Dear Family, Friends, and Partners in the Gospel,
In this season of life we spend a lot of time connecting with current and potential partners, and we’d like to share a story about some great supporters of the ministry who are under the age of ten years old. About a year ago we received a special card in the mail from several children in the US—they had prayed for us and mailed $5.00 “to help kids in Japan learn about Jesus.” The card and donation touched our hearts. At the time it just seemed cute, and we didn’t have high enough expectations for how God might use their prayers and gift.
 |
| Teaching some of our best supporters at Bethany Camp |
“What should we do with $5.00 to help share the Gospel with children,” we wondered. We didn’t know many Japanese children yet! About that same time, our ministry partner Rie opened up a small English school in our home as an avenue for sharing the Gospel of Christ. She invited me to occasionally attend classes and read Bible stories, particularly to a young girl who seemed receptive to hearing about God. We’ll call her Nicki. I remember reading the story of Noah’s Ark one day and talking about who we trust. Nicki said, “I’ve never seen God, and I’ve never heard His voice, but I trust him.” Wow! Rie and I were delighted to realize her growing faith.
As Christmas drew near and John and I began packing our things to return to the States, we remembered the $5.00…a Christmas gift for Nicki, perfect! We went to a store that sold some Christmas items and selected a pretty box of Christmas cookies, then we gave them to Rie and asked if she could give them to Nicki and share the Christmas story when Christmas came. Rie ended up having a small Christmas celebration for several of her students, including Nicki, serving the cookies and sharing the Gospel of Christ with the children.
 |
| Using our “ears” to seek the Lord’s will… |
Last week, we received an update from the team in Tokyo last week and heard that Nicki has accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior! Praise God! He has heard the prayers of His children—down to the very smallest of them. Please pray for Nicki’s growth, and also pray for her friend Katie whose parents have forbidden her from attending English and Bible classes anymore.
Partnership Update: 45 @ 50 still needed!
We have been praying for 50 additional individuals, families or churches to partner with us in ministry. If each partner committed to $50 each month our financial needs would be met, but may the Lord lead each one. Over the past couple of weeks we have seen a few more partners come alongside us financially, praise God! We still need 45 more commitments to meet this goal! Would you join us in prayer?
Trek7: Beginning on 6/25, our teammates in Tokyo will be welcoming a Trek 7 team of six interns. They will spend seven weeks engaging with God and in His mission in Tokyo. Please pray for them and the Tokyo City Team; especially for deepening walks with the Lord, team relationships, and healthy conflict resolution.
Thanks be to God, for His love for the nations and your partnership in the gospel!
John & Jo Beth Lee
Playing with the big kids!
Printing this newsletter? Click Here for a PDF version
Find past updates, additional photos and more information at Jo-John.com