Corrie Schwab - Japan
March 30, 2026
“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you.” - 2 Thessalonians 3:1 (ESV)
Some Hard Things
Looking back, the past two months have gone by like a whirlwind—though it didn’t always feel like it at the time! I know I’ve missed communications from several of you, and I’m sorry for that. In a few days I’ll finish my Japanese class and have a short break, so I’ll try to follow up then.
Honestly this winter has been hard, mostly for seeing suffering around me rather than anything serious that has happened to me personally. Here are some prayer requests for people near me:
Meiri sensei, my pastor here at Fushiya Christ Church, developed facial paralysis early in the winter (Bell’s palsy, I think). He seems to be recovering, though slowly. Please pray for him and for his family.
Several of my coworkers have been suffering from serious illnesses. Please pray for healing.
One of my team members lost her mother suddenly and in a particularly painful way. Please pray for comfort for her, and for God’s presence with her as she returns to the US to deal with legal matters.
My friend Lyzi finished her internship here and returned to the US earlier this month. But just before she left Japan, she re-broke her collarbone (while still recovering from the second surgery associated with the previous break this summer). Please pray that God will encourage her and provide for her!
On the personal front, my main goal at the moment is passing my current Japanese class. With everything else going on, I haven’t been studying as much as I intended. My final exam is this Thursday, and I really want to pass so I can take the next class and be in a good position to start studying full-time this fall. So I would appreciate prayer for that this week!
My living-room-turned-study
A Few Updates
Last month I asked for prayer for several outreach opportunities. I can report that my church’s violin concert was delightful, though sadly I did not contribute any guests. 😅 As for the hiking club, I had to miss the most recent outing (today, actually) because it conflicted with my class, but I hope to participate later this spring.
On the other hand, our “Taco Tuesday” kickoff events seemed to go well. Since we hope to make that an ongoing outreach event, I’ll plan to write more about it in a future newsletter—and (I hope) remember to get some photos next time!
I also asked for prayer for a housemate in my previous update, and I began to get the answer almost immediately because an opportunity came up to host my team’s summer intern. So I’m looking forward to getting to know her while she spends a month here in June/July. I’d appreciate prayer for a longer-term housemate this fall!
As for the logistical challenges, my bike prayer request was also answered almost immediately when I tried adding some air to my tires and found riding suddenly much easier. Who knew. 😂 Clearly I haven’t spent enough time riding bicycles throughout my life.
Thank you all so much for your partnership, and especially for your prayers during this season.