HICKS’ NEWSLETTER AND UPDATE

September 2007

Dearest Partner in Ministry,

Blessed greetings to you from Tokyo in the wonderful Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! It is with joy and expectation that we write to inform you that we are about to return stateside for our “home assignment” time beginning September 6, 2007. This four year term of service has come to pass yet again, and it is our plan now to spend our required ‘fifth year’ on the road, visiting all of our supporters and partnering churches as best we can. The last time Mari and I did this, it took us a full 11 months. We drove over 40,000 miles and spoke in nearly 40 churches in 15 states… this time we have 18 states to cover. So please pray for us as we continue to firm up our visitation and ministry schedule… let’s be in touch!

Regarding our need to contact you, it would be a very great blessing, if you or your church pastor or missions chair, could somehow email us or contact us by phone. It’s a great challenge indeed to communicate with the vast numbers of supporting church families which we must… but if you could help facilitate our making contact with you and your church, toward getting a confirmed date on the calendar for visiting you, that would help us immensely!

Please convey the following information to your pastor or missions secretary to help us come see you:

Neal & Mari Hicks 9547 W. Columbia Hwy. Eaton Rapids, MI 48827

telephone – primary residence: 517-663-4246

Neal & Mari’s House Office: 517-486-1360

Neal’s cell: 267-357-1288

Email address: nealtms@gmail.com

Neal & Mari’s website address: www.tms-japan.net

Mari and I would like to once again express just how grateful we are to you, for your personal partnership in the Gospel, which enables us to live and minister Jesus Christ to the Japanese. In these 26 years of serving in Japan, we have seen over and over again the results of your prayers and support which open the doors to Japanese hearts and lives. Your determination to stand with us has resulted in people saved, baptized, delivered, healed, discipled and trained, all to the glory of God. It is with great joy we will be able to share with your personally all that God has done… and all that He yet plans to do to reach Japan.

Please continue to pray for us as a family, as we will leave our youngest son, Phillip, at home here in Tokyo the year we are away. It’s always hard for Mari, and for me too, when we have to be separated for a good while from our sons. Pray too, for our church family: On The Way Chapel. It was so sad to have to say “sayonara” just when ministry is deepening and moving along. As well, our VIP bible study group was saddened to have to stop because of our absence. Please do pray we will receive God’s ongoing provision enabling us to return to Japan by June of next year. We know this will be a challenging year ahead, but with your continued prayers and support, God will enable us to succeed for what He has already planned.

Blessed to be your missionaries and co-laborers in His Asian Harvest Field of Japan!

Neal, Mari, Neal & Phillip Hicks

The Mission Society 6234 Crooked Creek Rd., Norcross, GA 30092 Phone: 800-478-8963 / 770-446-1381 Fax. 3044 Website: www.themissionsociety.org