Perspective

Metro Beat
Vol. 3, Issue 1

Ripples
If you toss a pebble into a puddle of water it creates ripples that radiate outward, eventually lapping up as mini waves on the shores of the tiny lake at your feet. Displacement of water causes this ripple effect to occur. The recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami offered us a much more disastrous version of the ripple effect, but in the case of this tragedy the resulting waves have spilled over from the strictly physical arena to impact society, as well. We hear the reports of thousands lost, of families shattered, and of livelihoods destroyed. We also view with alarm the looming specter of an ever-widening nuclear disaster. But despite how saddened many here in North America may be over the suffering of the Japanese people, the pain only goes so deep. After all, Japan is half a world away, and the horrors are happening to people you probably don't know.

One of the results of being missionaries for over twenty years and working in different parts of the world is that our personal network of friends and acquaintances is on a global scale. Living in Japan enriched us but also left an indelible connection to its land and people. Interacting with Japanese in our current ministry here in the OKC metro has had an effect, too. As I was praying about what to share with you in this letter, what kept coming into my mind were the stories of friends (Their names have been changed to protect their privacy) who have been personally affected by the catastrophe.

• People like Sachiko, one of my former students, who continually updated us on Facebook after the tsunami about how frightened she was as she waited with her packed bag before having to evacuate... and how scary the blackouts were.
•  And Midori, another student, whose mother and bed-ridden father live in Sendai, the major city in the center of the disaster. Thankfully, they survived.
• Or Takahumi, a friend whose family lives in Fukushima in the shadow of the troubled nuclear plant.
• Or the Yamamoto family, part of our extended church family living in the affected area, who after a week or so of uncertainty were thankfully discovered to be safe.

The list could go on, but I think you get the point. I wanted to share with you not the facts and figures of the tragedy but the faces of the people. I wanted you to meet, at least on paper, some of those directly touched by the tragedy so that you could pray specifically for them and their families. Please stand with us in the gap for them, and praise God for his protecting hand over so many during this time.



Other Prayer Requests

Our mission once had offices in Sendai, and some of our association's churches are still in the area. Please pray for the members to be salt and light in their communities and to be comforted in the midst of their losses.

My Chinese continues to improve, but I still need your prayers. My final is on the 28th.

Two Korean families and an Indonesian man have started to attend our Chinese fellowship, making us more of a Pan-Asian Fellowship now. Please pray that God's Spirit will speak through my teaching.

Pray for Joyce and the multitude of tasks that come with being wife, mother, and manager of two households while I'm out and about.

Please continue to pray for our support needs, and a big thank you to those who have recently increased their support of this ministry.


May God fill you with His joy until we talk again.

Yours By His Grace,

John for the Rest of the Ropers

Black Friday and Beyond

 

Metro Beat
Vol. 2, Issue 5

A Time of Discovery
Black Friday was a source of fascination for many of my international students this year. They were full of questions before the event as to when to get to the stores, how many times had I gone in the past, was I planning on going to several sales, etc. They were absolutely stunned when I told them my biggest plan this year was to stay home and miss the shopping entirely. Didn't every American go to Black Friday sales?

This experience serves to illustrate one of the most interesting challenges of ministering to people from other cultures: the battle against misconceptions. Just as we sometimes have preconceived notions as to what people from a foreign country are like or find important, so, too, do visitors to our country often have false ideas about us on their arrival here. For example, some internationals believe that the majority of Americans are Christians. We know from experience that, sadly, this is far from being the case.

A related challenge is the fact that so much of the teaching about Christianity in their home cultures is vague, at best. Even some of the believers from these other countries have had little solid teaching, resulting in huge gaps in their knowledge of the Bible and how God works in our lives. Although the teacher in me enjoys shedding light on these areas during our Bible studies, at times the task seems very daunting.

Would you pray for me as I attempt, in God's strength, to teach truth in a way that all the people I work with can understand? Language and cultural barriers can be formidable, but with God's help they can be overcome.

A Time of Giving
 One thing that seems to be extremely important to many of the people I work with, no matter the culture, is the spirit of giving. The gifts are sometimes fairly expensive, but more often they are small things, tokens of friendship that serve to brighten my day. I wish I could learn to put into practice the habitual generosity my students are teaching me. But more importantly, I pray that the gift that I do share with them, the Gospel, will be accepted for the life-changing present that it is.

As we move closer to that time of celebrating God's phenomenal gift to us in the person of His son, Jesus Christ, may we truly learn to embrace that spirit of giving by offering more of the hope we have in Him to others in the year to come. May we learn to share the love of Christ daily with a world that is desperate for the Good News.



Other Prayer Requests

Continue to pray for my father. The new medicine has helped Dad a lot with his pain, and his appetite has improved. Pray for even better days for him.

Continue to pray for my progress in Chinese. I did well on the mid-term exam, but my final is next week.

Pray that both Joyce and I would be the best possible parents to our children. With all of the craziness associated with balancing two households and maintaining a ministry, our family life often suffers.

Please continue to pray for our support needs. God continues to meet our needs in miraculous ways, but more support would definitely help ease some of the pressure on us.


May your Christmas and New Year be filled with the joy of His presence.

Yours By His Grace,

John for the Rest of the Ropers

Sisters, Sisters...

Metro Beat
Vol. 2, Issue 4

A New Sibling in Christ

 "I accepted Christ two weeks ago!"

