December 1, 2022

Japan Vision Trip I will be returning to Japan on Sunday evening, December 5! I currently hold a one year Australian tourist visa which requires that I leave the country every 90 days. As I still have two bank accounts in Japan (one personal, and one for Genesis International College), I need to return to withdraw the funds and close the accounts. Taking advantage of the opportunity, four young adults from my Sydney church will be accompanying me on this vision trip. What is a vision trip, as opposed to a mission trip? Where a mission trip typically involves participants performing some sort of ministry work, the primary activity of a vision trip is to expose participants to a variety of missionaries and types of ministry. The primary goal is for the participants to better understand the work and lives of missionaries, know how to pray for, support and advocate for missions, and to discern their own role in God's gospel mandate. Our team will be visiting missionaries in Chiba, Nagoya, Osaka, Sendai and Tokyo. Please pray: Safety in the air, on the road, and on the tracks Unity on our team during a very busy schedule That our team will be a blessing to the missionaries we visit, and encouraged by their ministries. Particularly, pray that each participant will be open to the leading of God as we each discern our roles in the gospel mandate. Josh, Brent, Danny, Rebecca, Monica Vision Trip Dates: December 5-15. Wishing you a blessed Christmas! Follow FB Group Forward to a Friend Prayer Points   In addition to the prayer requests for the vision trip listed on the left.... Pray that there will be no issues in getting back into Australia following the Japan Vision Trip. I am on a one year tourist visa that requires me to leave the country every 90 days; it's possible there could be issues getting back into the country. Pray for the City Sanctum ministry. We recently administered a survey among our target demographic to learn about post-Covid work situations (in the office, online, etc.), as well as perceived needs in work and personal lives. Upon my return from Japan, work will begin in earnest toward re-booting the City Sanctum ministry in the new year. "With All"   Last week, Harbour City Church hosted their annual "open conference" with the theme "With All," taken from Luke 10 (love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength and mind). Due to the isolation brought on by tight Covid restrictions, mental and physical health were a focus. Our keynote speaker was a therapist who challenged us to deal with past traumas, sin, and addictions. A former convict who runs a fitness ministry for former convicts also shared his story with our congregation and guests.

August 25, 2022 -- First Newsletter from Sydney

Feet on the Ground! After a 2+ year Covid delay, God opened up the doors for my arrival in Sydney about seven weeks ago! It is perhaps a bit surreal to be here, and to look back on all that transpired over the last few years. But I'm so thankful for God's provision and for the prayers, encouragement, and financial partnership of so many rope holders. Thank you for your role in all of that! My team leader has been very gracious in allowing me time to adjust to life in Australia. I was able to purchase a 2014 VW Jetta within a week of my arrival, and secured an apartment within three weeks. Moving in with just a few pieces of luggage, I was able to furnish the apartment with the basic necessities and make it a comfortable home for my own rejuvenation as well as for hosting friends and events in the future. The location is convenient to the church and has easy access (via train) to the city. And after gaining my own experience in renovation/construction over the last two years, I have a view of a large new apartment building under construction right outside my windows! In fact I was given a $300 ($200 US) discount per month because of the construction. I find it rather entertaining, even as a port-a-potty is sailing past my window from a crane as I type this! Being quite settled, I've been getting more involved in ministry work over the last couple of weeks. Ministry Much of my time has been spent becoming more familiar with the various ministries of the MTW team in Sydney. In the first week I participated in a men's ping pong tournament. I hadn't played since Christmas 2020, and my first and only match was against the man whom everyone knew would win the tournament, and he did! It was a great opportunity to get to know the lads (as they say in Australia) of the church. City Sanctum, the ministry which I'll be leading, has been on a complete hiatus over the last year. When Australia shutdown the nation due to Covid, an attempt was made to continue meeting online. But without a City Sanctum leader, and with general exhaustion among the steering committee, we decided it was better to discontinue all activities until Covid restrictions eased and I arrived to give leadership. Our team met with the steering committee members this past week to discuss the future, and how we can most effectively meet the needs of city workers. With most office workers still working from home most days, and the needs and daily patterns of life changed, we will be re-evaluating everything in the coming months toward the goal of relaunching. Follow FB Group Forward to a Friend Prayer Points   Praise God for opening the doors to Australia, safe travel, and allowing me to get established in Sydney. Pray that God will bless my efforts to deepen relationships at the church. Pray for the City Sanctum ministry and our work to reorganize it toward effective ministry both in the city and to those around the world. Praise God for a Japanese friend whom I met in Jackson, MS at the First Presbyterian international ministry. He moved to Texas last year, and continued to seek for God and was recently baptized! Pray for his spiritual growth. Culture Corner   Adjusting to Australian culture has certainly been easier than my previous adjustments in Japan. Instead of struggling to recall the most basic of words, my ears are adjusting to the Aussie accent. Instead of learning how to navigate the Japanese train system, I'm learning to drive manual transmission on the left side of the road (had a little practice with that in Japan as I occasionally rented a car). But more than that, I'm working to understand the Aussie way of thinking. It's subtle, but it is different! Australia is very egalitarian; regardless of one's place in life or society, if one acts too high and mighty, they can expect to be taken down a peg or two. 40% of Sydneysiders are foreign born. Driving around, I traverse through neighborhoods of Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Arab, etc., all with their grocery stores, restaurants, and places of worship. My own neighborhood is very diverse with only 37% of the residents born in Australia. The world is mobile, coming to our doorsteps, providing incredible opportunities to share the hope of the gospel to the masses who have never heard.

