Nagoya, Japan

By Mark Gage

A team of six CLAIM volunteers recently returned from Nagoya, Japan, in October. The team helped Perry and Barb Gibson, BIMI missionaries, with their small storefront church building.

Since moving into the building three years ago, it has been Perry’s desire to make it look like a church. The Chapel of Hope Baptist Church is located across the street from a very busy train station, but was not recognizable as a church except for a small sign. The team, led by Mark Gage, helped design and build an entryway that had the look of a chapel.

In Japan there is a strong interest in Western culture and our prayer is that the Japanese people will come to The Chapel of Hope out of curiosity. In fact, our prayers were already starting to be answered even before we left, as people stopped and looked at the work.

The team also worked hard inside the church. We textured the ceilings, painted and wallpapered the walls, installed ceiling fans and an oven, built storage areas and finished removable panels that separate the church into two rooms. Now the inside looks great!

We also had the opportunity to fellowship with a small group of Japanese believers at Chapel of Hope Baptist Church. Please pray for the Gibsons as they serve on a difficult field. Pray for the two adjacent shop owners and their families to come to know the Lord. We were able to have a testimony with them as they watched our daily work progress. A special thanks goes to Lyle and Rose Snakenberg, Jerry and Ann Simpson and Joan Moody for their hard work and sacrifice to make this CLAIM project a huge success!