Nara 
Brian & Sally Snider are A/G missionaries to Japan who were in Language School the same time Dennis was, back in 2987. For the past 3 years they have been pioneering a church on the outskirts of Nara City (although it is actually in Kyoto Prefecture).
They started in the living room of their home, simply meeting by themselves. Going was slow at first, but now 3 years later, they have a nucleus of believers who meet each week, and a full schedule of English/Bible classes.
Their term is up now and on May 8th they headed home for their Deputational Cycle.
They have entrusted their small group of believers to us for the next year while they raise their support and visit their supporting churches.
We will no doubt spend much of the month of May just getting settled. Then in June, we will have several MAPS Workers coming to help us in the work. While they are here, we will be plenty busy.
Dennis is still involved in the outreach to
Kobe, and has also been elected the secretary of our mission for
the year. JonJulienne will be busy teaching English and cooking
classes, not to mention being full time mom to 3 kids under the
age of 5!
In March we made a trip up to the Northern most prefecture of the Main Island. We visited some friends at Misawa Air Force Base, and also some friends who are pastoring in the city of Aomori. A few weeks before we got there they lost a baby, their first. As we had experienced the same thing, we felt it was the Lord who allowed us to go and minister to them at perhaps their darkest hour. We had a blessed time of fellowship, and our children especially seemed to minister healing to their wounds.
We had also been praying about where the Lord would have us to minister after Nara. We had always thought it was going to be Niigata, but, after being turned away by the spirit once, we weren't so sure. The Northern area of Japan is very needy, so we had considered going there.
After visiting Aomori, we swung down through Niigata, and spent the weekend with the Tsuchiya's. We ministered in their church on Sunday morning, and then in the afternoon, we were asked to do a short seminar on raising children .
We had a blessed time, with both the Shibuya's in Aomori, and the Tsuchiya's in Niigata. After spending much time in prayer, JonJulienne & I both felt certain that we were still to head towards Niigata (Shibata City).
We have been given permission
to build a mission home there, so do pray for God's guidance as
to specific location! In Japan, location can mean a lot towards
the starting of a church! We are excited about the opportunities
there, and are once again setting our long term goals on Niigata.
We will be laboring for the next year or so in Nara, but after
that, we will set our sights NORTH ... to Niigata! Do continue
to pray for the Tsuchiya's and the church in Niigata. They have
been blessed with good growth, and now find themselves in need
of a new church building.
I've got enough of 'em to know (it only takes one) that when opportunity knocks and you've got a chance to score you'd better take it. I was on the phone with a Doctor the other day who told me that my sister Linda (Peters/Bridges) acts like only about 1% of the population. I couldn't help but respond that I'd been saying that for years, but nobody'd listen to me!
Seriously though, pray for Linda. We just recently found out that she has Acute Leukemia, and is undergoing treatment in San Francisco. They have as yet to find a donor who's tissue typing is the same as hers, and as a result, she has been in extreme danger more than once. They don't usually have that hard of a time finding a match. She's a special case!
I have been tested here in Japan, and was ready
to catch a plane home to give her some of my blood/bone marrow.
After being tested though, I turned out not to be a match as well.
She went back in for more Chemo-Therapy on May 22nd. This bout
should last a month or so. Pray for God's special touch of Grace.
The next time she goes in for treatment it will be for a bone
marrow transplant.
Starting the 2nd week of April we were living and ministering near the city of Wakayama. We were filling in for the Welches who are Stateside waiting for their visa's to come in and trying to raise the last of their much needed support. We have thoroughly enjoyed the people. There is a nice back yard for the kids to play in. There is a Toys are Us nearby, and a Shakey's Pizza place where you can get all the squid and corn pizza your little OLE heart desires.
Except for our first Sunday we have had new people in most every service. Some were in Church for the first time ever! Just this past Wednesday night one of the believers who is a nurse brought one of the patients from her hospital to the church. He was very open to the Lord, and took a real step towards salvation. PTL!
Pastor Tsuchiya was here visiting from Niigata, so it was really perfect timing. He was able to point the man to a loving Christ. We were so glad he was here. Not that we could not do the same, but, no one speaks Japanese better than the Japanese!
During the months of May and June we will be taking care of the Welches two works, one in & one near Wakayama. But we will be living in Nara and pastoring the Nara church at the same time. Besides this, Dennis is busy with the outreach to Kobe. Plus somewhere in there we've got to find time to take showers, pay bills, feed the turtle, etc.
We are also hoping to find a plot of land to look at by mid June. This is in regards to Niigata Ken, Shibata City of course, and will entail a trip to Niigata to see the plot of land! Needless to say, we are looking forward to the Welches return, so we can settle in to Nara totally. Pray for the Welches, that they will be able to raise the rest of their support quickly. Pray also for them as they return to a very busy schedule there in Wakayama. They have a new little baby girl, and two churches to look after. They will need strength from the Lord to be sure!
