I’m so blessed to be serving the Lord here in Nagoya, Japan. Even now when I drive to teach at the churches or sing at choir, I’m always amazed that I’m living on an island in the Pacific Ocean and sharing the Gospel with so many people. Ot’s overwhelming at times when I try to put it into perspective, but that’s why I just take one day at a time and try to share my love for Jesus with everyone I’m talking to.

Please pray for our Nagoya Advanced choir group. We have a mini concert coming up in December, and I’ll be sharing a solo part with another member. Pray for all of us to keep in good health, especially with colds and the flu spreading quite rampantly again.

I pray that wherever you live, the cold is not too bad yet. I know there’s some of the “white stuff” in Alberta, but I hope it doesn’t arrive in the Vancouver/Abbotsford area for another couple of months (at least).

The Japanadian

“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” ~2 Thessalonians 3:3

Welcome to fall…well, almost fall in Nagoya. The days are still usually warm, around 23-24, but the nights are much cooler now. There are many bus tours starting around Japan to go and see the changing colours of the fall leaves. Many people want to travel to see the beautiful colours in the mountain areas but don’t want to drive. Pray for the bus drivers and tour guides who have busy days ahead. 

At the end of September, I had a great time attending a Japanese baseball game at the Nagoya Dome with 3 students from one of the Fujigaoka Church classes. I have cheered for the Hanshin Tigers (an Osaka team) since I came to Japan and they were playing the local team, Chunichi Dragons. The ladies and I had a fun time, and if you’ve never been to a Japanese baseball game, I recommend you check it out online…the chanting, singing and cheering is sometimes quite deafening…lol…but so cool! 

Celebrating Thanksgiving weekend in Japan this year was very special. On Oct. 8th, I was chatted with Abe sensei and Yusue san at Komaki Hope Chapel. Abe sensei was the pastor there when I arrived in Japan back in 2006. It was great to hear his message and connect with this lovely couple once again. And on Monday, Oct. 9th I attended Thanksgiving dinner at Toyota church that was hosted by Phil & Lydia Hamm (former Japanese missionaries from Ontario). It was lovely to eat a wonderful meal with many church members, pastors and ESL workers. 

The verse I chose above is well-timed, as when you read this it will be close to Hallowe’en. God will protect us from the evil one, but there are so many in Japan who do not know God. Please pray for safety for those who are attending parties, gatherings and other events, especially in crowded areas. One year ago (on the 29th) there was a huge crowd crush in Seoul, South Korea that resulted in 129 deaths and 196 injured. This has led to larger cities utilizing crowd control this weekend and in the coming week. In Tokyo, they have asked ‘foreigners’ to stay away from the busy areas, as they are concerned for the safety of the locals in those areas. Please pray for people to respect these requests and to help ensure that Hallowe’en will be a safe one for everybody. And please pray for the young ones in Canada & the US who will be going out trick-or-treating on Oct. 31st. Pray for protection and safety for the children. 

I had Hallowe’en classes last week and everyone enjoyed the decorations, cookies and treats, as well as the games we played. It was a good opportunity to share about All Hallows Day and the history behind it. As well, the kids enjoyed making mobiles and 4 students helped me to bake cookies. It was a very busy, but fun, week, especially as I baked extra for the choir practices. 

Another way to engage students in learning English are class outings. They don’t occur too often, but this is the 2nd time I’ve taken a group of students to Costco for a shopping/English lesson. There were 12 students from 3 of the Fujiogaka classes that went with me on Oct. 19th. At Costco, Japan, most of the parking is done on the 2nd and 3rd levels, so there are escalators taking you up and down the levels. The wheels of the shopping carts are magnetized and stay in place. The group is just heading down into the store in the photo and the lady at the front, Kumi san, is my oldest student (89 years old!) It was her first time to Costco (along with 4 others who had never been before). We spent only 90 minutes shopping as I had to get back to teach afternoon classes, and we only covered about ½ the store! I had done this once before with 5 students from Komaki on my day off, and we spent 3 hours shopping and learning about everything in English. Lots of fun, but lots of confusion, especially when some students ‘disappear’ in the crowded store… 

As I close here are a few prayer & praise items: 

Prayer requests: 

• Please pray for Yuko san from the ESC class. She is battling cancer once again. Pray, too, for Masa san, Ken san, and others who have had health problems. Please lift these amazing people to the Lord in prayer, along with the other class members. 
• Pray for the movie times in November. We will be watching The Nativity Story (“Maria” in Japanese). Pray for the truth of Christmas to be understood in a new way as the students learn more about Mary & Joseph and the journey they had to make to Bethlehem for Jesus to come into our world as our Saviour! 
• Pray for my friend, Elvira, who recently suffered a stroke. Pray for continued healing & recovery. 

Praise items: 

• Praise the Lord for our weekly zoom prayer time for Japan. On Friday evening (Canada time) and Saturday morning (Japan time) a group of 4-10 people pray for Japan. It’s a blessing and joy to share with this group. If you would like more information about how to join us, please email me at . 
• Praise the Lord for Hildegard’s successful surgery, and please continue to pray for her recovery. 
• Praise God that with all the flu/Covid cases continuing to rise here in Japan, that the Lord is keeping me safe & healthy. Please pray I will continue to remain in good health, especially with the cold winter months coming. 

I pray that you and your families will keep healthy and safe as well. I saw some photos recently of Edmonton & Calgary with lots of snow…hard to believe when it’s still 24 during the day over here! And, as always, I’m so grateful for your prayers and support to help make this ministry in Japan a possibility for me. 

Blessings & love, 

Wendy