Dear Friends and Family,
This July, from the 11th - 18th, I will be in northeastern Japan serving on a mission trip with my church “New Philadelphia” (newphiladelphiachurch.com). My team consists of 14 servant-hearted people who have been assembled together to be sent out by the Lord to East Asia and display the love of Jesus Christ. We will be visiting local churches in various towns and cities, assisting with disaster relief, and distributing medicine and supplies.
I am very excited with this opportunity because I know God will move through our team to reach the Japanese people. Back in November 2008 God started to develop within me a heart for Japan. Ever since I have been asking our missions director when our church would finally send a team there. In March 2011 northeastern Japan was hit by a large quake and tsunami. The damage was very extensive and the Japanese people as a whole are still trying to recover from the event. While there was much damage and destruction I could not help but think that God was shaking Japan and calling them to wake up. Throughout history Japan has resisted the Gospel and has martyred both foreign missionaries and native converts alike. Korea and Japan still hold very tense relations due to the Japanese occupation of Korea during the early 1900s. Now the church within Japan struggles to keep their aging congregations and reach a youth culture that is completely foreign to them. I feel as though our team is going as an act of love and forgiveness to Japan from Korea as well as a sign that God will be bring revival to the youth.
In February 2011, our church sent a team to the Philippines and a team to India. I had the pleasure of being on the India team were we saw about fifty healings take place over the course of five full days. On this mission trip I am holding out to see God heal the hearts of the Japanese people! Now I am expecting God to display His love in new and exciting ways this summer in Japan. Besides my Japan team there are two other teams going to Malaysia and Bangladesh. Almost one fourth of our church (51 in total) will be serving abroad this summer.
I hope that you will share in my excitement and joy at this opportunity to serve the Lord. At this time, I would like to ask you for your partnership in prayer. For the past three mission trips I was blessed to have a group of people praying for me while I was on the mission field, and we shared in the testimony of God’s love together. I would like to recruit you to partner with me in prayer during my time in the field. My goal is to have thirty people committed to praying for me while I am in Japan. In the past two mission trips I have needed every prayer as the fight on the field is not against flesh and blood. Satan will be on the attack, but I am asking that you will stand with me in declaring Isaiah 54:17 that no weapon formed against me and my team shall prosper!
Also, in order to go, each team member must individually raise 675,000 KRW. Would you please prayerfully consider donating 50,000won or 100,000won to help share in the mighty work that God is going to do this summer?
Sincerely,
Mat