Quick update

Well, i have been terrible updating this blog over the past month. But here’s a starter.

A few days ago i moved into a new apartment. God answered my prayers by providing roommates and a sweet place in a matter of days (i came back to Seattle with no idea what i would do for housing…). It’s been nice to reconnect with friends and settle in to life up in Seattle, though i do miss everyone back home.

Support raising is almost complete. I have less than 10% of my initial goal remaining before i can be released to assignment and about four days to beat the record at GCM for the fastest time raising support ever. It’s still surreal to me how much God has done on my behalf this summer. I feel like i just jumped into the river and got carried the whole way by the current of God’s favor and grace.

This isn’t much of a post, but i just wanted to make an update and get back into the habit of blogging!

Church Camp

I’m midway through family camp up in the Santa Cruz mountains. It’s been a blessing and great opportunity to share my heart for Japan with other Japanese-American people. The other day i made a 3 minute slide show/video for a missions seminar i shared at. i’m posting it here below. 

Running through the tape

In 1 Corinthians 9:24 Paul wrote, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.”

So run that you may obtain it…

It’s been just over two months since i first started raising support through GCM. At the moment i am just shy of 80% of my support goal. There have been a few times in the last week where i’ve tried to soak in all that God has done on my behalf. Words still fail, and to be totally honest, i don’t think i grasp nearly enough how amazing this is. When i was being trained to raise support back in Florida they told us that on average it takes 3 tries to get a financial supporter. I have met with many people in the past few months and nearly every person has given some sort of financial contribution to me. It has been humbling to see how much favor the Lord has given me–not because of my greatness–but because of His purposes. 

Now it is the home stretch. With less than 1000/mo to be raised, i can see the tape at the finish line. In all honesty there is a great temptation now to take it easy and jog to the end at a nice comfortable pace. That’s just not right. I want to finish support raising like a race–sprinting through the tape.

I want to end like this guy below who broke the line diving for the last olympic spot. Pray that in this next month i would keep my eyes focused narrowly on the prize and finish strong making calls and seeking appointments.

A faithful man who can find?

This is what God has been teaching and training me in recently…

Proverbs 20:6 says, “Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?”

Many people say a lot of things, but like the Scripture says, “a faithful man who can find?”

Jesus was steadfast and faithful to the mission the Father had given Him. He was obedient, the Scripture says, all the way to the cross. I think we admire guys who don’t talk much but just “get it done” because they image the steadfastness of God. Personally I would rather have a dad who spoke little but was dependable than one who was full of beautiful articulate words yet totally unreliable.

Our world is full of these two kinds of men, but how few there are who possess both. How few men exist who are faithful and reliable to death, yet communicate at the heart level with others and weep with those who weep. Is it an anomaly to be strong and tender? Yes–but not an impossibility. In perfectly and fully being both Jesus gave an image and example of what God intended that a man be. According to Hebrews 1:3, Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…”

My hope is for men to be transformed into the masculine image of God that Jesus displayed for us. The means for this nearly impossible change are found in words like, “What is impossible with man is possible with God,” “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing,” and ”He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion…” (luke 18:27; John 15:5; Phil 1:6).

A quick glance around society does little to encourage this hope, but Jesus has been making men like this for ages. Most recently He has given me a few faithful men to follow in so much as they have followed Jesus. Jim Elliot and Eric Liddell have been a great inspiration to me. Elliot was a stud inside-out whose sole passion was to please Jesus. He died by spearing as a jungle missionary sixty years ago. Eric Liddell, the olympic champion and main character of Chariots of Fire was also a stud sold out for Jesus. He was the most endeavored athlete in Scottish history and gave his life as a missionary for the people of China, dying a few years before Elliot in a Chinese internment camp. Both left abundant opportunity to follow the Lord’s call faithfully–unto death. 

And then my dad. The greatest gift was to watch him die, faithful to the end. He was fierce and reliable as a rock…and he was the biggest softy in the world, crying in Disney movies and hugging his kids nonstop. When the Lord called him to suffer with cancer he found strength and peace to go home joyfully–not in himself, but in God, and in His Word. Four years ago he died to cancer faithfully praising Jesus; just a normal guy, transformed by the grace of Jesus. He is a grace from God reminding me that the Word is true and Jesus is powerful to change a normal messed up dude like myself into a faithful, strong, and tender man like Him. Hebrews 12:1-2–press on.

Nor Cal

9 James says that we have not because we ask not. So true, especially in my life. This process, like i said, teaches you to pray. But even more than that, it brings the gift of watching God ANSWER those prayers every day. I’m not talking stuff like, “God please let me live and eat today…” God does answer those and we need to jump in praise for that mercy. But i’m talking like, “Jesus i am desperate for you to give me favor with this next call. I don’t have any appointments and i’ve dialed ten people in a row. Please just get me a meeting, i know you can.” 

