Photo above: two answers to prayer – volunteer workers in our kitchen at the Akagi Bible Camp this summer! Our niece, Stephanie Linquist came to visit us from the Chicago area for a month this summer and helped at two of our camps. Hannah, daughter of Kyoung Ho and Joy Park (Korean missionaries serving with our Shin-Akitsu Covenant Church), helped us (along with her parents!) at several of our camps.

Dear friends,

It has now been almost 2 months since you’ve heard from us. It has been a pretty wild ride for us this summer but we want to give testimony to God’s goodness and protection through what has been a fairly busy schedule. Thank you for your continuing prayer work on our behalf and for the encouraging words that many of you have sent our way.

A BRIEF REPORT:

First of all, thanks for continuing to pray about the big picture here in much of Japan – the rebuilding efforts in the Tohoku area following the disaster of 3.11.  Of course, we are aware that news of disaster has continued… tornadoes, drought, extensive fires in much of the US followed by vast flooding and destruction from the ironically named hurricane “Irene”. On our side of the ocean much of western Japan is now trying to pick up the pieces from Typhoon #12 (we don’t bother to name them here….) a storm that brought 1.8 METERS of rain (that’s 70 inches folks!) to parts of west central Japan in a period of 4 days. It’s easy to go numb as we turn off the news but we pray that God will continue to make us sensitive to where we can plug in. We have not traveled to northern Japan at all in August but hope to re-connect with various relief efforts in the months ahead.

Andrea had a great trip back to the States on July 21 – August 2. Her studies (beginning a two-year course in spiritual direction) were evidently interesting and challenging. For a brief “blip” from Andrea on her trip and re-entry to August ministry here in Japan check out her blog post.

Finally, thanks for praying about our work at the Akagi Bible Camp this summer. Andrea headed up the kitchen for 5 different camps / groups that used the facility in August. We had asked for special prayer about volunteers and folks to help us – especially in the kitchen – and God really answered those prayers in amazing ways. To get a little flavor of ABC you might want to watch a video clip from the elementary camp that was held on July 25-28.

PRAYER CONCERNS

1. We continue to cherish your prayers for the relief work continuing in northern Japan. Please pray for effectiveness and unity among Christians as they reach out in Jesus’ name.
2. Please pray for Andrea as she starts up another term at the Gunma Women’s Prefectural University in October. She will be teaching 5 classes (all on Wednesday and Thursday). Please pray that God would use each and every relationship that Andrea has in that university setting.
3. Tim is serving each month at three different churches: at our Shibukawa Church on the second Sunday of the month, at our Isesaki Church on the fourth and fifth Sundays, and he is leading the music at KBF (Kurume Bible Fellowship), an international church here in Tokyo on the first and third Sundays. Andrea also splits her Sundays between Tokyo and Gunma. While it may sound a bit frenetic we are actually finding a rather interesting rhythm in this schedule and are rejoicing in both the variety and challenges that it represents.  Thanks for your prayers as we prepare sermons and music.
4. And thanks for so faithfully remembering our children in your prayers. Sam, Lilla and Sky are all doing well at CAJ (Christian Academy in Japan) having just started 10th grade, 8th grade and 4th grade respectively.

We look forward to sharing more news on a number of fronts in our October prayer bulletin…

Your partners in prayer and mission,

Tim & Andrea Johnson

Sam, Lilla & Sky