The last several months have been what we have needed to get our feet back under us and to put the needed time and focus into Bethany’s health. There are, of course, many aspects in the path God has prepared for us that we don’t know yet. But we know that He is faithful and good regardless of where that path leads. God is SO good to us!
Bethany’s Cancer Update
A few weeks ago, Bethany had the second of her three-month scans to see whether her cancer has been growing or not. We’ve been focusing on a strict holistic regimen that will hopefully, as God wills, allow us to manage her cancer long-term without the need for aggressive treatments. This has taken a lot of time and effort in maintaining, but our hope is that this will enable us to return to Japan and continue the ministry our Father called us to for many years to come. As of this point though, there are still some things we need to sort out. We need to see clear test results to confirm which path to take: to know if this is the right path for us, or if we need to pivot to medical treatments, which inherently comes with a prognosis.
While the initial three-month scans showed signs of healing, the results for the second round of scans were mixed. Part of the results were encouraging; other parts, not so much. As of now, it means our path ahead remains unclear. We’re making adjustments, including working with a specialist, but it seems the path God has for us right now is to wait. To be honest, there are some aspects of waiting that feel disappointing. We miss our church family and our ministry in Japan. At the same time, we know we are where God wants us for now, and we are thankful for that. We don’t know how long the waiting will continue, but we’re praying that we’ll get some good answers soon! Would you continue to pray with us along those lines? That our Father would see fit to allow Bethany’s body to heal so we can get back to serving Him in Japan? We know He lovingly hears the prayers of His children, and we are preparing our hearts for whatever path the Lord leads us to walk.
Meanwhile, Back in Japan…
Caring for our church family in Japan from the other side of the planet has definitely presented some limitations. We are reminded that in our absence, God has always been and always will be present with our brothers and sisters. For this season though, God is giving us the grace to grow in our confidence in Him. Since the week we left, I’ve been part of every service but one (because of lack of internet access). Most weeks I preach via Zoom and spend time before and after the service catching up with everyone. While this is working temporarily, we do feel like having someone actually there to share God’s Word is so much better. So we’ve been working through a plan to have one Japanese preacher come once a month, and having another missionary who’s been starting to work with us to preach through an interpreter. That being said, we would love to get back and be there in person before long.
We do have a few exciting events coming up over the next month, including a special three-day event in mid-August of services and fellowship. The services will be held at three different churches, including ours and will have a dear missionary friend of mine, Go Oishi as the speaker. We’re expecting folks from around 8-10 Baptist churches in the greater Tokyo area to be part of the event, and we’re excited to see how God will work through the preaching and fellowship! Please pray that this will be a time of great encouragement for our brothers and sisters in Tokyo! We’re confident that whatever God’s path is for us, He is faithful. He loves his church, and He will care for both it and us, to His glory and grace!
(For a printable pdf, please click here.)
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