Here are our most recent prayer letters. Enjoy!
Carter Connection- February 2017
A missionary’s heart is always in more than one place. When you are on the field, while your heart is fully with the people that you serve and minister to, there is always a sense of longing for your family and friends you’ve left in America. And when you’re back in America blissfully enjoying the time with your dear loved ones you’ve missed while on the field, you sense a different longing. It’s an intense longing for the family of brothers and sisters into whom you have poured your heart. Both families are loved dearly. Both families are longed for deeply. Oh, for the day when both families will be together in the presence of our Father! A Family Reunion in The U.S. Furlough in the States was a much needed time for us. It was a time to recover from several intensely busy years of serving in Japan, as well as a time to reconnect with our loved ones and spend cherished time with them. Because we were able to stay longer than usual, we were able to see some family that we haven’t seen in close to 15 years, and some younger family members for the first time! This was ...
Read moreCarter Connection- November 2016
Over the past several months we have had the privilege of sharing how glorious God has been to our brothers and sisters in Japan with churches here in the States. We have been to over 30 churches in the time we’ve been here, and in each church we have been greatly encouraged to see God’s glory manifested in the lives of our brothers and sisters here in the States as well. How great God is! How immense is the vastness of His Kingdom! How intricate is His providence as He prepares us and equips us to serve Him! How intimate is His grace to each of us in uniquely empowering and strengthening us for His glory! The Gospel displayed in the color of our hair While Bethany and our youngest child Asher were shopping one day, a friendly store clerk saw Asher’s red hair and asked, “Where did you get that red hair?” (Neither Bethany or I are redheads.) As Bethany was thinking about how to answer, Asher simply exclaimed, “Jesus!” With that simple response, the door was opened for spiritual conversation and for Bethany to invite her to church. While she hasn’t put her trust in Christ yet, our new friend ...
Read moreCarter Connection- August 2016
It has now been a month since we’ve returned to the United States. Although it’s only been three years since our last furlough, there have been quite a few instances where we’ve experienced “reverse culture shock.” The incredibly low cost of fruit and vegetables, and the ease with which we can throw things away, as well as the continual outpouring of love from our family, church family, and supporting church families has been incredibly refreshing! Of course, as many missionaries experience, there has also been the struggle to re-learn how to live and function in the ever-changing American culture. How often we find ourselves relying on our Heavenly Father to give us much needed grace and wisdom! New Supporters Needed! One of the purposes for this furlough is to raise support for several key areas of growth in our ministry in Japan. God has been very gracious in allowing our ministry to grow, and with that growth are areas in which we need your help, both financially and in prayer. Church Growth The first of these areas is the growth of our church. Due to the high cost of property in Japan, any expansion beyond our current situation will require a significant investment. Because ...
Read moreCarter Connection- May 2016
Have you ever been so busy that it was hard to “keep your head above the water?” We definitely entered that phase over the past few months with the many ways God has allowed us to serve Him! I’ve abandoned the “keeping my head above water” phrase for the more appropriate “Thanking God for scuba gear.” 🙂 Even in the busyness of all that God allows us to be a part of, He continually gives us grace to abide in Him, and He in us! Because of the futility of sharing all that has happened in one page, may I present… THE DOUBLE FEATURE EDITION!! Easter Record Breaker For us, Easter is such an exciting time. In a culture where death is rarely discussed because of the insecurities that encompass it, it is a time where we as Christians can boldly and joyfully proclaim Christ’s victory over death and the grave. In a nation where Christianity is such a small part of the culture, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ has surprisingly started to draw a curious interest to many Japanese over the last several years. For the last four years, before our Easter services, we’ve held an Easter egg ...
Read moreCarter Connection- January 2016
The kingdom of God is immense. It is immense in the scope of its magnitude and power. That God allows me to play any role in it at all is a testament to His grace, specifically towards me. Over and over, I see my miserably inept attempts to show others His glory, and I see how He chooses to use those meager attempts to show ME how He draws men to Himself through those attempts. What a joy and relief to know that His kingdom is always in HIS hands! This reality has been shown to me many times, but in the past several months I have been specifically reminded of God’s magnitude and power in the lives of two men: Takamasa and Shuntaro. It took thirteen years… I met Takamasa, literally, the day after my family and I arrived in Japan thirteen years ago. He had come to welcome us to Japan and we hit it off the day we met. Since that time we have been praying that God would work in Takamasa’s heart. I have spent many hours witnessing to him and showing him his need of a Savior, but it has always seemed to fall on deaf ears. While ...
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