Roberta’s residence and the bulk of her ministry is in Tokyo. She is starting a program in hopes of placing volunteers of all ages year round in Japanese Baptist Union churches and institutions.Dear RobertasTidbits Friends,
Goodness, have I ever felt your prayers during the last few months! I can’t keep all the news to myself forever! So, I’ll delve it out in “tidbits!”
[singlepic=15,150,,right]If walls could talk: After a full year of knowing that some time I would need to move, the time came, suddenly at that, for me to vacate the mission house in Tokyo that has been occupied by American Baptist missionaries for fifty years. As I watched the house being torn down I wondered about all the stories those walls could tell; how many Japanese had heard the gospel for the first time? How many had met Christ or had their faith strengthened there? I know that those walls could tell of many tears, but at the same time I can imagine the thousands of prayers that were sent up by at least seventeen missionaries and MKs over the years who lived there. We could also compile a long list of American Baptists who stayed in the Mitaka House while observing the work in Japan. In the last year, as the word spread about tearing the house down, I heard from a number of Japanese Baptists as well, who lived in the house for a few months to a year. No mistake, God blessed that house as a refuge for hundreds of people.
And now our prayer is that the new plans for this property as a vessel for the gospel will come to fruition containing the fingerprints of God. The Lord willing, I will move back to the Mitaka property in a new building in two years. In the meantime, I’m settled in a two bedroom apartment near the mission property. I have one large guest room in which volunteers can stay. PLEASE note my new address at the end of this letter.
[singlepic=17,150,,right]Surprised by God’s People: Volunteers came in April, May, June and July-August. Was it you who prayed for this program? If so, now I know why God has blessed it! In June, a worship band of four young men called the “Amenables” arrived two days later than planned due to mechanical problems with their flight. Because they had no buffer days for orientation, they were thrust into a busy schedule of performance and teaching in churches and schools where they introduced praise music in worship services. Lee Ann and Gordon Hwang, IM missionaries in Yokohama did most of the coordination of this group. Since this was the first such team in the Tokyo-Yokohama area since we began volunteer service last year, no one knew what to expect, causing church leaders to have the “jitters.” But, your prayers began to work at this point! After each session we only heard good comments.
[singlepic=16,150,,left]For example, the Amenables lodged for two nights at our Baptist Seminary. There, there are only five seminary students who are taught in the traditional way, with no exposure to praise music. At the seminarians’ weekly worship service the Amenables gave their testimonies as they introduced the new music. “We were so surprised at how natural and beautifully they integrated the two,” the seminarians told me later. “Far more meaningful than we ever imagined it would be. We truly felt God’s presence.” These volunteers hauled heavy instruments & suitcases in the pouring rain, on and off trains, aware of their own limits but unaware of the impact they had. This is often the true test of a ministry of high impact, when those ministering are not aware of the effect. This time of service did not just impact the people being served. The volunteers themselves had the chance to come face to face with their own strengths and weaknesses. God seemed to speak to each of them about their future direction as well. All of this came about because for two reasons. First was the quality of the volunteers themselves. They came with flexibility and an attitude to serve where God led them. Secondly, it was successful because some of you remembered to pray. Seeds were planted, and now we need to wait to see them grow.
I mentioned in the Spring that I will be in the USA for speaking in the fall (Sept. 27~Oct. 26th). I wanted to be sure to thank the two individuals who contributed toward that trip. One lives in Pennsylvania and the other in Oregon. In addition, a church in Washington State has also contributed. Thank you so very much for your generosity! I pray that my time will be used for God’s glory in sharing the many things God is doing in Japan.
In Christ,
Roberta Stephens