Jordan and Nitasha News

March/April Update

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9, ESV)

Dear Friends

Spring has definitely begun here in Japan - the cherry blossom (Sakura) trees, the rain, along with the pollen - have all appeared on this side of the world! We’re grateful for a new season - a warmer season - and we are grateful for all of you.

March Happenings!

One of the biggest difficulties of being on mission, as we’ve shared before, is the distance between you and your loved ones on special occasions. Nitasha’s birthday might have been a cold snowy Monday, but the warm hearts of the people we have come to join in community with, had really helped curb the sting a little bit. Tash received some very thoughtful gifts, was treated to a lovely lunch by Pastor Marcel and his wife, and a second meal from another couple of friends came as a nice treat on another day, in a really exotic restaurant!

Something really fun in March that Jord got to be a part of was the filming of the upcoming Gospel Through A Click (GTAC) Documentary, featuring Pastor Marcel and Chiaki. It was great to get involved with GTAC, and it was inspiring to see the work of the missionary couple that are behind the ministry. We were all so inspired by the cameras, the set, the lighting and the storytelling of being on a couple of films sets over a couple of weeks, that we developed a 3-session media workshop for the church to explore their creativity throughout February and March.

The most recent highlight was that we FINALLY ate baked beans!!! Yes, you read it correctly. And they were AMAAAZING!!! As Brits, we have taken them for granted, but on this archipelago, they’re a rare find. We absolutely froze when we found the mini multipack in an aisle during our first Costco trip! 😭 And we bought 3!! It’s these little things that give us life out here…

Coming Up in April

We, the Christians, will be celebrating 10 years of marriage on Friday 4th April!!!🙌🏿 😆 It has flown by incredibly fast, but we are amazed at God’s grace for keeping our marriage light shining all this time. We are currently taking some time off this week, and our plan is to use the time to explore Tokyo, visit some hotspots, see some Sakura trees and just enjoy spring in Japan. Keep an eye on our social media for all the scenery!

A little further down the line in April, we have the pleasure of hosting our first short-term missions team from Sweden! They are a young team of bible college students who have a heart for the people of Japan and want to learn more. We are very humbled that Elim Sweden would think of reaching out to us about hosting a team, and we are excited to see what God will show them and us, during their time here.

Wins!

The reality is, we pass hundreds of people every week in our part of the city - at the train station, the ‘combini’ (corner shop), the superstore, everywhere. But on our walk to the station in the morning, we pass this one house every time. And usually, this one house has an elderly Japanese man outside it sorting out his yard, or the herb plot right next to it. Every time I pass him, I bow and say ‘ohiyougozaimasu’ (good morning). And every time he says nothing, does nothing, just looks. This is a very normal response from the elderly Japanese towards ‘gaijin’ (foreigners) in Japan, so I expected this as the weeks went on. But this one morning, he didn’t just look. He didn’t say hello. He didn’t wave. He just - smiled. I got a smile!! A smile guys, a SMILE!!

“It’s so good you’re doing that! You’re really making a difference. Consistency is key with Japanese people.” I (Jordan) was so encouraged when I heard this from Sanna-san after I told her this story! It means that just being here, putting in the effort and being who we are is doing something. And we want to thank you for praying and supporting and giving, so that we can be here - and eventually get smiles from our neighbours. As time goes on and we keep greeting one another, we pray that the opportunity to share the gospel presents itself.

Prayer Points

We only have one prayer point this month, and it does come with an ask. Since we arrived in Japan, we’ve been told that we have to pay into the Japanese National Pension, which all foreigners living in the country must pay, unless they meet some special criteria. We were unaware of this before coming and have been hit with a £1,800 bill to pay. The ongoing monthly amount for paying into the pension is £90 each. Please pray that the Lord will help us in this process and provide the means to do what we need to do. We also ask that you prayerfully consider giving towards this amount. We want to live as law-abiding citizens of this country and seek its prosperity (Jer. 29:7), but we need your help to do it.

Thank you to everyone who reads, prays, gives and believes in the work we are doing with the Lord in Tokyo! We really do appreciate it when you reach out, so drop us a text or an email and we will respond as soon as we can.

All our love,

Nitasha & Jordan
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