During the month of May, many things took place here in Japan. The most prominent political event was the new emperor’sascension to the throne. While Japan’s emperor is only a figurehead and does not have true political power, many of the ceremonies that were part of the process were closely tied to the Shinto religion. These ceremonies were a grave reminder about Japan’s needy spiritual condition.
In our last prayer letter, we wrote to you about how Rosie had just started language school. With a little over a month of langue school complete, she continues to make good progress in the language. Even when guests come to the church, Rosie is now able to have simple conversationswith them. She does well in approaching others to practice her Japanese and this has been helping her tremendously. Please continue to pray for her as she learns Japanese!
Meanwhile, we have continued to have opportunities at Hope Baptist Church to reach out to people. During the last half of May, Bro Hill did a series on creationat the church. Since most people in Japan learn evolution as undisputed fact, we are sure it was thought provoking for the ones who came.
We have also been blessed with the opportunity to pass out tracts at the train station near the church. In addition to this, we continue to knock on doors and invite people to the church. In June, the church will be doing a special service for Father’s day(June 16th), so please be praying for that as well.
On a final note, I would like to share what the Lord has been teaching especially over the last month or so. Through the up’s and down’s, it can be easy to not only lose focus, but also lose joy. The command is simple and easy to neglect: “Rejoice in the Lord” (Phil 4:4). Happiness and contentment cannot be obtained or even expected from life’s circumstances, but as Christians, we have every reason to rejoice, even if things don’t seem to be going the way we want or hope. May the Lord help us all to be faithful and joyful as we serve Him.
Yours for Japan,
James, Rosie, and Silas
Click here for a printable version of this letter.