We are currently leading an evangelistic thrust in Tomioka City, Gunma Prefecture (two hours north of Tokyo). Ann teaches monthly evangelistic English classes there.

The Tomioka project began as a church planting partnership with a Japanese mother church in 2005. Despite seeing the project off to a good start, by the summer of 2007 it became clear that the mother church was no longer willing or able to carry out church planting responsibilities at Tomioka. Thus our partnership with the mother church ended. In addition, in the spring of 2007 the community center we were renting in Tomioka refused to give us permission to continue to rent.

But God has given us a green light for continuing the Tomioka project! We no longer have a church planting partnership with a mother church, but we are partnering with one Japanese couple--the Matsumuras. They are the former pastoral couple of the former mother church! They have been supportive of the project from the beginning. In addition to their enthusiasm for the project, the dozen or so unbelieving ladies who attend Ann's English conversation classes in Tomioka are eager to continue the classes. These ladies are providing facilities for us to use, including the free use of a ballet school owned by one of the ladies.

We would like to see these English classes eventually grow into a home Bible study and then a church.

Takashi and Michiko Matsumura.

Outreach literature distribution team from America in Jul 2005.

Outreach literature distribution team from Tokyo churches in Aug 2006.

A typical one of Ann's outreach English classes.

Christmas party with Ann's English students on Dec 12, 2006.

English class picnic under the cherry blossoms in Apr 2007.