JGPNetwork

Dear Prayer Partners:

Thank you for praying for the eight year old girl we mentioned in our last update. Your prayers were answered. On Monday we witnessed Mi chan follow the Lord in baptism at Mrs. Sa’s house in the ofuro. It was a time of rejoicing. The Christians encouraged her with promises from I John and had a celebration lunch together. We are taking seriously the part of Acts 2.42 where it says they ate together!!

“Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep”. On Wednesday at worship as we sang and prayed, Mrs. M kept wiping the tears from her eyes. When I asked her what was wrong, she blurted out, “Mrs. Oka died yesterday and she hadn’t trusted Christ yet.” Mrs. M and Mrs. Yo (you have been praying for Mrs. Yo and her family) had witnessed to Mrs. Oka but she said she was not ready to believe although she had gone to church as a child and thought that perhaps she believed the Bible at that time. As the Christians heard the news, they wept as they ask “What? Why? How? She was only 39 years old!!!” Shock was on all their faces and they wept as they prayed, praying for the family, for each other, for God to give more compassion for reaching the lost with the gospel, to have a sense of urgency, to trust Him more and be more obedient.

Join them in praying for Dr. Oka and his three children as they grieve and adjust to life without Mrs. Oka. She was not only wife and mother but a nurse and partner, working daily in the clinic with Dr. Oka. Pray that this family will be open to the gospel and be saved. Pray for these two heartbroken ladies as well, that their faith will be strong and that they will have an even greater sense of urgency to share the gospel, with the Oka family and their own families as well.

A team from Calvary Baptist Church in Jackson, Tennessee is due to arrive in Japan the first week in June to work with the Japan Gospel Penetration Network, to prayer walk, distribute literature, visit, witness, lead a seminar, etc. Pray for them as they prepare: their minds, their hearts, and their bodies. We’ll be doing a lot of walking. Pray that God will direct the schedule each day. Ask God to use this team to pray down the strongholds of Satan and break down barriers to enable us to enter new areas sow the seeds of the gospel and reach the lost.

The door seems to the opening for a simple church start in Hiratuska, about an hour south of Tokyo. The T family wants to reach their neighbors and friends and is willing to open their home. Next Tuesday, May 25, we will be visiting another family in Matsudo with Mrs. Ima. They want to start a house church in their home. Pray that these two homes will be the beginning of many churches planted in these two cities. Pray the light of Christ will shine in those neighborhoods and that reproducing disciples will be birthed and nurtured.

Mrs. Ike, who had only been saved a little over a week, moved to Imaichi, about two hours north of Tokyo to a small town where there is no church. She will live with her parents who are strong Buddhist. They do not like Christianity. Pray for this new babe in Christ to be connected to the True Vine as she lives in a place that is hostile to her faith. Pray she will experience Christ’s presence in her life each day. Also, pray that God will show us how to disciple her long distance. We don’t know any other Christians in that town.

So much to be thankful for, so much to pray for!!! How thankful we are to each of you who write and let us know you are praying. We also thank each of you who share the request with even more people to expand our prayer network. We see the power of prayer daily as you pray. Thank you so much.

Claiming His promises for His glory,
Lana and Tak

Dear Praying Friends:

We see changes in lives of people as Christians continue to share the gospel. Mrs. Tam trusted Christ last week as Mrs. Sa witnessed to her and the church reached out to minister to her family in a time of need. However, her husband has told her not to come to worship and she is afraid to tell her husband that she has become a Christian. Pray for her to boldly follow Christ in spite of this opposition.

Mrs. Maru was saved and baptized a couple of months ago. Last week, her 8 year old daughter asked her if she could become a Christian. Her mother talked with her and found that she is being bullied at school. Pray that this third grade girl who wants to be saved and baptized will truly know Christ as her Savior and experience his protection and grace each day as she goes to school.

Thank you for your continued prayers for the Yo family. Praise the Lord. I believe they had worship together as a family for the first time this past weekend! Pray they will worship the Lord daily. Praise the Lord for this family growing in Christ. The youngest son who is seven is indicating that he wants to trust Christ too. Pray that he will be able to comprehend God’s gift of salvation and receive it.

As many of you know “The Passion” opened in theaters in Japan on May 1. Originally it was scheduled for one theater but is being shown in 146 theaters across the country. Although theaters in Tokyo have been full, the crowds in Mobara City near Togane have been slim. Mrs. Shi went last week and took her husband and two adult daughters who are not yet Christians There were only a few people there in the afternoon. On the way to the theater the husband said he would “take a nap” during the movie, but he not only watched the entire movie but afterwards asked about why Jesus died for us. Mrs. Shi was able to share the gospel with him and her daughters. Please pray for them to be saved.

E took Ki, Mo, and Shiro Monday to see the movie in Mobara near Togane. Today five other Christians including Mrs. Tam went to see it and took Mrs. Sai who is not a Christian with them. Pray that the Holy Spirit will work in Mrs. Tam and Mrs. Sai’s heart. Pray that God will use this as a means to sow seeds of the gospel in the hearts of thousands in Chiba and tens of thousands across Japan. Through this film people who would never come to church can have a glimpse of how much God loves them.

Every Home for Christ has produced a great tract that our members are passing out to friends, neighbors and also to folks who attend the movie. Both times the crowds in Mobara were slim but the ladies gave away about a hundred tracts today. Pray they will read this gospel presentation and pray to receive Christ.

God has led us to two new couples. One couple is in their 70’s and the other just got married! Both will be coming to Hatagaya. Please pray for the Christians at Hatagaya Church to reach out to these couples and that they will be saved.

Mrs. Ko, Mrs. Ka, and Mrs. Sa who are struggling in their walk with the Lord need you prayers that their faith will be revived, that they will grow in the Lord and become reproducing disciples of Christ.

Another change is the name of our website. We are now www.JGPNetwork.org. This is to keep our site name in line with our new organizational changes. Sorry for the name change so soon after introducing it to you. This name should remain unchanged for a while!!! Visit our photo journal; it’s new!! You will enjoy seeing the Togane church, Chiba area, teams that have come, etc. Also, take the virtual prayer walk, even if you’ve gone once, go again!! You will be blessed as you pray.

Claiming His Promises for His Glory,
Tak and Lana