10 Jeremiah 12:5 says, “If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?” The trials and discomforts and stretching of support raising is a design of God. It is intentionally hard because life is intentionally hard, and following Jesus is intentionally the hardest. On top of that, going to places where people hate Jesus and expecting them to change their hearts is impossible. But “what is impossible with man is possible with God.” The testings of support raising are the beginnings of a gritty faith you lean into once you’ve been on the mission field 7 years without seeing someone come to Christ and the people you are ministering to keep trying to kill you. I would not trade this season for anything. It would be suicide for me to step into my ministry with someone handing me a check for tens of thousands. Maybe this isn’t true for everyone, maybe it is. In any case, i rejoice that God is treating me like a son (Hebrews 12) and not sending me out with week knees.

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I’ve been in Nor Cal for the past few days to attend a wedding and speak at a church. Last night my best friend Daniel got married. It was one of the most joy filled days i can remember. The whole time in Auburn was amazing. We went white water rafting for the bachelor party, stayed at Laurie’s mentor’s house (which was like a resort!), and spent time celebrating God’s blessings. The last few days spent with Daniel were especially sweet and a gift from the Lord.

The most powerful thing i learned or re-learned this weekend from conversations with married friends and the wedding ceremony was the powerful witness a marriage is to the gospel. My friend Sara said, “I see Jesus more now in the way that Caleb loves me…” What an awesome ambition to have for a marriage. 

A much needed dose of humility

Reasons 7 and 8 Support Raising Does NOT Suck…

7 Life skills. This thing is hard, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. One of the biggest things is probably putting yourself at the feet of other people, especially in a culture like ours that values independence. But to be successful, you need to do more than trust God. You need to work your butt off because you trust God will provide and has already prepared provision for you–the harvest is not just plentiful, it is taxing. In my estimation, even for those who raise support for a year or two, the demands of this job will make you excellent at a lot of marketplace jobs.

8 Getting little or no gifts is a win…up to a certain point. If God has called you to a ministry and it requires that you raise support, He will provide. “Thou it tarry, wait for it.” This might bring you to the last day, but He will provide. In between the time of your beginning and the last needed support, the more people you talk to the better. This could be debated, but it’s right. Yeah it means more trials; but it makes you tough and gives you a little grit and perseverance–and the more you can get (in Christ), the better. But it also means you meet more people, most of whom aren’t as scary and hostile as you initially think; they tend to really be excited over what you’re doing and want to support you, financially and in other key ways. I can’t count, literally cannot count or keep track of the innumerable people i have met and developed friendships with through support raising. It is one of the crown jewels of this process. 

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God has been good to me in the midst of much folly lately. I am convinced more than ever that everything i have been given is by grace alone. If blessings and mercy were contingent on my merit, i would be lost. The Holy Spirit has been convicting me in the past few days. Pride is the worst.

Best Night Ever

Reasons 5 and 6 Support Raising Does NOT Suck…

5 It brings you to people of all different types, but especially those who have known you since you were young. For me this ranges from people who knew me before i came out of the womb to people who saw me play basketball and football in high school. Everywhere i turn there is a wonder at how i have changed. And it is another opportunity to praise God, because if Jesus did not save me and give me the Holy Spirit, i would be far worse. We’ve been talking about mentioning evidences of God’s grace at work in people lives at Mars Hill; people point out God’s transforming grace in my life and it makes me praise Jesus. Sweet.

6 You’re like a salesman, but you break all the paradigms. By all means you need to be confident, articulate, and straightforward…but you’re not looking for a sale that you’ll never see again. Instead, you are planting seeds and cultivating relationships. Money is a part of it, but you’re seeking so much more.
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Tonight was one of the best night’s ever. I had the conviction that i’ve neglected talking with my little brother while going out to recruit and train college guys. So i randomly asked my little brother to go walk our dog with me. He turned this down because he claimed to be tired. My selfish reaction was that if he wouldn’t be available to hang with me at the drop of a hat, i wouldn’t waste my time pouring out into him. There’s guys who would die to spend time with me was my reasoning (what a prideful idiot, i know). As i write this it’s unbelievable how selfish and retarded and sinful that thinking was. By God’s grace though, i had two thoughts: 1) My friend has patiently been trying to teach his rebellious son for years (tangible example) and 2) Jesus was 10,000 times more patient with me (that’s heavy and humbling). The Jesus one got me to keep pursuing my brother’s time, which ended up in a long chat on our back porch. 

