Japan Update - January 2012
Hello again! I hope this finds you well and you're having a good Winter! I hear that the UK is really, really cold right now. I hope you're able to stay warm enough! Sorry about the slow January update! But here it is!
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RUNNING OUT OF SPACE
We are still praying and expecting God to provide new places for us to move into real soon! This month, our leader and his family had to move out of their house and we were all praying for God to provide them with a new house to move into near the location we feel God wants us all to move to. With a couple of days to spare (literally) God provided the house and it is much nearer to our destination! Much pressure was felt, but God came through in the end! It's kind of funny how God usually waits until the last moment to answer. But, they have now moved into a lovely new house and are settling in! We, all of the staff, helped them pack, load, clean and unload all of their belongings. It was a fun time! Because of this provision, our faith was strengthened and we can look forward to Him providing again! It doesn't seem likely we will get the hotel right now because it's still not on the market for some reason, but we do feel we will one day! Right now we are praying for and looking for a large meeting space in order to have worship, meetings and DTS lectures and we are looking for staff housing and student housing. We have around 10 new staff joining us soon and then all of the DTS students in April. So it's getting desperate! So please keep praying! I will keep you up to date!
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CORNERSTONE
Cornerstone Church has been continuing to grow this month and it has been exciting to be a part of it! The core leadership team is becoming stronger and more unified and we all meet regularly outside of the Saturday service to pray and plan and share ideas. There are around 20-30 people attending the Saturday service regularly now which is great! The focus of the service is for people to become more intimate with God and we have extended worship and prayer times, with a short message. Some times we also split into small groups to get everyone involved and for them to share what's on their hearts and also for prayer. This month we also started Monday evening worship and prayer, as well as a Bible study every Wednesday and more worship and prayer on Fridays. I gave the sermon (unprepared) last night followed by a time of prayer to give people time to respond to God. One non-Christian Japanese guy said he saw God when he closed his eyes and heard God ask him to follow him three times! So he decided to become a Christian and wants to keep coming every week! God is good!
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INTERNET
This month I have been working on various Internet projects which has been exciting! I have been continuing to maintain and tweak the now-live YWAM Tokyo website (ywamtokyo.org) in order to make things better and make the DTS application process even easier. I have also been working on an Intranet system for use within YWAM Tokyo so that we can better communicate together things going on and also find important documents and other such fun things in one easy to access place. And I have been working with the YWAM Kanto Director to set up a secure, online database of all of the YWAM missionaries all over Japan that can be accessed and edited easily by whoever needs access. Right now it is a document that needs to be emailed around and updated by various locations which leads to many people having out of date copies. And I have been working with Cornerstone on multiple Internet projects: Prayer, Church website, Church social network, Devotionals and Evangelism. So it's all exciting and I'm glad God wants to use the skills I have! Please pray I find time to do it all!
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OUTDOOR WORSHIP, PRAYER & EVANGELISM
Every Friday we have continued to meet up outside in a busy area of Tokyo (Ikebukuro) to sing worship songs to God, do prayer walks and also speak to people about Jesus. This has been difficult as people seem to be too busy to stop and talk and those that do talk seem to be closed to God. But I think worshipping outside has been a good statement to the dark spiritual forces in the land, the people and also ourselves, that God is worthy of praise anywhere, not just inside a nice comfortable room. Last Friday we did get stopped by a friendly policeman while we were worshipping though because someone complained we were being too loud! Though he himself said he wished he didn't have to stop us! That's the first time that's happened to us.
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OTHER
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PRAYER POINTS
Thank for so much for taking the time to read this update! Please let me know things you would like prayer for and also if you have your own newsletter or other updates, please send them to me! Take care and stay warm! Speak to you soon! May God bless you and your families lots and lots!
