Waiting, but Not Idle

A new year has begun, and we are excited for what the Lord has for us in 2021. Thank you for continuing with us on this journey. We are nearing the three-and-a-half-year mark since we first received our call to become missionaries, and honestly, we thought we’d be in Japan within the first year. How thankful we are that God did not allow us to rush headlong into work we were not prepared to do. We’re also thankful for the wise counsel from many of you to be patient and to not strive until God opened the door for us to go. We are still waiting for that door to be opened, but we are not idle. Here’s what we’ve been up to and what we’re planning to do while we wait.

The interns at Saving Grace World Missions.

The studio for Missions Equip is coming along nicely. The framing is done and drywall has been hung. A second floor was built at one end of the building so accommodate an office upstairs and a meeting area downstairs. Doors were installed to open onto an outdoor patio area as well. Alishia is helping with the painting, and once the hard projects are done, we’ll all get in there and do some finishing work.

My friend, Kylan, hosted a prayer walk in a Japanese community, in the Sawtelle neighborhood of west Los Angeles. It was a blessed time, and we plan to do more of them in the future in other Japanese communities in LA County. We were able to meet some amazing people, and we saw up close the spiritual need that exists there. We spent time praying in front of a Buddhist temple and specifically for the families that worship there. Please keep the Japanese in southern California in prayer, they’re resistant to the gospel.

Alishia serving at the church on Sundays.

On Thursday nights I attend an online Japanese class. Language learning will definitely be the greatest challenge we will face as we learn to minister in Japan. Please pray for us to learn quickly. We know that the Lord will give us all the tools we need to do His work.

Japanese class

Every month we have a missions fellowship and bible study on the first and third Sundays. In January, one of the Sundays was a Japanese theme. We had a meal of Japanese food, and we had the opportunity to share about Japan. The entire group prayed for us; we hope that you will do the same.

Praise Report:

  • The Lord has continued to provide for us above what we want or ask.
  • Alishia was having stomach pains, but the Lord has healed it and given her relief.
  • Ministry opportunities continue to present themselves at the church and among our friends and neighbors.

Prayer Requests:

  • Prayer for timing for our vision trip to Japan, and for Japan to open up from COVID restrictions.
  • Prayer for language learning here and also when we get to Japan.
  • Prayer for the studio build out at the Missions Equip offices.

Love Jeff and Alishia