Greetings from Japan.  You may be surprised I am writing a new blog post two days in a row.  This is something that has been in my heart for a while.  However, it always takes courage to write and ask for more help and support. I was not sure if this would be the right timing because of the holidays and everyone is busy around this time.  After praying for several days, God has given me peace to share.

A Growing Problem

In the last month, there were two moms who committed suicide after killing their child(children) in our city. One of these tragedies happened at a house that is about a 10 minutes drive from our church.   It’s called “Muri Shinjyuu (forced murder-suicide)” and it happens a lot here in Japan.  When a parent believes they have no hope and decides to commit suicide, dad/mom will feeling sorry for a child that will be left behind kills him/her.  The frequency of occurrence is numbing people to the point that they are not even surprised or shocked when it happens.

Every time I hear news like this my heart breaks. This time hits me really hard. It happened so close to the community we serve and the child who was killed happened to be my friend’s former student.  Just the fact that a parent believes this is the only solution is very heartbreaking.

After discussing this with my good friend/ministry partner, we wanted to take action.  We wanted to invite our non-believer mom friends and share the hope we have in Christ.  We wanted them to know they can ask for help.  And we wanted them to be the ones to offer help to their friends.  So that is exactly what we did!

All the moms that came shared that they had struggled with marriage/parenting before, and some of them said they didn’t have anyone they could trust to share their needs and concerns.  Everyone agrees with the need and share our vision for “mom’s community”. They asked if we could continue meeting more often and if they could invite their friends.

I have been reflecting and thinking a lot about this community, and there is so much more I want to do and so many more people I want to invite.

A Local Need Revealed

Right after we had one of the fellowships, we also hosted a bazaar (like an inside garage sale) at Hope House to raise money for orphans in India.  My friend, who is a single mom, came with her daughter.  She shared that she would be leaving her parents’ house to move to an apartment.  This is the step that she has been praying/preparing for for a long time.  She has worked very hard to be able to provide for her daughter.

I have been praying for them for several years and I am so happy for their new journey.  When I asked her how we can help, she was hesitant at first (a typical Japanese person wouldn’t ask for help), but she shared that she doesn’t have anything for her new apartment.  Several ladies at our church are trying to provide what we can, but I know the need is great.  This is a mom who hasn’t asked for any help.  And I know her family can’t help her much (this is one of many reasons she is leaving her parents’ house).

How You Can Help

I am writing this because we know there are many needs.  And even though I don’t like to ask for financial help, I know God has sent me here to make Him known and there are many people who love and care about Japanese people.  In order for me to continue ministering to these moms and children, I need your help.

As the end of this year approaches, you may be considering supporting ministries with a tax-deductible gift.  It is an honor that through your support the people of Japan receive the opportunity to hear the gospel and find hope in Christ.  If you would like to give a one-time gift or set up a monthly donation, please go to this link:

https://sending.org/worker/michael-and-yu-towery

We understand that you may not be able to support financially right now.  Please remember these moms and children in your prayers.  They need lots of prayers.  And please pray for those we have not even met yet.  We have many ministry goals for 2019 and we value your prayers.

Please know we appreciate each of you so very much.  May God fill your heart with His joy and peace as you continue to serve Him.