| | Dearest Partners-in-Ministry,
A Happy New Year to you. ^^
Thank God so much for your faithful partnership in prayer and giving, that makes it possible for me to serve His purposes in Japan.Thank you for being a part of what God is doing in Japan. Together, we are making a difference.
Hope is defined as the "happy anticipation of good things."
In a time of economic uncertainties and amidst different challenges,
we can have HOPE. It's what sets us apart from the rest of the world, the hope that we have!
Christ in us, the Hope of Glory. (Col 1:27)
God is so good and so faithful. We can put our hope in Him, we can expect Him to work,
expect Him to answer our prayers, expect to experience the goodness of His plan for our lives.
God has been reminding me of the importance of HOPE.
May this mail be a reminder for you to keep your hope going strong in the Lord.
As you aggressive hope and expect good things from the Lord,
may this year be filled with so many wonderful breakthroughs and blessings for you.
And may we be that channel that brings His Hope to this world.
"(Abraham believed)......God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did, who, contrary to HOPE, in HOPE believed, so that he became the father os many nations..." romans 4:17-8
Thank God for your precious Partnership,
God bless You,
Pamela Koh.
Staff with Student Impact, Nagoya Japan.
Personal Prayer Request:
In the midst of a hectic schedule ahead, please pray I might find rest and peace in God's Word and presence. That I might be anointed to serve with new strength and power, out of a heart that loves Him passionately.
(Students and Staff of Nagoya Student Impact- Thank you for impacting our lives with your partnership.)
Ministry Updates:
The past 2 months, staff and christian students have been working hard on following-up on those "baby christians" who trusted Christ over the Christmas season. In Japan, the challenge has always been the follow-up of babies. Babies tend to fall away easily as the enemy loves to attack the vulnerable young ones. We even came up with the term "ICU" (intensive care unit)- to describe the first 6 months of a baby believer's faith stage. This is the period where they could fall away easily. You have to keep in mind that in Japan, there are so few believers that it is likely a baby christian may not find a christian friend's presence so close by. Many might also begin the "new faith" with little or no background in Christianity. That is why fellowship is so important for these young ones, to assure them that they are not alone and they belong to a "family", the family of God.
We are thankful that through fellowship events like home-parties, "baby-birthday party" to help the assimilation process. Indeed the senior Christian students play a very important part. We have been encouraged to see a higher percentage of assimilation than ever before. The strategy of reaching "friends of friends" is indeed proving effective. Do continue to pray along with us and for the babies.
Nagoya East Christian Fellowship Gathering at my new house. :)
Planned and led completely by senior students Ayu, Kaji and Sachie.
(thank God for growth and ownership of students.)
The purpose of the fellowship is to encourage and assimilate baby believers. (Saki, Asuka, Mai, Chisato, Mika and Keiji)
An evening of sharing, eating, worship, testimonies by our own students about concerns they had when they were a baby christian, themselves.
Ayu shared about how she dealt with issue of telling parents about our faith. Sachie shared about how important it is to read God's Word.
It's encouraging to see these once-babies grow up into disciples.
Thank God for this new apartment, "Peace House" -that is not only home for me but a place for His ministry and a place to bring blessing to people.
Pics from Baby Birthday Party event
(Welcome to the family: celebrating the babies!)
(Birthday muffins baked by staff Joyce, for the baby christians, all 13 of them. )
Praise God for 2 New Borns! Hallelujah!
SAKI from Aichi-medical Uni. (AMU)
Saki is one of my disciples, Ibuki's good friend and 3 weeks ago, Ibuki met up with her friend with the purpose of sharing how God had changed her life and to invite her friend to start CE (seeker's biblestudy). That was the first time, her friend heard her testimony, she was moved and wanted to find out more. So Ibuki and I started CE with her. Going through a hard time recently, Saki has been experiencing God as we pray for her over the past few weeks, giving her a new peace and confidence to move on in life. On the second session of our study, we felt the Spirit's leading and invited her to receive Jesus into her life and she did!! She was born spiritually on the 31 January.
