Praise the Lord!

On Saturday, 6/18 and the LD, 6/19, brother Y. and deaf saints in Higashi-Osaka will join us here in Tokushima prefecture, then we will go visit the church in Matsuyama in Ehime prefecture.  In the church in Matsuyama, there is one non-deaf sister and about 10 deaf brothers and sisters.  This time, we will have a help from brothers from Higashi-Osaka who knows sign language so that we can have this fellowship.  Thank the Lord for His wonderful arrangement.  May the Lord bless this fellowship!  Please pray for this.

Sendai will continue to receive serving ones from the U.S. who have a burden to preach the gospel.

When the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident happened in the former Soviet Union, many Russian people lost hope.  It happened on April 26th, 1986.  Following the event, the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, and the Lord brought His recover to Russia.  At that time, brother Lee asked the English speaking saints in the U.S. to go to Russia, and about 100 brothers and sisters responded and went there as an army of God, risking their lives, to preach the gospel and to set a fire in this ice-cold country.  As a result, many Russians were saved.

When the Tohoku earthquake/tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear plant accident happened on March 11th, 2011, many Japanese people lost hope.  Since then, brothers and sisters from the U.S. have been coming to Sendai, risking their lives, for the sake of preaching the gospel.  They participate in the volunteer work and get dirty/muddy all over.  After the work is done, they go to parks, train stations, and Tohoku University and preach the gospel.  Thank the Lord for His work.  And thank the many brothers and sisters who responded to the Lord’s call and came to Sendai.

In order to advance the Lord’s recovery further in Japan, we will need to respond to His calling.  May the Lord provide us with a meeting hall in Sendai as soon as possible, so we can have gospel meetings!!!  Lord, we pray for this.  May the Lord meet every need in Sendai!!!  Please pray for this.

In order to come back to the earth, the Lord is calling for the overcomers.  And it is now.  Hallelujah!!!

Jesus is Lord!!!

Brother M.S. and sister H. S.

主を賛美します。

６月１８日（土）１９日（主日）は我々と東大阪からY兄弟＆聴障者の兄弟が徳島へ来てから合流し、愛媛県の松山に在る教会を訪問します。松山に在る教会には、１名の健聴者の姉妹と約１０名の聴障者兄弟姉妹がおられます。今回は、手話ができる東大阪の兄弟たちの助けを得て、交わりが可能となりました。主の驚くべき案配を感謝します。主がこの交わりを祝福して下さいますように！！！このためにも、お祈り下さい。

仙台には、引き続きアメリカから福音の負担をもって次の奉仕者が来るそうです。

ソビエト連邦のチェルノブイリ原発事故に多くのロシア人は希望を失ってしまいました。その年は１９８６年４月２６日でした。そして、１９９１年にソビエト連邦は崩壊し、主が回復をロシアにもたらしました。その時、リー兄弟の呼びかけで英語ができる多くのアメリカの兄弟姉妹が約１００名ロシアの福音化のために、命をかえりみず、冷凍の国へ烈火の如く、主の軍隊として行きました。その結果、とてつもなく多くのロシア人が救われました。

２０１１年３月１１日、日本において東北大震災と福島原発事故で多くの日本人は希望を失ってしまった。その時、アメリカの兄弟姉妹は日本の福音化のために命をかえりみず、仙台を訪問して、ボランティアの奉仕をし、泥だらけになりながら、その後、公園や駅前、東北大学で福音活動をしています。主の働きを感謝します。そして主の呼びかけに応じてくれた多くの海外の兄弟姉妹達に感謝します。

日本における回復の飛躍的前進は、主の呼びかけに応じることです。仙台の地に一刻も早く、福音のための集会所が得られますように！！！主に願い求めます。仙台の地において主が必要を満たして下さいますように！！！　このためにもお祈り下さい。

主の再来のために、主は勝利者を召しておられます。それは今です。ハレルヤ！！！

イエスは主！！！

M. S. ＆ H. より

Our team was made up of “old soldiers” many of us were older saints from the US, Taiwan, Sendai,other localities in Japan and a group of deaf saints. We had a few things the Lord needed to deal with among us, as we arrived with some of our own opinions, intentions and ways; however, after an evening of fellowship, confessing to one another and prayer, we touched the flow of the divine life and that brought in the one accord among us…at this point, our feeling was we could accomplished whatever the Lord wanted to do in Sendai because we were one new man serving in oneness.

