Dear Beloved in Christ and Partner in the Gospel,
During our extended season of waiting to find a home, I often read Psalm 84 and prayed for a ‘nest’ at the altar of the Lord. It’s been a rich time of learning to delight in His presence as our permanent home, even while asking for a temporary physical dwelling. What a nest He’s provided! In the last update we were headed off to the realtor to view our first rental options. We visited only one home that day, loved it and submitted an application right away! I confess, we waited a bit anxiously as the beautiful little rental house checked all the boxes for us in a limited housing selection. The landlord accepted our application and we moved in just three weeks after arriving back to Tokyo! Praise the Lord!!
One of the things we prayed for was the ability to play musical instruments, and the contract very clearly stated that, yes, we can! Within this space, we’ve found a way to keep one of the bedrooms set up for overnight guests, which has already housed a few guests. We are blown away by these provisions and the ability to share our home with others in a crowded city where homes are generally tightly limited for space. We pray that the home God has placed us in will be known as a house of praise and refuge for many.
Brooke started school at a local Japanese elementary school on September 1She’s already gone through highs and lows in these first few weeks, enjoying being with kids her age but also wishing she could better understand the teacher’s instructions. God has provided gracious and helpful friends, largely in H. who helps her throughout the school day and also happens to be a new student this term. A cheerful girl named S. greets Brooke most mornings at the entrance and walks her to the classroom. The three of them—Brooke, S. and H. walk home together from school nearly every day. Their friendship has led to H’s mom and younger sister coming over for coffee, where we were able to invite them to a family Small Church gathering.
We are grateful to finally be working in-person as a team after three years of physical separation! This comes with some adjustments and many joys. The ability to do some of the check-ins together in our home has been a sweet new element of ministry and team-life. Just today we met for our first live team meeting after a long season of Zoom meetings. I believe we we all left greatly encouraged. Please pray that God will continue to grow us in unity and strength as we lift and sharpen one another!
We have also connected with several members of the small churches, renewing old relationships and forming new ones. We’re currently joining the Waseda Tsurumaki small church meetings and praying over how God might provide for our kids to be a more active part of church community. Last week we met with the Muratani family, fellow members of Waseda Tsurumaki, for a family-oriented Small Church, followed by a fun movie night together. We have another planned for next month, and H’s (Brooke’s classmate’s) family is considering joining! At the same time, we’re eager to invite Small Church regulars to serve alongside us as we venture into these new opportunities. Pray that we would follow God’s lead diligently, however these opportunities should develop, serve these precious people with genuine love and present the gospel faithfully.
Finally, our friends Han, Shoki and Ken have started meeting with John for Pathways Bible Study Training together. These men, all at different stages of walking with Christ, show desire to be close to Jesus and learn from His Word. Praise the Lord! We can’t wait to share more as time goes on.
Gratefully,
The Lees
Prayer
Thank you for lifting up the Cordill family’s vision trip to Tokyo! They have been accepted by ReachGlobal to join the Tokyo City Team for a short-term commitment. We are very excited to welcome them back, hopefully next summer! Please pray for God to provide supporting partners, and to prepare their hearts for service in Japan.
Pray for God’s guidance in life and ministry, that we will keep in step with the Holy Spirit.
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