Support Linda with $40 to get to Japan!

Dear my loved ones, since last year I prayed for my calling, God has put me a heart for Japan, and He has directed me for campus ministry in Japan, after long steps of application, amazingly I got accepted in Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University with 80% of scholarship. In there I will study sociology (Asia Pacific Studies). This university has numbers of variety nations, its like mini earth, and I believe I can do something that I can make contributions to society & be an impact to the nations.

There’s another challenge as well, at this moment, there’s a few payment that I have to pay approximately $ 4574 in US dollars, for dormitory and Admission fee stuff. But I’m trusting God for His provision.
As you may know, the deadline is in November 30, 2009, but I prayed and after that I got deadline extension for the payment, until December 10, 2009, but God exercised my faith and until this day, because of God’s favor, the university still extend my deadline. That’s why I need to finish the payment as soon as possible, very very soon. Because the university can’t apply for my visa if the payment not yet has been made, and the college student visa application can take quite few months. And the term starts in April 2010.

I need your prayers support, and if you feel that God wants you to give, You can support me in just $ 40.
Ways you could give:
- Deposit into my BCA bank account either online or at your local bank (message me back for these specific details).
- Cash
- Cheque - made out to "Amelinda Lauren" or western union.

It's a bit scary, but also exciting - knowing that the only option I have is to do what I can and trust God to bring breakthrough, but then I ask God for his perspective. At the end of the day, he IS God, and he DID speak for me to walk this path - so I can trust (haha with you all as my witness) that he will make a way. If you are able to help me out with any of the above - it would be a huge blessing as I do need all of it!
I will keep you updated.
God bless you.
Much love,
Linda Lauren.
linda-lauren@hotmail.com

God loves Japanese…He created them in His own image, too.

During my Basic Bible Course, I became interested in missions as I always heard about unreach people group in our country especially the tribal group. When I turned to freshman, I took up missions major because I wanted to reach out people whose in their lives never heard the Gospel yet. After I finished my study, God led me to a Church where I met native people that belong to AITA tribe in Northwest Luzon. That was a great start, a taste of what I longed for! On the other hand, God exposed me to another group of people, the Japanese young people. It was my first time I met Japanese, and they were quite a lot, a number of twenty to thirty-one young people each batch four times a year.


In the beginning, my attitude was so indifferent towards them because I learned that they are not Christians. The first thing that came up to my mind was that what was going on in there, why those Japanese non-Christians were there? Why unbelievers and not believers who are passionate in helping our orphans. In addition to this, I didn’t really like Japanese people because of what they did in World War II. A lot of Filipinos were being killed by the Japanese soldiers and many Filipinas were being raped. Plus the fact that there are a lot of Filipina entertainers today in Japan are experiencing hard time with Japanese.


But God answered me and spoke to me by means of how they behaved and how they worked along with us. As I got to work with them, I learned that they feel sorry about what Japanese soldiers did to our countrymen in World War II that’s why their organization in Japan sent them here as an act of restitution to what their countrymen did to us. As I observed them how they do their work, I learned that they are hard working people even in their young age. They are well discipline, enthusiastic, cheerful, and friendly; they love kids. As I talked with them, I learned that they are loyal and law avider. These facts gave me a second thought about them. I remember what the Bible says about the fruits of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22, 23. Their characters and attitudes are somehow manifesting the fruits of the Holy Spirit, but the thing is that they are not Christians. Many of them don’t even know that there is a living God who created everything on earth and up in heaven. I also learned that many of them don’t even embrace their own religion, and more than 99% of Japanese people are not Christians and to many the Gospel is unheard.


As a response to that personal encounter with God and with them, I wrote a song for those Japanese work-campers as a token of appreciation for their hard work and raising funds for our orphans. I entitled it “MORE PRECIOUS ONE”. From then on, I started praying for them that God would send missionaries to Japan so that they may know that there is God who loves them and died on a cross and rose again from the dead in the third day that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.


With this encounter, I can strongly say that God loves Japanese people and He created them in His own image, too. He wants them to know Him as their personal Savior and Lord.

It is sad to know that only few Christian missionaries today are interested to go to Japan to reach out Japanese people. I read an article from OMF Japan published in 2007 that many Pastors left their pastoral offices due to lack of support from Christian congregations. I also heard some rumors that even foreign missionaries were being sidetracked by earning money rather than building the Kingdom of God in that place. I don’t know how true it is, but if it is true, I feel very sorry before God for them. A missionary in the Church said, Japanese people are hard people for the Gospel because they are rich and wealthy and they don’t need God. It must be true in some point, but I do believe that Japanese people are just the same like other people elsewhere around the world.