Although we spent much time in the gospel work, which needs to be carried out for the Lord to increase and spread, my heart was very burdened for the churches in Japan to have more opportunity for fellowship and blending with the saints from other countries in an on-going way. Through recent fellowship I have learned that this is also the feeling of many of the saints who went to Japan. Surely, through His sovereignty He allowed the 3-fold disaster in Japan to not only gain new ones but also build up His Body to accomplish His eternal economy.

May our prayer be; that there would be no lack in the prayer, the giving and the going, that the Lord as the Head of His Body can move freely in His members to accomplish all He wants to do in Japan.

I had a wonderful time in Japan, it was in a word: Glorious! I had hoped that along with the volunteer work there would be opportunities to get into the Word with some new ones, but that time was not yet.

However, one day I met a Japanese girl at the park that was a genuine believer. She and I read some portions from the RcV with footnotes. We read John 1:12 footnote and cross reference. She responded to receiving Him is a matter of receiving His life. Then, we read Eph 4:15-16 with footnotes. There was definite registration in her being that having received the same Spirit, we had the same life, and were thus members one of another in the Body of Christ as children of the same One God and Father. I believe she was really impressed by the clarity of the footnotes related to these truths. After our fellowship she was happy to receive the offer for a free study Bible. Her name is J.

I also enjoyed the dinner and gospel meetings we had with gospel contacts. Wow, it was truly a blessing to be in the one accord enjoying the oneness of the Triune God (Sendai saints, Taiwanese saints, and U.S.A. saints). I sensed the eternity in the heart of the gospel friends responding as the speaking ones shared about God wanting to enter into man, to fill him that He may have His expression in man. I was impressed barriers collapse (language, culture) when the eternity in man’s heart, man’s deepest part, is touched. It can bind us together much closer than any other thing or matter (This reminds me of Watchman Nee’s booklet Deep Calls Unto Deep).

The saints in Sendai are really precious. I also enjoyed their fellowship and their good cooking. I enjoyed the sister’s fellowship time which takes place every Wednesday afternoon. I received some wonderful and unexpected shepherding at this time and a clear speaking from the Lord regarding a pressing matter I’ve been struggling with. This has opened the way for fellowship with the body since my return and allowed the Lord to enlarge my participation in the  body life. Wow the Lord is amazing, I gave myself to take care of His need and while there, He met me to take care of mine.

During our volunteer work at Watari, we experienced  Christ as our energizing and strengthening joy. It was a privilege to labor in and for the Lord, shoveling mud, filling bags, lifting them onto wheel barrels, dripping wet, and heavy. We quietly hummed a song individually and sensed our oneness flowing in the spirit. I was saved by the sense of the Lord’s love for man expressed in such a service. It was truly an opportunity to pour out our love offering to the Lord by pouring out on these ones that He loves.

At one location, the floor boards needed to be removed from a dinning room/living room space. The owner had just started by himself when we arrived. Our team quickly assembled and took over. I saw the man go into the hall way and bend down to the ground in exhaustion. I thought he might collapse so I offered him water. It was apparent he was not only physically, but emotionally exhausted. His wife had him sit down, but he was soon up helping with the floor. The wife watched the us work joyfully in one accord. After some time the floor was almost completely removed, with some already shoveling out the mud underneath, when the man of the house stepped on a nail.

A sister who is a nurse quickly asked if he’d had a tetanus shot and to look at the puncture wound, which appeared superficial though there was some bleeding. She did not want to take any chances, however, because of the hazardous material in the mud so she asked if she could clean it thoroughly for him. He agreed. While the husband was being cared for the wife was being warmed up by another brother who joined us unexpectedly that morning. He accompanied his son who was signed up for cycle 7 (though he himself, the dad, is not in the church life). This brother (the dad) has a charming and warm disposition and began asking the wife about her experience in the tsunami and what had happened to her house. The Lord used his warm and charming disposition to cherish this woman with his questions and genuine concern. By the end of that hour she was sharing pictures with him that she had taken of the flooded house, relating the events to him and taking pictures with us in front of their home. By the time we left I saw these people who had been exhausted and probably overwhelmed by the what lies ahead become revived. I believe they enjoyed the corporate shepherding Christ.

