Well after tomorrow I enter another season of ministry. We served 35 years as a Converge residential missionary in Japan. Then in 2020 led by God we transitioned and I have served over 6 years with Converge Asia Impact Team (AIT) as a non-residential missionary serving in Japan and many countries in Asia. Now led by God I enter the next season of ministry as a volunteer continuing several projects with the AIT. I will no longer be an employee of Converge but a volunteer role as a “non-paid staff.” I am not stopping ministry (and this time we are not moving residences). I will still take trips to Asia, but the number will decrease. This will seem like quite a change after I have spent 5 weeks out of the last 3 months on the road. I am looking forward to some vacation and pacing down a bit more. To be honest with you, I am looking forward to this change of season, though I have no idea how to feel. Rejoicing in God, my partners, my family, and my ministry supporters.
FOCUS ON SATURATING JAPAN WITH CHURCHES
Why would anyone travel to Japan or Asia in August? It is so hot and humid. I actually survived the summer trip by taking care of myself and preparing well in advance. I was in Tokyo, then Osaka, back to Tokyo, to Mt. Fuji, then Tokyo, then to Bangkok, back to Tokyo and then Chicago.
My own son, Tim who grew up in Japan, said that I went from Hot to worse, to hot, to nice, back to hot, and then back to worse then Very Hot before I headed home. I had no issues with the heat, humility, or illness. Praise God I spent a few days escaping the heat by revisiting our family summer vacation area on the lakes by Mount Fuji.
I visited a church plant in Tokyo then visited several key leaders I mentor. Then I headed to Osaka for the Japan Church Multiplication National Roundtable an annual event. This was a gathering of key Japanese leaders from all over Japan all committed to multiplying churches throughout Japan.
My experience has been in leadership meetings with Japanese that it does not take too many minutes before the atmosphere changes to the spirit of defeat, unbelief, and moans that Japan is too difficult. This meeting was unique. Many shared their personal stories, but I never heard the spirit of unbelief. Yes, there were some challenges and struggles but there was the belief that God would multiply his church in Japan. PTL!
God really worked as 40 key leaders shared their stories of God’s progress since we last met a year ago. There were so many encouraging stories of trying to reach the 99.5% of Japanese who do not follow Christ. I was asked to interpret from Japanese to English for two Mongolian guests and a Filipino worker in Japan. One of the Mongolian guests is the General Secretary for the Mongolian Evangelical Alliance, a network of over 90% of Mongolian churches (no pressure on me, right?). I don’t consider myself highly gifted in interpretation and my Japanese is not used every day since we relocated to the US. But God helped me and them as they fit well into the whole event. One result was that Japan and Mongolia will hold a joint church planting summit in Mongolia next May or June.
FOCUS ON SOUTH ASIA LEADER DEVELOPMENT
Several AIT members then met in Bangkok with two groups from South Asia for a Leaders’ Summit. For one group this is our third year in the row. The other group, a long-time partner with Converge, was there to observe the work we have done with the first group. The AIT hopes to collaborate with this second group of leaders in improving their overall strategy, health of their churches, church planting passion, and the sending of more cross-cultural workers.
As you know we have been working toward equipping one whole church network to expand their mission work among Unreached People Groups in their region. They have worked hard on an overall strategy by developing the task into four task groups. 1) Mission Strategy, 2) Mobilization for Mission, 3) Assessment of new missionaries, and 4) Training of missionaries. At this summit we had some training on assessment and also missionary training. Each working group refined their goals for the next 3-5 years. I felt they wrote excellent goals in which many of them included risk-taking faith. I know with this faith and the determination to work hard for their goals we will see increasing progress.
Just last week I was in Wheaton Illinois with AIT team member, Phu Pham, as we met with faculty members and other leaders at the Billy Graham Center. They have a financial grant to help us launch the first year of training trainers of missionaries. Ask God for wisdom and blessing as this one-year program will start January 2027.
FUNDING IN A NEW SEASON
We think most of you have been hearing about John’s next season of ministry. I will not need support for a paycheck, but I will continue to need work funds, especially for travel to Asia to continue these key projects. For those who have not contributed to my financial support would you consider praying about it? Your one-time gifts or your continual gifts are both welcome. We ask regular supporters to at least continue their support my work fund account at Converge through the end of this year. For current supporters, sorry there are some changes. Send your gifts to Strengthening Asian Leaders – Mehn account – 31258. Thank you so much for your prayers and your continued support for our ministry in wider Asia.
