On November 2, 2022, Josephine and I returned from a ten and a half weeks trip to Japan. It has been three years since we were there to minister. It was good to be in Japan. This will be a report of some of the things we did during those weeks.

Warm greetings at the airport and upon arriving in Tachikawa

Upon coming out of immigration and customs at Tokyo Haneda Airport on August 23, we were surprised to see Ruku Obata (pronounced Luke) waiting for us. We have known Ruku since he was in grade school. He is twenty-three years old now. After graduating from college, he began a special four-year course in Bible and theology. He graciously drove us from Haneda Airport in southeastern Tokyo to Tachikawa in western Tokyo. He also carried our luggage up three flights of stairs to our dorm room in the Tachikawa church building.

Sister Sano was at the building to meet us when we arrived. She was a great help over the time we were there. She serves as the church secretary and also cares for the flowers around the church building. We were blessed on this trip to have time to deepen our relationship with her.

Fukushima receiving the Hogan-Cate Mission Award at Harding School of Theology 

We left on Monday, August 22, and arrived in Tokyo the following day. Our first priority was to set up housekeeping and get a functional office together. This is something we did each year for twenty-three years until the pandemic started in early 2020. Our primary ministry on this trip was to fill in for Nao and Noriko Fukushima while they were in Memphis studying at the Harding School of Theology. While I shared lessons with the congregation each Sunday, Josephine reached out to members and studied with those interested in English Bible Study.

Lesson topics for the Tachikawa church

For the eight Sundays we met with the Tachikawa church, I chose to preach through John 13-16. This was Jesus’ message to his disciples the night before he was betrayed and killed. On our first Sunday, there were two assemblies. One in Japanese in the morning and one in Chinese in the afternoon on the fourth Sunday of the month. One member is from Mylasia and speaks Chinese. I wrote out my sermon in English and she translates it into Chinese. At the assembly, I read the sermon in English and she read her translation in Chinese. I did this for three Sundays while we were at Tachikawa. The first sermon was written two weeks before we left for Japan to give time for translation. The following sermons were prepared each week.

Visitation for brother Shigekuni – minister, teacher, principal

Since our main work on this trip was to minister to the Tachikawa church, we stayed in the Tokyo suburb of Tachikawa most of our time. We did get out several times. On Monday morning September 12, we traveled an hour and a half to Ochanomizu to meet up with a group going to Hitachi Ota three hours and two prefectures away. We went to the Ota church building for the visitation for brother Nobuyuki Shigekuni. This building was the place where Josephine attended her first Japanese worship assembly in the summer of 1969. The brother we had come to pay respect for was the minister at that time. He later visited us in Memphis in 1975. He was a high school teacher and principal for Ibaraki Christian High School.

Another occasion to get out of Tachikawa was afforded by a brother from the Yokota church. He offered to take us to Haruna in Gunma Prefecture to see brother and sister Shiro Obata. The Obatas helped us numerous times while we were full-time workers in Japan (1977-86). Brother Obata was one of my mentors. He fell in July 2019 and suffered a serious injury to his spine. After much healing and physical therapy, he is back walking and continues to preach for the Haruna congregation each Sunday while seated. Sister Obata suffered heatstroke this past summer and is now in a care facility. It was a blessing to be able to visit them.

Japan School of Evangelism Lectureship via Zoom

In addition to speaking at Tachikawa, I spoke at the fall lectureship for the Japan School of Evangelism with Takeshi Kushida minister for the Hitachi church. My topic was Paul’s understanding of the church from Ephesians. Paul pictured this gathering community of believers in several ways. But I focused on my favorite image of the church as a household of God (Ephesians 2:19).

Our two-week rail pass began on September 28 with our going to Kojima in Okayama Prefecture. This is like going from Memphis to Austin, Texas. We went there to visit with Sandy Rogers. Over twenty years ago, she and Brent moved to Kojima to teach English and started a congregation at the same time. Brent died three years ago but Sandy remains to work with the congregation. Their school closed just before the pandemic broke out. On our return to Tachikawa, we visited a couple Josephine and I had English Bible classes with while they were in Memphis.

Tuesday Bible class with some of the Numazu church members

During the second week of our rail pass, we made a day trip to Shizuoka. I taught a class for the Numazu church at their Tuesday morning Bible study. Sarah Andrews started that congregation after WWII. There are three other congregations she started before the war in that area – Okitsu, Oiwa, and Shimizu. We received a delicious sushi lunch after the class. We visited with brother Tomoyuki Shinozaki former minister for the Numazu church as well as brother Fumio Maeda minister for the Nakada church and his wife Sachiko before returning to Tachikawa.

Later that week of the rail pass, we started our long trip north. It began with the Tomobe church. The church members knew we were coming so they planned an impromptu meeting for that evening. It was a “tea party” with fifteen gathered of which three were non-Christians and one of them came for the first time. I shared a lesson and answered questions during that meeting. We appreciated the members quickly organizing the meeting.

While in Tomobe, Jeanne Ray was our host. She has opened her home to so many over the years. She and Marlin came to Japan in about 1972 to teach English. This gradually changed to re-establishing the church in Tomobe. It has now been over 35 years since they started ministering in Tomobe.

