JGPNetwork

Dear praying friends,

Today, the northwest part of Kyushu Island was rocked by a strong earthquake, almost four hundred were injured. All of our personnel and fellow workers are safe. As we watched the news and saw glass fall like rain from office buildings onto the sidewalks in central Fukuoka City, we prayed that God would rain down his Spirit on that island, that people would realize He is the Creator, God. Pray for our personnel there as they seek ways to share about Jesus’ love and minister to those who are hurting.

The parable of the seed in Matthew 13 gives us examples of four types of soil. One of those represents those who receive the gospel, are excited but because their roots are not deep, fall away from their faith. There are several men and women who received the word, trusted Christ, but have not made following Him and making Him Lord the priority in their lives. Please pray that these Christians who have started their walk with the Lord will be faithful and grow in Him, rejoice in His presence and shine as lights to the lost Japanese.

Because of financial needs, some of the wives have had to start working. As they try to balance caring for children, working, walking with the Lord, serving in the church, witnessing to the lost, these new Christians are being tested in their faith. Pray that they will not only remain steadfast as trials come, but that they will also grow deeper in the Lord. Let me share a testimony we heard at our training meeting last week. Mrs. Yo said, “At our last meeting, we studied about stewardship. I wanted to give an offering to the church, but I thought to myself, ‘If I give an offering, I will not have any money to buy milk for my baby’. But, after we read Malachi, I decided to “test” the Lord. I gave the offering and left the meeting. After the meeting I took my baby to get a vaccination. There I met a lady who was nursing her baby who said she had bought powdered milk for her baby but she didn’t need it, and she wondered if I could use it. I said yes to her and thank you to God. God gave me milk for my baby! It was enough for more than a week, in fact, enough for several weeks.” We praise God for answered prayer in this young Christian’s life. Pray they will trust God in all areas of their lives.

This past Wednesday as we sat across from each other on the straw mat floor, N-san began her new life in Christ, praying to accept Him as her Savior. Pray for her spiritual growth as well as for direction about the next step she should take regarding a job, further education, and marriage. Pray that she will make Jesus Lord each day and experience the joy of knowing Christ both as her Savior and her Lord.

On March 24, I (Lana) will be going to Kagoshima City in south Kyushu. I will visit Su-san and her mother before attending a JET retreat in Miyakonojo. I meet with Mrs. Ta and some on her friends on this Sunday the 27th, Resurrection Sunday!!! Pray for an opportunity to share the gospel with each of these ladies. Pray they will see their sin and their need for forgiveness, accept Christ’s wonderful gift of salvation and grow in a personal relationship with Him, spreading the gospel message in Kagoshima City and across the island of Kyushu.

Claiming His Promises for His Glory,
Tak and Lana

Dear Praying Friends:

Thank you to all of you who have prayed for the salvation of E’s father. He passed away on February 21 without accepting Christ, as far as we know. Please pray for E and her family as they grieve. Pray that E will continue to be the faithful, bold witness that she has been. Pray for emotional, physical and spiritual strength and for her faith and trust to increase daily. Pray for the church to “be the church” to her, ministering to her needs. God worked in many situations during the week of the funeral to provide her needs and open doors for her. We praise Him for that evidence of His power and love to her!!

Thank you for praying for Mrs. K from Toyosaka whose husband died. Since Toyosaka is 5 hours by car from Tokyo, we have not been not able to visit her, but have been calling frequently to pray with her. However, God had something else in mind. Since we couldn’t go to her, He brought her to us!! This week she had to come to Tokyo for unexpected business. We met, had great fellowship together, and talked about what God is doing and wants to do in and through us and their family. Tak was also able to present the gospel to the Japanese friend who drove her to Tokyo!! Pray for the salvation of this friend who lives in another town as well as the salvation of the people near her home.

We’ve been mailing out Digest Bibles and Manga Bibles to JETs (Japan English Teachers) that we met at the retreat in February. PTL! They are giving them to their Japanese friends. Pray they’ll ask for more! Some are sharing their testimonies with their friends and putting feet to their prayers. Some are going on prayer walks. There is another JET retreat in Kyushu on March 25-27. Please pray for us to make more contacts with who are willing to be used by God to share the Gospel with the Japanese.

On February 25, we visited Mrs. Hoke in Shizuoka and shared the plan of salvation with her. She acknowledges that she is a sinner. She wants her sins forgiven. Her question is ” How could Christ die for me two thousand years ago when I wasn’t even born!!! Pray that as she reads the Bible and the Holy Spirit speaks to her heart, she will be able to believe that Christ’s death paid the price for her sin once and for all and that He is alive today, loving her and forgiving her.

Mr. Haya will hear the gospel this week. Pray for him to accept Christ when he hears. He is elderly and is in grief. Also, pray for others that are witnessed to by the Christians to have open hearts to God’s message of salvation.

Claiming His Promises for His Glory!!
Tak and Lana