« Young People with a Heart for Christ | Main | More Glimpses »
Golden Week
By jpnnana | May 3, 2005
Dear Praying Friends:
This is “Golden Week” in Japan, so called because several holidays in this one week allow people a lengthy time off from work and school. During this time, the Japanese travel across Japan and around the world taking advantage of this “golden” time off. Pray that the Christians will take advantage of this time also, visiting, witnessing, listening, and opening their homes and hearts to their lost friends and families.
May 5th is Children’s day. For most of May as we drive through the country side, we will see the “Carp” that flutter in the wind (see picture below). These windsock type carp are flown as a sign that the parents are praying for their sons to become strong like carp, being able to swim upstream against the current. Unfortunately, today most Japanese can’t seem to “swim upstream”, to overcome the burdens of life or the spiritual darkness that surrounds them. Suicide rates are up. School dropouts are increasing. Many have lost hope and given up. Pray that will have an opportunity to hear the gospel and that they will turn to Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to break up the hard soil of their hearts, tear down the spiritual strongholds that bind them. Pray they will experience the Abundant Life that only He can give.
Pray for Atsu, Kei and Hi. Kei has just lost her mother and is looking for answers to her questions about life and death. Hi’s parents are both in bad health and he has many “why’s” as he takes responsibility for their care. All three of these young people are in their twenties and looking for meaning in life, for answers to their questions. Pray they will find that Christ is the answer to their problems. Pray for their salvation and for the salvation of their families. Pray for us as we try to share the gospel with them this week.
On Sunday night, we met two clowns, R and G, who have traveled around the world teaching and performing. In their travels, they have met Christians. R especially seems eager to know more about Christ and thinks our meeting is of God. During dinner on Sunday we were able to share our testimonies and present the gospel to them. Pray that those seeds will bear fruit and that we will have other opportunities to share with them. They will go to Singapore for a month of classes and performances in September. Ask God to send Christians to witness to them. Pray that they will open their hearts to Jesus and become clowns that share the gospel.
Claiming His promises for His Glory,
Tak and Lana
Topics: Prayer Updates |