Jeff and Katie Saunders

Student Ministry / RUF 

Children: Emerie, Ezra, & Naomi 

Jeff and Katie moved to Tokyo as part of a church planting effort and to do university ministry. Jeff has started the first RUF in Japan and Katie has a ministry to the moms from the children’s playgroup. Japanese are the second largest unreached people group in the world. Outreach activities include home parties, sports outings, English classes, and Bible studies all focused on a non-Christian audience with outcomes both joyful and occasionally dark. A recent survey showed that 35% of Japanese young people felt hopeless about their futures. They share poignant stories of Christ's work in one-on-one conversations such as friendship inquiries by the wife of a Buddhist priest, "T"s excitement over the "community of God", "M"s study of Luke and questions about "who Jesus really was", "R"s blossoming understanding of God's unconditional love, and "K"s inquiry about "How do I become a Christian?" 

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for wisdom as Jeff and Katie navigate how, if, when, and where to meet these students and friends they love so dearly. 
• Pray for God's help with delicate conversations with students and friends who may be ready to turn a corner to faith and for God to instill a new sense of hope to frightened and uncertain students in Tokyo. 
• Pray for local church plant, Setagaya Grace Church, with their fellow missionaries. Since it has been years in the making, pray that it will be a place for their friends and neighbors to encounter the risen Christ and grow in love and knowledge of him.