He's Never Failed Me Yet! -- February 5, 2020

He's Never Failed Me Yet! In this newsletter, I want to be brutally honest with you. Chances are good that those who are reading this are likely those who also pray the most regularly for me. THANK YOU for your prayers; I need them! When I first sensed a call to missions in 2007, my most significant reluctance was support-raising. I was happy to financially support missionaries, but I wasn't excited about asking for financial support from others. But through many means, God demonstrated to me that if he was really calling me to missionary service, then he would also provide the needed financial partners. But learning to trust God is hard, for me at least. Back in 2007, as I continued to struggle with the idea of support-raising, I thought, "I know a lot of people. I have connections in the PCA and the CRC. I've lived in many states, and worked at several universities, and my former students have jobs." Who was I trusting? "I" know people. "I" have connections. I was trusting me! As I started to raise support, a number of churches and individuals whom I thought were likely supporters didn't pan out. Then I started to get support from people I didn't even know. How do I explain that? God! A few years later, during my first furlough, transitioning from short-term to long-term status, I needed to raise more support. "But hey, the vision for Genesis College is compelling, so it shouldn't be so difficult," I thought. Again, I was trusting in myself and my ability to convey a compelling vision. God was patient in teaching me the same lesson all over again: he is the one who provides! And now, during my second furlough, I again need to raise more support. This time, I thought it wouldn't be so difficult because I already had a very solid support-base; the additional amount I needed to raise wasn't so much. While that may be true, it has not been easy. I expected to probably lose some supporters due to a change in ministry fields, and I did ($360/month in pledges). But I've also gained support, some from new partners, and some from higher pledges from existing partners ($630/month). Where does that put me? My monthly budget is $8,724. That includes my salary (a small portion of that total, I assure you!), as well as ministry expenses, health insurance, administrative costs, etc. I currently have pledges for $7,347/month (84%), meaning I need an additional $1,377/month in pledges. (My budget is available for supporters or potential supporters upon request.) Support-raising is scary! I love sharing about the work to which God has called me, but ASKING is scary. I have fears of rejection. I worry that friends and family want to run away from me because I might ask for money. I know in my head that support-based missions is absolutely biblical. I know that God has called every Christian to be involved in the work of missions through going, giving and praying. But my human nature just cannot overcome my fears. I'm often convicted that my lack of faith is not unlike the ancient Israelites who sinned, were punished by God, then returned to him, only to repeat that cycle again and again. And so I continue to ask God to accomplish what seems so impossible to me -- to raise up a support team that will enable me to serve him in Sydney. Of course God has unlimited resources, and nothing is impossible for him! And so I ask you: Will you pray for me -- for my lack of faith, and for God to fully provide for my budget? Will you join my ministry team by pledging a monthly or annual contribution? Will you talk to someone at your church, asking them to invite me to share about the work of the gospel in Sydney, and to potentially partner with me in this work? There is a black gospel song that I've sung with my church choir called "He's Never Failed Me Yet." The song is a great reminder that God is always faithful, and always provides for every single need of his children. He never fails! I pray that you will be encouraged in your trust of our loving Father as well.   To Give: If you would like to give a one-time gift or make a pledge for regular support: Reply to this email or click here to contact me. Go to the MTW website where you can give and/or make a pledge for recurring support. THANK YOU for your prayers and your consideration! Follow FB Group Forward to a Friend Quick Links   MTW Sydney Ministries:   • Harbour City Church   • SOW (Student Outreach      to the World)   • City Sanctum Watch a video presentation of the work to which God has called me in Sydney. My blog (past newsletters)   Calendar February 22-27 Briarwood PCA Missions Conference; Birmingham, AL   Feb. 28 - Mar 1 Redeemer PCA Missions Conference; Jackson, MS March 12-14 MTW committee meetings Atlanta, GA March 16-30 Osaka, Japan (I will be participating in a wedding of a Japanese friend. While there, I will sell some of my stored things, and arrange for the rest to be shipped to Australia.) March 31 Depart for Sydney, Australia, pending full support. If I do not have full support, I will need to return to the States. Prayer Points   Praise God for safe travel back to Mississippi at the end of January. Pray for the final 16% of the required financial pledges. Pray whether God would have you partner with me through financial giving. Culture Corner   "Are those fires near where you will live?" I've had this question many times over the last several months. Yes, the fires are around Sydney, and have broken into some of the outer suburbs. "How bad are the fires?" They are bad -- very bad. But no, the entire country is not on fire. One problem with many online representations is that the "dot" for each fire is often much larger than the  actual fire. The map below shows a more realistic view. If they were all consolidated, they would cover an area similar to Indiana. The worst of the fires are in the southeast, near Sydney and the capital city of Canberra. Nationwide, 2,779 homes have been destroyed. At least 34 people have died. Countless animals have died. The air quality of Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra are currently the worst in the world. Please pray for Australia. Pray that God will even use the fires in ways that only he can to bring people to faith in him.

