:Spoiler Alert!:
I received the call Thursday from the IMB where I am headed for Journeyman. I am officially going to Tokyo, Japan!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These last couple of weeks have been quite interesting no doubt. I started off this time with the summer missions Send Me Now interview weekend in mid February. That weekend was packed with prayer, friendship building, slow jams, worship, and excitement. From that weekend, I was assigned to South Korea from May 14-31. There I will be working with university students at the University of Busan. I will be going with 1 campus minister, 2 other guys and 3 other girls. We will disciple, encourage, and share our testimonies in many ways while there.
-I love having my life being missions!-
In late February I went up to Richmond, VA for the Journeyman Expo for the last step of the interview process. This was a life altering experience for me. I came into the expo with not only my mind set on a certain place, but my heart was also content with where it was overall (particularly in the area of purity). Up to this point, I had been talking with a ministry team leader in Wales and God had done some pretty remarkable things in opening a door to serve in the UK with the Celtic languages Team. Since that opportunity was the only one I knew of, so I had invested a lot of my heart and desires into it. I tried my hardest on my own to approach the conference with an open mind and spirit to other opportunities in case God had other doors or a specific door He wanted me to do. I couldn't do it on my own and it took me being super humiliated (in a good sense) in my personal interview to be knocked of rhythm of my tunnel vision.
Finally I was able to look at all the options and affinities with spiritually openness and equality. long story short, God showed me 2 other doors that I could maximally glorify Him through. The first was in Tokyo and the other was Helsinki, Finland. As you can tell, I have a heart for both the peoples of western Europe and east Asia. God gave me some pretty sweet options, but no doubt, He never fails to put me in my optimal environment.
This last Thursday, while in the shower in Mississippi on a mission trip with my school's BCM, I got the call from the IMB. Once I got out of the shower, I checked the message and checked my message. I will be serving in Tokyo with my new friend and fellow interview group member, Jose Medina. Jose and I will be serving as Urban Young Frontliners.
Job description: Focus on university students and young adults who either go directly to work after high school, or do only part time jobs and seem to have no purpose in life. We will be making friends, learning Japanese, witnessing, baptizing, and leading bible studies. Basically, we are reaching the 18-25 age group (kind of like Passion) in relational ministry and incarnational ministry in the best ways we know how using our past experience, education, passions, gifts, and talents. The good news is that this is a low security assignment, so I will continue to update this blog. You can also keep up with my Blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and pictures at www.flavors.me/drice13.
Something that is kind of crazy and that I am still processing and seeking understanding is what God's plan is for this earthquake in Japan. It was coincidental that I got the notification of my assignment in Japan the same day as the quake. What does God have in store for my life and future ministry? How will this affect the hearts of a post modern and post religious nation?
I will post again in the next few days with some thoughts and hopefully answers. I have a lot more to tell you all about too like my a recap of my mission trip to Mississippi with the BCM and what not. Check back here in a little while.
Daniel
No comments:
Post a Comment