Thank you for praying!

December - January

2006-12-10T21:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Praying Friends,

We deeply appreciate your praying for our family and ministry on a regular basis and believe that the Lord is blessing the fruit of our labor because of those who are standing with us in prayer. Here are some things to be mindful of as we head into the Christmas season:

Please pray that our Singles Ski Retreat (Dec. 29-Jan. 1) would be well attended and that the Lord would speak powerfully through our guest Bible teacher, Bob McKemey. Bob is a dear friend with SEND International and has served as a missionsry here in Japan for over 35 years.
Pray that the Lord would provide for all of our needs as we prepare to take a team of eleven people on a missions trip to the Ukraine in April of 2007. We will be working on a church facility near Kiev that was planted with help from "The Lands of Russia", a sister ministry of Cadence International.
Pray for the spiritual dvelopment and growth of several young Japanese girls who have trusted Christ through the Lighthouse ministry this last year. Also pray for many new sailors who have recently made the Lighthouse their "home away from home". They are hungry for the Word and for Christian fellowship.
We praise God for the support of our base chapel community as they have been a constant source encouragement to Stacy and I in recent months. Two chaplains are attending our ministry on a regular basis, a first in our eleven year history with Cadence Int'l. Pray that we will be a source of encouragement to them as well.
Please pray for our family as we decide what direction the Lord would have us take as we approach the end of our four year commitment here at the Lighthouse in September of 2007. We have some differenet options to help expand Cadence ministries on the Asia field but we're not certain as to where this should be. We'll share more details in the months ahead.

We look forward to seeing how the Lord will use the Lighthouse ministry to impact the Yokosuka Navy community in 2007 and ask that you continue to keep our family lifted before the Throne of Grace in the weeks ahead. Thank you and have a wonderful Christmas as we celebrate the gift of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In His Grace,
Paul

November Prayer Items

2006-11-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your prayers!

Answered prayers:

Paul has finally recovered from his bout with pneumonia which kept him in bed for nearly ten days.
A young Japanese woman named Yukie Ida who has attended the Lighthouse for several months finally gave her life to Christ two weeks ago. Last night she celebrated her very first communion with us at the Chapel of Hope.
Hope and Jenna are doing very well in school this year and they love their new teacher, Rebekah Hager.
Rebekah has adjusted well to life here in Japan and she has plugged into the Lighthouse community remarkably well. We thank God for providing such wonderful school teachers like Mary and Rebekah during our time in Japan.
Paul has been asked to help with leadership at the Sunday evening service on base each week. He has a solid relationship with the new chaplain, Robert Bradshaw, who seems to have a genuine love for the Lord and His people.

Prayer requests:

Pray that our Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday activities here at the Lighthouse would be focused on the person and work of Jesus Christ as we welcome many new visitors from the Yokosuka Navy base.
Pray for Paul's ongoing ministry to several prisoners serving time at the Yokosuka prison in Kurihama. One inmate named Jose trusted Christ as his Savior a couple of months ago and he is growing strong in his faith. Pray that more of these young men would respond to the Gospel in the months ahead.
Pray that Paul and Stacy would be able to spend more personal time together as they have not been able to enjoy very much 'alone time' with each other in recent months.
Pray for an ongoing situation with one of our young women in the ministry who has been going through some extremely difficult circumstances with her parents in recent weeks. Pray that Paul and Stacy would be given divine wisdom as they help mediate in the situation.
Pray for our brothers and sisiters who are underway at the moment (deployed) as they must often deal with high levels of stress, discouragement, and long periods of lonliness. Pray that the Lord would encourage them through His Word and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer for September - October 2006

2006-09-18T05:28:00.000-07:00

Dear prayer partners,

We deeply appreciate your standing with us in prayer as we continue to serve the Lord's flock here at the Lighthouse in Yokosuka, Japan. Below are some prayer items that are on our hearts and minds at this time.

In His Grace, Paul

We are asking God to give us "Barnabas hearts" for the people in our community, i.e., the ability to offer them compassionate and meaningful encouragement each week.
We continue to pray for two young Japanese women who have been going through some extremely difficult circumstances which have caused them a tremendous amount of emotional and spiritual distress. These two situations are unrelated but we ask that you pray for their safety and for the Lord's mercy and grace in their lives.
Pray for Paul as he has recently taken on a leadership role at the evening service held every Sunday night at the base chapel. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and minister to the Yokosuka community more directly.
Pray that the girls will have a wonderful school year with Rebekah Hager
Pray that many more sailors will place their trust in Christ as we continue to proclaim Christ crucified here at the Lighthouse.
Please pray that Paul will provide strong and consistant spiritual leadership for his family (Stacy, Hope, and Jenna).
Thank you for your support! We thank God for every one of you.

