Japan is interesting in the fact that even though less then 0.5% are professing Christians they LOVE to celebrate Christmas. The day after Halloween all the stores become filled with Christmas apparel and decorations. I was shocked when I walked into a local shopping center and Christmas hymns were blaring through the speakers in English. I looked around and realized most people around me had no idea these songs were professing Christ, the Son of God, let alone did these people even know who Jesus Christ is. Then the more I looked around at decorations I realized how Christless the celebration was. There were no mangers or crosses no Bibles or stories about why Christmas is celebrated. The only decorations were Santas, streamers, trees, and flowers. In a way it took the joy out of the Christmas I experienced around me. I realized as I stood in the mall this is the exact reason why we are here. We are here to profess the true meaning behind Christmas and the true meaning behind Easter. We are here to bring hope and joy into the lives of the Japanese by introducing them to Christ, the baby born in a lowly manger, Emmanuel, king of all kings…come lets us adore HIM.

This month we were informed MTW has a donor willing to match dollar for dollar up to $25,000 for the Church Plant being planned for the Nagoya Area. This is excellent seed money for a national pastor/worker and space for a church to meet. So far the team has raised over $12,000 towards the $25,000.

Please consider giving $5, $10, $50, or even more to this excellent project. For every $1 you give you really give $2 thanks to the match.

For more information click here for a PDF discussing the Togo area.

Donations should be given:

Donate On-line: #92886, Japan Togo Church Plant

Please send donations to: (checks made payable to MTW and “#92886, Japan Togo Church Plant” in the memo line)
PO Box 116284; Atlanta, GA 30368-6284

Prayer Requests for this Project:

• May God use the recent disaster in Japan for the salvation of many.
• May God bring more Japanese Christians to partner with us in evangelism.
• May God bring a Japanese Pastor to work with this church planting effort.
• May God bless the evangelistic efforts in Togo such as choir, Bible Studies, and possible conversational English classes.
• May God provide the financial resources needed to support national staff and to rent or purchase space to meet.
• May God lead us to the specific location for this church plant.

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” – 2nd Commandment, Deuteronomy 5:8

Ministry Update
This month the majority of Japan celebrated Obon. This is a time where families gather together to worship their ancestors and Buddhist priests come into their parishioners homes to pray for the ancestors spirits and bless the alters within their homes. As God’s timing is always perfect, Cathalain “happened” to be teaching the Ten Commandments to the daughters of a family we meet with every week for dinner and to study the Bible. One commandment in particular grabbed the attention of the oldest girl. She wanted to know whether it was wrong to worship idols. This is quite interesting because although her mother is Christian her extended family is Buddhist. In recent months she has shown a growing interest in Buddhism and her extended family is eager to talk with her about Buddhism. Although she is only six, by the end of the night she realized how important Deuteronomy 5:8 is and how God is a jealous God. She began to understand how God commands us to put him first and worship only him. Pray as this young girl grapples with the truth of scripture and as there is a spiritual battle taking place for this young girl’s soul!

Church Planting
Over the past month we have been beginning to pray, discuss, and think more about where we will church plant after language school. Please pray as we try to gather a core group of Japanese, a Japanese pastor, and decide the specific area the Lord would like to see this new church start. Also, we were informed this month that an MTW donor has set up a matching fund for a church plant in the Nagoya area. For every $1 raised the donor will donate $1 up to $25,000. This is a great opportunity to raise some seed money for the church plant and help to pay the salary for a national pastor or for rental space. Currently our team has raised over $12,000. Please consider donating a small amount to this fund to help start a future church in Nagoya. (MTW Project #92886 – Togo Church Plant) For more information check out our website, www.cartersan.com.

Thank you for your partnership! Every day we are grateful for your prayers and support that help to sustain our ministry. Please continue to pray the many who worship many gods, but have yet to know the ONE, TRUE, LIVING GOD!

September Prayer Requests

• Pray for physical health for the family as Tobin and Cathalain have struggled on and off this month with various sicknesses.
• Pray for our two week break from language school classes. Pray our private tutoring time would be productive and help prepare for the time we will miss due to the MTW Asia All-Area Retreat.
• Pray for the All Asia Area Retreat held October 12-19. Pray for this time of encouragement, fellowship, worship, and prayer as missionaries testify to God’s work throughout the region and as missionaries often come needing nourishment and encouragement.
• Pray for the Japanese who we meet every day and have the opportunity to share Christ with. Pray the Lord would be planting seeds in the hearts of so many who are lost.

