Yet Another No Trip Japan Report – October 8, 2021

This will be yet another no-trip Japan report. The borders of Japan are still closed for those using tourist visas. Permanent residents may even have to quarantine when they return from certain areas.

JSE Zoom Founding Day Lectureship

However, there are positive signs that things may be changing. For the last two weeks, the number of new covid-19 cases in Tokyo has gradually dropped from a high in July of over a thousand new cases each day to less than 100 per day. This is also reflected in other parts of Japan. Vaccination rates have also increased. The last report I read said that 64% of the population had both shots and another 20% have had one shot. Hospitals are beginning to see some relief.

Lesson for October Ministers’ Meeting

The state of emergency issued for nineteen of the forty-seven prefectures including Tokyo was lifted at the end of September. It had been in place for six months and deeply affected the economy and the lives of the Japanese. Churches can now resume in-person worship. You can imagine their joy at being able to worship together again. We have experienced that ourselves. There is hope that things will gradually get back to somewhat normal in Japan.

The Lord’s Supper lesson

We have not been idle while we wait. We were able to be a part of a Zoom lectureship centered on the work of Sarah Andrews single lady missionary to Japan from 1916 until 1961. It was a great encouragement to see familiar faces at the Zoom meeting and remember one of several single lady missionaries to Japan. There were forty-four who logged in representing about seventy individuals.

At the next ministers’ meeting, I will speak from Psalm 3. The intent of the lesson is to encourage us in the midst of this pandemic. These meetings are held Monday morning in Japan which is Sunday evening in Memphis.

Being encouraged by these recent changes, we have tentatively planned two trips next year in early spring and then in early summer. We have made plans for the last two years and had to cancel, but we pray that we will be able to go in 2022.

The Letter to the Ephesians

Because of the pandemic, a six-lesson study of Ephesians for the spring of 2020 had to be canceled. That will be one series that is ready for the next trip. Additionally, I have done some study on the Lord’s Supper. The pandemic has affected the manner in which we remember our Lord. I feel a review of why we meet on Sundays and the importance of this time will help us appreciate what it means spiritually to each believer.

Thank you again for your patience and support. We’re ready to go when we are permitted and continue to pray toward that end.

Dwight and Josephine Albright | 5745 Park Ave | Memphis TN 38119

Grace and peace to each of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

We have a few things to share in this newsletter, but first: we have a new podcast episode! In this episode, we share some of the challenges we’ve been facing over the last few months, as well as areas of gratitude. You can listen by clicking HERE.

We shared a lot in that recent podcast, so if you want a fuller update we would encourage you to listen to that. However, there are a few things to particularly note in this newsletter.

Most importantly, the State of Emergency (SOE) in Japan has officially ended … at least for now! Things had gotten pretty serious during the last few months, but recently numbers have been in the low hundreds around Tokyo, and well below 100 new cases per day in Matsudo, which made the government feel comfortable with ending the SOE nationwide. That is a welcome blessing, as it should open doors to spending time with those who didn’t want to meet under the SOE. It is also the first step in some ministry plans being able to move forward. We’ve been under an SOE for so long now, this has been very welcome news.

On top of that, it sounds as though Japan is starting to seriously consider reopening the borders. Right now, they have shortened the quarantine time for those who have been vaccinated, taking it down from 14 days to 10 days, but that is more complicated than it sounds. However, word on the street is that they will be opening more over the coming months.

Of course, a lot hinges upon how the virus situation proceeds from this point, but we hope and pray that any future waves will not be so problematic. Japan has vaccinated well over 50% of the population, and nearly 70% has now had their first shot, meaning by the end of October it is likely over 70% of the population will have been fully vaccinated. That likely will play a role in the government’s decisions about opening borders further. These steps matter to us because they mean both that people could come to visit us here soon, and that we could potentially visit the U.S. without so much trouble.

Just last night, we went into Tokyo as a family for the first time since we returned to Japan. We went with Mr. Gotou, a neighborhood friend and widower. It was a pleasant evening, and we pray this relationship will be blessed. This was taken while walking to the restaurant, at Sensoji Temple.

