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CDs, Onsens and Snowboarding

I haven’t been quite as regular posting here as I’d planned, but this last week I’ve got a bit of an  excuse. I’ve been getting ready to go visit Japan for three weeks. In fact, I’m quite literally just about to head out to the airport, but I figured I’d better giver you all an update first.

The Jesus Film Project coordinates numerous short term mission trips throughout the year, and as an employee of the Jesus Film Project, they allow me to go on one trip per year, up to two weeks in length, and still get paid to do it. They’ve been putting on a Christmas distribution project to Japan for the last three years, so I always signed up to do that one; this will be my fourth year in a row, and that’s what I’ll be doing the first two weeks. The project is titled “Love Japan” and consists of distributing as many multimedia CDs as we possibly can. From past experience this ranges between 10,000 and 15,000. The CDs are essentially a multimedia tract. They contain Southern Gospel Music (which is strangely popular in Japan), Christmas songs, portions of The Jesus Film and other coll things. The purpose of the CDs is to sort of act as bait to get Japanese people to attend Christmas outreach functions put on by local Churches and Campus Crusade for Christ. A few years ago one guy that we gave a CD to started attending a church in Tachikawa (where we’ll be based) and is going to be getting baptized while I’m over there, which is reall encouraging.

I’ll be staying an extra week to visit with Jon (my brother). My mom, sister and friend will all be flyingg out that week to, and we plan to do some sightseeing, go snowboarding in Nagano, and visit as many Onsens (Japanese hot springs) as possible.Should be an awesome time.

Keep checking back as I hope to update this often with pictures. Please be praying for the safe and timely arrival of all the team members. We’re flying from all over the US and are arriving in Japan on three different flights.

Mata ne! (See you!)

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Money

This week I put my first full batch of support letters in the mail. And this coming Sunday I’ll be giving my first presentation in Church about going to Japan, and looking for supporters. In other words I’ve gotten to the part where I have to start asking people for money, which seems to be on everyone’s list of least favorite activities. My initial reaction to the thought, in this context, is pretty much what you’d expect: I really don’t want to do it. However if I think about it a bit I quickly realize that from a Biblical perspective, this can and should be a great opportunity for spiritual growth on my part, and on the part of anyone willing to support me financially.

For my part I’ve always been very self reliant. I like to take care of myself, and not have to depend on anyone else. about 6 years ago I remember thinking that I would only consider doing missions if I could do it without having to raise support. For instance, I figured that there would be such a need for computer skills that a mission would hire me to work for them overseas, and I’d let them worry about the financial part. Or perhaps I’d become a “tentmaker” and mininster like Paul did to the Corinthians when he supported himself financially while teaching and deiscipling them. Nevermind the fact that this was not Paul’s prefered way of doing things and that as a rule Paul prefered to be supported by other Churches and Christians on his trips. It still sounded more pleasent to be able to rely on my own ability to sustain myself rather than relying on God and His people.

My attitude towards this changed when I talked to a missionary who went this route, and heard about the frustrations he had in not having nearly enough time to learn master the language, and to actually do missions. Shortly after that I found myself in a similar position: I was leading a highschool youth group while working a full time job. I found that I wanted to do more and more to reach out to the highschool kids, but the fact that my church is too small to afford to pay a youth pastor meant that I had to spend far more time at work than ministering to the kids. I decided that if God should ever call me into full time ministry, I would have to jump through whatever hoops were required, and if that meant raising support, I’d do it.

But its even more than that. This is a chance for me to be completely dependent on God, something that I have always struggled with, and something that has always kept me from reaching the full potential He has for me. Whenever I insist on doing things on my own power, I find myself severly lacking. And the only reserve I have access to is God’s power, which requires that I first relinquish my own.If I live by faith in myself I run into some things that are possible, but far more that are impossible. But if I have faith even as large as a mustard seed, I am promised thatnothing will be impossible for me. And if the fact that I will be forced to be dependent on the generosity of God’s people is what constantly reminds me to be dependent on the grace of God, then I’m excited at the prospect. I pray God will move in the hearts of all who get my feeble support letter, and through His power provide for all my needs.