This picture was taken at a local store. It is common to have alters for sale. Over 90% of Japanese have some alter in their house where they worship their ancestors. Some alters cost well over $10,000.

The Persecuted Church
When Japan ended its isolationist policies and opened the country to foreigners many came to Japan including the first missionaries. During this period Christianity grew and there was a revival happening in the hearts of the Japanese. After two generations the new emperor did not like how Christianity taught that men were equal and God was above men as it opposed his desire to be supreme over all men. He banned Christianity in Japan and the brutal persecution of the Christian Church began. If Christians would not step on the face of Jesus (you can see a picture in the previous post.) and renounce their faith they were tortured and eventually killed.

This past week a Japanese friend took us to the Buddhist temple in Nagoya where many of the Christians in Japan at this time were executed. Today there is a small museum with artifacts from this era showing how Christians hid symbols of the faith in everyday items. All those who wished to abolish Christ are long dead with only artifacts and markers to remember them yet Christ is still alive and His church grows in Japan. We witnessed first-hand the growth of God’s church in Japan as two people were baptized in our church here in Okazaki. It was great to hear their stories of how the Lord worked in their lives to bring them to a saving faith. Please pray for the continued growth of the church in Japan and for many to know Jesus as their Savior.

Relief Work Update

Our team took a week long trip to northern Japan in late June. Unfortunately it was during exam week and I was unable to participate. Instead of trying to recap the trip we thought it better to send you to our team leader’s blog to see the comprehensive overview of the trip. http://newsomesinjapan.blogspot.com

Exams and Rest

This past month I completed my first quarter in language school. Praise God I passed all my exams and will start my next quarter tomorrow. (Cathalain will be starting in the beginner class.)

One of the first outings we had during the quarter break was to visit our team leaders in Nagoya. I was able to sit in on a Japanese Bible Study and then Cathalain and I were able to discuss our future in Japan with our team leaders and better know how to prepare for life after language school. In addition to meeting with our team leaders we were able to fellowship with other teammates (who we really just met upon our arrival) and continue our weekly Bible Studies.

The highlight of our break was spending a few days with the Japanese family we are closest with. They were able to get a discount to a traditional Japanese hotel in a nearby town so we went to spend a day there with them. This was a great time of fellowship and building of relationships. We also were able to tour a famous Shinto shrine and could see this huge Buddhist statue looking down upon us from a hill overlooking our hotel. It is really overwhelming to see such large structures of idolatry all around. (We’ll discuss this more in another letter.) Please pray for the millions of Japanese who pray to many gods but don’t know the ONE, TRUE, LIVING God.

Prayers and Praise to God

Thank you for your faithful prayers. New requests are below.

As we studied in 3 John tonight by partnering through prayers and finances you are with us and you are specifically ministering to the Japanese. Please be encouraged by God’s work and know your sacrifice and partnership are eternal!

July Prayer Requests

• Pray for the beginning of our new language school term. Pray especially for the transition of Tobin into “day school” and Cathalain as she transitions to a fuller and more intense schedule.
• Pray as Michael prepares to preach in September. Pray also for the hearts of those who will be there to be open and challenged by the Gospel.
• Pray for God to raise up a Japanese national pastor to work with upon finishing language school. Pray for wisdom in where God desires for us to plant a church. The need is great everywhere so pray this decision would be clear!

On Tuesday we met a Japanese friend in Nagoya who took us to see firsthand where Christians were tortured and persecuted. You won’t find this “attraction” in any English tourbook but our friend knew of the temple because her Jr. High class toured the museum. Not only had she toured the Buddhist temple, but this was her family’s place of worship. She is now a Christian and amazed how even early in her life God was exposing her to the Christian faith although her family was worshipping Buddha.

The best way to show you the temple is through the pictures.

This is the entrance to the Buddhist Temple.

Outside the temple was a sign in Japanese and English explaining the historical occurrence of the persecution of Christians.

This sign was put up throughout the town to announce Christianity was banned.

This is the box Christians were told to step on to renounce their faith. Otherwise they were tortured and killed. At least 200 in this location refused and died martyrs.

This is inside the Buddhist Temple today.

We can’t remember exactly what this marker was, but it is placed in the cemetery where many of the Christians were executed. We think it is in remembrance of the Christians.

