These prayer items are from our Nov 2024 newsletter, which is about our October trip. Go there for context and more details.

GIVE THANKS that while in Japan and Thailand in Oct, Dale & Ann were able to connect, encourage, and lead both TMC and the Asia ministries of ServeBeyond.

THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION

GIVE THANKS that Dale was able to teach the second segment of his modular theology class at Japan Bible Seminary while in Tokyo in Oct.

TOKYO MULTICULTURAL CHURCH

-GIVE THANKS for TMC’s ongoing encouraging connection with Musashino Chapel Center.
-GIVE THANKS that David & Lina have a new house. Under a Memorandum of Understanding between SIM and ServeBeyond, they are now global workers with ServeBeyond. PRAY for the continuing growth of their disciple making ministries and an increase in their financial support base. To donate to their Ministry Expansion Fund insert #2-2377 here.
-GIVE THANKS that Matthew & Ai Hua will be coming to TMC. PRAY that they will be accepted by a mission agency in Malaysia. PRAY that they will be able to raise funds in various countries. And PRAY that we will be able to develop a Memorandum of Understanding with ServeBeyond for them if required.

ASIA SERVEBEYOND

GIVE THANKS for the encouraging ServeBeyond Asia retreat in Oct.

FINANCES

GIVE THANKS for our faithful support team of churches and individuals. PRAY that our ministry budget will once again be fully met this year.

This month’s prayer items are copied from our December 2023 newsletter—go there to see the context for the items below.

TOKYO MULTICULTURAL CHURCH

• While celebrating the glorious truth that the Word of God dwells with us, please PRAY that he might supply a place in Tokyo for David & Lina to dwell.
• PRAISE THE LORD for newcomers at TMC.
• PRAY for another worker for TMC’s English ministries.
• ASK the Lord to raise up a TMC lead pastoral or missionary couple to take over for us. We cannot fully transition out until then.

OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT

• ASK the Lord to meet our financial needs. Our ServeBeyond Ministry account (#2-2280) is a bit low but it might rebuild through typically higher end of year donations.

Thank you for Praying for The Littles! – PTL #183

This month’s prayer items are copied from our Nov 2023 newsletter—go there to see the context for the items below.

PRAISE THE LORD for our good ministry trip to Japan, Thailand and Singapore in Sep-Oct. PRAY for wisdom as we set up the next one for Feb.

TOKYO MULTICULTURAL CHURCH (TMC)

• GIVE THANKS that David & Lina have arrived in Tokyo and at TMC with religious activities visas. PRAY that they will adjust well to life and ministry in their new adopted country, and that their two children will learn to love living in Tokyo.
• ASK the Lord to raise up a TMC lead pastoral or missionary couple to take over for us. We cannot fully transition out until then.

SERVEBEYOND REGIONAL COORDINATORS

• PRAY for wisdom as we try to encourage and guide ServeBeyond global workers in Asia.

SUPPORT TEAM VISITS

• GIVE THANKS that we have visited 6 of our 10 supporting churches in the US and have arranged 2 more visits. PRAY that we will be able to visit the remaining 2 in the next few months, and then begin visiting our 11 supporting churches in Canada.

FINANCES

• ASK the Lord to meet our financial needs. Our ServeBeyond Ministry account (#2-2280) is a bit low but it might rebuild through typically higher end of year donations.

Thank you for Praying for The Littles! – PTL #182

NOTE: This post resumes these monthly prayer updates after a four month hiatus due to my health (Dale). This month’s prayer items are from our Nov 2020 newsletter.

