Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Here in Japan, our church is praising God for His protection and opportunities to serve, give, and share the Gospel with people. However, some church members are receiving news every week from Peru that their family members and relatives passing away because of the virus. The church and I are trying to comfort these brothers with scripture and its promises. I led some bible studies about praying through sorrow, and our Lord is leading us to pray to understand His mercy; He is humbling us to pray with a heart of gratitude in grief. Many immigrants in Japan can not fly back to Peru, be with their families and support them, but our Lord is holding them fast and sustaining them with the peace that surpasses all understandings. God is leading them to share the Gospel with their affected families in Peru. Please pray for peace, provision, strength, and direction for these brothers here in Japan. Many immigrants are hearing from far away, not just the passing away of their family members in Peru, but also amid poverty.
Glory Through Suffering
A couple of days ago, a family asked us to pray for their sick father in Peru due to the virus. The next day he passed away. My wife and I went to pray for that family and find comfort in His Word. They told us that the father always rejected and mocked the Gospel, and now there were no more chances to share with him. We started reading God’s promises, and we were blessed to hear them pray praises to God, prayers of gratitude for the opportunity to share the Gospel with their father. And worshiping His name for the gift of salvation. We ended praying for other family members who are still rejecting God. Our God is faithful, He is merciful, and we were blessed that morning seeing a mother, son and grandmother praising God with gratitude and trusting in Him even when their family member ended his life without surrendering to our God. Where do that peace and comfort come again? Only through the power of God’s love and trust in His precious sovereignty and promises.
Baptisms
We are going to celebrate the baptism of an ex-Jehovah Witness member. She came to our church many years ago. Through years of Bible studies and messages, she abandoned the Jehovah witness church and teachings and started congregating with us. She had a stroke five years ago, and our Lord blessed her with recovery, and we thought she was going to surrender in repentance to God, but she didn’t. After more years of messages and bible studies, she suddenly came one morning and told me that God was calling her and that she can not run away from him anymore and that she wanted to surrender her life to God and follow him. Praise God that she looks like a different person, has a passion for our Lord, shares the Bible with co-workers, and we will have the blessing to celebrate her baptism next month. Please pray for her, and for all the missionaries and people that are persevering years sharing the Gospel, we never know when our Lord will take away the blindfold from their eyes, and his people will run to Him. Please also pray for all the people that are still trapped in the Jehovah’s Witness’ false teaching.
Only His Word Sustains Us
When the virus started, we didn’t know how to protect and lead our families and church. There was a lot of uncertainty and ignorance of the virus and what was ahead. But praise God that He leads us to study the Bible more, we have been studying the Bible as we have never done before and His word is so rich and powerful that we can not stop sharing how God is blessing us, our families and church through it. Please pray for all of us to hold to His word in ease and trials.
Elderly Lady
As I continue studying Japanese, I praise God for the more opportunities that I have to share the Gospel with Japanese people. Last week my family was invited to breakfast by a Japanese church member with her non-Christian elderly mother. We had a good conversation about the Gospel, evolution, and the grounds for morality from a secular viewpoint. She was a little interested in listening but also a little hesitant. Japanese people see Christianity as something strange. Christians here are just 0.5% of the population. Please pray so we will have more chances to share the Gospel with this elderly lady and for God to prepare the hearts of more Japanese people before they hear the Gospel.
Thank you for your prayers, support. Please pray for our Lord to save more people in Japan.
Blessings!
Luis
