Hey everyone,
Here’s my latest newsletter. Please download, read and pray! Also, I am in the middle of applying for my visa extension (my current one being for one year only and running out soon) so I would appreciate your prayers for that over the next week or so.
PRINTABLE VERSION:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12247320/015-print.pdf LOW-RESOLUTION FOR VIEWING ON YOUR COMPUTER: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12247320/015-web.pdf Thanks! – robin(Aug. 30 2011)
Prayer Letter, August 2011
Last night as I took in a Japanese festival and fireworks in nearby Toyota city, I was reminded of how much I love summer in Japan. In spite of the sometime-unbearable heat, I love the sights, sounds and events that summer brings. It’s also one of the busiest times of year for ministry.
The past month has definitely been pretty busy. Last Sunday we held our monthly English Club outreach event, where we enjoyed some outdoor fun, including a huge water fight and some “Suikawari”. Suikawarah is Japanese game that’s a lot like pinata-smashing but played with watermelons. The watermelons were delicious, by the way.
More imporantly, we had a few guests come out to the event, including a non-Christian who’s been coming to my English class since November, but never connected with the church outside of class until now. As part of the event, I shared a short devotional message about knowing God. Over all, a great event.
In addtion to English Club and my usual English classes, I also took part in two different kids’ day camps, one in Numazu, Shizuoka, and the other in Toyota. This was a small milestone for me, as it was my first time doing kids’ ministry in Japanese. As part of my ministry, I gave a short message, aiding by some drawing and discussion. About half of the kids were from un-churched backgrounds, so it was a great opportunity to share the Gospel, and I’m thankful the Lord helped me communicate His love.
Yes, I love summer; it’s a great time to share God’s love.
This month, please pray for:
1. My week off in Osaka (Aug. 2-8)
2. Tonican — our denomination’s annual youth camp (Aug. 16-19), where I’ll be playing on the worship team and helping out however else I can.
3. August’s English Club (Aug. 28) & my English students.
4. My monthly worship leading gig (Aug. 24).
5. God’s direction for the second year of my current term with GP.
As always, thanks for partnering with me in prayer!
Hugs,
– Robin (Aug. 1, 2011)
Dear praying friends,
March’s natural disaster has brought a lot of attention to Japan. The current deathtoll is over 20,000 people. However, there is another statistic that many people don’t know: Over 30,000 commit suicide in Japan every year. And now, this year’s natural disaster is just adding to the ongoing tragedy of hopelessness; there were 20% more suicides reported this May compared to the same period last year.
All of this just emphasizes the truth that Japan is a nation in desperate need of hope. If this was true before March 11, how much more obvious is it now? Please continue to pray for the continuing relief efforts in north-eastern Japan. Pray that God will use this disaster to draw people to Himself. Pray that the Church will be effective in reaching out to lost people with the love of Jesus. Pray for hope.My July Prayer Needs:
While you are praying for Japan, here are some specific things you can pray about on my behalf:
– My English students.—————————————————————————————
Earthquake Relief
Click here for info on how you can help: http://www.crashjapan.com
(posted June 30 2011)
Hi everyone,
Reflecting back on the past few months, and looking ahead to the summer, it really seems like this year is moving way too quickly! I’m thankful for the many opportunities God is giving me here, and for your partnership in my ministry through prayers and giving.
God is continuing to bless my English ministry, and spiritual bridges are being built. For May’s English Club event, attendance was down a little bit, but I was really thankful to see one of my Wednesday English class students show up. I really believe God is working my students’ lives, drawing them to Himself! Please keep praying for my English sudents.Here are some prayer requests for June:
• This weekend (June 4-6) I’m scheduled to minister through preaching and music at the Yamaguchi Immanuel Church.
• Wednesday, June 8: Worship leading at prayer meeting here in Nagoya. • Saturday, June 11: Youth ministry at Nagoya-Higashi Immanuel Church.• June 13-17: GP Asia Area Missionary Retreat.
Thanks again, and God bless!
