Tag: prayer

We do not want you to be uniformed…

Sue Takamoto1 Comment

This past week has been so incredibly intense for our team!  Much has happened within our community.  I cannot write specifics because of the people involved, but we do cherish your prayers.  There has been a high schooler despairing of life; several members of the community involved in various unfortunate activities that have dire consequences, challenges on our team.  These situations have meant tons of meeting and consultation; and pretty deep weariness.  We have been carrying a lot of burdens over the last few months, and feeling pressure from many sides.

A friend shared this passage, which I have always loved:

2 Corinthians 1:8-11New International Version (NIV)
8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Please pray with us that we might rely on God and not ourselves!  In two days we will commemorate the fourth anniversary of the triple disaster.  It is a very somber time for the community.  Pray that we can listen well; that we can walk with people well through this time.  Pray for decisions that me and others need to make this week based on challenges in the community. We will be praying for 24 hours through the fourth anniversary and your prayers are appreciate as well!

(If you are interested in being part of a private facebook page in which I post specific prayer requests, please send me an email with your name and how you know me 🙂 to my email at (my first initial)(husband’s first initial)my last name@gmail.com.

Thanks for standing with us!

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Watanoha Family

Sue Takamoto3 Comments

Tonight we had our monthly prayer and praise time to gather as a local body of believers. Called the Watanoha Family (Watanoha is the specific area in Ishonomaki where we are all focusing our work), we represent different churches and denominations but since the beginning have made a concerted effort to cooperate. There have been some challenges, but overall it has been a joy to see the bonds of friendship and kindred hearts join together for the purpose of reaching out to this area where God has called us.

This evening’s time together was especially timely as we were all reeling from an horrific accident that happened to one of our members. Akemi, a member of the Presbyterian group Grace Mission Tohoku (GMT), was up north in a wiped-out area working with a team of about six in helping to clean up a lot. She was trying to get a very stubborn bamboo shoot out of the ground. It finally dislodged suddenly, and the end of the shoot went directly into her eye. She was rushed to one local hospital, which didn’t have the means to help her, so they took her by ambulance to the larger hospital here in Ishinomaki. By late Friday night, we received word that they had had to remove her eye. Fortunately it had not injured her brain, and the muscles around the eye are intact and will be able to help move the artificial eye. It was shocking and heartbreaking for all of us.

Tonight, Akemi and her husband skyped in to our prayer time from the hospital. She had half of her face bandaged, and she showed such bravery, beauty, and faith in Jesus. Before the surgery, she said to her husband, “pray that no matter what the outcome is I will continue to praise The Lord.” She is still praising Him.

We spent most of tonight in a special time of prayer for this couple and for the GMT mission, who have had a few different mishaps recently. We heard reports that the carpenters and workers who were with her at the time are having a hard time sleeping because of what they had experienced. Please pray with us for Akemi’s quick healing and adjustment to the many changes ahead; for God’s protection and guarding over all of us, and that God would continue to unite us as a body and use this synergy for His amazing Kingdom purposes. We are thankful that God has called us to join in His special work of displaying His love to the people of Ishinomaki.

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