Before we left the wife gave all the girls a little trinket (painted sea shells with little bells attached) and they waved good-bye to us with happy smiling faces and thank you’s in English.

Lord Jesus! Our team was blended together through many experiences in such a divinely human way. What I saw and experienced on this trip has revolutionized my Christian life. Before reaching Sendai, the Lord opened up some footnotes to me from the book of Philippians, which spoke about “striving together with one soul along with the personified gospel” (3:15) In brief, we poured out our soul and by doing so the Lord gained not only new ones, but more ground in our hearts.

Amen,
M. R.

On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami occurred off the northeast coast of the Touhoku (NE) region of Japan. One brother’s description: “What impacted me the most was the household objects we recognized now juxtaposed onto a disaster scene.  A blue leash, an unopened coke can, a bottle of mayonnaise, a bent trombone all lay among the muddy bricks and car parts strewn along the landscape. This debris used to belong to these people. They had no time to pack, they left everything. What was one day a neighborhood was the next a junkyard” (M.I.). This disaster has opened a door for the white horse to run.

On April 9, the first team of ten saints, including FTTA trainees, from America arrived in Japan. During the following eight weeks, over ninety saints from America, New Zealand, Taiwan and Japan coordinated together with the saints in Sendai, preaching the gospel in Sendai, and volunteering at the Red Cross centers to serve those devastated by the disaster. In Sendai they have gone out in teams to the university there, the parks, the Sendai (bus & rail) station, the neighborhoods, and the results of the labor in one accord have been blessed. Many people have been contacted, received tracts, or invitations for receiving a free Japanese Recovery Version, including a number of young people, mostly students, and many have called on the Lord and prayed with gospel team members. A number have come to Bethany (church in Sendai meeting place) for welcome dinners, other meals, and sharing. There is a list of more than seventy gospel friends who need  further contact and shepherding. For fascinating accounts of the daily gospel encounters of the teams that read like a continuation of the book of Acts, see www.japanesechristians.org. You will also find pictures of the disaster area there.

The saints in Sendai, who are few in number, have been encouraged by the saints from America coming to coordinate and labor with them at this time.

Prayer and coordination is currently going on regarding how to care for the many gospel friends the Lord has blessed us with. As the number of local saints is few, there is an urgent need for some couples and others to migrate to Sendai to join the labor. Consideration is being given to sending small teams from America for a longer period of time specifically to help the saints with the follow-up care. Another need is to purchase land for the construction of a meeting hall in Sendai. Saints from all over the world have been contributing money for this purchase.

We really thank the Lord for this kind of coordination in the universal Body of Christ. We feel that we are not preaching the gospel by ourselves but in the coordination of the universal Body of Christ. By doing so, we are enlivened, revived, coming out of the culture of our natural man, experiencing Christ and built up together to enjoy the sweet oneness.  Praise the Lord that He has been pouring out such a blessing on Japan.

Specific items for prayer:

1) The leading and guiding of the Lord on how to care for the many positive contacts and establish them in the church.
2) The migration of some saints to Sendai for this purpose.
3) The purchase of land for a meeting facility.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Friends and Family:

Below is a day by day report recapping our experience in Japan. Our service included earthquake relief efforts and the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A friend’s experience in Japan who rescued children from being swept away by the waters of the tsunami on March 11 became a vision to me—that God in Christ desires to save this generation from the tide of this age (which includes the love of money, self, and pleasure above the love of God as the hearts of many grow cold) that sweeps people into the path of destruction and results in death. Christ is such a strong, saving arm, and we desire to cooperate with the operation of that saving arm to save all of mankind (in accord with God’s heart) to bring them onto the path of LIFE, and deliver them from such a terrible fate. We have been saved out such a tide by this saving arm as a result for someone who prayed for us and/or preached the gospel to us, so why wouldn’t we dedicate our lives to contribute to such a worthy cause for others? In the midst of tragedy as we wept with those who weep in Japan, there was a joy that supplied us with much hope for a glorious future. This was no doubt, one of the top highlights of my christian life and experience.