June 20, 2022 Update -- Imminent Departure

A Brief Update: First and foremost, I want to confirm that, Lord willing, I will be departing for my ministry assignment in Sydney on July 6! A few details: I am in Birmingham, AL this week for the Presbyterian Church in America General Assembly. Jim Jung, my Sydney team leader, is here with me. It's been a great time of renewing our friendship (haven't seen each other face to face in three years), and discussing life and ministry in Sydney. We are attending GA for the purpose of recruiting missionaries, interns, and church missions teams for the Australasia region (Australia, New Zealand, and a number of South Pacific island nations). Please pray that God will call many to serve and equip in this region.   Upon returning to Jackson on Friday of this week, my primary work will be packing up my house, packing up my bags, and just in general preparing to turn my house over to my renters/house managers.   A young Christian married couple will be renting my home, living on the main floor, and managing the AirBNB basement apartment. They are excited for the opportunity as they will be able to save up money for their own home over the next four years. And they seem very suited to managing the AirBNB apartment as well.   I anticipate driving up to Iowa on June 30-July1 to spend a few days with my mom before departing for Australia.   I will fly out of Sioux Falls, SD on July 6 and arrive in Sydney on July 8! Calendar June 20-23 PCA General Assembly; Birmingham, AL   June 24-29 Packing up my home, selling some furniture, packing my bags, etc. June 30 - July 1 Driving to Iowa July 6-8 Travel to Sydney, Australia Follow FB Group Forward to a Friend Prayer Points   Praise God for his sustaining grace during a departure delay of more than two years. Praise him for the opportunities he gave me to serve my local church, to learn and minister through the Birmingham and Jackson Mission Cohorts, and for the opportunity to buy my first home and renovate the basement apartment. Praise God that the long wait if nearly over! Pray for our recruiting efforts at PCA General Assembly. Pray that God will enable me to accomplish all that needs doing in Jackson before I can turn my house over to my renters/managers. Pray for good time with my mom before I depart. Pray for my adjustment and settling into life and ministry in Sydney. THANK YOU for your faithful prayers, encouragement, and continued financial partnership over the last years. I appreciate your role in our work more than you can know, and covet your continued "holding of the rope" as I begin this new role in Australia.