God has given me opportunity to travel to at least fourteen countries during my time on board ship the MV DOULOS. As we traveled from port to port and country to country, we shared the Gospel to different level of society or you may call it different level of lifestyle. But then, there is one thing in common around the world, and that is all people possessed sinful nature, and spiritually dead.


The Bible says in Ephesians 2:1-5, as for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. NIV


Being spiritually dead, how can a person respond to the Gospel? Is a dead man can hear, can feel, can see, can smell the fragrance, and can taste the good life that God has prepared for him? Not at all, unless he receives the breath of life that comes out from God, the only source of life John 1:1-3. That’s why Apostle Paul wrote to Roman believers this message, how, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" NIV


In closing, I would like to reiterate what I have already said. God loves Japanese people. He created them in His own image, too. He wants them to know Him and come to Him in faith with repentant heart, acknowledging Him that He is the source of life and everything in this world, and they were created by Him and for Him just like how He exactly created us and saved us.


I also believe that He wants them to use for the furtherance of His Kingdom in the future. But how then can they come to the Lord? The answer for this question is our task. If we consider that we are God’s people saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, then, we can pray, we can get involved, and we can support by any God given means to those who are doing missions in Japan.


I still have a lot of things to write about this topic, but this is all for now.



Romulo Adriano/romyadriano.blogspot.com


Thank you for your Prayers!

Thank you for praying with me. God hears our prayers. Our God is really amazing and mighty in power. He can do whatever He wants to do and however He wants to do for His glory. My father is now getting well although he still taking medicines. Last Thursday as I was going back to Quezon City where I stay, I couldn’t stop praising Him. He got wound on his right ankle and arthritis on his left foot, but praise God he can walk now.

I went there early in the morning to see my father, but unfortunately I didn’t catch him in his house because he went to hardware to buy some stuff for his house. I went to cemetery and clean up the tomb of my mother. It was great, I got some friends who helped me clean up and paint the tomb. In four hours, the work was done. Praise God for that!

After the work got done in cemetery, I went to my father’s house. There I ate lunch and it was awesome, they prepare one of my favorite dishes. We call it TINOLA a native Filipino dish with native chicken; it was so nice, tasty and healthy food with soup and vegetable in it. After eating, I talked to him and learned what ailment he is suffering with. I had an ointment in my bag for back pain and arthritis; I gave it to him and gave some tips on how he will get quick healing.

I was trying to talk with all my brothers and sisters who are living nearby my father’s house, but unfortunately some of them were not around. I thank God because I learned that they are doing well. I was so anxious about them lately, thinking about how they survive in this life, but what a great relief last Thursday when I saw and heard what God is doing in their lives. God is faithful and marvelous in power. It has been my prayer that God would bless them especially my father because he is already old and doesn’t have much resources. Praise God and glory be to Him because He hears our prayers. He spared them from typhoon and floods and He is providing their needs. Now, I am more confident to face the challenge in life especially to pursue His calling to me.


You know, it’s quite hard to move forward when you are anxious about your family. It’s been an old issue even in the Old Testament and many times in mission enterprises all over the world, but I thank God for the prayers of the saints because your prayers really makes stand still for God and His calling. This is all for now. Thank you so much all of you!


Romulo Nov 3, 2009

Linda's studies in Ritsumeikan University

Hi my beloved ones, as maybe all of you knowing that I’m applying to Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan.


And you know what? I’M ACCEPTED !!! And I got 80 % scholarship from university (tuition reduction). This is a blessing from God, I’m very grateful for this.


I started preparing my application since last year 2008, and it’s all been through all prayers, fasting and struggling coz I’m facing so many challenge that leads me step by step and all of this increases my faith tremendously.


Amazingly, my God has been so faithful to me from the start, I’m so overwhelmed knowing that he always with me in every step that I take. After all this time I’ve been praying seriously for this, I prayed for visions, dreams, anything that He wants me to do in my life. I know I was prepared to do big things, and from that moment, God puts vision about going to Japan, at first I was “what God?” I just felt that God wants to use me there in to serve people in Japan.

Well, I fancies things from Japan like the music, food, culture, and stuff, but I never have an idea or even thinking about going there at all. And suddenly I become scared; whoa God is this really from you? I’m started to ask for confirmation and signs, because I’m thinking, this is a big deal for me to go for this application, and I know all this things could be complicated.

