Tilehouse Street Baptist Church, Hitchin

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ... and find out what pleases the Lord." Ephesians 5:8,10

Dear Friends,

Thank you for continuing to pray so faithfully for me and the work in Japan, in spite of my long silence! Despite my best intentions my schedule is still very busy - and I'm afraid my correspondence has suffered. Apologies for that. Praise the Lord, in August I was able to take my usual break from English teaching and feel very much refreshed.

It was also a blessing this summer to welcome to Kansai Matt Ryan and Simon Clark, who spent the best part of a month ministering in churches here and in Shikoku. There was no "slot" in the Mission Hall this year, but it was clear from talking to workers at the other churches that they had been a blessing and encouragement to many. Thanks to them.

I continue to teach English in various locations 2)6 days a week, while 3)6 days are for church work, which includes visiting people, leading some prayer meetings, and planning contributions to the Sunday service such as leading the worship and occasionally giving the message! And of course there is the ongoing challenge of dealing with church finances. I think it is no exaggeration to say that almost every duty I have at church is beyond my natural abilities ... but by God's grace somehow things work - He deserves the glory.

I have been teaching most of my English students for some years now and I think they have had quite a lot of opportunity to hear the gospel message. But sad to say, very few of them have become Christians or started going to church. While there is certainly an interest there, with some people there seems to be an unwillingness to take an active step towards exploring what it really means to be a follower of Jesus. I do wonder in some cases whether I am "coming to the end of the road" in the work the Lord has for me in their lives and whether they might not benefit from some fresh input from someone else. Also I am still feeling that my timetable is too full and that I need to reduce my teaching commitments - but I still need to find a suitable replacement teacher for the commitments I plan give up - and that is not proving at all easy.

Praise the Lord, however, that some of my classes - especially the ones in Inami Chapel, the church pastored by Mrs Okamoto - are thriving and ifs very clear that the Lord is at work there. Despite my minimal skills with children, and very much thanks to Mrs Okamoto's passionate prayers, we are getting new kids coming all the time. Several of them now attend the Sunday morning "kids club" at the chapel. The Lord is blessing the adult classes too, with a very warm and open atmosphere where it is easy to witness very naturally.

At the Mission Hall we continue to have evangelistic meetings twice a week and new people are coming in all the time. There are so many desperate, broken people around that area and it is wonderful that they are seeking help in the right place. The Lord leads them to us, and of course it is His work to save them, but we cannot help but feel a certain burden of responsibility to be good guides and models to them of "children of light".

Many of the newcomers have a lot of darkness in their lives. They often receive the good news of Jesus very eagerly, and may promise to follow Him, but ifs hard for them to shake off old habits and to separate themselves from bad company. Ifs a real struggle for them to "live as children of light", even if they genuinely believe in the Lord. Currently, among our regular attendees, we have an alcoholic, a lady who self-harms and a man with links to the Yakuza (gangster syndicate) - and these are all believers.

We have a growing number of new believers who need a lot of discipling. This is work done mainly by Mr. Boku and Ms. Ikenoue (see picture on right) - but the workload is really too much for them even now - and of course it is increasing. Our hope is that helpers for both the evangelistic work and the discipling work will be raised up within the church family - as soon as possible! We are trying to promote this principle of the church family supporting each other and working together by meeting as a "discipleship group" twice a month, after the Sunday service, and also by encouraging everyone to find a "prayer partner" - someone to pray with and for every week.

I do so appreciate always your praying with me for the work at the Mission Hall and for the witnessing through the English classes. If you could specifically pray along the following lines I would be very grateful:

PRAISE

1. for the Lord's protection of my health; His grace in enabling me to do the work at church; and a refreshing break this August.
2. for the ministry of the "summer team" (Simon and Matt).
3. for His blessing on the English classes, especially in Inami Chapel.
4. for all the new people who are being saved at the Mission Hall.

PRAYER

1. for the Lord's leading on the English classes I should/should not be giving up, and on the timing of this; also for the provision of a replacement teacher.
2. for those students who are still not saved.
3. for the Lord to raise up helpers for the evangelistic and discipling work at the Mission Hall, and for Mr Boku and Ms Ikenoue as they continue to lead this work.
4. for us all at the Mission Hall, new and old members, to learn what it is to "live as children of light".

With love and best wishes for a blessed autumn,

Dawn