A few other things worth sharing here:

• Some of you may have heard, but in case you are unaware, our brother Yukusue has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. This has been difficult news for the church. We ask your prayers for brother Yukusue and the church as a whole.
• We’re well into our new series on the Sermon On The Mount and have been continuing our DBS-style studies after worship. We believe these are going well and are being encouraging to the congregation. Leslie is working on setting up the church website to post Japanese and English recordings.
• With the SOE over, we are hoping to get together with more people soon. Please pray that we’ll be able to reach out effectively and build many connections that will lead to disciple-making.
• As of today, Japan effectively has a new Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida. Please be praying for him and the whole government as they make decisions for the future of Japan. May it bring glory to the Lord!

For everything else, we highly recommend listening to our new podcast episode. Seriously, please listen! You’ll be able to hear a bit more about what we’re experiencing and doing here through that episode with a personal touch.

Before we close….

Here are some names you can be praying for: Bro. Yukusue, Mr. Gotou, Kobayashi family, Fujita family, Saeki family, Chie (chi-eh), Kimie (kee-mee-eh), Emi (eh-me), Mariko (mah-ree-ko), Paulo.

The weather has been really nice the last several weeks, so we took our kids and the kids of some friends to a park just across the Edo river in Tokyo. They had a blast! This family will be coming over several times in the coming months, so please pray that this relationship blossoms into disciple-making!

Grace and peace to each of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We’re happy to be able to share an update from the work here in Japan with you today.

August has been a rather quiet month, but it’s also been an important month in setting the stage for what’s ahead.

Most importantly, we are happy to say that both Leslie and Sara are now fully vaccinated (notwithstanding a potential booster next year). Sara received her second shot on Tuesday, 8/24, and Leslie received his yesterday as of this writing, Thursday, 8/26. We are so grateful for those who prayed for our well-being in getting the vaccine. Sara had only one day of feeling rather tired and having a headache. The next day she was basically fine. Leslie is currently experiencing very similar side effects – some fatigue and a very mild headache. Lord willing, he will wake up tomorrow feeling one hundred percent again.

Now that we have completed our vaccination process, there will be some doors opened that have been closed. Some friends will likely feel a little more comfortable attending worship services with all the adults having been vaccinated. It will be easier to gather together in our home both with non-Christians and other Christians from Matsudo and around Tokyo. Since coming to Japan at the end of November, we have only seen three other Christians who do not live in Matsudo. Two of those we only saw for a few minutes outside of our house when we arrived, and the third only at worship. Now that we are vaccinated, we believe we will be able to change that.

That’s not to say everything will change immediately. We will likely still be wearing masks for some time. Over the last several weeks, Japan has seen record cases and deaths. We are still under a state of emergency that continues to be expanded into other prefectures. The medical system is overloaded. Recently, there are many who have been turned away from hospital after hospital, sadly with deadly results at times. So the situation is serious, at least in our area.

Sara after getting her first shot, and Madeleine being … herself! 🙂

However, being vaccinated should allow us to begin taking steps forward, and – praise God! – we’ve already begun to see some moves in the right direction.

Perhaps most importantly, this past Sunday we had a church meeting and discussed making a small but significant change to our time together on Sunday mornings. Starting in September, immediately following our worship services, we will begin doing Discovery Bible Studies together as a church. Discovery Bible Study (DBS for short) is a simple method of studying the Bible in a small group with the aim of helping people internalize the teaching of scripture. DBS focuses less on learning information and more on obedient discipleship, encouraging not only personal application but also sharing with others. It is a method used by a number of congregations and missionaries. Perhaps one of the best resources for learning about it is from the North Blvd Church of Christ.

Of course, learning information is still very important! This is why our DBS time will coincide with our upcoming sermon series on the Sermon On The Mount. Leslie has been studying and preparing for this series and the associated study since the spring. During worship, we will do our normal activities, including the sermon, where Leslie will teach on the day’s scripture reading. Then, during the DBS time, we will discuss together how the passage applies to our daily lives and challenge each other to live in light of that in the coming week, seeking opportunities to share that light with others.

We are very excited about this upcoming addition to our time together and would request your prayers for an easy adaptation. Japanese people tend to be very reserved. There will definitely be cultural challenges, and we will need the Lord’s blessing for this to be successful (as with anything). But we believe it will be fruitful if we press through, as it allows the members to be transformed into the image of Christ, grow closer to each other, and be better equipped to share their faith through their daily relationships. We are grateful that we are all now vaccinated, as this brings a bit more comfort to the members in staying around after worship to discuss God’s word together.

Our kids spending time with some of the neighborhood’s kids at our local park. The boy in the blue shirt next to Madeleine speaks fluent English, and his family is one of a few we are notably optimistic about.