April 25, 2022

Deployment Announcement! After two years of waiting, I can announce that the Australian borders are open, and I've been approved to deploy!  Some details: For immigration visa, I have received a clean criminal background report from the FBI, and should get a similar report in the next week from the Japanese consulate. While I have been anticipating a mid-May departure, that has been pushed back so that I can attend the Presbyterian Church General Assembly with my team leader with the purpose of recruiting additional missionaries, short-term teams, and interns. After General Assembly, I'll return to Jackson for just a few days, then go on to Iowa to see my mother, sell my car, and depart from there, likely on July 6. I have found a young couple who will be renting my house and managing the Airbnb apartment in the basement while I'm in Australia.  There are many details to work out for the lease. THANK YOU for your faithful prayers and encouragement, and for those who have faithfully continued to partner with me despite so many unknowns over the last two years.  You've been a blessing to me. Wait for the Lord! When Covid shut down world borders, probably like everyone else in the world, I assumed Covid would run its course in a few months and the world would quickly return to normal. Never did I expect my move to Australia would be delayed more than two years! Once I bought my house and started renovating it, I seemed to settle into life here. In some ways, that's good; one should "be" where one is placed -- to live and serve God in the ways he allows in the moment. But it was also easy to forget about my calling to Australia, or to think "what if it never happens?" Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait for the Lord;  be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" Two years is like a single moment to our eternal God. He has been sovereign throughout the pandemic. While we may have felt like we'd lost all control, God never did. And really, we never had any real control anyway! All we are called to do is wait for the Lord -- to trust that he knows best, and is working all things for our good (Romans 8:28). Over the last two years, God has provided many ministry opportunities I never expected: Participating in the planning and implementation of the Birmingham Missions Cohort, and then bring that to Jackson as well. Informal discipleship with several young men at my church. Participating in the life of my church including the choir, neighborhood growth group, and a men's Bible study. And of course God has provided the opportunity for me to purchase my first house, to be productive during the shutdown through the renovation of the basement apartment, and then to reap the benefits in the coming years of renting out the house and apartment. When there were slow times in recent months, I have driven Lyft and found many, many opportunities to share the gospel and to pray with and for my passengers. God has been good!  And it appears my waiting for him to move is coming to an end, at least in this particular situation. For each of us, our lives really is a series of waiting for the Lord -- to move, to open, to close, to heal, and ultimately to bring us to our eternal home. Follow FB Group Forward to a Friend Calendar June 21-24 PCA General Assembly Birmingham, AL   July 1-5 Tentative dates in Iowa July 6 Likely departure date for Australia Prayer Points   Praise God that he has opened the door to ministry in Australia! Praise God for the many opportunities he has provided in the last two years, including opportunities that have better prepared me for ministry in Sydney! Pray that God will allow me opportunities to finish my time in the States well. Pray for the many things I need to accomplish before I leave, including completion of a bathroom renovation in my house, working out details for the rental and management of the house, Australian visa application, and the sale of my Jeep in Iowa. Pray for our recruiting efforts at General Assembly, as we seek to recruit additional missionaries as well as short-term teams and interns. Pray for the transition -- both leaving the States and adapting to life and ministry in Australia. Pray for good farewells with family and friends. Overview of Australian Work:

March 1, 2022

Open Borders! After nearly two years, Australia opened its borders to fully vaccinated foreigners on Monday, February 21! I am now in the process of applying for my Australian visa. The first step is to obtain clean criminal background checks from the FBI and Japan. I've done what I need for the FBI check (an online form and finger-printing), and will be doing the same at the Japanese Consulate in Nashville today, at 11 a.m. I'm told it will take about two months for the Japanese report to be processed, so I am hopeful that I will be heading down under some time in May! Please do pray that there will not be any unforeseen barricades to my move to Sydney. God's Timing While this two year delay in moving to Australia has been difficult, I know that God's timing is alway perfect. In the two years since the pandemic closed world borders, God provided the opportunity for me to be involved in the Birmingham Missions Cohort, and then to expand that to Jackson as well. These ministries are designed to help Christians discern how God is calling them to be involved in the gospel mandate. And through my involvement, I've gained additional tools for my ministry in Sydney, which will be largely an equipping ministry, encouraging young Asian-Australians to go to the ends of the earth with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Another opportunity God gave me during the last two years: I purchased my first home and renovated the basement apartment for my own use during future furloughs (although it's currently a short-term rental in order to help me pay my mortgage). And most recently, God allowed me the opportunity to spend about six weeks in Iowa to help my mom through some medical issues, and then to sell her home, liquidate many of her things, and help her transition to an independent senior apartment. God's timing is always good! Follow FB Group Forward to a Friend Calendar Tuesday, March 1 11 a.m. appointment at the Japanese Consulate in Nashville, TN   Mid-May Anticipated move to Sydney, Australia! Prayer Points   Praise God for His perfect timing, even when we don't always understand these perceived delays. Praise God for His provision during the last two years. Pray that my criminal background checks come through in quick order. Pray that I will get an appropriate visa to live and serve in Australia. Pray for the many things that need to be accomplished before leaving the country and transitioning into ministry in Sydney.