The Prayer of Faith

2006-08-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

"The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." James 5:16

Please pray that Rebekah Hager, our girl's new homeschool teacher, will be able to raise the rest of her support before the new school year in September. She is presently at 50% so your prayers are greatly appreciated! Anyone who feels lead to support Rebekah may contact us at our email address - pscadence@msn.com.
We give thanks to the Lord for bringing many new faces to our ministry over the last few weeks. The place has been re-energized!
Pray for Sam as I had the privilege of sharing the Gospel with him earlier this week. He knows the truth, but he is intimidated by giving his 'entire life' to Christ. As Jesus said, "Count the cost"!
Pray that many children on base will trust Christ through the VBS program this week (Aug 14-18).
Pray that many sailors will respond to the Gospel as we seek to proclaim Jesus by word and deed here in our ministry.
Thank you for praying with us!!

When I'm On My Knees - July 2006

2006-07-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Prayer Partners,

Thank you for remembering us in your prayers each week. We know that the work we do here in Japan will not produce anything of eternal significance without the power of God's Spirit working in response to the prayers of faithful believers. Thank you for standing with us!

In Christ Alone,
Paul

Praises:

Our family enjoyed a wonderful 3 week vacation in the States during the month of June. It was refreshing to spend time with our parents and the girls had a blast swimming, riding horses, and having fun at two amusement parks.
Even though most of the ships are out to sea, the Lord continues to bring new faces to the Lighthouse each week.
Support is coming in, slowly but surely, for our new school teacher Rebekah Hager. Please pray that the Lord would provide the balance of her support before the end of August.
After a short period of spiritual discouragement, the Lord has once again invigorated my heart through His Word, His presence, and His people. God is faithful.

Prayer items:

Pray that many saiors would hear and respond to the Gospel in 2006
Pray that we would have favor in the eyes of our local chaplains and that we would be a blessing to them.
Pray for Joel, Mary, and Zorian as they prepare to move back to the States in September. They will all be missed very much.
Pray that the Lord would provide another worship intern for the Lighthouse. This would be a minimum commitment of one year. Please send me an email if you would like a description of expectations and responsibilities for this wonderful opportunity.
Pray that the Lord would guide and direct Paul as he prepares Bible lessons each week. It is easy to become busy and distracted in an 'open house' ministry such as ours.
Please pray that God would provide us with 2-3 missions opportunities for our group to be involved with in 2006. We are also hoping for another chance to visit Israel in the near future.
Please pray that the Lord would help Paul to find the time (and energy) to complete his seminary degree online.
Pray that the Lord would guide and direct our family as we approach the end of our four year commitment to the Lighthouse ministry one year from this September. We want to know God's mind on whether we should stay here longer or move to another ministry location. At present, we plan to take a short ministry furlough beginning late September, 2007.
Pray for Stacy's cousin, Dustin, who is undergoing chemo treatments in Kansas. Pray also for our dear friend in Germany, Sharon Howerton, who is also facing chemotherapy for an advanced form of cancer. Please pray for supernatural healing as well as supernatural peace and strength. Thank you!
Lastly, please let us know how we can be praying for you as well. This is our privilege!

God is Faithful

2006-05-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

"Rejoice always, pray continually, in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
1Thessalonians 5:16-18

Answered Prayer:

We have a new school teacher!! Rebekah Hager was appointed to Cadence International early this week and she is excited to come and join our team. This was a HUGE answer to prayer.
God has graciously answered prayer by providing Hope and Jenna with some new friends. Emiko and Carrie are sweet, Christian girls who are the exact same age as Hope and Jenna. We thank the Lord for His faithfulness in this area.
The new Lighthouse oven was delivered and installed yesterday with the help of Joel, Zorian, and a young sailor named Josh. We thank the Lord for this wonderful answer to prayer and wish to thank our dear friends, the Poindexters, for purchasing the new unit.
God has been faithful to help Paul with his lesson preparations each week in the midst of a very busy schedule. Paul began teaching in 1 Corinthians one year ago and he is presently on chapter nine! "Preach the Word!" - 2 Timothy 4:2
Paul and Stacy have been enjoying some wonderful date nights recently as Mary, Elizabeth, and other kind souls have offered to watch our girls one night a week. What a blessing!
A "Cold Stone" creamery was just built only twenty minutes from the Lighthouse. Maybe not a prayer item...but certainly a praise!!! Mmm Mmm!
Our dear friends, Eric and Kathy Schramkowski, just gave birth to a beautiful little girl this very morning! Her name is Noel Elyse. Congratulations Eric and Kathy!!!!