We are so excited about what is in store at the Matsudo church, and by God’s grace we will see much fruit over the coming months and years. We don’t know what lies ahead with the pandemic or anything else, but we know he is working in all situations to bring more people into his kingdom, and we are so thankful to get to participate in that work.

As we plan for the future work with the church, we have continued building relationships in our community which we pray (how we pray!) will lead to hearts being drawn into God’s kingdom.

Perhaps one of the most important ministries we have here continues to be worked out through our kids. With summer break ongoing and the weather often sizzling, we have had neighborhood kids over to our house almost every day of the week, usually for several hours at a time. Sara has even prepared dinner at times for the kids, and encouraged parents to let the kids stay over and take a break. We don’t know when we will see it, but we are confident God is preparing fruit through these relationships.

Additionally, all of our kids have recently begun tennis classes at a nearby tennis school, and Leslie has joined as well. This has already given us the opportunity to invite one new friend to worship, and to make connections with multiple others who, prior to meeting our family, did not know the Matsudo church exists. We believe the more we get involved in our community, the more fruit we can bear for Christ. It’s been amazing to see how God has guided us to people as we do this.

We still have several plans down the road that we are waiting for the right timing to begin. We are still eager to begin a children’s ministry through the church, as well as restarting the parenting group. Please be praying that Japan’s covid numbers and vaccinations improve, so we can begin these ministries sooner rather than later.

Cambria in one of her tennis classes. She was a little nervous at first, but seems to really be enjoying it more and more, as do all the kids.

Thank you, as always, for each one of you who prays for our family and our work. We are so grateful for your prayers! As you remember our work in prayer, here are some things we would love for you to remember:

• That our upcoming series on The Sermon On The Mount will be fruitful for the church and any visitors
• That our first DBS studies will go smoothly and be received well by everyone; that we will have good engagement and powerful encouragement
• That Japan’s vaccination process will continue smoothly and quickly, so the church can return to its full pursuit of making disciples in this community
• That our children would continue to become comfortable in Japanese and their daily life here
• That Sara and Leslie will have wisdom in how we pursue relationships and discipling in this community
• That the borders will open soon so others (and ourselves as well) can go and come freely
• Some specific names you can pray for: Kobayashi family, Mr. Gotou, Fujita family, Saeki family, tennis coaches/staff/new friends

Grace and peace to each of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray this letter finds you blessed and thriving by God’s grace, growing and fruitful in the Lord.

As of today (May 31) we officially mark 6 months since our return to Japan. We have seen God working since day one (actually before that!) and we are so grateful that he has allowed us to be a part of it. We are also grateful for your prayers and financial support, which has made these 6 months possible. We rejoice every time we think of all the people who are partnered with us in this work.

May has been a relatively quiet month. Towards the turn of the month, yet another state of emergency was declared and this has been repeatedly extended since that time. In fact, what was a fairly basic declaration has been expanded both in scope and reach. The regulations are stricter particularly in Tokyo and Osaka and a few other places, and the declaration has been amended to include several other prefectures as well. The numbers have declined thankfully, but with the Olympics around the corner, it seems unlikely the declaration will be lifted anytime soon.

In any event, the declaration has shut down many things that had opened in April. Several churches in the Tokyo area continue to hold online worship only. The lady who tutors our children in Japanese took about a month off because of the virus situation. We’ve seen some businesses near us close, presumably because of the financial toll. Yet we are grateful the Matsudo members are willing to continue meeting in person, and that God has sheltered our small congregation from the virus. We pray he will continue to do so.

Although May has been quiet in many ways, we have still seen the Lord at work. Over the past month, Sara has met two women in our neighborhood who we did not know before. One is a mother of some children who play at the playground regularly, and another is a neighbor who lives down the street a few houses (that’s about 50 feet away in Japan!) and also happens to speak English! In fact, one of her children currently lives in the U.S. Have we mentioned how God prepared exactly the right place for us to be? We have seen it so many times, and he continues to amaze us with his provision.
We have also had the opportunity to reconnect with a couple of relationships we had in our previous time in Matsudo. Just yesterday as of this writing, our kids played with two girls and a boy we knew previously. Although we haven’t been able to get together with their parents yet, we hope we may be able to do that again soon. 

