2018 October/November Update

Dear Beloved in Christ and Partner in the Gospel,

When we stop to mull over the blessings God has given over the course of this year, you come to mind with great joy. Through your prayers and support, we are spiritually strengthened and encouraged each day. Thank you so much for walking with us through life and ministry in Tokyo!

This month we’d like to share some snapshots of our lives in ministry, so you can pray along with us:

The church group has fluctuated some in the past months, with both first-time visitors and some regular members having been away on trips. Overall, we are growing together as we meditate on God’s Word and spend time in corporate prayer. We had the joy of packing boxes for Operation Christmas Child together, and are eagerly looking for more ways to practice outreach together. Please pray for our plans to host a Christmas party in coming weeks, that it would be a good opportunity for some newer believers to invite friends and share the Gospel with them.

Working alongside our teammates continues to be a joy. Admittedly, we do have a lot of meetings and they take up a significant amount of time from week to week. Among team leadership, church planting, individual church planning, team member check-ins and Bible studies, each area has its own need for meetings where we evaluate and make plans for the next step. Sometimes, it can feel like one meeting too many, but it all makes sense when we gather with others to open the Scriptures and seek God together. Please pray for these ongoing meetings to ultimately bear fruit in proclaiming the gospel to the unreached, strengthening believers, and multiplying disciples.

This month we had a visit from Jo Beth’s sister Buffy. She came for a 10-day visit and filled the role of our personal, real-life Mary Poppins! It was a time of physical and emotional refreshment for each of us, and just so good to be with family. We are still adjusting to being a family of four, often tired and very needy of wisdom as parents.

We applied for Brooke to attend a Japanese preschool, starting next Spring! Though schools often fill up and kids aren’t always accepted for the first year, the process seems to be going smoothly so far. Please pray for Brooke to be able to learn Japanese and make good friends, but above all to seek heaven as her home as she lives in a world where we just don’t ‘fit in.’

In each of these areas we need your ongoing prayers.  Thank you again for being a critical part of our lives and ministry!  We praise God for you and invite you to let us know how we can be praying for your families and churches as well!

In His love,

-John, Jo Beth, Brooke & Bonnie