The Opening of Australia After 19 months of closing the nation to the outside world, Australia is now opening its borders! Having successfully reached an 80% vaccination rate, the government has opened its borders to Australians who have been stranded abroad, as well as to citizens of New Zealand and Singapore. It is expected that US citizens will soon be permitted to enter as well, perhaps within weeks. Meanwhile, the Omicron variation has slowed down the progress, but the government says they will not turn back. So what does this mean for my entry into Australia? While nothing is yet certain, my prospects look very encouraging; I am hopeful of being able to depart in just a few months! What lies ahead? My Australian immigration lawyer recommends entering with a tourist visa, as there will be such a backlog of applications for other visas. A tourist visa would require that I leave Australia every 90 days. That may mean quick trips to nearby New Zealand or Indonesia, but could also be productive for our team's "island to island" work with Presbyterian denominations in Vanuatu, Fiji, and Samoa. And while in Australia on a tourist visa, I will be able to apply for a more permanent visa as well. There are many questions, such as my ability to rent an apartment, buy a car, open a bank account, but it appears that these should all be possible. MTW will soon do a review of my support status. I've been hovering around 97% since March 2020. I've lost some support, and gained other support. But perhaps most critically, I have not been using much of my budget while in the States, so these unused funds have been accumulating and will be pro-rated across a four-year term. Please pray -- see "Prayer Points." Jackson Missions Cohort From September through early November, I was blessed to lead the first term of the Jackson Missions Cohort (J-MC). This ministry's purpose is to help Christians discern their role in God's gospel mandate -- to go, or to send, but also how to be a witness of God's grace to the many internationals right living here among us. Our cohort heard weekly from missionaries either on furlough or preparing to depart for the field -- how did they sense God's calling to overseas service? What is their ministry? How can we pray for them? We also heard from various speakers teaching on God's gospel mandate, the history of Christian missions, unreached people groups, life on the field, various means of ministry, etc. And we visited a local Hindu temple, learning from the priest about their beliefs and culture. Hearing about it is one thing, but when several families came into the temple and we witnessed their worship of idols and sacrifices of food,  One of our cohort participants shared with me that driving home from J-MC each week was the highlight of his week as he was able to reflect on what God was doing around the world. Please pray for our J-MC participants -- see the "Prayer Points." Follow FB Group Forward to a Friend Prayer Points   Praise God that Australian borders are reopening! Pray that borders will soon reopen to American citizens. Pray for the many logistics of wrapping up work and personal commitments in the States. Pray for my financial support. If you would like to join my ministry team through financial support, please email me or contact Savannah Herrle at MTW, or click here to give a one-time contribution or arrange for recurring contributions. Pray that God will bless the J-MC ministry -- that cohort participants will be responsive to God's call (wherever that may be) in his gospel mandate. Culture Corner   Covid has been very hard on Australia. Beginning in May 2020, the government completely shutdown travel from abroad, including many thousands of citizens who were overseas. Eventually limited numbers of Australians were allowed in each day, but not until this month were they all allowed to return home. Being an isolated island nation, the shutdown was initially very effective in minimizing the number of Covid cases. But cases made it in, and the Delta variant ran somewhat rampant and brought severe restrictions. Inter-state travel was banned, and eventually people were not allowed to travel outside of their "zone." There were no public gatherings, and people were restricted to their homes, with few exceptions for essential business. Pre-Covid, 21% of university students in Australia were international students. Add to this the loss of $33 billion from foreign tourists. Churches in Australia had a difficult time keeping up with policies that sometimes changed daily. No singing, limitations on occupancy based on the size of the space, and for lengthy periods of time no public gatherings of any kind were allowed. The City Sanctum ministry, which I'll be working with, has been shut down until life returns to a more normal state and there is sufficient leadership. Australians have been isolated and are hurting. But our God is sovereign; he uses difficult times to open hearts to himself. Please pray for the many gospel opportunities at home and around the world.