As we have seen God provide these relationships, our minds have been turning towards the future and how we can serve God faithfully through what he has provided. Although the pandemic continues to throw the brakes on various activities, the vaccination process in Japan has been ramping up recently. In fact, we are excited to say that one of our members was finally able to get her first shot just this past week. Praise God for his grace! While it’s too early to say when exactly we’ll arrive, it appears to be a light at the end of a long tunnel. Lord willing, before the end of the year we will all be able to receive the vaccine. That is our prayer. At any rate, this change has been enough to allow us, together with the members at Matsudo, to start considering the future.

This coming Sunday (June 6th), Leslie will be speaking with the congregation after worship and encouraging us to start considering the future together. We’ll spare the details for now since we haven’t talked to the Matsudo members yet, but mostly the goal is to request God’s provision and blessing as a church, and to consider how we can use the gifts he has given us to his glory. Please be praying for us as we consider these things together as a body.

In addition to this, Leslie has begun working on discipleship material to use at Matsudo. While there is an abundance of material in English, we haven’t run across much material in Japanese, and at any rate, we believe it could be helpful to have something suited to the context in Matsudo. The basic idea is to have material geared towards both seekers and new Christians, helping lead the prior to faith in Christ culminating in baptism, and the latter to a deeper understanding of the faith so they can be rooted and able to effectively show others the way. Creating this material will likely be a lengthy process and the details are still taking shape, but we pray it will prove fruitful.

Along with the various work and developments over the past month, we’ve had a few personal points of interest. We celebrated Leslie’s 38th birthday this month, and at the end of the month (just last week) we were able to take a family trip to camp in the Fuji Five Lakes area. It was wonderful to get away for a bit and refresh our minds and spirits. We are so grateful to live only 2-3 hours away from such natural beauty. Especially during this pandemic, being able to go away from everything and not have to wear a mask every time we were outside was a blessing!

As we move into the summer months, we are hopeful for what is ahead. We are hopeful not primarily because of vaccines, but because we know God is moving. We are hopeful because we know he knows who is seeking him. We are hopeful because we know his heart is for every nation on earth. Please be praying for us, that we will be useful servants along with the Matsudo church.

Wedding and Hitachi Camp

My friends, Niumaia (member of Taga church) and Rachel (who has been staying with me), wanted to get married by the pond by my house. The State of Emergency in Tokyo (where most of her friends live!) and rain prevented that plan. Anyway five of us enjoyed the tiny wedding in my house. Her father in England performed the ceremony on Zoom. She’s still hoping to have a ceremony with guests this fall. We shall see.

The vaccination campaign is off to a very slow start. Japan didn’t get any vaccine until March. I don’t think all the medical workers have received it yet. The city government sent packets of information to the seniors with the warning not to call for an appointment until told to, at least until the end of May. I guess it’s good, in a way. They are giving the vaccine to the hardest-hit cities first, so guess we can wait a little longer. One of my supporters kindly paid for a ticket for me, but I certainly won’t be getting on a plane without my “jab” (British English). I have mixed feelings about getting it.

We had to cancel camp again. 🙁 We just had a one-day workday to keep the jungle from getting out of control. Eight came to help. One of the workers is cleaning off the roof. One job is to clear off the room of leaves and debris.

Thank you for all your help. Jeanne Ray

Grace and peace to each of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that this letter finds you well and blessed, growing daily in Christ, by the power of the Spirit, through the love of the Father.

Spring is fully upon us now here in Matsudo. The barren trees have turned green, and colorful flowers are blooming all around us. Cherry blossom season was as beautiful as always, though the year had a noticeably different atmosphere due to the continuing pandemic. Normally during cherry blossom season, our family goes to a large park just across the Edo River in Tokyo for hanami (a picnic beneath the cherry blossoms). Unfortunately, this year the park was staffed with people going around asking people not to do this. This was disappointing (though understandable), but the trees were still lovely and a welcome sight after the long, dark winter months.

Although the pandemic has prevented certain kinds of outings, it hasn’t shut down our local park. The playground has been full of children playing each day, and often their parents join them, or at least their mothers do.

Before we came to Japan, we wondered how we would make connections here. We knew worship would look different and that we wouldn’t be able to hold events at the building for quite some time. In our previous time here, this was an important means of creating connections. We wondered what we would do without such a valuable tool. Furthermore, we had intended to live in the same neighborhood as the church building – an area called Minami Hanashima, which is where we lived previously. However, when borders closed in April 2020, we lost the apartment we were planning to move into just down the road from the building. We had even paid the deposit already! It seemed hard to understand at the time.

