Hi Everyone,
Greetings from us all here in Tokyo. I hope you all enjoyed the video above. I know it is a little late for Christmas plays, but I just wanted to show you part of our Christmas VBS from last year that I didn't get a chance to post. It was a great time! All of the Shine Kids and Sunday School kids came as well as members from the English and Japanese Fellowships and the college and junior high groups. We had a lot of old members of shine kids show up as well. The parents too chose to hang out, see the program, and hear the bible stories which was a blessing. Please pray for the seeds planted at the VBS Christmas and for the hearts of kids and parents.
From January 20, the Shine Kids Winter Semester started. All of our students from last semester in Setagaya are with us again with a new student joining us. In Machida, we are blessed to have two new students this semester as well. But a real blessing lately has been with the mothers that are joining us. My wife has been having a lot of opportunities to talk and share with the mom's and even the new members have been sharing a lot as well. The time that the shine mothers have together is almost becoming a event unto itself. And actually we are now planning together with Pastor Watanabe's wife Yoshie to have a women's craft time next month with the Japanese service mothers at the same time the Shine Kids moms are here. Please pray for this opportunity for the Japanese Christian women to talk and share with the Shine Kids moms. Pray for friendships to be made and seeds planted.
Last time I wrote to you all, I talked about wanting to broaden the Shine Kids program by starting a new program from April teaching one-on-one classes and group classes to kids and adults as well. Well, God has been opening a lot of doors in this area and I am blessed to announce that starting in April we will be opening the Shine English Language School.
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This is the new logo for the program. (Thank you Misa Katou for the design!) And though we are starting from April, we already have students signing up for classes. We hope to also get some of the members of the English service involved as well. Please be praying for many students to sign up for the program and for God to use the Shine English Language School to touch the lives of more and more people in Machida and Setagaya.
Thank you for continuing to pray for our Wednesday night English time and Bible study. More and more people are coming to English time and God is leading many of them to come to the bible study afterwards. The conversations there have been great, many lasting long after the bible study is over. I honestly don't often see Japanese people so curious and open to talking about Jesus and I know God is working in a special way, opening hearts during this time. PTL! Pray for those non Christians that are coming to the bible study, that they keep coming back and that they would all believe in Jesus. Please pray for Shane (owner of the cafe) who will be leading the study through the book of Joshua and pray for me when I am translating.
Tomorrow, the English fellowship members and I are going to be helping out at a special event for the Homeless ministry that is being lead by Pastor Okutsu. There will a special guest singer who will be performing and giving a testimony. Please pray for God to use the event to minister to the homeless here in Tokyo.
Also, please be praying for my friend Daniel Britt. God has been leading him to come out and serve here at Tokyo Horizon Chapel for four weeks this summer and he is now preparing to come. We all can't wait to have him serve with us! In the summer we need so much help with our outreach events and it will be a blessing to have him. Please be praying that God would provide him with everything he needs to get here and for his heart's preparation as well.
Last, but certainly not least, our family has a special announcement. This coming September, we will be a family of four! Yes, we are going to be having another baby. The due date is September 3rd! Please pray for us as we get ready for this new blessing that God has given us. Thank you always for your prayers, love, and support.
Love,
Alex, Tomoko, Daisy, and Baby
