The past few months are now a blur with all the activity that took place. In March We started weekly prayer at the student center. We held a Chi Alpha Boot Camp for student leadership training on March 13-14. We tried to make it fun and practical.
At the end of March, I went to district youth camp. The guest speaker from Singapore challenged the youth to dedicate themselves to serve God wherever they go. I was most impressed during the testimony time that all GUYS boldly stood up and shared their vision of what God wants to do through them. God is raising up a new generation here in Japan!
On April 13, we kicked off the new school year with Power Praise Night at the student Center. Several Christian freshmen at secular colleges came and they seem really excited at how God will use them on their campuses this year.
Also, we started up weekly ministry again at the University of Tokyo and at Waseda University. Our group at the University of Tokyo has been reduced because of graduating students so we are looking forward to our summer teams coming to help us reach new students. Also, at Waseda we need to reach new students. We weren’t able to register as a formal group this year, so we have to be creative in how and where we meet.
This month (May) teams from Trinity Bible College and University of South Alabama will come right after the Japan Assemblies of God Missions Conference. In June teams from Central Washington University, 1st Assembly (Honolulu, Hawaii), and Southern Illinois University–Carbondale will come and help us minister on campuses. Please pray for us and these teams.
In addition, 8 summer workers will come to teach English at various churches or to do campus ministry in Tokyo. We will be doing an orientation with them from June 2-5 after which they will go to their 2-month assignments. Please pray that they will be able to adjust quickly to a new culture as they serve the Japanese people.
Lastly, I’d like to report an answer to prayer. Ayame, a staff member who has served with us for the past 8 years, resigned at the end of May. She was burned out due to taking care of both of her invalid parents. We’ve prayed that she could get them into nursing homes, but God not only answered that prayer but enabled her father to become a believer! “God is good and what He does is good (Psalms 119:68.”
