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Dear Family and Friends,
Thank you for your partnership in the ministry here in Japan. Your prayers surely make a difference.
Thank you for praying for the Christmas events last year. The Kongo Bible Church tripled it’s usual attendance on Christmas day and the place was packed! The members of the church are seniors but this year we targeted the younger age group…the grandchildren of the members of the church. Ducky, my new puppet friend, had a great debut and all the children of all ages 
ranging from 3-80 years old enjoyed her. The members of the church are really praying for their family members and it was so encouraging for them to see their loved ones attending church with them. Please pray with us that we would be able to follow-up on this and continue to be able to reach out to them. Pray that the members will catch a vision for reaching out to the younger generation and that God would provide wisdom and a means to do this.
Another praise item is that the Talk Café that we had every other Wednesday afternoon has turned into a beginner’s bible class. Mr. O and Ms. Y who are seeking truth are wanting to learn the basics of Christianity. They are not ready to accept Christ and make a public declaration yet, but they are certainly eager to learn. Please pray with me for their salvation.
On February 7, we will have a ladies seminar on the topic of our identity in Christ at Komyo Christian Church. This is a continuation of a series of leadership seminars for women based on the theme of developing a discerning heart. Shan Reed and I will be teaching on this together. Our hope is that the ladies who attend will come away with the assurance of who they are in Christ and to be able to confidently share this with others.
Magnolia Baptist Church in Anaheim, CA, started up a homestay program, specifically targeting Japanese who love to learn English and want to experience an American homestay for a week. Keiko Yoshimura-Brand who heads this program desires to use this as a gospel seed sowing opportunity for non-believers to experience a Christian home and Christian community. The program includes attending worship services and learning about the Bible and American culture along with lots of sightseeing and fun events. The application process involves being connected with one of the Japanese churches so it also helps us in Japan to be able to follow-up on them. Through word of mouth, 4 ladies from the area have signed up and 3 of them are now attending an English class at Komyo Christian Church. Missionary Ken Johnson had an opportunity to encourage one of the ladies by praying for her. These small things lead to bigger things and so I am excited to see how God will work. Please pray with me that these 7 ladies that I will chaperone will truly meet Jesus through the people at Magnolia Baptist Church from February 25-March 5.
Thank you for your prayers, support and partnership!