Junker Japan http://www.junkerjapan.org Mon, 13 May 2013 15:30:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 December Ejots: Junker updates for December, 2011 http://www.junkerjapan.org/blog/2011/12/01/112/ http://www.junkerjapan.org/blog/2011/12/01/112/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:34:46 +0000 jonjunker http://www.junkerjapan.org/?p=112 Dear Friends and Family,
Just 25 more days until Christmas!! We appreciate your prayers for the many outreach efforts here and around the world during this wonderful season!
PRAYER REQUESTS/UPDATES…
1. ABUNDANT LIFE CHURCH… Please continue to pray for the future of this church! We have invested the better part of our last 4 years here building into the believers, trying to 1. equip the saints to do the work of the ministry, and 2. raise up a desire among them for “God's Kingdom to come and God's will to be done” in the church. We still see great potential and great opposition (in a few people). We especially covet your prayers for the church during the year we are on home assignment (from August). ALC has decided to formally ask David and Naho to come, but Dave and Naho are feeling like God wants them to stay longer in Shikoku. God's will be done.
2. CHRISTMAS OUTREACH… both churches have events for families and children planned. Other plans:  caroling at a local hospital, “Matsumoto Christmas” (run by believers, but not church-connected), and many individual acts of love and attempts to share the real meaning of Christmas to people here. Please pray for lasting fruit from all of these efforts.  May the seeds planted at Christmas not be lost in the traditions of New Year's!
3. HOUSE-SITTERS… We are thankful for 2 families seriously considering this important need. Please pray for clear direction and financial provision– we would love for both to come, in some capacity!
4. <span style="col

or: #333399″>LOVE SONATA…Last month the area Korean churches (with Onnuri Church in Korea) put on a very professional, spectacular 2-day program of seminars and concerts in Nagano City. Several from ALC went and had a great time! Great fellowship before and after, and they were greatly encouraged during the concert. There were many professions of faith made– please pray they would “stick”.
5. TOUHOKU EARTHQUAKE…Mr. Koiwai has taken a small team to help in Kamaishi again. He took about 50 scarves and socks, lovingly hand-knitted (some store-bought) by ladies in the church. A hand-made card with the Footprints poem and a Bible verse was also included in each package. Please continue to pray, especially as winter is setting in again and many are still in temporary shelters and housing with inadequate heating.
6. PETER… He is preparing for baptism on New Year's day. Pray for his spiritual growth and that he would grow in his desire to read God's Word and follow from his heart. Also remember his Japanese teacher, Ms. Hattori. She will be on sick leave until the end of December, but she probably will not be coming back to the class. Thinking about the class makes her start sobbing uncontrollably. This is not from anything out of the ordinary about the class, but just her own overwhelming feelings of stress.
BIBLE JOT…
“…Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.” 2 Chronicles 20:20b.
Thank you for your love, prayer, and support for us and Japan! Merry Christmas!!
Love,
The Junkers

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]]> http://www.junkerjapan.org/blog/2011/11/12/worship-tea/feed/ 28 November Ejots: Junker update for November, 2011 http://www.junkerjapan.org/blog/2011/11/01/november-ejots-junker-update-for-november-2011/ http://www.junkerjapan.org/blog/2011/11/01/november-ejots-junker-update-for-november-2011/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:32:26 +0000 jonjunker http://www.junkerjapan.org/?p=107 (Jon and Tammy Junker are church-planters with TEAM in Japan)
Dear Family and Friends,
We trust this letter finds you enjoying the beauty of fall all around. Yes, even dying leaves are a reminder of God’s goodness and sovereignty… Thank you so much for your prayers for October! Jon’s and the church kids’ time in St. Louis was GREAT!! The kids that went all have reverse home-sickness! Tammy and the boys also survived well in Daddy’s absence!
PRAYER REQUESTS/UPDATES:
1. LOVE SONATA… This is new to ejots! A group of Korean churches is using concerts to reach Japanese unbelievers. Right now Korean pop groups and t.v. dramas are very popular here, and Love Sonata is making the most of this popularity for God’s kingdom by having some famous Christian Korean celebrities perform at a concert this month. Please pray these efforts would not only be used to lead many pre-believers closer to Jesus, but also that the Japanese churches would become more involved and work together with each other more as a result.
2. PETER’S TEACHER… Miss H. has experienced either depression or a nervous breakdown, which will cause her to take a leave of absence from school at least until January, and maybe even longer or permanently. Please pray for her healing and that we could encourage her during this time. We aren’t sure if we can contact her at this point. Also please pray for a replacement teacher that would be a good fit for this extra active class of 34 3rd graders! The main substitute teacher there now is not very understanding and says verbally hurtful things to the kids. Not a good situation…
3. ALC (Abundant Life Church)… The first choice of the church seems to be to ask Dave and Naho to come when we leave. Please pray for clear guidance for Dave and Naho as to whether this truly is the direction God wants them to go at this time. Also pray the church would desire to continue growing (from passive learning on Sunday with not much fellowship and no outreach to the Christ-centered family God wants them to be, reaching out to the community).
4. HOUSE-SITTER need… Please keep praying with us for someone to stay in our home while we are on home assignment. Finances (support and job here) are the main challenge.
5. AFC (Azumino Family Chapel)… Just as marriages are often strained by financial difficulties, AFC, with a need for roof repairs, among other things, is experiencing some tension. Please pray the believers would grow in trusting God and respectfully submitting to the pastor, Mr. Koiwai. The laid-back, loving qualities of the church make some believers forget that Mr. Koiwai is their God-ordained pastor, and some are letting a critical spirit towards him seep in as he fails to meet certain expectations.
6. TOUHOKU… Mr. Koiwai is planning to go back in a couple of weeks. Please do not let the tragedy (tsunamis and nuclear reactor problems) slip from your memory! There is so much devastation still in need of help– physical and emotional.
BIBLE JOT:
And he (Jesus) said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot
Thank you for your love and support, and for standing with us in prayer!
Love,
The Junkers

