Prayer Letter
April 2008
Dear Praying Friends,
Got
Her a Perm! Then I took her to a studio and here
we are greeting you on our 18th anniversary!!! She’s grinnin’
ear to ear at ya to say ‘Hello’ and
‘I Love you!’ For sure, she would if she could!
But I can say it for her! Thank you so much for your prayers!
They keep me afloat because God hears prayer!
I’m happy to tell you Clara is still
healthy, happy and mobile every day – too much
sometimes they say in the care home. The slow diet they put her
on has brought her down to only around a hundred pounds. We took
her second MRI last month and the tumor under her brain just
above the spinal column seems to have shrunk to half size,
praise the Lord! That was good news to hear! I haven’t given up
praying God will heal her!
While I was in Japan last month, Debby had gotten flight duty in
Asia and I was able to bring her to see her Mom. The way she was
smiling at Debby much of the time she seemed to be recognizing
her! Debby fought back tears several times.
Anniversaries and Weddings are Big
Events on the mission field! They represent big
opportunities for challenging God’s people to (1) Rejoice in
God’s blessings, (2) Repent for failing to do more for God , and
(3) Reboot for Revival instead of Relaxing or Retiring from the
trenches! Pray for us in Japan to make anniversaries a
Big Jump to Impacting Japan for
Christ - Bigger and Better than Ever! Not
monuments to the past but stepping stones to greater things for
Christ!
Pictured here are Pastor JIRO & TOSHIKO MOCHIZUKI (in the
center, seated) on their
50th
Anniversary last fall that had
a triple aspect Fifty years ago they graduated from JBBC,
got married and started their ministry in the Lord’s harvest! He
was the first one I led to the Lord when he was only 15.
Pictured here are the 20 full-timers and their children out of
their ministry. Toshiko was saved under the ministry of IKE AND
JANE FOSTER. Their fruit remains through her faithful life of
service for God!
Here’s Another Biggy:
It is the wedding of MATTHEW BURGETT to AI FUJINO in one of the
most fabulous weddings I’ve seen.! First, it came on another
TRIPLE 40th Anniversary of Ai’s parents, CHISATO & SUMIKO FUJINO.
Second, it is a
missionary story – the result of American
parents and grandparents obeying THE COMMAND TO GO! And Third,
MATT and AI are coming to Japan as missionaries too! Again, it
just gets better and better The parents are Mike and Sandy Burgett and Larry and Ruth Burgett are the grandparents – proud
as peacocks no less! Me too, because I got the joy of tying the
knot for Ai’s parents 40 years ago! Matt & Ai’s wedding was in
the Eastland Baptist Church in Tulsa on the 14th. It is
marvelous how God works in people’s lives!
I have just returned from Hong Kong
and the 5th Anniversary of the CORNERSTONE
BAPTIST CHURCH planted by our missionaries SHOJI & JUNKO
YOSHIDA. It was truly an international meeting with people from
Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Taiwan and China. I had the joy
of leading EUGENE KUMMEI, 17 to the Lord!
Next up, is the 40th anniversary of the CHOFU BAPTIST TEMPLE,
the 50th anniversary of the SHIMIZU BIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH and the
5th anniversary of the Cornerstone Baptist Church in HONG KONG!
I will be preaching at each occasion. On their anniversary the
CBT is sending out HONOH & YUKO TOKORO to China (Shhhhhh, I’m
not supposed to tell that!). YUKO is also from the FUJINO’S
church in Nagoya, Japan! Wow! Look at all this – God is at work
inside and outside Japan!
We’re still not through with the biggies. Next up is NAGOYA
Bible Baptist Church started by BILL HATHAWAY 50 YEARS AGO!!!
Bill and his son, JIMMY are coming for it in October. We’re
gonna have a big time, for sure! By the way, Bill Hathaway also
won Pastor Fujino to the Lord over 40 years ago when he was 16.
Pastor Fujino lost his father in WW2 but God’s love healed the
bitter grief in his heart! Now he’s preaching that love of God
pastoring the Southside Bible Baptist Church in Nagoya, Japan!
Now
we come to GEORGE KING and his people. They finally, finally
found a great facility for their permanent new home for the
church!!! How faithful and patient they have been! It’s a good
location on about a quarter of an acre and has two buildings on
it. One is a warehouse needing to be redone like we did to BILL
NEEL’S CHURCH in Tajimi. We are already started on George’s
project. PLEASE PRAY AS THEY NEED MORE FUNDS TO FINISH OUT BOTH
BUILDINGS SO THEY CAN GET IN IT!!!
Isn’t it wonderful to be on such a winning team like ours!!! You
& me, plus the Lord means “We Can’t Lose!!!” Pray with me that
souls will be saved, members will catch fire anew, and young
people surrender to heed the harvest call!
Two more things: My website is now underway: Thanks to
Bro. DONALD TARVIN of Kansas City for his big help! He and
Belinda will be helping me manage it. My prayer letters will be
here as well as a hard copy sent you snailmail. Please let me
know if only the softcopy on the web will do.
The other thing is PRAYER for the group of Japanese pastors and
people who will go with me joining Bro. Bruce O’Neal with the
MANNA program in UGANDA for Bro. SATO our missionary there this
summer. We hope to give him a big boost in his work in an
evangelistic campaign and plan for a feeding station in the near
future.
Finally, the Lord is blessing on furlough here in the US, in
between the trips back & forth to Japan for Clara and for these
big events on the field. Thanks to Clara’s pilot daughter with
NWA I can fly for free. I’m having a
Big Time on Furlough! I look forward to my
visit with you too! If I can be of help to you at a special
time, please let me know
and I will do my best to work my travels into your plans
All my love,
Lavern & Clara.
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