Joel, Hiro, and Seika ministering to the Mito congregation

While in the Ibaraki area, we visited Joel Osborne and Hiro Akahoshi who team minister to the Mito congregation. The church secretary, Seika, also came with them. We had a wonderful meal together and discussed the work in Mito and in Japan in general. We worked with Joel and Hiro in 2011 following the tragic earthquake and tsunami.

From Ibaraki, we went further north to Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture. This is like going from Memphis to Chicago. Twelve of us gathered on Sunday morning for worship. It was such a blessing to be with these brothers and sisters. They rented a room in a local hotel for the occasion. They usually meet in a member’s home. Following the worship, we had a wonderful bento lunch and then an impromptu ladies’ class. It is always an encouragement to see those who have the desire to learn more about God.

Lunch with the Hachinohe congregation after worship

On our way back from Hachinohe, we stopped at Omika in Ibaraki Prefecture. I spoke in chapel for the Ibaraki Christian University. That afternoon, Josephine was asked to share a lesson with some of the ladies. She taught from Habakkuk. Later that week after returning to Tachikawa we had lunch with a couple we taught while in Memphis. The husband teaches at Nagasaki University and the wife works for a research group.

While we had to secure visas to enter Japan, 0n October 11 the borders of Japan were fully opened to foreign tourists. This means that travel to Japan can be done pretty much as it was before the pandemic. This gave us hope for a spring trip in 2023.

Visit with Leslie and Sara Taylor ministering in Matsudo, Chiba

The week before we were to leave, we were finally able to squeeze in a visit to Matsudo in Chiba Prefecture to see Leslie and Sara Taylor. They had worked with the Matsudo church for five years with Steve and Debbie Carrell. They returned to the states for two years before returning two years ago in the midst of the pandemic. They are now working full-time with the Matsudo congregation.

Our final Sunday was spent with the Ochanomizu congregation in downtown Tokyo. They sponsored us when we came as full-time workers in 1977. Over the years, we have benefited from their encouragement and help. I spoke for the Japanese assembly in the morning and then for the English assembly in the afternoon. We stayed in the old building in 1969 as college students. Brother Obata, mentioned above, was the minister at that time. It was like coming home.

Speaking at the Ochanomizu congregation

On Monday, October 31, we began the process of packing and closing up housekeeping. We had tried to go to Japan in 2020 and 2021 but were not allowed. Having finally been able to enter and minister, we are very thankful. It has been great to renew friendships and minister once again in Japan. We are ever indebted to those who encourage and support our ministry. Our prayers have always been that God is glorified through our efforts.

Grace and peace to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! As always, we thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. We’re happy to share with you what has been going on over the last month here in Japan.

Hamburgers on 4th of July. Japanese grills are very different from those in America, using a different kind of charcoal and a grated covering, since typically they cook small pieces of meat or vegetables on it rather than large burgers or steaks.

Heading into July, of course, we have the 4th of July. However, as you might imagine, Japan does not celebrate the day. Thankfully, we have a family friend who lives out in the Chiba countryside about an hour or so away who is American, so we went out and had a cookout with him and his family. No fireworks this year, but it was nice to celebrate together all the same! This friend and his family are not Christians, and unfortunately, they live far away so it’s hard to connect regularly, but we try to use what influence we can to shine the light of Jesus and plant some seeds. You never know what the Lord is doing through these interactions!

We also had another visit this month with a longtime American friend here in Japan, our sister Sandy Rogers. Some of you may remember that our family first came to Japan in 2010 and lived in the small town of Kojima in Okayama Prefecture for a year. At that time, we worked together with Sandy and her husband Brent, who had a great influence on us in showing us what it looks like to labor in this culture for the Lord. Brent has since gone to be with the Lord, but Sandy is still here working hard to water the seeds they planted together for so long. Sandy was able to stay with us for a couple of nights, and also attended Sunday worship together with us, which was a great blessing. We had some wonderful conversations together. Sandy is planning to return to the U.S. in a couple of years, so please be in prayer for her as she prepares for that major life transition.

Sara, Sandy, and Nao. Sandy and Brent played an important role in Nao coming to follow Jesus. We are so thankful!

You also likely heard about the unfortunate murder of previous prime minister Shinzo Abe. This was definitely a major shock in Japan, particularly because a gun was used. Guns are, practically speaking, banned in Japan, with only very limited kinds allowed for hunting, the permission for which requires a long and extensive process. Of course, Abe was very influential in politics for many years, and it was even possible he could become prime minister again one day. Given the potential impact on people here, we had a special service the following Sunday at Matsudo, discussing tragedy from a Christian worldview. Although no one from the community attended, we did receive a kind word from a non-Christian Japanese friend who saw that we were hosting this. She said: “You are always thinking about what you can do for the people around you. I respect you. Thank you for what you do for Japan.” This individual is one of the people regularly listed on our “names you can pray for” prayer request list at the end of our newsletter. These small statements are very meaningful to hear for us, and we pray that this little light we shine will point this friend and others to the One who cares about Japan and its people more than anyone else.

Our kids doing a Q&A session with kids in the U.S.

July ushers in summer vacation for the kids. Summer break for kids here is shorter than in the U.S., but there are still several weeks off from school that they can enjoy. Our kids enjoyed playing with their friends and were also able to host a short Q&A with several kids from the U.S. who asked questions about life in Japan. We’re so thankful for all the friends in the U.S. who show interest in and concern for our children. What a blessing it is!