As I pray for that, surely, God hears my petition, He answered my prayer, even my ministry friend have vision from God, and there’s came this missionary, I don’t even know this person, but she started to talk to me and said stuff that is related to my calling. And the more God answered my prayer, I came to this feeling to go for it.


At first I’m thinking of applying to YWAM (youth with a mission) Tokyo, Japan, and I even already filled the application letter and is about to send it, but in the last minute, no peace at all. And I prayed more, “God what do you want? I never thinking of going to college there, you told me to do ministry there right?” in the end, for me, ministry is not just studying bible or go to the slum. But I can also serve society through my knowledge. Then one day I felt to go to education fair and here’s I found Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. There I want to study sociology (asia pacific studies).


To make long story short, I’m applying there, with so many challenge, I have to study for TOEFL test, pursuing my teachers at my high school for letter of recommendation, application essays, scholarship essays, very complicated transcript from school, and so on. In every aspect from that application almost make me crazy. Because typically I never fight for something before, I believe if this is not from God, this application will never be finished.


At this time I need your support, please pray for me, for God’s provision, because in less than a month, before 30th November 2009, I still need to finish the payment for admission. Here are the details: Admission fee: $ 1482, Tuition for 1st semester: $ 782, Dormitory fee: $ 2312. The total: $ 4574. I believe for what God has started, He’s also the one who’re going to provide me. He’s been faithful for me from the beginning, the author and finisher of my faith. Once again thanks for supporting me. I will keep you updated.


Love,

Linda Lauren Nov 6, 2009
linda-lauren@hotmail.com

My father is badly sick, please PRAY!

Hi everyone,

I would like to ask each of you to uphold my father in your prayer.

Last night I phoned my sister and she told me that my father is badly sick.
I am going home this Thursday to visit him and my mother's tomb.
I am not really sure if he had already accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord. I heard that he once already prayed
the prayer of acceptance, but I could not see strong manifestation in his life that he follows Jesus. He is a very good sympathizer though.
Pray also for provision, he is already old man.
Pray also for me, I am doing self study and I need to buy some books.

Thank you for praying with me!

In His service,

Romulo

Romy needs your prayers!

Hello Everyone,

Today I received a response email from Tokyo Christian University for my application for studies.
Please pray for me for wisdom. If God will grant me this opportunity, this study will take four more long years. But the good thing in this, this will be a great chance to learn Japanese language and cultures plus I will have a lot of time to personally share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Japanese people. The deadline for the submission of application form will be on February 1, 2010.

Thank you for praying for me.

Faithfully serving Him,

Roomulo

JCF Tokyo



Hi. For those of you just about to arrive in Japan or who live close enough to Tokyo to join us, I thought I'd let you know that there will be morning prayer in one of the rooms at orientation (Abidemi has the name of the room or you can ask at the AJET secretariat) on the Mon., Tues. and Wed. mornings of both orientation A and B and JCF night out will happen after the welcome dinner both Mon. nights and around dinner time both Tues. nights. For those, we'll meet in the lobby (maybe near the bottom of the escalators or by the cloak check) and then go from there (prob'ly to Shinjuku i-land patio because it's close, so it's harder to get lost. If you're not sure how to find us, you can call my keitai at 090-4175-8038. God bless.
Deb R.

CDTS Training

I received a letter from YWAM Penang, where they are calling to raise fund for Jovita to attend CDTS course in Penang. Jovita is not a missionary yet, she had been one of our faithful prayer partner in Heart4Japan. CDTS is a path where she is preparing herself to Japan. If you are thinking of supporting her in finance or prayers, please feel free to contact her at this email address, leong_kenyuen@yahoo.com. Bless you!

Dear Friends of Jovita,

We are writing to introduce the course of training that Jovita Leong Ken Yuen has applied to with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Penang from 12/08/09 to Jan 2010. The Crossroads Discipleship Training School (CDTS) is a course uniquely designed for adults aged 35 and above who want to be better equipped to share their passion for God with others. This course is conducted in a mentoring environment designed to be an optimum opportunity to allow our students to be spiritually renewed and receive fresh vision for their lives from the Lord.
YWAM's passion is to know God and make Him known to all nations and our CDTS training course actively trains individuals to minister in their spheres of influence. Students with our school develop a closer walk with God as their Father and grow in their obedience to Christ as the Lord of every aspect of their lives. We find that they are then equipped to share their faith out of the overflow of their experience of God's contagious love and goodness.
Our course is divided into two parts. The first part is the lecture phase in which students receive twelve weeks of teaching about God's character and our response to who He is. The second part consists of an eight week outreach phase in which our students will be given an opportunity to further apply the things they have been learning. As a multicultural outreach team, they will see the transforming power of God's grace firsthand as they serve and minister to others.
For many of the students who come to us at a "crossroads" juncture in their lives, the CDTS is springboard to jumping into a second career in missions. For others, it is a springboard into a deeper, more fulfilling and intimate relationship with the Lord and they return to their homes with renewed commitment to daily follow the Lord's leading.