But we continued to pray for God to make us fruitful if it was still his will to send us, and we have come to see that his timing was perfect. (Should we expect anything less?) The house we now have, as we have said in the past, is absolutely perfect for our family. We have a spacious house with plenty of room for our family and plenty of room for hospitality as well. But the biggest blessing of this house is not the house itself, but the playground across the street.

This playground, this humble park tucked between houses and apartments, is where missions happens. This is our Areopagus; it is the Lord’s field, and it is here where we work towards the harvest.

This isn’t missionary rhetoric – God has provided abundantly for us here. We have met 3 families with children who speak English at this park. Three! We didn’t meet another child who spoke English even once at our playground in Minami Hanashima. And we have made other connections besides these. That isn’t intended to be a criticism of our previous location. We have tried to keep up previous relationships, and have connected with a number of previous friends as well. We are grateful for all God did before and the foundation he provided, but what we see at this playground is a testimony to the Lord’s provision for his work now as well.

Through this playground, the Lord has provided friends for our children. They have friends to play with and laugh with each day. That would be a gift in and of itself, but the Lord has gone further. Sara has been able to talk to many of the mothers at the playground while the children play (usually only the mothers join the children, though fathers occasionally come on Sunday afternoons). One mother has asked Sara questions about Christianity and what our worship is like. Another mother said she has been to a church before and would be interested in coming if we have events in the future. Leslie has even been able to meet two of the fathers, and we’ve had one of these families over to our house already for dinner. They stayed over for 4 hours and we had the opportunity to pray together before the meal – quite possibly the first prayer to the Lord they have ever heard.

All of this is God’s provision. Jesus promised it. He tells us in John 15:4-5 that only if we abide in him and him in us can we be fruitful. He tells us to ask for what we need to be fruitful for the glory of the Father. He promised to provide, and he has – abundantly.

This isn’t our doing in the least. If it had been up to us, we would be in a much smaller apartment in a likely less fruitful spot. Instead, we are here, where we can see the Lord providing each day. God provides for his work if we will simply trust him and lean into him and be faithful. That is true here, but it is also true wherever you are.

We are so grateful to everyone who prays for us regularly. Your prayers matter. The image above is proof. Of course, we can’t see the future. Everyone has a choice to make. But God knows those who are seeking, he knows those whose hearts are open, and we believe he has many in Matsudo who are his people (see Acts 18:10). It is our prayer that many of those we have met will be among them. The time is now for planting and watering, and we eagerly await the day God gives the growth.

My book review on a book about marriage – Apr 27, 2021

I recently bought a book called Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work written by John M. Gottman at a used book store. It cost only $1. Although it is by no means a Christian book, I think Christians can benefit from reading it.

Christian books about marriage are Bible-centered so they give us biblical principles for marriage. But they tend to give narrow definitions of manhood and womanhood, which may not fit everyone. Each man has different needs because he is different in character, temperament, and social background. So does each woman.

On the contrary, the author of this book has a needs-centered approach to marriage. He makes a scientific observation on hundreds of married couples in their special labs and draws seven principles for a healthy marriage. He explains why and how some married couples stay together happily while others don’t. Here is a paragraph from the first chapter.

“What can make a marriage work is surprisingly simple. Happily married couples aren’t smarter, richer, or more psychologically astute than others. But in their day-to-day lives, they have hit upon a dynamic that keeps their negative thoughts and feelings about each other … from overwhelming their positive ones. … Rather than creating a climate of disagreement and resistance, they embrace each other’s needs. When addressing a partner’s request, their motto tends to be a helpful ‘Yes, and…’ rather than ‘Yes, but…’. This positive attitude not only allows them to maintain but also to increase the sense of romance, play, fun, adventure, and learning together that are at the heart of any long-lasting love affair. They have what I call an emotionally intelligent marriage.”

To be honest, I got more from this book than the Christian books about marriage that I have read. I believe we can get some insights from non-Christian authors whatever subjects are.

A Brochure for Yokota Church of Christ – Mar 23, 2021

We are making a brochure for the Yokota Church of Christ. We are living in an age of confusion and chaos. I think this is the time we should reach out to people.

In today’s world, everyone is entitled and able to express his or her opinion through the Internet. Even a socially lowest and despised person can make a great impact by expressing his own opinion.

