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Today we are in Okinawa. The sky is sunny and blue as the rainy season ends. We have been here for four days working with the church that meets at the Miku house. It was great to fellowship, pray, worship, and go out to visit. Mr. and Mrs. Miku have a new baby and next month she will begin work again. They are a very busy young couple with two small children. Pray for them as they balance their personal walk with the Lord, family time, witnessing and discipleship time as well as the opening their home for worship time. Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill them and guide them each day. Pray for victory in each area of their life.

Pray for the Yo family as Mr. Yo has left his family and they don’t know where he is. Pray for Mrs.Yo’s faith to be strong. Ask God to give her peace and assurance of his provision and protection. Also, pray for God to protect the children from worry and surround them with his loving arms. Ask God to provide all their needs.

Next Monday, Kei will be baptized. Mr. Su who is not yet a Christian but is searching for the truth, had planned a trip for that day. However, he has not been well and has cancelled. We are sorry he has been sick but are thrilled that he will be able to be at the baptism. Pray for him to decide to follow Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Also, pray for Kei’s mom and her friend, Y, who are not Christians but will be there also.

Pray for HT as she disciples Ka, a new believer. Pray for HT to have wisdom and discernment and know how minister to Ka. Pray she will be able to show her love as she models being an obedient disciple, a caring friend, and sister in Christ.

Pray for the Christians in Izumi, Niigata, Togane, Sapporo and Okinawa that they will not fear man, but will always be prepared to give the reason for the hope that they have in Christ. Pray for them to be salt and light in those dark places.

Claiming His promises for His glory,
Tak and Lana

We just received the final report of the Lottie Moon Christmas offering and wanted to say a Big Thank You!

Thank you for giving through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering to reach a lost world! We are excited to report that Southern Baptists gave a record amount – $137,939,677.59 – through the 2005 offering. Your faithful giving enables us and more than 5,100 colleagues to continue our work and to support new colleagues coming to join our efforts. Lives have been changed because of your giving. Last year we, along with our overseas partners, baptized more than 459,000 new believers and planted 17,000-plus churches. Also, 137 people groups had access to the Gospel for the first time. We are grateful for your faithfulness! Please continue to partner with us to complete the unfinished task.

Thank you for giving and praying and for those of you who come to help us reach the Japanese with the gospel.

Claiming His Promises,
Lana and Tak Oue

May has been an exciting month; from the very first week with discipleship in Niigata and opportunities to present the gospel to Mr. Ho and others. Then up to Hokkaido, where Lana had an opportunity to disciple Mrs. H. T. and another of our personnel. The very next Tuesday H.T led Mrs. KI to the Lord. Mrs .KI was baptized the following Sunday. Pray for this new fledgling church to grow and become many churches. Ask God to give H.T. boldness, discernment and wisdom in discipling this new babe in Christ.

We also traveled to Izumo on the Japan Sea to meet with two couples. We were able to talk with them about witnessing and discipleship. The Tuesday after we left, a young medical student, Hana, was saved. Pray for her to grow and to have a strong desire to read the Word. Medical students are very busy, but there are two medical doctors who are members of the church there. Three laymen are leading the work. Pray for them to be discerning, loving, and bold for the Lord.

Kei who has a worship at her cram school in Saitama decided to follow the Lord in baptism. She is sharing Christ with her friends. She watched the Passion with Yo who is now open to the Gospel. Pray for Yo, for Kei’s mother and sister, and Mr. Su to come to Christ.

Dr. O who is not a Christian has given permission for his son, Ta, to be baptized. He will be baptized the first Sunday in June. The first Friday in June, two young boys, Ka and Ha, who are brothers, were saved. Pray for these three elementary aged boys as they follow the Lord in baptism.

Please pray for the leaders of the churches in Togane to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and to be obedient to Him, to depend on His word and not look at customs or traditions, as they lead the church and seek to reach others. Join the leaders as they pray together for power, for God to perform miracles among the Japanese so they will know that He is the One and Only Living God.

Claiming His Promises for His Glory,
Tak and Lana Oue