Jovita feels the Lord has prompted her to apply to take this course and is working diligently to come up with as much of the funds as she can. The course is about two weeks away from starting and she has communicated to us that she is still short on the required fees.
We are writing to you, on behalf of Jovita, to ask if you would just pray and ask the Lord if you should be a part of donating a certain sum of money to this cause. Please feel free to ask Jovita (012-9142937) any questions you have about her motives for taking this course and how she has worked to gather the funds needed.

We have been praying for all of our students and feel that Jovita is to be a part of this school. We also know that often God will prompt churches or individuals in our student's lives to help them realize this goal financially. This is one of the ways the Lord uses the body of Christ in being in fellowship with one another.

Thank you for considering this opportunity,

Bruce & Beverly Blatz
CDTS Leaders
YWAM Penang

God is Faithful

Hi Everyone.

I am glad to inform you that my training for English proficiency for Call Center is over. It really helps me improve my English, though, I still need to polish my English and more vocabularies to memorize. As you may know, I haven't gotten a full time job and still struggling but God is really good, He is faithful in meeting my everyday necessities. I just found out that it's just a perfect situation for me to have a goo focus in my studies.

I went to University of the Philippines this morning for my Japanese language class that I am taking very soon, and I drop by to Education building to check if there is already result for my application for Teaching English as Second language next semester, and I found out that my transcript of record is qualified enough for the course. It's really awesome, isn't it? and I was like I want to jump in joy when I heard it from the registrar personnel. But I would like to encourage you to continue praying for me because it's not yet final, there will be another screening in oder to grant my application. Pray also for provision. By the first week of August, I am going to enroll at UP Linguistics Department for Japanese language class while still enhancing my English.

This is all for now. Thank you so much for praying.

In the service of the Lord,

Romulo
2009.07.15

台湾学园短宣队在东京的代祷信

親愛的弟兄姊妹平安,

謝謝您成為今年學園傳道會日本短宣的支持者。到今天為止,我們已經在東京事工滿一週了!這段時間內,在上帝的祝福與保護之下,我們每位隊員的身體都十分健康,也不斷經歷神。請讓我們與您分享一些短宣中美好的感恩事項,以及一些新的代禱消息。

感恩事項

  1. 今年短宣隊的成員是:學園同工廖惠滿、方琳鈁、在美國工作的日本電器(NEC)員工裴瑞、從美國的大學畢業的學生博鈞、學園團契的學生語慧、品琇、敏華、與孝慈。雖然每位隊員都來自不同的地方,有迥然相異的性格,甚至帶著不同的文化背景,但是,在神的愛之中,短宣才開始不久,我們就彼此熟悉了起來,也漸漸培養出共同事奉的默契。七月三日晚上,隊上因為一些事件而產生爭執,但神仍然在我們當中行了奇妙的工作,使我們更加認識、接納彼此的不同!那時,聖靈引導、光照我們,使我們認罪,饒恕,悔改,並重新接納彼此;藉由這個事件,神使我們經歷了雅各書516節所說的:「所以你們要彼此認罪、互相代求、使你們可以得醫治。義人祈禱所發的力量、是大有功效的。」此後,神真的更新了我們的心思意念,團隊的氣氛也更加融洽,隊員們更加確定是神親自揀選了短宣隊裡的每一位成員,更能合一地事奉神。願主繼續幫助我們!

  1. 六月29日是我們抵達東京的第三天,日本學園傳道會的「西東京同工隊」為我們預備了一場短宣的說明會,與我們分享目前日本學園傳道會的事工情況,並且指示我們當如何在校園之中與日本大學生建立友誼。日本同工們的友善、熱情、與他們深深愛日本的心非常激勵我們。由這次說明會,我們知道東京大都會之中約有七十萬名大學生,占全國大學生的四分之一(全國大學生人口則是佔總人口的百分之二)。比起這麼龐大的數目,今日委身於大學生事工裡的真正重生得救的基督徒實在是太少了。因此,日本同工們一直在禱告的一件事情就是:「神呀!我們如何能將祢的道有效地傳給東京地區這麼多的學生們,甚至是這個地區其他年齡層、從事其他職業的日本人呢?」一直以來,日本學園傳道會也不時調整事工方式與策略,願與神親密同工,得著失喪的靈魂。請為日本學園傳道會禱告,願神打發更多工人來收割這些發白的莊稼。

