|
Fall Update
October 2024
With the arrival of October, we are exiting the busy summer season and entering into the even busier fall season. This update is coming a little later than I'd hoped, but a lot has happened over the last few months!
Since my last newsletter, I turned another year older. I had my 30th birthday which feels like a big milestone. Looking back, I spent the majority of my 20s either living in Japan or trying to get to Japan. I've learned a lot in that time. Through all the major changes in the last ten years—graduating college, moving across the world to Japan, getting stuck in the States during a global pandemic, moving back to Japan—I've learned more and more to rely on God as the one who sustains me, leads me, and is always by my side. There have been many challenges, but I can see how God has been in control and He has worked it all for my good.
One of the challenges this summer was the absence of some of my team. Michiyo went on sabbatical in April. Melanie left for her home assignment in May. The Nakazawa's went back to the States for a couple months in June, and the Lee's went on their home assignment until November in July. The Cordill's and myself also were back in the States for a couple weeks. So at one point it was just Kim, Sarah, and the Moore's in Tokyo!
I mentioned this in a previous update, but the Moore's had their super cute baby Emma in June as well, so for a little bit we were missing Michiyo, Melanie, and the Moores from my small church. I was helping to lead at that time. Thankfully the Moore's are back now and Emma is definitely the church favorite. Despite all us missionaries being in and out, it has been encouraging that our church members have been pretty consistent. We are currently going through the book of Acts so I think it has been good to see how the early church came together and functioned as a model for our community.
If you are interested in learning more about what church looks like for us here in Japan, Kevin and Shige have been updating our website that shares more about our small church network and it's history. You can check it out here: tokyosmallchurchnetwork.com.
|
|
|
|
Myself, Esther, and Niina after one of the days we met to study Japanese!
|
|
Japanese Study
I've continued to meet with my church member's Niina and Esther to study Japanese and go through the Daily Bread devotions in Japanese. It has become one of my favorite parts of my week. Not only am I able to learn more Japanese, and especially Japanese Christian vocabulary, but I'm also able to have encouraging spiritual conversations. In response to some of the devotions we've been going through, I've been learning how to better share parts of my testimony and how to explain theological concepts such as God's grace.
To motivate me to study more, I signed up to take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) in December. I am taking the N2 level which is the second hardest one. It's a bit of a stretch for me, but I wanted the challenge.
US Trip
In July I made a very quick trip back to the States. Primarily I was there to be a groomsman in the wedding of one of my good college friends, but I also got to spend some time with my family. The wedding was beautiful and I was so glad to see many of my college friends who I haven't seen in years.
It was also great to see my family. Our time together did not go exactly how we expected though. About a week before I flew back to Vermont, my parents let me know that their basement had flooded. My mom sent me a video of the water, but I didn't know quite what that meant for the basement until I got there. After I arrived we realized that we had to rip everything out including the floorboards and about two feet up on the drywall because there was mold. Most of my time in Vermont was spent working on the basement, but I was really glad to be there to help. Please be praying for wisdom for my parents to figure out what to do with the basement next to keep it from flooding in the future.
Other than working on the house, the one Sunday during the week I was in Vermont I gave an update at my home church and then the next day spent some time with family friends. On the last day I was there, we celebrated my and my sister's birthday. A lot of my extended family came to visit which was a lot of fun! I haven't seen all of them together in many years.
Upcoming Ministry
In the coming months I have a lot of planning and work I will be doing for our team. In November we are having a couple days of meetings to talk about our goals for the future. I've been asked to facilitate those meetings. Next February there is a conference for all of the organization's missionaries in Asia. I'm part of the planning committee and we have already been discussing how to organize our time. I'm specifically helping out with our main sessions, the tech, and with the planning for some of our art related activities.
Even though we took a break this year, we have also decided to host another Apex team next summer! Thankfully we have a good bit of the planning already done since we can take some of what we've done previously, but there is still a lot to prepare. Please be praying for us as we continue working on everything needed to have the team come. If you want to know more about Apex, you can go to their website here: apexmissions.org.
Finally, in terms of other upcoming ministry, I'm continuing to think of more ways to serve my church. Learning Japanese is allowing me to participate more, but I also want to care for the other members well. One of our church members, Tim, has been having a bit of a rough time recently and we haven't seen him much at church, so please pray that I could support him well and be an encouragement to him!
|
|
|
|
For my and my sister's birthday, most of my extended family came to visit!
|
|
Financial Support Update
I am so grateful to everyone that supports me whether that is financial or just in prayer. Without all of you I would not be able to be here in Japan doing ministry. Recently though, my monthly support has been decreasing and I am about $1000 under budget per month.
If you are interested in helping me get back up to full support then please consider giving monthly, increasing your existing support, or giving a one-time gift. Anything is helpful! The button below will bring you to my website that gives more information on giving.
Also, for those of you that already have committed to giving it might be helpful to make sure that your donations are going through. Sometimes cards get updated or something happens and the donations stop being processed. You can check the status of your donations or update your information by going to donors.efca.org and entering your email address.
If you need help with any of this this please let me know or you can email donor services at donorserv@efca.org.
Thank you!
|
|
|
If you'd like to give, please click on the link below!
|
|
|
|
The view from my balcony a few nights ago. I don't get to see the sunset as much with all the buildings, but occasionally God will bless me with a beautiful one!
|
|
Prayer Requests
- Pray for my Japanese learning. I am so encouraged by my Japanese study/Daily Bread devotion time with Niina and Esther. Niina is a great Japanese teacher and does such a good job encouraging me. Pray that I can continue to learn well and be able to better put all of that learning into action through forming good sentences and questions to keep up good conversation. Pray that I could learn how to share my testimony and how to share the gospel well. Also, pray that I could meet more Japanese people and use my Japanese with them to develop friendships.
- Pray for Shige's and Michiyo's families. Sadly, my teammate Michiyo's mom passed away over the summer. It was rather sudden after she got pneumonia. While we grieve with Michiyo, we are also rejoicing with her because she was able to share the gospel with her mom before she passed and her mom accepted Christ. Please pray with us for Michiyo and her family. Pray for comfort in this time of mourning and pray that the rest of her family could come to know Jesus as their savior. Unfortunately, Shige's dad has also been in the hospital the last couple months. He's had a lot of ups and downs recently with his health. Shige's dad is not a believer but Shige and Luann have been visiting him in the hospital often and sharing the Gospel with him. Pray that he would recover and that he and the rest of Shige's family would come to know Christ.
- Pray for my financial support. I am currently underfunded and while I have enough to survive for now, I want to get back to being fully funded! Please pray that God would provide people who would give monthly or give a one-time gift.
|
|
|
Thanks for reading!
I appreciate you all! As always, feel free to email me at adam.bailey@efca.org. You can also go to my website at adamintokyo.com. Thanks! - Adam Bailey
|
|
|
|
|