Gary
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RUNNING OUT OF SPACE
We are still praying and expecting God to provide new places for us to move into real soon! This month, our leader and his family had to move out of their house and we were all praying for God to provide them with a new house to move into near the location we feel God wants us all to move to. With a couple of days to spare (literally) God provided the house and it is much nearer to our destination! Much pressure was felt, but God came through in the end! It's kind of funny how God usually waits until the last moment to answer. But, they have now moved into a lovely new house and are settling in! We, all of the staff, helped them pack, load, clean and unload all of their belongings. It was a fun time! Because of this provision, our faith was strengthened and we can look forward to Him providing again! It doesn't seem likely we will get the hotel right now because it's still not on the market for some reason, but we do feel we will one day! Right now we are praying for and looking for a large meeting space in order to have worship, meetings and DTS lectures and we are looking for staff housing and student housing. We have around 10 new staff joining us soon and then all of the DTS students in April. So it's getting desperate! So please keep praying! I will keep you up to date!
------------
CORNERSTONE
Cornerstone Church has been continuing to grow this month and it has been exciting to be a part of it! The core leadership team is becoming stronger and more unified and we all meet regularly outside of the Saturday service to pray and plan and share ideas. There are around 20-30 people attending the Saturday service regularly now which is great! The focus of the service is for people to become more intimate with God and we have extended worship and prayer times, with a short message. Some times we also split into small groups to get everyone involved and for them to share what's on their hearts and also for prayer. This month we also started Monday evening worship and prayer, as well as a Bible study every Wednesday and more worship and prayer on Fridays. I gave the sermon (unprepared) last night followed by a time of prayer to give people time to respond to God. One non-Christian Japanese guy said he saw God when he closed his eyes and heard God ask him to follow him three times! So he decided to become a Christian and wants to keep coming every week! God is good!
------------
INTERNET
This month I have been working on various Internet projects which has been exciting! I have been continuing to maintain and tweak the now-live YWAM Tokyo website (ywamtokyo.org) in order to make things better and make the DTS application process even easier. I have also been working on an Intranet system for use within YWAM Tokyo so that we can better communicate together things going on and also find important documents and other such fun things in one easy to access place. And I have been working with the YWAM Kanto Director to set up a secure, online database of all of the YWAM missionaries all over Japan that can be accessed and edited easily by whoever needs access. Right now it is a document that needs to be emailed around and updated by various locations which leads to many people having out of date copies. And I have been working with Cornerstone on multiple Internet projects: Prayer, Church website, Church social network, Devotionals and Evangelism. So it's all exciting and I'm glad God wants to use the skills I have! Please pray I find time to do it all!
------------
OUTDOOR WORSHIP, PRAYER & EVANGELISM
Every Friday we have continued to meet up outside in a busy area of Tokyo (Ikebukuro) to sing worship songs to God, do prayer walks and also speak to people about Jesus. This has been difficult as people seem to be too busy to stop and talk and those that do talk seem to be closed to God. But I think worshipping outside has been a good statement to the dark spiritual forces in the land, the people and also ourselves, that God is worthy of praise anywhere, not just inside a nice comfortable room. Last Friday we did get stopped by a friendly policeman while we were worshipping though because someone complained we were being too loud! Though he himself said he wished he didn't have to stop us! That's the first time that's happened to us.
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OTHER
Japanese language study is going well when I find time to do it! Try to do a couple of hours a day, but sometimes I simply don't have the time! I realise more and more that my listening skills are improving a lot though! We are also preparing for a YWAM Japan conference which will happen next month near Mount Fuji where all of the YWAM missionaries in Japan get together for a few days. And then there is DTS in April! Oh and moving house... So there's lots of preparing to do over the next couple of months!
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PRAYER POINTS
- Thank God for providing a place for our leaders
- Thank God for what he's doing at Cornerstone church, and the new believers there!
- Thank God for using the Internet to reach people and strengthen the church
- Thank God for all the prayer and financial support that enables me to be here! And for you reading this!
- That God will provide new accommodation and meeting space soon!
- That God will help us to prepare for all of the things coming up
- That God will help me manage my time with all of the projects I'm doing
Thank for so much for taking the time to read this update! Please let me know things you would like prayer for and also if you have your own newsletter or other updates, please send them to me! Take care and stay warm! Speak to you soon! May God bless you and your families lots and lots!
Gary
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