Unfortunately, summer vacation has also brought a new wave of covid cases here in Japan. This has perhaps been the largest wave we have experienced here, and several of our closest friends have contracted covid for the first time. In fact, we had potential exposure to one case, but gratefully God protected our family, particularly since that would likely mean being stuck in the house for a full two weeks at least.

Yet, while this wave has produced large numbers (for Japan), we have noticed that the response has been much more reserved compared to previous waves. Many large events are still being held, for example, and we still see plenty of people playing at the local playground, and people walking around town without masks. Although we know of at least one church that has suspended services again, they have provisionally done so only for one week rather than indefinitely. Additionally, and importantly for us, for the first time, the borders have not been closed again. That is a very hopeful sign, we believe. Anyone who knows about life in Japan knows that change here is a slow process. That is true in all areas of life and is one of the reasons the spiritual work here can be so challenging. But it also produces a great sense of joy when the change finally comes, even if it is measured in inches instead of yards.

Despite this recent wave, God has been providing us with new connections and opportunities. Leslie has continued playing tennis several times a month with those individuals we mentioned in our previous newsletter. Sara continues to build relationships with some people in her classes. We also have made a new contact with a foreigner living nearby thanks to a mutual friend with our previous missions partner, Steve Carrell. This individual seems to be seeking something, and while we are currently only connected through Facebook, we’re hoping we’ll be able to meet him in person soon. There are others we could mention as well, but the point is that God is still working and we are very grateful for that.

Our most recent English worship service at Matsudo.

We have also been continuing our English Worship services. Attendance has been somewhat sporadic so far, but we are hopeful this will continue to be a blessing to Matsudo and that God will use it to help make disciples in our community and beyond. At our last service, three Christian sisters from the Ochanomizu church visited with us. We’d like to share something one of them texted Sara later in the day: “I was thinking on my way home, no offense, who could ever imagine that we could have English service at Matsudo. That’s awesome. Of course, God is working, but also I’m very proud of you guys. The seed you planted is starting to bloom.”

Yes – God is indeed working! We are so grateful for our small part in planting seeds and allowing others to see how God does what might seem unimaginable when we trust in him.

Listen To Matsudo Church of Christ Sermons!

Speaking of our services at the Matsudo church, you can now listen to Leslie’s sermons online! This will include both Japanese and English sermons.

Click Here To Listen On The Church Website

Click Here To Listen Through Apple Podcasts

For now, the split will be roughly 75% Japanese and 25% English, but we hope, if the Lord blesses our English services, that we will eventually move to have that every Sunday and thus have more English lessons there. To be honest, uploading the Japanese sermons is a bit embarrassing for Leslie. Although Leslie is capable in Japanese, there are still plenty of mistakes in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

Click on the image to listen to our sermons

Postwar Japan – A Christian Nation?

Leslie also has a new episode up of his new personal missions podcast. Did you know that in postwar Japan, General McArthur considered the possibility of making Christianity the official state religion of Japan? It was a real possibility! In this episode Leslie shares some of the history behind that, as well as some reflections on what that might have meant for the work here, and what it means for the church generally in modern times.

Listen through our host Acast: https://shows.acast.com/notes-from-the-field

Listen through Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/notes-from-the-field/id1630093831

Click on the image to listen to the most recent episode

As you remember our work in prayer as we head into the summer, here are some things we would love for you to remember:

• Cambria and Madeleine, as they continue to grow as disciples of Jesus
• Liucija, as she continues to adapt to life in Japan, and for her and Matthieu both as they continue their relationship in person
• Our DBS study, that we will find others who will join us in discovering God’s word and the life of Jesus discipleship
• The English worship service to bless the English-speaking community, and to grow so as to be more fruitful
• Sara, as she continues to engage with people in our community
• Gratitude for opportunities for Leslie, and for him as he engages in these, that they might be fruitful
• Continued success and fruitfulness with the Kids’ English Bible Class
• That the COVID situation in Japan will continue to improve and we will be able to extend our work further at Matsudo
• Some specific names you can pray for: Craig Carroll, Matthieu, Liucija, Tomoko, Kawakami family, Kobayashi family, Mr. Gotou, Fujita family, Ebata family, Toyoda family, Shirouzu family, friends of our children, coaches and staff at tennis

Grace and peace to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! And as always, thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. The summer months have really come in with a bang here, and we’re excited to share about how God is working around us!

Some of the ministers gathered on the last day of the meeting.

Each year in June, the ministers across Japan meet for a preachers’ retreat. For several years, these retreats were held at a Christian camp in Nagano Prefecture. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, this gathering has been held through Zoom for the past 3 years. It is possible that next year we may be able to do it again in person in Nagano, but we leave that in the hands of the Lord. Incidentally, the topic for this year was about what the church looks like in a post-corona world, and there was a lot of good discussions. Leslie was also invited to offer the closing message this year. He spoke on the life of the minister out of Paul’s departing address to the elders at Ephesus in Acts 20. Although we look forward to this retreat being held in person again, we’re grateful for the ability to gather with ministers across the country digitally.

Another big event for us here was the arrival of our sister Liucija from Lithuania. Liucija (pronounced Lu-tsi-ah) is the girlfriend of our new brother Matthieu. We were grateful to be able to pick her and Matthieu up at the airport when she arrived this month.

