We are still here…
This is a long overdue update on the Totsis family and the work we are doing in Osaka, Japan.
We have been poked, prodded and lovingly rebuked to start sending updates to everyone back home. So for those of you who have missed out on our weekly Facebook updates over the past 14 years, here is our attempt at a more regular non-platform based newsletter.
Here we go…
Fall has arrived – this month brought a break from the Summer heat.
The Summer months were exciting – we celebrated 3 baptisms.
Dr. Kasahara – He recognized that Jesus was the only medicine that could heal his broken marriage.
8 year-old Mikoto – His mom was baptized last summer and it’s had a profound impact on his young life. He loves to sing and play the cajon.
Mirei- She became a Christian while studying abroad in New Zealand as a high school students but hadn’t been baptized yet. She finally got dunked! We love her to pieces and couldn’t be more thrilled.
Our family had a chance to visit Kumejima and spend quality time with friends we had served with in Tokyo.
From there, we hopped over to Okinawa where our girls were thrilled to attend VBS at Calvary Chapel Okinawa. The chance to meet and talk to other American kids their age is always a treat.
Joseph helped out at the VBS game station during the week and then was blessed to teach two services Sunday morning. We are grateful and always encouraged by our Calvary Chapel Okinawa family!
While the kids were entertained at VBS, Amy had the chance to make a quick trip back to the States to spend time with family and visit The Ark Montebello and Calvary Chapel Saving Grace.
The Ark prayed us out over 14 years ago… they’ve been supportive of us from the beginning and made sure we were taken care of every time we were home. Although so much has changed since we were there, the Ark will always be home, we always love seeing familiar faces and the work God is doing.
Ryan was one of the knuckle-head high school kids we brought to Japan years ago when Joseph was the youth pastor. He now serves as the Young Adult leader at The Ark Montebello.
Saving Grace Yorba Linda has been a huge encouragement to us over the past year. They have sent out two missionaries this year to partner with us – Jeff and Alishia Root, and have more on the way! We are excited for what God is doing in Japan.
In September, our family attended the CCA Asia Conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand for the first time. Wow, were we encouraged and refreshed! The chance to meet fellow missionaries serving all over Asia was awesome.
Our girls were encouraged by the children’s team out of Calvary Chapel Kent, Washington and loved meeting kids from other countries.
October has a busy with the start of the upcoming holiday season.
As Halloween becomes more and more popular in Japan, we have used it as an outreach event… We celebrated Fall Fun Fest at Abide with our English students and were able to share the love of Jesus with the kids and their onlooking parents.
We are always so blessed to see the relationships being built and how they cross generations during our weekly abide gatherings.
Please pray that God would continue to increase our Japanese language ability.
That God would provide Abide with more space and servants for the growing church – new faces, bigger kids and more babies!
That all of us at Abide would continue to grow in our faith and that we would bear much fruit.
We are excited and hopeful for what God is doing in Japan.
Thank you for your love and support and joining us on the road we’re on…
Special thanks to the Lord for all our overseas prayer and support partners.
Calvary Chapel Saving Grace – Yorba Linda, California
Horizonte – Hermosillo, Mexico
Southwest Calvary – Buckeye, Arizona
The Ark – Montebello, California
Vision Calvary Chapel – Lindsay, California