May 21, day 1 (Saturday)

- Arrived to Japan at Narita airport (about 1+hours from Tokyo)

- I met my team (Cycle 7 of 8) at the underground train station below the airport. We all flew in within 2 hours of another (Y. G.–University of Minnesota; A. M.–Bellvue, WA; M. –Austin, TX; S.–Palm Springs; K. M.–Bellvue, WA; J.–NC; B.–Austin (arrived 3 days later), TX; M.–Boston; Louisa–Boston; T.–Berkeley, CA; P.–Beltsville, MD; M.–Oklahoma; M.–Long Beach, CA)

- Romans 10:13 says that “for whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” To call upon the name of the Lord Jesus with a pure heart and a believing heart is to receive the eternal life as a free gift from God. We saw many people experience this over the course of the week. Many could testify that God was real to them and they had a sweet sense of peace within them from the flow of eternal life. Six Junior High girls on a tennis team from Sakura called on the name of the Lord this day with brother S. and brother A. on the train on our way to Narashino!

- Note: It was an obvious benefit that we had 4 brothers with us who currently live in the U.S. who speak perfect English that could translate into perfect Japanese and vice verse…this was key to our gospel preaching efforts the whole week.

- 4 also called on the Lord’s name I believe with sister M.

- We stayed the night in Narashino (Br. Y. G.’s hometown) and ate dinner, had fellowship with two of the leading ones there to hear a little about the history of the church there (which began 35 years ago through the gospel preaching of Sister S.)

- Y. taught us a song (Oh shu iyesuo) & a prayer in Japanese from the mystery of human life for our use on the gospel

Total saved on the day: 10

May 22, day 2 (Sunday)

- 7am prayer meeting, 7:45 breakfast, 1st aftershock (aftershocks are almost daily after the big quake on March 11)

- Lord’s day meeting (got a chance to use some Japanese I learned upon our being introduced to the saints in Narahsino –”Ohiogozaimasu, watashi wa namaewa L. B. desu, watashi wa America kara kimashta, yoroshiku onegaishimasu…” Which translated means, good morning, my name is L. B., I come from America, nice to meet you)

- Participated in the baptism of 2 new contacts from Nepal who came to the Lord’s day meeting (B. & K. who study at the University in Narashino). We baptized them in a small tub in Brother & Sister H.’s flat. Lord Jesus, gain the people of Nepal for your economy!

- The team passed out gospel tracts outside of meeting hall. Daily the saints have been contacting people and getting them baptized…yes, daily! The hearts of the people of Japan are truly open to the gospel—this is indeed confirmed. (Japan at this point is only 1% Christian, the rest remain Shinto, Buddhist, and/or atheist, but not for long!)

- 1 young man called on the name of the Lord after preaching the gospel to him (on the sidewalk on our way to bus to get to Sendai after we asked him directions to the bus terminal—he had a big smile on his face after this experience)

- A student from Tohoku University (top university in Sendai) called on the name of the Lord also with brother A. and I on the bus and we exchanged information in hopes to see him again.

- Arrived in Sendai a little before 11pm

Total saved on the day: 6

May 23, Day 3 (Monday)

- 2nd aftershock (I never felt another one after this…)

- Our first day in Sendai. We met brothers J., C. and Y. and S. Brothers J. and C. came from Taipei for 5 weeks to labor in Sendai. Brother Y. (from Japan) had been laboring in Sendai faithfully for some time and then had to leave on Wednesday to be with his wife and newborn child–it was a girl! Brother S., a faithful brother here from Japan, needed to be rushed to the emergency room during the week one morning but thankfully was only a kidney stone. Even right after his diagnosis, he went right on back to work faithfully and diligently.

- Visited Tohoku University after morning coordination and ate lunch at cafeteria to meet students and share the gospel. To eat with the students in the cafeteria really was an open door to share the gospel with them. The people are so verbally thankful to us after we tell them that we are earthquake relief volunteers from America.For the most part, the people are very open to what you have to say when you let them know that you are an earthquake volunteer.

- 2 students called on the name of the Lord with brother M. & I at the cafeteria table (M. K. and S. K.)