  1. 感謝神使我們在過去一週陸陸續續與津田塾女子大學、東京外國語大學、及學藝大學的學生交上朋友。只有極少數的學生拒絕我們,或以冷淡的態度面對我們;大部份我們所遇到的日本大學生都是很有禮貌且友善的。這些學生當中,有些已經決定要來參加七月九日的Taiwan Party。請為這群我們接觸過的學生禱告,也為我們將來即將要接觸的日本學生禱告!願神在這些學生心中工作,賜他們得救的智慧,也賜我們能力,使我們能把握機會傳講福音,Taiwan Party的籌備也蒙主祝福!

  1. 短宣期間,我們與學藝大學、東京外國語大學、以及津田塾大學的基督徒學生們見面,他們也會參與下禮拜四的Taiwan Party的籌備,與我們一起準備台灣美食,一起獻詩。這些學生雖然為數真的不多,但他們對神對人的愛心卻深深激勵著我們。他們當中不乏僅信主一、兩年的基督徒學生,但這些學生卻明顯地活出了對神的愛還有傳福音的心志。其中一個激勵我們的見證是:有一位信主兩年的國際基督教大學(International Christian University)的學生Yusuke,不久以前,因為在校園裡傳福音而被校方召見,連續兩天同時被五位校方的師長質問為何在校園裡傳福音,並且被禁止再繼續這樣做,學園同工們也不可以再進入這所學校。但是,禱告之後,Yusuke仍然相信傳福音是神的心意,認為不應該停止這間學校的福音工作。在這樣看似困難重重的情況之中,神奇妙地藉由他所學校的基督徒教授與ICU裡面熱心的基督徒教職員,再次打開了福音的門,賜給Yusuke和學園同工傳福音的機會。感謝神賜下強健的信心給現有的基督徒學生!請為這些寶貴的學生禱告,願神繼續建造他們,使用他們來成就神對日本的心意!

我們的代禱事項

  1. 目前我們正緊鑼密鼓地籌備下週的佈道會(Taiwan Party)!博鈞、敏華、孝慈、與裴瑞四人負責聚會的設計與聯絡。我們會預備台灣美食(炒米粉、滷肉飯、珍珠奶茶、愛玉冰、芝蔴糊)、台灣的學生常玩的團康遊戲、短劇、見證、並獻詩。有一位美國同工Scott會講道,清楚地分享福音。求神給我們愛心、信心、與需用的智慧,使這場佈道會可以榮耀主的名。

  1. 孝慈的爺爺在短宣期間的六月三十日因病逝世了。請為孝慈與孝慈的家人禱告,願神親自安慰、保護他們全家。也求神保護短宣隊員與短宣隊員的家人!

  1. 願神使我們可以一直保持充足的體力!由於今年短宣隊僅於東京停留兩週半,而事工的內容十分充實,所以我們的時間表時常都是緊湊的。願神使隊長惠滿姊有智慧,可以明白如何妥善規劃、運用我們的時間,隊員們也保持一顆積極、儆醒、順服的心。

  1. 求神保護我們的事工安全。短宣隊員抵達以前,日本同工們就已向津田塾女子大學提出了入校許可的申請,但校方並未核准。因此,目前我們是在校方尚未批准的情況下進入學校接觸學生。另外,最近東京外國語大學也張貼佈告表示,如果學生在學校遇到奇怪的宗教團體,一定要主動向學校舉發。我們相信,當我們在學校內事工時,保護著我們的並不是校方的態度或我們的策略,上帝祂自己才是我們真正的保護者。願神祝福我們這一週在校園內的服事,無論在怎樣的情況下我們都可以勇敢事奉神。

  1. 這一週我們會繼續在校園裡認識新朋友、邀約、並把握機會傳講福音。求神使我們可以遇見那些預備好心,對基督信仰有興趣的學生領袖們,並帶領他們來聽福音。

再次感謝您以禱告支持著日本短宣隊!我們相信神必定已經答覆了你我的禱告,因為我們每天都經歷到神的祝福與更新!J您在神面前所擺上的禱告,對我們與日本學生們而言,實在是重要無比。請您繼續以禱告和我們同工,神必垂聽我們,使重生得救的基督徒在這個國家日益加增,成為日本的祝福、全世界的祝福。

與您一起協助完成大使命的

2009日本短宣隊

              敬上