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8

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We are really looking forward to the

exciting things that God has for us in the

year ahead.

As part of the strategy moving forward

we are looking for others who are willing

to make a commitment to come and

serve with us.

Have you got what it takes? Can you be

friendly and have a warm smile? Do you

have energy and are a little bit outgoing?

Are you ready to sacrifice and serve God?

We would love to hear from you!

Please get in touch with us directly or

through the ACCI Missions office.

2018 SHORT TERM TEAMS

Bookings are currently being taken for

2018 and 2019. We would love to have a

team from your church. To get involved

in what God is doing here, please get in

touch with us as soon as possible.

Quarterly Newsletter

Wakuwaku Life church has just

celebrated its first year anniversary.

And what an amazing first year we

have had! It’s hard to believe that it

has been one year.

Our effectiveness has greatly

increased by being able to operate

from a purposed facility, and God is

adding to our church family. We

started in our apartment in January

2017 and moved into this property in

October 2017.

In that time we have seen people

grow spiritually. People have come

into relationship with God and there

is a real sense of family.

Please remember ACCI’s One Day

campaign. The One Day Campaign

contributed greatly to fund the set up for

Wakuwaku Life Church plant.

To find out more about the campaign

and how you can get involved please visit

the link below.

http://www.accimissions.org.au/oneday

www.japandirections.com

Our First Year Anniversary Celebration – Pg 1

2018 Short Term Teams – Pg 1

Christmas in Fukuoka - Pg 2

Australian Visitors – Pg 2

Find Your Superhero – Pg 2

Sipos Family – Pg 2

Facts and Figures – Pg 3

Four Ways to Get Involved – Pg 3

Upcoming Events – Pg 4

Praise and Prayer Points – Pg 4

Issue

19

Jan - Mar 2018

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FIND YOUR SUPERHERO

It’s time to take the plastic off and find

your superhero inside!

Matthew 5:9 says: Blessed are the

peacemakers for they will be called the

children of God. We are all called to

help people make peace with God,

that’s what His children do!

Isaiah 52:7 says that those who bring

the Good News are beautiful.

Matthew 9:38 says: Ask the Lord of the

harvest to send out workers into his

harvest field. That is our prayer today.

That God would call people like you to

answer, and come and work with us

here on field. Please pray about

coming and joining the Gebert’s

Kyushu team.

Australian Visitors

We were fortunate to have some

guests from Australia visit us over the

Christmas period. What a blessing it

was to have Erina Sipos here on a

preparation trip. The Sipos family are

coming to join the Kyushu team and

serve Wakuwaku Life Church. Please

continue to support them in prayer as

they complete their preparations to

come.

We also had the Ter Wees spend the

New Year with us. The Ter Wees have

been good friends for many years,

having also served on field in Kyoto.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to

come and visit us. We really loved it.

Christmas in Fukuoka Over Christmas, we were fortunate

enough to be invited to the Fukoka -

Australian Association Christmas

party. The food was amazing and

included lamb chops, meat pies and

lamingtons. It was a fantastic time to

meet some of the other Australian

expats. We also got to meet the

Australian Consular General who is

based in Fukuoka. We are meeting

for coffee again on January 24. We

are praying that the Church can

provide support to the ex-pat

community when needed.

As a church we also celebrated our

first Christmas together with a

Christmas dinner Australian style!

Sipos Family Luke and Erina Sipos and their family are ACCI Field Workers,

called to Japan and are coming to join the Kyushu team. They

will be going to help serve the Gebert’s church plant and after

a time will be released into their own church plant.

They are still in the process of raising funds so we would like

to encourage you to consider what you can do.

They have successfully obtained their initial 3 year visas so

they are ready to fly and will arrive mid-February. You can

look at their details either on the ACCI website at:

http://www.accipartners.org.au/fw224_sipos or see their

Facebook page: Reach The Japanese

www.japandirections.com

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-Ku

Facts &

Figures

Q: Why are Japanese Children so Independent?

A: In Japan, children from grade 1 (6 years of age) travel to school by themselves. The majority of children walk, but children as young as six do catch buses or ride the subway to get to school if necessary.

It is not uncommon for young school children to be playing in the park unaccompanied by parents in the afternoon or to be sent to the local supermarket to go shopping. Many children are home by themselves in the afternoons if both their parents work.