- We visited the coast to see the devastation from the tsunami (sad, sinking feeling upon looking at the piles of wreckage, eerie quiet, smashed overturned cars, uprooted trees, shoes scattered, houses ripped off foundations, everything wiped out for miles in every direction, the thousands of lives lost in mind–our heart bleeds for Japan)

- We had a lovely dinner at our apartment flat with our team and a little girl named S. & her mother R. (contacts of my brother-in-law Z. G. in the previous cycle before our arrival). The little girl S. stole our hearts–indeed precious!

Total saved on the day: 11

May 24, day 4 (Tuesday)

- 1st day of volunteer work in our earthquake relief efforts.

- The earthquake volunteer center is run by the city government (Watari) and coordinates with the Red Cross (who sends a lot of manpower). Three donations can be made to this program: #1-”Mercy” donates to the homes; #2-”Donation” goes to the taxes accrued in damage repair; #3-”Support” is the money that is needed to pay for the expenses of the work itself and everything needed to supply the workers to work.

- The volunteer center has all the tools, gear, and information we needed to get to work.

- We were assigned to work on a house of a family who, like many, are attempting to recover their house. We tore out the floors with crowbars, pulled out all of the soaked insulation, and dug out the mud to level out the ground below, and transferred all the mud into bags, and hauled the bags of mud across the street by wheelbarrow to stack them into a large pile. My back is slowly recovering.

- Amazing story of the sovereignty of God: Our friend and brother B. M. (Austin, TX) missed his flight, arrived one day later with his father (N., Houston, TX) who is a mechanic for Continental Airlines, caught an evening bus to Sendai, and ended up meeting 4 students from Tokyo who eventually came to serve with us in the earthquake relief effort, came over for dinner that night, and got saved with us! This was the Lord’s sovereign arrangement no doubt. Brother B.’s dad was very touched by our hard work—we really gave it 100%

- We are hoping to have our group volunteer leader for dinner & was very open to our giving him a gospel tract and had a desire to meet with us again.

- Half of our team stayed back to concentrate on the University with the gospel work while we volunteered today. The other half will go to volunteer on Thursday while my group will stay back at that time to concentrate on the university with the gospel work.

- We met Brother M. who is cooking and cleaning full-time here at the flat in care for the saints here who are volunteering. He lives 18 hours away from Sendai by car and is moving all of his things to Sendai to live here permanently (He has 7 kids and his wife passed away 7-8 years ago)…What a dear brother!

Total saved on the day: 5

May 25, day 5 (Wednesday)

- 13 students called on the name of the Lord with my group (4 of us) today at Tohoku University in a matter of about 2.5 hours, including a group of 4 law students. I shared with them concerning the law of commandments which came through Moses versus grace and reality coming through Christ Jesus as seen in John chapter 1. We got to take a picture with these ones and they gave us their contact information for follow-up; thank you Lord!

- 2 elderly women called on the Lord with some sisters in our group at the park.

Total saved on the day: 15

May 26, day 6 (Thursday)

- I played the guitar while our group sang and “gospel-strolled” down the sidewalk on the way to the park and passing out tracts.

- We sang in the park for the kids & moms at the playground (As it turns out, we ended up on the Sendai news playing the guitar and singing in the park. The mom R. told us that she saw us on Sendai news Thursday night when she came over to our welcome dinner two days later!!!)

- We played baseball with some of the little kids at the playground–a lot of fun and very warm contact with the families. This kind of time to me, I believe, has a very high quality to it.

- 1 got saved on the train on our way to visit sister H. We visited sister H, based on her invitation, to share the gospel in her neighborhood (about 30 minutes away) and to eat dinner with her. (The young man on the train had a Rolling Stones t-shirt on and I began sharing with him by asking the question: “Why do you think Mick Jagger chose the lyrics–I Can’t Get No Satisfaction?” I then proceeded to share about the true and lasting satisfaction we get from receiving Jesus as the eternal life–the drink of life that never runs dry.

