Turn the heater on!
xtMornings are definitely chilly now here in Niigata. The days are noticeably shorter (the sun sets around 5pm). October brought a lot of rain our way with several typhoons that hit the main island. Our side of the island had relatively little damage, but entire rivers overflowed around the Tokyo area causing much damage.
During October, we visited a Japanese church in Fukushima city to see the work going on there. The church was started about 30 years ago, and they now have a Japanese pastor and their own building. It was encouraging to see that the Lord has been at work.
Another new experience we had during October was filling in for an entire Sunday at the church while the Hills were away. It was Rosie’s first time teaching the children in Japanese, but she did a tremendous job. Her language skills continue to grow. Thank you for continuing to pray for her.
During October, I was able to get a foot in the door at a local university’s English club. The atmosphere was very relaxed, and it was an excellent way to meet new people. Through this, I learned the term ESS (short for English Speaking Society) which these school clubs are called. Lord willing, this will provide more opportunities to meet young people as we work here.
Speaking of English, there is going to be a special English class at the church that Bro. Hill’s brother will teach throughout November. Please be praying that this goes well. Additionally, Bro. Hill is planning to launch a second church plant in December.
As we go into the Thanksgiving season, we have so much to be thankful for. We are thankful that the Lord allows us to be here in Japan. We are thankful for YOU who give generously and pray for us constantly. We are thankful for the people the Lord keeps directing our way.
We are also thankful for the Our Generation Conference that will be held in the Atlanta area January 2nd-4th. This is going to be a top-of-the-line missions event for young people interested in missions. I highly recommend that you make time to start off the year thinking about the Great Commission through attending. For details, please visit visionmissions.org.
Yours for Japan,
James, Rosie, and Silas
Click here for a printable version of this prayer letter.