Ministry Updates and News from the Mehns
We are very excited about the 2015 Church Planting Institute (CPI) National Conference November 9-13. The theme is OUTWARD and we’re looking at celebrating God and his mission to the world. In mid-September we had such a rush of new applications for the conference that it now looks like the conference will be one of its biggest in history! Currently over 360 adults and over 110 children are coming to this conference. People are coming…
We were very delighted to have a new set of missionaries come last month. Rob and Chris Wright arrived and they are also joining another new missionary Ian Smith who arrived last year. However, it was sad to see Tom and Mary Lou Ellison retire in August after 30 years in Japan. Over 50 people showed up at the airport to bid them farewell. We were appointed with the Ellisons together in 1984 and now…
Pray for energy and health as Elaine struggles through fall allergies. Continue to pray for Lydia Troe’s ministry until Nov 26th. She is working in 3 churches and doing some admin work for CPI. Veteran retired missionaries Bob and Nancy Sorley will be visiting with us in Tokyo on October 15th. The second VISION FESTA will occur on Oct 26-27 in Ikoma Nara Prefecture. Ask God to raise up a new generation of Japanese visionary…
October 1, 2015 Hello fellow partners in ministry, On November 10-13 will be held the Japan CPI 2015 National Conference. Hundreds of leaders from all over Japan will participate in this church planting conference. Over 15 Rengo pastors will also be attending. Pray for us and the dozens of leaders preparing for this conference. Ask God to grant skill and energy to our tasks. Ask God to equip the many counselors which are coming to…
GOD ANSWERED The Rob Wrights arrived on schedule and are getting settled in. Pray for the parents that they would be ready for Japanese language school and the three girls to be ready to start school at Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ). John’s July meeting with the church planting team for Japan Congress on Evangelism went very well. Saito’s and her mother, Mrs. Tohama, stay at our home in July was a great blessing. PRAYER…
You and the CPI Conference Every two years we have the national conference for the Church Planting Institute (CPI). This is usually the largest church planting conference in Japan. We want you involved. Could you begin praying for the conference preparations? The Conference is November 9-13. Ask God to raise up volunteers for the CPI National Conference Support Team. Or you could come as part of a special team of working in the Children’s Ministry…
We are currently in the US and returning tomorrow to Japan. As we return we will hit the ground running. Please pray for us as we adjust to jetlag and the humid hot Tokyo summers. 15th arrive in Japan, 70th anniversary of the end of the World War II 16th Spend the day with Rob and Christine Wright our new missionaries that arrived the 11th. 17-18th Spend time with Tom and Mary Lou Ellison…
GOD ANSWERED Thank you for your prayers for the new home and guest house building project in Higashi Kurume. Planning and work is proceeding well. Pray for safety as the old house is torn down this month. Thanks for your prayers for our new missionary family the Rob Wrights. Their visa approvals came on time, they are at 100% support! Pray for their remaining outgoing expenses to come in and for their many preparations. John…
In Japan earthquakes and other disasters are a constant possibility (over 700 per year) and lead to much preparedness by the Japanese. For us, people from the Midwest, earthquake was a new concept when we arrived in Japan about 30 years ago. We cannot say we have gotten used to them but maybe we I have learned to live with earthquakes. Over the last several months there has been much seismic activity. We had a…
On June 30th, we along with Japan was shocked again about another tragedy in this technological savvy country. John was talking to a pastor by phone and was asked if he had heard the news from yesterday. A man from Tokyo committed suicide on the bullet train by dosing himself with a flammable liquid and set himself on fire. We both ride this same train many times as year making it hard to believe. This…