Most Recent Prayer Requests

 March 19, bits and pieces

Watanabes are getting ready to move to go to seminary with their 4 small boys. One is starting first grade, and they are getting ready to home school starting in April. They have a lot on their plate. Pray for strength during this difficult time, and financial sustenance for the 3 years of Seminary. 

The Church is losing nearly a third of its members for various personal reasons. We will be left with only about 20 adults and 8 young people. Is God getting rid of the dross so He can bless us with revival? At any rate, we need prayer for strength and encouragement as we radically shift down in size.

Pray that the retreat on the 19th and 20th will be a turning point in the lives of my 8 young people. One is just starting college, and 2 are starting to prepare for their entrance exams - a stressful time that too often results in mental breakdown, or even suicide. All of them are the only Christian in their class.

Thank you, and God bless you for participating!

Dying of Cancer – Please Pray

How important is this? Well, I just spent 90 min. composing this blog, and when I pushed publish, it disappeared. Now I’m rewriting it, but obviously, it’s a spiritual battle just to get the word out!

Mrs. Tanaka had surgery for cancer about a year ago. It had spread throughout her abdomen, down into her legs, and up around her liver etc. They weren’t able to get all of it, and put her on chemo-therapy right away.

 She was in for another round of chemo, but they called this morning to tell us she’s gotten an infection. Her white blood cell count is down under 1000, and all they can do for her is put her in a sterile room and hope for the best.

 I wish I could tell you all that Mrs. Tanaka (Taemi, pronounced tah-eh-mee) has been through in a few short sentences, but I’m afraid it would take a book.

She came to us through an arranged marriage to marry a Christian farmer in our church. She was immediately put to work in the strawberry fields. In Japan, strawberries are a winter fruit, and are grown in plastic greenhouses. The preparation is done in the summer, all in sweltering hot conditions, leaning over to work with the plants on the ground.

Mrs. Tanaka worked in the strawberries year after year without complaining. She had three beautiful children, but didn’t have much time to raise them. Grandmother did that.

Then when the youngest, a boy, was in the 3^rd grade, they moved to a house next door to a Buddhist temple. The boy’s room was right next to the great temple bell, about 8 feet across.  Was it the fierce spiritual battle that ensued from a Christian moving in next to a temple? Was it the bell? We’ll never know for sure, but as soon as they moved, the boy went crazy.

He refused to go to school, and began spending hours each day washing his hands. He would fly into rages where he tore the paper doors and walls to shreds, then stopped using the restroom, and soiled the rice straw flooring instead.

His poor parents had no idea what to do. Some counselors told them to be firm with him, and others said they must be gentle. They chose gentle, and waited quietly for him to come around and get better.

He didn’t.  Whenever someone called or stopped by to encourage Mrs. Tanaka, he would fly into another rage, so there was no way for us to contact her. She lived with him in this condition for 9 long years, working in the strawberries whenever she could slip away.

By the time he was 17, he seldom sat up. He would roll around on the floor, watching TV and reading comic books, or spending long hours just staring at the wall. One day they came home to find him unconscious. They rushed him to the hospital, but it was too late. They never discovered a cause of death. Evidently he had simply lost the will to live.

The Tanakas asked to have the body moved to the church for the wake and funeral. All that long night his parents and two older sisters sat by the coffin, but they never once mentioned the hell he had put them through. “Poor Kazu,” His mother repeated over and over. “It was so hard for you, wasn’t it?  Now you are at peace. You won’t be tormented any more.”

It was soon after the funeral that they discovered the cancer. In Japan cancer patients are seldom informed of the extent of their condition. Mrs. Tanaka has been led to believe that the surgery was a success, and the chemo is simply a precaution. She has heard of the miracles we’ve experience through your prayer, and has asked that you be notified.

Now it’s your turn. Will you stop and pray for this patient and uncomplaining saint of our Lord right now? Only direct intervention by our Lord could save her life right now.

We have no idea what God’s will is, but we know it will be for the best. Please pray for His will to be done, and that whatever the outcome, the family will be given the strength and peace they will need.

Thank you!

PS, because you prayed, God has been gracious.  As of 3/19, although she is weak, and has ups and downs, Mrs. Tanaka has finished her last Chemo treatment, and is resting at home.  What a blessing it would be to see God's healing hand! Please continue to pray.

Who Has Seen the Wind? Neither You Nor I, But When the Leaves Hang Trembling, the Wind is Passing By.

I was completely blown away yesterday. You know, I do believe God is beginning to work! I was always secretly hoping that when He grants us a new awakening, it will start with the young people.