Prayer Requests

Please pray for our dear friends, Brian and Aimee Kleager, as they join us here at the Lighthouse during the month of June. Brian and Aimee were in our ministry during our years in Germany and they were recently appointed as Cadence missionaries. Pray that this will be a positive and rewarding experience for them as they continue to prepare for vocational ministry. We look forward to spending time with them here in Japan.
Pray that we would see a mighty movement by the Holy Spirit in the hearts and lives of our men and women here at the Lighthouse in the weeks ahead. The evidence will be a love of fellowship, worship, prayer, evangelism, and service. Pray also that we would live exemplary lives of holiness and integrity before the flock of God in our charge.
Pray that the Lord would provide all of Rebekah's support so that she might come and settle in here at the Lighthouse before the new school year begins.
Pray that the Lord would open up a door for us to minister to singles 'on base' with the blessing of our chaplains. There has not been a singles ministry on the Yokosuka base since we arrived nearly three years ago.

Practical need

If anyone has a used laptop computer that they would be willing to donate or sell at a resonable price to the Lighthouse please contact Paul. We use it for lessons, announcements, and worship slides (PowerPoint) each week. One with a Windows XP operating system is preferred. Paul's email is pscadence@msn.com. Thank you!

Thank you for standing with us in prayer. We know that nothing of eternal significance will be accomplished without the power of prayer. The Lord bless you as you follow hard after Him.

In Christ Alone,
Paul

"WE DESIRE NEW DISCIPLES LORD!"

2006-03-22T19:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Praying Friends,

We would ask you to join with us in praying for the thousands of men and women stationed here in Yokosuka who do not know the Lord. We are blessed by all the individuals whom the Lord has brought through our doors over the last two and a half years but we have also been somewhat discouraged by the number of 'true' converts to Christ during this time. There have been some, and we give all the glory to God for it, but they have been few in number. Another discouraging aspect of evangelism are those who seem to receive the Gospel "with joy" (Matt. 13:20) but not long afterwards they appear to "fall away" because they came to Christ with false expectations. This can be very disheartening for our staff and for the entire Lighthouse community.

Please pray with us for 'true' converts to Christ. Men and women whose hearts have been prepared by the Holy Spirit to receive the good news of salvation by grace through faith alone. This is our simple prayer - new disciples!

"Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you;"

2 Thessalonians 3:1

A Call to Prayer - 2006

2006-02-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

The following message entitled "A Call to Prayer" was sent out via email to our entire Lighthouse community a few weeks ago. I have copied the email below in its entirety. We would be greatly encouraged if you would remember to pray with us for these 8 strategic areas in the weeks ahead. We deeply appreciate your partnership with us! In Christ, Paul

Dear Lighthouse Family,

As we enter into the year 2006, it is on my heart to call the entire Lighthouse community to pray. I would encourage each of you to make a commitment before the Lord to take time each day to pray for one another. My desire is that God would move mightily in our hearts by the power of His Spirit and through the convicting work of His Holy Word as we submit ourselves to His will. The Lighthouse staff is united in our desire to seek the Lord's face through prayer in the weeks ahead and we invite you to join with us in this endeavor. In the passage above, the Apostle Paul commanded us to make "supplication for all the saints" and to do so at all times "in the Spirit". Will you commit to make this a year of prayer? I am trusting God to raise up an army of men and women who will put their faith into action in 2006 by giving themselves to prayer and to the Word like never before. To God be the Glory!

