A cluster of homes in the town of Kanna
It has been several months since I wrote an entry in this “Gunma Harvest” journal. And it has been several years since we began to pray and visit some of the villages in the southwest part of Gunma.
During these years we have been able to visit almost every home in the villages of Uenomura, Kanna, and Nanmoku. We have become more familiar with the roads, landmarks, and even some of the apparent needs of the villages. Although we have made some friendships and had many conversations with people, there has been very little response to our visits and to the literature we have distributed. A connection with the Shimonita Church which adjoins the village of Nanmoku has been a wonderful blessing and we trust that our cooperation with them has in some way been an encouragement in their efforts.
Yet, as we return to Japan following our six months in the US we sense that it is a time for re-evaluating our prayers and efforts for Gunma Harvest. The need to reach out in these mountain villages remains the same, that much is certain. But what should our part be in these efforts? Our move to Tokyo to allow our children to attend the Christian Academy and switch into an English language curriculum has been an important and necessary change for us…but it has distanced us physically from Gunma and especially from the more remote areas that we are praying about.
Gunma Harvest has up until now included three basic areas:
- Studying and researching the various areas of Gunma where there is still very little witness for Jesus
- Praying in an organized fashion for these areas
- Attempting to network with others who may be interested in partnering and combining our resources in order to make initial steps into these more remote areas
The first two of these can obviously be done from anywhere….even from our new location in Tokyo. It is the third area that we are particularly thinking about.
Would you pray with us over these next few weeks and months as we talk with Pastor Kogure and Pastor and Mrs. Watanabe – our partners in this work? We are asking God to give special leading and indication as to how we are all to proceed. May our eyes and ears be open….