Liucija was raised with a solid Catholic background, but began seeking to know more for herself and ultimately was baptized at a Church of Christ in Lithuania about a year or so ago. In fact, that is the reason that Matthieu ended up showing up at the Matsudo church this past December! They met prior to the pandemic, and have been maintaining a long-distance relationship since they have been unable to visit each other, and she encouraged Matthieu to visit our church, which she found online. Isn’t that how discipleship works? Disciples point other people to Jesus! It’s really that simple, and it’s amazing to see how God is working all across the world at any given moment. These kinds of actions are direct answers to prayers that we as a family and as a church have been praying for. We’re so grateful to have a front-row seat to see the work the Lord is doing as he draws people to himself.

The arrival of Liucija has been exciting for several reasons. First of all, of course, we’re happy for her and Matthieu, as we know they are excited to be together again after so long. We’re excited to watch their relationship blossom further and ask for your prayers for them as they move forward. However, we’re also excited because we believe the Lord has brought her here for spiritual fruit.

Materials we use for our home DBS with Liucija. These materials come from the North Boulevard Church of Christ in Tennessee.

After she got settled in, we invited Liucija to come over to our house to do Discovery Bible Studies together. We may have mentioned this before, but Discovery Bible Study (DBS) is a simple and reproducible way of studying the Bible with people. DBS is prepared for Christians at almost any level to facilitate and is built around the express idea of making disciples. These studies are built more for small gatherings at home or in other more intimate settings. During these studies, we share our lives together from a spiritual perspective, and then discuss a simple passage together, emphasizing how the passage should change our lives and could impact others around us. The point of these studies is to discover God’s word and will for our lives, and then to put that knowledge into genuine practice, and share it with others. Because it’s so simple and personal, it provides a more comfortable environment in which to bring non-Christian friends.

We’re really excited to start these studies with Liucija, and so grateful for and impressed with her willingness to embrace a life of discipleship. Liucija is about 10-15 years younger than us, and that means she will have doors open to her that we won’t have. Please pray for Liucija as she adapts to life here in Japan, and please pray for these studies, that they will prove fruitful and give us opportunities to help others discover the joy of following Jesus together.

The first gathering of the English worship service at the Matsudo church. Small, but blessed with the Lord’s presence!

Another blessing with her arrival is the opportunity to start our English worship at Matsudo. This is something we have really wanted to do, but without more English speakers it wasn’t clear if it would be worth it. With Matthieu and Liucija now attending, we have decided to hold English worship services every 2nd and 4th Sunday. We are praying that this will be an opportunity to reach out to the foreign contingent of Matsudo and the surrounding cities. Our first service was greatly blessed. We were grateful to have some friends who normally attend the Ochanomizu church visit with us that day, so it was a wonderful start to this new ministry. Please be praying for us as we continue this service. We’d ask prayers that we’ll be able to get the word out to those who are searching and that this will ultimately be a tool to make more disciples of Jesus, and show those around us the unity possible in God’s kingdom.

As you can see, it’s been a busy month of June! But we are so thankful to see ministries shaping up and opportunities to make disciples being created. God is good!

To quote the infomercials – “but that’s not all!”

Click on the image to listen to episodes online.

First, we’d like to let you know about a new podcast Leslie is doing. We wanted to keep up our Taylors In Japan podcast, but it’s been a challenge for Leslie and Sara to sit down and make these happen together for various reasons. So, Leslie is going to be doing a separate podcast called “Notes From The Field.” The name really explains what it is about – in this podcast, Leslie will share various thoughts from the mission field here in Japan. Many of the topics will be related to working as a missionary here, but there may be other discussions along the way as well. You can listen using the links below:

• Listen through our host Acast
• Listen through Apple Podcasts

As many of you know, our family has been part of a tennis school here in Matsudo very near the church building and not far from home either. It’s been a wonderful opportunity to stay active and healthy, and great to have something we all enjoy as a family. But, that’s not the only reason we joined – a big reason was to find opportunities to connect with people in the community in a natural setting. It’s taken some time, but we’ve begun to see some fruit from that investment.

Just this past week, a classmate/fellow player at the school invited Leslie to come to play doubles with him and some other people on Monday afternoon. Usually, Mondays are taken up by sermon preparation, but knowing this was a huge opportunity to build relationships, Leslie gladly accepted, and it looks like this is something he will continue to be able to participate in for the foreseeable future. In addition to that, just that week Leslie randomly came into connection with another foreigner who plays tennis in Kashiwa, the next town up from Matsudo and also where one of the Matsudo church members lives. These are exactly the kinds of things we have been praying for, and to have others reach out on their own is such a joy! God hears our prayers as we seek to be fruitful! We’re excited to see if God will bless some of these connections. Please be praying that he will. We truly want all of our lives to bring glory to God and to be used to make disciples. Please pray for Leslie to have opportunities to do just that.

A Note From Sara

Before we close out, we wanted to share with you about the work Sara has been doing with the Sunday morning English Bible class for children. This has been a great opportunity, and we’re excited to share about how God has been working through this.

Corrie ten Boom told a story from her childhood about being afraid that she wouldn’t be strong enough to bear it when her father would someday die. She recollected: “Father sat down on the edge of the narrow bed. ‘Corrie,’ he began gently, ‘when you and I go to Amsterdam—when do I give you your ticket?’ I sniffed a few times, considering this. ‘Why, just before we get on the train.’ ‘Exactly. And our wise Father in heaven knows when we’re going to need things, too. Don’t run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need—just in time.’

