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Celebrating!
By jpnnana | August 29, 2004
Dear Prayer Partners:
August was a month of celebration for the Oue family as well as our team member Emiko. Let me tell you about it.
Birthdays for Tak, our elder son, Richard, his wife, Renae, and then the birth of our newest grandson, Stephen, on August 20 made August a month of celebration. We counted our many blessings!!! On this day thirty four years ago when Richard was born, we did not envision that we would be serving the Lord in Japan together. We thank God for answering our prayer for our children to grow up to serve the Lord. Many of you prayed for them too. Thank you!! We’re praying already for our grandsons to know the Lord and grow up to faithfully serve Him. We pray that all the missionary children who are growing up in today’s tough world will trust Christ while they are young and grow up to be multiplying disciples who bring glory to Him!! Pray with us.
Papa and Stephen
Happy Family of Four
August was also a celebration time for team member, Emiko, as her son professed Christ publicly and was baptized. The ocean was rough and the caution flags covered most of the beach on Monday but there was one spot where we could go in the water, at least up to our knees, the lifeguard said. After we sang praises to the Lord, E, Tak, and C-kun, pushed their way through the incoming waves “up to their knees” and C followed the Lord in baptism. An unexpected wave rolled in and wet some of us watching “up to our knees” as well. Afterwards, we sat on the floor around low tables at the shanty beach restaurant, shared verses of scripture to encourage C-kun, ate noodles and curry rice and had a time of fellowship together. What a blessing to see many of the Christians share verses from memory!! Pray for C-kun to grow in his relationship with Christ and become a faithful and bold witness for Him.
Following the Lord in Baptism
Twenty years ago, Mrs. K, had an illness that left her unable to speak, walk, or control the movements of her body. For ten years she was moved from hospital to hospital. Then her husband, “accidentally” met Mrs. Ima, who took Mrs.. K to live at her group home. For ten years the staff cared for her and the Christians witnessed to her. This past spring she trusted Christ as her Savior. In June she was baptized. Her physical condition didn’t change but the joy in her face reflected the change in her heart!!! The bitterness over her condition that had filled her heart for many years was taken away. She was a different person!!! On August 27, Mrs.. K left her crippled body that she lived in these last 20 years and went home to be with the Lord. Now she is whole; she can sing, praise the Lord, walk, run! Though neither her husband nor anyone else in the family are Christian, her husband wanted to have a Christian funeral. Tak presented the gospel during two services as he shared with the family that Mrs. K was now whole and singing praises to God in heaven. He shared about God’s love and Christ’s death and resurrection and how Mrs. K had eternal life because Jesus is her Savior. Pray for the husband and the 23 year old daughter to believe and be saved.
Pray for strong Christian families who will raise their children to love the Lord and set the example for following generations of Christians. Pray for fathers to love the Lord with all their heart, soul mind and strength. Pray for mothers to be godly praying and loving. Pray for the Christian children to have an unwavering abiding faith as they face struggles, temptations and even criticism at school. Pray especially for Haru and Kyo to be saved, and for Kasu to be baptized.
Praying and Praising Him,
Tak and Lana
Eph. 3:20,21
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