Happy New Year!

We take this opportunity to thank you for your faithful support to our ministry, your care and prayers for a successful partnership as we reach out to the “Never Reached” in Fukuoka and all Japan.

Christmas 2020 and New Year’s Highlights

We took a step of faith for our 2020 Christmas outreach. As you may know, the school rental space for our church plant is not available due to the pandemic, therefore Momochi Symphony Church (MSC) has been meeting in the tatami rooms of our missions house. From here, we also have been sending out the Sunday messages over Facebook Live. Needless to say, we have become rather proficient in doing “church” over the internet, as the early months of 2020 required us to have an alternative to not meeting at all. We have been online since early 2020, and the views have been more than we expected. We have had Bible studies online, led by our associates, and we have made children’s bible story videos, too. Who knew that was going to happen?

While coming back to in-person services, we knew that our limited space was not going to be enough for our Christmas outreach. We began to knock on doors of several places including some hotels where we have had evangelistic venues before. Two of these locations were willing to work with us but they were very expensive. As a church plant, we are always very careful with the funds we have.

One location was the Fukuoka SeaHawk Hilton Hotel. It is an icon in our city and a very professional place to deal with a crowd for our Outreach. There would be hand sanitizers, chairs would be set up following the country guidelines, and many other precautions. They showed us several rooms, some of them for large venues and very expensive. The other hotel seemed to be cheaper but still out of our reach.

But God… This is where we see your prayers, your partnership with us. We began to pray and asked some of you to intercede for this time. We met with the SeaHawk Hotel representative, telling her we are a local small Japanese church that every year celebrates Christmas with the community, but with a limited budget. After talking with the management, she came back and agreed on our price and placed us in the Olive Room, which sits 375 people! However, only 137 chairs could be set up. We advertised in the local magazine and passed out personal invitations. Colette put together an ensemble of church members, and volunteers came as never before. On Christmas Sunday, we went early to set up with the staff of the Hotel who were extremely helpful. We were ready by 10:15 to open the doors of the Olive Room which was transformed into a “church” setting for that morning. We were pleasantly surprised as 77 people showed up, some of them to celebrate Christmas for the first time, and all this in the middle of this corona virus pandemic!

Though this was an outreach, we emphasized how our church truly worships Jesus Christ. The Gospel message was presented, and at the end of the altar call 5 hands were raised. We have begun to learn more about those who made decisions, one a Chinese lady married to an international chef getting ready for baptism now.

One more lady, the wife of our real estate agent, loudly raised her hands! We have begun to follow up with her. As Japan is less than 1% Christian, when someone makes a decision in such an event, it may take years before they really come to the Lord. This is due to culture, religion, background, and family pressures. The relationship with our real estate agent’s wife has been key as she has been advocating for us to be able to find a place for MSC.

As some of you know, we were in negotiations for a three story building for MSC. However, last August 2020 we had to let it go for lack of funds. We can’t take a loan here in Japan and our goal is to be able to buy it with cash. Some of you have been waiting to help us as soon as we get an actual building. We have seen many buildings and houses, but the Lord keeps impressing on us and through our leaders not to settle for less, rather find a place where our church can grow, ministries can flow, and future outreach can happen.
We need to know how much we can count on, so we can make a bid on a location. A step of faith again, but it is God’s timing that we are trusting.

Would you please consider sending your best offering to our church plant account? Thank you.

Here is how you can send it online:
https://giving.ag.org/Give/Details/4ffeb04d-1842-4f79-8e20-ca3450dd60b7?CookieCheck=1
Mark it class 60, in the comments write:
Gonzalez Project 5562 Momochi Symphony Church Japan

Or send a check to AGWM:
Assemblies of God World Missions
1445 Boonville Ave.
Springfield, MO 65802

On the memo write: Juan Carlos & Colette Gonzalez Project #5563 Class 60

One more favor:
Please send us your church or personal email where we can send you our updates.

Contact Information:
Website: https://gonzalezinjapan.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juancarlos.gonzalez.140
email: juancarlos.gonzalez@agmd.org

Family News:
Our daughter Nicky and her husband Adam (teachers in San Antonio, TX) continue to raise our two beautiful grandkids. We are so proud of the way they are raising their own kids in addition to studying and teaching at Christian schools.
Our son Stephen married his wife Sabrina Serna on April 21, 2020, and have just been hired as Jr. High pastors for Orange County First Assembly. Pastor Drew and Lecia Smithson are taking a step of faith even during this pandemic. Please keep them in your prayers are they serve the Lord.

Prayer Requests:
Strength for this New Year while we search for a building for Momochi Symphony Church.
Pray for leaders to step into positions in our church, and for us to know how to delegate.

Lastly, thank you for your faithful support through the years, we need you more than ever before. You have given to missions, at times before your own needs, and continue reaching out with us. Thank you and please stay with us this new year. We love you.
Juan Carlos and Colette