“We have celebrated Christmas and were reminded that God is with us –Immanuel! We are well into the new year and we rejoice that the Lord goes before us! We are deeply encouraged that amid many challenges, our Lord God remains close to His church. His presence shines through meaningful relationships in His body. We see brothers and sisters in Christ uniting in prayer, young people embracing faith, people from all walks of life creating spaces for the gospel, and church planters persevering in challenging environments. We see Jesus building His church, and absolutely nothing will prevail against Him! Continue to pray for the Church! Pray for new churches that are being planted in the rocky soil of Japan. Pray too as missionaries strengthen existing churches, helping each become spiritually vital and healthy. Ask that the labor in Japan for the Lord will not be in vain, rather that it will increasingly engage everyday Christians and inspire other churches to reproduce. As we have wrapped up 2025, we have done so with hearts full of gratitude and praise! The challenges in Japan are evident; yet, we continue to depend on Him!”