We have a New Partner!

Since coming to Japan 6 years ago I have continually asked God for a partner to work with here in Gifu, and preferably a Japanese man. In the past week God answered that prayer! Rin, whom I've written about before, has been growing greatly in his knowledge of and love for the Lord as well as in his boldness in proclaiming Christ. Last week he told me that although he is studying to be an elementary teacher, he knows that his primary job on earth is to preach Christ! He sees this as his calling and he wants to devote his life to it! Furthermore, he said that he wants to join and help Amy and I in our ministry as well as to help us see a new church start! Praise God! We are so excited!

In addition to wanting to work closely with us and proclaim Christ, Rin wanted to obey the Lord by following Him in baptism! Last Friday morning we went down to the nearby Nagara River and did exactly that! Praise Jesus!

This coming Saturday & Sunday (October 29&30) is the yearly Gifu University Festival. During the weekend the campus will be opened up to the community and there will be booth after booth of foods, as well as music and dance performances and more as all the various university clubs contribute to the festival. This is probably the biggest outreach opportunity in the year as the campus will be teaming with many of the roughly 10,000 students plus people from the community who will have lots of free time on their hands. It is a great chance to get to know students in a natural way and talk and share with them.

Rin and I will be spending most of Saturday and Sunday on the campus in outreach. So please pray for these two days. In preparation for the weekend, Rin and I have been meeting together daily on campus to pray.

Please join with us in praying and beseeching the Lord 

• for wisdom and insight in knowing how best to engage people in conversation 
• for boldness in proclaiming Christ 
• for open eyes to see opportunities and the wisdom to know how to handle them for sensitivity to the Spirit's leading 
• for open and receptive hearts for salvation