May 1, 2003

Dear Friends,

Early spring is a special time in Japan. Almost overnight the cherry trees explode dramatically into full bloom, transforming entire neighborhoods with their shimmering pink and white brightness. The warm sun and rising temperatures turn the bone-chilling cold of winter into distant memory. Spring also marks the time of new beginnings, as it is when the new school year starts and when new employment is commenced.

As church planters and evangelists in Japan, Ann and I are constantly amazed by the spring-like newness of the gospel to the ears of those who have never heard it before. Our new church development work is centered in a rural and suburban community called Nishitani located north of Kobe in western Japan.

There has never been an organized Christian witness in this community, so nearly every Sunday we have the joy and challenge of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to folk who have not heard.

The average attendance at the Nishitani services is a little over twenty. We have been meeting on Sunday afternoons but from September we will meet every Sunday morning. We believe meeting in the morning will be an important step in the formation of this new congregation.

Our family has been especially blessed this year by having our older son, John, back at home with us. He has completed two years of college in the United States but, desiring to transfer into a more competitive industrial design program, he has taken off a year to get a new portfolio together. We are all delighted that he will be transferring this fall to the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. Paul, in tenth grade, is interested in film, and Sarah, in ninth grade, enjoys academics and choir. They both attend our local international school, Canadian Academy, where they thoroughly enjoy studying with friends from over forty countries.

Prayer requests

We are convinced that it is your prayer answered by God that sustains us in our work.

• Please pray for the development of the Nishitani congregation and that the move to Sunday mornings will contribute to growth.
• Pray that as we share the good news of Jesus Christ it might be done in ways that are understandable and convincing to folk who have had little or no contact with the gospel.
• Also pray that the Lord continue to bless our family by providing for our needs.

Again, we are grateful for your support, which allows us to take part in God’s mission here in this place. Knowing of your care and support is a wonderful encouragement.

In Christ,

Bill and Ann Moore

The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, page 179