Chris & Leanne May 2023 Prayer Requests

As Chris has taken on more leadership with SEND Japan, he has been a part of more vision and ministry planning for our mission in Japan. One of the focuses recently is helping our camp ministry, Okutama Bible Chalet, plan and reorganize. Hundreds of campers come through the camp ministry every year. The consensus is that we are entering a new era of camp ministry and need to update how the camp has been operating. Please pray the Lord will give Chris and others the wisdom to make the necessary changes to accomplish the goal of glorifying God through camp ministry.

-Chris

Chris & Leanne April 2023 Prayer Requests

We were so blessed and we praise God for all of the youth gatherings we were able to have during spring break this year. May those seeds grow into relationships which will allow for deeper sharing of faith.

The new school year has begun. Recently Covid restrictions have been removed. Which will allow us as a church family to begin having lunch together after service again. This is a part of the life of the church which has been missed for 3 years now. So we praise God that we can fellowship again together in this way. To be able to share what God has been teaching us, as we eat together. To be able to laugh and talk about life while our children play. Pray the Lord will use these gatherings to grow our faith and encourage each believer to share their faith with others.

Please also be in prayer for Lillia and Jude. They will be entering new schools this month. For Jude this is his first schooling experience. We thank you for your prayers for our children. We have seen the Lord hearing your prayers and protecting our children. God is good.

-Chris

Chris & Leanne April 2023 Update

Dear Parkside Church Family,

Thank for your continued partnership in the gospel. Your prayers and support are felt! The people of Japan have captured our hearts, but the work can be slow and discouraging.

The Tohoku region has been referred to as the “graveyard of missionaries and pastors.” When I first heard this, I thought, “How negative!” Now, I’m thankful for this title. Not only does it drive us to support our Japanese and mission partners with more resolve, but it also exponentially increases the joy we experience over each Japanese who becomes a Christian. Jesus said in Luke 15 “There is joy in heaven over ONE sinner who repents.” There’s nothing quite like that joy! We work closely with Yukimasa Otomo, senior pastor of Shiogama Bible Baptist Church (SBBC) and Satoshi Ueno, pastor of C-Side church (the church plant in Shichigahama).

Our ministry is to support them in reaching this area for Christ. We pray we can hold up their hands as Aaron and Hur did for Moses during the battle against Amalek. To do this, we wear many hats. We host youth nights at our home, teach English, plan events for families, meet with moms, lead Sunday schools, etc. The youth nights at our home have been an integral part of our ministry this term. It has been a blessing to see the impact they have had. These nights are purposeful and prayed over. The groups of kids who are invited are different each time. Sometimes the evenings are used to reconnect with kids who we haven’t seen in a while. Other times it is to introduce more of Jesus to the kids from our church's English classes. And other times, we use the time to equip and encourage Christian children in how to follow Jesus in their context.

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Chris & Leanne March 2023 Prayer Requests

This month is the change over to a new school year. Many jobs, activities and people in Japan find their new beginnings in April. Which means that March is a time of goodbyes and endings. So please be in prayer as we enter into goodbyes well.

Some relationships you pour into and hope for gospel fruit. May that fruit come in the future. May the Lord also give us gospel conversations in these final days. Ironically people tend to open up most right before moving on. So pray we can use this time for God’s glory. To love, listen and share Christ with our friends.

Personally, please pray for our kids as they come to the end of their school year. May God be preparing them now for their new school year. Claire and Graham will be changing classes. But Lillia will be changing schools as she moves into middle school. And Jude will be heading off to Kindergarten. So many changes come in March. May we have the space to share Christ’s love with the people God has put in our lives.

Chris

Chris & Leanne January 2023 Prayer Requests

We are blessed to be entering a new year of ministry here in Japan. Please be in prayer for an English conversation group we started call English Table. It is a gathering for people to come as they are. There is no curriculum or homework. It is purely a time for us to get into relationships in our community. We have been so blessed to be able to grow deeper with friends who come. Pray the Lord will continue to naturally bring our faith into conversations. May the Lord give us more and more opportunities to share who we are in Christ.