Yes, I know this looks long. Stay with me just a minute, and I'll explain.

I've been teaching a course called "Firm Foundations" produced by New Tribes Mission in Sunday School lately. We're in our fourth month, now, and we've finally finished Genesis 3. It's amazing what can be learned about God and how He deals with us in those first few paragraphs.

There are a lot of questions, and the kids love to compete with each other to see who can answer the fastest. It keeps them listening while I'm talking. 

They also have to tell me each week what they've been reading in the Bible, and how it impacted them. I'm not quite sure how I managed to pull that off, but they actually do all come up with something most weeks. 

Yesterday, Kaori, a high school senior, had been reading in Romans 13 where people are told to submit to one another. She said, "We've been studying lately about how God had created Adam, and consequently owned him, and had the right to determine what was right and wrong for him. I don't always act like I belong to God, and need to submit my will to Him, and take Him seriously when He tells me who I should submit to."  

Really.  How many 17 year olds do you know who are able to interpret the Word in light of the foundations laid in the beginning? Especially when they are confronted with a passage that's so difficult to accept?

Then later in the day I drove Mai home. In the car, she started talking about prophecy, and how the end may be near. She told me that some of it didn't seem real to her. I thought she meant she couldn't believe it, and started telling her some things in the news lately that made it more likely. "No, no, I believe it,"   she corrected me, "That's not my problem, I just get caught up in the world around me, and forget that it's all going away, and God's kingdom is what will remain. I heard lately about a group of young people who were on fire for God, and wanted to spend their free time reading and discussing the Word. I wish I could be so on fire for the Lord, what could I do to get that way?"

Is the Holy Spirit beginning to move us to a greater love and loyalty? Is this just the start of something much bigger? I certainly hope and pray so, but I'm quite sure that if it is, satan is eager to snuff it out. 

Oh, please pray for us harder than ever before. Pray that the Holy Spirit will bring each one of us to repentance, cleanse our hearts, change us, and set us on fire with his annointing. Pray that we will seek first His kingdom, and be consumed with love for Him, and for one another. Pray especially for these 7 precious young people, that God will do a mighty work in each one of them!

And keep watching to see how He answers your prayer.

Thank you! 

PS. Lady's Bible study tomorrow. Keep us covered! 

Woo Hoo! Yippee! Praise the Lord! 

I sent out an urgent request about Mr Yoshida on Saturday. Remember, he had said he wasn't coming back to church? Well, guess what? You're prayer tipped the balance in his favor, God answered, and he was there Sunday morning!

He didn't look at all well, and acted a bit formal and nervous, but he was there, non-the-less. Please keep praying for him, he's not on top physically or spiritually. Believe me, Mr. Yoshida is a force to be reckoned with when he's on top. He's already led one man to the Lord, and he's only been saved for about a year. 

My dad is feeling so good he's bored in the hospital.  Can't figure out why he has to lie there. Praise the Lord for that, too.

Next major request: The new Watanabe baby was due today. No news yet, but she was having mild labor pains already in church yesterday.  The other boys were c-sections, and this will be her first experience giving birth. The fear is evident in her eyes. Please pray that all goes well. 

Oh, yes, I forgot to mention my finances. Please continue to pray, and if you'd like to lend a hand, go visit my Coffee Page and see if you just might be interested in getting a free sample.  The news I have is once again a praise. Some of you must have prayed hard, because I landed a joint venture today. Another lady who sells healthy chocolate (!) has added my links to her page for me.  This is just a small boost in the right direction. I will need much more in order to support my daughter and  me.

Elizabeth just wandered into my room. I could see she'd been in tears. She said she'd been standing out in the rain feeling sad about our finances. She took a year and a half of college credits, and then had to quit...Please pray.

Oh, and tomorrow I have our weekly Bible Study with Mrs. Nishi and Mrs. Tsubakihara. Right now I feel like this is a core element of my ministry. Please pray for it as well. We'll be starting to talk about creation - could be a challenge. 

 Poor Health and Bible Studies

Yes, it's the 6th here. Saturday morning. I'll try to post requests regularly so you will be praying for things in real time.

My Dad had bleeding in his brain two days ago, and will be in the hospital for another week at least. He's going to be ok, which is a major miracle. Thank the Lord for that, its all His doing.

As a result, Mr. Watanabe will have to preach. He hasn't been doing well. Had a mini heart attack right in front of my Dad the other day, and is fatigued quite easily. Mrs. Watanabe is due any day now with their 4th son. Please pray for Mr. Watanabe (Eiji) as he prepares the message, and of course for a safe delivery.

