UPDATED 9/7/2017: After a long delay we finally got an interview date for Tomo’s visa, which will be on October 23rd, 2017. This means our departure date for the US in now estimated to be in the second week of November.
It’s been two years since our last visit to the States, and as our internship at Morioka Bible Baptist Church draws to a finish, we’re gearing up for the next phase of ministry here in Japan, so we’ll be returning for 6 months. Read on for answers to the questions I’m sure many of you may have.
What will you do in the US?
Our main purpose for returning is to report back to our supporting churches and individual supporters about all that God has done and continues to do here in Iwate, and to raise support for the next phase of ministry. In addition to that Tomo is intending to go through the process of obtaining US citizenship, which will hopefully make these sorts of trips easier in the future.
When will you be in the US?
We’re planning on back from September 2017 through March 2018. However it’s possible those dates may change due to the immigration and citizenship process. We’re waiting for Tomo’s green card approval, which even though we started more than 6 months ago, is still a ways from being approved, and may not be approved before September. Obtaining citizenship while in the US may also take longer than 6 months, which would delay our return to Japan.
As mentioned above, our plans did indeed change, we now anticipate being in the US from mid November, 2017 till at least mid May, 2018.
What is will you do after you return to Japan?
This is the exciting part, God has been opening more doors than we anticipated since arriving here, particularly within our partner church here in Morioka. We came with the hope of partnering with Japanese churches to plant new churches. In the last four years God has been greatly accelerating this work. Right now, in our prefecture there are 5 church plants in various stages of ministry that our church is either partnering with directly, or supporting as part of the 3.11 Iwate Church Network. Additionally there are two sister churches that struggling without a pastor, and are in need of essentially being replanted. Prior to the Tsunami, virtually none of this was happening, and so there’s also a need for training and ministry within the supporting mother churches who have been in a sense pulled into church planting ministry very rapidly over the last few years.
We’re still in the process of evaluating how we can best support and participate in this work that God is obviously doing. It is both very exciting, but also filled with many challenges and difficult decisions. However we hope to have a solid plan formed in the coming months.
What are your needs?
The biggest one is prayer for wisdom in regards to discerning how and where God wants us to serve in the near future. Additionally we continue to be in need of additional monthly financial support, so we are praying that through this trip God will raise up additional churches and ministry partners to join us in the work He is doing here. We are also looking for a vehicle that we can use for the time that we are in the US.
Thank you for your prayers and support over the years that we’ve been here. We hope that we’ll be able to see you in person when we come back to the US!
Hi David,
1. Looking forward to meeting your new baby and getting to see you again.
2. I would like to have you come work on my computer while you are here. No one else can do it like you do.
3. I am wondering if you are still getting support from me. I had to get a new debit card and I can’t recall if you are on debit card or checking. I hope it’s checking, but if not, let me know.