Ministry Spotlight: "SOW" - 12/2/2019

Ministry Spotlight: "SOW" Over the last few months, I've been spotlighting a different ministry of the MTW Sydney missionary team. The last of these is "Student Outreach to the World," or "SOW." The university ministry was actually the first ministry started by Sydney team leader, Jim Jung, back in 2007. The goal of SOW is to raise up disciples of Jesus Christ who are transformed by the gospel, and who spread that transformation to the world, both in Australia and beyond. SOW currently has "uni ministries" at four different major universities in Sydney. Each of them has a campus pastor and a core group of student leaders. There are small group Bible studies on each campus. Large group worship, however, is together on one campus in downtown Sydney. In many ways, SOW is very similar to Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), for those of you familiar with that. In addition to Bible studies and worship times, SOW has many activities for fellowship and to draw students to the ministry, such as "SOWlympics" competition between universities, beach events, retreats, etc. SOW also sends teams of students each year to several different Asian countries where they serve with and learn from MTW missionaries. A group of ten students visited me in Osaka back in 2015, helping us hand out flyers on city streets for an upcoming Christmas musical at my church. A primary goal of the SOW ministry is to encourage and equip university students to be missionaries (or senders of their friends) into Asia-Pacific. Most of the students themselves are first or second-generation Asia-Australians, so as missionaries to Asia, they are able to spark different conversations, "why are you -- an Asian -- a Christian?" Please pray for the SOW ministry and our students, that many will find hope through the grace of God, and also that many will hear and heed the call to go into all parts of the world to spread that hope of the gospel. Support Raising Update Praise God that he has brought in 89% of my needed support! I am still in need of an additional $1,000 in monthly pledges to be fully funded for the next four years. If joining my support team is something you've been thinking about, I would welcome your partnership in the gospel. Missionaries cannot go abroad and serve full-time without financial partners who give, or without those who will pray. Any amount helps. Monthly pledges are most helpful as they provide stable longevity. One-time gifts are distributed over 48 months, lessening the amount of pledges needed. Those wishing to make a pledge can do so via one of the following methods: Reply to this email with your pledge. Give/pledge online. Email Mimi Lee at MTW with your pledge. If you have any questions, please email me. If you would like a hardcopy of my prayer card sent to you, please let me know. (You can tear off the bottom half of it to mail to MTW with a contribution and/or pledge as well.) Thank you for your prayerful consideration! Follow FB Group Forward to a Friend Departure to Australia Over the last several months, I have been on an MTW committee working to revamp the training we offer to new missionaries. This has involved a weekly online meeting, but will require several days of meetings in Atlanta in mid-March during which we will hammer out the final product. This project has changed my anticipated departure date from early January to mid-March. A side benefit will be that I'll be able to attend a number of church missions conferences this winter. Calendar Sunday, Dec. 8 CityLife Church St. Paul, MN 9:05 am Sunday School      (full presentation) 10 am Worship (4 minute talk)   December - January I'll be in Iowa with my mother, working to raise the remaining support needed to reach 100% funding. February - March I will be back in Mississippi, attending various missions conferences, raising support if still not at 100%. March 11-14 Meetings at MTW offices in Atlanta. March 20 Groomsman in a wedding in Osaka, Japan. March 23 Arrival in Sydney, the Lord willing. Prayer Points Praise that God for providing 89% of my support. Pray for the remaining funds needed to be fully-funded. Pray whether God would have you be a financial partner with me in the gospel. Pray for Student Outreach to the World (SOW) -- for each of the campus pastors at the four universities; for openness to the gospel among the students; for discipleship and mentoring of students as they grow in Christ and their ability to share the gospel with others; for students who are soon leaving for international missions trips around Asia. Pray for my own preparation for ministry in Australia. I am reading several books on ministry and on Australian culture.

