BJC2Japan

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.

The story of Peter stepping out of the boat is always brought up in discussion on stepping out in faith vs. waiting and preparing. For the past four years I have gone back and fourth wondering if it is time for me to step out in faith. Each time I decided to be smart and practical. I thought about the security and certainty of the things I had: a home, stable salary, medical insurance, retirement, benefits and more. I overanalyzed all the things that could happen to me without those things. As a result, each summer I resigned my teaching contract and each year since has been like Ground Hogs Day. For the past four years, I have moved houses and changed jobs hoping that would settle my restlessness and silence the tugging on my heart and mind, but it didn’t and it hasn’t.

I keep hearing God’s voice: “Come. Step out of the boat. Trust me and come.”

So I am. So I will.

As of June 24th, I chose unemployment; as of July 1st I chose homelessness; as of Oct. 1st I will chose to be uninsured… I chose all these things to free myself to step out of the boat. After four years of hesitation and storms, I step out in faith, confident in God’s promises. Though like Peter the winds are strong and the voices of nay sayers can be heard… “What are you doing? What about a salary? What about insurance? Where will you live? What if you don’t raise the funds? What will you do? Maybe it is not your timing? Why don’t you wait another year? Get back in the boat! What are you thinking”… I am stepping out of the boat and trusting God to guide, provide, lead, and catch me if I start to fall.

I am stepping out onto the water. Keeping my eyes on Jesus. Praying for God’s help as I try to ignore the sounds of the wind and waves around me. Reaching out to Him as He reaches out to me calling me to “Come.”

Praises

June was a crazy month and I cannot close this newsletter without giving God praise for carrying me thru the month. Not only did He bless me with a great end of the school year and provide me with free temporary housing for July (and an extension of lease and friends to make the move possible). He also blessed me with the opportunity to attend a longtime friend’s wedding, spend a week being a Japanese tour guide for her wedding guests, and preach at two Japanese churches, including one in which three of the non-christian guests attended to hear me preach. God reconfirmed and encouraged me in my calling and gifts thru these unexpected visitors from Japan.

That is the question I have been asked a lot lately, so I wanted to use the May Newsletter to answer it…

When would I like to go?:

OMF Japan would like me in Japan as soon as possible- as early as July 1st… as late as August 1st. 

The supervisor for the Serve Asia Program will be going on leave mid-August so I need to arrive in time to settle in, learn my job, and learn hers. 🙂

What is keeping me from going?:

I have completed all the steps, processes, and clearances to go, except one: financial clearance. I have raised a little over 30% of my budget but need to raise the remaining 70%.

How much is left to raise?

I have a yearly budget is roughly $48,000 which is available for review on my website (Brittney’s Budget) This budget includes my housing, health insurance, retirement plan, transportation and food spending, and savings for the time I am back in the states and more.

In order for me to be cleared to go to Japan this summer, I have to have my three-years pledged before I leave. Which means I have to raise $144,000 in pledges. I currently have about $100,000 left to raise.

When is the deadline?:
For July, I need to be fully pledged by Friday, May 22nd.
For August, I need to be fully pledged by June 1st.

It takes roughly 6-8 weeks to set-up the visa, insurance, retirement, housing and all other pre-departure necesseties.

Is it possible?: 🙂
With God all things are possible Matthew 19:26 😉

If I can find 100 friends to sponsor me $1/day for three-years ($365 a year or $1,098 total) I will make my goal.
or
If I can find 350 people to sponsor me a $99/year (representing the 99% of Japan that does not know Christ) for three-years ($297 total) I will make my goal.

How can you help?:

You can PRAY (be a Prayer Warrior)
You can GIVE (be a Financial Partner)

If you feel lead to pray: (God bless you ;))
Please pray for:

1. God’s Guidance for You (Your Heart for Japan):Please pray as to whether or not God is leading you to support the work in Japan thru me and OMF.
2. God’s Guidance for Others (Other’s Heart for Japan):Please pray for God to guide and raise up others to partner financially with the work in Japan thru me and OMF.
3. God’s Provision for Me: Please pray for God to provide me with both prayer warriors and financial partners for this new chapter in my life. Please pray that He will free me from the Spirit of fear and that I will be courageous and bold in talking about the next chapter of my life and the work and support needed in Japan. Please pray that He will provide me with peace and confidence in His timing and provision. Please pray that God will open up the way for me to move to Japan this summer and start His work there.

If you feel lead to give: (God bless you ;))

Please check out  “Ways to Give”
Please pledge on the OMF Site
Please know:

1. Your donation will be tax deductible. 🙂
2. You do not have to pay now- you can set the payment day for when leave or any other date in the future. 🙂
3. You can make a one-time, yearly, quarterly, or monthly pledge. 🙂
4. You can pledge for the future. For example, if you feel led to support me each year I am gone you can pledge an annual gift which will triple the amount of money towards my going to Japan (ie. a donation of $100 becomes a ledge of $300) 🙂
5. A pledge is a pledge, so if you need to change tone amount of cancel it at any time, you can. 🙂

I am excited to see prayer and financial partners God will raise up thru you and others.

I trust and believe in His provision and timing.

Look forward to the June Newsletter (mid-June) for the next Japan update. I hope and pray that I will have a lot of joyful news to share with you.

Cultural Reflection: A Carp Spirit

May 5th is Children’s Day and one will find many carp-shaped flags of flying in Japan.

In many of the Japanese and Chinese stories, Koi are transformed through their efforts and perseverance, able to climb waterfalls or become dragons. The Koi as a symbol that represents perseverance in the face of adversity and strength of character or purpose. The Carp can also represents wisdom, knowledge, longevity, and loyalty.