– Robin (June 3, 2011)
Hi everyone,
Thank you for continuing to pray for Japan! This past month has been a time of getting back into “normal” routine after the disruption caused by the earthquake back in March. Here’s an update and some prayer requests: 1. Our English ministry at Immanuel Nagoya Church are going really well. The new kids class now has 12 students, 10 of whom are from outside our church. My adult classes have also been going well, and relationships between students and our church are deepening. It’s been really great to see my Wednesday students in particular becoming closer friends. Our monthly English Club event was held on Easter Sunday in April, we had over 20 people of all ages show up, and at least 4 non-Christians, two of whom were students from my weekly classes. I shared a message about how Christ brings us hope in the midst of fear and sorrow. I’m told there were some significant conversations taking place afterward as well. Please keep praying for this bridge-building ministry, as well as for my students. 2. I also returned to Japanese studies at the YWCA this past month. Honestly, I feel like my Japanese has plateaued lately, and it’s been a bit frustrating; so it’s really good to get back into a more regular study routine (classes 2 mornings a week). Please pray for my studies and for my everyday communication. 3. In addition to my weekly English and Japanese classes, I’d ask you to pray for these monthly events: Leading worship at prayer meeting on the11th; youth ministry at Nagoya-Higashi Church on the 14th; English Club on the 22nd. 4. Meanwhile, though it seems to have mostly disappeared from the headlines in the western media, the situation in North-Eastern Japan is still far from back to normal. Some 26,000 people are dead or missing; there is over $300-billion in damages; and thousands are homeless and jobless. Entire towns are being evacuated because of the ongoing nuclear radiation danger. And aftershocks are expected to continue for up to a year. Relief efforts are still ongoing, and rebuilding of affected communities will probably take years. Please remember to pray for the many who have been affected by this tragedy. Pray that the Church will be able to show God’s love through this situation, and that many will find hope in Jesus Christ. I believe God can bring good out of this. Let’s keep praying to that end. As I mentioned last month, if you would like to give to the relief efforts, I would highly recommend giving to CRASH (www.crashjapan.com). Thank you so much for your partnership in my ministry to Japan! – RobinThank you for praying for Japan! And thanks for the encouraging messages many of you have sent me in the past few weeks. I haven’t been able to respond to all you individually, but rest assured your emails were read and appreciated.
The week following the earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, I went to help out at the CRASH (Christian Relief, Assistance, Support and Hope) Tohoku Relief command center in Tokyo. I was there for just over a week before retuning to my responsibilities in Nagoya. Honestly, it has been tough to go on with “business as usual.” The need in the affected area is so great that I keep wishing I could do more. But I’ve come to realize that the biggest need right now in Japan — all of Japan — is for hope. Here in Nagoya we are safely hundreds of kilometres away from the disaster area, but we are definitely feeling the affects. Almost every conversation seems to turn to the topic of the Tohoku disaster. Many are heartbroken; many are worried and scared. This past Saturday, I had a new student visiting my English class. After class, he and I went out for lunch. He expressed a sense fear and worry after all that has happened in Japan recently, wishing he could move abroad and escape the risk of earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear disasters. I was able to tell him that I wasn’t worried or afraid because I believe in God. It was a small thing, but I never would have had that opportunity if I had canceled all my English classes to go help with the relief efforts. We who know Christ are heartbroken over all that has happened, too. The difference is that we do not mourn without hope. While it is tragic that it had to happen this way, I get the sense that this could be the event that God uses to bring about a much-needed spiritual breakthrough in Japan. Please pray that God will indeed use this tragedy for that greater good. And pray for me, too, that I will know how to minister effectively in the current climate. Pray especially for my work with the Nagoya-Higashi Church youth on April 9, and the English Club even here at the Nagoya Church on April 24 (Easter Sunday). Pray that I can clearly convey a message of hope and salvation in Christ. As I said, the need in North-Eastern Japan is still great. Pray for the still-unresolved situation at the nuclear plant in Fukushima, for the people in the affected areas, and for the ongoing relief efforts. If you would like to help out financially, I would highly recommend giving to CRASH. You can visit their website (www.crashjapan.com) for more info, and check out my blog (www.japanlog.tumblr.com) for more on my experiences with them. Thank you so much for your partnership in my ministry to Japan! – Robin(posted Mar. 31, ‘11)