Here are our most recent prayer letters. Enjoy!
Carter Connection March 2025
It takes a lot of sacrifice and work for the Gospel to be shared with those around the world. In this letter, I wanted to highlight those who are not often mentioned but play an essential role in making it possible for us to do so! The Unrecognized Ones There are many people who work together to hold the ropes to keep a missionary on the field. When you read this letter and pray for us, you are one of them. When you give to help us continue the work, you are one of them. And let me say, “Thank you!” Without you, we could not accomplish the mission of reaching people here with the Gospel! Along with you and your brothers and sisters in churches all across the States, there are also specific people who, although rarely recognized, help in ways that are absolutely essential in supporting us and caring for us. For example, one of the assistant pastors in our home church in the States takes care of making sure your support gets to us safely and without issue each month. He also takes care of any administrative needs we have back in the States. Another one is our home church ...
Read moreCarter Connection December 2024
It’s always amazing to see the way God works, even behind the scenes where you can’t see! Here’s a story of the amazing way God reveals Himself to those around us, and then the joy we experience when we see that He’s been working all along! “It’s A Miracle!” I don’t hear those words very often, but before the service one Sunday morning this November, Mari, one of our church members came up to me to tell me those very words. The thing is, I had no idea what she was talking about. Mari was one of the ladies who was baptized at Akigawa River last year. She has been steadily growing in her faith and has been witnessing and praying for her husband and young adult son to be saved as well. We’ve had several conversations over this last year about how it seemed that neither had any desire to come to Christ. I encouraged her and prayed with her, but neither seemed to show any interest in trusting Jesus. Then, that Sunday morning, as our service was about to begin, Mari comes walking in, beaming from ear to ear, motioning in the back of the auditorium at none other ...
Read moreCarter Connection October 2024
Summer has been an absolute whirlwind! But it’s been a good kind of whirlwind. 🤣 There has been so much to be thankful for, so many opportunities to see God’s faithfulness and care for us! It’s Official. We’re Getting Old. By God’s grace, we have officially become grandparents! In August, our oldest son Tyler and daughter-in-law Morgan gave birth to their first child, and our first grandchild Eleanor Grace Carter! We’re so excited! It’s somewhat surreal to think that we are already at this stage of life. We’re also very thankful that it worked out for us to return to the States to meet our new grandbaby in September. We were in the States for four weeks, and while we were back, we were also able to come see some of you all as well! We were able to visit eight of our supporting churches during the month. There are still more of you that I would so love to see again soon, and as my pastoral responsibilities here in Japan allow, we hope to see more of you over the next few years. Needless to say, thank you for your faithfulness! As we work together to share the good news of ...
Read moreCarter Connection June 2024
Japan has five seasons. The fifth season, rainy season usually kicks off sometime in June and lasts for about a month. While many people here dislike the rainy season because of the constant wet, we don’t mind it all. The nice cool showers are a nice respite from the coming intense summer heat. Speaking of showers…😁 God’s blessings have been continually “showering” down on us all throughout these last few months! Cookout Relaunch In the end of April we relaunched our church cookout outreach for the first time since covid began in 2020. Our church family invited many of their family and friends, and we had an amazing turnout! Over eighty people came! Easily more than half of those who attended were guests. More importantly, they were guests who were already connected to people in our church family, which means they have consistent contact with believers in their lives. For some of them, this was their first interaction with other Christians besides the family or friend who invited them. All of them got to hear the Gospel preached simply and clearly to them. It was a big day for us, and we are thankful for how ...
Read moreCarter Connection March 2024
Cherry blossom season is just a few weeks away here, and we’re enjoying the gradual change from the cold of winter to the warmth of spring. We’re preparing for several big outreach events over the next few months, and looking forward to seeing the blossoming of new life in Christ as the good news of His Gospel is sown around us! A Wedding Motoharu brought Ami to church a little over two years ago. Motoharu was already a Christian, and Ami wanted to know more about Christianity. For about a year, the four of us, (Motoharu, Ami, Bethany and I) would share a meal together after church and talk about who Jesus was, and what it meant to put your trust in Him and follow Him. During time many questions were asked, and Ami’s understanding of Jesus grew and grew. Then, in May of last year, one Sunday while spending time talking with other believers after the service, she was ready to put her faith in Jesus! The following August, Ami was one of the ladies I got to baptize in the river near our church. Last month, I was blessed to have a part in Motoharu and Ami’s wedding! ...
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