DALE & ANN LITTLE

Dec 2021

This month’s prayer items are copied from our Dec/2021 - Jan/2022 newsletter—go there to see some pics and further info about the items below.
  • GIVE THANKS for TMC pastoral and lay leaders. PRAY for wisdom as we learn to lead by coaching.
  • GIVE THANKS for several new children at TMC. PRAY for Ann as she encourages others to teach the little ones.
  • GIVE THANKS that we are able to be with our children this Christmas season.
  • GIVE THANKS that the Lord has led the EFCCM to a new Director. PRAY for wisdom, joy, and strength for Ike.
  • PRAY that, Lord willing, we will be able to return to Tokyo in late January.

Thank you for Praying for the Tokyo Littles! – PTL #166

Nov 2021

This month’s prayer items are copied from our Nov-Dec 2021 newsletter—go there to see some pics and further info about the items below.
  • GIVE THANKS that the Japanese government has been able to end the state of emergency and lift restrictions, allowing us to resume in-person gatherings at TMC.
  • PRAY that as new variants appear we will be Covid-wise at TMC, knowing when and how to resume activities.
  • PRAY that the Lord will lead the EFCCM to just the right Director and Manager of Missionary Care.
  • GIVE THANKS that we had the opportunity to be with all of our children for a short while this summer.

Thank you for Praying for the Tokyo Littles! – PTL #165

Sep 2021

In late October we are scheduled to return to Tokyo after a few months based in Maine USA.
TOKYO MULTICULTURAL CHURCH
COVID
During 2020-2021 TMC has gathered mostly by zoom throughout four “states of emergency” in Tokyo, with the latest one lasting from April through September. GIVE THANKS that we have been able to develop a minimal on-line format for “doing TMC.” PRAY that as TMC begins to meet in-person once again starting October we will be able to facilitate the Lord’s work in new ways appropriate to our new Covid-aware reality.
FINANCES
TMC’s budget covers monthly facility rental and our Japanese pastor Moto’s salary. But weekly offerings over the past year have taken a hit because of our online-only format. So TMC has become more dependent than expected upon TMC’s church planting fund at EFCCM. PRAY that we will make good financial decisions so that TMC will be able to become self-supporting in the next year or so.
LEADERSHIP
GIVE THANKS that God has called Lucas & Hannah to help pastor the English ministries at TMC. They are bi-vocational so are doing part-time ministry. PRAY that the Lord will lead us to another part-time pastoral couple who can join them to form an English ministries pastoral team at TMC.
DISCIPLESHIP
GIVE THANKS for a young woman who is blossoming in the Lord and who we are preparing for baptism. PRAY for her continued spiritual growth and for the practical planning of her baptism later in the fall.
PLANS
We have been hoping to pass the baton to the next generation of leaders at TMC sometime in 2022, while continuing a mentoring role with them from a distance. Lord willing, we would continue serving as EFCCM Ministry Coaches in Asia and Dale would continue teaching theology part-time in Tokyo in modular format. But the date for this kind of change has become a moving target, due to the need for TMC leaders, a decrease in TMC offerings, and Covid. PRAY for wisdom to discern God’s perfect timing for our transition out of TMC. We would like to leave only after TMC has good pastoral leadership and financial stability.

Thank you for Praying for the Tokyo Littles! – PTL #164

Jul-Aug, 2021

NOTE: This month’s prayer items are copied from our July 2021 newsletter—go there to see some pics and further info about the items below.
  • GIVE THANKS that Dale is making good progress in recovering from his auto-immune disease.
  • GIVE THANKS that we have the opportunity to be with our children for a while this summer.
  • PRAISE for Lucas & Hannah coming to TMC as our English language ministries’ pastoral couple. PRAY that the Lord will provide another couple to join them.
  • PRAISE for the TMC Worship Team that has started up.
  • PRAY that we will be able to carry on with our TMC ministries from a distance this summer.
  • GIVE THANKS that TMC was able to begin in-person gatherings again on June 27 and PRAY for grace to revert to zoom if Tokyo declares another state of emergency.

Thank you for Praying for the Tokyo Littles! – PTL #163

May 27, 2021

Tokyo Multicultural Church

PASTORAL SEARCH
We have previously asked prayer for a pastoral couple for TMC’s English ministries. And the Lord has been answering the prayers of his people!
GIVE THANKS that a qualified young professional couple living in Tokyo is interested in a part-time pastoral role at TMC. On Sunday May 30 TMC members vote on whether to call this couple. PRAY for God’s leading for both them and TMC.
A part-time pastoral couple would need to serve alongside others on a team. So GIVE THANKS that one other young couple, living outside Japan, is also considering moving back to Japan and joining a TMC English ministries pastoral team. PRAY for fruitful ongoing discussions with them, and that God will open the door for their return to Japan.

CHURCH PLANTING FUND
TMC’s budget consists primarily of rental facility costs and our Japanese pastor’s salary. Over the past few months TMC’s attendance and offerings have taken a hit due to Covid restrictions on gatherings. We have been able to meet in-person on Sundays for only 7 weeks in 2021. So worship has been via zoom for most of this year. And now the current state of emergency in Tokyo has just been extended through June 20. We have had to draw upon our EFC of Canada Mission church planting fund more than expected in order to meet our monthly budget, with the result that the fund is almost dry.
PRAY that TMC members and attenders will be generous and joyful in their giving even during this emergency state.
GIVE THANKS for TMC partners in Japan, Canada, and the US who are contributing to TMC’s church planting fund that is intended to provide a gradually reducing subsidy for TMC as it becomes established. PRAY for more donations to help TMC through this Covid challenge. (See here for how to give.)

