January Ministry Update 2022
Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,
Hope you had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I had a wonderful time in Vermont for a couple weeks with my family, but I am back in Michigan and excited to see what 2022 brings. One of the things I'm most excited for this year is finally being able to get back to Tokyo! I'm confident that it will happen soon.
It has been frustrating to continue to push back my departure date because of my support needs and because the borders are still closed. Last I saw, Japan's borders will continue to be closed at least through February. I am still hopeful though for both my support and the borders.
I currently have about 83% of my support, so I am getting closer to being fully funded. I would love to reach 100% by the end of February so that when the borders do reopen I'm ready to go as soon as possible.
In the meantime, it has been great to work with New Heart Church here in Grand Rapids. I think moving to Michigan was one of the best decisions I made in 2021. I have had so many more opportunities to learn and raise support here in the last six months than I did in a year and a half in New England. With New Heart I've been doing a lot of work behind the scenes and shadowing the pastor so I can learn from him, but I'm also going to be preaching in a couple weeks. Since we just moved into a new building, there's a lot of work to do to get new systems in place and get used to the facilities. I'm hoping to help disciple some people who want to get baptized at the church as well.
Another exciting opportunity I've been able to work on while I wait is planning to host an Apex team in Tokyo this summer. Even though there is a possibility that everything is still closed by the time the team is supposed to arrive, we are still moving forward and praying that the borders reopen. The Apex program has a special place in my heart since I originally went on an Apex trip to Tokyo in 2016 which God used to call me into missions, and I really believe that it can have a big impact on students lives. What is cool is that my teammate Kim also went on an Apex trip the same year I did but we didn't know each other well back then. Now though, we are both on the same team and we will be co-leading the trip to Tokyo. The planning has gone well so far and I'm excited to share more with you in the months to come. Below you can watch the promotional video we put together for potential students.
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A big thanks to Maggie from the Apex staff who helped Kim and I put this video together to promote the Apex trip to Tokyo this coming summer.
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I started 2021 with only about 50% of my support so it is really cool to see that I jumped to 83% by the end the year. I appreciate all my partners and especially those who committed to giving this past year. Thank you for your patience as well as I continue to raise support and wait for the borders to reopen.
With only 17% left to raise I only need about $1,100 in monthly commitments to be fully funded. That's only 11 individuals/families at $100 a month or 22 at $50! The breakdown in the graphic below is a little outdated now, but it still gives a good idea of the different giving opportunities and what I need. I'm excited to keep filling in the little people until each spot is filled. If there is anyone you think I should get into contact with that might be interested in partnering with me, please let me know!
My goal is to reach 100% by the end of February so that when Japan opens up, even if just for a short window of time, that I could still get in. That's what happened with a few of my teammates at the beginning of 2021. They got in days before the borders closed last January. Please be praying with me that I could reach my goal and get back to Japan this year!
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This will be my final update on my ministerial license, but I wanted to share with you that it officially came in the mail while I was home this past December! Thanks again to everyone who supported me through this process. I learned a lot and I am excited to see the opportunities that having my license opens up.
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Prayer Requests
- Pray for my financial support. Currently I have 83% of my monthly support goal. I still need about $1,100 in monthly commitments to reach 100%. Pray that God would place people and churches in my path that would partner with me and that these needs would be met in miraculous ways within the next couple months.
- Pray for my time in Michigan. I feel like I have grown a lot over the last six months in Grand Rapids. The time and energy I've invested into much church here has been a blessing to both myself and the church. It is a juggling act though trying to balance my work with the church and my work raising support. Pray for wisdom and discernment in what to say yes to and what I need to say no to. Pray that I could manage my time well and still rest in all the busyness. And ultimately, pray that I would be better equipped for my ministry in Japan because of my time here.
- Pray for the Japanese borders to reopen. Right now, the news is reporting that the borders will be closed through February. Japan seems to just be pushing back reopening month after month. Pray for an end to the pandemic and that Japan could finally reopen soon. Pray that I could get my visa quickly and that I would be ready to go when the borders do reopen.
- Pray for my teammates. I have a few teammates that came back from Japan for the holidays but have been unable to return because they got covid. Pray for health for them and that they could get a negative test soon so that they can fly back to Japan.
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Thanks for reading!
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me at adam.bailey@efca.org or by phone at 802-461-4771. You can also go to my website at adamintokyo.com. Thanks! - Adam Bailey
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If you'd like to give a one-time or recurring gift, click on the link below!
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