Update

Pause from previous theme.  I still have a couple more posts in the works, but I wanted to take a break to update ya'll on what's going on:

-Praise God we are around 67.5% of the way funded to get to Japan.  So, that's about 2/3.  We still have a few events planned over the next couple of months, so we are believing that we should be ready to go by November.

-We just sent over Rosalyn's docs to Japan for translation.  As far as I know, we've done everything we need to do.  Every once in a while, we get an email back asking for a change of phrasing, etc., on the various paperwork we sent over.  PAZ Japan is hoping to finish translation (it's a lot of docs!) by the end of July and then it should take about 6 weeks to get our answer back from the government for our visas.  Please pray that we can get an approved visa!  And for 3 years too.

-We have a Missions Café Night planned for August 29 at CCEA.  It should be a great evening-- we have a harpist and we're trying to get a guest missionary speaker.  Please pray that all the details will flow and that we will be able to raise awareness that evening.

In the meantime, Vicente continues at his job and Break Free ministry opportunities.  And I am taking care of little Rosalyn and tutoring in Spanish and ESL on the side.

We are so excited to get to Japan.  We keep thinking and talking and praying about it (of course).  But now that the time is approaching we are ready to get to the details of getting over there!  Well, I am more of the detailed person of the two of us, but we both are thinking about what all will need to be done and coordinating everything to be able to launch out.

We can't wait to see what God is going to do in Japan.  We pray He uses us to glorify Him and to expand His kingdom in Japan.  Just as a reminder of what we'll be doing, we're going to be working with PAZ Japan Mission in Noborito (a suburb of Tokyo) in evangelism and discipleship.  We will be working with a small young church, seeking to help build it up and see more churches planted.  Only 0.4% of Japan's population has heard the Gospel and believed.  But we believe through loving patience, God will show us the way to speak to His lost Japanese children's hearts.  Japanese are very committed people once a decision is made-- and because of the group mentality in Japan, they need a strong community of believers to surround them to "go against the flow".  But we believe the Lord will change the tide of Japan.  We want to see a vibrant community emerge to effectively influence their culture and win Japan for Christ!

According to JoshuaProject.net, a people group isn't considered reached until 2% of the population are believers.  At that point, the church is considered strong enough to be really self-sustaining and grow themselves.  Still, that's a very small percentage!  But Jesus said in Matthew 24 that the Gospel would be preached in every nation (people group) and then the end would come.

We are so anticipating every people group hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ.  And for the Japanese, we are praying fervently and believing for more than just the 2%. 

Ok, sorry for the cheese fest, but I can't help it: we want to give our 100% for their 100%.

Let's hasten the day of Christ's return!