It's an interesting historical note that four of Paul's thirteen New Testament books were written while he was imprisoned in Rome. Here was a man, a global traveler with a strategic vision to reach Gentiles for Jesus Christ, yet he was shackled and rendered immobile by his chains. He writes in Philippians 1:7-8, "It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus."
Just the other morning, as I was having my quiet time, I reflected on the circumstances in which I found myself. Not unlike the Apostle Paul, I am rendered immobile in my efforts to reach the South American Nikkei community for Jesus Christ. Not chained by literal shackles, but by a medical treatment that has me connected to a machine three times a week.
It is a painful thing. Not the treatment, but the circumstance which prevents me from traveling to meet and share the gospel with those for whom God has miraculously and faithfully opened the door in the past. Men and women, young adults and teenagers, couples and singles, children, who are so eager to learn and grow in their walk with Jesus. When you combine the joy of the gospel with the warmth of the South American personality, it is a wonderful formula for the gospel's advancement. In the last two years, it was my privilege to work with young people who had a heart for cross-cultural ministry. I led a team of Brazilian Nikkei to work in Argentina, another team of São Paulo city kids to the Amazonian jungles of northern Brazil, and was in the process of taking yet another Nikkei young adult team from Brazil to Buenos Aires in January of 2016. All of it came to a halt due to requirements of my dialysis treatments.
The good news is that the doors remain open. This therefore changes my ministry description from one who is the hands-on, face-to-face missions guy, to become one who mobilizes and challenges folks at home to step through those doors of opportunity. I'm grateful that JEMS was able to send two short-termers to Brazil and Paraguay this month. We also created a partnership with a Japanese Brazilian pastor working with Brazilian migrant workers in Japan. We will send a team to Japan to work among Brazilians there. Additionally, two of our former JEMS summer workers are serving for six months in Brazil with an agency that addresses the problem of human trafficking in that country.
Please pray for me. The desire to be in South America is still very strong and I'm having to entrust my heart for Brazil into God's hands. Like Paul, I will need to adapt to my current circumstances and trust God to give me insight into how best to use the gifts and resources that he has given me.
