25 May Sakamoto, 05/2014
Dear Prayer and Financial Supporters,
THANK YOU for your prayers and support! Your ministry partnership is described below!!!
THANK YOU for your prayers for Pastor Tom Cheely who recently passed, and his wife and family.
Pastor Tom was Pastor of Missions at Briarwood Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL, one of our supporting churches since 1999, and will be dearly missed.
Mrs M accepted Christ! We praise GOD for His grace and your prayers for Mrs M. On April 29 she prayed with us to accept Christ into her life! She has started consistent discipleship times with us, and is eager & excited about Jesus and the Bible. “It is real exciting to study the Bible!” “my heart has become calm,” “my relationship with my husband is better than before.” PRAY for GOD’s grace, protection, & passion for her faith, and salvation of her husband.
May 6th BBQ Couples Outreach. (Mrs H planned it!) Thank you for praying! Two new mothers came, Mrs U & Mrs I! 19 total children & adults came. We accomplished our goal—using the BBQ gathering to lead into a Couples’ Marriage meeting! Mr M (new believer’s husband) and Mr H are excited/looking forward to MAY 28, the first meeting for husbands/wives to attend. PRAY for M/M M and M/M H to attend and for solid husbands’ meetings with Stephen for the first three months (for starters.)
Jessi and Jenni home with us in MAY. Satomi and I are thrilled and full of joy having both Jessi and Jenni at home with us for the remaining days in May! We are together as a family again! PRAY for Christ-centered, Bible-centered meaningful times together as a family, mutually encouraging times together, and graceful growth while we are together.
Jessi & Jenni summer in the US. Both girls will return to the US in June to find summer jobs, and try to get their US driver’s license. Jessi will be in Richmond, VA, and Jenni will be in Seattle, WA. PRAY for provision of summer jobs for them; for details of housing, transportation, good relationships at work.
Kenya & Zambia ministry trip June 16~July 7. Pastor Stan Myers, Senior Pastor of Emmanuel Bible Church, Salem, OR, a major supporting church of ours, requested permission from TEAM Japan for Stephen, Satomi, and Jenni, to join him, his wife Mindy, and daughter Carly Blue, in Nairobi, Kenya. Stan and Pastor Noah—African Nariobi Pastor, (and Stephen helping,) will continue instructing at two Pastor Equipping Conferences, in Foundational principles of Bible Study/Interpretation, Personal/Preaching Integrity, and Principles of Discipling believers. Satomi & Jenni will minister with Mindy & Carly Blue to the endless needs of the women and children. In Zambia we will join missionary Johan Gous, to learn how they immediately equip new believers to evangelize, be discipled to become disciple makers, and start churches that start churches in their own village(s). PRAY 1) for humble hearts for us to learn how GOD is moving in Africa, 2) people will be pointed to Jesus Christ as we serve in our assignments, 3) an even deeper burning passion for evangelism & discipleship in our personal faith, and 4) GOD’s help and fruit to transfer our experiences in Africa to here in Kobe as we win and disciple new believers to win and disciple new believers, to start churches to start churches.
Prltr.2014.5.Sakamoto.JAPAN.PrayerUpdate.MAY”b”.2014 p.2 stephensakamoto@teamjapan.org
p.2 ***please pray ONE DAY in advance, as Japan time is one day ahead of the US in date/time!
20MAY Yellow Fever Immunization (Africa) for Stephen, Satomi, Jenni. PRAY: continued sturdy health
21MAY Mrs M discipleship time, Miss A discipleship time. PRAY for spiritual growth in Christ for both
22MAY Awaji Island Outreach—parent’g class, Children’s mtg. PRAY all 5 mothers come, open hearts
23MAY today/tomorrow in Takamatsu w/Satomi’ parents—PRAY our faithful witness to unsaved father
24MAY PRAY for the salvation of Satomi’s father, and Satomi’s brother’s wife
25MAY SUN may GOD give us hearts of wonder/worship of Him; may we dare to live for Him in faith!
26MAY lesson prep for Nairobi Pastors Conf’s for Stephen, women/children ministry for Satomi& Jenni
27MAY every WED Stephen teach English & Bible at tiny Kindergarten; PRAY: salvation of all children
28MAY Marriage small group mtg starts today! PRAY M/M M & M/M H attend, open teachable hearts
29MAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY SATOMI!!! Praise GOD for saving Satomi and drawing her to Himself
Satomi—Parenting Class with 2 new moms. PRAY for us to train Mrs H to start her own group like this,
Mrs H—discipleship time w/ her after Parenting Class; 2 new moms are her friends from HS days
Jenni depart back to the US; join us for Africa Kenya/Zambia ministry trip 16 JUN~7 JUL
30MAY spiritual joy, growth and discipline for Jessi and Jenni this summer;
31MAY solid quiet times daily: Stephen,Satomi,Jessi, &Jenni loving GOD with all our heart, soul, might
1JUN SUN may we see the presence and involvement of GOD in the OT Narratives we survey today
2JUN lesson prep for Nairobi Pastors Conf’s for Stephen; spiritual, emotional preparation for all 3 of us
3JUN Pastor Stan, wife Mindy, daughter Carly Blue—preparation for ministry for them, health, strength
4JUN Mr M and Mr H—PRAY that both will meet w/ Stephen for husbands’ marriage small group today
5JUN “seed” church plant #2 Awaji Island—PRAY for our key couple M/M N, not believers yet
6JUN you! our partners in prayer & financial support—for vitality & joy in your daily walk with the Savior
7JUN thanks, praise, passion & spiritual fruit for the 22 churches and their pastors who support us!
8JUNSUN may we see GOD’s character of grace & rghtsnss in the OT Narratives we survey today
9JUN PRAY for our believers for spiritual joy in Christ, ever deepening commitment to follow Jesus
10JUN Jessi depart back to US; live in Richmond, VA, work in internship with underprivileged children
11JUN Mr M & Mr H—PRAY that both will meet w/ Stephen for husbands’ marriage small group today
12JUN PRAY we live & model: Love GOD, love our neighbor as self, make disciples of all nations
13JUN PRAY for us and you—an awareness of GOD’&s grace and power in our lives, look for it too!
14JUN emotional healing, spiritual correctness for Mrs. B, who lost her husband to cancer 1 year ago
15JUN SUN Our 23rd Wedding Anniversary!!! Praise and Thanks to GOD for 23 wonderful years!
16JUN spiritual protection, consistency for our ch plant believers while we are gone 3 SUN’s in Africa
17JUN arrive in Nairobi, Kenya at night. Meet up with Pastor Stan, wife Mindy, daughter Carly Blue.
18JUN Wed, Thur, Fri, Sat—Pastor’s Conf in Maasai Land. PRAY: GOD’s guidance, help, protection
19JUN PRAY we serve with the love, righteousness (rtsnss), guidance from Jesus by the Holy Spirit
20JUN PRAY GOD to teach us lessons He wants us to know; protection from illness, physical harm
21JUN may our new believers in Kobe be committed to daily Bible reading, prayer as we taught them
22JUN SUN we desire to serve in our assigned church in humility, passion, and love.
23JUN Rest. Possible sightsee’g. Final prep next Pastor’s Conf in Kawangware. PRAY: health, safety
THANK YOU for your partnership in our ministry. Love, Stephen, Satomi Jessi, and Jenni SAKAMOTO