First off, our new newsletter is out, (link is at the bottom of this post to encourage you not to leave just yet) so make sure you check that out. The paper copy will hopefully be in the mail next week for those of you lucky enough to be on our mailing list (if you’re not that lucky, all you have to do is ask, and we’ll put you on!). But before you go download that, let me give you a big picture update.
Tomo and I are currently in Aliso Viejo, California. We’re living here till we get our support raised, after which time we’ll be heading to Japan. We are currently about 15% supported. Right now our primary focus is on finding people who can commit to giving on a monthly basis. For many people this is a large commitment, especially in this economic climate. But there are people who care enough about spreading the gospel that they are willing to make sacrifices to joyfully and obediently heed God’s call to take the message of salvation to the ends of the earth. It has been a great joy and privilidge to see how generous the poeple of God can be, as we’ve seen many join our support team, and we’re very thankful to them and to God that they have joined our ministry. On average people give about $50 a month, some less, some more. At that rate we’re looking for maybe 150 more supporters. We’re praying that God will provide them by the end of 2011.
Also at this time Tomo is still in the process of joining SEND, so we can’t really go anywhere till she’s appointed as a missionary as well. SEND’s policy is that they will only send a couple if both husband and wife are comitted to being missionaries, working in full time ministry. I was appointed back in 2007, and Lord willing Tomo will be appointed by the end of January. The final step in becoming a SEND missionary is being interviewed by the board at their headquarters in Michigan, where we’ll be going for Candidate Orientation in January. The application process is rather extensive, and Tomo has been busy writing essays and filling out questionaries, but she just sent in the final part of the written application, so all that’s left is the in person interview.
Once that’s done, the only thing keeping us here is the support. We’re hoping to set an official departure date as soon as Tomo is appointed. We have been praying that God will get us out of here by the end of 2010. However it appears that we won’t be able to go on partial support as we had hopped. This means that I’ll still be working full time as well as trying to raise support so we might push back our target departure date to summer 2011. Much of that will depend on how support raising goes during the next two months. We took a break after getting married, so we’re just starting to raise support together. If it looks like we’re making some good progress in the next two months, then we’ll probably push forward with our goal of getting out of here by the end of 2010.
In the last month we’ve met with two families to talk about supporting us, and had wonderful times of fellowship in the process. We’d like to be meeting with at least one family a week, hopefully more once we really get rolling. Please be praying for boldness and diligence on our part during the next two months. Pray that we can get on the phone and call people and churches and get appointments to share our ministry with others who want to join us in reaching the Japanese for Christ.
In addition to financial support, we also really need to meet new people and churches. If you know anyone who might be interested in helping to send missionaries to Japan, please let us know, and talk to them about us. If you give us their contact information, we’ll call them up. Also please let us know what church you go to, and maybe talk to your missions pastor about us.
For more information about how you can help us get to Japan, check out our November newsletter:http://gloryspeaking.com/files/folders/newsletters/entry194.aspx