- 2 more were saved in sister H.’s neighborhood through our preaching using the Mystery of Human Life (which contains both an English and Japanese presentation of the gospel in simultaneous fashion so that no translation from either language is needed–an English speaker can present this to a Japanese speaking one with ease…very nice)

- We enjoyed a lovely dinner (sprinkled sushi) with Sister H. and shared our testimonies with one another (she came into the church life in the city of Shinjo, in 1989 and is now in Sendai)

- 3 saved at dinner at the flat (invited over by L. & P. in the cafeteria the day before)

Total saved on the day: 6

May 27, day 7 (Friday)

- Day #2 of earthquake volunteer work: we were assigned to work on a community center which had its floor already torn out. The area where we were this time was more of a flatland and more susceptible to flood. This area was hit very hard. Our job was to shovel out all the mud and water and put it into bags and haul it all out back by wheel barrrow onto a garbage heap. Brother A. and I bagged the buckets of mud and water and then I hauled the bags out back. We were given pancakes with bean paste as a snack with coca-cola. For lunch we ate rice balls with spam, tuna, or curry inside. I liked this.

- Our sister M. talked to a girl named M. and may come for dinner tomorrow night (Saturday) and stay the night with the sisters. She is statying in Watari where the earthquake volunteer center is located.

- 2 new girl contacts were invited for dinner and may also come tomorrow night (Saturday) for our welcome dinner.

- L. received a gift/box (probably cookies inside) from Y., one of the students who came over for dinner last night and got saved. How sweet!

- Dinner with the saints tonight, very low-key and restful.

May 28, day 8 (Saturday)

- A police officer/guard called on the name of the Lord with brother S. downstairs this morning!

- 20 out of 23 young people (high school age) called on the Lord with us in the park! (2 by the playground, 2 skateboarding, 7 out of 10 Sendai HS students in uniform on the path near the soccer field, 5 on the basketball court, and 4 near the flat where we were staying)…it was like a dream!

- We held a welcome dinner that evening (4 Chinese-speaking students–one of these students we believe was not saved before this night and called on the Lord; 2 from Nigeria–D. and C.; along with the mom R. and her daughter S.)

- I had the privelege of meeting D. C. (see 60 minutes interview with him on Japan Tsunami—a very touching story!), a native of Houston, TX who teaches English in Matsushima. This brother was the one who pulled the children to safety during the tsunami that I alluded to at the beginning of this report.

- 2 called on the Lord with sister M. at the Sendai station

-Total saved on the day: 24

May 29, day 9 (Sunday)

- Departed Sendai (overlapped with cycle 8 team at McDonalds and had a 30 minute time with them)

- Arrived back into Tokyo by bullet train— a very nice and quick 2 hour 40 minute ride (usually a 5 hour bus ride)

- 1 saved with sister P. A.

- Brother K. (Head trainer of Full-time training in Tokyo & Japan gospel bookroom translator) took us to lunch at Denny’s and then to a restaurant called “Casa” in the evening…we felt so cherished and shepherded (I had 2 ice cream parfaits today in total). We all felt like royalty because of the saints’ care toward us. Brother K. is the head trainer at the training in Tokyo and is also a translator of the ministry into Japanese. He is currently finishing his work with the brothers on the Old Testament Recovery version which will be published in Korea very soon–how wonderful!

- We attended a gospel meeting today at 2pm and 2 people were baptized at the end (33 total baptized in Tokyo I believe since the gospel team cycles began 9 weeks ago). The saints in Japan received a lot of help from the trainees from Taipei who came to stay for several weeks.

- Attended Lord’s table and our team shared with the saints our highlights and experiences

- Trainees from Taipei will also go home tomorrow like we will

- All of our teammates fly out in the afternoon

- Saw Br. T. (he sends greetings to my in-laws J. and B. L.) who came into the church life in Eau Claire, WI. It was good to see him serving the Lord full-time in the church in Tokyo and his wife N. who I was in the full-time training with in Anaheim.

- Saw sister M. who used to live in Pullman, WA with my wife J. and passed through the full-time training in Anaheim. She just recently moved to Tokyo and is looking for work.

- Spent the night at the training center in Tokyo

Total saved on the day: 1

May 30, day 10 (Monday)

- We spent the morning in Tokyo (the trainees cooked breakfast for us at the training center) and had a lovely time with the trainees from Taipei and Tokyo.

