Hello Friends & Family!
One of the reasons I do what I do is that I LOVE missionaries. God has not called me to be a missionary (not yet at least!), but I know He has called me to send them, care for them, and love them well. This last trip I went on for 21 days in September was such a great opportunity to do just that: loving and caring for our missionaries well by having time with them face to face, worshiping with them and talking with them and sharing experiences with them.
This trip was not easy! I realized that 21 days is the longest that Amy and I have been apart since before we were engaged, and so this was also the longest I have ever been away from my kids. And my 13 year anniversary fell during my trip as well! Amy and I still need to plan some kind of make up getaway for that!
But even though it is hard going, I know that the sacrifices our missionaries have made are so much greater, and that these trips to love them and care for them and learn from them and speak into their lives are so necessary. I discover this in fresh ways every time I travel.
JAPAN
The first leg of my trip was to Osaka, Japan. I took a team of three young people with me who are in various stages of either praying about, or committed to, moving there long-term as missionaries. I also was able to spend extensive time with our missionaries Jeff and Alishia Root there. It was critical for me to experience their mission field to better understand how I can specifically love and care for them better. And I will say, I LOVED Japan! The culture, the people, the food… everything was amazing! And while Japan is one of the most difficult places for the gospel to penetrate, we heard from multiple missionaries there that it seems like God is beginning a great work in Japan!
From Japan, we traveled to Chiang Mai, Thailand for the CCA Asia Conference. The conference was great, and it was really awesome meeting with old friends and making new ones.
But the highlight came afterward: We had about 45 people from SGWM there, most of them missionaries from South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Japan! This was a truly incredible experience, to worship with them and hear updates from them and have strategic ministry meetings with them and just have fun together as well! The fellowship was powerful and a gift from the Lord to strengthen our ministry. I wish I could share the many photos I have of me with my friends there, but due to the nature of where they are serving, I can’t show their faces here.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and support over this trip. I’m happy to be home now with my family and church for the rest of the year, and please be praying over what the Lord may have for us in 2025.
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Love in Christ,
Joel, Amy, Maggie, Harrison, Jude, and Clara Garcia