I am not a teacher. I’m not even a natural kid person. When I was in college, I had the grand idea to follow in my mother and grandmother’s footsteps and become a teacher, primarily because I couldn’t bear the idea of life without summer vacations. I lasted one semester in the education program before I changed majors. I am paralyzingly self-conscious and have a major case of impostor syndrome in everything that I do.

So it wasn’t a big surprise to me when I burst into spontaneous tears no fewer than five times in the days leading up to my inaugural Kids’ Bible Class, or when I couldn’t hold back a quick-but-frantic cry in the bathroom thirty minutes before people were supposed to arrive.

“Sara,” you might be thinking, “why in the world did you decide to lead a Bible class?” It’s a good question. You could ask the same why our family decided to move to Japan, and the answer would be the same: Because we believe that it is what God wants us to do. (And if we’re not doing what He wants us to do, what are we even doing?)

Over the past seven months of our Kids’ Bible Class, that story from Corrie has been ringing in my ears. “Our wise Father in heaven knows when we’re going to need things, too. … When the time comes… you will look into your heart and find the strength you need—just in time.”

This is what I’ve witnessed Him doing within me in this Bible class. Ellie Holcomb put it well when she sang, “where He leads us to go, there’s a Red Sea Road.” I am a spiritual Israelite, following God but so easily distracted by fears and worry and a desire for comfort, and He proves over and over that He will provide what I need when I need it as I follow Him in faith.

I survived that first class. And God gave me the ability to teach, the ability to connect with children and their families, the ability to be creative. And I cried again, because the entire time we were here on the field last time, I felt like an impostor, focusing all of my time on raising my own small children and barely passing as a missionary, but now, on this side of things, I see how God has been asking me to be patient for the past thirteen years and to trust Him, and how that time has been spent preparing me for when He would ultimately give me more to carry.

He has brought people to us. We prayed, and you prayed, that He would send people who are seeking Him, even if they don’t realize that they are. Right now, we have four families who attend nearly every week. Two dads who come at least half of the time and joyfully participate. Moms who are interested to know the stories that I share. A couple of weeks ago, they all had other plans and couldn’t make it, and were adamant about telling me that they love the class and didn’t want me to doubt that because they couldn’t come for one week. Earlier this month, one of the families came over for dinner with our family. I am so thankful.

Counting these precious “sheep.”

Over the last month, I have been teaching the kids the parable of the lost sheep. For some reason, it has been heavy on my heart to emphasize this parable to them, so we’ve done stories, we’ve done pictures, we’ve done scavenger hunts for lost sheep, and we’ve done a live-action play of it. It has moved me so much to plant this story in the kids’ hearts. I don’t know why I feel so strongly about it, but I do know that life as an adult in Japan can feel very isolated sometimes, and so I wonder if one of these kids will someday come to need this story that was planted in their heart at age five, or if one of their parents needs it now. As Aslan says in C.S. Lewis’ The Horse and His Boy, “I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own.” But just today, a friend from high school, who my family used to bring to church, told me that—twenty years later—she still sings church songs when she’s looking for something to sing. My prayer is that the stories I’m telling these kids now will stay in their hearts, so that when they someday feel lonely or desperate or lost or unloved, they will know that there is One who knows them, cares for them, sees them, and loves them.

Thank you all for your continued support of this class. If you would ever like to know more about it, I would love to tell you more. There are details and names that I would love to share personally but don’t feel right sharing through our newsletter, so please don’t hesitate to ask about it.

Sara

As you remember our work in prayer as we head into the summer, here are some things we would love for you to remember:

• Cambria and Madeleine, as they continue to grow as disciples of Jesus
• Liucija, as she continues to adapt to life in Japan, and for her and Matthieu both as they continue their relationship in person
• Our DBS study, that we will find others who will join us in discovering God’s word and the life of Jesus discipleship
• The English worship service to bless the English-speaking community, and to grow so as to be more fruitful
• Sara, as she continues to engage with people in our community
• Gratitude for opportunities for Leslie, and for him as he engages in these, that they might be fruitful
• Continued success and fruitfulness with the Kids’ English Bible Class
• That the COVID situation in Japan will continue to improve and we will be able to extend our work further at Matsudo
• Some specific names you can pray for: Matthieu, Liucija, Tomoko, Kawakami family, Kobayashi family, Mr. Gotou, Fujita family, Ebata family, Toyoda family, Shirouzu family, friends of our children, coaches and staff at tennis

Miscellaneous images from June:

Looking out over downtown Matsudo in the vening. This image represents probably at least 10,000 peopl, and possibly closer to 20-30,00. This area is only about 10 minutes by bike and 20 minutes walking from the church building.

A Fathers’ Day photo of Leslie and the kids.

Grace and peace to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! As we start this newsletter out, we want to begin by saying thank you. Thank you for caring about our family and the work in Japan, and for taking the time to read about it. Thank you for your support, both financially and spiritually. We are grateful to each one of you for reading this.

