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…
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Planning For The Work
As our family returns to Japan, it’s important to reflect on the work that we plan to do upon our return. The vision may morph some once we’ve arrived, but it’s good to bring a vision with us as we go, so we know the kinds of things to be preparing for and praying about. Let me begin by saying, as I have said before, that our primary focus is on making disciples. That means we’re more concerned with spiritual growth than numerical growth. We’re not simply looking to get more people to show up on Sundays. Rather, we want to encourage a church community where all members are serving…
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Japan Missions Profile
Being as far as it is away from the U.S., many people don’t know much about Japan, especially in terms of the state of the church there. Because of that, it may be difficult to understand why this mission field is so important to my family, as well as some of the challenges that exist on the field. Rather than write a lengthy blog post about every point, I thought it might be easier to make a simple infographic to provide a profile of the mission field in Japan. Scroll down to the bottom to see a few points of interest explained in further detail. As you can see, the…
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The Motivation Of Mission
Throughout this year, I’ve been working my way through a devotional book by Tim Keller on the Psalms. One of the Psalms, Psalm 67, includes this passage: May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Here, the Psalmist requests blessings from God, but the request is made so that the ways of God may be known among the peoples of the earth, and that they might praise him. Of this, Keller notes, “true…
