Spring is in the air in Japan!
So much is going on in our lives, in ministry and personally, we apologize for the sporatic newsletters. There is so much to tell you about all that God is doing.
In January my small English Circle group started a Bible study for mothers. We are meeting just once a month for now, on a weekday while children are at preschool. So far two women have attended both times, and they both are really enjoying the Bible study. At our first meeting I shared my testimony, and one of the women shared with me how she too has faced infertility. She confessed she is searching for that peace I talked about and I told her I think she's going to find it here!!! At our second meeting we began to talk about "Who is God?" I let the ladies share their ideas about God and then we compared them to what the Bible says. When we looked at Psalm 139 to see that He is a God that created us and knows us intimately, there were tears! They were so touched to find out how much God cares for them. At our last meeting 3 other mothers were planning to attend but sick children and other obstacles kept them away. Please pray for future meetings and for the hearts of these ladies!
I also teach a mother's Bible study at one of the private kindergartens where I teach English to the kids. That group has been meeting monthly for the past year and several of the ladies have really responded to what they are learning about the Bible. The group is consistently about 10 women! We will have our last meeting for this school year next month (the Japanese school year ends in March). Some of the children will graduate and these mothers will no longer be active at the kindergarten. I am praying about a way to continue to teach them the Bible and minister to them even after their children have moved on to elementary school! Please pray for these women as well.
Our church is also going through a lot of change, and some wonderful things are happening. We have called a Japanese pastor who will move here and begin ministering in our church at the beginning of April. We are so looking forward to getting to know him, and ministering with him! One sad note however, at the end of March all of the missionary presence in our church will be gone! Our volunteer couple, Nick and Angie Carter, who have been ministering here for 2 years will be returning to America. Rocky and I will take over their English classes on Thursday and Fridays, to continue that outreach which has built this church. Church cafe is also going strong. I am handing over the managerial position of cafe to another church member as we take over the English minsitry and it is so exciting to see all our church members active and excited about doing ministry! Please pray as all this transition takes place! We are on the edge of our seats with excitment concerning what the future holds. It feels like big things are in store for our church's future!!! Also pray for Nick and Angie as they prepare for all that making an overseas move involves, and for all the resettling in America entails! Pray especially for a job for Nick!!!
Our concert calendar is beginning to fill up for this year! Praise the Lord, our family has adjusted quite well to its newest member and we are looking forward to ministering as a family of four this year! If you happened to miss that news, please check out the announcement here. We are still amazed at God's incredible grace and mercy!!!
We would love to hear from each of you. Please leave us a comment here on the blog or drop us an email! Many blessings!
The Ayatsuka's
Rocky, Marla, Hana and Kai
