In 2015 we started our third year of ministry in Japan! It has been a year of transition for us personally, as well as for much of the ministry that is happening in our part of Japan. In answer to our prayers, this past March David graduated from language school and was invited to serve as an intern at our church in Morioka. Meanwhile throughout the prefecture, vic-tims of the 2011 Tsunami finally began moving into permanent housing, and as a result the ministry to reach out to these people is shifting. In the midst of these changes, new church-planting efforts are starting again for the first time in decades. Yet as we look forward with joy and anticipation to being involved in this ministry in the near future, we find ourselves needing additional financial support.
June — We moved! God provided a new, larger home with cheaper rent!
Summer — First home service in US, reporting back to 9 partner churches!
September — Safely returned to Japan to start an internship at Morioka Bible Baptist Church
Doors Opening Ahead of Us
We came to Japan believing that God was working through the tragedy of the 2011 Tsunami, to reveal Himself to the people of Iwate. Our hope and prayer was to see new church-es stadrted among the coastal cities which were almost totally untouched by the gospel. By God’s grace we are now seeing this begin to happen, and have received multiple requests to help with church-planting or re-planting efforts in the coastal cities. We are prayerfully considering where God will have us serve in the future, but first we will be serving at our receiving church in Morioka for 2 years in order to gain much needed experience in working with Japanese Churches. We are incredibly excited for this opportunity, as well as for the doors God continues to open here in Iwate.
Support Needs
This year we are prayerfully seeking to raise an additional $6,500 in year end giving. Since we arrived in Japan the monthly gifts we’ve received have been below what is needed to cover all our expenses. However, each year God has graciously pro-vided through special gifts, so that we have been lacking in nothing. Without these needed year-end gifts we would eventually have to return to the US for support-raising, potentially interrupting the much needed work we in which we are engaged, here in Japan. God has faithfully provided for us since we arrived in Japan and we trust He will continue to do so according to His will. As 2015 draws to a close, perhaps He will lead you to share in what He is doing here in Japan through a special year-end gift. All gifts given to JEMS on our behalf are tax deductible.
Each month we’re currently receiving about $1,000 less than needed in order to remain in Japan long term.
Previous Year Giving: 10/2014 – 10/2015
Gifts Received: $68,107
Expenses*: $72,804 Reserve Funds Used $ 4,697
*Expenses include not only our salary, but also administrative fees to JEMS, employment taxes and ministry expenses. This year ministry ex-penses were significantly higher than normal due to the travel costs of returning to the US for home service.
Thank you!
Many of you have already given much towards this minis-try, not only financially, but also in the pouring out of your hearts in prayer for us and the people of Japan. We cannot thank you enough for the encouragement you have been in our lives, and for your contribution to bringing the gospel to one of the least reached prefectures in one of the least reached countries of the world. Each day we see more clearly the need for more workers here in Japan, and God has put in our hearts the desire to serve as one of those workers. We are already beginning to see Him work in new and amazing ways, and with your continuing partnership and God’s provision we hope to see even greater things done in His name in the future.
The average person in Japan has never set foot inside a church building, and very likely has never had a conversation with a Christian. We try to help change that through various outreach events at our church. In October we hosted two English Cafes. In addition to our normally scheduled Friday evening event, we also held a Tuesday afternoon English Cafe. On Friday evenings we normally get a lot of college students attending. However at the Tuesday event we were encouraged to see a different demographic, primarily made up of retired people and young mothers.
Please be praying for those who attended, that God would speak to their hearts, and bring them back again and again so that we can build friendships and have further opportunities share Christ.
Ofunato Harbor at dawn.
I had an overnight trip to Ofunato, a coastal city that is both home to our sister church, and one of the 3.11 Network volunteer bases. There are still many people living in temporary housing, and through the 3.11 Network staff and volunteers, programs are held to encourage these residents as they slowly work towards moving into permanent housing and rebuilding a normal life. For the last three year the 3.11 Network has rented a home to house staff and teams working at the various temporary housing parks scattered throughout the city, however in October the owner of the house needed it back, so I went to help with the move.