This is the sign in the park next to the temple where criminals and Christians were killed. The dead bodies were often used for scientific experiments.

“Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.” – Thomas Watson

This past week during one of our Bible Studies with a Japanese family the father commented, “Ten days ago I realized I am a not a good person inside.”  Isn’t this the truth, not just for this man but for all of us?  I praise God for revealing to my friend his need.  It is only when we understand our sin more that, as Watson said, we will be evermore grateful to Christ for his death and resurrection. This has been a constant theme we have studied throughout the past month in all our Bible Studies whether it be 1 Peter, 1 John or the marriage study.  Pray for all of us as Christians to truly believe Christ has conquered sin and he gives us power over sin even in this broken world!

Relief Work Update
Our team will be leading a trip up to northern Japan the week of June 20-24.  (Unfortunately this is the week before my language school break and I will be unable to go along.) The amazing aspect of this trip is the group was invited as Christians to come into the public schools to speak and do crafts with the children.  In Japan this was shocking to our veteran team leaders (20+ years in Japan) and an amazing opening by God.  Please pray for wisdom as the group prepares for this trip. Pray for this to not only continue to be an avenue for evangelism amongst those suffering in northern Japan but to also be a way for other Japanese Christians to display Christ’s love to others through acts of mercy ministry.  We are seeing first hand many hearts softened to the Gospel and God using this horrific event to strengthen and mobilize his church.  Reaching out has been a great weakness in Japanese churches and praise God for growing his Church in this area!

Study, Study, Study
This past month has been an intense time of language study. Thankfully Cathalain and I are both growing in our language abilities.  In three weeks I will be taking my last round of exams for this session.  In July I will start the 102 class and we have decided for Cathalain to start full-time in the 101 class.  Pray for Cathalain as this will be quite an adjustment.  She has really enjoyed the opportunity to stay home with Tobin and be part of day time activities at our church. With both of us in school, Tobin will have to be put in a day time program for 5-6 hours and this is a struggle for us.  Ultimately after much prayer and discussion with many people we feel our first priority must be learning the language and in the long run this will be best not only for ministry, but most importantly for our family.  This time as been allotted and we won’t have this opportunity again.  Please pray the transition will be smooth and for us to continue to learn the language thoroughly and quickly.

Once a month there is a kid’s club at the Japanese church we attend. This is challenging in few people actually speak/understand English but has been a great time for Cathalain and Tobin to join in the church ministry and fellowship. (Also a great time to practice Japanese!)

Pray to and Praise God
Thank you for your faithful prayers!  We want to urge you to keep praying for Japan.  God has answered MANY prayers and many of those are specific requests you have prayed for faithfully over the years. (Requests are below.)  Please be encouraged by God’s work and know your partnership is truly eternal!

June Prayer Requests

• Pray for the two week break we have between language school sessions. (June 26-July 8)  Pray God would use us in this time to best fill in gaps in our team whether it be small tasks or going up north to assist short-term teams with relief work. Pray also God would give us quality family time to spend together.
• Pray for the three studies we are currently leading.  (Wednesday – Family Study, Thursday – Singles Study, Saturday – Marriage Study)  Pray for the non-Christians to come to Christ and Christians to grow in grace.
• Pray for God to raise up a Japanese national pastor to work with upon language school graduation.  Pray for wisdom in where God desires for us to plant a church.  The need is great everywhere so pray this decision would be clear!

It is hard to believe we have been in Japan for exactly one month. The Lord has answered SO many prayers and we are blessed to report many good things from this past month.

Relief Update
Our first full day in Japan our team was loading its last truck full of supplies to be taken up north for relief work. In total our team sent 8 trucks and various teams to aid with relief. The team is still sending work teams up north. During my first quarter break (end of June) I hope to be part of one of these teams. There is still a lot of work to be done up north. The Lord has provided many opportunities for the Gospel to go forth and used this time to teach/stretch/grow the Japanese national church. We continue to pray for the many Japanese without homes and the recovery from such destruction. (Click to see a video on the Nagoya team aid.)

Settling In
After spending four days with our team in Nagoya we set off for language school about an hour south in Okazaki. Within a few days of arriving in Okazaki I started language school. Cathalain also began her private lessons twice a week. Overall we are falling in love with Okazaki and Cathalain has done a great job of making our little place home. Thankfully during the first few weeks we were able to change our visas to three year status and are almost done officially becoming registered aliens in Japan.

