, Yokota-san, along with another by the distinguished Christian Scientist, Dr. Hugh Ross. Yokota-san’s testimony was both insightful and inspirational for many Japanese as she discussed how her faith has been impacted and strengthened through the tragic kidnapping of her daughter by North Korea over a decade ago. Furthermore, the session by Dr. Ross on the science of Creationism was extremely attractive for the highly intellectual minds of Todai as he presented how astronomers can actually establish the Creator as our Biblical God. In the end, both lectures were successful in offering Christianity as a relevant and realistic truth for our society today.
Through the ministry of the Sam Houston team, XA was able to hold special bible studies, offer campus parties, and share the love of Jesus Christ to many students on various universities. We believe that through these events, many seeds were planted in a number of hearts, and many Japanese students were introduced to a faith that has greatly intrigued their minds. Although their stay was short, we are excited to have the opportunity to continue the work the team has started. As a great number of doors were opened for relationships to be built, we hope to follow up with many of these students and lead them to an understanding as well as acceptance of Christ’s love.
As May proved to be an exciting month of outreaches, we simply ask that you join us in praying for the Japanese hearts that were divinely stirred. Please pray:
➢ That through the moving of the Lord’s hand in their spirits, the students we met will actively pursue and plug into both Waseda’s and Todai’s XA’s
➢ That the initial desire for fellowship will increase and the truth of God’s love will become more apparent
Please contact us!
Family 2-bankan 107
3-3-35 Soka
Soka City Saitama
340-0011 Japan
taylorsinjapan@gmail.com
Always,
Jeremy & Kathy
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
April Newsletter
To our Family, Friends, and Supporters,
In our previous letter, we talked about April being a month of new beginnings, and what a new month it has been! As university classes began, we also started our work with campus ministry. Thus far, Dokkyo University has been the campus we have worked with the most. We’ve discovered that it happens to be an exception to Japanese universities due to the fact that it is much more liberal in allowing religious clubs, such as their bible study, to form and gather on campus. During the first week of April, we assisted the Dokkyo Bible Study Club in passing out flyers and sharing their purpose with curious students who knew very little about Christianity or had never even heard of Jesus. Over the past month, we were able to hold English bible studies, lead worship as well as share personal testimonies at various functions with Christian and non-Christian college students. A couple weeks ago, Jeremy was given the opportunity to share a relevant and powerful message of hope and fulfillment at the Dokkyo Bible Study Club kickoff party. Here, many new students came interested in either knowing more about Christianity or simply learning more English. As many of the new students that attended were not Christians, it’s been a blessing to see their sustained interest in the club as they have continued to come to other functions and activities since then.
In addition to helping with Dokkyo University, we have also had the chance to begin assisting with the Chi Alpha fellowships at two of the most influential and illustrious colleges in Japan - Waseda University and Tokyo University (also known as Todai). The work on these campuses has proven to be much more challenging as it requires much more patience and prayer with the fairly small number of Christians on both campuses. And, among these few believers, being outspoken about your faith and fellowshipping with other Christians is not very popular or something to be emulated. Hence, there are many strongholds to be broken in the hearts and minds of both non-Christians and Christians at these colleges. And, it is our objective to not only be Christ’s ambassadors but model it as well.
Furthermore, to expand our knowledge of Japanese, we enrolled in a community language class. Surprisingly, this class has served a greater purpose than just helping us with the language barrier. Along with two other American missionaries from Riverside, we meet once a week for coffee and give some of the teachers and other participants of the Japanese class the chance to practice conversational English in an informal setting. What we call “coffee night” has been a wonderful bridge for building friendships, learning more about the culture, and, most importantly, sharing our faith. Although this process of presenting the gospel to the Japanese has been difficult and slow, the experience has already produced small but significant fruit. On a few occasions, several people have come to church for the first time ever as well as have expressed interest in learning more about Christianity.
April also marked the start of classes for Riverside International School (RIS). RIS classes and staff meetings generally make up our weekdays. Our students have a fairly basic foundation of English, but it can be challenging to teach a foreign language without knowing the native language! Jeremy currently teaches several high school students, while Kathy focuses on elementary children. In addition to their normal subjects, the students have Chapel time every morning, where they learn the Bible, worship and pray together. It has been great having the freedom to pray and worship with our students as well as see them develop into strong men and women of God.
As our time here is still in it’s early stages, please continue to partner with us in prayer for:
➢ The various universities we are working on and the students we are interacting with at Dokkyo, Waseda and Todai: that the Christians on these campuses will be emboldened by the Holy Spirit as well as feel the burden to reach their fellow students for Christ and that many non-Christians will give their hearts to God.
