New York

 Praise the name of the Lord. Thank you for your offerings and intercessory prayers.

It has cooled down in New York, and we are enjoying pleasant days. My wife recently returned from Japan and shared her testimony at our worship service. While she decided to extend her stay by a week, she was able to share the gospel with her mother, who came to believe in Jesus and prayed with her.

　 She testified that it was the work of the Holy Spirit that soften her mother’s heart, made possible through the intercessory prayers of many faithful friends. For years, she had been praying for her salvation and sharing the gospel, even as her mother kept her heart closed. But this time, she gave thanks and praise to the Lord, recognizing that God’s appointed time for her mother’s salvation had finally come.

Having fulfilled one of the key missions of this trip, she was able to return safely. I, too, am very grateful —especially now that I can refocus on my central ministry, after carrying various responsibilities during her absence.

Pastor Paul Akimoto’s R1 (missionary) visa application was approved on July 30th, after a long period of for delayed response from the USCIS. Praise the Lord.

　We are now preparing to begin the next step –applying for the visa in the US Embassy in Japan. The timing of this approval, just before the American team is sent out in September, feels like an encouraging sign that the Lord is advancing His work in the U.S. Please continue to pray for the American team as they step into full-scale missionary work.

<Prayer Requests>

1. For the foundation of prayer and our obedience to God
2. For the work through Internet, short film making and praise bands
3. To deliver a message of God’s will and the online services
4. For the core members of our church to be gathered
5. For a worship service place and for a next U.S. team
6. For the work of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, of salvation and healing
7. For cooperative relationships according to God’s will, specifically with the Jewish community in New York, and for the works in the U.S., Middle and South America, and Europe
8. For our health and finance, and protection from danger, accidents, crimes and terrorism
9. For our English skills to improve