Discerning the Call John Piper has said that there are three options for the Christian in response to Christ's gospel mandate: to go to the nations, to send those who go, or to disobey. It's been my joy, during this global pandemic, to help people discern their role in God's global mission. Having helped to facilitate the first MTW missions cohort in Birmingham this past Spring, we are on track to bring this ministry of discernment and equipping to Jackson in the Fall. Jackson Missions Cohort (J-MC -- "Jay-Mac") will engage as many as 15 participants, exposing them to a variety of missionaries and pastors talking about God's calling upon us, the opportunities to reach the nations both abroad and right here in Jackson, how to appropriately share the gospel across cultures, and what life is like for missionaries overseas. In addition to guest speakers and missionary panels, we anticipate visiting a local Hindu temple, and worshipping with an international church here in Jackson. Each participant will also be matched up with an experienced missionary mentor who will pray for them, listen to them, and speak into their lives as they seek how God is calling them to participate in his global mission. We are currently accepting applications to participate in J-MC; please pray that God will lead the right people to apply. Pray that they will discern their missional calling -- whether to go overseas, or to hold the rope for those who go, and how to be involved in the gospel mandate right here in Jackson. If you would like to apply for J-MC, or learn more about it, follow this link: www.MTW.org/j-mc. Status of Ministry in Australia The Delta variant has hit eastern Australia hard -- by Australian standards. The country has enacted some of the strictest Covid restrictions in the world, and has comparatively very few cases. Yet they have had hundreds of new cases a day over the last few months. While the country had finally relaxed the restrictions a few months ago, they have returned to lockdown with the onset of the Delta variant. What does this mean for my plans to serve in Sydney? The only thing that is certain is that it won't be soon. The government is planning to keep their borders closed until 70-80% of their population is vaccinated; currently just 21% have been vaccinated. The government hopes to reach 80% by the end of this year. Speculation is that once the borders do open, it will be a gradual process, first allowing more of their own citizens to return before issuing visas to foreigners. My sense of calling to Australia has not wavered. God has provided meaningful and relevant work for me in the interim including work with the Birmingham and Jackson Missions Cohort ministries. While not what I intended to do this past year, these experiences have helped prepare me for the equipping ministry to which I feel called in Sydney. God's timing is always perfect. As long as he provides meaningful work for me which leads toward the ministry in Sydney, I will be patient and follow his leading. Please pray that I will be sensitive to God's leading, and obedient to his call. Follow FB Group Forward to a Friend Calendar   Jackson Missions Cohort Application Deadline     August 31 Saturday Retreat     September 11 Regular weekly meetings     Monday nights     Sept. 13 - Nov. 15   Open House Celebration     Saturday, Sept. 4; 4-7 pm   November 16: Birmingham Missions Cohort I've been invited to speak to the B-MC group on "Vocation & Calling." Prayer Points   Pray for J-MC: Final planning work People led to apply Participants will be sensitive and obedient to God's calling Pray for Australian borders to be opened sooner than later, and that my visa application will be quickly approved. House Update   My basement apartment remodel is finished! The apartment is mostly furnished and equipped. Once smoke alarms and window blinds arrive and are installed, I'll be able to list the apartment on the AirBNB website and start to benefit from this investment. I will be hosting an open house celebration on Saturday, September 2 from 4 to 7 pm. Anyone in the area is welcome to stop by to help celebrate God's provision of this home. This is NOT a housewarming, so gifts are not appropriate. Rather, just come, see the apartment, and enjoy some hors d'oeuvres and fellowship. If you would like to stop by, please email me for my address.   THANK YOU for your prayers and faithful partnership in the gospel!