In Christ Alone,
Paul

Some key prayer items:
1. Pray that God would cleanse our hearts, expose our sin, and that we would seek His forgiveness and mercy

2. Pray God would give each of us a deep hunger for His Word and a desire for fellowship with His Spirit and with His people

3. Pray that we would all seek after the physical and spiritual welfare of others all the while entrusting ourselves into His care

4. Pray that broken relationships would be mended, that love would be restored, and that hearts would be united in Christ

5. Pray that God would protect the Lighthouse staff from spiritual apathy, burnout, laziness, and all "besetting sins"

6. Please pray that the Lord would cause us to put away all falsehood, malice, slander, gossip, and anger toward anyone (Eph. 4:25-32)

7. Pray that God would bring many, many sailors to Christ through the ministry of the Lighthouse and the testimony of our lives

8. Pray that Jesus Christ would be exalted in all that we say and do at work, at play, in public, and in our private lives

May 2006 be a year of rich spiritual growth for you personally and for the Lighthouse community. To God be the Glory!

Praise the Lord! We're Finished!!

2006-01-29T16:31:00.000-08:00

By the grace of God and many, many long hours of hard work, the carpet installation is finally complete. The Lighthouse looks absolutely fabulous! Thank you for praying with us as we spent many long days moving furniture, carrying carpet, washing walls, polishing woodwork, dusting, and re-arranging things. It was all worth it but my back is now paying the price. God is good.

The Lighthouse will conduct a re-dedication service for the Lighthouse ministry next Friday night. Until then, please visit our Lighthouse website to see all the carpet work pictures: http://spaces.msn.com/members/cadencelighthouse/

In Christ,
Paul

URGENT! INCOMING CARPET!!

2006-01-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

Please pray for our staff as we prepare to replace 7000 sq. ft. of carpeting at the Lighthouse. The Lord provided us with the funds to purchase new carpeting in the States and then have it shipped over to Japan in a container (providentially) with our friends Nate and Louise Johnson.

This is going to be a huge project as we replace the carpet in every room of this four story facility. We need many laborers, much patience, and good attitudes. Here are some things to pray for:

That the Japanese carpet installers would do an excellent job
That God would provide 'many' sailors to help tear out old carpeting, move furniture, and clean up after the project is over.
That our staff would have a place to stay while the work is being done
That we would have positive attitudes throughout this ordeal!

Thank you for keeping us before the Throne of Grace through prayer!

In Jesus, Paul

Christmas Prayer Requests

2005-12-18T21:08:00.000-08:00

Thank you for praying with us!!

Pray that several sailors will place their faith in Christ this season
Pray that our staff would be bold witnesses for Christ in this ministry
Pray for sailors who are homesick and battling discouragment this holiday season
Pray for continued support from our local chaplains
Please pray that the Lord would pour out His Spirit in the hearts of both our staff and our flock here at the Lighthouse. We are praying for a mighty movement of God in our lives that will produce repentance, holiness, hunger for the Word, a desire for evangelism, joy, peace, and obedience to the Lord.

Okinawa Staff Conference

2005-11-20T18:28:00.000-08:00

Please pray for our family and the rest of the Lighthouse staff as we travel to Okinawa on November 29 to enjoy a week long staff conference with other Cadence missionaries from the Asia field. The Lighthouse staff will remain in Okinawa for a few extra days to enjoy some much needed rest. Dave Schroeder, the General Director of Cadence Int'l, will be our guest speaker. Thank you for your prayers!

Update

We already have over 50 individuals signed up for our Lighthouse Thanksgiving dinner.
Chapel support has been strong over the last two years for which we are thankful.
Joel and Mary Koedyker are expecting a baby!! Congratulations!
Hope and Jenna are doing very well in school, piano lessons, etc. Please pray that the Lord would provide them with some good Christian friends their own age. Thank you.
We expect a full house for the Christmas holidays, often a very lonely time for military personnel stationed overseas.
Zorian has applied to Moody Bible College and plans to finish here at the Lighthouse in just over seven months. Zorian has been a real blessing to the ministry!

November Prayer Items

2005-10-29T23:43:00.000-07:00

Please pray for Stacy as she is suffering from severe pain in her shoulder
Pray for our Norm Stockton concert here at the Lighthouse November 4
Pray for our worship team as they give a praise concert for over 200 Japanese prisoners November 26
Pray for several of our Lighthouse members aboard the USS Kitty Hawk who are presently underway until December
Please pray for our Fall retreat at Lake Yamanaka November 11-13. Our guest speaker is a dear friend and fellow missionary named Bruce Dower.
Pray that we will see MANY more sailors trust Christ as their Savior in the months ahead
Pray for all our sailors as they experience loneliness and discouragement being separated from their families during the holidays.
Thank you for praying!

"In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.."

Ephesians 6:16-19