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 Tidbits Friends,
Please accept my apologies for my two months of silence. January is a month that seems to overwhelm me each year. When I fall behind, the first thing to go is the correspondence.
I have been overwhelmed in another way! That is with all of your gestures of kindness in the form of gifts, cards, and lots of prayers. Some of you have specifically written to tell me that you pray for me daily. For you who have a large number on your prayer list, weekly would be fine, too!!
Because of the prayers, many of my goals last year were fulfilled. It was a year of huge transition for me. Now, eight months later, I feel settled in for the time being and have been able to develop a pattern and rhythm in my work. I know where I need to go and what I need to do. The core work of getting the volunteer program up and running is not the work of making arrangement for volunteers scheduled beginning in June (so far there are 14), but my weekly visitation to churches on Sundays where I share about the vision of building bridges through the volunteer program. Often I have been asked to share God’s Word as well.
The response to my messages from the Word has been particularly positive. Many of the churches in the Japan Baptist Union (JBU) are suffering from becoming ingrown, rather than “outgrown.” That is their efforts reap no results leading to resignation. My messages have focused on the workers needing to allow God to be the Builder, and Jesus reminding Peter that “on this rock I will build my church.”
After the worship service I share about the volunteer program. The program is not a field trip, I tell them, but a group of serious Christians who want to share Christ and their journey and joy. They come humbly, not as know-it-alls but as people who want to have a “ministry of presence” willing to help out wherever needed. Although I don’t advertise it as such, the fact is that volunteers are able to give this sleeping giant a shot in the arm.
Volunteer Opportunities to Consider: In closing, I want to mention two additional opportunities which are in the planning stages. But you might be interested or know someone else who is even at this early stage. (To read more about these opportunities, select the underlined phrases following. This will take you to more information listed on my website.) The first opportunity is for two females age 22-50 to work at a very small church in Yokohama, mainly with neighborhood children recruited from nearby.
The second opportunity is for an intergenerational group of five or six, high school, college and adults to work in a variety of programs set up for them on the northern island of Hokkaido. If you are interested in more on these, click on the link.
Thank you for your continued prayers on the issues stated here. I’d also request prayer for inner peace regarding some other big changes in the very near future. Let me hear from you and what you are doing for the Lord or what the Lord is doing for you.
In Christ,
Roberta L. Stephens