First, thank you to all of you who have personally reached out to us during these turbulent times. Niigata has taken some extra precautions for daily life and most events/large gatherings have been cancelled or postponed. However, as of this writing we are not in a lockdown. From our end, we hurt with those who not only have had their health affected, but also for every church who’s coming together has been affected and individuals who are being heavily affected because they have been out of work or lost a job.
On March 14th (while things were less crazy) we hosted a White Day Event for the second church plant. White day is a special day in Japan for men to give chocolate back to those who gave them some on Valentine’s Day. While White Day is mostly a marketing tool, we used this time as an excuse to invite people and preach the Gospel. One of the guys I (James) had been meeting for language exchange came, and we subsequently started a Bible study together. Please pray for Yusa to get saved.
From his previous time in Nagaoka, Bro. Hill had contact with an infectious disease doctor in the Tokyo area. Dr. Furukawa was willing to come do a special seminar at the church about the Corona virus
In the midst of all the terrifying news, we would like to send you some good news. Our second son, Amos, was born on April 1st at 03:21 Japan Time. He came in at just over 21 inches and 8.1 pounds. Both Rosie and Amos are healthy and in good condition. We appreciate all of your prayers for a healthy delivery!
Yours for Japan,
James, Rosie, Silas, and Amos