Rina, the remaining 3.11 staff worker in Ofunato was given permission to move into one of the open units at the largest temporary housing unit. This is both a blessing and a a bit of a trial. It’s a blessing that she is now able to live right in the midst of the people the network is seeking to help, but it is a more difficult situation to live in, and the unit is very small which limits the size of teams that can be hosted. Please pray for her and the ministry to the residents of Ofunato.
Over 500 people gathered for the national CPI conference.
We also had a wonderful time attending the national Japan Church Planting Institute national conference. Over 500 missionaries and pastors gathered to pray, encourage one another and learn how to multiply churches in Japan. As we are gearing up to be involved in Church Planting after my internship is complete, it was incredibly helpful to start thinking through the ways in which evangelism and discipleship drive the church planting process. Additionaly we gained a clearer sense of the things we wanted to learn during the internship phase at MBBC, and came away really praising God for that. The kids survive the long car ride, and we got to meet many missionary friends from around Japan that we rarely get to see. It was a great blessing.
We’ve been back in Japan for a little over a week now, and are praising God for a safe journey. The trip went very smoothly, although Felicity was not very happy with the long flight (and made that clear to all the other passengers on the plane throughout the lights out portion of the trip). We’ve also struggled with some minor health issues since being back, Felicity came down with a fever the first few days, and the rest of us have now caught colds on top of that. Prayers for quick healing are much appreciated.
We tried to take it easy our first week back and give all of us a chance to get over jet lag. Titus was especially excited to be back home and has made a habit of pointing out every place and thing he remembers. 3 months a way is a long time for a 3 year old, and I think he forgot that he would be coming back. He started going to pre-school again yesterday and seems to be adjusting well. He is having a hard time with the language, having forgotten a lot of Japanese over the course of the Summer, and is a little more shy than usual because of it.
We’re starting to ease back into ministry here as I begin my two year internship at Morioka Bible Baptist Church. We’ve got a list of things we’d like to help out with at the church, and will be having a meeting with out pastor shortly to talk about where I can help out.
I attended a meeting with leaders from the other churches in Iwate and was really burdened by the needs of the churches here which are struggling without a pastor. I feel there is a large need among these congregations for discipleship and training of lay members to help lead these congregations during their time without a pastor. Pray for direction and if the Lord wills for future opportunities to help in this area.
We’ve been back in the US now for just over two months, and in that time we’ve visited 8 churches, attended JEMS annual camp, and reconnected with many friends and family. It’s been wonderful spending time back home where we were blessed to see two of my siblings get married this, and meet our newest niece and nephew for the first time.
As we continue to serve in Japan, Lord willing for many years to come, we anticipate returning to the US for trips like these every two years or so. We have a number of reasons for this.
Reporting on what God has done.
First we want to report back to the people and churches who are praying for us and financially supporting us and the work that God is doing in Iwate, Japan. Those of you who partner with us are an absolutely essential part of the ministry that is taking place in Iwate and we want you all to know how God is answering your prayers and using the resources you are contributing, as well as keeping yo informed of the needs going forward and how you can continue to pray and help out. After our first two years in Japan we were really blown away at all that God has done, and have been excited to be back and share about the unprecedented ways He has begun to work in our part of Japan. If you haven’t had a chance to hear an update from us during our time here and you live in the Orange County area, we’ll be giving one final update this Saturday, September 5th.
Raising support.
A second reason we’re back is to seek out additional financial supporters, people who God has given an interest and a heart for Japan and want to partner with us to help bring the Gospel to the people of Iwate, and see new churches started in unreached cities. All of our salary and ministry expenses are provided each month by the financial giving of churches and individuals. This is an incredibly humbling thing for us, and yet we see this pattern of ministry to be firmly Biblical, and God honoring. It allows the entire body of Christ to be obedient and involved in the work that God is doing throughout the world. Currently we’re in need of additional monthly financial partners, and our prayer is that God will lead people here in the US to join us, and send us back to Japan to continue His work.
