For most of this past four-year-term in Okinawa, Japan, a neighbor’s rooster faithfully awakened David for a twice monthly, dawn prayer breakfast with Okinawa Baptist Convention (OBC) pastors. Such prayer and fellowship was probably the one of the most important regular activities for David in fellowship and ministry with the OBC leaders.
When a group of pastors pray together they are truly united, so when David was asked to lead the May 2nd prayer meeting devotion, they listened intently as he described the need for a ministry licensing or internship function that might help provide entry-level training for young people interested in ministry. He was pleasantly surprised after the devotion and prayer, that a former convention president, Rev. Kuniyoshi rose to announce his endorsement of the idea.
After seven years of “planting seeds” for such a function, David finds it truly encouraging to be given the “green light” to implement something that may improve the survivability and health of churches with aging pastors. As we are on home assignment, David is using the time in churches to ask pastors in the US for advice on how they view mentorship and licensing and also doing research into how a mentorship/licensing program in Okinawa might work and look to be culturally appropriate there.
Your partnership with us through consistent, prayerful giving to the World Mission Offering(WMO) for our ministry in Okinawa has led to this amazing opportunity. Thank you. God is so good!
Please pray especially for this this new venture of faith that has potential to bear much fruit for our Lord’s Kingdom.
Again, thank you for partnering with us by praying for us. We are also deeply grateful for your directed giving to the World Mission Offering through the years that has made our ministry in Okinawa possible. For more information on the World Mission Offering go to www.worldmissionoffering.org
As the Apostle Paul said of the Macedonians, (IICor 8:5) “And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then to us in keeping with God’s will.”
We are also very thankful for the wonderful reception we have had as we have been visiting churches and associations. We are blessed to be a part of such a great cloud of witnesses.