I believe that this is the time we can let Christ’s Light shine by making His message known to the world. Less than 1% of the entire Japanese population is considered to be Christian. Most of the Japanese people have never read the Bible nor known the words of Christ.

Hello brothers and sisters!

We’ve been back in Japan now for almost 3 months, and by God’s grace, we feel we are all settling in well. Between the holidays and family birthdays (Sara, Madeleine, and Boston all have birthdays within the span of about 4 weeks), the turn of the year is always very busy. But we’ve now passed that period, so our family life and mission work is beginning to take shape, to the extent that it can in the midst of the pandemic.

Service Amidst The Pandemic

In early January, Japan declared another state of emergency because the virus was expanding dramatically in several key locations like Tokyo. The Matsudo church has been able to continue meeting, but things certainly look and feel different. Trying to figure out how to minister and reach out in the middle of this has been a challenge, but God has provided many seeds even now (more about that later). Thankfully, the virus situation in Japan has improved considerably since the declaration, and we are seeing hints of warmer days ahead, so we pray more opportunities will open soon.

As we’ve navigated this period, we’ve tried to turn our attention first to what we can do rather than what we cannot. We have invited people to our home as much as possible, although we know not everyone will feel comfortable with that at the moment. We are especially grateful for our sister Nao. She comes over with one or both of her children almost every Sunday after worship and usually stays for several hours. This has been a wonderful time to help disciple her as a young Christian, as she asks many thoughtful questions as we sit at our table together. Her questions are very helpful to us as well, as they reveal some of the specific challenges Japanese people face which we would not understand otherwise. Sara has also been engaging in a Bible devotional program with Nao through their phones throughout the week. We are so grateful for these opportunities and love seeing Nao grow in her faith. Please pray for her, as she navigates the difficult waters of being the only Christian in her family.

In addition to these types of activities, we have tried to use what online connections we have to plant seeds. Leslie has been sharing various devotional thoughts in Japanese online, both on Facebook and on Instagram, accompanied by a simple graphic or video. Aside from the immediate encouragement, we hope this provides, we also believe this can let more people in the community know about the church, and feel more comfortable with visiting at some point. Likewise, we are still working on the church website, which we hope will be up and running by early spring.

Speaking of online efforts, the preachers’ meetings have been online since the pandemic began, operating through Zoom. Leslie had the honor to speak at the preachers’ meeting for February, where he spoke on the subject of bearing fruit. It’s always a bit nerve-wracking to speak to fellow ministers in Japanese, but the lesson seemed to be well-received and encouraging. We are so grateful for the other ministers here who work so hard and dedicate their lives to the service of the Lord. We pray we will be able to be further encouraging to them throughout the year.

Holding the monthly preachers meeting over Zoom from home. It’s wonderful to have this technology, but we can’t wait until it isn’t necessary anymore! Nothing beats face to face.

Seeds For The Sower

One of the big challenges we knew we would face when we arrived was making new connections and reconnecting with old friends. The pandemic creates many barriers for both here. While some people are comfortable getting out and spending time with others, many are less so. If nothing else, the pandemic provides an excuse to indulge in avoidance. However, pandemic or not, we know that it is God who provides the seed. He knows those who are seeking, and he knows exactly which paths need to cross and when. So, we have been praying repeatedly that God provides us with connections by his power and grace. We have already seen him answering.

The kids playing with their new friend Rin (pronounced Reen)

For starters, God has been providing the children with new friends. Cambria recently made friends with a girl her age named Rin. She has connected with her through an online app, and Rin has come to the playground many times to play together. This has given Cambria a reason to work on her Japanese, while also building a connection to the community. This, along with several younger friends at the playground, is a blessing to us all. We would love to see seeds planted through these relationships – please pray that God will provide those opportunities.

Sara visiting with Tomoko at her workplace. We apologize for the blocked faces, but the Japanese are very particular about online privacy. In the absence of permission, we want to be careful to honor that concern in these public newsletters.

We’ve also been reconnecting with some old friends since our return. Without getting into a lot of details, we ask that you pray for Tomoko, as well as the Kawakami family. We’ve been able to reconnect with both since our return, and it would be a tremendous joy to see God’s enlivening power take root in the hearts of these friends – it is a literal daydream! Please pray that God will provide us with opportunities to share his gospel – that he will give us the words to say, the wisdom of when to speak them, and the courage to say them when the time arrives.

