CHRIST IS ALL
WINTER (DECEMBER 2004, JANUARY, FEBRUARY 2005)
Dear Friend in Christ,
During the first half of December, I continued to distribute
Christian literature, praying that those Japanese people who received it would
read it and open their hearts to Christ. I also attended several Christmas
services held by other missionaries and Japanese Christians in this area where
I live. One of these Christmas services was in the nearby town of Karuizawa,
and the others were here in Matsuida. Several unsaved Japanese people were
present at those Christmas services, as they are more prone to attend something
related to Christmas than they are to attend a regular church service. I saw
some unsaved Japanese present who had heard me preach out in public, & some
of them had likely gotten tracts or other Christian literature from me. I
rejoiced to see them present at those Christmas services to hear sermons about
the birth of the Saviour on that first Christmas and about God’s salvation to
us thru Jesus Christ. I pray that the Holy Spirit will work in their hearts
thru the Gospel messages they have heard and that they will be saved. Please
pray for these who hear.
On the 16th of
December, God gave me a safe trip from Japan to Tupelo, Mississippi, and then I
spent the Christmas season with my brothers, sister, other relatives, and many
Christian friends. What a blessing it was to be back with them. From early
January till late February, I preached in several churches in Alabama,
Mississippi, Arkansas, & Tennessee. What a blessing that was to me. I
prayed for God to make me a special blessing to the people who heard me, and I
preached my heart out as I delivered the messages that God lay on my heart. I
pray that God was glorified and that the listeners were edified and also
burdened for lost souls thru those sermons.
Everywhere I went, my
relatives, friends, and church members were so kind to me as they let me lodge
in their homes, provided meals for me, and such. Their Christian hospitality,
encouraging words, prayers, and kindness to me really touched my heart. How it
blessed and encouraged me. May God richly bless and greatly reward each of you
for what you did for this missionary.
On February 22nd,
I flew from Tupelo, Mississippi to Dallas, Texas to visit with Japanese friends
there. The next night, I attended Wednesday night church service conducted in
the Japanese language at a Japanese church in Dallas. That was a special
blessing to me, and sort of set the mood for me to return to Japan. The next
morning, Thursday, I flew from Dallas to Minneapolis, and from there I flew
non-stop over snow-covered southern Canada and Alaska, and on to the Narita
Airport near Tokyo. I thank God for safety of travel, in the air and for many
miles on the highways while in the U.S.
Soon after arriving back at
my house here in the town of Matsuida, I took a bag of tracts and went out
walking the streets for a while, leaving a tract at each house. What a joy it
is to be back here in Japan, holding forth the word of life to these lost Japanese
who need Christ so badly. Truly, harvest time is steadily drawing to an end.
The night will soon come when no man can work. May we Christians be diligent to
tell lost people about Christ while it is the day of salvation and there is
still opportunity for them to get saved.
Please pray for me and for
these lost Japanese around me whom I am reaching with the Gospel. Please pray
that many of them will get saved. Your prayers make a great difference. I pray
that God will greatly bless you for praying. As for those of you who gave
offerings to me during the winter, thank you for your help with my needs. May
God abundantly bless you and repay you many fold over for what you gave. That
is a great help to me, and I really appreciate it.
May God be with you daily,
to help you and bless you in every way.
Christ’s unprofitable servant,
Richard Yerby