Japan continues to struggle with Covid, having expanded and extended emergency measures to June 20th. Though the number of cases are not like numbers like we have seen in the US and elsewhere, the amount of Covid cases is overwhelming the health care system in Japan, especially in the Osaka area. Vaccinations are only at about 2%. We continue to meet discuss the situation with leaders throughout Japan. Please pray for gospel opportunities for every Japanese believer to engage others during this season.
The Olympics is the top news story. As the Olympic flame continues its journey through Japan, a tug of war is going on as the public would like the Olympics canceled but the promoters are planning on going ahead. The 32nd Olympics is slated to begin July 23rd in less than 50 days with no foreign spectators and possibly with no Japanese spectators, and athletes strictly restricted to practices, competitions, and their rooms. The final version of the Olympic “playbooks” will be released later this month. These restrictions will be challenging for those preparing evangelistic outreaches.