Dear Friends,
Through rain, sleet, and snow, we ventured to deliver the monthly Nozomi Center calendar and the Nozomi Church brochure to 3000 homes across Yamamoto Town in January and February. Beyond the challenges we encountered and the beauty we observed, we were glad to meet many new people. At each home, we prayed that the Lord would bring the gospel to the family. Certain thoughts swirled in our minds. Here is a whole community of people who don’t know and don’t worship the Sovereign, Eternal God. That is staggering. God, our Creator, could certainly open the hearts of these people and bring them to hear the gospel. We pray that God will free them from idol worship and be pleased to bring them to faith and repentance in Christ.
Give thanks with us:
1) Sarah Durham, our newest missionary associate, arrived today safely from the U.S. Please pray for Sarah’s adjustment to Japan: living at Nozomi Church in Yamamoto, learning to speak and understand Japanese as well as the culture, and teaching English here and in Sendai.
2) For the memorial concert for the 2011 Eastern Japan Disaster this Saturday (3/3) at Nozomi Church. Sarah Durham will be our guest pianist playing selections from Chopin, Debussy, and several hymns such as “Be Still My Soul” and “Amazing Grace.” We also give thanks that Rev. Yasuo Tomii will deliver a message on Psalm 42, entitled “A Song of Hope of the sons of Korah.” Please pray that the church will be packed with visitors and that the Lord will grant to them the hope of God’s love and salvation in Christ. The seventh anniversary of this disaster is very significant in Japanese culture.
3) For several new students in the English program as well as new attendees coming to some of our other center events.
4) That more kids have been coming to the Kids’ Play Time recently. We pray that they will develop good friendships with each other and us, and that the Lord will grant opportunities to share the gospel with them.
Please pray with us:
1) For those who have attended worship and Bible study in the past. Several who were attending regularly didn’t come in January and February for sundry reasons: finding it difficult to come in the very cold weather, caring for sick family members, or being sick themselves. Pray that these dear people would return and that the Lord would lead them to believe in Christ.
2) For growth in Christ for the believers who attend worship and for faith for those who have not professed faith.
3) For Rev. Tomii’s evangelistic messages Saturday during the concert, Sunday for a special evangelistic service, and next Lord’s Day while Woody is at the Presbytery of Ohio meeting.
4) That children attending activities would come to the church to learn about the Lord.
5) For the conversion of many who hear the 4 to 6 Bible messages Woody delivers weekly.
6) That God would be pleased to glorify himself through Nozomi Chapel.
7) That the Lord would raise up new missionaries and Japanese ministers to serve faithfully in our 3 chapels and to plant new Reformed churches. Pray also that churches and individuals would commit to supporting this work with offerings.
We thank God for those who pray regularly for the people here. We are ever thankful for the privilege to bring the Word of Christ to Yamamoto.
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Woody and Laurie Lauer
OPC Japan Mission