Dear Friends and Fellow Workers in the Lord;

Last October the Okinawa Baptist Convention (OBC) pastors' prayer group provided a welcome- back party for us.When asked to say a word of greeting, David expressed how we were praying for a particular place of service, and shared about the needs-based style of ministry to which we believe the Lord has called us.

During the fellowship time following our greetings, a very elderly widowed pastor of a declining church approached us and inquired, “Hamagawa Church is fine in its giving, but we need help in becoming more evangelistic.According to what you spoke about this morning, can you come and help us?” Looking into those eyes of experience, we felt love and compassion for this devoted servant of the Lord, and for the little church she had served faithfully for many years.

We couldn’t commit to helping full time right then because we were conferring with the convention leadership to come to a consensus about the place where we could serve that would be the best application of our skills. Another church had already extended an informal invitation to assist them in planting a new church, and convention leaders were excited about that possibility.

However, now looking into the eyes of this pastor we agreed to make a visit to Hamagawa Church.That visit turned into six weeks of worship with that small, loving family of believers.The elderly pastor suggested that maybe we could start an English Bible class, to which there was some interest among the congregation.

However, we sensed a desire for more than that from the membership, and also felt that the church needed much more than just an additional program.The key ingredient of love is there, but the church needs new direction and leadership for survival and future growth.

So, David appraised the convention General Secretary of the situation, who advised that we visit some other churches for a while, just to be open to other possibilities for ministry.Our absence from Hamagawa church for two weeks while we visited another church was a positive step.It gave us more time to investigate the other ministry possibility, (assisting a church in planting a new mission).At the prospective “mother church” we learned that there was indeed excitement about the idea, but since that church is “between pastors” (being served by an interim) the congregation is not yet ready for such an enterprise.

That two-week break also gave time for the Hamagawa church pastor to consider the prospect that she must begin to relinquish some duties to allow the missionaries to help out in more productive ways. When we returned to the church before Christmas the pastor agreed to let David preach once-monthly, starting Dec 30.He seemed to be well-received by the church.

Then, on Jan 1, we celebrated New Year’s Day in worship, and enjoyed a fellowship meal afterwards.We felt a marvelous sense of “family” and there was a more relaxed, jovial atmosphere, knowing that we were committed to helping them.

It is still a delicate situation.David does not want to usurp the pastor’s authority. There was no formal installation to a specific role at the church, yet we know that the Holy Spirit has guided us there with a type of “Macedonian call”—not with a vision, but through a face- to-face meeting of minds and hearts.

Prayer Requests and Praises

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Is there any question about what our main prayer concern is? We ask for the Lord’s wisdom in how to lovingly “share the reins of leadership” of Hamagawa churh.Part of the equation is how to help the church to see the need to re-establish a Deaconate, so they can officially make viable decisions, even in the absence of a pastor.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->On a more personal note, we are thrilled to have our eldest son, Shinya (20) staying with us until Jan 14.He has had the chance to reconnect with school mates, worship with us at church, and enjoy the gym at the school.Most important, his adoring little sister, Joanna (7) is delighted to have here big brother back for a while. Please pray for Shinya’s safe return to Alderson Broaddus College at Philippi on Jan 14.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->His brother, TK (19) spent the holidays with his grandmother, Maxine Turley in Milton, West Virginia. TK is hoping to return to Okinawa again for a visit in May.Please continue to pray for TK’s college life at Marshall University.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Thank you for your prayers for our safe trip to Yokohama and Tokyo to visit friends for Christmas.We praise God for a wonderful, blessed Christmas and for our safe return to Okinawa on Dec 27.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Please also pray for a group from West Virginia who will be here in Okinawa this summer.Crossroads’ Community Chapel pastor, Roger Adams, is leading a group that will spend about eight days here the end of June to minister with the Okinawa Baptist Convention and Okinawa Christian School International.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Please pray for a much loved church in Yokohama is experiencing a similar problem of an aging pastor, beloved by the church, yet needing to step down for the future growth of the church.Please pray for that church in Yokohama.

We pray that 2008 will be a blessed year for all of you.Thank you so much for the support you have shown to us and for your sharing with us in ministry here.We feel so blessed and so part of a cloud of witnesses to the Gospel.

InChrist’s Love,

David and Leslie Turley