Praise be to the name of the Lord! Now is the time when, everywhere, Summer is changing to Autumn. Along with this, we hear news of hurricanes, and typhoons and their disasters as well. I pray that the change of seasons will not bring more difficulties. Please take good care of yourselves.
●● God's Work in Seattle ●●
In Seattle, there is a ministry called JxJ (Japanese x Jesus), which reaches out to Japanese students. Every year, tourism major students from Tokyo and Osaka visit Seattle for 10 months for their training. Business major students also visit there for their study for a similar period of time. Those who became Christians in Seattle, including students and those graduated from school, had a passion to reach out to Japanese students and started the JxJ
ministry in 2006. International Student Ministries (like Talk Time), and local Japanese churches have been supporting this ministry. Since JxJ is an inter-denominational movement, and is not affiliated with one particular church, JCFN feels the burden to support this ministry, and has a monthly accountability call with ministry leaders for some years now. As we listen to them, we consult with what they do, and we identify and follow up with returnees. It has been common for short-time students to receive Christ during Summer or early Fall, become
involved with JxJ ministry, and return to Japan around February. This summer, one student
accepted Christ in July, and four more students accepted Christ during an evangelistic camp in August. We have heard that some of them decided to become JxJ staff during the rest of their stay. I pray that they may be discipled and be able to attend Equipper Conference in December. At the end of October, the regional WIT (leadership training meeting) will be held in Seattle focusing on JxJ staff. I pray for Japanese ministry held in Seattle to be blessed more and more.
●● Review from Joint Staff Meeting ●●
In the middle of September, all of the staff got together to reflect on the progress since the annual joint staff meeting held in March. Right after that meeting, the Japan Earthquake happened, and we had identified what to continue, stop, and rearrange as we reviewed the situation of ours and in Japan. Through this meeting, we recognized once again that God has been faithful in leading JCFN ministries for the past 20 years. We also recognize God's specific calling to ministry towards returnees although our relating regions have been expanded. Please keep JCFN in your prayers so that we may be faithful and obedient to God for rest of the fiscal year.
●● Month of Prayer ●●
October, 2011 is JCFN's Month of Prayer. It is a time for us to remember and pray for the ministries of JCFN.
"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
Let us pray believing that God will complete the works He has begun, as it says in Philippians 1:6. I encourage those who are reading this letter to join in this circle of prayer.
Here I would like to post prayer requests from 4thweek of the Month of Prayer.
COMMISSION
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9) JCFN exists to glorify God and to make Him known throughout the world. Our salvation is so that we share Christ with others. For the purposes of world evangelism, pray that followup ministries to be blessed and that those who are in/out of Japan will be used for mission. Pray that God will bring salvation to Japan and to the world.
- Pray for revival in Japan.
- Pray for Tohoku and people there.
- Pray for yourself that you will share the Gospel to your neighbors.
- Pray that EVERY returnee will grow in Christ and to share Christ with others.
◆◆ Staff Updates ◆◆
Setsu Shimizu is traveling to Japan since the middle of September. She attended the All Nations Returnees Kansai's 1st conference, visited Aichi, and stayed in Tokyo. Then, she attended the 2nd RIM (Returnees in Michinoku) Camp and will return to the States. The purpose of this trip includes support-raising. Please pray for divine appointment so that she may have supporters in certain ways. Please pray for physical and spiritual health during
this trip, for she has to travel around Japan. Right after her return to the States, she is heading to London, UK for an OMF conference. Please pray for her trip continuously.
Thank you very much for your continuous prayer for the visa situation for Machiko Miki, one of our office staff. Her visa has been approved by the Homeland Security and she was able to have it stamped after the interview at US Embassy in Tokyo. Please keep praying for her as she prepares to leave for the States by the end of October. Please also pray for her adjustment to the work in the States.
From November, we will be focusing on the final preparation for Equipper Conference. Especially at the US headquarters, we will be visiting local churches to ask to send their members, and for prayer and financial support so that more students receive scholarship to attend the conference. Please pray that enough funds for scholarship may be provided. Please pray also for ec11 director, Yoshiki Saeki, associate staff.
We are currently preparing to publish JCFN 20th anniversary booklet, and are in the process of gathering documents and placing them into translation. Please pray for Yuko Ozeki, who is
coordinating this project.
There is a year left until ANRC12. Publication will be finally starting and the website is about to launch. Early month in next year, online registration will start as well. Please pray for Maki Goto as he is putting together the website.
Please also remember the associate staff members who are scattered in Canada, America, and Japan and their ministries.
P r a y e r R e q u e s t s
● For Setsu's support raise.
● For Machiko's trip to US.
● For Maki, who is the only staff in Japan office.
● For preparation for equipper conference.
● For ec11 director, Yoshiki Saeki, associate staff in Oregon.
