Genesis Rooted - 7/6/2017

Genesis Rooted We are thrilled to be moved into a new office space! Having our own space -- room for storage, our own desks where we can really spread out, etc. -- is a real blessing. Come January, this space will also become our first classroom. Since moving in on May 15, we have: stripped cigarette-stained wallpaper from one wall and painted it, along with another wall; scrubbed the other two metal walls; replaced carpet; installed window blinds; bought and assembled office furniture. What remains to be done?  We still need the following: student tables & chairs whiteboard projector lectern miscellaneous office and classroom supplies hiring an electrician to split room lights to multiple switches (to darken part of the room for PowerPoint projection). Our budget for this entire project is just $10,000. To date, 65% of this has been given. Will you help us complete this project by making a one-time donation to the Genesis Rooted campaign? You can give online by clicking here; or you can send a check to MTW at the address below (be sure to indicate that your contribution is for Genesis International College, acct #92888):       Mission to the World       P.O. Box 744165       Atlanta, GA  30374-4165 Thank you for your partnership in bringing the hope of the gospel to the people of Osaka, Japan! Global Missions Conference God has equipped you with unique gifts for serving the Church. Are you a teacher, pastor, artist, doctor? A financial supporter or prayer warrior? Your gifts and skills are needed to further church-planting efforts worldwide! Join me at the PCA Global Missions Conference, November 10-12 in Dallas, TX, to discover how you can help expand the reach of the Great Commission. We'll gather with over 2,000 fellow believers for worship, special music by Shane & Shane, and teaching by Kevin DeYoung, Lloyd Kim, and Michael Oh. Enlarge your understanding through over 80 seminars led by missions experts from all over the globe. Register by July 31 for the lowest fee. Use the promotional code VIP2017 and receive an additional $10 discount off your registration fee! Come early for Welcoming the Refugee, a timely pre-conference that will lead you to dive deep into this critical global need (November 9-10). In conjunction with the Global Missions Conference, the Japan Partnership will be having several Japan-specific events including a lunch on Saturday and several seminars on Japan ministries. Click here for more information and to register. Follow on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend Prayer Points Praise God for our new office/classroom space! Pray that we will soon be able to fully equip it for classes. And pray that God will be glorified through our ministry in this location -- that many students will find the hope of the gospel. Pray for the continuing work of preparing to open an English school in January. There is much to be done: curriculum, teacher certification, marketing, looking into legal requirements with the government, etc. Praise God for a good trip to the States in June. I attended the Honolulu Bible Conference, put on by Banner of Truth. Speakers included Derek Thomas (formerly of 1st PCA Jackson, MS but now in SC), Liam Goligher (10th PCA of Philadelphia), and John Rawlinson (Banner of Truth general manager). Aside from listening to accents of a Welshman, Irishman, and Englishman respectively, their messages were solid and challenging. My purpose in attending was as a recruiter of potential missionaries. Perhaps the two most likely contacts include a seminary student (of half Japanese ancestry), and one young lady recently graduated with a "teaching English as a second language" degree. Pray that God will draw these and/or other young people to labor in a mission field desperate for the hope of the gospel. In addition to recruiting in Hawaii, I spent time in Iowa with my mother, and traveled with her to my brother's family in Missouri. Pray for a new college president. One of our two prospects has a trip to Osaka planned in September! Pray for our Genesis Cafe events. After two years of strong participation, attendance has dropped significantly. Pray for us as we evaluate what we are doing, what we should change, or whether it is time to drop this ministry and focus on other efforts. Culture Corner Japan is a very safe country. But sometimes I'm still surprised by the differences in parenting. For example, it is completely normal for very young children to take the train by themselves to school. At a food court recently, a mom seated her two young children at a table next to me, gave them their food, and then left for more than five minutes to get her own food. The kids behaved perfectly, eating their noodles, and perhaps wondering about the strange looking guy at the table next to them!