Ministry Spotlight: Harbour City Church - 10/24/2019

Ministry Spotlight: Harbour City Church Harbour City Church is the primary ministry of the MTW Sydney team. HCC's beginnings were in small groups starting in 2008; two years later, HCC began weekly public worship services in space rented by the hour in the heart of Sydney, with a view (if one was in just the right spot) of the famous opera house and the slightly less famous harbour bridge. As a young, growing church, there have been several moves into larger spaces, with the church now worshipping a bit farther out in the Sydney suburbs at a local community center. Jim Jung is the original church planter and lead pastor. He and his wife, Claudia, started the Sydney MTW team in 2006, and have recruited a missionary team currently consisting of the Goodrich family from Texas, and two single men both hoping to arrive in Sydney in January (Kooi and Choi!). In addition to leading HCC, Jim oversees Student Outreach to the World (SOW -- to be spotlighted next month), City Sanctum (spotlighted last month), and is the MTW regional director for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Harbour City Church is led by two MTW ordained pastors as well as several elders, mentored and trained at HCC. There are active ministries for men, women, and children, as well as mercy ministry, and the aforementioned Student Outreach to the World (university ministry) and City Sanctum. HCC is a member of the Westminster Presbyterian denomination; the first church in the denomination was planted by American missionaries from World Presbyterian Mission, the predecessor of Mission to the World, in the 1970s. The denomination currently consists of just 15 churches, most of them in Perth in far western Australia. In addition to my primary role with City Sanctum, I will have a role at HCC and in assisting Jim Jung in his leadership of the various local ministries and within the Pacific region. Support Raising Update God has provided for 84% of my monthly support! The process of raising the additional support to serve in Sydney has sometimes been a step or two backward and a step or two forward as I've lost a little support here and there as a result of changing mission fields. Support raising is a daunting task: working to make contacts, but waiting patiently on God to bring in the funds. A number of people and churches that have shown interest in partnering with me, but have not yet made that official. Committee decisions are often slow; please pray! Due to excess one-time gifts over and beyond my one-time budget, these funds will be disbursed through my four-year term in Sydney. This is currently about $400 per month, leaving about $1,500 in needed monthly pledges. Additional one-time gifts will increase this reserve fund. Monthly or annual pledges get me to 100% funded more quickly. If YOU would like to partner with me, you can make a pledge by any of the following methods: Reply to this email with your pledge. Give/pledge online. Email Mimi Lee at MTW with your pledge. If you have any questions, please email me. If you would like a hardcopy of my prayer card sent to you, please let me know. (You can tear off the bottom half of it to mail to MTW with a contribution and/or pledge as well.) Thank you for your prayerful consideration! Support Goals/Timeline: 90% by the end of October; it's possible! 100% by the end of November Apply for resident visa in December Depart for Sydney first week of January Follow FB Group Forward to a Friend Jackson, MS area Event! If you are in the Jackson, MS area, you are invited to Cultivation Food Hall THIS SATURDAY, October 26, for lunch and a presentation about the new ministry in Sydney. This event is open to all friends, current supporters, and anyone interested in missions. Children are welcome and encouraged to attend! The presentation will start at 12:30 pm. I suggest you come around 11:30 to noon in order to order lunch from one of several great vendors in the food hall, then bring your lunch to "The Living Room" event room. I hope to see you there! Calendar October 26 • Jackson, MS event (see above for details) October 27 • Ethnos: Prayer for the Nations meeting (event is at a private home in Jackson, MS area. Email me if you'd like info.) • 6:00 pm Nov. 26 - Dec. 3 • Thanksgiving with family in Washington state December 8 • City Life Church • St. Paul, MS • 10 am worship Prayer Points Pray for the upcoming events on my calendar, that God will use them to bring additional partners, but also that God will use them to call others to serve overseas for the gospel. Pray that God will provide 90% of my support by the end of October. Pray whether God would have you be a financial partner with me in the gospel. Pray for Harbour City Church: • for Jim Jung as he leads the church, as well as his many other responsibilities; • for the elders and various ministry leaders; • for Westminster Presbyterian denomination, that they will be faithful to scripture, engaging in the culture, and effective in bringing many people into relationship with Jesus Christ. Pray for my own preparation for ministry in Australia. I am reading several books on ministry and on Australian culture.

My Only Comfort In Life and in Death - 10/18/2019

This morning I learned of the death of a college classmate.  Celebrating their 30th anniversary, she and her husband were vacationing in Italy when the wife died in a tragic accident.  While students at Dordt College, I knew who she and her boyfriend -- and then husband -- were, but I really did not know them.  He was a basketball jock, and she was a musician, if I remember correctly.  Unfortunately I didn't hang out with athletes at all, and very little with many serious musicians.

