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Back: Julie, James, Joy Front: Takafumi (Tea), Rebecca
Doctrinal Statement
1. The Scripture, Old and New Testament, is the inerrant and infallible Word of God given by inspiration. 2. There is one triune God who exists in three persons -- God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is sovereign, holy, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. 3. The virgin birth, deity, death, burial, bodily resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. His coming is imminent, pre-millennial and pre- tribulation. 4. The Holy Spirit convicts men of sin, brings them to Christ, baptizes the believer to the body of Christ, indwells in them forever, and communicates God's Word to their hearts. 5. The total depravity of man renders him lost and condemned to eternal conscious punishment in Hell. 6. Salvation is by grace through faith and a gift of God. Justification is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Upon receiving Christ, the believer is sealed eternally by the Holy Spirit. 7. The New Testament Church is an organized body of believers practicing scriptural ordinances and actively trying to reach the lost.
Our Ministry
We were married July 31, 1984. Since both of us were serving the Lord before we were married, we continued doing the same afterwards. Takafumi was in charge of the church until the missionaries returned from furlough. The a few months later, we went to America.
The first time we went to America together was 8 months after we were married. For 3 months we visited family and friends. We also visited some churches. These churches supported Rebecca when she was single. (All but one church dropped their support, because they were informed that she stopped doing mission work, but after being married, she continued doing God's work.) During that short period, our support level did increase. We returned to Japan to work for the next 2 years. In the mean time, we continued to help the missionaries. It seemed to be a period of testing and training for our ministry. Also, our first child was born, Julie. Once again we returned to the U.S. for eleven months to raise additional support. Getting into new churches was difficult, but the Lord supplied and enabled us to increase our monthly funds. We returned to Japan as quickly as possible to take care of things we had left. Upon our return, we rented a room 8' x 10' for $300 a month to hold services. We began a new work in another location. The Lord led us to work on our own instead of with the missionaries. We were in this location for nearly 3 years. Once again during this time, the Lord gave us another daughter, Joy. So Takafumi would not need a part time job, we returned to America to raise full support. We were there one and one half years. Even though it was still not sufficient, we returned to Japan. During the next 4 years, we were working in 2 locations. The work we had started and a new work. The Lord provided and met our needs as we worked for His glory. He again blessed us with a child. This time He gave us a son, James. It was furlough time again. The next eleven months we spent visiting supporting churches and new ones. The Lord led us to work with another missionary family upon our return to Japan. After a half a year, they began a new work, and we stayed in the existing work. Approximately three years ago Takafumi, after much prayer, took on the task of translating the Textus Receptus into Japanese. Although it has been a long and sometimes hard task the end is near. If the Lord tarries Takafumi will be finished late this summer. |