Also, please pray for Chris as he is preparing to preach on 1/29 in Japanese. May the Lord speak through him for God's glory and the churches edification.

Chris & Leanne December 2022 Prayer Requests

Please be in prayer for us as we enter into the Christmas holiday season. So many opportunities to share who we are in Christ. From simple sharing of different Christmas decorations symbolism, to sharing the Christmas story. The Lord has given us opportunities in the past to share about his sacrificial gift of leaving heaven to come to earth. And do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Please pray for the different gatherings, both friend-to-friend and larger gatherings, spread out throughout December.

We also have recently started a community English conversation group. We already have 5 people who have decided to join us. Through this group we pray we will grow deeper in relationship and have gospel focused conversations. It is a wonderful way to meet new people in our community. And as the Lord leads, share who we are in Christ through conversations.

Chris

Chris & Leanne November 2022 Prayer Requests

Please pray for the beginning of a new English conversation group. It is our hope to use casual conversation to build bridges of relationship with the people in our area. In the hopes that we will have gospel opportunities with them over the coming months and years. This group isn’t religious in nature. It is purely a way to get into the lives of the people in our area. But through becoming friends the Lord will open moments for us to share who we are in Christ and to be able to speak truth into the lives of those God brings to the group. So please pray the Lord will bring whom he desires. And that their hearts will be open to the love of Christ.

Also, be in pray for the many chances we will have to share about American Thanksgiving. Through these times together we are able to encourage people to think about the blessings they have in life. And how those blessings come from our Father in Heaven. We as Christians have so much to be thankful for. May the Lord use the celebrations of this time of year for his glory. May those who come to our Thanksgiving gatherings see more fully how the Lord has blessed them. And how there is a free blessing through Christ which they may accept.

Thank you,

Chris & Leanne Harrington

Chris & Leanne October 2022 Prayer Requests

As the leaves begin to change we continue to pray the Lord will change the hearts of the Japanese people. We have a praise we would like you to share in.

God brought about an opportunity with one of the English conversation group participants. She hadn’t been coming to the group in a while. But out of the blue, she asked if we would be willing to tell her about Christianity. She was needing to do a presentation in her high school class about a different religion. God put it on her heart to ask us about Christianity. Before we had a chance to meet we invited her to come to our church plants worship service. She was willing to come. It was her first time experiencing the worship of God. And one of our missionary teammates was to share her testimony that day. So the gospel was clearly shared. Afterwards we met and were able to answer her questions. We thank and praise God for this opportunity. Many seeds were planted in her life, but also spread over her classmates and teacher as well. PRAISE GOD!

May the Lord use this sharing of Christ’s love on the cross in the lives of her and her class for God’s glory.

Chris & Leanne

Chris & Leanne August 2022 Prayer Requests

*Please be in prayer for the summer camps our church is a part of this year. Our three oldest kids will be attending with some of their non-Christian friends. Please pray for these camps, because it allows time for deepening of relationships and a chance to hear the gospel clearly preached. Being able to step away from normal everyday life, allows for many barriers to be removed to hear and dwell on God’s Word.

*The Lord has been working on the hearts of some of our close friends. May the Lord continue to open their hearts to the gospel.

*Two ladies have begun a Bible study with our church planting pastor. Some of you may remember them, since they came to Cleveland to stay with us for a week during our time in America. A couple of Parkside families poured love into them while they were in Cleveland. And now they are seeking the Lord in a Bible study. They are not yet believing in the promise, but we seek the Lord for his moving in their lives.

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Chris & Leanne July 2022 Prayer Requests

* Now that summer has arrived, we have more opportunities to gather. Either at the park & BBQs with friends. Or in larger outdoor events or summer camps. God, please open our eyes to the divine appointments you have given us. 

* During summer camp we will have around 15 kids coming who are not Christians. These chances to step away from regular life to be able to hear and dwell on the gospel are so crucial in their journey. May the Lord bless these times. Giving the children hearts and ears to hear. And a willingness to openly discuss their thoughts with the different camp leaders.

* May camp not be the only chance we have this summer to share Christ’s love with the people of our community. May the Holy Spirit give us and our church family the words to say when the moment comes.