Many of the attributes of the koi (“carp”) symbolize several lessons and even trials individuals often encounter in life. The koi fish has a powerful and energetic life force, demonstrated by its ability to swim against currents and even travel upstream.

Some of the characteristics associated with the koi include:

• Good fortune
• Success
• Prosperity
• Longevity
• Courage
• Ambition
• Perseverance

Koi fish symbolism has gained strength over the centuries to encompass numerous positive qualities related to courage, overcoming adversity, the ability to attain the highest goals, and strong character.

The koi is a perfect symbol for me this month and next. 🙂

Spiritual Reflection: Everything Has Its Time

“To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven”
Ecclesiastes 3: 1

As many of you know, I have dreamt of returning to Japan as a full-time missionary for the last ten years.

On 2011, after seven years of waiting and preparing, it looked like I was finally on my way back to Japan. I was debt free, had found supporting churches and had acquired a paid teaching position at a Christian private school.

Then my car accident happened and the last four years have seemed like one long winter.

Finally last year with my acceptance into OMF, I felt like spring was coming. All the work I had put into my recovery: physically, emotionally, and spiritually; all the biblical and teaching trainings I had completed, and all the church and individual relationships I had developed were finally going to bear fruit.

So now Spring has come and summer is fast approaching with the heat and burden of timelines and clearances and the need for extra provision and protection from the heat and trials of this world.

I hope that you will celebrate with me as I say goodbye to winter and hello to spring and that you will help me prepare for the summer heat and trials ahead.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11

First of all, thank you for taking the time out to read my newsletter. I am so thankful for your interest and support as I start this new chapter of my journey.

I am sorry for my long absence…. Since writing you last the season has changed from Winter… to Spring… and now Summer…. I cannot even believe it!

Many things delayed my sending out a Newsletter… but I have now overcome them. In this Newsletter I would like to catch you up to what I have been up to and what is left to be done.

March Madness

March Madness expanded past the basketball courts into my life. In order to get to Japan, there are two more clearances I have to past. Physical and financial.

I tend to pick the hardest, most rigorous options and I have seemed to do that with the organization I chose as well. In order to go to Japan, I need to return to my pre-accident physical

The Bible says:
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

-1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NKJV
The Message puts it this way:
“You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.”

-1 Corinthians 9:24-27 MSG

These are the verses I meditated on this month as I commit to:

• Personal Training sessions with my trainer M-F
• Weekly Yoga Sessions
• a 21-Day Juice Cleanse
• Continuation of clean and healthy eating after Juice Cleanse

Praises:
Thanks to the above I was able to drop a little over 20 lbs… saving 20 lbs more to go. 🙂

Prayer Request:
Please continue to pray for diligence and successful results in continuing to live out a healthy live style thru nutrition and exercise.

Big April Adventures

April was a month of adventures and opportunities.

It was a time of speaking engagements and time with family. I was blessed to be able to share my testimony with over 1,000 women as well as the current state of Japan.

I was also able to go on a trip with my mother and sisters. This was our first ever trip and I was blessed to have the opportunity to create and sure those memories with them.

The Bible says:
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,  “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him…

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified… (Luke 4:31-41, NKJV)

Praises:
Besides being invited to speak at two women’s discipleship programs general sessions: Sisters in Discipleship (100+ ladies) and Queen Esther (300+ ladies), I was invited to share my testimony at FBCG’s monthly Women’s Fellowship (500+ ladies)

My sisters and moms and I had a safe trip to and from Ireland for my mom’s 60th.

Prayer Requests:
Please pray…

That my testimony would continue to empower and encourage the women who heard it.

That the seeds I planted for hearts for Japan would grow to bear the fruit of prayer warriors and financial partners.

Hello May, Please Be Good To Me

May has flown by…

May brought a recommitment to my juice cleanse and personal training commitments. I workout M-F and juice at least two meals a day working on losing the remaining 15-20 lbs.

It also has brought the recommitment of reaching out and staying in contact with all of you.

I tend to pick the hardest, most rigorous options and I have seemed to do that with the organization I chose as well. In order to go to Japan, I need to return to my pre-accident physical

The Bible says:
Because you have satisfied me, God, I promise
    to do everything you say.
I beg you from the bottom of my heart: smile,
    be gracious to me just as you promised.
When I took a long, careful look at your ways,
    I got my feet back on the trail you blazed.
I was up at once, didn’t drag my feet,
    was quick to follow your orders.
The wicked hemmed me in—there was no way out—
    but not for a minute did I forget your plan for me.
I get up in the middle of the night to thank you;
    your decisions are so right, so true—I can’t wait till morning!
I’m a friend and companion of all who fear you,
    of those committed to living by your rules.
Your love, God, fills the earth!
    Train me to live by your counsel. (Psalm 119:57-64Message)

Praises:
I sent off personal letters to the 40+ people who updated their infer into my address book.

I have been working out regular and consistently.

Prayer Request:
Please continue to pray for diligence and successful results in continuing to live out a healthy live style thru nutrition and exercise.

Please pray that people will commit to support in the work in Japan thru me and OMF thru prayers and finances.

My homepage is now up and running. I have my first large group presentation this coming Wednesday the 10th and hope to have many more this month. I also hope to send out my first Newsletter this week. One church has committed so I have 25% of my support pledged, 75% more to go, so please keep praying for individual and church partnerships and that God will guide me to the write people and places, speaking through me to them in hopes of raising up a passion for the Japanese people in their hearts as well. I will be starting back with my yoga and personal trainings this week as well. Please pray for discipline, perserverance and continued positive results both in my health and seminary endeavors.

See the February Newsletter