• GIVE THANKS for our new house in Cape Elizabeth, Maine—Ann’s hometown—where we have been since our home assignment began in mid-Jul (pic below).
• PRAY that we still might be able to virtually visit a few of our eastern US supporting churches during this home assignment. COVID-19 and Dale’s health challenges have prevented us from physically visiting them. We hope to try again in a few years.
• PRAY that we will be able to return to Tokyo in late Dec. or early Jan. While in the US for this fall home assignment we continue to rent our apartment in Tokyo.
• GIVE THANKS for excellent health care in Maine for Dale, and PRAY for his full recovery from polymyalgia rheumatica (by Jun 2021?) and hip replacement surgery on Nov 3. In Feb. in Tokyo Dale was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), an auto-immune disease. His chronic joint pain was not under control until the end of Aug., sometime after a specialist in Maine altered his medications. The same doctor referred him to another specialist who diagnosed advanced osteoarthritis in his right hip. So Dale had total hip replacement surgery on Nov. 3, including the removal of an unexpected golf ball sized bone spur from within the hip socket. Dale is recovering well and prognosis is good.
• GIVE THANKS that Dale can remotely teach his Japanese seminary theology class while in the US. The semester ended late Oct and he is still grading student papers. Thankfully, Japan Bible Seminary is giving Dale extra time to complete his grading.
• GIVE THANKS for all 6 of our children and one grandchild, and PRAY that we will always find ways to connect and encourage one another. Although we are all in the US, we have not seen any of them since last Christmas and may not see them this Christmas. But we have been enjoying weekly Friday Family Fun nights by Zoom since April.
• PRAY that the resources Ann prepares and sends for her remote children’s ministry at TMC will be used by parents to teach their children about Jesus. Ann has been sending email links to a monthly LOOM video Bible lesson she makes for children (in Japanese and English) and sending crafts for each lesson by postal mail.
• PRAY that Ann’s online women’s ministry at TMC will become an encouragement for all the ladies. Inspired by women’s ministry at the Mill Lake EFC in BC, Ann is beginning to use a variety of media to reach out to the thirty women connected to TMC.
• PRAY that the Lord will meet the financial needs of TMC through the giving of believers who gather in Tokyo and through overseas donors who give toward the EFCCM Ministry Expansion Fund for TMC (#2-2302). US individual donors: go to “How to Give” here. TMC has been stretched since the onset of COVID to cover the financial costs of facility rental and TMC’s portion of our bi-vocational Japanese pastor’s salary (pic below). This fund has helped us launch and is now helping us establish TMC. The long term goal is for TMC to cover all its costs, both facility and personnel, but until then this fund is a great encouragement to TMC.

Thank you for Praying for the Tokyo Littles! – PTL #156

1. TOKYO MULTICULTURAL CHURCH

From the 350 m (1150 ft) platform of Tokyo Skytree in Sumida-ku, a short walk from our apartment, many Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and graveyards can be seen. But no Christian churches are visible. In our area of Tokyo there are many stores that sell god shelves and furnishings for them. The pic shows a local shrine's annual festival parade (matsuri) that passed by TMC on Aug 28. PRAY that Japanese people who visit shrines and temples will find freedom from the fear that is at the root of idolatry, and that both Japanese and foreigners who visit these places will recognize the spiritual darkness of idolatry. "He [the Father] has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins." (Col 1:13-14, NLT)

After a summer break, our TMC outreach English classes begin again in September: weekly moms and tots, bi-weekly ladies, and monthly adults. PRAY that students will be eager to learn not only English, but also to know the love of Jesus Christ.

We plan to announce our first church membership list on Sun Oct 2. PRAY that TMC will be encouraged by this important step in establishing the church.

We continue to seek donations for two approved TMC Special Financial Projects. Please PRAY and give as the Lord leads! (More information here.)

• TMC Tokyo Disaster Preparedness Project for equipping three places for three possible Tokyo area disasters: earthquake, flooding/tsunami, and Mt. Fuji eruption (CAN$6800).
• TMC Used Minivan Purchase Project (CAN$7000).

2. ONE YEAR ENGLISH TEACHER NEEDED!

We are seeking an outreach English conversation class teacher for one year to serve in several EFC churches in the greater Tokyo area. Most of the students are children. The opportunity is from mid-Mar 2017 through Mar 2018 and the position is 80% salaried. The short term teacher's "home church" would be TMC. If interested please contact the EFCCM. PRAY that the Lord will send us just the right applicant for this position.

3. OUR CHILDREN'S ENGAGEMENTS AND WEDDINGS

We are enjoying watching our children's romances blossom! Kristy was engaged to Matthew Fujiura on Aug 24, 2015 and married on May 29, 2016. Matthew Little was engaged to Victoria Azagoh on Jun 11 and their wedding date is Aug 4, 2017. And Bryan was engaged to Jessica Lange on Jul 20 and will be married on Dec 18, 2016. Please PRAY that the Lord would continue his good work in and through the lives of our now six children!

