ONE YEAR IN JAPAN!
We can’t believe it! We’ve been in Japan for one whole year! Thank you to everyone who prays for us, supports us, and encourages us. We absolutely could not be here without you. We are amazed to say that we have people supporting and encouraging us in over seven different states. We just wanted to take a minute to share some of our major accomplishments and updates from our first year in Japan!
Church:
Wearing yukata (the summer kimono) at a church event.
We got involved at a local church, Mitaki Green Chapel, and their recent church plant, Miyajima Praise Chapel (MPC). Mitaki Green Chapel and MPC are Assemblies of God churches (there are no IPHC churches in Hiroshima). We were quickly welcomed into the church family there and now attend various English and Japanese services and Bible studies. Devin is preaching on rotation in the English service while the pastor is on sabbatical and helps teach at the English Bible study. Recently, a mom brought her two middle school age daughters and their friend to our fellowship time after our Bible study to practice English. They have been consistently attending since December, and, with translation help, Devin teaches them from the book of Matthew. The girls ask thoughtful questions and give good answers. We’ve been told that it is rare for someone to show as much interest as they do. Please be in prayer for these three girls and the mom!
Devin teaching from Matthew to three girls and their mothers.
Student Ministry:
Our first English Game Night event with 14 students!
We recently reconnected with our Christian friend who is a professor at a local university. Devin worked with him when he lived in Hiroshima previously. Through our connection with him, we started going to a weekly English conversation club and have been able to make connections with several students. We are so glad to finally have a solid group of students that we see on a regular basis! Please pray that we can further our connection with them. We were also invited to attend one of the professor’s classes, through which we met several students who enjoy playing games. Because of their interest, we started a monthly English Game Night hosted at a church downtown. 14 students attended our first event! Since we hosted the game night at a church, one student started asking questions about the Bible! Please pray for further connections with these students as well!
Language Learning:
Devin and I both studied Japanese in the past; however, we had forgotten a lot while we were in the U.S. Since returning to Japan, we are in a good study routine. A friend at church recommended us to attend a conversation group called Colorful, which is organized by native Japanese speakers to help foreigners practice their conversation skills. We really enjoy meeting other people and improving our practical day-to-day speaking! We also attend tutoring once every other week with a Japanese teacher from a Bible study that Breanne leads. She has been very helpful in correcting our mistakes, and helping us speak with correct grammar! We also study independently at home with an online program, listen to podcasts, practice memorizing and writing characters, journal, etc. Japanese takes about seven years for a native English speaker to learn, so while we are putting in the effort, we have a long way to go still! Please be praying that we would become more conversational within the next year on the field!
Various Ministry:
Breanne's first embroidery outreach event!
We also do other assorted forms of ministry. Devin attends a Retired Men’s Cooking Club held at our church as an outreach event. He also attends a Bible study every other week. Breanne hosts embroidery outreach events through our church and runs a Women’s Bible study hosted at a church downtown. We also enjoy attending a once-a-month English outreach event at a local church, as well as meeting and fellowshipping with other missionaries in Hiroshima. We’ve also had the opportunity to host two young adults who are interested in missions and/or missions in Japan: Oakley and Hannah.
THANK YOU!
Thank you to everyone who has supported us in our first year in Japan! We are thankful for the progress we’ve made so far and are excited for what the next year holds for us! Our goals for our second year in Hiroshima include getting more involved with the Japanese service at church, hosting more English Game Nights, hosting more embroidery outreach events, and becoming conversational in Japanese!
Sincerely,
Devin & Breanne Harden
