Sunday, November 16, 2008

Daily Life In Japan

We wanted to give you a little glimpse into our day to day lives in Japan. Ministry work is all about relationships! So, our work never really ends even though our day does.

Mondays are usually office work days for us and we spend time preparing for our English lessons throughout the week. However, Angie meets with these three ladies for an English Bible lesson once a month. Mrs. Komori, in the purple, lives right across the street from the Gateleys. We got to know her when we lived with them last year. She's very interested in learning English using the Bible and asked these other two ladies to join our group. All of them live near us in Okagaki.
PRAY for their continued interest in the Bible and they are able to attend our church or cafe some time.
Tuesday is the day that we take a 2 hour drive to a city called Nakatsu. There is a small church there that has always struggled in outreach ministry. The church has a history or missionaries and pastors that have worked there. However, there has always been a struggle to attract knew people in that area. Only God knows the reason. Our purpose is to attract unbelievers to the church through teaching English. Along with every class there is a Bible time. Although our classes have gradually gotten smaller there is still ministry to be done amongst the remaining students. PRAY that our current students keep coming until we leave this Spring. PRAY that the Nakatsu church has success in a different kind of outreach ministry when we leave.


Wednesdays are always busy! Nick meets with our friend Taiki, the one on the left, for a Bible study each week. He is truly seeking the truth about God. Although he is a very busy college student, he loves making time to study the bible with Nick at Star Bucks. PRAY that he continues his search for God and finds Him along the way.

On Wed. we also meet with our good friend Reiko for a Japanese lesson. She has been a long time friend of the Gateleys and has been very helpful to us while we've been here. PRAY that she makes a full commitment to Christ and decides to follow Him no matter what anyone else thinks.

Angie also teaches a class of elementary students each Wed.. Our friend Reiko runs an after school tutoring program. Angie meets with about 18 of these students and gets to share the Bible with them as well. PRAY for these kids to have open hearts and minds as they hear the gospel for the first time.
Thursday is another English teaching day. This day Nick teaches four conversational English classes at the church we attend in Kitakyushu. Angie makes cheesecake and gets ready for cafe on Fridays.
Friday is cafe day at Kitakyushu Bible Church. We open up the church and serve coffee and desserts. We offer a variety of activities that always draw a crowd. One of which...you guessed it...is English.
The top picture is of Nick's Friday morning English class that has been meeting for several years. The bottom picture is of Angie's children's English class that is taught in the evening. We also teach 30 minute English conversations during the time that the Cafe is open.

Many church members help at the Cafe. Surprisingly, it takes a lot of work! Many people are drawn to this place each week. Believers fellowship with one another while unbelievers learn what it's like to be in a Christian atmosphere. PRAY that the church's decision on whether or not to continue doing it. The Cafe is a great outreach ministry, but it may be a little more than this little church can handle.

Saturdays are usually our day off. But, it doesn't always work out that way! We take a break from English classes but not from relationships! Sunday is church day and it takes most of the day! So, that's our weekly schedule in a nutshell. PRAY that we can keep up this momentum until we leave.

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