Hopefully the first of many

I'm currently in Seattle, Washington, watching Expedition Impossible.

I've been pretty discouraged recently about my upcoming expedition to Japan, and it's starting to look like maybe that should have been the subject for this show because it's looking more and more impossible to me each day.  From the departure date being postponed from the first week of July to the first week of August and then to MAYBE the third week of August, to trying to search for jobs on this side of the Pacific resulting in systematic interview invitations to be held "Once I arrive in Osaka."

Maybe I should backtrack here.

I'm going to Japan.

I graduated from Biola University last December.  On of the great things about going to a school dedicated to the understanding and application of God's Word is that every spring semester Biola has something called a missions conference, where, for three days, all of the students go to mandatory seminars and lectures.  Also present at missions conference every year is a three day fair for missionary organizations to come and sort of recruit students from Biola.  This is how I met Francis Wang from ITPS and started working with him and the other members of his nonprofit, volunteer-worker based, company.

Honestly, I've never felt called to be a missionary.  I don't know if I am the missionary type, if there is such a thing.  I do know, however that I am being called to Japan.  I feel as though God has been preparing me for most of my life to live and work there.  It's weird, because I've never been, and everything I hear and see is so foreign and strange, and I'm no good at picking up the language, but I feel so strongly for the people, for the culture as I've seen it so far, and for God to do so much work in the country.  History has shown that Japan is not a good place for missionaries.  I think that's okay because I'm not really going as a missionary, in a sense, but more as a follower of Christ.  I want people to see, in a sense, not to hear.

In any case, I met with the staff of ITPS, we prayed, and it was decided that they would help me get to Japan.

After a few months I found out that ITPS was working on securing a place for me to live in a church in the heart of Osaka, one of Japan's largest cities.  I would live in and serve a church called J-House (use your google translator).  I think I first heard about J-House in March.  It is now mid-July and I still don't know if I'll be living there or not.  ITPS is still working with them to figure out if I'll live there or not, and they have told me to plan like that's where I'm going.  I've been doing that and faithfully trusting that they will work everything out by the time I'm supposed to leave, but I'm starting to get anxious.  Like stomach hurt, heartburn every day kind of anxious.  It's a terrible feeling.

I won't technically be able to work in Japan for at least two months time, because of my visa status, so in the meantime I have to have some sort of funds in order to live and work at the church (an unpaid position).  ITPS suggested that since I will be working for the church during this time that I should send out support letters in order to raise the financial backing that I'll need to stay in Japan for at least three months and in order to buy a plane ticket.  They suggested at least $8,000.

So I sent out support letters, which to me was a very difficult thing to do for several reasons.  One, I have no idea where anyone lives so mailing letters is nearly impossible. Two, it is very difficult for me to ask someone to give me money, even for something like this.  Three, I just didn't know who I should send letters.

After several months of fundraising I still have less than $2000.  I have enough for a plane ticket, and that's about all.

I don't know where the rest of the money is going to come from, or if it will come at all, which adds to the whole, nausea, heartburn thing.

All I know is that every time I turn with this to God.  Every time I pray or open my Bible, or do one of my daily Bible readings on my phone everything tells me that I'm supposed to be in Japan serving God.  For example:  Yesterday I was so anxious, so sick to my stomach about what I'm going to do about money in Japan, or even what I'm going to do about money before I get there.  I prayed a short prayer and went to a daily reading program I do called "Unquestionable character".  The reading for the day was Psalm 49: 1- 20, the opening lines of the lesson involved read, "How should we feel when we experience a lack of resources?" The lesson went on, "Wisdom teaches that our financial circumstances are never an appropriate cause of fear."  I know, out of the situation it doesn't sound like as much, but yesterday, getting sick about this issue, it was extremely convicting.

All this to say:
I don't know how, but I know God will use me, and I'm dearly convinced that it will be in Japan.

So pray for me!