Although I am less than the least of all God’s people,
this grace was given me:
to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. (Ephesians 3:8-9)
June 3, 2011
Dear Friends and Family,
I hope that the beginning of the summer has been a restful time for restoration of the body and the mind with plenty of God’s blessings. God has been revealing so much of himself to me this past semester. I wanted to write this letter to share with you about a mission trip that I will be serving in this summer.
From July 11 to July 18, I will be in Japan serving on a mission trip with my church, New Philadelphia (http://www.newphiladelphiachurch.com). There are 14 passionate and spirit-filled people in our team who are giving up their vacation days and turning those days to glorify God’s name and to show his love for this particular nation. We will be working with an American missionary Tim Huber, evangelizing, visiting local churches, and doing relief work in northeastern Japan.
As you probably are well aware from the news, photos, and video clips, a devastating tsunami swept over Japan in March. An estimated number of 24,000 or more people were dead and are still missing. It was the most powerful earthquake to ever hit Japan, and it also caused explosions of reactors at its nuclear power station, leading to releasing of radioactive materials. In these desperate and devastating times, only about 1% of Japanese people know Christ. Japan has also been dealing with high suicide rates and disintegrating youth culture despite its economic power and prosperity.
I feel like God is really shaking Japan and stirring up the hearts of the Japanese people to show that he has been continuously pursuing this nation and to reveal that he is going to bring a great revival and renewal under his covering and love. I am asking you to partner with me in this exciting time. Even though only 14 of us will be physically traveling to Japan, I believe that your prayers would really equip us and empower us to become God’s mighty warriors. I would really appreciate your prayer as our team heads to Japan and spends a week displaying God’s love for the Japanese people. Another way to partner with me is to support me financially. In order for me to go, I must raise 25,000 krw (23 USD). A form is included for you to consider helping in this way. Thank you so much for reading.
Sincerely,
Joy Um