Dear Friends,
Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. (Psalm 96:2-6)
What do your neighbors and friends think about God who has revealed himself in the Bible and in his Son? Are you praying for them and do you look for opportunities to talk about your great God? Here are some quotes from conversations we’ve had just this week in Yamamoto:
Mr. H. (brought by a friend to worship several times) said, “How can you expect someone to believe in a god he can’t see? I did not grow up with this religion. How can I understand all these things you are saying? Should one accept that simply by “believing the message” that he will truly go to heaven? What about the murderer? Why should he be forgiven? Besides, I believe when we die, that is the end to our existence.” After a lengthy discussion, we talked about the importance of knowing God and what he has revealed about himself. Mr. H. said, “I would like to come to church every week, and someday before I die, I will probably want to believe.”
Mrs. I. told us how she survived in the months and years following the disaster after losing everything she owned but the clothes on her back. She received much help from the people in another region in Japan for over a year; they are wonderful people she said. When she was finally able to return to live in the community, she and her husband met Yui Hamada and Cal Cummings, staff at Nozomi Center. They were so encouraging and a very precious support to them. Although many in the community have been suspicious of this Christian place, she became certain that the people are trustworthy, and she is amazed by the love that has been shown, different from anything she has known. As a result of the work of Nozomi Center volunteers, she has been coming to worship to learn about the God of the Bible.
Mrs. T. recently spent several hours talking about her family with us. She comes regularly to the center to relax and talk. She said, “If I were 20, I would probably become a believer. But, my husband is very against this. All I have ever known is seeking blessing for the gods for help for a test or praying for my dead relatives. I don’t know what the Bible says; it is so big and thick and foreign to me. My sons went to a Christian high school and received a Bible. Maybe I can sneak into their room to read it if it wasn’t washed away in the tsunami, but I can’t bring one home.”
These candid remarks are refreshing to hear, men and women speaking honestly. They reflect the thinking which is so common to people here. The Lord has provided an open door to bring the very words of life to them. Time, patience, and love are required to bring this message of God’s great power, righteousness, wisdom, holiness, justice, and his love. We pray that the Lord will bring their hearts and those of many more in Yamamoto and throughout Japan to worship and adore him.
- We give thanks to the Lord for our largest total Lord’s Day attendance at Yamamoto Nozomi Church since beginning morning worship services in September. A week ago, Eleven gathered for worship at the weekly morning service and 12 for our semi-monthly afternoon service. One young Christian lady, Arisa-san, attended for the first time. A total of five non-Christians were among those joining us for worship. Pray that the Lord will bring each of these five to faith and that the Christians among the worshippers will want to become members.
- One man among these five shared his continuing grief over his (then teenage) daughter who continues to be ‘missing’, now five and a half years after the tsunami.
- We give thanks to the Lord that recent powerful earthquake a little south of Yamamoto Town and off the coast did not spawn a large tsunami where we are, nor did it cause significant damage to homes and businesses in our community. Pray for the people of Yamamoto; many are reminded of the Tohoku Disaster every time the earth starts shaking or when a tsunami warning is announced. Pray that the people of our town will turn for refuge to the only One who can truly protect them, both in this life and from the judgment which is to come.
- Please pray for Woody as he prepares lectures to begin teaching a course in Old Testament Introduction (OTI) and Survey (OTS) next month at the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Japan’s Kobe Theological Hall. This will be Woody’s first time ever teaching OTI. Please pray for his preparations.
- Pray for the numerous special activities planned for Nozomi Center and Nozomi Church over the next month, including a community Thanksgiving meal this past week, Christmas cookie baking for women, a children’s Christmas party, an adult Christmas party, a junior-senior high party, and a special evangelistic service on Dec. 25 with Rev. Yasuo Tomii preaching. Pray that the gospel to be proclaimed at each meeting will result in bringing many to faith in Christ.
- Pray that the God of the harvest will raise up new missionaries for Japan and new missionary associates for the coming spring. All interested parties should contact the mission secretary, the Rev. Murray Uomoto (uomoto.1@opc.org) or the Committee for the Support of the OPC Japan Mission through the website (www.opcjapan.com).
- Pray for the OPC Japan Mission as they seek God’s wisdom for affiliating with an existing Japanese church or starting a new one.
Praising God for his mercies,
Woody and Laurie Lauer
Yamamoto, Japan