Japan is considered to be one of the world’s safest countries and the number of crimes reported are at its lowest levels for decades.

Japan also has a culture of community. Children from Kindergarten age clean their own classrooms and are taught to serve food to each other. They rely on each other and there is a trust in the community that develops. Children are taught how to be safe and where to go for help if needed.

It is a cultural norm for children to be independent but the community watches out for each other.

Four Ways to Get Involved

SOCIAL MEDIA

The Geberts’ need the word to go

out around Australia about what

God has called them to do. They

need everyone who has a heart to

see Japan changed by the good

news, to share with their friends

how they too can become involved.

This can be done through Facebook

by going to

www.facebook.com/japandirections,

and liking and sharing with your

friends and talking to them about it.

At the moment the Facebook site’s

purpose is to draw people to the

website http://japandirections.com/.

This is where people can find all the

information needed on the work the

Geberts are doing and more.

At the moment there are 245 likes

on Facebook, which is a great start.

Keep the momentum going and get

the word out directing people to

both the Facebook and webpages

where all the relevant information

and forms can be found as well as

commendations.

PRAYER

The Geberts need your prayers as

they step out in faith; with the vision

of Japan as a nation that loves God.

God sees Japan as it will be; a

Christian nation.

There will be regular updates on how

you can pray specifically for them

and the situations they work with in

Fukuoka and Japan. Page 4 has their

prayer needs.

We all need to keep God the central

focus in all we do.

FINANCE & GIVING

Financial giving is so important and

key to being able to do what needs to

be done. One off donations are great,

and regular monthly commitments

essential.

Everyone can be a key part in God’s

work by simply making a

commitment to support the Geberts

so that people who have never heard

the good news have a chance to

accept God’s life changing love.

URGENT - SENDING TEAMS AND

SHORT TERM TEAMS

As part of their vision the Geberts

are interested in hearing from

supporters who would like to

send a team with talents to assist

among other things with

evangelistic outreach activities.

The Geberts would love to

consider having you along on

field. What an opportunity to

come and have fun in serving the

local Church in Japan. Please

email Eugene:

Japandirections@gmail.com

A special login section on the

website will provide teams with

access to all relevant information

including maps, itineraries,

emergency contact information,

basic survival language etc.

Teams will be under the direction

of the Geberts.

ALL IT TAKES IS FOR GOD’S PEOPLE TO DECIDE TO NEVER TIRE OF DOING

GOOD, OWN THE VISION & ACT

Everyone can easily participate in

the Geberts’ journey by giving

support in one of the four areas

needed.

www.japandirections.com

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Praise and Prayer Points

Upcoming Events

www.JapanDirections.com

Praise God that Wakuwaku Life Church was able

to successfully sponsor the visa’s for the Sipos

family. Our prayer was that the process would be

smooth and approved quickly! The applications

were granted in 19 days (they can take 3 months

or more)!

We are thankful that we are able to minister to

the needy in the community each week. We are

now have people from Church helping with the

food distribution ministry which is awesome.

We are so grateful to CostCo for giving the

Church a wonderful Nativity scene as a thank you

for helping the community.

The weekly Friday Bible study is growing. There

were 2 new people last week – a very new

Christian and someone who is seeking to know

more about God.

Praise God that we have been able to source a

Braille-Bible for a Japanese Church member. We

are so grateful that there are organisations that

are willing to freely donate these valuable

resources (a Braille Bible comes in 19 volumes

and takes up 4 feet of shelf space).

Please pray for the following:

WakuWaku Life Church

Pray for the people who attend the Friday Bible

Study. Pray that they would grow and that those

who are still seeking would accept Jesus.

Pray for Church growth. We are also in need of a

Worship leader and interpreters.

For finances to continue to come in to purchase

much needed air conditioning for the Church (ACCI

project M207).

Other Needs

For our Japanese speaking ability to increase.

Pray for the Sipos family – that the regular monthly

support that they need will come in. Pray also that

the move to Japan in February will go smoothly and

that the transition will go well.

We have made many connections through

University outreach and other avenues. Pray that

these connections will deepen and people will

come to know Jesus.

JANUARY 2018

28th – Australia Day Service

FEBRUARY 2018

18th - Sipos family arrive on field

MARCH 2018

6th – Eugene’s Birthday