Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Happy belated Thanksgiving!
This month we were blessed with the arrival Mr. Kim from Korea who will be serving with us here in Hiroshima at Daichi church. Mr. Kim and I were able to get along quite well speaking Japanese (since I don't speak Korean and he doesn't speak English very well) which was an unexpected blessing from the Lord. Thank you Lord! On Saturday, we went out into the city and distributed tracts to whom ever the Lord brought our way. It looks to be the start of wonderful service together. I look forward to serving with brother Kim.
Also at Daichi church we continued our Tuesday worship and "prayer for the city" gathering. Each time the Lord continues to encourage us and has equipped us to edify one another through the gifts of the Spirit.
Our English class at Daichi has been a little less popular this month due to illnesses, scheduling, and the weather. However, when we were able to meet, Hikaru, a student from one of the local universities was able to join us. Please pray for students Natsuko, Yuko, and Hikaru.
Our English class at Hiroshima International University was also a bit sporatic this month. Please pray for Junko and the rest of the students who attend.
Our "Jazz for Jesus" concerts at a couple local cafes worked out well. Thank you for your prayers! We were able to combine jazz and classical music with Bible reading and probing questions about Jesus and the beattitudes. The people who came were very responsive and even took part in our question and answers during the concert. When we asked "what kind of person is a person who is mericful" a man in the audience shouted out, "I am!!!" It was comedy, and yet the Gospel message was indeed preached during the perfromance. Also, each person was given a pack of tissues or a tract with the Gospel message written on it. Praise the Lord that seeds were scattered! We pray they may bare fruit!
Also, as a result of the concerts I was able to spend some personal time talking with Mr. Nakano who is a professing buddhist. He approached me at work full of curiousity and interest (he teaches at the same school as I do). He was very curious about my faith in Christ and asked several questions. The next day our conversation continued and we met for coffee. He continued to ask about my "conversion experience", how I was changed, and what it felt like...such great questions, right?! During each reply I felt the Holy Spirit leading me in what to say. Praise the Lord! He wants to meet again so please pray that the Lord remove the blindness that has been placed over his eyes that he may be saved by faith in Jesus Christ!
Thank you for reading! Thank you for your prayers! May the Lord bless you and continue to lead us each and every step!
In Jesus,
Tyler
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
October Newsletter
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I hope you are all keeping warm as winter approaches. During the month of October we had some good opportunities where people heard the Gospel. Even though the ground is rock hard here and people often seem to be indifferent when confronted with questions about life or death or just better living in general, some good Spirit led conversations have been taking place.
At Hiroshima International University we had a very probing conversation during our Monday night English Bible study. After reading about Jesus and his disciples, the question was asked, "Would you follow Jesus?" One student said, "No, because I don't understand him." Which was very honest. Another student said, "Maybe...because he teaches good things." These two responses are par for the course here...But, they keep coming back and "Maybe" the Lord will open up their hearts that they may be saved! Please pray for the students of this class.
At Daichi church on Wednesday nights, we have the regular attendance from a couple of Pastor Lee's daughters and an elementary school student from the neighborhood named Natsuko. For our adult class, other than a couple of church members, we have had one faithful student named Yuko coming to our Wednesday night class. Recently God has opened the door to very deep conversations during our adult class. We have been able to continuously preach the Gospel while teaching through the various scriptures we have studied. As result of our time to together, as God has led the way, we were able to give Yuko a Bible. Of course, we pray that all such efforts would bare fruit. Please pray for these classes.
Our Tuesday night Prayer and Worship time for the city of Hiroshima continues to gather and we appreciate your prayers as the Spirit leads.
Please also pray for Pastor Lee and his family as they have made a decision to home school their children next year. It is not an easy decision since this is a group culture and his oldest son is a 6th grader who has been in the system since the first grade. One of the reasons for the change is due to the endless activities that take place on Sundays. The Lord's day is not a priority here. Particularly, if you are in a school club or sports team, the activities and games usually fall on Sundays. Additionally, school community events also fall on Sundays and there is great pressure for parents, Christian or not, to join the group. That being said, Pastor Lee has been faithful throughout, and has not allowed his children to play the Sunday games or attend the events. I respect him for this decision, especially since some members and or/ pastors of other churches don't think it is such a big deal. As a result, I believe the church is suffering as cultural expectations infiltrate into the church (I believe this is a world-wide epidemic). I think Jesus made it pretty simple when He said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God..." Please pray for the Christians of Japan to stand up and stand out and be radical in a country where being radical generally has severe social consequences.
Thanks for reading,
In Jesus,
Tyler
I hope you are all keeping warm as winter approaches. During the month of October we had some good opportunities where people heard the Gospel. Even though the ground is rock hard here and people often seem to be indifferent when confronted with questions about life or death or just better living in general, some good Spirit led conversations have been taking place.
At Hiroshima International University we had a very probing conversation during our Monday night English Bible study. After reading about Jesus and his disciples, the question was asked, "Would you follow Jesus?" One student said, "No, because I don't understand him." Which was very honest. Another student said, "Maybe...because he teaches good things." These two responses are par for the course here...But, they keep coming back and "Maybe" the Lord will open up their hearts that they may be saved! Please pray for the students of this class.
At Daichi church on Wednesday nights, we have the regular attendance from a couple of Pastor Lee's daughters and an elementary school student from the neighborhood named Natsuko. For our adult class, other than a couple of church members, we have had one faithful student named Yuko coming to our Wednesday night class. Recently God has opened the door to very deep conversations during our adult class. We have been able to continuously preach the Gospel while teaching through the various scriptures we have studied. As result of our time to together, as God has led the way, we were able to give Yuko a Bible. Of course, we pray that all such efforts would bare fruit. Please pray for these classes.
Our Tuesday night Prayer and Worship time for the city of Hiroshima continues to gather and we appreciate your prayers as the Spirit leads.
Please also pray for Pastor Lee and his family as they have made a decision to home school their children next year. It is not an easy decision since this is a group culture and his oldest son is a 6th grader who has been in the system since the first grade. One of the reasons for the change is due to the endless activities that take place on Sundays. The Lord's day is not a priority here. Particularly, if you are in a school club or sports team, the activities and games usually fall on Sundays. Additionally, school community events also fall on Sundays and there is great pressure for parents, Christian or not, to join the group. That being said, Pastor Lee has been faithful throughout, and has not allowed his children to play the Sunday games or attend the events. I respect him for this decision, especially since some members and or/ pastors of other churches don't think it is such a big deal. As a result, I believe the church is suffering as cultural expectations infiltrate into the church (I believe this is a world-wide epidemic). I think Jesus made it pretty simple when He said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God..." Please pray for the Christians of Japan to stand up and stand out and be radical in a country where being radical generally has severe social consequences.
Thanks for reading,
In Jesus,
Tyler
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