We pray that you all had a wonderful Easter. What a joy it is to have a risen Savior! It is through his life that we have life and hope. It is because he is alive from the dead that the church exists and that our family is in Japan doing this work. Jesus’ resurrection is the foundation of everything we are and do as Christians, and we’re so grateful for the opportunity for a special moment of remembrance that we can celebrate not just with other Christians, but even with non-Christians who may be uniquely open to listening to the Gospel message this time of year.

It still amazes us that this opportunity has reached as far as Japan. So many assumptions we make in the West don’t apply in Japan, but somehow Easter has broken through that barrier and opened a door. Perhaps it is only the commercialism surrounding days like Easter and Christmas that has opened the door, but if it requires pagan commercialism to open the door to the true life of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then we praise God all the more for his grace and wisdom for making such things possible.

We are happy to report that our Easter worship at Matsudo went very well, with several visitors during worship. Two of the visitors were Mrs. Yamaya and Mrs. Aoki, who we mentioned previously, so we were very happy to have them join us once again. We ask for continued prayers for these two ladies, that the messages they have heard and fellowship they have experienced will continue to sink deep into their hearts and pull them towards the Savior. The other visitors were a connection through tennis. The mother (Kimie – Ki-mi-eh) works at the front desk at tennis and often talks to us. She, her husband, and their two young children attended. It was a bit difficult for the children (and thus for the parents), but we hope they felt the grace and love of the church even in the midst of that struggle. We are so grateful for a church that does not complain but embraces families and young children with patience and love.

Sara teaching the children’s class the story of Easter. For many of both the children and the parents, this could well be the first time they have ever heard it!

In the afternoon after worship, we had our children’s Easter event, and that was very well attended! Along with a lot of children, we also had many parents, including several fathers. Sara taught the children the Easter story of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and then afterward we had a fun egg hunt in the park across the street. It’s easy to overlook events like these, but we believe these are the very places where seeds are planted. Each egg is a memory for that child and the parents that shows the love of the church, with Jesus’ resurrection at the heart of it all. We pray that those seeds will bear fruit by the Lord’s power over the years to come.

The children search for easter eggs hidden around the edge of the park. We hid over 100 eggs!

Speaking of Easter, Leslie has another project in the works related to the resurrection of Jesus. We’ve mentioned before that Leslie is joining JSE (Japan School of Evangelism) as a teacher, and his first lessons have been scheduled for the first or second semester of next year. He will be assisting Brother Noguchi (one of the ministers at the Ochanomizu church) for part of his Systematic Theology class, focusing on a section on the resurrection of Jesus. Leslie has taught on the resurrection both here in Japan and in the U.S., and it has been a topic he has emphasized in his studies both during graduate school and since. Each class will require the same amount of work as nearly a month of sermons, so it’s a big undertaking just to teach 2 or 3 classes as part of a larger course. As you can imagine, Leslie is thankful to have almost a year to prepare! Placing the resurrection within the broader framework of Systematic Theology is an exciting and big task, particularly in Japanese, but that’s why JSE is such a blessing – it provides resources in Japanese that are rather scarce compared to what we have available in the U.S.

Leslie and Sara in front of cherry blossoms at a nearby park earlier this month

So much of the work we do here is hard to lay out in a newsletter. It’s easy to point to big events or particular projects, but there are so many encounters we have each week that are important. The vast majority of those are engaged by Sara. Because I (Leslie) am the minister at Matsudo, there’s a tendency to focus on my work in terms of the mission, but to be honest I think that is misleading. Sara and I are partners in the gospel, much like Priscilla and Aquila. Sara doesn’t just support me, she is a big part of our work on her own. A couple of recent encounters come to mind. For example, the reason our friend Kimie and her family attended our Easter worship is because of the connection with Sara. Also recently, a mother who has been struggling emotionally with life during the pandemic protocols reached out and asked Sara to meet her so she could pour out her heart to her. Then, just two days ago, another mother who we have a connection with through tennis came over because her family is moving to Kentucky soon and is very nervous about the move and everything it entails. As we have said many times, men here typically work long hours and their only days off are Sundays. For that reason, Leslie has few opportunities to build relationships. Sara is our family’s door to the community and thus to evangelism. The Easter event for children is good evidence of that. In many ways, I support Sara as much as she supports me. All that to say: please pray for Sara as she continues to engage, and remember our family in prayer as often as you can because it is in these unpredictable encounters that we believe God is most clearly working.

Our family beneath a cherry blossom tree this spring

Speaking of the family moving to Kentucky (the Toyodas), we would also like to ask specific prayers for them and for us as we try to encourage them. If you’ve ever moved overseas, you know how overwhelming the whole process can be, especially when you have young children. It’s emotionally disruptive for everyone and can produce a lot of anxiety. But, we know a lot of Japanese Christians who became Christians during their time in the U.S. We would love to see that happen with this family, so we are doing what we can to plant seeds now. Please be praying that others will have opportunities to water when they arrive and that God will give the increase!

As the year goes on, we continue to hear good news about Japan heading into a post-corona phase. In addition to the lifting of the state of emergency, the government appears to be mulling allowing in tourists again, and even – surprisingly! – backing off the recommendation for masks in certain situations (e.g., outdoors at parks). We are grateful to hear these discussions in the air, as it gives us hope that some projects we’ve put on hold may be able to move forward soon, especially because it means we may be able to have people visit us here, as well as find it easier (or at least cheaper) to visit the States ourselves.