Rest.
The third reason we’re back is simply to rest and recharge a little bit. Living in a different country, with a different culture can be a stressful experience, particularly for me as I strive to learn Japanese. Simple everyday activities turn into intense mental gymnastics as I try to catch every sound and recall every meaning in every conversation that I have. It’s been very refreshing to have some time to reconnect with friends who speak English, and to hear sermons and worship in English. For the kids this is a chance to maintain a relationship with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who they rarely get to see. We’re very grateful as a family for this change of pace and this opportunity to rest and ready ourselves for another period of active ministry in Japan.
Throughout our time here we’ve seen God’s blessings in each of these three areas, and continue to look to Him to provide and enable us to do the work that He has called us, along with our prayer and financial partners, to carry out in Japan.
It’s already been a month since we’ve been back in the US, and we’ve had a wonderful, but busy time visiting friends families and churches who have all played an enormous role in our lives and ministry over the last two years. It’s been an incredible blessing to serve with your support and partnership, and we look forward to many more years in the future.
Thank you for your prayers, God has provided both a vehicle for us to use, and places to stay during our time!
We’ve already had opportunity to meet with many of you since being back, and we hope to see many more of you in our remaining two months here. Please check the schedule to see what churches we’ll be visiting — we may be at your church soon! If not, we’d love to see you some other time, so please email us and we’ll try to set something up. We’re also in the process of planning a Saturday update at some point, and maybe some evening prayer meetings, we’ll let you know as soon as we get that figured out!
Below are some prayer requests for our time here in the US!
For new ministry partners. Our monthly support is low, which is one of the reasons we’re back here in the US. Please pray that God raises up new ministry partners during our time here so that we can continue seriving in Japan long term.
For me and Titus not to forget all the Japanese we learned before coming back to the US.
That we can see all the people and churches we’d like to in the short time that we’re here.
That we don’t lose sight of the fact that ultimately Go is the One who is our provider, and therefore not neglect times of prayer and devotion during the short time that we’re here.
If you feel led to partner with us in monthly giving or to give a special gift to enable us to continue serving in Japan, please visit: http://www.daveandtomo.com/support/
Check below to see where we’ll be sharing during our tine in the US! We’re still hoping to plan some other events and will update the page here when we do.
The church that we are serving with here in Japan supports a camp that is run by our denomination, and the director and his family are good friends of ours and also attend our church. The name of the camp is C-on Kinshuko, which is actually a very clever play on words, but more importantly, the camp itself plays a vital role in the spiritual growth of many Christians throughout the Tohoku region, and it’s currently in need of assistance.
The name of the camp in English would be translated to C on Lake Kinshu. As you can probably infer the camp is located on lake Kinshu in our prefecture of Iwate. The C stands for Creation, Christ, Community, which are things the camp hopes to emphasize and encourage. The clever part is that in Japanese C-on is pronounced: Shion, which is also the Japanese word for Zion, adding another layer of meaning to what this camp hopes to be about.
One of the reasons that this camp is so important is because the Christian community in Japan is very small. Imagine being a Christian student in a city with only one church, and in that church being perhaps the only student in attendence. The opportunities for fellowship are extremely limited. This is one area where the camp really serves as a tremendous blessing in the lives of many students and adults, who are in great need of the kind of fellowship that is often taken for granted in the US. For many it is only when they can gather together at this camp, which is the only Christian camp in the prefecture, that they can really enjoy deep and rich fellowship with a large group of believers in their age group. The camp is also used for church conferences, meetings and evangelistic outreaches. I’m actually attending a Pastors conference at the camp right now as I’m writing this.
