First off, I’d just like to share a big praise report. We just got our December giving report from JEMS and were totally blown away at the generosity that was reflected in it. Thank you all so much for your support, and a special thank you to those of you who gave year end gifts. Through you God provided above and beyond even what we asked for in our year end letter. As a result we have all the funds needed in order to cover our travel expenses back to the US this Summer for home service, as well as enough to supplement our monthly support throughout most of the 2015.
As I’ve mentioned before, our monthly support is currently low, however God has been providing through people who have given special gifts as He enables. One of our big focuses for our time in the US this Summer is to find more monthly financial partners so that we can serve without interruption here in Japan for the long term. Our first two years in Japan has been quite a lesson in trusting God, and we’re constantly humbled by God’s relentless faithfulness towards us in spite of our own lack of faith at times. Thank you for your faithfulness, generosity and partnership as we continue to press on to accomplish the calling which God has laid before us.
Last Friday we had our January English Cafe. At the end I shared from the Bible about the parable of the unmerciful servant, explaining how God’s abundant forgiveness enables and compels us to forgive others. Pray that the non-believers in attendance would be confronted with the weight of their own debt of sin towards God, and be drawn to His generous offer of total forgiveness through Christ.
Language school has been challenging lately, as I approach the end of my full time term of study. I met with a disappointing set back when I received the results of the N2 Japanese Language Proficiency Test. Unfortunately I did not pass. My intention was always to continue studying after I was done with school, so now this gives me some clear goals to work towards in the coming months, during which I hope to be able to study part time with a tutor. Despite this my confidence in speaking Japanese is rapidly improving, and communicating in Japanese is becoming easier and easier, for which I am very thankful.
Thank you again for all your prayers and support. The last few weeks have been exhausting on many levels, yet God continues to sustain us and remind us of His goodness. THank you for standing behind us and supporting us.