Thank you for Praying for the Tokyo Littles! – PTL #161

Apr 13, 2021

Tokyo Multicultural Church
We have been seeking a younger missionary pastor for the English language ministries at our TMC church planting project. Responsibilities would include worship service planning, frequent preaching, discipleship, outreach, and overall leadership.
GIVE THANKS for several couples that have shown an interest.
PRAY for wisdom as TMC’s leadership team seeks God’s will together with them, perhaps even the possibility of bringing aboard more than one of them.
PRAY for us as we consider what an ongoing mentoring/coaching relationship with the future young leaders of TMC might look like.
TMC strives to be a Christ centered, Bible based church where we desire God to work in the lives and hearts of people.
PRAY that the Lord would strengthen the faith and encourage young-in-Christ recent Japanese believer MK. He doubts whether God loves him because of the stressors of his personal relationships, health, and Covid induced difficulties in the business he owns.
GIVE THANKS that new expatriate believer KO would like to be baptized. PRAY for us (Ann & Dale) as we walk her through the preparation and then seek a place for her baptism. PRAY that in the process she will be affirmed and strengthened in her new relationship with Jesus.
TMC’s budget consists primarily of rental facility costs and our Japanese pastor’s salary. Over the past few months TMC’s attendance and offerings have taken a hit due to Covid restrictions on gatherings. Although we are now cautiously meeting in-person, we have drawn upon our EFC of Canada Mission church planting fund more than expected in order to meet our monthly budget.
PRAY that TMC members and attenders will be generous and joyful in their giving.
PRAY that the TMC leadership team will be wise in setting financial goals that are a good balance between reality and vision.
GIVE THANKS for our TMC partners in Japan, Canada, and the US who are contributing to TMC’s church planting fund that is intended to provide a gradually reducing subsidy for TMC as it becomes established.

Thank you for Praying for the Tokyo Littles! – PTL #160

Mar 15, 2021

Dale’s Health
On Feb 11 Dale was hospitalized in Tokyo with a high fever, severe joint pain, and bacterial pneumonia in both lungs. He did not and does not have the new coronavirus, COVID-19. He was cleared of pneumonia and discharged after ten days on Feb 21.
Test results for pain in his joints were available ten days later: “polymyalgia rheumatica” (PMR), in which the immune system attacks healthy tissues resulting in inflammatory arthritis. His treatment is a gradually decreasing dosage of oral steroids for 4-6 weeks until an ongoing, regular dosage can be determined. The doc says he should be better by early- to mid-April. In the meantime, his pain continues, though gradually reducing, and his immune system is compromised. So he has temporarily stepped back from most church planting responsibilities, delegating those to our TMC leadership team.
* GIVE THANKS that Dale’s pneumonia has cleared up.
* PRAY that Dale’s joint pain will go away and that he will gain strength for life and ministry. The only ministry he has had the strength to do in Feb and Mar has been essential emails.
* PRAY for Ann as she has been Dale’s primary care giver.

Travel Plans
Our Asia EFC of Canada Mission retreat in Pattaya, Thailand Mar 30 - Apr 3 that we were leading has been cancelled due to COVID-19. But we are still planning to take our first short home assignment this year from sometime in April to mid-June, based in Maine. We hold our travel plans lightly these days due to COVID-19 and Dale’s health, resting in the assurance that our Lord is both loving and sovereign.
* PRAY for wisdom to know when we should travel.

Thank you for Praying for the Tokyo Littles! – PTL #152

Feb 8, 2021

GIVE THANKS that we returned to Tokyo in late December and have been able to once again dive into our church planting leadership at Tokyo Multicultural Church.

GIVE THANKS that 93% of our 2020 ministry account budget was met through our support team.

Tokyo declared an emergency state in January that has been extended through March 7. We are trying to stay at home in our apartment except for outdoor walking and biking exercise. TMC is holding online only gatherings and worship services using zoom and facebook live for the duration of this emergency state. PRAY that the Lord will use TMC’s online ministries to encourage love and trust in Jesus Christ in the midst of the pandemic, as well as obedience to his Word.
  • PRAY that the parents receiving Ann’s monthly children’s Bible story videos and crafts will use them to teach their children about Jesus.
  • PRAY that Ann’s zoom TMC ladies connection and newsletter will provide much needed Christ-centered fellowship.
  • PRAY for wisdom and joy for Dale in his preaching and overall leadership responsibilities—all being carried out virtually.
TMC is seeking a missionary/pastoral couple to lead our English ministries in partnership with our Japanese language ministries pastor. In years to come they will be overseeing TMC’s ministry of reaching people in Tokyo for Christ, both Japanese and expatriates. PRAY that such a couple will respond to the advertisements we will be sending out in February to the missionary community of Japan.

Thank you for Praying for the Tokyo Littles! – PTL #158