April 2026

 Praise the name of the Lord. Thank you for your offerings and intercessory prayers.

I have safely returned to the United States after a very blessed temporary visit to Japan. I am still remembering the blessings I received during my stay. About a week before my return to the US, I experienced an intense toothache while eating, making it impossible to chew. Fortunately, a dentist I knew was able to schedule an appointment for the very next day. I shudder to think what the treatment would have cost if it had happened in the US. Even though it was out-of-pocket treatment in Japan, the cost was relatively low, and because it was an emergency, I am now inquiring whether my travel insurance will cover it. This, too, was a blessing from God.

Another blessing was that, although I had been feeling discouraged, deep in my heart, about my work in New York, fearing it would continue as it was, my trip to Japan gave me the faith and hope that "this is not the case. God will surely advance the church's work. It will never end in vain. Even if it takes time, wait for it. It will surely come." And, as it says, "Though the spirit is burning, the flesh is weak," I was reminded once again that I must strengthen my prayers.

One of the reasons I returned to Japan this time was to learn how to improve our SNS networking, which had been stalled. This has allowed us to prepare to further increase our website traffic, and we will now work to expand our 21st-century missionary work.