Everyone in the church is dragging. Pray for a fresh infusion of health, vitality, and excitement in the Lord.

Finances!!!! Unless God intervenes, the gas, electricity and internet connection will be turned off on the 10th. Had to borrow money to pay the rent. Pray that this stress won't keep coming around month after month. I'm working on selling healthy coffee, but I'm not good at getting traffic, and the growth is slow.

Oh, and I forgot the main thing! Mrs. Tsubakihara has a Bible study every other Saturday with her two sisters, one saved, one fallen away, and her mother, not saved at all. She's asked to use the Firm Foundations material we've started using in our Bible Study. Pray that this goes well for her, and that these precious ladies will be drawn closer to the Lord this morning!

Thanks! Your prayers are fully as effective as our work is to bring God's Kingdom to Kurume.  God Bless you for your ministry!

March 31

When It Rains, It Pours

Marina, one of the Kubo children, was on her bicycle yesterday, and failed to notice a car coming.  She turned in front of it, it swerved to miss her, ran up onto an embankment and rolled. Marina also fell off her bike and hit her head and hand.

By God's grace, the driver wasn't seriously injured, and Marina will be ok, too.  She went to the hospital in an ambulance, and while they were there, her father, Mr. Kubo laid into her quite violently.  He told her she didn't even need to come home etc. I guess even the police, who were there to take a statement backed off from his fury. 

He later apologized to his daughter, but now he is in an even deeper state of depression.  He has canceled the Sunday School class he teaches, and turned in his resignation as a deacon and church accountant. 

This looks to be a serious crisis in his life, and the spiritual welfare of the family. Please pray that God will intervene, and satan will not have his way with him, or his four precious teenagers.

March 28

Crisis Alert! 

Mr. Kubo is having serious battles, and needs your prayer desperately. He is a Math teacher at a high school about an hour away.  That's all very well and good, but they've put him in the night classes.  Most of the night class students are rough kids and older students who are in and out of boys homes, and prison, depending on ther age.  They are lethargic, disrspectful, and downright mean.  

Poor Mr. Kubo  went into serious depression last year.  He had struggled out of it, and was doing better, while at the same time praying desperately that he would be moved to day classes in April, but he has been told that is not to be. 

He is so disappointed, and overwhelmed by the prospect of another year in these demeaning conditions, and impossible schedule, that  he has slipped into a truley dangerous condition.  He is sleeping only two or three hours a night, and has resigned from being a deacon, and from doing the church accounting. 

I spoke with his daughter, Kaori,  tonight, and she says he doesn't have the heart to read his Bible or pray.

Please pray that God will send Him the encouragement he needs, and that his family will have wisdom and patience during this difficult time.

March 27

Long Tea Party 

I had a three hour long tea party with Mrs. Tsubakihara this afternoon. She talked about how confused she is at church about using her gift of faith and intercessory pray for other's salvation. Women in Japanese churches are expected to have the gift of helps, and spend time in the kitchen.  When they do pray, it is expected that they will pray for health and financial needs. She feels like she is deficient in some way, and not worthy to be in church at all because she is different.

Pray that she will recieve from the Lord the confidence to see herself as valuable to the church, and that Mr. Tsubakihara will begin to pray for his own spiritual growth and wisdom, and not just for his family. 

We also talked about our burden to have home Bible studies for unsaved ladies.  Please pray with us, that, Lord willing, this dream will come to fruition.  

 February 28

Refreshment Needed

I just got off the phone with my Mom.

She and my father had just got in to Tokyo from Portland and were having to wait two hours for the flight to Fukuoka. The last few days have been way too hard on her. Her favorite uncle passed away about 3 days ago, and they were running to get last minute shopping, church meetings, and hugs out of the way before they had to leave. She said she had been too ill to sleep on the plane. Her heart is giving her pain, and she is on nitroglicerine. 

Please pray that  both of them will be able to get the rest and nutrition they need to recover in the next few days, and God will give them a time of true refreshment before they dive back into the ministry.

February 25

Business Slump a Spiritual Problem?

My business was doing ok. Not a huge success, but it was growing steadily. Then I published this prayer page. On the day I published the page, my sales, which had steadily increased for two months, came to an almost complete stop. I haven't had a profitable day, since, and there doesn't seem to be any explanation.

Is this a coincidence, or a spiritual attack because satan knows your prayers are going to be a powerful influence for God's kingdom?

At any rate, I need my sales to pick up in order to be able to move this spring. Please pray.

Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead?

