On December 12th, Owari Baptist Church officially launched! Since our launch date was in mid-December, we didn’t have much time to turn around and promote our Christmas services. But we still had first-time visitors at two of the three Christmas services we held on Dec 24th & 25th. It is a tremendous privilege to preach the Gospel, and even more so because we get to share it with some who have never heard it before!
As the work proceeds, we are continuing to learn more about the city. We have been in Nagoya for about 4 months now, so we still have much to learn!
For instance, the city allows the public to use middle school gyms in the evenings for designated sports. This provides an avenue to meet new people and build relationships through which we can share the Gospel with them.
The new year brings new opportunities and challenges. New Year’s is significant here in Japan. Many stores and businesses are closed until January 4th. In fact, on the street where the church plant is some of the stores were closed until the 5th. With schools in winter break and the New Year’s holiday, our schedule has been a little irregular as we pursue time being out to connect with people. We are excited about the opportunities to pursue mass evangelism (through tracts, internet, etc.) as well as relationship building to get the gospel out, as things get back into a normal rhythm after the New Year’s season.
But not so fast! At the top of February, we are expecting our third son. So far, Rosie and baby are healthy and doing well. As we look forward to the new addition, we know that things will look different yet again as we make adjustments.
We need your prayers as we continue to work here in Nagoya. Specifically, please pray for the following: 1) The Lord to save souls, 2) wisdom as we explore other areas of the city, 3) wisdom as we try to reach into those areas, 4) boldness in sharing the Gospel, and 5) Rosie and baby.
Yours for Japan,
The Miyashita Family