Our family believes in prayer – we believe God hears and cares and answers. This is especially relevant when it comes to work for the kingdom. God has made promises to us related to prayer and we would be foolish not to avail ourselves of those promises! Not only do we believe these things, but we also believe that prayer is not intended to be a solitary endeavor. Rather, prayer is something that we do with and for each other (e.g. Rom. 15:30; 2 Thess. 3:1). So, while we are certainly in continual prayer about our upcoming work, we desire (indeed we need) for others to be in prayer for…
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Be Ambitious (For Christ)
The name William Clark probably doesn’t ring a bell for most Americans, but he’s big in Japan – or at least, a few of his words are. William S. Clark was a native of New England, born in Massachusetts in the first half of the 19th century. He went on to join the Union Army and had a meaningful influence in the Civil War. However, perhaps his most meaningful influence came not in physical warfare in the United States, but in spiritual warfare in Japan. During the late 1800s, Japan was intent on modernizing the country and invited a variety of academics from across the globe to help towards that…
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Rainbows And Promises
How many rainbows do you see each year? I think it’s safe to say I’ve gone whole years without seeing one, or at least without seeing a colorful one that stood out. However, within the past few months I’ve seen at least four, all of which were very colorful and memorable! I’ve seen several more earlier this year as well. I am thankful for this seemingly small grace. It’s been a tough year for our family in a number of ways. God has been pruning us. Sometimes during those times of pruning I need a reminder of God’s promises, and those rainbows have been a vivid reminder. We normally think…
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The Blessings Of Partnership
May I be blunt for a moment? I really dislike fundraising. Fundraising is one of my least favorite parts of mission work, right up there with leaving the people you love and jet lag. Asking people for money feels dirty. We all know of the various televangelists who sell their false gospels to the masses, preying on generosity to finance their lavish lifestyle. Although the work we are planning in Japan is far different from that and our lifestyle could hardly be considered lavish, asking for money to do the work makes it feel much the same. Even aside from the unfortunate televangelist connection, one often needs to be a…
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Visit To La Grange
This weekend our family took our first trip to our sponsoring church in La Grange, Texas. We are always so grateful for the way the Lord works to provide for us, and the connection with the La Grange church is just another example in a long list of such graces. Earlier this year, as Sara and I were looking into whether a return to Japan would be possible, we first needed to see if we could secure a sponsoring congregation. Legally this is necessary to get the work visas we will need, but it’s also important for us on a spiritual level as well as for financial organization in the…
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The Ten Partner Project
Our family is very excited to announce today the launch of the Ten Partner Project! This project is aimed at finding 10 churches or individuals who will partner with us in our mission work in Japan! Specifically, if we could average out just $200 over 10 partners, we would be able to begin preparations for our return. If we averaged $300 over 10 partners, we would nearly have met our sustainable budget goal! To find out more about the project, please watch the video below: Along with the video, please visit our dedicated page for the Ten Partner Project by clicking here. How Can I Help? If you’d like to…
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Learning Grace From The Japanese People
Often times, when you’re focused on a mission, it can be easy to forget how that mission is perceived by others. What seems obviously true and objectively important to you may appear as questionable and only of subjective value to those around you. For those of us who are saved, we see the gospel through spiritually illuminated eyes as “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:18-25). But for many, our faith is but another viewpoint in a sea of religions. In Japan, there is an old adage that goes something like: “many different roads lead to the top of Mt. Fuji.” As a religiously syncretistic…
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The Glory And Honor Of The Nations
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of…
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How You Can Help
We know that many people care about the work we are planning to do in Japan and want to help, but may feel like there isn’t much they can do personally. The truth is, however – this work relies on the actions of others at least as much as it relies on the actions we ourselves take! During our last missionary journey in Japan from 2012-2017, we had so many individuals who did seemingly small things that made a huge impact. Based upon our experiences, we’ve put together a list of four specific actions you can take that can have a serious impact in this work: Pray For Us. God…
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Why We Believe In Japan
When we talk to people about doing mission work in Japan, it is often met with various kinds of surprise, and we can understand that reaction. Japan is, after all, very far away. It also has a completely different language, different culture, different food, and so on. There are surely simpler places to move our family. Many people wonder what would convince us of the need to go to a place so far from home. The simple answer is: we believe in the mission and we love the people. In Ephesians 1, Paul tells us of all the incredible blessings we have through Jesus Christ. He tells us we were…
