Tsushima Volunteer Mission Report – January 2020

Praise God! He Faithfully Answers Prayer

Hi everyone!!

Since last year, we have been preparing for a new agricultural project which will start next year. We are going to teach local children and their parents how to grow vegetables and fruit, and also how to fix agricultural machines by working together.

Since last year we had been praying to God about land to start the project but we could not find enough land for the project. So we just kept praying without giving up. God is so good and faithful to our prayer. Last month by His grace, we were able to rent a very beautiful orchard for free. The orchard already has many peach trees and pear trees, and equipment to maintain it.

Our original plan was to get a 30A plot of land and purchase a tractor. Unfortunately, we were not able to get the land in time or raise enough money for the tractor. God knew better than we did and He provided some land and equipment to go with it. This now allows us to use the donations for the tractor to go into the project to help get the farm started.

How it all happened . . .

Three years ago, we met an old farmer lady working at her orchard alone, but she was too old to do the heavy physical work every day. So we helped her work as much as we could whenever she asked us.

This year she told us that she decided to move to Osaka to live with her family and get better medical treatment for 3 years. So she asked us to manage the farm while she’s gone. We were so glad to have this opportunity to manage the orchard and use it for our ministry while we grow other fruits at another place.

Also, many local people are very glad about what we try to do because most local farmers on our island are very old. Sometimes they also need our help for heavy physical work, and sometimes to fix their broken machines. The good news is that some old farmers donated their agricultural machines for our project. The machines are very old but work well when we clean and maintain the engines.

By helping older farmers who need our help, they trust us a lot and we have more chances to tell of the love of Jesus.

Please pray for our new project so God gives us more knowledge and wisdom for His glory.

While we had planned to have our own farm, God has provided us with this opportunity to serve others and He has given us a farm that is free to use for 3 years. God is so good. Please keep praying for us and this project. The Lord keeps blessing and taking us in paths we have not thought of but He is clearly at work here.

“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.'” . . . “Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit” (The Ministry of Healing, pp. 143, 144).

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5, 22-25

Kimiyoshi Kurihara

The elderly lady farmer we have been helping.

 

Fruit trees in the orchard.

 

Old but functioning cultivator.

 

The children enjoy helping also.

 

If you want to know more about our mission, please visit our page: www.tsushimamission.com
Kimiyoshi Kurihara
JCSI (Japan Christian Service Int’l)
Director

If you’d like to help.

Make checks payable to:
Gospel Ministries International

Send checks to:
GMI (Gospel Ministries International)
P O Box 506,
Collegedale, TN 37315-0506
(Be sure to specify donation is for “Japan Christian Service Int’l” (JCSI)

Online Donations:
You can donate online through paypal: http://gospelministry.org/donations/

Phone: 423-473-1841 Ask for Tim Tillman