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!

July Newsletter

Dear Praying Friends,                                                                                            July 2013

Ps 119:33, 34- Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.   Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

 
  As we approach our thirtieth year anniversary in Japan, our thoughts go back to the years of preparation the Lord graciously gave us before showing His will for us to come to Japan.  We would like to give thanks to all those whom God used to prepare us for serving.  Christian parents were one of the foundations of this ministry.  Both the Mansell and Coats families were faithful to teach the Word of God in our homes and to take us to Bible believing and preaching churches.  Through faithful Sunday School teachers, preachers and special activity leaders, God's statues and laws were taught. Through Bible College and further training, these truths have kept us and given us understanding to observe God's ways.  We pray that there will be a next generation that is prepared not only to go into the fields white unto harvest, but that there will be many churches and Christian parents who are planning and preparing the youth of this generation to send out with full supply of prayers and finances those whom God would call to foreign mission fields.

  July health update—Ken is still being treated for a reoccurring infection in the kidney with the three remaining stones. It is a very rare bacterium and is resistant to most antibiotics. At his next check in September we will find out if the most recent  antibiotics took care of it or not.  Vicki continues to be treated for a frozen shoulder which is improving but also had to go off the prescription muscle relaxers and pain killers due to extreme side effects.  But we still are carrying on and keeping on!
  July is also a special month because the Hokkaido missionaries all get together in central Hokkaido for a day of fellowship and food, BBQ style!  Although it rained for a couple hours, that still didn’t stop the guys from their ‘park golfing’ or the kids from playing and we ladies all just stayed under cover and kept visiting!  It’s a blessing to serve the Lord knowing there are brothers and sisters in Christ who labor together with us on this island. 

  You may remember an anesthesiologist name Dr. Nao (her first name) from Ken’s early hospitalizations for the kidney stones. Through these we became friends with Dr. Nao, had her in our home as well as regular Bible studies for quite some time until she was transferred from the area.  After that time she married another anesthesiologist and they now have a little boy.  They were transferred back to  Sapporo (where we go about 3, 4 times a year as it’s about 5 ½ hrs away).  We were able to be in Sapporo this month and arranged to visit the Hondas in their home. The husband didn’t know if he could be there or not but we did get to meet and visit with him, too, for about 30 minutes before he had to leave for an appointment.  What a joy to be back in contact with Dr. Nao and meet her family. We left a Daily Light (a one year themed verses daily reading from the Bible) in Japanese for them to use.  While they are not saved at this time, we still pray the Word of God will continue to work in their hearts and easier options for us to see them allow for continued witnessing opportunities!

  God’s divine appointments out of the blue are always something to rejoice at and pray for! When Vicki went to her regular eye follow-up (for herpes), which is a scheduled appointment every 3 months, and after sitting down in the waiting area, a woman immediately approached her, identified herself and they talked for about 30 minutes.  This woman had just decided to make the visit to the doctor the day before! She had seen and talked to Vicki several years ago. Vicki was able to give her a tract and they traded cell phone numbers. The woman began reading through the tract as soon as Vicki’s name was called.  God has a plan and we trust there are others that watch for God’s divine appointments to meet this woman’s needs!

Prayer Requests:

1.       A couple hour outreach to children in the town where the Cross family lives on August 13th

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

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

4.       Bible study with Hitomi Tsuzuki-her salvation-going through Luke 16-rich man & Lazarus

5.        New inroads to be found into people’s lives and hearts

6.       Praise for the continued enthusiasm of the Cross family for their town and their work together with us here

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.