So here are our plans for this coming year (as we know it now).
Next Year (Fall 2010 through Spring 2011)
Following God and His leading is guaranteed to bring us surprises since God's ways are higher and greater than ours! Well, God has surprised Amy and I with an opportunity that we neither saw nor imagined for this next year. During the early Spring months we received an e-mail response from Nathan Mikaelsen. I have known Nathan and Inge from my summers up at Nojiri, and then I also completed my college internship with them at their church in Takarazuka, Hyogo-ken, Japan. Nathan mentioned that he and Inge will be leaving for Norway for a time of furlough from roughly mid-July until the beginning of December. They already had someone to cover for them on Sunday mornings, but they also needed someone to cover for their Sunday evening and Wednesday evening ministries and to help with some of the other activities as well.
Amy and I prayed about this option and God confirmed it upon both of our hearts to go! We are both excited about this opportunity and are excited to see how God uses our time there. It will be a good initial introduction to Japanese life and people and culture for Amy too.
Following the four months in Takarazuka, we plan to live with my parents in Tokyo while looking for a place to live, teaching English, and beginning language school. It will also be a time where we can fellowship and minister with my family's church there, ICCS (International Community Chapel of Saitama).
Raising Support
I mentioned some of this in my last update, and would like to bring it up again. One of the tasks that we have to do before leaving for Japan is to raise enough financial support for us to be able to live there in Japan. I explained before that we want to be partially supported through others and partially self supported. Once we start language school (Lord willing starting the fall of 2010) we would like to have roughly $1,500 per month financial support. However, since this next year will be feeling out Japan and ministry there and living costs should be considerably low, we would like to leave for Japan this coming June with $700 per month financial support. Especially for the time that we are serving the church in Takarazuka.
We would love for you to take part in this, if the Lord moves you to do so. Since we are being sent out directly from Grandview Heights Baptist Church (Amy's home church that we attended this last year) the plan is for any money to be sent to them at 835 Grandview Hts. Dubuque, IA, 52003 and they in turn would get it to us.