The camp was founded in 1968 and is currently undergoing an extensive reovation. One of the two camp houses was completely torn down and a new one is being built in it’s place, which is necessary for the camp to continue to function in the capacity it has served over the years. Despite the small size of the Christian community in Japan, God has led the believers here to give generously towards the project, and by God’s grace they have raised all the funds needed to build the new camp house. However in addition to the actual building they also need to furnish it.
This is where you can come in. With the Summer camp season rapidly approaching and the construction now under way, would you consider giving a special gift to help this vital ministry continue to provide opportunities for Christian fellowship, Evangelism and Spiritual Growth to continue in this area that is in depsperate need of the Gospel? If so you can click the link below and donate to the project through World Venture.
Last Sunday at church we were prayed over by the deacons and officially appointed as cooperating missionaries at Morioka Bible Baptist Church, starting our two year term where I’ll be serving as an intern, helping with various church ministries in Morioka as well as other churches throughout the prefecture, particularly those on the coast. Please pray for God’s guidance and direction during this time, that we will faithful to build up the church in Morioka, and that God will fully prepare and equip us for future ministry in church planting in the coastal areas after our time in Morioka is fulfilled.
Tomorrow I’ll be going down to Ofunato Bible Baptist Church, our sister church on the coast which is currently without a pastor. Once a month Pastor Kondo and I attend their monthly prayer meeting. The church was badly damaged in the Tsunami, it’s members scattered, and shortly after their interim Pastor resigned. They currently have only three church members. However there is one new believer who is going through a baptism class in preparation for joining the church, and the 3.11 Network has a base in that town and has been active in reaching out to survivors living in temporary housing since the Tsunami occurred. As a result the love of Christ has been demonstrated and proclaimed on a regular basis for the past four years. Pastor Kondo will also meet with a lady who has expressed an interest in hearing about the gospel when we go visit tomorrow.
We’ve been very busy lately preparing to move into a new home in the beginning of June, as well as getting things ready for our trip back to the US towards the end of June. Please pray that we get everything packed and moved over without too much trouble, and that we can get everything done before we leave. Pray for us as a family that we can avoid getting too stressed out with so much happening all at once, and that we’ll be able to get some good rest while on home service. We’re going to take a few days vacation in Korea as we have a layover there on the way back, which we are looking forward too.
This past Sunday the church voted to officially accept as cooperating missionaries for the next two years! We continue to be humbled by God’s grace in leading us to this church, and for the opportunity to both serve and learn there during the next two years.
It’s the start of the fiscal year here in Japan, and for churches that means a lot of meetings. In the past month I’ve attended numerous Pastors meetings, congregational meetings, deacon meetings, 3.11 Network meetings and denominational meetings. It’s been a little exhausting but I’ve been able to meet many pastors, missionaries and staff workers involved in ministry here in Iwate, as well as gain a better understanding of how everyone is connected and what sort of ministries are taking place. I feel that in the future as these relationships with churches and pastors grow they will prove invaluable to the work God is calling us to.
However for the moment our focus in on our upcoming home service which is now less than 2 months away. We’re in the process of preparing updates to give to all our supporting churches, and getting new brochures and prayer cards made so that we can keep all of you informed as to what God is doing here in Japan. We can’t wait to see many of you this Summer!
We are still in searching for a vehicle to use over the Summer, so if you or someone you know has an extra car you would be willing to let us borrow during our time in the states, please let us know.
We’ve also decided to move to a new house just before we leave. A friend at church who’s mother recently moved in with her, is offering to rent her mother’s house at a very reasonable rate. It will save us about $150 a month in rent, so the sooner we can move the better. This is going to make the next two months even more busy than they already are, so please pray that everything will go smoothly and that we can get the help needed to pull this off.
God has been so faithful to guide and direct us during our first term here, and we have seen Him work in so many different ways. It’s exciting to see the doors He is opening throughout the prefecture, and we can’t wait to share in person about what He is doing when we come visit this Summer!
Ofunato Harbor at dawn.
Over 500 people gathered for the national CPI conference.