Regardless of what the future holds, our hope is most of all in the living Lord. Jesus is alive, and he is still working, regardless of viruses, mitigation measures, wars, or anything else. We are so grateful for his provision, and to have front row seats to the Spirit’s work here in Japan. We appreciate your prayers and support as we continue to seek to live in the Spirit’s power, by the grace of the Son, to the glory of the Father.

As you remember our work in prayer throughout 2022, here are some things we would love for you to remember:

• Prayers for interactions we will be having over the coming Japan holidays
• Prayers for Sara especially as she continues to engage with people in our community
• Prayers that God will provide Leslie with more opportunities to engage with men
• Prayers for continued success and fruitfulness with the Kids’ English Bible Class
• That God will continue to work at Matsudo regardless of the COVID situation
• That God will allow the pandemic to come to an end soon so things can open and get back to some kind of normalcy
• Some specific names you can pray for: Mrs. Aoki, Mrs. Yamaya, Matthieu, Tomoko, Kawakami family, Kobayashi family, Mr. Gotou, Fujita family, Ebata family, Toyoda family, Shirouzu family, friends of our children, coaches and staff at the tennis club

Grace and peace to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! We hope this newsletter finds you all well and growing in Christ, wherever you are.
Spring has sprung here in Japan – at least in the Tokyo area. It’s a beautiful time here and we’re grateful for the signs of new life that God gives us at this time of year, especially through his creation.

As the days have become warmer and people are getting outside more, the virus numbers have decreased enough that Japan has finally released society from what is called the “manbou” – the various measures intended to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. In fact, during a recent speech, the prime minister mentioned the need to move toward normal life again, which is the first time anyone in the government has spoken about that, as far as we are aware, so we hope it is a good sign for the rest of the year.

This is especially important for us as we plan for upcoming Easter events. With the measures lifted, we can invite friends and neighbors more easily. This year we’ll be doing our normal Easter worship, using the opportunity to share about the resurrection of Jesus and all that means. Afterward, we’re hosting an event for families and children and planning to hold an Easter egg hunt at the park across the street from the church building.

Cherry blossoms blooming in Matsudo

We’ve already invited several people and will be posting information about the day online, so we’d request your prayers that anyone whose heart may be open to the gospel would attend. The opportunity to talk specifically about the resurrection to our community is such a gift, and we want to use it wisely and for it to be fruitful.

While Easter is a big deal for us here and a big opportunity, God is working in other ways and we have seen that recently at Matsudo. Two Sundays ago, two older women – Mrs. Aoki and Mrs. Yamaya – showed up to worship. Apparently, they were on their way back from visiting the local shrine down the street and saw our building and decided, “Why not stop in and see what it’s about?”

Mrs. Yamaya had probably never been to worship before at all, nor heard a Christian prayer or anything of that nature. Mrs. Aoki had attended a Christian school of some kind when she was young, so she had some exposure to Christianity. It is that seed planted many years ago that pulled her to want to visit.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Yamaya did not return the next Sunday, but Mrs. Aoki did and we are so grateful for that blessing. We ask that you would please remember her in your prayers. In fact, we would ask that you stop and say a prayer for her right now – that God would continue to pull on her heart and press her to continue attending and hearing the message of the Kingdom, and to respond to that call in faith.

Madeleine, Cambria, and Boston beneath cherry blossoms at the Sumida River in Tokyo

A couple of days ago, one of our neighbors in our community invited us out for sushi at a local restaurant and then wanted to take us to see some nighttime cherry blossoms in Tokyo. This neighbor – Mr. Gotou (pronounced: Go-toh) – is a widower, and keeps pretty busy with various projects at an apartment complex he owns next to his home, but he does seem to be a bit lonely. We’re happy to get to spend time with him and share Christian love as best as we can.

Boston with various kinds of fresh sushi

These times can be challenging in some ways. For example, when he orders baby squid for Sara and the kids to eat! But also, some of his topics of discussion can be difficult to manage, both because of his opinions and because of the language barrier. But we are grateful for these opportunities and this relationship. Please be praying for Mr. Gotou, that somehow the relationship we are building will prove spiritually fruitful, and for us, that we will live the kind of lives that show him the light of Jesus.

We’re hopeful as we continue to move into the year. We’re hopeful because we continue to see God working in this community. We’re hopeful because it seems Japan may slowly be taking steps to open up again. We’re hopeful most of all because Jesus is risen from the dead!

We pray that this same hope will fill your hearts and strengthen you and give you peace as you continue to walk as disciples of Jesus in your own communities.

As you remember our work in prayer throughout 2022, here are some things we would love for you to remember:

• Prayers for upcoming Easter events
• Prayers of gratitude for Matthieu’s baptism, and prayers for continued growth
• Prayers for continued success and fruitfulness with the Kids’ English Bible Class
• Prayers for Sara as she works with our friends’ new English school
• That God will continue to work at Matsudo regardless of the COVID situation
• That God will allow the pandemic to come to an end soon so things can open and get back to some kind of normalcy
• Some specific names you can pray for: Mrs. Aoki, Mrs. Yamaya, Matthieu, Mariko, Tomoko, Kawakami family, Kobayashi family, Mr. Gotou, Fujita family, Ebata family, friends of our children, coaches and staff at tennis

Grace and peace to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! We hope this newsletter finds you all well and growing in Christ, wherever you are.

