JGPNetwork

Dear Praying Friends:

God answered prayer in a wonderful way during our visit to Okinawa last week. Thank you for praying. Mr. Migu was waiting to hear about how to start house churches!! After our initial meeting with him, Tak met with him again for almost five hours for discipleship and training. By the time we arrived home Friday evening, he was calling to say that eight of his family members were getting together with him and his wife on Sunday evening to worship and talk about house church. They met and God blessed. Pray for Mr and Mrs. Migu as they open their home and hearts and reach out to others in Okinawa with the gospel. Pray that several groups will start soon and many will come to Christ. Pray for Tak as he trains him long distance.

Several weeks ago, Mr. Do, for whom you have prayed, found out that he has stomach cancer. Pray that this man who openly claims that he worships the creation as his god will trust Christ as his Savior. He is a farmer and loves to work in the soil. Pray that his heart will become good soil to receive the gospel message. Pray that the Christians can minister to him and have open doors to share the gospel with him as they pray and minister to this family.

U-kun’s mom forbids him to come to children’s worship because he prayed to receive Christ. So, Ko, ( both boys are 8 years old) teaches the Bible stories he learns to U-kun. Now U-kun’s older brother wants to come to worship. His mother told him he can come if he doesn’t pray (to receive Christ). Pray that U-kun can come to worship and that his brother and mother will believe and all three can be baptized together. Ko and U-kun are praying together!! Join them!!!

This week during leader training, the leaders testified that they are thankful for the trials that have come into their lives!! Wow!! They see God working in their lives, building their character and faith. He answers their prayers and they pray boldly and expectantly. They experience miracles in their lives. They faithfully witness of God’s grace in times of trouble. The Japanese listen in wonder because they can’t understand how Christians can have joy and peace and hope in the midst of trials. Pray for guidance the Christians to grow and for the church to be the church to one another.

Please visit the Photo Journal and see the pictures of the Tennessee Team from Calvary.

Claiming His promises for His glory,
Lana and Tak Oue

Dear Praying Friends:

We wish you a belated Happy New Year!! As we look back with thanksgiving to what God did in 2004 and anticipate what He is going to do in 2005, we are excited. Our New Year started in Alabama celebrating Christmas with our two sons and their families. We missed New Year’s in Japan but it was wonderful to have our family together, to play with grandkids and kids. God is so gracious.

We celebrated Christmas in Japan with our Hatagaya church on December 23, caroling at a shopping street as we gave out over 500 digest Bibles, 500 CD’s, tracts, New Testaments and gifts. Then on Christmas Eve, we celebrated Christ’s birth in Togane where the children presented the Christmas story using puppets. Ko’s friend, U-kun, who had been attending children’s worship, trusted Christ. A couple of the mom’s presented the gospel to him during the fellowship time. He has not been able to come back to the children’s worship because of his mother opposition. Ask God to protect this little boy’s faith and help Ko disciple and encourage his friend.

The three newspaper salesmen who were saved in the fall, brought a friend, Mr. Na, to worship on the 27th and he prayed to receive Christ. These men are working seven days a week and delay going to work in order to attend worship. Ask God to work so they can have a day off for worship and rest. Pray for them to keep their priorities in order, to have a time and place to worship the Lord daily, individually, as well as worship with the body of Christ. Pray Col. 1:9-11 for them. On December 29, they brought a lady to worship and she prayed to receive Christ. Pray for Mrs. Naga to grow in the Lord and. have a desire to witness to family and friends, for a church to be started in Shirako, the town where she lives that has no church. If you are wondering about the dates above, we have worship several days a week at several different places so more people have the opportunity to attend.

From January 17 we will be going with Mrs. Ima to Okinawa to have a time of training, worship and fellowship with the group we met last year. Some are Christian, others are not yet. Thank you to those of you who have already been praying for this time. Please pray that we will have opportunities to present the gospel personally to those who are not yet saved, and that they will respond to the Holy Spirit. Pray for us as we meet with the pastors and staff of the English language churches. Pray that through our time together we will discover how God wants us to partner together to take the gospel to all of the islands in Okinawa prefecture, to the southern tip of Kyushu Island, and to the areas in the Kanto region where we are presently working.

We just received the name of a lady in Shizuoka Prefecture about three hours southwest of Tokyo. She wants to know Jesus. We are sending her a Bible and will go to share the gospel with her on February 1. Pray that her heart will be prepared to hear the gospel message and that she will respond to Christ’s invitation to be her Savior. Pray for her husband and three sons to be saved and for a church to be birthed in Fujidera City.

Thank you all for praying with us and for us. You are a vital part of God’s work in Japan and we count on your prayers!!!!

Claiming His Promises for His Glory,

Tak and Lana