Nakahara Mission, P.O. Box 54842, Lexington, KY 40555
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
My last letter to you was at Christmas, and now we eagerly await the celebration of Easter. What a glorious thought that we serve a living Savior. The tomb is empty. Jesus has risen. He is risen indeed! I am filled with the joy of the Lord in thinking about the blessings He has brought to us through each of you.
April is the beginning of a new school year in Japan. Tomoko has just sent her “kindergarten graduates” to their big elementary school year; and Kazuma and Linn both moved up to their next grade.
Kazuma, a sophomore in college, has enjoyed his college life including his major (English) and the International Children’s Club. He now is attempting to start a Christian organization on campus with two other believers. It is extremely challenging to stand and profess your faith in Japan. Kazuma and the two other believers realize the challenge, and they want to stand strongly together. They pray that this will bring others who may be afraid to stand up for Christ, to speak boldly and be used as an outreach. I am thrilled as a father that my son and these young men are living out their faith as part of the body of Christ.
Linn continues to handle his demanding school work. I am sure he faces the same challenge at school that Kazuma does…….perhaps being the only one who knows Christ in his school. I often discuss the weekly sermon with our sons and gather their take on it. This helps me and Tomoko to know what they are thinking spiritually, and it helps them to put what they have heard in perspective. We have been doing this for several years, and it is a precious time, and I thank God for giving us such a time as a family. This is how I know Linn is thinking deeply about his faith in Christ in this non-Christian society. As for now, both of our sons are hoping to become teachers. I am praying that they may grow up to be “preachers” as well. But, I know and believe God will use them in their professions to proclaim their faith and to witness and to do His work. Please pray with us that they will grow stronger in their faith and walk in the path which is enlightened by the Word of God.
It has been three years since we purchased the land adjacent our present church building. We have been able to repay $24,000 to this date. The remainder is $62,000, and we anticipate repaying another $27,000 by the end of the year. It is amazing how God has encouraged our members to give sacrificially – almost $50,000 by the end of the third year! As was mentioned in previous letters, our present building continues to decay, and this has become a serious concern. As we continue to pay back the debt, we are seriously contemplating and praying about our future plans and vision. Of course, we are still in the “research” phase of this vision which includes: 1) a campus that has a first floor sanctuary and other church related facilities; 2) a second floor with apartments for elderly believers; and 3) a third floor for a parsonage. Since we have the “non-profit” and “religious organization” status by the Japanese government, we have discovered that if we do plan such a campus with living space for senior citizens, the government will subsidize $100,000 per living unit. Our research has come thus far, but we are not able to move any further until we can raise additional funding. We continue to seek God’s direction in this vision, and pray humbly that God will take us to the next phase when He sees fit.
I am thankful to be able to minister among this group of believers, and we are always seeking new ways to bring people to Jesus and to our church.
Thank you for your faithful prayer and financial support, and for partnering with us in our ministry in the cause of Jesus Christ.
Glory to God!
Michiya, Tomoko, Kazuma and Linn Nakahara