God is at work, pray for Japan

The ministry staff and missionaries do all they can to share the good news with the people in Iwate. These beautiful servants of the Lord are working tirelessly week after week to reach out and bring joy and laughter to the people. It is tiring work – most of them are physically stretched but are also mentally exhausted and spiritually drained. In spite of this, I never heard them complain and they continue to praise God and thank Him for his love and faithfulness. They want to continue doing this work but they need prayers and encouragement. Their determination, passion, dedication and commitment to this work has opened my eyes and prompted some self-reflection – How much of myself have I given to Christ and His work? Am I eager to share the gospel with others? Looking at them, I’ve been able to see and feel their love for the people in the community. It has also allowed me to understand Christ’s love for us – His unconditional and sacrificial love. When we stop and think about it, we really are so fortunate and blessed to be loved by God.

 

Japan is a tough and challenging mission field but we have seen God working through his servants in Iwate. What was previously known to be a place with no missionaries has opened up and is now allowing Christian missionaries and teams to go to schools, homes and the community to share the Good News. This is all because of God’s grace.

 

It would be great if we could all pray for Japan. These are some prayer requests:

 

· Iwatsuka, Chizuko and Rumiko are employed by United Projects, their current funding ends in June. Please pray for future funding to be approved, so they can continue their ministry in Iwate.

· Strength and wisdom for those serving in the coastal cities.

· 3.11 Iwate Church Network.

· The kasetsu residents being ministered to.

 

The church in Kesennuma was swept away by the waves but while we were there, we visited the new church building and saw an interesting verse printed on a banner in the sanctuary; I want to close with that particular verse we saw:

 

“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would only be condemned”. Song of Songs 8:7

 

I thank God for the opportunity to go on this trip. We went there to be a blessing but left feeling inspired and blessed instead. God willing, I really hope to be able to go back again sometime in the future!!

 

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Remembering Nepal (Part 1)

 

As we remember and support in our prayers, the nation of Nepal, that has been ravaged by not one but two earthquakes over the recent few weeks, here are a couple of articles, to not only equip us with the essential facts about the nation, but also to help us better understand and empathise with the sufferings of the Nepali people over the recent earthquakes.

FACTS ON NEPAL

(Extracted from Operation World http://www.operationworld.org/nepa)

Geography

Area: 147,181 sq km

A mountainous Himalayan state between China (Tibet) and India. It contains 8 of the 10 highest mountain peaks in the world.

Population: 29,852,682    

Annual Growth: 1.86%

Capital: Kathmandu

Urbanites: 18.2%

HDI Rank: 144 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)

Peoples: 380 (93% unreached)

Official language: Nepali    

Largest Religion: Hinduism (74.8%)

Evangelical Christians make up 850,801 (2.8%)

 

Challenges for Prayer

Holistic ministry by foreign agencies powerfully demonstrates the love of Christ in practical and spiritual ways. The restrictive conditions for entry require authenticity and integrity by these NGOs. Their supportive role is invaluable – in hospitals, dispensaries, leprosy treatment, agriculture, education and assisting society’s most vulnerable. The United Mission to Nepal is the largest body, representing 24 agencies from 15 countries. The International Nepal Fellowship has 31 expatriate workers as well as over 300 Nepali staff, mainly in the west of Nepal. India also contributes largely to Christian work, with at least 12 Indian evangelical agencies with GFA the largest. Pray for vision, wisdom and humble faithful service for all working in Nepal.

 

The Nepali diaspora is officially two million, but the number of Nepalis illegally working abroad (by choice and increasingly by compulsion) may exceed 10 million. Nearly every family in Nepal has at least one member working away from home. Most go to India, but Nepalis can be found in over 100 nations. Nepalis abroad are more open to the gospel than are those at home. Numerous churches are established among Nepali migrants, even in restricted-access nations. Pray that creative ways might be found to share the good news with these scattered peoples.

 

a) In India, Sikkim state is 75% Nepali, and Darjeeling district in West Bengal is 60% Nepali. Nepali churches in India, some established since the early 1900s, have sent their first missionaries to Nepal; pray for growth, release from stagnation and greater involvement in cross-cultural outreach.

 

b) Many Nepalis serve as Gurkha soldiers in the British, Brunei and Indian armies. Others serve as security guards throughout Asia. Becoming a Gurkha is a great honour and a way to financial security for oneself and one’s family; competition is fierce. There are some Christian groups working among these soldiers. Pray for effective outreach to them.

 

c) Other Asian nations. The Persian Gulf nations host 87% of official Nepali migrant workers. Women working here are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and unfair treatment. Pray for outreach to them; they can easily get lost in the crowd of migrant labourers in the Gulf. Malaysia has seen rapid Christian growth among Nepali migrant workers, with more than 50 Nepali congregations now operating there. (To be continued… ‘Pray for Nepal’, next time)

 

Dn Wai Kin Wong

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