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There is much surrounding us that can cause us to get disheartened, but we also have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus. I was reminded of that through the Lent and Easter season. I saw hope during our Easter combined service with Kongo Bible Church and Komyo Christian Church as the two churches did a great job of participating together. It was also great to see the youth get involved with providing for the children’s time and leading in song.
The Easter story drawn by the youth.
There have also been many signs of living hope in the lives of the women I meet up with on a regular basis. Some women are truly eager to care for others in their circle and reach out to their unbelieving friends. One is trying to minister to the next-door neighbor of the church and his teenage son that is mourning the death of wife and mother. Another woman encouraged others in her church to invite a seeker to watch a Christian-based movie together. One pastor’s wife asked me to provide a prayer plan for Lent that she could follow during the Holy Week leading up to Easter. She and many others expressed that they were able to have a meaningful devotional time meditating on Jesus’ last days leading up to the Cross. I am encouraged by the desire these women have to be more Christ-like.
Brochures were given to all the JBC churches.
Shan Reed and I worked on a brochure explaining the Ladies Seminars we are wanting to facilitate in the churches. We are excited to plan for our next seminar in the Aichi region on June 25. Please pray with us that the women would benefit spiritually through this seminar and feel excited for the next.
The Japan Evangelical Association Women’s Commission held an online Zoom event on the topic of students who refuse to go to school. There are around 200,000 students in Japan who are in this category. It is a big problem for many schools and families. The speaker is a pastor’s wife who also has personal experience with her own children regarding this topic and also works as a teacher/counselor to help these students adapt and go back to school eventually. Many pressures placed on children to do well in school, bullying, and other various reasons cause children to have so much anxiety they refuse to go to school. I learned Japan is trying to deal with this situation by providing special classrooms and schools for these struggling students. I am not sure I agree with all the methods, but it is good that these kinds of topics are being discussed and drawn attention to in the Christian community.
Lastly, I am grateful to you who pray for God’s Kingdom to expand and bring living hope.
Blessings,
Yuri Nakano
Japan: Shinhinoodai 2-Cho 2-5-613, Minami-Ku, Sakai-Shi, Osaka-Fu, Japan 590-0143