July Update
Photo: Making a fiery bush from the story of Moses. We learnt that God said He would be with Moses. God says He will be with us too!
Welcome back to our blog! Summer is in full swing here in Japan- hot, humid, and oh, the bugs! As I sit and write this blog post, the windows are closed (because the air con is on- obviously!) and I can still hear the ever so loud chatter of a cicada party carrying on outside. These guys seriously know how to party! It's constant. All day long. Schools have commenced their summer break and we're looking forward to taking our first week of holidays in mid-August. Summer has such chill vibes about it....ironic....because did I mention the humidity and heat!?
英会話 English Conversation Class Ministry
The Saturday ECC Ministry group continues to meet together. A wonderful community of friends is organically forming and it's wonderful to be a part of it. We have recently been learning the song "My God is so BIG"- we love the actions even if we don't have all the English words under our belts yet. Story time continues to be a great time of engagement as we look at a different Bible story each week. This month, we've been giving the parents the opportunity to read the story to the kids and this has been a great way to involve them in the discipleship process.
ECC Ministry has also, just this month, expanded to Thursdays! On Thursday mornings we meet with a lady who is interested in doing some one-on-one English learning. I told her we're missionaries and so use the Bible to help teach English. At first she thought it might be difficult but she's a real trooper and was keen to give it a go. She has been faithfully attending each session this month and is always excited for the following week. We have been using the program "Talk English" which is a conversational English program that looks at who Jesus is through the book of John. A highlight was in our second session when we asked the question "Have you learnt anything new about God or His Son today?" Her response was, "Yes. I have learnt that God's Son is great!" What a fantastic answer for someone encountering who Jesus is for the first time!
Bible Discussion
The Saturday Bible Discussion group continues to go well. We faithfully get the same participant. It is really special to be able to have these one-on-one discipleship opportunities. We have recently been trialling a different method of running the group which, through specific questioning, focuses on participants identifying for themselves what they believe a specific passage of Scripture is trying to teach them and the relevance it holds for their lives. It's a discovery method rather than an "I have all the answers, let me just tell you about them." We certainly don't have all the answers. It's been great to see the insights that have come out of using this method and the "wow" moments as our participant slowly discovers that the Bible has relevance for their actual life, here and now.
3P Ministry- Praise and Prayer in the Park
3P Ministry has been a little sporadic this month due to the weather. We have had some rainy days which has kept us out of the park. However, the opportunities that we have had to go to the park have brought people across our paths. We continue to pray into this ministry and intentionally sing about the Good News of Jesus- you never know who's walking past with an ear open and listening.
What has God been teaching us?
I was reminded just today of "God's goal" for this trip. Sometimes it's really easy to steam on ahead and think "If I can just get to this point in ministry or if we can just do that, we would've fulfilled our reason for coming here." In actual fact, everyday that we are living our lives in obedience to Christ, we are fulfilling "God's goal" for us. Oswald Chambers sums this up perfectly in his devotional book "My Utmost for His Highest" when he writes:
We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely and episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself...God is not working toward a particular finish- His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see “Him walking on the sea” with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see “Him walking on the sea” (Mark 6:49). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.
God’s training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.
God’s purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realise that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.
What a powerful reminder. We have one goal: ‘…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.’ Hebrews 12:2.
What is the moment God has you in right now? Seek Him in it. What is He teaching you and revealing to you? Walk in obedience alongside of Him and be fully present in the process. That is your goal.
Praise God for:
His faithfulness
The people He continues to bring along our path
Our new ECC family from June continues to come faithfully
The opportunities for one-on-one connections and discipleship with people
The community He is creating amongst our Saturday group
Pray for:
Our ministry connections to come to know Christ
Mrs S to come to know Christ (see our blog post from April)
The messages shared at the various ministries to be planted deep in hearts and to be the messages that sow seeds of transformation in families
Wednesday's "Praise and Prayer in the Park"- that the community will engage and people will be drawn to hear the truth about God through song
God to continue to send people in His timing
Continued growth of our language skills and abilities
Our OMF ministry trip and holiday time in August- pray for safety, insight, rest and refreshment