Go and Danielle Oishi Prayer Letter: Nine First-Time Visitors on Our First Resurrection Sunday!

Praise the Lord! He is risen and is still alive and well today! On top of that, we are thrilled to report to you that He is still at work in Japan, as God’s outpouring of blessings have not stopped since they began back in December!

The first half of this month was focused on preparing for our two special outreach services that were planned for March 24 and 31, Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday respectively. As we have found that special events are one of the best ways to both grow and reach people in Japan, we decided to hold Palm Sunday services also as just another opportunity to lift up Christ as our King! During that time, one of our faithful men, who has not missed a week since he came as our church’s first visitor, offered one of his buildings to use for our Resurrection Sunday. We immediately began preparing that venue, which comfortably seats 20 people, doubling the capacity of our current meeting space. On March 9 and 16, he joined us for our Saturday afternoon soul-winning as our first outside participant, and on March 30, his two teenage sons joined with him! With their attendance, both our Wednesday evening prayer services and Saturday church work day now have regular attendees. Praise the Lord for the growth of those God has brought to our church in our first months!

In the midst of all of the work and preparation, God has given us many opportunities to fellowship with friends, as well as to meet new people. On March 1, we had the privilege of enjoying a meal with Bro. and Mrs. Mansell, our missionary friends pastoring in the city of Teshio in the Hokkaido Prefecture. They were passing by the nearby airport on their way to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. We are thankful for faithful examples like them. On March 6, one of the unsaved men who comes to our church weekly brought another one of his friends to introduce her to our church! Please pray that God would continue to open doors like these, not only to meet but also to form deeper relationships with these unsaved souls that God might allow us to win them to Christ! We received news on March 8 that Bro. and Mrs. Madrigal, one of the missionary families to Japan whom we have been helping with immigration paperwork and procedures, received the more secure visa that we have been praying and working for! We have been helping them with this since before our move to Kisarazu, so this was a huge victory and encouragement to all of us. On March 25, we were able to visit the rest of my family living in Japan, some who are still not saved, to reconnect with them. Thank you for praying for my extended family here; pray that God would allow us to make an impact in their lives also!

March 24 was our Palm Sunday services, where much emphasis was placed on proper Biblical praise and worship. We asked everyone to bring their instruments, as we took an extended amount of time praising Him in song! The service was only attended by those who have come before, but it became a wonderful opportunity to teach our regular attendees the kind of worship that glorifies and uplifts God rather than ourselves! On March 31, God gave us 9 first-time visitors on our Resurrection Sunday services, including a local unsaved man, a saved family of 6 on vacation from Hong Kong, and a local unsaved Japanese man and his saved wife. We are also thankful for all of our regular attendees for serving in some way in both services. Though no public decisions were made that day, the last couple we mentioned especially expressed their desire to continue coming to our church. Thank you for your part in the miracles that God is doing here in Japan!

Danielle’s Journey

The weather has been getting warmer in Japan, and God gave us beautiful weather for the two events held by our church this month. Resurrection Sunday was especially exciting. We had many visitors, including a Christian lady and her husband! As they left, they said that they plan to come back next week as well! This is a direct answer to prayer, as I have been praying for the opportunity to minister to more ladies through our ministry. The unsaved Japanese man, who has been coming since Christmas, introduced us to another lady who lives in the area as well. This was another answer to that prayer, and though it was only an introduction, we would love to see her return for a church service and learn more of God’s love for her. I would also like to ask you to pray for the lady who accepted Christ on Christmas Day. Though we have been able to keep in touch through texting, she has not been able to attend or meet with us in person due to opposition from her family, which is very common in Japan and also usually much more severe than what we often see in the States. Thank you so much for remembering to keep us in your prayers, as it means so much to us.

Your friends and co-laborers to Japan,

Go and Danielle Oishi