1) Sarah's Continued Recovery

Thank you all for praying for Sarah's health and our family over this past year.  We are so grateful for God's provision of grace through you all! Though the May 2016 surgery was difficult and there were many ups and downs along the way, we can truly look back and rejoice at how far Sarah's health has improved. Particularly regarding her endometriosis as well as with the herniated disks in her lower back. Praise God!  

Early 2017 included numerous visits with a Japanese rheumatologist to try to understand her ongoing joint pain. She is currently on medication with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. In parallel with this approach, Sarah has also begun taking dietary supplements that have really helped boost her energy and reduce the daily impact of the joint pain.  

Praise God for the increased energy that Sarah now has and for her ability to engage more normally as homeschool Mom and engaged church member.  She has even been able to resume leading her weekly Bible study (see below) with nearby Japanese ladies.



We have been reminded of God’s goodness and provision in the midst of suffering. We also have been reminded of our weakness and self-centeredness. We are learning to be content and trust Him in our current situation. We pray that God be glorified in our weakness and that our message of Hope in Christ in the midst of physical difficulty would be a disarming message of grace to our many Japanese friends. 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses,
insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.
For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:9-10)

2) Christmas 2016 in Toyosu

Christmas was a great opportunity to engage with our local Toyosu community.  December started with our 5th annual Grace Harbor Family Gospel Choir - Christmas Concert. The choir includes about 35 adults & kids from our community (with about 2/3 coming from non-Christian families). We were able to reserve a great venue at the new Toyosu Civic Center, and have over 100 local people involved.
  


One thing that has been a pleasant surprise is how many Dads have been involved.  The photo below was taken during our first lesson of January, and we had more Dads than Moms on that particular day!  



Christmas Eve and Christmas worship services were a great blessing.  On Christmas Day, as we celebrated the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ - we also celebrated the spiritual new birth of our dear friend Yukari!  A recent college graduate, she professed her new faith in Christ and was publicly baptized.  She first attended Grace Harbor about 3 years ago, nervous that we might be some kind of cult, but after 3 years of walking in relationship with so many at Grace Harbor she professed her faith with tears of joy!  As a professional jazz musician, she blessed our church in February with her first original praise song which we now sing in worship at Grace Harbor Church! We are excited to see God continue to use her in many ways.

3) MTW Continues to Grow in Japan!

All MTW and MTW partner missionaries, from the now 6 different MTW teams from across Japan, recently gathered for the first time in this manner and rejoiced at all God is doing in Japan.  We had 75 adult missionaries (primarily MTW, plus several non-MTW Japanese, Korean, Australian, and American partners) and 82 missionary kids (infants ~ college age).  

At a time when many mission organizations in Japan are dwindling, we are thankful for God's provision of vision and resources to enable so many to be in Japan though MTW. Thank you for your part in sending our Pfeil family to Japan (our 11th year!)


MTW Japan Field Retreat: 75 adults & 82 kids from 6 MTW Teams in Japan!

4) Prayer Requests

• Please continue to pray for Sarah's ongoing recovery.  Major surgery back in May 2016,  6 months of physical therapy for herniated disks, and a minor procedure in January 2017 are all behind us.  Whew!  Joint pain is currently her most significant symptom, but prescription medication for fibromyalgia as well as dietary supplements have put Sarah in her best health in years. Pray for God's continued sustaining grace and wisdom as Sarah enters back into the rhythms of life and ministry. 
   
• Please pray for the Ladies Bible Study that Sarah is leading.  There are now 10 ladies attending on a given week, including 5 non-Christian Japanese ladies. It is a bilingual study based on the "The Gospel Centered Life" material from Serge.  The material is deep and challenging.  Pray for the non-Christians to discover and the Christians to re-discover the beauty of the gospel together.
   
• Please pray for Jon's evangelistic and discipleship relationships.  Jon meets one-on-one with several non-Christian Japanese men.  Pray for these relationships to continue to deepen over time.  One man, Mr. N, seems quite eager to keep learning from the Bible, although his recent job change makes it impossible for him to attend Sunday morning worship now. Pray for wisdom in the situation.  Jon also has become more intentional in helping with assimilating new people at Grace Harbor. Pray for wisdom in helping build community among the diversity of Japanese/English speakers, singles/young families, and locals/commuters.