We should apologize first for this newsletter coming a bit late. Although most of February was a slow month, the last couple of weeks suddenly became very busy. But, we’re happy to now report on our work here over the last month.
As we said already, February was a slow month. The continuing omicron wave has particularly been impactful and paused a number of things around the country. Thankfully, our church is still meeting and even the Kids’ English Bible Class has continued unhindered.

Speaking of this Bible class, we are so grateful to see God already working through this and the connections we have made. Recently, one of our neighborhood friends, Mariko, sent this message to Sara:

“I appreciate the stories you tell about God every Sunday, because thanks to that, I can understand what the author says in The Brothers Karamazov [which Mariko has been reading recently].

Thanks to your kindness, I think I can open my eyes to see the world from the other side. It helps also with the Ukraine, to think about other countries or people, I think it is very important to know what they think and their background.

Your story helps me think about God in ways I could not before. I just want to say thank you for helping me see a new world.”

What a blessing and encouragement to read that message! It’s amazing to see God working here in the people we have been getting to know. It’s especially amazing to think of how God is even using the sad situation in Ukraine to influence hearts here in Japan. While we pray for the people there, for a quick resolution and peace, and especially for our brothers and sisters serving and escaping, yet we are thankful to serve a God who works for eternal good even in these situations, in ways that are not always apparent to us.

We are especially grateful to have the opportunity to do this Bible class on Sunday mornings and for those who are continuing to attend, like Mariko and her children. Sara’s work there is not a small thing. It is planting seeds of the Kingdom and cultivating fruit. It is mission work.

Please be praying for Mariko as she continues to chew on these spiritual thoughts!

Sunday morning at the Kids’ English Bible Class

In addition to this, we have continued to study with our new brother Matthieu. He continues to come over each Sunday afternoon after worship, where we discuss a small book about the basic elements of Christianity together. After we finish this book, we hope to continue helping him grow as a disciple with other studies, and are excited to see the kind of impact he will have for the Kingdom as he grows. Please be praying for Matthieu as he grows and follows Jesus.

Matthieu enjoying some dessert made by Sara after lunch at our house.

One other thing we did this month was taking Sara to immigration in order to get special permission for a new project. Some friends here in our neighborhood are starting an online English school that uses videos of native-level English speakers to help children learn natural English, and they asked Sara, Cambria, and Madeleine to be a part of it. In order to get paid for this work, she needed special permission, so we took a day to head to Chiba City and then enjoyed some family time on the Tokyo Bay coast.

Cambria, Madeleine, and Boston playing on a small beach on Tokyo Bay while waiting for Sara to finish up her immigration work.

These kinds of extra jobs can be very helpful on the mission field, both financially but also in building more rapport among the people we know. It’s easy for others to look at our family as a purely religious family, and possibly feel a certain skepticism in that regard. Building these relationships and showing what being a disciple looks like outside the church is just as important for sharing the gospel as what goes on at Sunday worship, if not even more important in such a secular culture with little relationship to Christianity.

As we head into the spring, we are looking forward especially to our upcoming Easter worship in April. That is one of two days during the year that we can expect a decent turnout from our non-Christian friends and is a wonderful opportunity to directly share the gospel and the hope that Jesus’ resurrection gives us. We will be inviting people like Mariko to this, as well as others in our community. We would request your prayers that God will open the door for this to be an effective tool this year for planting seeds and producing fruit.

Please pray that God will open hearts to be willing to attend so they can hear the message. Please pray for our family as we talk to people in our community and invite them. Please pray for Leslie as he prepares for the lessons during the Easter season.

We’d like to close out this newsletter with a personal thought of thanksgiving to God. Recently, Sara and Cambria were talking, and Cambria shared that she feels more at home here in Japan now. Moving here was a challenge for our family personally, but especially for the kids. They left a lot of friends behind, and a lot of life they love behind. We’re grateful to know they feel a part of this, and that God has been calming their hearts. Our kids are not just tagalongs in our work – they are a part of it. They participate in this mission. So it produces that much more gratitude when we hear their hearts are at peace here. We thank the Lord for his provision!

Cambria holding Sister Sanpei’s grandson during worship. She watches her grandson often and brings him to worship regularly. We pray it is sowing seeds for a future generation of disciples!

As you remember our work in prayer throughout 2022, here are some things we would love for you to remember:

• Prayers of gratitude for Matthieu’s baptism, and prayers for continued growth
• Prayers for continued success and fruitfulness with the Kids’ English Bible Class
• Prayers for Sara as she works with our friends’ new English school
• That God will continue to work at Matsudo regardless of the COVID situation
• That God will allow the pandemic to come to an end soon so things can open and get back to some kind of normalcy
• Some specific names you can pray for: Matthieu, Mariko, Tomoko, Kawakami family, Kobayashi family, Mr. Gotou, Fujita family, Ebata family, friends of our children, coaches and staff at tennis

A Few More February Images:

Boston and Madeleine play with a neighborhood friend after a recent snow.

Boston celebrated his 7th birthday in February. Happy Birthday, Boston!

Boston with a heart-shaped Valentine’s cookie made by neighborhood friends. In Japan, girls give gifts to boys on Valentine’s day, so some neighborhood friends made some for Boston. He was very happy!