Current Ministry
We asked you to pray for opportunities and for people we could minister to in Japan and the Lord has been answering those prayers. There is a Japanese family we met while itinerating in the United States who just returned from a three year work tour in the US. Where of all places did they return to…Okazaki! Once a week we join the family for dinner and Michael is teaching I Peter with the husband and 8 year old son. Cathalain meets with the mom and three younger girls.

In addition to this family the Lord has also brought a young Japanese woman into our lives. We had her over for dinner and are looking to start a weekly dinner/study with her and some other folks, perhaps from the language school. We have prayed for the past three days for a few more Japanese who want to join and late last night we received an e-mail from another couple who are eager to study the Bible. We are excited how the Lord is gathering together a group. Please pray for this new study.

There is a GREAT need for Bible believing Christ proclaiming churches here. We are excited and thrilled the Lord has opened so many doors so quickly for us.

Thanksgiving/Prayers
Below we have listed some specific prayer requests. Please continue praying for us and our ministry.

Many have asked about sending care packages from the states. If as an individual or as a group you would like to send a package (total cost is usually goods +$55 shipping) we are looking for 6 partners to help throughout the year. We have found there are some funny things we can’t find or it is actually more cost effective to have goods sent via mail. E-mail us if your interested to learn more.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support. We are grateful to be in Japan and starting our ministry here! Please send us any prayer requests you might have so we can be praying more specifically for you!

Current Prayer Requests

• Please pray for our personal/family time with worshipping Christ. We worship every Sunday in a Japanese church and don’t understand most of the service. Please pray for the Lord to bless our personal and family time and for us to make this priority number one.
• Please pray for the Lord to open our tongue and help with learning Japanese. Pray we will be diligent in our studies and for the language to come quickly so we might be able to speak the Gospel in the native tongue.
• Pray for our two Bible Studies. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of the unbelievers and continue to sanctify the believers.
• Please pray for the Lord’ guidance in where we should move to start planting a church after language school. (Still 1.75 years out.)

From Japan to the United States HAPPY EASTER! CHRIST HAS RISEN…HE HAS RISEN INDEED!

The Lord blessed our day of worship in many ways. We began the day worshiping in our new church. (This was our third Sunday in Okazaki.) After church there was lunch and program/celebration. Michael even had a skit with another language school student. We aren’t exactly sure of the translation, but the punch line at the end was pretty funny…apparently.

After the Easter Celebration we went to a dinner at some of our Japanese friend’s house. They recently returned from the US so the mother had bought plastic eggs for an Easter egg hunt. Tobin was able to partake after dinner in his first egg hunt! The most special part of the evening was when the eldest son performed a skit with his sisters discussing the death and resurrection of Christ. After the skit, which he personally wrote, they performed praise songs for us. What a special blessing and celebration of our Lord!

To give you a better idea of our day we put together a video. Nothing too fancy, but a look at the celebration of Christ from Japan. Many blessing as you now celebrate in the resurrection of CHRIST THE KING…he truly “has opened paradise!”

This past Sunday we attended church for the second time in Okazaki.  (This marks our third Lord’s Day in Japan.)  We are blessed to have found a church that prays, read scripture, and sings song of praise and hymns.  As peculiar as that sounds there are a handful of churches in our town with few attendees and many which no longer preach Christ.  We realized in our city of 400,000 people there are probably less then 250 worshiping Christians on Sunday!  This is a constant reminder of why we work so diligently to learn the language so we might be used by God to plant churches in this lost country. Please pray for our city and pray for the Christians to stand firm and for opportunities during Holy Week to share the message of Christ with others.

Yesterday we were able to obtain our three year visa. This is such a blessing because now we can purchase cell phones, open a bank account and much more. The first step after having our new residency status was a trip to the town office. Our goal was to submit paperwork for our alien registration. This might sound like an easy task but in fact is VERY difficult. This morning we both prayed the Lord would provide and we wouldn’t have to go back.

Upon our arrival we were pretty confused. Then Michael ran into another student from language school and PRAISE THE LORD he knew enough Japanese to help translate for us. What a blessing! We were able to register and officially Tobin is the only alien in the family. We have to wait about six weeks before we’re considered aliens!

Thanks for your prayers concerning our visas. This is great news for us and we are so thankful to have this step complete.