2023 Year End Update

This is how the year ended for me, along with some thoughts about 2024. 

LANGUAGE LEARNING

I have about 6 months left of full time language learning remaining until I transition into full time ministry. In order to prepare for this, I have taken steps to actively use Japanese in my current ministry setting. Although I have improved over this past year, I am not yet able to communicate my thoughts, feelings, or even the gospel itself in a clear manner. I continue to practice this throughout the week with my teachers, but my limited vocabulary and weakness with the grammar hinders me. 

However, this hindrance although discouraging at times, has been an avenue for me to share the gospel more. My language teachers have a lot of questions about Christianity and one of them (picture below) has offered to help me explain myself better. Her questions help me to think and see things from a Japanese perspective. So far she has helped me to write about what it means to be a missionary, what a Christian believes, who Jesus is, etc. 

What makes this turn of events even more redemptive is that the mom’s at Friday Terrace often ask me about what I am doing in school, so when I tell them I am writing speeches about Christianity they often want to hear them. There have been a few times at FT that these homework assignments have opened the door to some great conversations. 

It is my sincere hope that I can someday communicate all these things clearly in Japanese. Language learning is my highest priority. God has affirmed to me time and time again how important learning this language is. However, even with this in mind, I want the reader to understand that I may never reach a high level of competency. It’s humbling to acknowledge this, but no matter what my language proficiency is, I still believe God can use me.  

FRIDAY TERRACE

As some of you know, Mayu and Levi are currently out of the country, so Rob and I have been holding down the fort. Though we have been feeling short handed, in God’s providence many new families have started to join Friday Terrace over these past 3 months! 

We are finding out that some of our regular families have enjoyed Friday Terrace so much that they have been actively promoting it to other families. Additionally, Rob and I have been getting invited often into the home of a certain FT family, and through that we are able to meet and interact with other families in the neighborhood. Having these “Persons of Peace” trust us and invite us into their homes has helped Rob and I move from being a foreign outsider in this community to being accepted, and if you understand Japanese culture then you understand how important that is. 

CHRISTMAS PARTY

If someone were to ask me how ministry is going in the midst of language study I would probably answer something like: “I absolutely love it, I’m terrified.” I’m sure some of you understand this feeling, but to those who don’t, let me explain… 

God has given me such a love for the Japanese people, and this love compels me to want to interact with them. At the same time, you need a common language with someone in order to communicate with them. Gestures can only get you so far. Just sit in silence for 1 minute with someone you have been talking to and then you begin to understand how awkward this can be.

Despite my glaring inabilities, I decided to plan this year's Friday Terrace Christmas Party. Part of this planning included describing the events of the party and coordinating with the families (all in Japanese, of course). This was my first LINE group chat with Japanese people that did not include a translation bot (LINE has a bot that you can include in group chats that will translate). I wish I could just post a log of all my mistakes for you guys to read and enjoy. Someday I am going to write a book about all the strange things I have said in Japanese. Even during the party, while I was explaining the directions to one of the games, I had a brave representative of the families approach me very apologetically to let me know that everyone else had absolutely no idea what I just said. 😂

Even when I type that out, I can’t help but chuckle when I think about it.

All that to say that Rob and I hosted the Christmas Party this year. Because we were short-handed we had to limit the event to around 25 people. Rob spent about 5 minutes clearly explaining the gospel, and we continue to hope and pray that someday these precious families will truly understand the significance of Christmas. 

NAGATSUTA MINAMI CHRIST CHURCH

Did you guys know that I am involved in other ministries besides Friday Terrace? These are peripheral ministries at the moment, but that does not mean insignificant or unimportant, so I wanted to share about one of them. 

When I was in the states I developed a friendship with the pastor of Nagatsuta Minami Christ Church in Yokohama. I often come to different events this church will host in order to support him. Recently I decided to help teach English for the church. Churches in Japan use English as a way to engage the community and invite people into the building. I have committed to help them through summer of 2024. 

Here are a few pictures. Pay no attention to how I missed the memo on wearing a suit and tie. 

MINISTRY IN 2024

As I am nearing the end of language learning, I need to start thinking about what my future ministry is going to look like. Do I get involved with an established church ministry? Do I go to plant a church? Do I focus on video production ministries? 

I have spent a lot of time thinking and praying about this, and I am sure that it is not going to come as a surprise if I say that I have a strong desire to stay in Tokyo because of the Friday Terrace ministry. I am currently talking with my FT team and SEND to understand what a future ministry partnership could look like. Thanks to the fact that Mayu grew up in that neighborhood, we have many open doors for ministry. I believe God is doing something in Meguro, and I would like to be a part of it. 

With that being said, I am hoping to share some updates about these plans in the Spring of 2024. 

UNDER-SUPPORT NOTIFICATION

What does it mean to be under-supported? That is a great question. I asked SEND the exact same thing after they told me that I was 5% under-supported. 

Now, before I get into the details of what that means, I realize that the people who are reading this part of my ministry update are mostly faithful supporters. If I wanted to make a pitch for renewed support, I am talking to the wrong crowd. Many of you have already sacrificed greatly on my behalf. This is not necessarily a pitch for more support, just a clarification of what this notification means.

Supporters generally give monthly anywhere from $25 and upward. This money goes towards my monthly needs. Over the course of these 2 years a significant portion of those monthly supporters have dropped off. In response to this drop off I have adjusted my compensation and benefits to lower my overall need. However, I can only adjust this to a certain point.

Once I reach 10% under-supported these are my options:

1. Come back home to raise support. This means any momentum with language learning, relationship building, or ministry will have to be put on hold for a season. 

2. Draw from my ministry fund. SEND allocates a portion of my support for ministry specific needs. This is meant to supplement expenses related to language learning, christian materials, resources for ministry events, ministry travel, etc. If I chose this option it would only be a temporary solution until I drain the account. 

3. Consider another missionary organization with less cost requirements. I want everyone to know that I see this as the nuclear option. It is not even on the table at the moment. SEND has been good to me, and I would like to maintain this relationship as long as GOD keeps the door open with them.

Obviously, none of these options are desired. So, I will be trying a few things to raise support. If you know of anyone that would be interested in hearing my vision for ministry, please connect me with them.

PRAYER REQUEST

1. Language Learning. This is my highest priority and greatest need.

2. Support. Provision and direction for the future.

3. Ministry. Where is God leading me? Can a partnership with SEND and FT work out?

PERSONAL NOTE

The world is changing. 

War in Ukraine. War in Israel. Rumors of war in Taiwan. Threats of war from North Korea. We are seeing a clear divide in ideology between countries that support a democratic rule; led by the United States and NATO - and countries that tend to support a more autocratic rule; led by China and countries like Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Though we do not know the times and the seasons set by God the Father, Jesus still taught us to observe the sign of the fig tree (Matt 24:32-33).

To me, it seems a change is in the air.

With this in mind, I want to end this year's ministry update with a personal note: on a call for Christians to prepare their hearts. I am not pretending to know the future, nor am I prepared to make definitive statements about it. All I can say is that I feel trouble is on the horizon, and whether I am right or wrong, I have decided to number my days and live with a clear purpose.

So, what does this mean?

My number one priority is to maintain a right relationship with God, because through that everything else finds it's foundation: Love. Joy. Peace. Contentment. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him (John Piper). My greatest strength as a missionary is not my understanding of the language, it is not my experience in the field, and it is not my knowledge of the Bible. My greatest strength is my satisfaction in Christ, and when people start see that as authentic in my life, they will start to desire it as well.

So friends, let's head into 2024 with this in mind: "Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith".

Amen.