I'm sure my face must have been glowing when I was told that. Her face was smiling and bright, as well. She followed up her announcement to me by saying she was looking forward to her baptism. "Susie," as I'll call her for sake of anonymity, is from a restricted-access country and is one of the individuals I have been working with off and on for the past year. She started to attend a local church a few months ago, and after several exposures to the Gospel and the lives of Christian friends she discovered that she needed Jesus in her life.

I feel so privileged to play a role in the lives of these young people coming to Christ, and it is truly humbling and awe-inspiring to see how God uses not only me but so many other people and experiences to bring these individuals to Himself. Your prayers and support are a huge part of the overall pattern that God weaves together to call these foreign visitors to the Oklahoma City metro area into His kingdom. So please celebrate with me the joy of our having a new sister in Christ.

And Yet Another Sister (and Brother)

 One of my other students that you have been praying for recently came to Christ, as well. "Julie" made her decision in August and was baptized along with her husband (also a new believer) last month. The church she attends is loving and warm and has been crucial in bringing both her and her husband to Christ. To say that this couple brings new joy to my life would be an understatement. In our Bible studies they are like sponges, absorbing the Word with an eagerness and enthusiasm I have rarely witnessed. Julie, especially, seems to hang on every word. Please pray that her love for God and His Word will continue to grow and that He will use both her and her husband mightily in the future.

More Family Coming?

The Lord continues to touch the hearts of the people we are working with. Two other girls from Asian countries are asking good questions and showing interest in the Gospel. One asked me to give her a name from the Bible the other day to use among English speakers, which prompted Julie to ask me for one, too. Names have special significance in Asian cultures, so please pray that I will have God's wisdom in choosing which names to give when I am asked.

And Even More Opportunities

The work with Haitians may be expanding for us. I recently met a refugee woman from there who is interested in learning English. Her employer, also a Haitian, is willing to give her time off to study. Please pray for wisdom to know when and where to meet. Also, please pray for the Haitian couple we have been meeting with occasionally for a Bible study. Due to their work schedules and how far away they live, getting together is very difficult. Please pray for the Lord to clear the way for us to have more frequent times together, or provide someone who lives closer to work with them.

Other Prayer Requests

Continue to pray for my parents' health. Dad has good days and bad days, but is in pain for most of them. Please pray for some relief from the pain and for his spirits to be lifted.

Pray for my progress in Chinese. I'm doing well, I believe, and my general comprehension of the spoken language is growing. Still, I am miles away from being where I want to be.

Continue to pray for Joyce and her roles in managing both households while I'm out and about. I couldn't do what I do without her, but her load is heavier than either of us would like.

Our support is still very low, but God recently added a new church, Christ's Church of Yukon, to our support team. Please keep praying for more support to come in. We value you so much as our partners in this ministry.


Yours By His Grace,

John for the Rest of the Ropers

A Reason to Celebrate

Metro Beat
Vol. 2, Issue 3

New Freedom

 America celebrates its independence this month, but recently we had the opportunity to witness a freedom of a different kind in the Chinese Fellowship group. Francis, a Taiwanese man who was attending the Fellowship's Friday night sessions for the last few months, came to know Christ as his savior a few weeks ago. He was always very quiet during the meetings, and I often wondered how much of the teaching and discussion he was taking in. However, when a personal crisis came in his life, he decided to accept this Jesus that his Christian friends had been talking about as his Lord. One of our members was instrumental in counseling him through both the crisis and his early days of decision, but Francis has now returned to his home country. Please pray for Christian friends, a solid church family, and good follow-up in the Taiwanese city he is now living in.

Moving On Up...

 The strategy of teaching English to people from other cultures as a tool to reach and disciple them for Christ may seem strange to some of you. Let me show you how it works. Recently, three young ladies from mainland China began coming to my English class. The class is extremely non-threatening and secular in instruction, but I don't hesitate to discuss aspects of my faith in context. After they were comfortable in the class, the young women also became comfortable with the idea of attending a second class with me where I teach English using the Bible as our text. After that class they stayed on to attend the Chinese Fellowship. As of this writing, all three ladies are now attending the Chinese Fellowship on a weekly basis, have received copies of the Jesus film, are often seen taking copious notes from Chinese/English Bibles, have started attending an international church, and are being shown love by members of the Fellowship. Will you pray that this intense exposure to the Gospel and God's love through his people will see them come to Christ soon?

New Opportunities

The Lord has recently opened up two new opportunities here in Yukon, Oklahoma City's western suburb. Joyce and I started a weekly Bible study this last Saturday with a couple from Haiti. The following Thursday morning I launched a new English class with a woman from Japan and a man from mainland China. Please pray for both of these new ministries.

Words of Encouragement

I wanted to share with you part of an e-mail I received from one of my students exactly as she wrote it:

"You are a really charming teacher who can explain the Holy bible vivid and minded. My husband and I impressed the sacrifice sprite of you. We are appreciate you to share those beautiful stories with us and lead us to understand the deeper meaning of the Bible."

No, her English isn't perfect yet, but her sentiments are heartfelt. I wanted you to read this because your partnership in this ministry is what helps make such reactions possible. Your prayers and support are truly helping to change lives here in the Oklahoma City metro area.

Other Prayer Requests

Continue to pray for my parents' health and for our role as caregivers.

Pray for one of my Japanese students who was in a car wreck. She wasn't hurt, but the people who ran into her sustained some minor injuries. The accident was her fault, so she is pretty shook up over it.

Pray for Joyce as she has such a heavy responsibility managing both households while I'm teaching. Next fall looks to be very busy with my new class schedule, so even more stress is coming her way.

Our support is still terribly low, but our God is good to us. Please keep praying.


Yours By His Grace,

John for the Rest of the Ropers