Dear Friends,
In late April, we Lauers – Paul (18), Laurie and Woody – completed our work at Kita Numazu RCJ chapel and tearfully said good-bye to the congregation which we have loved and served for over 8 years, during which time Woody also taught New and Old Testament part-time in seminaries in Kobe and Nagoya. Despite voices from within the RCJ encouraging us to continue on at Numazu, the RCJ’s amendment to its church order opening the offices of minister and ruling elder to women (October 2015) had created a bleak long term outlook for the health of the RCJ, especially given the relativistic logic used by that church to explain its decision to the OPC (see the RCJ committee chairman’s reply to the OPC, http://rcjwomeninoffice.com/announcement/english-translation-rcj-letter-to-opc-bible-interpretation-supporting-female- / and Dr. Weeks’ critique, http://rcjwomeninoffice.com/announcement/dr-noel-weeks-comments-on-the-rcj-letter-to-the-opc-english/). The OPC General Assembly and OPC Japan Mission’s decisions to suspend our fraternal relationship and 60 year old missions’ cooperation agreement with the Reformed Church in Japan (RCJ), respectively, made it impossible to renew the mission’s contract with the RCJ’s Eastern Presbytery to extend Woody’s call (beyond March 2016). Thus, we moved to a new place God has prepared for us to serve.
Since the massive 2011 earthquake (4th strongest in world-wide history) and resulting tsunami off Sendai’s coast, the OPC Japan Mission, along with the CRC Japan Mission and the (Korean) Kosin Mission, with much cooperation and help from the RCJ, jointly bought, renovated and have operated as a relief center a facility that had been, prior to inundation, a dental office located very near the Pacific ocean, about 20 miles south of Sendai. For over four years, the Nozomi (‘hope’ in Japanese) Relief Center has, in the name of Christ, provided aid, encouragement and comfort to a community where many of the survivors lost family, friends, and love ones, as well as homes and businesses, and, above all, hope. This major effort, funded by diaconal offerings from around the world, has demonstrated the love of the Lord Jesus in word and deed to hundreds of those living in the affected area, some of whom still remain in prefabricated temporary houses even now, five years later. Pursuant to the cooperative agreement, the center’s board and those missions requested that the OPC Japan mission take over the work in July, in order to begin planting a church in the town of Yamamoto. The OPC mission has assigned Woody to be the pioneer evangelist for what, by the grace of God, will be the very first Christian church in Yamamoto.
Nozomi Center after the devastating Tsunami in 2011.
Though we have recently said goodbye to OP missionaries, Cal and Edie Cummings, and to Yui and James Benefiel, the rest of the center staff is continuing on to work with the mission for a transition period so we may maintain the many warm relationships Nozomi has developed with the people of Yamamoto. The regular activities include a coffee time (through the lunch hour) on Fridays for adults, one semi-monthly café on Thursdays for mothers and children, kids’ after-school play time, and English classes for all ages on Saturdays, each followed by evangelistic Bible messages. Volunteers from churches in Sendai and elsewhere help by serving and providing snacks for the cafés. Once a month on Thursdays, we hold “Friends’ Lunch,” a very well-attended luncheon that includes the preaching of the gospel by the Rev. Rod Thomas, a missionary from South Africa. Beyond the scheduled activities, neighbors drop in to say hi and talk when they see staff there. The Lord has made this a place they feel welcome.
Nozomi Center youth group meeting with the Cummings.
English Class discussing the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
The mission has determined to continue afternoon Lord’s Day services twice monthly and to begin weekly morning services in September. The 4 pm services have included 3-7 people from the community, along with support from members of churches in Sendai. Mrs. Suzuki, a friend and student of Edie Cummings, is a regular attendee. We give thanks with the Cummings that she was recently baptized at Sendai’s Canaan Church and continues to study the Bible with missionary associate Todd Whitford. Please pray for the dozens of people who attend these activities, along with the hundreds who have been blessed by the work of Nozomi’s staff and volunteers over the past four years. Pray for the preaching of the Word and its success in the hearts of the people of Yamamoto Town. May they have true hope in Christ, the only hope that will never disappoint us.
Please also pray:
- That God would mercifully protect and lead his sheep in the RCJ to faithful churches. That RCJ elders and pastors would stand without compromise on the Word of God for the faith and life of the church.
- For a smooth transition from relief center (where many feel free to come) to chapel; that the Lord would enable us to maintain and deepen the ties with the community as we begin full-time evangelistic work.
- That God would shape us into the servants needed for this task!
Praise God:
- For the fine work of two teams sent by the OPC Committee on Diaconal Ministries who recently completed renovation of the outside of the building, finishing what others did on the inside about four years ago.
- For temporary housing for our family in the office space of a factory. After a few months of searching and with little time left before our move, only 2 options were available in the area. Housing is very limited!! This facility enables us to make new contacts in the southern portion of Yamamoto where there have been few opportunities until now.
Giving thanks for the mercy of God to his people,
Woody and Laurie Lauer