- We did some shopping in Tokyo and then caught our bus to the airport. We all had afternoon flights out of the Tokyo area

- The saints bought us McDonald’s lunch to take with us on the bus on the way to the airport. What care there is in the Body of Christ!

- Fly back to LAX @ 4pm

- WHAT A TRIP! THANK YOU LORD!

Current total saved for the week (cycle 7) in Sendai: 78

Approximate current total number of positive remaining contacts from all cycles: 76

Prayer Requests:
1) Excellent follow-up of all positive contacts from all cycles that they could be remaining fruit in Japan and added to the church life according to the Lord’s desire,
2) That Sister R. (the mom) would be baptized,
3) That cycle 8 (the last cycle) would be supplied, covered, strengthened, protected and blessed to conclude this 8 week cycle in a good way,
4) That the Lord’s kingdom come in Japan!

Another aspect of this trip was the volunteer work.  We were not allowed to preach the gospel at the volunteer center or while on site at the disaster area.  Despite this the Lord was truly manifested through our service.  While we could not speak the gospel, we could express His humanity through our actions.  Many fellow volunteers, home owners and volunteer center staff were touched in a real way.  Some were even brought to tears that we travelled so far to serve them.  They happily gave us their business cards urging us to contact them and to keep in touch.  One day we were even featured on the volunteer center blog capturing us during our work.  The last day we volunteered we gave a tract to the home owner without speaking a word of the gospel.  Later that evening he called the phone number and spoke to a local brother.  He wanted to express his gratitude and was nearly brought to tears for what we had done that day.  He said he thought this work would take 2 days, but we finished in one day.  He was so touched that we came so far just to dig mud out of the street gutters.  May the Lord gain this one!

Praise the Lord for the local saints in Sendai!  Their service was so precious.  I woke up several mornings to our dear brother M. cooking breakfast bright and early.  Many times we had to pull the saints away from the dishes and cleanup to fulfill our own service burden.  Not only were they burdened for the practical services, but they truly had a heart for the new ones attending the meetings.  One evening a local brother spoke about the earthquake bringing some gospel friends to tears before they happily received the Lord.  I was really touched when a local brother expressed his joy over making a new friend on the gospel.  He was so happy that I could sense the Lord’s heart being manifested in him.  Brother S. was very sick this past week, but he still persisted to drive us to the volunteer center even under severe pain.  Instead of recovering while we worked, he joined in the volunteer work anyway.  We also got to hear a wonderful testimony of a local sister where she shared her personal prayer burdens with us.  Praise the Lord for His Body!!

Brother S.

We then drove out to the Watari Red Cross Volunteer Center. Along the way, however, one of our drivers, Brother S. became ill and was unable to continue driving. One of the brothers took over and drove the rest of the way. Once we were at the center we registered and got our gear before waiting to see where we would be assigned to. Our group was with four other Japanese people. Upon reaching the site we found that it was a cow farm. The owners needed to have all the sand and dirt that had come into their kitchen dug out so the sisters worked on that with the other female volunteers.

The brothers went with the owner and the other men to the backside of where the cows were and started shoveling out an area that was filled with old straw and garbage. After the sisters had finished they came and worked with us. Because of the large number that was on the team, we finished in a little over an hour and a half. After this we went to have lunch. The family was very gracious to us, making us come up into the house and eat there. They also brought out all kinds of food and desserts which they gave to us.

After this we went back to the volunteer center. The people there informed us that there were not any more duties for the day and we were free to go. Brother S. had been resting in the volunteer center while we went out. Before we left, we took a picture with the volunteer center’s workers.

After returning, a group of the team went out to look for a Daiso shop and also do some shopping. After finding the Daiso, they then went to the Loft in order to purchase a few more things. Upon returning, they prepared for dinner.

At dinner tonight there were three new students who had been contacted by Sister P. and L. in the cafeteria at Tohoku University. All three were graduate students studying to be CPAs. These ones names were Y., M. and K. After eating, and having introductions, the volunteer team shared on their experiences from the day and a bit of the gospel concerning the love of God for all mankind becoming their love for the Japanese people. After this all three called on the name of the Lord. May the Lord continue to draw these ones and bring them fully into the church in Sendai.