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Hiebert Newsletter October 2007 |
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Dear praying friend,
Heart Surgery
Chiaki Hashimoto, a twenty-something lady in our church, shared with tears today that her mother is having heart surgery tomorrow – which makes it your Sunday at around 4pm PST and 5pm MST. The operation could take 5 or 6 hours as they need to use an artificial heart as they work on one of the main valves of her heart. It was heartwarming to see people gather around her with tears and concern when I invited several to support her in prayer.
Chiaki’s mother is not a Christian (yet) and neither are her father and brother. Her parents have been very secretive about this illness for 10 years – though Chiaki had asked our family to pray way back then already. So please pray for God’s presence, protection and help during the operation. Pray also that through this Chiaki’s family will come to know Jesus. As you pray ask the Lord to sustain Chiaki during this time and help her to radiate Christ’s love, grace, and fragrance to her family and relatives.
Father Passed Away
Tomoko Suzuki, a Chinese wife of a Japanese man returned to China yesterday hoping to get there before her father died. But when I called her husband today I was told she got there too late. Pray for her. When she started coming to church about two years ago, she confessed Christ. But since we left for our year in Canada – now almost l.5 years ago – she rarely comes to church. Her husband opposed it. Today when I talked to him he told me that he dislikes our church and hates religion. Once before he told me that if allowing his wife to come to church meant she would be baptized, she could no longer attend. Please pray for Tomoko’s faith, that she can be a comfort to her family, and that her husband will be broken before the Lord and seek Him.
New Struggles
The man and lady who we told you about last week that trusted Christ last month are struggling in their new walk. Mr. “N” is on medication for depression and doesn’t always feel up to meeting with me or coming to church. Pray that he will be overwhelmed with God’s love daily and that God would miraculously deliver him from his depression.
Mrs. “I” is busy with her life commitments and has not been able to meet with fellow Christians for 3 weeks. Intercede on her behalf that the devil will not pluck away the seed that was planted in her heart and that she will continue to be responsive to Jesus everyday.
Visa for Sean
We are waiting for the paperwork to come through for Sean (the young man who serves with us as an English teacher). This week he will travel to Korea and return two days later in order to receive a new 3 month Japanese tourist visa. Please pray that he will receive his new missionary visa soon. We can’t enroll him in the Japanese health plan until he has one.
Church Planting Conference
Leona and I attended the (interdenominational/inter-mission) Church Planting Institute conference last week along with 400 other missionaries and Japanese pastors and church workers. I have been helping with this conference since it began 14 years ago. It was exciting to announce to everyone the “birth” of CPI West Africa! During the last year the Lord used CPI Japan to help the leaders in 12 African countries hold their first CPI conference with about 250 church leaders attending. They already have a vision to invite African pastors from Eastern and Southern Africa to join their next conference and enthuse them in starting church planting networks and multiplying churches in Africa!
Through CPI God is enabling missionaries and pastors across Japan to start church planting networks in their cities. Pray that we will be able to start one with other MB pastors/churches in the greater Nagoya area.
Thanks for praying!
For the King and His Kingdom in Japan,
Laurence and Leona (Cambria and Trenton) Hiebert
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