It was the best talk we’ve ever had in our life. I said some very hard things to him and gave him a lot of counsel/Scripture. At the end i laid hands on him and prayed with and for him. Afterwards we embraced. There was something in the way his arms clung to my back and his head rested on my shoulder that helps to make this one of the best night’s ever. Maybe it’s because that’s how i used to hug our dad after hard talks like this. God is so good. By his grace, my little brother will become ridiculously satisfied in Jesus and a weapon to bring other high school kids to that same joy. Pray for this. YES!

Replicating

Reasons 3 and 4 Support Raising Does NOT Suck…

3 The nature of support raising means you witness to God’s mercy in your life. When you talk about how your debts have been paid to numerous people, if you really believe it, each time the story fills you with joy. It’s been a gift to hear the gospel over and over in my story as i share with people; God uses me to preach his gospel to me everyday–what a trip. Thankful people are joyful people and discontent is found in those who believe they are entitled. The gospel maximizes joy–so long as you get the debt that was paid, and i mean REALLY get it. Oh that God would give us eyes to see and ears to hear.

4 Bible verses you learned when you were 5 start making a different kind of sense as you see them unpacked in your experience. All of a sudden you sit down with your Sunday school teachers who taught you the Word when you were a snotty little brat, and by the grace of God, they are able to see God’s Word not return void but come to fruition in your life. You start saying things like whoever loses his life for my sake will find it, and you believe it more than you believe in the chair you’re sitting in–and they see it too. Crazy.

Today. Luke 6:40 says, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” This truth has begun to show in my life and ministry. i’ve been meeting with a few college guys who i grew up with this week. They are the same age as the guys i will be working with at UW (these just finished first year). My time and availability here is limited, but i’ve selected a few key guys i am going to pour out into, help start a summer movement, and send back out to their respective UC’s to start movements back there where i’ll be able to continue coaching them. In many ways this is a test run and foretaste of what i’ll be doing at the UW. Growing confident though that this will spread to other campuses.

Why Support Raising Does NOT Suck

(Originally this was 11. I will be re-posting these in subsequent posts. So keep reading posts if you want to have them.)

1 Especially for those who like to be in control, it renders you utterly helpless. Why do we have such weak prayer lives here in the States? Probably because we perceive so little need in light of our affluence. My physical and financial needs have always been met. Never in my life have i been in a place of financial need–until now. There is a different kind of prayer that brings you to your knees all throughout the day, on your face pleading with your Father to provide–because you know if he doesn’t, you don’t eat and your creditors come for you. I would not trade it.

2 Typically people take sinful pride in the work of their hands, even though it is God who has done it. This is what Deuteronomy 8 warns against, but we seldom heed God’s command. If you get the theology of Proverbs 21:1, you get that every name, every phone dial, every person you talk to, every meeting you get, every person who comes on as a supporter–is because of God, not you. And Psalm 127 reminds you that unless the Lord gives you favor, you can’t even get another name to call, let alone someone to meet with you, let alone someone who will support you. Proverbs 16:33 reminds me that it’s all God–therefore to Him be ALL glory and praise; to the Giver.

These are only a few of what could seriously end up at hundreds of reasons why support raising does NOT suck. It’s hard, really hard–but there’s joy in it. Tonight i had an especially awesome meeting with some supporters. Such a blessing and gift; i felt compelled to share a few truths God has been teaching me–especially in light of the way i glibly reply to my friends when they ask about the process, saying, “It sucks…”

Please pray for me to see my sin of pride clearly and repent of it thoroughly. There’s a lot of sweet truth i think God wants to speak to people through me, but i am at risk of ruining it through my arrogance and pride. I hate it and i am praying and pressing into the Holy Spirit to change me. Please pray for me to have a soft heart. I am grateful for my friends who love me enough to truly speak this truth to me in love–there is so much i desire to learn from them in humility. 

Home sweet home

It’s 76 degrees right now at my house; totally sunny. In Seattle it’s 55 and cloudy. I’m so glad to be in the sun. By the grace of God, i walked on saturday, got on the road by 7pm, and arrived back home around 5pm on sunday, just in time to surprise my sister. It was great; i called her as i pulled into her school parking lot to see where she was, and there she was–just getting out of the car! I pulled up right next to her as she was fumbling to answer her phone and yelled out, “Hey!” She was in shock. Her reaction was well worth the drive down; she was bubbling with joy. Praise God for safe journey and perfect timing!

I took yesterday off to recooperate and gather myself. Saw a few friends and enjoyed their company. Today i began working again, making calls and trying to set up appointments so that i could meet and share with people. Psalm 127 has been a strength and source of confidence as i pick up the phone to dial. My fears and reservations are laid to rest by the assurance that God has prepared my meetings and will provide. More and more i see that my role is simply to be faithful to the task God’s given me and watch him work. Please pray for me to articulate my calling and vision well, and pray that God would give me favor with people. Thank you everyone for praying for me. I am on my knees in desperation so much these days and it is a huge encouragement to not be alone.