March Ministry Update 2022
Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,
It’s been an exciting start to the year. It finally feels like things are starting to come together. It's been a long nearly two and a half years of wandering through the wilderness to get here and this journey isn't done yet, but it is really cool to look back at how far I've come and where God is leading me next.
If you would have asked me a year ago, I would have told you that I was ready to go back to Japan. Even though there were some things I knew I still needed to grow in, my desire was (rightfully) to be were God was calling me. While my intentions might have been in the right place, I am really glad that God did not let me go back then. Instead, He provided an opportunity to move to Grand Rapids, Michigan and spend the time I needed to grow in some of the areas He's revealed to me while I interned at a church.
It is so clear to me now that God wanted me to take this detour because after eight months at New Heart Church, I finally feel truly ready to jump into ministry in Japan. I feel more knowledgable theologically and practically in how to do ministry, I feel more confident stepping into evangelistic and discipleship opportunities, and I feel more equipped to discern and follow the Spirit's leading, all due to my experiences with the church. I can't wait to see how this all translates into my ministry in Tokyo.
Not only have I grown because of my time at New Heart, but they have also been an incredible community to be a part of. They've been so supportive and encouraging to me as I've gone on this journey.
At the end of January I was given the opportunity to preach on Sunday morning from 1 Corinthians 9:19-27, and I feel like that sermon came out of the culmination of all that I've been learning about ministry and missions. I think it's a great example of how God has been working in me through my time in Michigan. A lot of prayer went into that sermon and I know for sure that without God it wouldn't have been possible. God really showed up and the amazing responses I got afterwards were incredibly humbling.
There's a link above to watch the video of it on YouTube if you are interested. Or you can click here. The video quality isn't great because it was originally streamed on a phone to FaceBook, but the audio should be fine. In the sermon I break down Paul's method for doing missions and why we should follow his example then share a bit of my calling testimony. Unfortunately you can't see the screens so you miss out on my powerpoint, but I've shared the main diagram below.
So, not only are things going well at the church, but I feel like I am also in a good place with my support and other preparations for going back to Japan. I currently have about 88% of my monthly support which is awesome. That means I only need about $800 in monthly commitments left to raise. You can read more about my support in the section below.
Probably the most exciting thing is that Japan made the announcement that starting in March, they will begin to ease their covid restrictions and accept new applications for visas! While I can't go before I am fully funded, I am hoping to start applying for my Certificate of Eligibility soon which will allow me to apply for my visa. I am so excited to that I will finally have the ability to reenter the country after over a year of being closed. Some of my teammates who have been waiting to get back in will also now be able to get their visas and return.
In the coming months I have a lot to look forward to. I'm hoping to finish up my work with New Heart, finish my support raising, and get my visa to return to Japan. There's still much to do and I'll need a lot of prayer to do it. I am entering into a season where I will really need to rest, hear from God, and pursue what He has for me. Thankfully, the day this update is getting sent out is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Lent is a time of fasting and prayer inspired by Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert. It is an opportunity to seek God and prepare for the celebration of Easter. I haven’t actively observed Lent before, but I am excited to this year along with my church because I think in my current situation this is exactly what I need.
I am praying that by the end of Lent when we are celebrating Resurrection Sunday I can also be celebrating God's amazing provision of the rest of my financial support.
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Unfortunately, not all that has happened in the last couple months has been positive. After much deliberation, we have decided to cancel the Apex missions trip going to Tokyo that was planned for this summer. This was due to a number of circumstances, but mainly we aren't sure if Japan will be giving out tourist visas by the summer. Even though residential visas are now being granted again, the government has not given a timeline on when they will give out tourist visas which would be needed to host a short-term team. While we are disappointed, we are still looking forward to hosting a team next year and can focus more on our efforts around the Challenge Conference which will be featuring Japan this summer. You can expect to hear more about our future plans for Apex and the Challenge Conference in future updates.
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At the beginning of February, many of the missionaries from Asia in my organization who are currently in the States gathered for a time of refreshment and fellowship in Orlando, Florida. I was really glad for the time to see my other missionary friends and my teammates who were there! The picture is of our team at Disney Springs after we rode a helium balloon.
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I am so excited to be at 88% of my support! I am getting so close to being fully funded and ready to go back to Japan! The last 12% of my monthly financial needs totals to about $800. You can look at the updated partnership chart below and see that that means I only need 11 individuals, families, or churches to come alongside me and commit to giving at those levels or any combination of them that adds up to the remaining $800. It's really not much compared to what we've already accomplished. If you are interested in being one of my partners that pushed me over the finish line or can recommend someone else who you think can then let me know! I appreciate everything that you all do to pray, support, and advocate for me.
Now that I am finally able to get a visa and get back into Japan, the rush is on to reach 100% of my support. I hope things remain open, but if I've learned anything over the last couple years it's that there's no telling what will happen. Please be praying with me that God would provide and that He would put it on people's hearts to give generously. My goal is to have everything I need by Easter and leave sometime in May or June.
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Prayer Requests
- Pray for my financial support. Currently I have 88% of my monthly support goal. I still need about $800 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 eight months in Grand Rapids. The time and energy I've invested into my church here has been a blessing, but it can be a juggling act 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 my visa. It's so exciting to ask for prayer for this because it feels like I've been waiting so long for it to happen. Pray that the borders would continue to stay open and that the government would continue to accept new visa applications. Pray that I would be able to fill out the right paperwork in a timely manner to receive my visa. Pray for a smooth process and that we wouldn't run into any obstacles. And pray that once I receive my visa that I'd be fully funded and ready to go!
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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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