On a very cold and snowy January this past year, I finally got to know this couple just a bit.  They are members of a supporting church in Sioux Falls, SD, and led the junior high/high school Sunday school class to which I had been invited to share about my ministry in Japan.  Harry is a very kind man, with a gentle spirit I hadn't expected.  He treated the students with patience and a little humor, despite how squirrelly these young teens may have been.  Dori was an exceptionally gracious woman.  It was soon apparent that she was not only highly knowledgeable of the Bible, but her gentle spirit reflected her love of Jesus Christ and of those around her.  Although my time with the class was brief, I regretted having such a limited circle of friends while in college.

My heart breaks for Harry and his children.  How utterly horrible to lose a loved one who is so full of love and life one moment, and then gone the next.  Her loss leaves a gaping hole in the hearts and lives of her family and her church.  How does a spouse, family, church, go on?

Death comes to each of us, sometimes much sooner than we expect.  It's so final;  so scary;  so unnatural -- but that's a blog for another time.  So I pose the question again:  how do we go on with life following the death of a loved one?

In the first letter from the Apostle Paul to the Christian church in the city of Thessalonica, he says to them, "But we do not want you to be uniformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so even, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).

Some Christians may say we shouldn't mourn the death of a saint;  after all, they are now with Jesus.  Considering that Jesus Christ himself mourned at the loss of his friend, Lazarus, these Christians could not be more wrong in their calloused attempt to comfort the mourning.  The verses above say that we should not mourn in the same way as those who have no hope.  We do mourn, but we mourn with hope.  And what is that hope?  That Jesus Christ himself died to take the punishment for sin that you and I deserve, but that he then defeated death, rising back to life so that we too may have life that never ends -- life with God in heaven, where there is no death, no pain, no tears.

Perhaps you too have lost people you love.  In the span of just 13 months, in 2015-2016, I lost both my dad and my sister;  I know the sting of death.  Perhaps especially those of you who have lost a spouse or a child can attest that you don't "get over" the death.  But if you know Jesus, and especially if your loved one loved Jesus, you also can attest that your mourning is not without hope.

If you do not feel the sense of hope that persists even through life's most difficult times, I plead with you to pray to God, to confess that you are a sinner in need of salvation, and to trust that what you could never accomplish on your own, God has already done for you.  If you want to ask questions, or seek guidance in any of this, please reach out to me or to another trusted Christian friend or pastor.

Life is hard.  But in Christ, there is a hope that does not disappoint.

Ministry Spotlight: City Sanctum - 9/26/2019

Ministry Spotlight: City Sanctum City Sanctum is a ministry that meets monthly in downtown Sydney aimed at providing community to Sydney's busy working adults. It is a place for workers to discover where the Christian faith and work intersect in their lives, and where participants hear from a speaker who helps them tackle the bigger questions in life. In addition to the monthly dinners, smaller groups meet more regularly in various parts of the city. City Sanctum is a safe place to which Christians can invite unsaved friends and co-workers, where they will encounter the gospel and develop relationships with Christians. City Sanctum is currently led by Jim Jung, but as the lead pastor for Harbour City Church as well as team leader and MTW regional director for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, he is spread thin trying to meet the needs of all these ministries as well as those of his family. Upon my arrival in Sydney, I will assume the bulk of leadership for City Sanctum, allowing Jim to focus on other responsibilities, and giving City Sanctum the level of leadership it needs to meet the needs of current participants and perhaps expand the ministry to reach many others. As the leader of City Sanctum, I will work with a core group of young professionals who have been giving leadership to the organization. In addition to further developing the City Sanctum ministry itself, I anticipate that much of my time will involve mentoring core group leaders as well as other participants. Jim Jung speaking at City Sanctum Support Raising Update Nearly 80% of my monthly support is pledged! Several churches are currently considering whether to partner with me -- or to increase their current level of giving. A number of individuals have also expressed interest in becoming partners, and several have notified me that they will be increasing their level of support. But to get to 100%, 20 people will need to pledge an average of $100 per month. Will you be one of those people? Perhaps that's far too much for your budget; will you pledge $25 per month? Or perhaps you can pledge more than $100 per month? Every pledge helps. Regardless of whether God directs you to partner with me financially, please do pray that God will provide. I know He has called, and when He calls, He always provides. Those wishing to make a pledge can do so via one of the following methods: Reply to this email with your pledge. Give/pledge online. Email Mimi Lee at MTW with your pledge. If you have any questions, please email me. If you would like a hardcopy of my prayer card sent to you, please let me know. (You can tear off the bottom half of it to mail to MTW with a contribution and/or pledge as well.) Thank you for your prayerful consideration! Support Goals/Timeline: 90% by the end of October 100% by the end of November Apply for resident visa in December Depart for Sydney first week of January Follow FB Group Forward to a Friend Calendar Saturday, Sept. 28 Sioux Center Pizza Ranch 6 pm dinner 6:30 pm full presentation (approx. 30 minutes) Sunday, Sept. 29 Immanuel CRC Orange City, IA 9:30 am worship 5 minute update Sunday, Sept. 29 Faith CRC Sioux Center, IA 6 pm worship 5 minute update October 1-2 Traveling back to Mississippi Prayer Points Praise God for a free apartment in Madison, MS for October & November! Pray for the upcoming events on my calendar, that God will use them to bring additional partners, but also that God will use them to call others to serve overseas for the gospel. Pray that God will provide 90% of my support by the end of October. Pray whether God would have you be a financial partner with me in the gospel. Pray for safety as I drive from Iowa to Mississippi next week. Pray for City Sanctum -- for Jim Jung as he continues to serve as the director until my arrival, for the core group leaders, and all the CS participants as they seek to know and serve God, and as they invite friends and co-workers. Pray for my own preparation for ministry in Australia. I am reading several books on ministry and on Australian culture. Culture Corner "Would the world be better off without religion?" When The Sydney Morning Herald posed this question in 2008, 80% of readers said "yes." Like Europe, Australia is very much a post-Christian culture, particularly among white Australians. Asian-Australians tend to be much more open to the gospel, and are the majority of those served by the MTW Sydney team. Yet there are reasons for hope that the younger generation of Australians may be less resentful of the church than their parents and grandparents. Please pray for the working of the Holy Spirit in Australia.

