May 4th, 2005

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Dear Praying Friends,



Our failure to communicate with you is simply my failure to make the time in my busyness.  The "busyness" has been all a result of focusing all our time on what is going on around us here; however, with every passing week and month there is that aching sense of moving ahead without enough prayer.  Here's what we really need prayer at this moment.



1) We need to focus more in on the simple things and do more abiding (able to listen more to the Savior's voice) instead of being busy about many things.  We want to love others well, but our lives and ministry has been more focused on increasing contacts and not on loving people well.  We are kind of tired right now...this is not a good thing and we're are sensing a dryness of the soul and a growing coldness in our love for God.  God has put up the flashing lights; we urge you to pray for us.  Thanks!



2) Seeking wisdom in administrating our English outreach classes (presently over a hundred students in thirty different classes) and desire earnest, united prayer for these students and their families.  Pray for the Takeuchi family.  This family are students who have studying the Bible and heard a basic presentation of the gospel.  Presently the father is experiencing a personal crisis and we are praying that God will use this time of brokeness to bring him to Christ.



3) Through God's word and the relationships built out of the International Cafe seeker service on Saturday nights (presently we have anywhere from 10-30 people who come) there are four people who are asking questions and and one has begun to study the Bible: Yoshino-san (doing a Bible study), Noriko-san, Kana-san, and Jason.  One Hungarian lady, Anita, confessed Christ as her Savior at the beginning of this year but has returned to Hungary; prayer needed for her growth as a disciple of Christ and needed fellowship with other believers.  One attendee, Keiko, has left for England to study at the Christian language school where I received training last August.  It is our prayer that during her time there outside of Japan and away from her family she will be more ready to consider the truths of Christ.  Pray for our English teachers, Jennifer and Lena, who are doing wonderful job following up on the ladies who attend the Cafe.



4) God has given us a team of six university students who will be coming for seven weeks starting from the middle of May to join us in doing some initial work on reaching out to the students on our city's university campuses.  Pray for the following schools and the teachers through whom we are praying God will open doors for us to get to know the students:

Shimonoseki Junior College (Professor Keiko--a Catholic believer who commutes by train every day from southern Japan)

Shimonoseki City University (Professor Kumagai--someone who taught our missionary team leader Japanese in the past)

Baiko University (a liberal mission school who has opposed the ministry of our Japanese church for many years; Professor Ono and Professor Matsuo).  Pray that God will give us a oneness of heart and purpose and clear direction as seek to join in what God is already doing on these campuses.  Pray that God would put us in touch with just the right families to host these students.



5) This summer Community Bible Church of High Point, North Carolina will also be sending a team of five English teachers for about eleven days to help us to do a special week of intensive English outreach classes.  We are praying that God would bring together a good number of Japanese English teachers and other students through whom we can build some good relationships and connect them with our church and the Japanese believers.  We need host families for these summer team members as well.



6) Pray that God would enable me to build some good relationships with the nine to eleven men I'm teaching English on Tuesday and Thursdays.  Pray for Yoko and her relationship with the ladies on the parenting class at our church and as she helps lead the Bible study with Noriko (Intl' Cafe).  Pray for Naomi and Sara that God would continue to teach them of God's love for her and to bless their lives with good friends.



There are some pictures of this last month's Easter baptism and some powerful testimonies posted at our team website: www.pioneersjapan.org .  I think you will enjoy them!  Please write when you can...we would love to hear from you.



Grace and peace,

Brian (for the Yoko, Naomi, and Sara)


More: http://www.hsengine.com/s_grace+to+you+ministries.html