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The purpose of our lifetime ministry in Japan is to encourage both the vision for church planting and the development of evangelical theology which gives rise to that vision.
Tokyo JAPAN

Church Planting at Tomioka at Tomioka City

Our church planting project in Tomioka City began last summer. About nine ladies are now attending Ann’s evangelistic English conversation classes, with another four or five interested in joining in the future. When the classes began in September 2005, one lady exclaimed, “This class is exactly what I needed!”

Each lesson includes 10-15 minutes of Bible time, so these non-Christian ladies have been hearing the gospel regularly. During the discussion time after a recent lesson, one lady said, “That Bible lesson was just for me!”

This project is just in its beginning stages. Like the mission ministry of Paul in the New Testament, we begin with proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ before moving to the stages of gathering the believers together as a congregation and then nurturing them in the years to follow. In our Tomioka church plant we are at the first stage of announcing the good news to the local community by means of English classes. The road ahead is full of unknowns:

• When will we see our first convert at Tomioka?
• Will some of Ann’s English class students join the monthly Bible study at the Kobayashi’s house?
• When we do begin regular Sunday worship services, where will we meet for worship?
• Will we have adequate finances for a facility rental?
• How do we adequately help to lead a church planting project which is located almost a two hour drive from our house?
• Will donors give towards our “Church Planting Startup Fund” which is intended to cover, among other items, expensive tolls for our travel to/from Tomioka City?
• How can we best encourage the mother church (Kodama EFC) while we are planting the church in Tomioka?

We have had similar questions in our previous church plants, so we ought to know that God will be faithful once again in our current church plant. But somehow, faith must be exercised afresh each time we step out to participate with God in birthing a new microcosm of the kingdom of God which we call a church. Watching God create yet another Japanese church is an adventure in trusting God! We are grateful for each of our partners--individuals and churches--who join with us in this missionary journey of faith.

Quick Facts About the Littles’ Ministry in Japan

Church Planting	Start Year	End Year		Theology Teaching	Start Year
Owariasahi EFC, Nagoya City	1986	1994		Japan Bible Seminary	2002
Sunrise Chapel, Tokyo	1999	2004		Tokyo Christian University	2005
Tomioka EFC, north of Tokyo	2005	??		EFC of Japan Lay Training Institute	2005

Outreach English Teachers Needed

The EFC of Canada Mission is seeking two short term missionary ladies or one couple to teach evangelistic English conversation classes at several EFC of Japan churches in the Nagoya City area of Japan. The term of service is from September 2006 through June 2007. This tentmaking ministry is the outworking of a partnership between the EFC of Canada Mission and the EFC of Japan Central District. The position is open to English speakers from Canada or the US. For futher information, contact the EFCCM office or go to www.efccmj.net.

Summer Home Assignment

We leave on June 15 for a summer home assignment in BC, Canada, with plans to return to Tokyo on August 24. We will be visiting family and as many of our Canadian supporting churches as possible.

Needed: A Place to Stay and a Vehicle

From June 15 to August 15 we need a place to stay in the greater Vancouver, BC, area. We can easily fit into a two bedroom unit. However, we arrive from Tokyo with only our suitcases so we need a furnished unit. We will only be using the place when we are not travelling. Most weekends we will be on the road. Our budget has some allowance for rent.

We also need a vehicle, particularly for our road trips to our supporting churches. Our travel will be primarily in British Columbia and Alberta. For most of those trips, there will be four of us in the vehicle.

If you are able to help supply these needs for our upcoming summer home assignment, we would love to hear from you!

Kristy’s Korner

Kristy Graduates from University

At the end of April, we (Dale and Ann) were able to attend Trinity Western University’s baccalaureate service and graduation ceremony in BC, Canada. Kristy graduated with a Bachelors Degree in honours psychology. She had a minor in missions. (Wasn’t it just yesterday that she began first grade?!)

Kristy plans to live in the Vancouver, BC, area for a few years before going on for graduate study. She has found a nice basement suite to rent, but is still in need of a job, a car, and a church home! We hope to help her settle in this summer while we are on home assignment.

Prayer Items

* We are grateful for our more than twenty years of ministry based in Japan. Thank God for the Japanese churches he has raised up in that time and for our support team of churches and individuals.

* Pray that God will meet our home assignment housing and vehicle needs this summer.

* Ask God to make our home assignment visits to our supporting churches fruitful.

* We are grateful that Kristy has found a basement suite. Please pray that God will supply all her other needs: job, car, and church home.

* Pray that God will give us wisdom, faith, and resources for our current church planting ministry at Tomioka City.

* Pray that God would raise up donors for our CA$5000 church planting startup fund for our Tomioka church plant.

* We are seeing a slight downward giving trend in our financial support. Please ask God to raise up new financial support for us, either from our current support team members or from new supporters.

Dale and Ann Little