Family and Ministry Update * September 2012

"For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." -- Philippians 2:13

As I make my way to Asia, currently some 40,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean, I am reminded of how blessed we are to have your support fueled by God himself. As Paul reminds us in this passage, God is working in us for his good pleasure. What a joy it is to please him and to be part of his grand movement of drawing nations to himself. Your prayers and support are felt on a daily basis as we sense God's pleasure through you. Thank you for walking by our side as we seek to fulfill our part in reaching the final peoples of the world with the hope of Jesus!

Family Time

Since our last newsletter, our family has been on vacation enjoying the beauty of California and the presence of one another. God has blessed Silk and me with a tremendous family and three wonderful children. Here is a recent family photo for you to get a glimpse of how quickly we all are getting older or growing up!

Handley Family August 2012

Global Leadership Summit

Not too long ago, our dear friend from Rolling Hills Covenant, Phil Hodges, co-founder of Lead Like Jesus, joined our Global Leadership Summit to help facilitate a few significant sessions for the key leaders of Asian Access across 10 countries. He was touched by our focus on the most important thing: our love relationship with Christ. For a two-minute video from Phil, follow this link and tap or click on the start button.

Investing in the Next Generation

I was also asked to post a blog on the Generous Mind website. It shares the importance of investing in the next generation, which is key to the Great Commission: making disciples of all nations. To learn more about how God has placed some key leaders in my life for this phase of ministry, click on this link. As you reflect on this, take some time to note who is currently influencing your life and be sure to thank them for their contribution. In addition, I trust you will "pay it forward" and pass on what you have learned to the next generation.

Vision for Japan

During the month of July, Silk and I went with a team from our home church to Japan and had a wonderful time introducing the team to key leaders in the country and showing them what progress has been and continues to be made for the hope of Christ following the March 11, 2011 triple disaster. God has certainly placed us "for such a time as this" as we have never seen such an opportunity like this in our lifetime -- seeing people who have been completely unresponsive to Christ open their hearts in a nation that is considered one of the largest unreached people groups of the world.

$1M Matching Challenge

You are likely aware that we received a second $1,000,000 matching challenge this past March following the match we achieved last September. To date, we have received just over $600,000 toward this second challenge and we have until November 1 to finish the task. We ask that you would prayerfully consider a gift to help us meet this match for this crucial hour for the Gospel's advance in Japan!

Update on Support

In addition, our family support is short by about $3,000/month. We're looking to add a few members to our financial support team and ask that you would pray about joining our team on a monthly basis. Call or write us if you have questions on how to participate.

Thank you for allowing God to work in your life for his good pleasure! Your prayers and support mean the world to us and we don't take them lightly. We need you because you are a key player in God's kingdom in helping us bring the hope of Christ to the darkest corners of this planet, most of which lies in the continent of Asia!

Be sure to share with us your prayer requests too. We are blessed when you give us the opportunity to keep you in our prayers.

For His Kingdom,
Joe's blue web signature
Important Dates & Joe's Travel:
August 25th - September 9th:
Joe is in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan
August 28th - 31st:
A2/Cambodia is in session 3 of the 5th class of pastors
September 10th - 12th:
Asian Access Leadership Team Meetings in California
September 10th - 14th:
A2/Nepal begins their 4th class
September 17th - 22nd:
A2 Sessions in Myanmar, V-land and Bangladesh
September 19th - 22nd:
Joe travels to Chicago to receive an award being presented to A2 for Innovation in Partnership after having been nominated by a group of similar ministry organizations
September 24th - 27th:
A2/Sri Lanka holds session 6 of the 6th class of pastors
September 24th - 30th:
Joe is hosting a group of leading Japanese Pastors in Southern California
October 13th:
The family attends Life Pacific College's 50th Alumni Reunion for Joe's father, honoring him with a Lifetime Service Award as a graduate of Life Bible College
October 14th - 22nd:
Joe and Silk travel to the East Coast for A2's Board Meeting and will be visiting friends of the mission
October 15th - 20th:
A2/Mongolia graduates their 5th class of pastors
November 2nd - 4th:
Joe and Silk fly to Phoenix, AZ to join SIM USA's President's Gathering due to our strategic partnership
November 5th - 8th:
A2/North India hosts a session for their 4th class
November 10th - 11th:
Joe & Silk attend Rolling Hills Covenant's Market of Hope (focus is Japan this year)
November 12th - 15th:
A2/South India hosts their 2nd class
November 25th - 28th:
Joe will be in Japan for a National Pastor's Leadership Summit
November 26th - 29th:
A2/Cambodia hosts session 4 of their 5th class
November 29th - December 2nd:
Joe will continue traveling to either C-land or Central Asia

Family and Ministry Update * September 2012

Read original post on Joe's blog... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/A2president/~3/LjqoDg-QlRo/index.php

I Come Bearing Gifts

For over a decade, February 1, 2011, remained memorialized in my mind as my “Japanniversary,” the day God took me to Japan, one month before the Triple Disaster. Each passing year, I have acknowledged this date in some way—karaoke with friends, a Facebook post, or a quiet prayer to God.

