Archive for February, 2004

Experiencing God’s Blessings

Saturday, February 28th, 2004

Dear praying friends:

Wednesday we all sat around the table and shared Scripture verses with Mrs. Ma who had just followed the Lord in baptism. I sat in awe as they shared verses from their hearts. The have grown so much in the Lord this year and their numbers have multiplied too. Since the beginning of last year, believers have shared the gospel with their friends and family and over twenty people have accepted Christ!! Praise the Lord. Yesterday, Mrs. Wa, a neighbor of Mrs. Sa trusted Christ. She will be baptized next Wednesday!! Pray for Mrs. Wa as well as each believer to become a multiplying disciple. Pray the day will come when not one but thousands of Japanese will come to Christ each week!!

Pray for the believers to BE THE CHURCH to one another and in the world, to deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow Christ. (Luke 9:23) This is the first verse they memorize as they study the Disciple’s Cross and put into practice the disciplines that will help them become a disciple of Christ. Also, pray for us to live this verse as we disciple them.

Claiming His Promises For His Glory,
Tak and Lana

Old Things Become New

Friday, February 20th, 2004

Dear Praying Friends:

I know this is early but we wanted to share a praise as well as two requests. Thank you for being part of God’s work here.

Yesterday Mrs. Sh invited Mrs. M over to her house to visit and “look” at some clothes. As they visited, she witnessed to Mrs. M who accepted Christ as her Savior. Ask God to strengthen Mrs. M’s faith so she can overcome her fear of telling her family that she has become a Christian. Pray for Mrs. Sh as she disciples her friend. Praise the Lord that Mrs. Sh who has been faithfully witnessing to and praying for many of her friends now has a new sister in Christ. God honored her consistent faithful witness.

Several weeks ago we ask you to pray for Mrs. Y. She had a low grade fever for several weeks. Now she has learned she is pregnant. Since she had a fever for several weeks she is concerned for the health of the baby and asks the CHURCH to pray. Ask God to strengthen the faith of this babe in Christ and protect her and the baby. She knows we send out prayer request and asked that you PRAY. That is a great comfort to her because she has experienced answers to your prayers.

Mr. and Mrs. T. have heard the gospel over and over. Mr. T is fighting a spiritual battle within himself and wept this week as he heard it yet again. He advises others to turn their lives over to Christ, but can’t seem to make that decision himself. Pray that those barriers around his heart and mind that keep him from accepting Christ will crumble and that he will take that step of faith and trust Christ.

For His Glory,
Lana and Tak

Spreading Out

Saturday, February 14th, 2004

Dear Praying Friends:

On February 16 and 17 Mrs. Now (not real name) will go to the city of Oita on the island of Kyushu to meet with her sister and friends. Our vision and prayer is thatthis will be the beginning of many house churches. Pray that as she shares about starting a house church that the Christians present will catch the vision. Pray she will be able to share the gospel clearly with the lost and that they will respond as the Holy Spirit’s speaks to their hearts. Pray that God will raise up believers with a desire to become multiplying disciples.

Thank you for praying for Mr. Sato to be able to come to worship. God answered your prayers in a wonderful way. He was able to attend worship the very next day after we sent out the request and has been there each time since. Tak has been discipling him on the phone in the evening and today they were meet together. In the closing prayer, Mr. Sato prayed for his friend, Mr. Na. whom he was going to visit later in the day. Pray that Mr. Sato will be able to witness to Mr. Na and lead him to the Lord.

Mr. Yo is growing each week and is faithfully attending worship. Pray for him as he is discipled that he will be obedient to the Holy Spirit and put into practice what he learns. Continue to pray that God will use him to reach the young men in the company dormitory where he lives and that a church will start there.

Monday we have leadership training. Pray for us as we train the leaders. Pray for the leaders to have wisdom and be faithful to pass along what they learn and be diligent in discipling the new Christians. There are several Christians that have not grown to the point of becoming a reproducing disciple Pray that they will become obedient disciples that reproduce.

Praise the Lord for Mrs. Koma who reads her Bible each night and says she now believes in Jesus and wants to share her faith with her adult children. Pray she will take a bold stand for Christ. She thinks her husband who is dying of cancer will not be interested because he is too tied to ancestor worship. Pray she will be able to witness to him and that he will be saved. Pray with us that he will be healed miraculously and that thousands will come to faith in Christ and churches will be started all through that town and prefecture.

Claiming His Promises For His Glory,
Lana and Tak