October Prayer Letter

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:  Psalms 103:1-2

How can we, mere sinners saved by Grace, bless an almighty eternal holy God?  These verses give us three things to do in order to give to God a blessing.  1) Give the deepest and truest part of us, our soul, a command that our lives will be ordered in such a way that our attitudes and actions are pleasing to the Lord; 2) Don't do this halfheartedly or timidly, jump on in with your whole being! without reservation and with total trust in the Lord;   3) Take steps to remember God's goodness and providence in our lives and in the affairs of men,  don't overlook or forget all the bountiful blessings He give us all the time.  Count our blessings!  We count each of you as part of the blessings that the almighty God has given us.  Thank you for being willing to be used for His glory in this way.  Let's continue and abound in the time God graciously gives each of us.

Even after 30 years, there can be moments of "Lord, this is so hard and takes so much time to plant and water". When Vicki experienced a few of those thoughts this month within 24 hours the Lord gave two new opportunities: a long time contact agreed to begin the six-week Christianity Explained Bible course!  We have known the Urayama family for 28 of the 30 years we have been in Japan and have witnessed through various opportunities.  We reported recently that Ken had been able to attend a piano concert by Rui Urayama and he spent the night with the family in that city.  That evening provided some insight to the family.  Ken has stopped by several times after Monday night English and Bible study class in Horonobe to visit Dr. Urayama at this small town hospital where he has an apartment and is on 24 hr call except weekends.  Ken prays with him every time he stops by and this time told him about the 6 week study. Dr. Urayama agreed to begin this study. When Ken asked him if he needed a Bible the Dr. said he had one of his own and showed it to Ken!! What a blessing to have this new deeper opportunity of study with Dr. Urayama and we covet your prayers for this study and for his salvation as well as his family.

The second opportunity that has begun 'again' is after a 3 year lapse!!  For a time period (as with so many of our contacts in this area) another doctor had been studying on Wednesday evenings with Ken and both English and Bible.  Then he moved.  One evening, without any announcement, he showed up at our door! He and his wife live in Sapporo where we sometimes go for shopping of things that cannot be had in this area including supplies for Ken's building projects and for ourselves.  He had come back to Teshio for overnight for a health reason and wanted to confer with the x-ray technician that he had seen originally. The shorter end of this story is that he stayed for dinner and Ken was able to help get him set up with Skype on his laptop which he had brought with him. They  checked out their connection and set up Tuesday nights as their weekly English lesson time.  Dr. Mitsu told Ken that night that he understands why Ken wants to tell him about 'your God' but "I have too many ancestors to take care of so I cannot study about your God right now".  While we would be thrilled to have him again studying the Bible as well as the English, we trust God to open that door again and we pray it is soon.  We will be having a visit with both him and his wife on the evening of the 12th of December. It is Vicki's birthday and the doctor's wife's is the 8th so they want to celebrate our birthdays together. We will travel, Lord willing, to Sapporo that day and be with them, spend the night, shop and come home!  Thank you for remembering these dear folk who truly need Christ! We also thank God for His reminder that patience is truly a virtue in this country and He will continue to bless and help His Word not return void!!

Our plans for our 30th yr anniversary furlough for Christmas through May are all set and the Lord has provided in so many wonderful ways! Continue to pray for our preparation for that trip as well as the Christmas evangelism programs taking place before we leave.  

 

Dates coming up--
December 5-Ken has next check-up on kidney stones

December 7-We hold a Christmas evangelism in Kotanbetsu where the Crosses live.
December 12-dinner opportunity with Dr. Mitsu and his wife; witnessing opportunities

December 23rd- Teshio Christmas program evangelism--fellow missionary Randy Smith and his family will be joining us to add to our music program through strings, flute, and song

December 24th- we leave for USA via Seoul, Korea arriving at Appels in Atlanta on Christmas Day. Preparation for that trip especially final route decisions, meetings, and presentation preparation.

Serving Christ Together,
Ken & Vicki Mansell 

 

Just A Prayer At Night – Your evening is our daytime!

 

 

September Prayer Letter

Dear Praying Friends,                                                                                

 

Isaiah 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
God gave us this verse as a mission call to Japan.  Today as we write this, October 7th, 2013, by the grace of God, marks the end of the first 30 years of fulfilling that call here in northern Hokkaido, Japan.  I recall on that day as we boarded the airplane out of Los Angles and we watched the lights of the Pacific coast of the United States fade away in the darkness, I silently sang the national anthem and thanked God for His calling.  In the years that have passed, many things in the United States have changed:  Economic, politics and morals have declined greatly.  There is a great need for those biblical Christians in the United States to abound in taking a stand for the Lord in the grace of God.  We are thankful for each of you that do this so that we and many other missionaries throughout the world can continue to give the gospel to the people God has called us to.  You too have a calling of God.  It is the same one we have; only the location is different.  May God bless your witness this day for the Lord.

