Brothers and sisters in Christ, Happy 2026 and may God’s peace and blessings be abundantly towards you all this year too! 2025 was a wonderful year for Lifted Vision and we look forward with you to all the ways we will grow in our Lord and vision together in 2026 too! Today, I have some incredible news of what the Lord has done!
Since summer 2025, I have had the privilege of assisting full time in the planting of a home church in Nishinari! A Japanese brother and fellow-laborer in Christ opened up his home back then and together, we started holding daily Bible studies open to everyone, right there in his one room apartment. We went out into the community and homeless park where we minister, evangelized by sharing the gospel to groups and individuals alike, then invited anyone who wanted to learn more about Jesus back to our home church. We have seen great fruit of the home church marked by one salvation, many Japanese people growing in their faith through discipleship and even some Japanese Christians rededicating their lives to Christ. The cornerstone of our home church is Christ and we facilitate an atmosphere of love, openness and respect, which has allowed for meaningful fellowship alongside studying the Word of God together.
Among the attendees of our home church, they are quite literally people in the surrounding area off the streets including the homeless, the mentally ill, the wandering, the searching and even some people who are (ex or current) mafia members.
We saw the need, as our home church expands, to move into a permanent building, not only for the longevity of the church but also to accommodate the growing number of people attending.
Therefore, the good news I have for you today is that on December 27th, 2025, Christian history was made as our prayers and pleads with God came to fruition, by our home church plant moving into a permanent room located in the community center building in Nishinari, Osaka Japan. We are renting this room on a monthly basis, and holding Bible Studies weekly here, each and every Saturday from 1pm-4pm!
It is only by the power of God that all of this has been made possible!!! We truly am humbled by your immense encouragement, prayers and support to the ministry as we work on the ground to bring Jesus close to the Japanese! Thank you for being the hands and feet of Christ with me to make all of this possible!!!
As I was reading in Romans recently, I was reminded that as we share in the sufferings of Christ, we then also are able to share in His glory.
-Romans 8: 17-19 NIV-
“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.”
Therefore, we get to have the “privilege” of going through tough times, because it is through them that we are able to take hold of God’s promise of everlasting glory (with Him)!!! Challenges are sometimes a good indication that God is refining us and making us more like Him!!! Let us endure with patience, and trust and pray through the process!!!
It hasn’t been easy to plant this home church and a myriad of obstacles and challenges are continually present- BUT GOD. I am encouraged by the words of Jesus Himself when He said:
-Matthew 5: 10-12 NIV-
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.“
You see? There is the promise of blessing when we are persecuted for following God! It is in those moments of affliction and persecution that we get the opportunity to say: greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4) and we are reminded of God’s power in our lives.
Keeping all of these things in mind, I humbly ask that you would please remember us in your prayers!!!
Would you please pray for our home church plant to draw people to Christ, that the Lord would deliver those dealing with spiritual afflictions, and that many people would be saved?
Again, I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart for partnering with Lifted Vision Ministry and together, let’s continue to press on towards the goal and prize that is, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!!
To God alone be all the Glory!!!!
Lifted Vision Ministry 