Ministry Updates and News from the Mehns
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu. Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu. Shinnen o medetoo gozaimasu. Translation: “I greet you in this New Year. Please think well of us in this year. Congratulations in this New Year.” Often in Japan these words of New Year’s greeting would be repeated constantly in January sometimes deep into the month like the 15th or even the 20th. We are expected to greet key people in our lives the first time we meet…
I just got back from the October trip and am partially recovered from travel, work, and jetlag. Many asked me after I returned how my trip was. My reply was that the travel was smooth and the impact with leaders changed paradigms and moved momentum forward, but personally as a teacher and mentor the trip was particularly challenging. Part of the challenge means more recovery on this end. But it was worth it, and I…
FOCUS ON PRAYER
September seemed like a revolving door of visitors at our home in Illinois. John’s college friend from campus crusade dropped by, then a Japanese church planter, at that time Phil and Katie Tsai, new missionaries to Japan, joined us in mobilizing for outreach to Japan, then we had our local small group over. John is off to Asia this month to flip the script and meet with people in South Asia and Japan (see below).…
Thank you so much for praying for me and my teammate Phu Pham’s trip to Bangkok to meet with our South Asia partners. Last year there were 12 key leaders and this time we nearly doubled with 23. They were eager learners and workers. They picked up the missions strategic trajectory we launched last year and turned the 4 priorities into four working teams. The teams were 1) strategy, 2) training, 3) assessing new missionaries,…
It was very hot in Tokyo in August. A few days before I arrived they announced a new record high. The day I left for Bangkok they announced that the new record high had already been broken. We are talking over 107 degrees! The entire month in Japan was high humidity and temperatures over 90 degrees, including the evenings. HOT!. Elaine and I don’t miss living in Tokyo for that. I was in Tokyo just…
We are truly grateful to God and for many generous people and churches who give to allow John to continue his impactful ministry in Asia with these key projects and opportunities. Over the last several months we have been sharing with you that our financial support has developed a slow leak. Over the summer it dropped from 95% to now 92%, which is cause for concern. We ask you FIRST to pray about our financial…