Thank you for praying. By now most of you have probably already heard about the major earthquake and tsunami that occurred here in Ishikawa on January 1. It was centred up the coast from us on the Noto Peninsula.
Thankfully, we are safe. We did experience some pretty intense shaking and a tsunami warning. But our immediate area did not sustain much damage from the quake, and the tsunami did not reach us.
But many were not so fortunate. Please join us in praying that rescue workers, supplies, and comfort will reach those in need in a timely manner. Also, since the initial quake, there have been aftershocks occurring several times a day. This is expected to continue throughout the week, so pray for protection and peace of mind.
Lastly, please pray for us as we consider how we can help with relief efforts. We’ve both done relief work before, but this is the first time a disaster like this has happened “in our own backyard.” We are already gathering what information we can from churches and missionaries in the area. Pray that the Church can be united in sharing God’s love with Ishikawa in the weeks and months to come, and that we will be wise and discerning in doing our part.
Thank you for your prayers this past month! In November we hosted a group of six guests from the US on a vision trip — a first for us.
The team was made up of two leaders from GP and four potential future missionaries. It was a short visit but our schedule was full, and included taking part in an English class at Immanuel Komatsu Church and Sunday worship at Immanuel Kanazawa Church. We enjoyed some great conversations about the needs and opportunities in Japan — and of course some culture and food, too!
Meanwhile, there has been a LOT of interest from the missions community in the Waypoints manga booklets we recently released; so much we had to do a second printing! Please pray that God will use this story as it gets shared at outreach events all across Japan this Christmas.
And speaking of Christmas, here are some upcoming Christmas-related ministries we’d appreciate your prayers for:
Dec. 3: Immanuel Kanazawa Church – preaching/music
Dec. 10: Immanuel Komatsu Church – worship leading
Dec. 17: Immanuel Komatsu Church – preaching/music
Thank you for your partnership in the mission here in Japan!
– Robin & Yoko
PS — Some Links:
HERE is our Fall 2023 Newsletter, in case you missed it.
Click HERE if you’d like to do some year-end giving to Drawbridge Creations.
Hope you are doing well! As we speed towards the end of 2023, it’s time for our latest semi-annual update. Please follow this link to view/download the PDF of our latest newsletter:
We had good times of ministry at the Immanuel churches in nearby Kanazawa and not-so-nearby Yokkaichi, with some great interaction with the pastors and members as well.
After that, we spent four days in Gifu attending the 7th Japan Congress on Evangelism (JCE7). It was encouraging to worship and learn together with some 1,200 Japanese pastors and leaders, as well as fellow missionaries, from various denominations across Japan.
Worship time at JCE7
Of course, part of our purpose there was to promote Drawbridge Creations and hand out manga outreach resources, joined by one of our Waypoints artists, Mukai Makito. We made a lot of good connections at our booth, and gave away lots of outreach cards and manga booklets. We’re thankful that many people showed interest in what we’re doing, and hopeful that these resources will help them reach more people for Jesus.
At our booth at JCE7
We’ve also set up a resource page on the Drawbridge website, where people in Japan can order materials from us, and already we’ve received several orders, even without doing much promotion yet. We’re able to give these resources away for free because of the support of people like you! Thank you for partnering with us to resource the Church and reach out to Japanese!
Please PRAY with us this month as we…
Send manga outreach resources to people who ordered them,
Do music ministry at Immanuel Komatsu Church,
Teach an art class at Uchinada Hope International School (10/15),
Take some online leadership training (meaning late nights once a week),
And make plans to host a vision trip team from the US in November.
Lots to pray about, plan for, and prepare, as we get closer to the end of the year.
Hope you have had a great summer! As we shared in our last prayer letter, there is a lot going on with us this fall. Thank you for your prayers as we have been preparing. Now that September is here, it’s time to get moving!
This coming Sunday (9/1) we are doing special ministry (preaching, testimony and music) at a local church — Kanazawa Immanuel Church. Then, next weekend we’re travelling to the Nagoya area, where we’ll be doing more ministry, as well as promoting our ministry Drawbridge Creations, at Yokkaichi Immanuel Church (9/17).
Then, that week (9/19-22) we are attending the Japan Congress on Evangelism (JCE7), an inter-denominational ministry conference, in Gifu. We’ve reserved space at the conference for a booth to promo Drawbridge Creations, and will be debuting our first printed manga product there. Here’s a look at the cover:
If you’re interested in reading more about this manga and all the other stuff going on with Drawbridge, please read our latest Drawbridge DispatchHERE, and sign up for that email list if you want HERE.
PLEASE PRAY!
We’d really appreciate your prayers for our final prep, travel and ministry this month. Pray that we can make good connections, be open to God’s leading, and be a blessing wherever we are. And pray, too, that God will keep us safe and in good health through this busy season.
Thank you as always for your prayers and partnership!