Memories abound of God’s goodness not only here in Japan but also in His training period through the years since we got married in 1974.  Little did we know that each step we took in obedience and all along the way were part of His boot camp training time.  Helping us learn to trust in each other, walk along with each other and know that God was leading and helping us making decisions (first 3 years); leading Ken back into some schooling to finish one degree (1 yr) and at the end of that moving us to Minnesota where we were quite content in the assistant pastorate work we were involved in (2 ½ years) when God moved on our own hearts to go into full time church planting on a foreign field.  That led Ken to go back to Bible school one more time (2 yrs) to get some more training specifically in missions. While there we were involved in AWANA and jr. church, all the while seeking where God would want us to go.  It’s not an easy decision when the entire world needs the Gospel!!  Here is what Vicki wrote about our call to Japan on our 20^th anniversary—

During his senior year at that time, a senior missionary from northern Japan, specifically the island of Hokkaido, came to visit on campus and tell the student body of his desire of reaching the northern rural area of Hokkaido, Japan with new missionaries where he had been ministering for quite a few years.  So many missionaries called to Japan stay in the southern larger populated areas.  His desire was to see more come north. And not only north to Japan but by a special program of new missionaries working with a veteran missionary for two years to lead them patiently through the ropes of everyday living, learning the language, and dealing with people in the difficult country of Japan. We praise God for that patient guarded teaching.

 Ken was on campus that day hearing the missionary speaker in chapel.  The campus chapel time was always broadcast on the local Christian radio station so I listened while at home.  When Ken walked through the door of our home that afternoon I don't remember which of us started talking first, but it was both of the same thing—what do you think about northern Japan?

We prayed, discussed the program, met with the missionary several times as well as several pastors that were working with him, got the counsel of our pastor and my Dad. What a blessing it was to meet and pray with him and when we asked him what he thought this was Dad's reply, "Your mother and I have been praying for several years now that God would send someone to help in this needy area.  Never did we dream our own daughter and son-in-law would answer that prayer." -----

After Ken graduated in 1981 we began our year and half of full time deputation with much fear and trembling but also joy that God had shown us his will.  God blessed and there is no way we can share all that He has done in these last 30 yrs. But this one thing we know: We fail, but God picks us up; We try and God works through us; We plant, water and pray that the seed will grow into true salvation and that the seed will not be plucked out.  That’s the way it was when we first started and that’s the way it continues. Japan is still a hard field to reach with the Gospel but we will patiently keep on planting and watering and waiting for the increase.  May we always be faithful for our God is Always Faithful and His mercies are new every morning.

 

Serving Christ Together,    

Ken & Vicki Mansell           Just A Prayer At Night – Your evening is our daytime!

April Newletter

Dear Praying Friends,                                                                                            www.worldtell.com

Acts 4:9, 10 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;  Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

As Peter stated in these verses, any good deed that we get thanked for is not because of us, but because of God's grace of the risen Savior working through us.  Recently I was told that whenever I walk into the teacher's room at school, the atmosphere of the area changes to a more light-hearted joyful place.  I was able to reply that it is the grace of God through me.  In the same way this month, we want to give God the glory for the grace of God shown through three more of the churches that have stood with us through the past 30 years of ministry here in Japan.  First Baptist Church of Dillon Montana, First Baptist Church of Cody Wyoming and Bible Baptist Church of Sidney Montana.  Vicki's father, Arthur Coats pastored the church in Dillon for seven years when she was in elementary school. So, there are many there who are like family to us, and especially her.  The church's Christian Women's Fellowship has also made us a special point of ministry and prayer.  The old log building church in Cody is special because of the people in it and the pastors who have served it. First Pastor Nichols and then Pastor Barrick have been very encouraging to us through the years.  In Sidney Montana, the people and Pastor Backhaus have been especially personally encouraging.  We have had two young people from this church come for summer missionary internship and last year Pastor & Mrs. Backhaus came to visit us. We give praise to God for these faithful local churches who have demonstrated the grace and power of the risen Saviour to the Japanese through us these thirty years.

April is the end of the full school year here in Japan.  We are usually stateside this time of year on short reporting furloughs. Beings we weren’t this year, Ken was able to attend two grade school graduations, two junior high graduations and one high school.  This gives opportunity to greet many parents, who we normally do not see, and for interaction with the teachers and principals.  We never know what little seed through action and word may begin a series of deeper opportunities to get the gospel to these dear people.  With the end of the school year comes transfer in and out for various teachers.  We are thankful that Miss Tsuzuki requested and was granted another year here in Teshio. Ken is now team teaching with a couple new teachers and one of them came over for supper the other night. She said she would come to the Sunday English service some time so please pray for Miss Nakamura and further opportunities to minister unto her.  We continue to see Ken’s teaching in the local schools as a means to open doors for furthering the gospel beyond the church building and meetings we hold here.

