Kanto Gakuin Church celebrated Christmas today with a beautiful worship service filled with the Holy Spirit. There were two baptisms that highlighted the working of the Spirit: Mrs. Omori and Mr. Matsushita.

I met Mrs. Omori one year ago when she began to attend church and prayer meeting. The first time she attended prayer meeting she said she knew nothing about Christianity but that her husband had been a Christian for more than 50 years and that they had been married at Kanto Gakuin Church 50 years ago. She commented that Jesus was like Momotaro, a Japanese folk story where a boy is born from a peach and goes around helping people. Each week she came with different questions about Christianity and little by little right before our eyes we began to see great changes in her. With her husband confined to a nursing home and on the verge of death, she began to pray and could feel God answering her prayers. She continued throughout this past year attending church, Bible Study, prayer meeting, women's meeting and any other time the church had an event. It has been a beautiful experience to watch Mrs. Omori grow in her faith and even more special because Hajime Uemura, a former student who became a Christian when he was the leader of the Fellowship, also attends the church prayer meeting and really encouraged Mrs. Omori to become a Christian. Praise God for the mysterious ways in which He works in our lives and the lives of those we work with.

Mr. Matsushita is a businessman for a big company and his wife has her own flower shop. Two years ago, Mrs. Matsushita became a Christian through the influence of their daughter who attends Kanto Gakuin School. Mr. Matsushita said that he was not against his wife becoming a Christian but that he was not going to get involved in the life of the church.

In the two years since his wife became a Christian, he had an injury that needed surgery, but the doctor made a mistake so he had to find another doctor and have the surgery done again. Also, his company is having difficulties and these difficulties affected him personally since he was hospitalized for more than two months. While he was hospitalized he read a book of poetry written by a famous Christian who is a quadriplegic and from that he began his search for God in his life. What a glorious day it was and how we thank God for His mysterious ways of revealing Himself.

The Fellowship Club Christmas party and candlelight service was special this year because the student who has been hospitalized for emotional problems was able to attend. We were all very happy to see him and pray he will be able to join us again in the New Year.
The candlelight service is a special time where Chuck and I light our candles from the God candle and give God's light to each of the seniors to take into the world with them and then to pass it on to the underclassmen for next year. (This is the end of the school year in the university so it will be the last Christmas in the club for the seniors). We will miss these seniors, as they have been very receptive to Christianity and very loyal to the spirit of The Fellowship.

Thank you all for your support of our ministry and may your holiday be special.

In Christ,

Chuck and Judy