CHRIST IS ALL

Spring (March, April, May 2009)

Dear Friend in Christ,

Upon arriving back in Japan from the States on March 5^th, I soon began to distribute Christian literature from house to house, and began making up my April preaching schedule here in Japan, as I caught up various matters that needed attention after I was away for 3 months. During the spring months, God enabled me to distribute a few thousand pieces of Christian literature, taking them from door to door. I pray that the Holy Spirit will work powerfully in the hearts of the many lost Japanese people who received these Gospel messages and that many of them will come to trust in Christ as their Saviour.

With the arrival of April, the cherry blossoms were most pretty in this area for over a week. I got out as often as I could to distribute literature then, so as to view the cherry trees as I walked thru several neighborhoods, bearing the precious seed in the tracts and pamphlets.

On the first Sunday of April, I preached at the Miyota Bible Church. There were 8 or 9 adults in the church service that morning and 7 children were in Sunday School, which was conducted at the same time. An unsaved Japanese lady was there, very troubled about problems with her adult daughter, Mika. Mika has an eating disorder and was wasting away to skin and bones at that time. That day after church, we prayed with her mother who attended, and prayed for her family’s salvation. Please pray for this lady to keep attending church.

The following Sunday, April 12^th, I attended the morning service at the church in Takasaki, and at 2 PM, taught a Bible lesson in English and Japanese. Five people attended that class. I think all of them are professing Christians. Please pray with me for their spiritual growth.

On Saturday, April 18^th, I attended a 2 PM evangelistic service at the church in Yoshii. They asked me to be the speaker and to tell about my preaching while I was in the States. Then they asked me questions about the spiritual conditions of churches in the US, and how they compare with churches in Japan.

The next day, Sunday, April 19^th, I preached the sermon at the Yoshii Church with about 20 people attending. A young housewife from about 8 miles away was attending for the first time. She is a Korean woman, married to a Japanese man, and she professes to be a Christian.

Then on Sunday, May 3^rd, I again preached at the Yoshii Church. There were about 28 souls present, just about filling the small church building. Four of those present, 2 married couples, were attending as a result of seeing the prayer sheet that I sent out last year as a newspaper stuffer. Praise God for bringing them to church. One of those men is not a Christian. Please pray for his salvation. Truly, God is working in hearts here as the Gospel goes out. I know your prayers have much to do with this powerful work that God is doing in hearts here in rural Japan, as the Gospel message goes out. May God bless you abundantly for interceding in prayer for these precious lost Japanese souls whom I am reaching with the “Words of Life”.

On Sunday, May 24^th, I preached during the morning service at the church in Takasaki, as Pastor Kanai was away, preaching at a different church. There were 5 people in attendance that morning. Then at 2 PM, I held a Bible study in English, with 4 people attending. Three of them were not there for the morning service, and I don’t think those 3 have ever attended church there before. As far as I know none of those 3 professes to be a Christian. I taught them about being born again from the first 7 verses of John chapter 3. They listened kindly, but made little verbal response. Praise God that they heard that they must be born again to enter into Heaven. I tried my best to clearly explain that the new birth is a miraculous act of God that makes the new believer into a saved child of God. Please pray for the Holy Ghost to work powerfully in their hearts to convince them of that truth and to cause them to put their trust in Christ to save them.

The last day of May, Sunday, the 31^st, I preached at the church in the town of Minakami. About 18 people attended. After the service, Pastor Tierney’s wife witnessed to a Japanese woman there who was not a professing Christian. Then Sister Tierney lead the woman in a prayer, asking God to forgive her sins, and asking Christ to be her Saviour. What a blessing that was to see! Then I prayed with the lady and gave her words of encouragement. Please pray for her spiritual growth. (I do not give names of a lot of the people I tell about in this open letter that I post on this web site.)

I praise God for the many miracles I see Him working in Japanese lives in this rural area of Japan. As I stand in the pulpits of various rural, small Japanese churches, preaching to Japanese people in their own language, I feel like I am the most gloriously blessed and most highly privileged human soul in the whole world. All glory be to Almighty God for it all. Your prayers have a lot to do with that. Thank you for praying. Several of you give offerings to this missionary work. What a help that is. May God bless you and restore you many fold over for all you do and for all you give. May Our Lord protect, keep, and save all your family. Thank you for caring for me.

Christ’s unprofitable servant,

Richard Yerby

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