Ken had another 3 month checkup on the remaining kidney stones.  No major change although there is still some slightly elevated white blood count so they will do a special medicated CAT scan in July to see if they are missing anything else.  We are thankful for no new stones beginning and no complications indicated. 

Vicki has again been asked to be the president of the local ladies’ chorus group as well as a continued consulting member of a small group that meets about 3-4 times a year to talk about creating more communication in families, to keep events going within the community and community development.  Each is a small open window for the Lord to use for His glory.

Prayer Requests:

1.       Families of believers to be saved and baptism of believers

2.       Health of Mrs. Sonoda; salvation of her husband and father; her mother’s health

3.       Bible study with Hitomi Tsuzuki-her salvation; rehab and healing of her knee

4.       New inroads to be found into people’s lives and hearts; Mr. Moriyama, Miss Emi, Filipino ladies;

5.        Praying for those that left Teshio this month to have further Christian contacts and for new folk that come in and we may find ways of meeting them

Serving Christ Together,     Ken & Vicki Mansell           Just A Prayer At Night – Your evening is our daytime!

March Prayer Letter 2013

A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.  Eccl. 7:1

In this our 30th year of service in Japan, we wish to honor churches and individuals who have supported this ministry during that time. This month we honor our prayer warriors.  Prayer is the most valued support a missionary receives.  It not only brings great power before the Lord of the harvest but it also is a great encouragement to know that there are those who faithfully pray for missionaries. There are so many prayer warriors God has given us over the years that it would be impossible to name them all.  Plus, we believe that there are many that we do not know of, yet they have humbly lifted us up before the Lord on a regular basis for which we are grateful.   Here we would at least like to honor three: Mrs. Clegg, Lowell Thompson and Mrs. Evelyn Gumm.  All three are with our Saviour now.  Mrs. Gumm, who was promoted to heaven last year, was a long time prayer warrior for us and so many others. We would see her in her favorite chair with her Bible open and her list in hand.   Her husband did our support reports for many years when we first came to Japan.  Mrs. Clegg prayed for us from the early days of deputation and also sent a true "widow’s mite" each month.  She prayed daily for a long list of missionaries and pastors.  That was her special mission.  Ken’s friend, Lowell Thompson, just went home to heaven last month.  This prayer warrior and man of God prayed faithfully for this and many other ministries.  We knew each other in church when we were quite young.  Although we did not communicate often through the years, he and his family faithfully prayed for us.  Thank you, Lord Jesus, for these faithful prayer warriors and others like them, who shall receive their reward for service from you.

This month marks the last month of a school year here which runs from April to March. Ken has attended all the local school graduations and with it has brought the opportunity to talk to principals, teachers and some parents.  It is hopefully also a month of spring weather returning but that was postponed quite a bit due to more snow storms. At least though, Mr. Moriyama’s job with the snow plows had slowed down enough he was able to be back in a church service with us. We were finally able to work out picking up the Filipino ladies from Enbetsu and having them with us as well on Resurrection Sunday for the a.m. service and dinner before taking them back for their dairy farm jobs.  Please pray that these young ladies and Mr. Moriyama will be able to come more often. 

Miss Tsuzuki remains faithful in either the a.m. or evening service with her studies.  We pointedly and lovingly asked her this month if she was ready to allow the belief she has in Christ to be turned into saving faith but she said although she understands she is still fearful of being ‘different’ than her family.  She needs continued prayer to come to an understanding that ‘fear’ will always be there but Christ will give strength, wisdom and grace to overcome and work in the hearts of her family as well.  We will patiently await the longed for date when she receives Christ as her Savior.

Mrs. Sonoda’s health continues to be a concern yet she faithfully attends each week.  We so long to see her relieved some of the symptoms which can lay her low so much of each month.  Thank you for praying for her as well.

Prayer Requests:

1.      Families of believers to be saved and baptism of believers

2.      Health of Mrs. Sonoda; salvation of her husband and father (father in poor health)

3.      Bible study with Hitomi Tsuzuki-her salvation; rehab and healing of her knee

4.      New inroads to be found into people’s lives and hearts; Mr. Moriyama, Miss Emi, Filipino ladies;

5.       March/April is a major transition in and out with jobs—praying for those that leave to have further Christian contacts and for new folk that come in and we may find ways of meeting them

6.   yen/dollar values; instability with North Korea

Praise God for 39 yrs of marriage this month with 29 of that here in Japan—

God’s blessings to us as a couple are innumerable!!

Serving Christ Together,   

  Ken & Vicki Mansell           

 Just A Prayer At Night – Your evening is our daytime!

Our next door neighbor's grand-daughter went into first grade this year--they hold kindergarten graduations.  This is Ayane in her kimono for that event. Vicki also made and decorated the cake for her. We moved into Teshio when her grandmother was pregnant with her mother.  Her mother, Tomomi made a profession when she was in high school but has fallen away from the Lord since she got married.  We pray that we can continue to reach Tomomi and her family.