But 2022 was the year I wrapped up over a decade of life in Japan and moved “home.” In 2023, to recall my arrival date in Japan, I had to look at my 手帳 (techō, my pocket schedule book). I was too late! The day, March 16, had passed by me without so much as a wink.

Decisions, Decisions

By Linda Koyama

Which Mission Organization Should I Choose?

If you’ve considered being in some type of formal ministry abroad, you’ve probably also been on the decision-making trajectory of “which mission organization should I go with?” This was us back in late 2019, early 2020.

At the end of my last post, “New, But Not: Our Journey to Japan,” I shared that we returned to the US in June of 2019. We needed time to debrief our five-year stint in Japan—and also to figure out if God was keeping the door open to Japan or closing that chapter for us.

Miso Musings

Splat! Thunk! Splat!

I was having a great time throwing balls of sticky bean mixture into a container. I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a grownup telling me to stop playing and giggling like a goof . . . or that this much fun could be had in getting beans ready to be transformed into miso.

How did I get started with miso making? In early 2022, a friend from church invited me to join her and a few other women to make miso. Miso is squashed fermented soybeans and used in a lot of Japanese cooking—most commonly miso soup, but it’s also used in marinades, stir fries, and vegetable dips. I usually cook with the stuff sold in a plastic tub at our neighborhood drugstore, and I hadn’t before considered myself to be fancy enough to make my own.

How Not to Teach Middle School

Throughout the week, I share the story about my faith journey A LOT. As a mobilizer with SIM, I’m one of the first conversations people have with us as they seek to discern God’s calling for them in His kingdom work around the world. An important part of every conversation is getting to share my journey and inviting the person on the call to share theirs.

A favorite line I like to share in my story is “If you don’t have a firm sense of your identity in Christ, and you don’t have a firm sense of His calling on your life, then you probably shouldn’t try to teach middle school English!”

Dear Brothers and Sisters at Asbury University

…and beyond: encouragement from a big sister

I first heard about what God was doing on your campus on Friday, February 10. At the SIM USA sending office, we take our motto By Prayer very seriously. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, we come together corporately for a chapel service to pray over each one of our fields and our missionaries. On Mondays and Fridays, we do the same, but this time we gather in smaller groups by our departments. One of my coworkers brought up what God was doing on your campus, and we began to pray for you.

New, But Not: Our Journey to Japan

By Linda Koyama

Hi, I’m Linda. Nice to meet you. I’m currently writing from Yamagata, Japan, where my family is partnering with a local church. You’ve probably never heard of Yamagata. Don’t worry, neither did I until it was presented as one of the potential prefectures we’d be serving in.

So where exactly is Yamagata? Think north of Tokyo about 200 miles (300 kilometers), or a 4 1/2 hour drive by car. It’s in the southern part of the Tohoku region, closer to the Japan Sea side (rather than the Pacific Ocean side). It’s definitely not one of Japan’s hot tourist spots, but this region is known for its ski slopes, onsens, and delicious fruits.

It's a Different World...

By Tia Blassingame

Okay, if you look like me you probably started singing that song title and know exactly where I got it from. Perfect, because it has been playing in my head all week! This is truly a different world. Right now, I am at a homestay with my onēsan (pronounced ohnay-sahn) and her family. That term right there is already different vocabulary for you I’m assuming. Onēsan is “older sister” and a “homestay” is when you stay overnight (or more than one night) with a family. In basic “Tia terms” (that’s me), I’m at a sleepover with my sis and her fam. Let me backtrack a bit...

Counting the Cost 3: The Shape of You

Leaving what I’ve found:
You helped me find my true self.
Wishing you were here.

During one of my first annual Asian Access retreats in Japan, Dr. Sue Takamoto led all of us first-term missionaries through a special training specifically designed for our experience. One of her warm-up exercises had us flexing some of our creative muscles: we were to write haiku that showcased our experiences during our first term. I wrote the above haiku for my church family back home in St. Louis.

Living a "Relevant Life"

Rethinking how God's Word is "relevant" to our lives and ministries

By Kent Muhling

I sometimes pray Psalm 143:8 at the beginning of my morning devotions. It reads,

“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.”

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

Stories from Joe Handley, president of Asian Access