A Missions Update from the May Family

Dear partners in prayer,

The summer heat here in Tokyo, besides keeping us hiding in the shade, seems to have brought out some wonderful fruit and new opportunities.

Nokendai Bible fellowship held a week’s Vacation Bible Study in August with the wonderful help of a team from a church in Seattle, Washington.  Those gifted folks designed, created and lead the program from beginning to end, partnering with members from Nokendai to impact the local community.  A new twist this year was a mothers’ study held close by while their children played and learned in the larger hall.  Two young teens showed some very real interest.  Please pray as we seek to follow up with them and their family.

Some of the fruit from LAST year’s VBS was evident in my privilege to baptize young Y-chan on the closing Sunday of this year’s program.  Although just 8 years old, Y-chan has a remarkably mature grasp of her own sin, her need for Christ’s saving grace and His lordship in her life.  Please remember her and her mother as they grow together in God’s grace.

Also, this past Sunday at Nokendai Fellowship, Mr. and Mrs. T.  joined us at the invitation of one of the members.   Their emotional burden was clear from the moment they walked in the door.  Their 18-year-old daughter struggles with anorexia and some deep emotional issues and is in a special treatment facility at the far end of the country.  The T’s have sought answers and hope in any number of religious groups and cults and came loaded with many, many questions.  I had a chance to share Christ’s hope with them and am praying they’ll be back this coming Sunday after reading some of what I gave them to read.  Please pray that they can find rest and hope in our one and only true Physician.

At Family Forum Japan we have experienced several miracles:

Following the devastating quake and tsunami in Tohoku we wanted to reach out to the families affected by such huge loss.  Through the amazing generosity of some of YOU we were able to see two small publications quickly produced and put into free distribution in the relief centers with the cooperation of the relief ministry CRASH.  Churches and other volunteer groups have gotten wind of the material and we can now hardly keep stocked!

Especially exciting!  We hoped to gain the funding and permission to air a special version of our “Family Talk” radio spot in the Tohoku region.   Well the Lord saw fit to inspire friends and supporters to give, and moved in the hearts of the powers-that-be to give us air time.  Starting on October 3 FFJ now has a 3-minute spot in the prime late-afternoon hour to share our Lord’s principles for the family to people throughout the area.  The spots will focus on the needs of families recovering from the devastation.  We will continue to need funding if this is to be an ongoing program.  Will you consider partnering in the effort?

Please pray for our radio announcer Koji Kaneko as he produces the special spots mentioned above on top of our regular broadcasting schedule.  In fact, in that regard, his listeners in Okinawahave been so adamant for MORE that the radio station there asked if he couldn’t extend the spot to a full 3 minutes from the 2 ½ they had allowed before.  It may not sound like much but changing gears to prepare and record that much extra is a lot of effort after being ‘in the groove’ for the shorter spot for several years.  But…it’s that much more time to share God’s hope for the family!!

Thank-you for partnering with us in prayer.  We continue to reach out to a country still reeling from the effects of the March disaster.  Along with that we find our monthly support that much tighter because of the historically low dollar to yen ratio.  Thank-you for remembering us!!

Gerald & Debbie May

Tokyo, Japan