Equipping to the Ends of the Earth - 8/24/2019

Equipping to the Ends of the Earth This slogan that I've chosen reflects the vision of the MTW team in Sydney. The vast majority of those being ministered to by the Sydney team are first or second generation Asian-Australians who tend to be much more open to the gospel than Euro-Australians. The desire of the team is to disciple and equip these young adults for ministry throughout Asia-Pacific -- some of them going back to the land of their ancestors. In considering my ministry options (to continue serving in Japan or to transition to Sydney), this vision was the determining factor. God has placed the Japanese deep within my heart; I love the people and desire to see them transformed by the gospel. In many ways, it would have been easier for me to continue serving with one of the MTW teams in Japan. But I believe I can perhaps have a bigger impact for the kingdom of God by serving in Sydney. Through a ministry of discipling and equipping, I hope to send many young adults to Japan as well as other nations, thereby multiplying my own efforts. The MTW Sydney team at the 2019 Asia-Pacific Retreat in Indonesia Financial Status I thought Japan was the most expensive place to serve as a missionary, but I was wrong! I got my budget from MTW last month and it is $1,000 per month MORE than my Osaka budget. Additionally, over the last four years in Osaka, $1,000 per month of my expenses were from a contingency fund of excess one-time gifts. So I already had to makeup that $1,000/month. How much is the budget? $9,000 per month. Let me assure you that most of this money is NOT my salary. The bulk of it actually covers housing, ministry funds, healthcare and retirement, MTW missionary care and administrative costs, etc. I have lost one church and one individual supporter since announcing my move to Australia -- a loss of $115/month. Current pledges are currently at about 76% of the needed budget, meaning I need an additional $2,157/month in pledges. Would YOU consider joining my support team, or increasing the level of your support? My support team currently consists of 15 churches and 54 individual partners who have pledged monthly or annual support. The $2,157/month would be completely taken care of if my current partners increased their giving by an average of $31/month. But not all of them are able to do that. Additional partners are needed as well. If you would like to make a pledge or increase an existing pledge, you can do that through one of the following means: Reply to this email with your pledge. Give/pledge online. Email Mimi Lee at MTW with your pledge. If you have any questions or concerns, please email me. If you would like a hardcopy of my prayer card sent to you, please let me know. (You can tear off the bottom half of it to mail to MTW with a contribution and/or pledge as well.) Thank you for your prayerful consideration! Follow on Facebook Forward to a Friend Calendar August 25    Grace PCA    Sioux Falls, SD September 8    First PCA    Hospers, IA September 15    Lebanon CRC    Sioux Center, IA Likely returning to Mississippi for October & November. Prayer Requests Praise God for safe travel to and from Indonesia for the MTW Asia-Pacific Area Retreat, and for good times with the Sydney team, as well as many friends from the MTW teams in Japan. Pray for my own preparation for ministry work in Sydney, as I prepare for new responsibilities. Pray for the additional financial partners needed to meet my budget, and for openness to church visits. Pray for appropriate housing in Mississippi for October & November. Support Status Goal to arrive in Sydney at the first of the new year.