Please pray for her protection and growth and wisdom for Ibuki as she follows-up her friend.
SANO....This is not a spiritual birth but a natural birth.
Our fellow staff Takeshi's wife gave birth to her 3rd child on the 2 Feb. Welcome Baby Sono to the Nagoya Staff Family. Sano is so cute. We are all excited to have more kids. Being around babies and watching them is therapy for the soul. Another of our associate staff, Jung's wife is also expecting and due in March. Our staff family will get more lively with more kids around.
(Takeshi with his wife, Yukako, baby Sono, daughter Kanon, 9 and son Manon, 5.)
Baby Therapy Available now! Sweet Sono whose name means "Proclaim the praises of God."
Upcoming Ministry Events and Prayer Requests:
1) Pray for the BABIES.
As we enter into the next 2 month Spring Vacation, pray for protection of babies' faith, that each will have a hunger for God and experience Him in their daily life.
2)Pray for our annual SKI-CAMP (11-13 Febuary)
This is an evangelistic camp we hold annually. Skiing in the day allows us to build friendship with non-believers and the evening program consists of games, watching an evangelistic film followed by spiritual discussions.
-Some non-christian contacts from Gaidai- Mikie, Hiro and Kazuki, and Sugiyama Uni- Yuika, Maki and Mito are joining us.
-Pray for Christian students to testify boldly and non-believers to been keen to start CE-seeker's BS.
3) Pray for our CAMPUS STAFF FORUM ( 16-19 Febuary)
A time for all missionaries, staff, stinters serving in Japan to come together for a time of equipping and encouragement.
-Pray for Jody Kubo, who is a senior staff on our Nagoya Team. He will be the speaker for the equipping workshops and sharing the ministry strategies that have helped here in Nagoya.
-Please pray for me as I will be sharing a bit on what I have learnt about "ICU" during the workshop session. I'm a little nervous as I will be sharing in Japanese. It is a step of faith for me. I hope what I share can really encourage the rest of the staff.
4) Pray for preparation for SPRING CAMP, 'Jars of Clay' (17-19 March)
-I'm also in the midst of preparing for Spring Camp for our students where I will be leading one session of worship and teaching a session on evangelism. Pray for wisdom and God's leading as I prepare.
-Pray that all the Christian students can join the camp and God will use the camp to transform lives and challenge students to surrender their lives and live for Jesus.
5) Farewell to Sachie
Sachie, one of my disciples, who will leave to study in China for exchange program for a year.
-Pray she will walk close and dependently on Jesus, and shine for Jesus in China.
-Pray God will provide good christian support and friends to her in her school.
(Sachie -girl beside me in pink scarf- We'll miss Sachie, her joyful personality and expressive nature.)
Farewell for Sachie at our weekly Immanuel Meeting where Sachie shared how God has transformed her life in the past one year since she came to know the Lord.
So encouraging personally for me to see how she has grown and changed. She is totally different from when I first met her. She has grown so much by the grace of God. In her testimony, Sachie shared that "in the world, people are all looking for someone to follow...like an idol or a star or a sports person or a hero. But I have found the best leader to follow and it is Jesus. The best decision we can make is to follow Jesus because only He can really change our lives."
6) First Stint Team of 3 - Andy, George and Cecilia from Australia to Nagoya.
We will be receiving our first ever stint team in Nagoya from Australia in March. Andy, George and Cecilia who has been here on summer mission project 'Megumi Mission' in 2007, have commited to serve with us for one year.
Please pray for their support raising and heart preparation and adjustment to living here.
We are thankful for laborers for the harvest is plentiful.
GIVING:
The weakening dollar means we, in Japan, are getting less yen for what we used to get.
If God leads you to give a love-gift you can write a cheque to Campus Crusade Asia Ltd. (with my name "pamela koh"- nagoya japan, written on the back) and send to 152 Paya Lebar Road, #04-06, (S) 409020. For monthly contributions, please contact me.
For overseas contribution: You can give through online to me via website https://give.ccci.org/give (just key in my name-Pamela Koh)
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| | Posted 2/8/2009 2:32 AM - 20 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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