Life In Japan

A few other things we would like to mention here…

Sara visiting with Tomoko at her workplace. We apologize for the blocked faces, but the Japanese are very particular about online privacy. In the absence of permission, we want to be careful to honor that concern in these public newsletters.

First, we are so grateful and excited to say that we were able to get a car this month! That is completely and totally due to your generosity, for which we are humbled and thankful. Aside from the benefits, this brings our family, we also plan to use this to visit members of the church and serve as much as possible. Thank you again for your generosity, and please pray that God provides opportunities to use this in his service. As it happens, our sister Sanpei’s husband helped us a whole lot with the car, which gave us some opportunities to connect with him. Please pray for him and for us as we continue to build that relationship. We would love to see him walk with the Lord, and we know our dear sister would rejoice as well.

A map of the recent quake in Japan. The shaking lasted at least a minute, and some people in Fukushima said it felt as strong as the 3/11 quake, though it didn’t last as long. Although it was not as powerful, it was closer to land.

Second, we had a very large earthquake about a week or so ago late at night. It was a magnitude 7.3 just off the coast of Fukushima and was officially listed as an aftershock of the 2011 disaster. Thankfully, there was no tsunami this time, though the shaking was quite strong and did cause some damage and injuries (we were fine, although Cambria did injure her toe as we headed downstairs). On the plus side, the next day was Sunday, and someone who had not visited since we returned did come to worship that morning. God is always working!

Finally, Leslie of course continues to preach each Sunday. Preparing lessons in Japanese is challenging. He writes the sermon in English first, translates it into Japanese, and then practices for several hours and makes edits on Sunday morning before worship. Despite this, there are many hurdles that make it difficult to express what he would like to during the sermon. We request your prayers that his Japanese ability will increase and become more natural so that it will not prove a barrier to teaching the gospel and the congregation’s growth.

Connect With Us!
If you don’t yet, you can follow us on Instagram, where we share daily life experiences and more from our life here.

Leslie  / Sara

Christian Baptism and Conversion – Feb 5, 2021

In the last ten years, several people who were baptized in Christ in other congregations started attending the Yokota congregation. As I talked to them, they confessed to me that they had never experienced a spiritual transformation. They didn’t feel that they had changed anything spiritually. The only difference is that they went to church after their baptism. It is no surprise that some of them faithfully attended the assembly and every bible class available. The confession of those people made me think about the meanings of baptism and conversion.

By baptism, a person is born again in Christ. He is baptized into Christ’s death, buried with him, and raised with him. After baptism, he is expected to continue growing spiritually and be transformed spiritually into the image of Christ. I am afraid that only some of us experience this spiritual transformation. I conclude that a person’s conversion in Christ doesn’t take place in baptism instantly, but takes place in the process as he strives to follow Christ. More importantly, I believe that becoming like Christ is a lifelong goal for every Christian.

This is the Time of Evangelism – Feb 5, 20201

This is the 21st century. One-fifth of the century has already passed. I think this is the century of chaos and confusion. In the year 2001, September 11 attacks struck in the US. A big earthquake and tsunami struck Indonesia in 2004. A lot of Japanese people who saw it never dreamt something like that would ever hit Japan, but it happened even in a bigger scale in 2011. In the US, political chaos has been going on. Also, we have been fighting Covid-19 which is a new pandemic all over the world. Who knows what is going to happen this year and next year? What is going to become of the US-Japan relation and treaty? What will become of Yokota Base?

People feel uncertain and insecure about their future. Older generations may have experienced similar uncertainty during the depression and WWII. But things are much different from the past, and I think the degree of uncertainty has been a lot higher than in the past.

I think this is a great chance to evangelize people in Japan. We plan to do the following things.

(1) We will make a tract for non-Christians. This tract has a very important and relevant message to them.
(2) We will distribute the tract in the communities surrounding the congregation as much as possible. This is the toughest part of evangelism in Japan. We have to come up with the most effective way to distribute it.
(3) We will try to become a congregation that people feel friendly, free, and open. Always smile and friendly. No pressures are put on them.
(4) My sermon message is always God-Christ-centered.
(5) Although I am responsible for the entire congregation in many different ways, I don’t represent the congregation. Our members understand that every member is an ambassador of Christ. Nobody is regarded highly among us. Every Christian is considered as brothers and sisters in Christ.