At the top of September, Niigata had some record-breaking heat (104°F), but gradually the cooler weather has set in. There are various changes that happened (or are happening) that we would like to share with you.
Beginning in September, I (James) began making short survey trips to various cities. After Rosie is done with her language learning phase, our next big move will be to plant a church. There are many places and factors to consider, so please pray for the Lord’s direction as we think, pray, and survey different cities. Trips in October will include upper Tokyo, Yokohama, and Fukuoka. Each area has over 1 million people.October is here, and so is the Hill family (almost). We appreciate your continued prayers for them as they have been preparing to return. As of this writing, they are scheduled to fly back to Japan on October 7th, and then undergo a two-week quarantine. If all goes as planned, they will be up to speed after that is complete.
In September we worked to get a kids’ program up and running on a weekday and attempted it on a Friday afternoon after school. While our first week didn’t turn out as expected, the entire process has given us great experience in knowing what and how to prepare when we step out. We will be monitoring how it goes over the next few weeks and look to make adjustments as needed.
Language school for Rosie has continued, although they have had a shorter class time. Beginning in mid-October they will be resuming their fourth hour of class. Despite the disrupt from COVID, she has continued to grow by leaps and bounds. It is not uncommon for her to tell me about the chances she gets to meet with Japanese ladies who also have kids. Their time together is in Japanese, so it is good practice for her. Please continue to pray for her as she learns and studies the language.
Yours for Japan,
James, Rosie, Silas, and Amos