➢ Our “Coffee House” nights with the new Japanese friends we have made: that we will be able to develop stronger bonds with them despite the language barrier and that their hearts will be stirred and opened to the gospel.
Finally, because of your prayerful and generous support, together we will see Japan truly become the land of the rising Son!
Always,
Jeremy & Kathy
Please contact us!
Family 2-bankan 107
3-3-35 Soka
Soka City Saitama
340-0011 Japan
taylorsinjapan@gmail.com
In our previous letter, we talked about April being a month of new beginnings, and what a new month it has been! As university classes began, we also started our work with campus ministry. Thus far, Dokkyo University has been the campus we have worked with the most. We’ve discovered that it happens to be an exception to Japanese universities due to the fact that it is much more liberal in allowing religious clubs, such as their bible study, to form and gather on campus. During the first week of April, we assisted the Dokkyo Bible Study Club in passing out flyers and sharing their purpose with curious students who knew very little about Christianity or had never even heard of Jesus. Over the past month, we were able to hold English bible studies, lead worship as well as share personal testimonies at various functions with Christian and non-Christian college students. A couple weeks ago, Jeremy was given the opportunity to share a relevant and powerful message of hope and fulfillment at the Dokkyo Bible Study Club kickoff party. Here, many new students came interested in either knowing more about Christianity or simply learning more English. As many of the new students that attended were not Christians, it’s been a blessing to see their sustained interest in the club as they have continued to come to other functions and activities since then.
In addition to helping with Dokkyo University, we have also had the chance to begin assisting with the Chi Alpha fellowships at two of the most influential and illustrious colleges in Japan - Waseda University and Tokyo University (also known as Todai). The work on these campuses has proven to be much more challenging as it requires much more patience and prayer with the fairly small number of Christians on both campuses. And, among these few believers, being outspoken about your faith and fellowshipping with other Christians is not very popular or something to be emulated. Hence, there are many strongholds to be broken in the hearts and minds of both non-Christians and Christians at these colleges. And, it is our objective to not only be Christ’s ambassadors but model it as well.
Furthermore, to expand our knowledge of Japanese, we enrolled in a community language class. Surprisingly, this class has served a greater purpose than just helping us with the language barrier. Along with two other American missionaries from Riverside, we meet once a week for coffee and give some of the teachers and other participants of the Japanese class the chance to practice conversational English in an informal setting. What we call “coffee night” has been a wonderful bridge for building friendships, learning more about the culture, and, most importantly, sharing our faith. Although this process of presenting the gospel to the Japanese has been difficult and slow, the experience has already produced small but significant fruit. On a few occasions, several people have come to church for the first time ever as well as have expressed interest in learning more about Christianity.
April also marked the start of classes for Riverside International School (RIS). RIS classes and staff meetings generally make up our weekdays. Our students have a fairly basic foundation of English, but it can be challenging to teach a foreign language without knowing the native language! Jeremy currently teaches several high school students, while Kathy focuses on elementary children. In addition to their normal subjects, the students have Chapel time every morning, where they learn the Bible, worship and pray together. It has been great having the freedom to pray and worship with our students as well as see them develop into strong men and women of God.
As our time here is still in it’s early stages, please continue to partner with us in prayer for:
➢ The various universities we are working on and the students we are interacting with at Dokkyo, Waseda and Todai: that the Christians on these campuses will be emboldened by the Holy Spirit as well as feel the burden to reach their fellow students for Christ and that many non-Christians will give their hearts to God.
➢ Our “Coffee House” nights with the new Japanese friends we have made: that we will be able to develop stronger bonds with them despite the language barrier and that their hearts will be stirred and opened to the gospel.
Finally, because of your prayerful and generous support, together we will see Japan truly become the land of the rising Son!
Always,
Jeremy & Kathy
Please contact us!
Family 2-bankan 107
3-3-35 Soka
Soka City Saitama
340-0011 Japan
taylorsinjapan@gmail.com
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Pictures!
Many people have been asking about pictures so here they are! Just copy the link below and find the Japan Album at the bottom.
http://taylors.fotki.com
http://taylors.fotki.com
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
March Newsletter
To Our Family, Friends, and Supporters:
After a long 14-hour flight from Washington DC, we have finally arrived in Tokyo, Japan! Actually, the precise address of where we live is Soka City, which is about 45 minutes north of Tokyo by train. We have moved into our apartment -which is not that small by Japanese standards, so we feel very blessed with our living arrangements. In fact, our apartment is a 5-minute walk to Dokkyo University, where we will be working with a small but growing group of students who desire to meet weekly to hear an English Bible study as well as join in prayer.
