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Modeling and Encouraging both Church Planting and Theological Education in Japan
Tokyo JAPAN

Church Planting at Tomioka

In December we held a Christmas party at the Tomioka Community Center for the English class that Ann is teaching. We were able to present the entire Christmas story, reading it from both the Japanese and English Bibles. Since that time we have had two new ladies join making the total attendance of 8. Please continue to pray for Ann as she prepares for each lesson. Each class is two hours long ending with a ten minute Bible lesson. Preparing a concise, understandable Bible lesson for a group of people who have no background or understanding of Christianity and whose understanding of spiritual things is very different, is a challenge. Consequently, the ten minute Bible lesson takes most of Ann’s preparation time.

Leadership Development

In January Dale taught a one month class on hermeneutics (interpretation of the Bible) at the EFC of Japan Lay Training Institute. From April through June he will be teaching Theology of Church at Tokyo Christian University and Contemporary Theology at Japan Bible Seminary.

Ministry Finances

Our 2005 support income figures show us lacking about CAD$6000 (USD$5200) for the year. Two of our supporting churches closed their doors in 2005 and one of them decided to support home missions instead. We are hopeful that in the next six months this lacking support problem will be solved. If not, we will need to come up with some creative options for underwriting our ministry in Tokyo. Who says Japan is not a creative access country?!

Prayer Items

* Give praise to God for the encouraging relationship that we have with Pastor and Mrs. Matsumura of the Kodama EFC, the mother church of the Tomioka church plant.

* Pray for the outreach English class members at Tomioka, that God will daily work in their hearts and draw them to himself.

* Pray for direction for our next step in the Tomioka Church plant.

* Pray for Dale as he prepares for and begins his spring term of teaching theology.

* Give thanks that the laypeople who attended Dale’s classes on hermeneutics were encouraged in their own personal study of the Bible.

* Ask God to raise up the needed support team members to bring our ministry finances up to the necessary level...or to give us creative ideas as to how to live more frugally in expensive Tokyo.

* Praise God that the funds for our digital projector special project have come in thanks to a very generous donor.

Kid’s Korner

Matthew’s REALLY BIG God Sighting

Those of you who have followed our Kid’s Korner over the years, probably know that Matthew has always wanted a dog. He has had “dog fever” big time for quite a while. Somehow a parakeet and a hamster just don’t fit the bill. Mom and finances have been the biggest barriers to Matthew’s desire for a dog. A few months ago (last September?) Mom agreed to “pray” about adopting a dog, thinking that God was on her side and it would be impossible. We could not afford to buy a dog (a beagle in a local pet shop went for $1000 on sale!).

A month or so later, Matthew came home from school with a silly grin, reporting that the elementary principal was giving away their 3 year old beagle FREE! (Matthew’s favorite breed of dog and Mom’s favorite price.) So “Sherman” has come to live with us. Sherman is actually Canadian, but has lived in Japan most of his life, much like most of our family, so we figure that he was meant to be ours. Sherman has gone from living mostly outside in a small yard, to learning what it means to be an inside dog and getting to sleep with Matthew each night. He likes going for walks, sleeping in a sunny spot in the living room, riding in the car anywhere and anytime, eating anything and chasing a ball up and down the hallway. He dislikes being left home alone, being on a diet, being left home alone, larger barking dogs and (did I say?) being left home alone!

(Next time: Bryan’s Fix it Shop)
 

Dale and Ann Little