Thank you for Praying for the Tokyo Littles! – PTL #113

PRAY FOR THE TOKYO LITTLES - PTL #110

1. TOKYO MULTICULTURAL CHURCH


Ann and Alicia teach outreach English classes at TMC. Pray that more children with their moms will come for English learning with Alicia and Bible time with Ann.

We would like to follow up last summer's one week outreach English program with another one this summer, especially for adults. But we are not sure what structure to give it. Pray for the Lord's wisdom in our planning.

We are seeking donations for two approved TMC Special Financial Projects. Please pray and give as the Lord leads! (Click here for more information and how to give.)

• Tokyo Disaster Preparedness Project for preparing three places for three possible Tokyo area disasters: earthquake, flooding/tsunami, and Mt. Fuji eruption (CAN$6800).
• TMC Used Minivan Purchase Project (CAN$7000).

2. FAMILY

Kristy Little and Matthew Fujiura are getting married on May 29 in California! Give thanks that the Lord has brought them together and pray for his blessing on their marriage. We look forward to celebrating with them on their big day!

Dale’s older brother, Phil, continues to undergo chemotherapy for lymphoma cancer. Please pray that the Lord will work through both medicine and miracle to put the cancer in remission.

Thank you for Praying for the Tokyo Littles! – PTL #110

PRAY FOR THE TOKYO LITTLES - PTL #107

TOKYO MULTICULTURAL CHURCH

Alicia Lim and Jon Prins, both with the EFCCM, will be joining us at TMC in the next six weeks.

Alicia will be teaching outreach English conversation classes for one year at TMC and two other Evangelical Free churches in greater Tokyo. She comes from Ottawa ON with the blessing of her home church, Ottawa Chinese Bible Church.

Jon has a long term commitment to TMC and will join our missionary staff as church planter and intercultural specialist. He has served in church planting in Japan for many years and comes to us from Minneapolis MN.

Give thanks that both Alicia and Jon are coming to TMC soon! Pray that we will be able to procure their visas and find apartments for them nearby TMC, and that they be able to raise their remaining required finances and have a smooth adjustment to ministry in Tokyo.

FINANCES

Give thanks that our support team (27 churches, 28 individuals) fully met our 2015 ministry budget. What a great team! Our 2016 ministry budget is only slightly higher than 2015.

TSUNAMI RECOVERY MINISTRY

In January we applied the remaining approximately CAN$14,500 from the EFCCM Japan Disaster Fund to Onagawa Megumi Project for their moving and set up expenses of their new shop on the new promenade in Onagawa, as well as for the relocation of their trailer. We are grateful that the Lord continues to use the Megumi Project to bring his grace (= “megumi”) and love to a town hit by one of the highest tsunamis (30 meters) on March 11, 2011.

In Feb we volunteered at Onagawa Megumi Project for a few days in order to fill in for Megumi Project leaders Andy and Lorna Gilbert (ReachGlobal) who had to return suddenly to the US for one month to care for an aging parent. One day we were at the trailer where their products are made, another day we helped sell their crafts at their new store, and the final day we hosted the missionary staff at our vacation house for a mini retreat.

Give thanks for Megumi Project’s ongoing testimony of God’s love in Onagawa. Give thanks for our TMC colleague Duane Dietze (ReachGlobal) who so ably covers for us when we need to leave Tokyo for most of a week.

Pray for strength and joy for the five missionaries serving and leading the Megumi Project. Ask the Lord to work in the hearts of the half dozen Japanese ladies who design and sell the crafts made from donated kimono, helping them to see and accept God’s love for them in Jesus Christ.

FAMILY

Kristy and Matthew Fujiura’s wedding will be on May 29 in Diamond Bar CA (greater LA)! Matthew is from California and enjoyed his first visit to Japan this past summer when he proposed to Kristy.

Give thanks that the Lord has brought Kristy and Matthew together in his perfect timing. And pray for them as they make the many preparations for their big day!

Thank you for Praying for the Tokyo Littles! – PTL #107