]]> http://www.junkerjapan.org/blog/2011/11/01/november-ejots-junker-update-for-november-2011/feed/ 515 October EJots: Junker update for October, 2011 http://www.junkerjapan.org/blog/2011/10/30/october-ejots-junker-update-for-october-2011/ http://www.junkerjapan.org/blog/2011/10/30/october-ejots-junker-update-for-october-2011/#comments Sun, 30 Oct 2011 07:25:01 +0000 jonjunker http://www.junkerjapan.org/?p=102

Dear Friends and Family,

 Following the last typhoon, the weather in Japan has gotten much colder!  May our passion and love for the Lord be all the warmer, regardless of the weather!

PRAISES/REQUESTS…

1. Jon in ST. LOUIS from 9/28-10/04… A supporting church that has been partnering with us over the past several years will be hosting 5 boys and 1 girl from Azumino Family Chapel for 2 weeks. Jon will take them over and stay with them for the first week, and Satsuki san will bring them back. Please pray the kids would really grow spiritually during this short home-stay experience, and pray the American church would also be encouraged and blessed through it.

2. ERIC and RACHEL engaged!! Two young friends who've been helping with the churches here while teaching English at Japanese schools, are now officially engaged. We actually prayed for their relationship before they even met each other!

3. ABUNDANT LIFE CHURCH (ALC)… We continue to sense the Holy Spirit working in building unity and a loving community with Christ at the center. Some September events that really encouraged that were: a worship seminar, family church camp (with Azumino Family Chapel), another karaoke outing, and a knitting time (see #5). The church members are participating more joyfully in church and events. Two pre-believing husbands have also recently been very open to church and God's word– more evidence of the change God is working!

4. FUTURE of ALC… We plan to go to the States for a 1-year home assignment from August of next year. The church is in the process of deciding if they want to continue in the same direction, or not. Please pray for wisdom, sensitivity to God's leading, and clear direction. Calling Jon's brother is one remote possibility. Asking a lay-leader in the area to help out full-time is another possibility. Please also pray for clear direction for us. We could work with the same church or another struggling church in the area, or start a church in a new area when we come back. Also please pray for the Kids' Bible Time and Ladies' Bible Time. Tammy has been leading these ministries, and so far there has been no interest among the church members to help out, let alone carry these on after we leave.

5. NEXT YEAR…We need someone to stay in our home for the year we are on home assignment. Please pray for God's provision of the right family (one family is prayerfully considering) and all the provision for that family to come.

6. TOUHOKU (Northeastern Japan)… Jon had a very good, physically tiring few days volunteering. His knees and shoulders felt much pain, but he enjoyed being able to make a difference in one family's life and encourage a small church in Iwate. Our church ladies are knitting warm scarves to take to TOUHOKU as a Christmas present. The area is very cold in the winter, and many are still in shelters and temporary housing, which is not very well insulated. Clothing stores are still not open in that area. We plan to send tracts or Christian magazines along with the scarves. Please pray these gifts would be a real encouragement and that many who are spiritually hungry would sense God's love and be led to Jesus.

7. FAMILY… We continually need prayers for the spiritual growth and education of our kids. We sense great spiritual and physical battles that keep us humble and praying. Just a few weeks ago, both boys were very hurt by what kids in school said to them, and both wanted to quit. Talks with the teachers and other students were very helpful, and they are doing better, but please do pray for Jon Luc and Peter! Also pray for our parenting and homeschool!

BIBLE JOT:  God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

   Glory to God in the church!

   Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!

   Glory down all the generations!

   Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes! (Ephesians 3:21-22 The Message Bible)

Thank you for working together with us through support and prayers!

Love,

The Junkers

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