Did you know...
I have been asked quite a few questions recently indicating to me that many of you who have been faithful to support us, don't really know just how our system works.
When I first became a missionary DFM told me that I would need to raise almost $6000 a month in support in order to live and minister in Japan.. Don't worry, that's not all salary!
Japan is perhaps the most expensive place in the world to live. But, beyond just living here, we are ministering here as well. Starting churches! Traveling and Speaking! Tract Distribution! We teach classes and do team outreaches. We constantly open our home to visitors, and also have services in our home.
Our base US$ salary is around $1500 a month, plus housing. So, as you can see we are well taken care of. This amount goes up while we are in Japan, because the cost of living is so expensive here. In fact the most recent report I heard was that the cost of Living in Japan was more than 4 times that of the USA. That's one reason why our budget is so high.
We have learned to look for good deals however, and even after cutting our salary, are still doing quite well living on less. Our personal philosophy is that God has called us to Japan, not to a salary.
. . . . So, how did we get "in the red?"!
If we are able to raise in pledges all the support they say we need (which we did) most of our budget will be "Underwritten." That is, even if our support doesn't come in as promised, we will receive it. In other words, even if the money is not in our account at DFM, they will front the money so that we can pay bills.
DFM is like a clearing house for the money that you send to us. They do not pay our salary, you do. They do not have money just floating around waiting for someplace to go. They only have what people send to them, and most of that is designated to go to Missionaries like us. However, because the A/G has such a large missions organization, they are able to cover accounts like mine, should my support fall off.
Basically, this is like a short term loan. But, just like a loan, this is a debit, and must be paid back! Keep in mind the fact that, I am not allowed as an A/G missionary to pick up a second job to make ends meet. When I go into the red the only way to get out of the red, and pay off this debt is for one of two things to happen. Either the amount of money going into my account has to increase, or the amount going out has to decrease. You have been responding beautifully to the "in go", and we are doing our best to slow the "out go!" Together I believe we can kill this giant.
Let me just take this moment to update you on our situation. It hasn't changed much since our last newsletter. We're still about $8000 in the red. It may sound strange, but, this is an encouraging sign for me. Mainly because there were a number of expenses that could have made the debt much greater. But, you have been faithful, and I believe we will be able to dig our way out. We realize it's a long process, but We're willing to work as long as is necessary!
We can't tell you enough how grateful we are to each person and church who give of themselves to help us to obey God's calling! For those who wish to give, any donations should be sent to our name and account #2902351 at: Division of Foreign Missions, 1445 Boonville Ave. Springfield, MO 65802.
Missionary Associate Placement
Service is what it's called
. . . I think. This summer they are sending us 4 summer helpers.
Boy are we excited. Do pray for them . . . after all, they do
have to live with us! Their names are: Jill Wright, Vivian
Blakeney, Mary Ellen Stewart, and Ron Reed! They will each
be coming at different times, and staying for between 6 weeks
and 3 months. Then, starting in August, we will be having Jenny
McLean come to help us for one year! PTL!
! EARTHQUAKE !
!UPDATE!
I hadn't been in to see Kobe for several weeks when I went the other day with a group of Bible School students from Northwest Bible College. I wondered just what I would see. Is it all cleaned up? Are all the refugee's tent camps gone, replaced with temporary housing? How about all the bridges that were broken up, freeways, train tracks, etc.? After not seeing the devastation for several weeks, I was struck anew with the terribleness of this disaster. The city is quickly tearing away the rubble, and trying to return to normal. But, there are still hundreds and thousands of homes that stand (or should I say sit?!), still waiting for their turn. Yet, it seems just about every dump truck in the country is in Kobe helping with the clean up. Thousands of trucks line up for miles waiting most of the day for their turn to dump their load of stone, cement, wood, and tile from the buildings that are being torn down. There are still sections of the freeway and train tracks that do not exist anymore. Drive around very much and you will still see people living in tents. There is no place for storage, so many have put their things under tarps.
Thanx largely to Rev. Bob Houlihan, our Asia Pacific Field Director, a number of temporary housing units have been provided for the refugees by the Assemblies of God. By the time you get this letter, we will have had a MAPS Construction team come and help us with the initial construction of several of these homes. Hopefully in our next newsletter we'll have more to say about this. This summer the Assemblies of God young people will also be passing out ten's of thousands of tracts in the city of Kobe.
I would plead with you not to forget
the needy ones here in Japan. For those living in the big middle
of it, there is not escaping the daily reminders of one of the
worst shakers in Japan's long history of earthquakes!
Please Pray for:
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