That's what Matumoto-Kun asked me in Sunday School today. He's been reading his Bible, and is thinking seriously about whether it is true, or just a myth. Read about this new boy's unusual past at the above link, and pray for him. He really needs a Heavenly Father!

February 22

Turning a Corner

Congratulate me! Yesterday was the last day to teach in Omuta, a city a little over a hour from here. I still have to grade 200 tests and take them back to the students, but I won't be teaching any more lessons.

This will free up Wednesdays to focus more on ministry, and hopefully I'll have more energy on Thursdays as well. Up till now it's been basically a too-tired-to-do-anything drag-around-the house day.

Pray that I will have God's direction in using this extra time, and also His provision, as this was my biggest paycheck.

Past Hurts, Present Pain

On Sunday the ladies took turns giving a three minute salvation testimony. The purpose was to equip them to witness, but Mrs. Moriyama had deeper needs. She started talking about her childhood, and mentioned that her father, even though he claimed to be a Christian and took her to church, was an abusive alcoholic. She started to cry, and when she got a hold of herself, told us that this was the first time she had told anyone. Even her husband has no idea she carries these scars.

Please pray for her. Mrs. Moriyamais a blessing to us all with her powerful gift of prayer, but she is struggling with a severe case of athsma. They have given her steroids, and this has caused her to gain weight. Pray that God will heal her, inside and out, and enable her to thrive.

February 12

Not Another One?!!!

The Watanabe's are still in the final stages of potty training the twins, and are planning to start homeschooling their older son in April. After years of diapers and heart surgury for Mr. Watanabe last fall, it looked like life was finally going to settle down into a routine. Not! She just found out she is pregnant again! This is a big blow for the family, as they are already at the limits of their endurance and finances. Mr. Watanabe can't get a real job because of his heart condition, and has been home getting more and more stressed each day for months. He has agreed to help a cousin with some farming starting next week.

Pray that they will recieve added strength and provision from our abundand Lord.

November 23

Rejected for Christ

Mrs. Baba has been told she has to woship her husband's ancestors at the family altar, and offer flowers and pray at the family graveyard. When she refused, her husband and mother-in-law told her she would have to leave, and filed for divorce. She is still living with her husband and children at this time, but there will be a hearing on the 30th. Pray that she will stand strong in her faith during this crisis, that the children age 15 and 9 will be protected emotionally and that their faith also will not waver. Pray also that God's will will be done during the hearing.

Update: January

God goes to any lengths to answer our prayer! Mrs. Baba's husband's business went bankrupt soon after we began to pray. It just "happened" that his court hearing for the bankrupcy was scheduled for the same day as the divorce court. He had no choice but to attend the bankruptcy hearing, and said he didn't have time to worry about the divorce, so it was off. God has answered our prayers, and held this family together for the time being.

This event has brought some of Mrs. Baba's faults out in the open, and she is working to improve her attitudes at home. Pray for her, as she struggles to develope a Christian witness in her pagan home.

Going Deaf

Eiko Yamamoto has experienced some serious hearing loss as a result of her condition. The doctors have told her that the only hope is to take more steroids. She's already had so much that she lives with serious side effects. The steroids damage her lungs, and she lives with only 50% use of them as it is. Pray that God will heal her and give her strength and comfort as she makes this important decision.

Update: Febuary 12,

A big brain tumor behind her ear has been discovered, and she has had radiation treatment. Pray for her as she deals with the enormous stress of waiting for the side effects to kick in, and wondering if it is malignant.

Body Life

Our church has started a small choir of only 10 members. We've performed twice, and are preparing three songs for Christmas. Please pray that God will bless each member for their sacrifice in practice, that there will be a spirit of praise, commitment, and unity, and that this will become a vital ministry in the church, and an intrument of spiritual growth for each member. Pray also for more men to join. Right now we have only one bass and one tenor.

Energizer Bunny Running Down

I am dealing with some burnout, I'm afraid, and am having serious problems with time management and self discipline and motivation. Pray that I will be able to make plans for my days that are possible, and then have the focus and energy to complete that plan by the end of the day.

To Work or Not To Work

One of my main goals right now is to make enough money online to be able to cut back on my English classes so I can spend more time in the ministry. I have to make a decision about my biggest job at a technical college an hour away by the end of the month. Please pray that God will give me wisdom and I will make the right decision.

Update: Feb 12

I decided to quit that job, and the very next day recieved a notice that we will have to move in May. I needed that income in order to move as we have to pay at least 4 months rent to get into a new apartment. Pray that God will meet our finantial needs this spring!