The conclusion of March and introduction of April is a special time in Japan because it marks a season of new beginnings. With Cherry Blossoms blooming, a new semester of school starting, and college graduates being accepted and introduced to the rigid Japanese workforce, many people use this time to reflect on the recent past and to look forward to the new things facing them in the year to come. The Cherry Blossom itself is more than a beautiful tree to the Japanese because it represents the fragility of life and how quickly it can pass.
In our short time in this nation, we have already found that an appreciation for life is a necessity, where time seems to move just a little bit faster. Since arriving on March 16, our schedules have been filled with meetings at Riverside Chapel, Japanese language classes, English conversation groups and Chi Alpha preparations. From the onset, we were immediately given the responsibility to lead worship during Riverside Chapel’s English-speaking service on Sunday afternoons -which comprises of a surprising number of Africans, mainly from Ghana and Nigeria. Thus, Sundays are fairly busy for us as we attend the main Japanese-speaking service in the morning, the English-speaking service in the afternoon and then a young adult service in the evenings called Youth Alive. We especially enjoy working with Youth Alive as they are mainly Japanese college students and young adults of the church.
Thankfully, we believe that we are adjusting well to this completely new culture, and we certainly have been enjoying our time here thus far. We are also excited to get our schedules for the Riverside International and English school and to begin teaching English for the upcoming semester that commences on April 10th. In our journey, please continue to pray that:
➢ The language barrier will only grow smaller as we interact and desire to build deeper relationships with both the many Christian and non-Christian Japanese we have already met and will continue to meet
➢ The Lord will protect our physical health daily while we are away in a foreign country
➢ The Lord will give us patience, strength, as well as innovative ideas in order to teach and develop the worship team of the English-speaking service
In closing, we cannot express how grateful we are for the financial and spiritual support that has been given to us. Each individual person and family that is supporting us is vital for fulfilling the mission of bringing the hope of Jesus Christ to Japan!
Always,
Jeremy & Kathy Taylor
After a long 14-hour flight from Washington DC, we have finally arrived in Tokyo, Japan! Actually, the precise address of where we live is Soka City, which is about 45 minutes north of Tokyo by train. We have moved into our apartment -which is not that small by Japanese standards, so we feel very blessed with our living arrangements. In fact, our apartment is a 5-minute walk to Dokkyo University, where we will be working with a small but growing group of students who desire to meet weekly to hear an English Bible study as well as join in prayer.
The conclusion of March and introduction of April is a special time in Japan because it marks a season of new beginnings. With Cherry Blossoms blooming, a new semester of school starting, and college graduates being accepted and introduced to the rigid Japanese workforce, many people use this time to reflect on the recent past and to look forward to the new things facing them in the year to come. The Cherry Blossom itself is more than a beautiful tree to the Japanese because it represents the fragility of life and how quickly it can pass.
In our short time in this nation, we have already found that an appreciation for life is a necessity, where time seems to move just a little bit faster. Since arriving on March 16, our schedules have been filled with meetings at Riverside Chapel, Japanese language classes, English conversation groups and Chi Alpha preparations. From the onset, we were immediately given the responsibility to lead worship during Riverside Chapel’s English-speaking service on Sunday afternoons -which comprises of a surprising number of Africans, mainly from Ghana and Nigeria. Thus, Sundays are fairly busy for us as we attend the main Japanese-speaking service in the morning, the English-speaking service in the afternoon and then a young adult service in the evenings called Youth Alive. We especially enjoy working with Youth Alive as they are mainly Japanese college students and young adults of the church.
Thankfully, we believe that we are adjusting well to this completely new culture, and we certainly have been enjoying our time here thus far. We are also excited to get our schedules for the Riverside International and English school and to begin teaching English for the upcoming semester that commences on April 10th. In our journey, please continue to pray that:
➢ The language barrier will only grow smaller as we interact and desire to build deeper relationships with both the many Christian and non-Christian Japanese we have already met and will continue to meet
➢ The Lord will protect our physical health daily while we are away in a foreign country
➢ The Lord will give us patience, strength, as well as innovative ideas in order to teach and develop the worship team of the English-speaking service
In closing, we cannot express how grateful we are for the financial and spiritual support that has been given to us. Each individual person and family that is supporting us is vital for fulfilling the mission of bringing the hope of Jesus Christ to Japan!
Always,
Jeremy & Kathy Taylor
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