It’s been very weird at home the last two days. Both Elaine and I realize that I am actually going to Asia next month. I have waited two years to go, now it is happening and it is a bit hard to believe. Yesterday we had confirmation from our partners in Asia that our team has rescheduled our trip for late April early May. John will also tag on an important trip to Japan on the way home. We are excited and pleasantly surprised about these developments, with our hearts warm and our heads spinning.
FOCUS ON ASIA
We asked you to pray for a trip in late February. Wisely due to Covid concerns, with our Asian partners we postponed the trip. We were disappointed but know this is a strategic opportunity to work with Asian partners who want to reach unreached people groups in their corner of Asia.
So realizing the divine timing, we used those same dates to gather our entire team in Oregon to prepare our team for the pastors’ conferences we will be having in Asia. We worked on practical tools and presentations and gave feedback to assure our presentations will be top notch. We also grew in our coaching skills by coaching each other in our new ministry roles. We talked about teamwork and the cultural challenges we face.
One vital aspect of gathering and preparing together was to do practical training that local leaders can use in evangelism and multiplying disciples. For two evenings several people from several local churches in Eugene Oregon gathered for:
- How to share your Grace Story (testimony)
- Discovery Bible Study (DBS)
One participant commented that in 50 years and after a degree from a Bible college she had only shared her “grace story” 3 times in her life and once was in our training! Several shared real “God stories” of recovery, healing, and deliverance. The Discovery Bible Study was energizing. We have heard that much of this training is being reproduced already in the lives of the participants! We are aiming for multiplication.
FOCUS ON JAPAN
Several of our team then drove from Oregon to Seattle. There John attended the Reaching Japanese for Christ (RJC) Conference with Asian Director, David Jahnke. RJC is a network of people in the US and Canada doing evangelism and discipleship with the diaspora Japanese in North America. Several from our Converge Japanese Initiative also attended. It was great to reconnect and see retired Japan field colleagues Don and JoAnn Wright acknowledged for their 20+ years of leadership in RJC.