Summer is here and the JEMS Mount Hermon conference has launched with the prayer that many will be blessed and transformed.
Summer also marks the kickoff of our summer missions program, both for Japan and for South America. Although our South America teams are smaller this year, please join me in praying that their impact will be life-changing. Two teams will be serving in four cities/churches this July.
I'm happy to report that our first JEMS summer volunteer of 2018, Koh Ikeda (Mission Valley Free Methodist), arrived safely in Brazil on July 2nd. The significance of that statement is better understood in light of the World Cup schedule as Brazil was battling Mexico for a spot in the quarter finals that morning. When Brazil plays soccer on such a grand world stage, you must understand that everything in Brazil stops. Everyone is either in front of their TV or in the bars cheering on their national team and their favorite players. So the arrival of a JEMS worker on such an auspicious occasion might slip the minds of a few. Hence the text I received from Koh:
In all fairness to the local pastor, this was a stopover in São Paulo on route to another city in the interior of São Paulo state. Long story short, it was resolved and Koh was able to be transported to the domestic airport in the city of São Paulo by none other than the former denominational president and his wife. On game day! What kindness and dedication!
Some hours later, Koh would arrive at his final destination in the city of Presidente Prudente, in the interior of São Paulo state. After a day of rest, his ministry begins on July 3.
Please pray for Koh as his ministry schedule is as follows:
July 2-12 - Ministry in the Evangelical Holiness Church of Presidente Prudente
July 12-22 - Ministry at the Colégio Mirassol (a private school in the city of São Paulo for grades 2-9)
Please pray for our second team, leaving for Brazil on July 11. Greg Oda (Church at Rocky Peak), Constantino and Anthony Gabrie (Mission Valley Free Methodist) will be serving in the cities of Assaà and Londrina in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná. They will be on their mission project until July 24th.
July 12-13 - Planning and Preparation
July 14-15 - Ministry with the Brazil Holiness Church of AssaÃ
July 16 -22 - Ministry with the Brazil Holiness Church of Londrina
Thank you for fully funding Greg's mission. If you would like to support the Gabries, please donate to their project at this LINK.
While it seems that summer is shortened with early returns to the campus, both for colleges and grade schools, August will mark the beginning of one ministry as Holly Yamagata (LA Holiness Church) begins a four and a half month ministry in Brazil.
Serving in the interior city of Pompéia, in the state of São Paulo, she will use English classes, cooking, sports and other activities as a means to introduce people to a relationship with Jesus Christ. Please pray for Holly as she is in the midst of support raising. Her financial goal, which includes housing, meals and a stipend, is $10,000. If you would like to support Holly, visit this LINK.
Please remember me as well as I accompany Holly to her city of ministry in August. Due to the complexity of travel, I thought it best to go alongside in order to ensure her safe arrival. I think we will try and opt for something better than a 15-hour bus ride (shown below):
After entrusting her to her local pastor in Pompeia, I will travel to the four churches who will have received JEMS teams this July for the purpose of debriefing with local leadership and follow-up evaluations of the teams' service.
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Why does JEMS invest its time and resources in São Paulo state, you ask? According to "The Benefits of Being Minority: The Ethnic Status of the Japanese-Brazilians in Brazil," written by Takeyuki Tsuda, University of California, San Diego:
Japanese-Brazilians in Brazil (represent) the largest community of Japanese descendants (nikkeijin) outside of Japan. Almost all of the population (91%) is concentrated in the most developed southwest and southern regions of Brazil, most notably the states of São Paulo and Paraná. Most of the Brazilian nikkeijin are now second generation nisei (30.9 percent) or third generation sansei (41 percent), with a small, but increasing population of yonsei (fourth generation) [Source: São Paulo Humanities Research Center 1987-1988].
JEMS' partnerships also extend to the central west and the north of Brazil, working with churches in cities such as Campo Grande in the central west and Belém in the Amazon rainforest. Our purpose is not to exclude any community, but to strategically utilize the partnerships we've developed to reach all communities in South America for Christ.
Please consider including Pastor John in your faith budget for the remainder of the year.
Visit this SITE to learn more.
