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