Update (January 31st 2009)

Hey everyone! Good news!

I received information from TEAM, and it appears that there is an opportunity open for me to go to Japan from May to August. There are four different positions I could choose to be involved in;

• Missionary Trainee--Teach English and/or use the arts to assist a vibrant Japanese church in planting six new churches. Work under the leadership of an experienced church planter and study Japanese.
• English Language Teacher – Assist a missionary/Japanese team in establishing a new church by making contacts through teaching English conversation classes to adults and children.
• TEAM Guesthouse Host & Hostess – Manage TEAM’s 20 bed guesthouse in Tokyo, serving and welcoming missionaries and others from around the world.
• Outreach Assistant Using Music—Provide concentrated outreach through music in coffee houses. Provide extended outreach through music to thousands of Japanese that gather in a resort town in the mountains of central Japan.

As you would probably guess, I'm very excited!
I'm still waiting to hear from TEAM regarding my application, but this has helped me plan out what I need to do in order to get to Japan.
Somehow, I need to be able to raise $4800-$5500, depending on how long I'll be staying. I am positive that if God wants me to go to Japan, he will provide.
Please be praying that I will be able to land a reliable job soon, so I can start saving.

Peace,
Trev

Update

Hey everyone!

Sorry for such a long lapse of time between my updates.
Winter time turns me into a procrastinator.

My studies are coming along great; I can read and write Hiragana fluently, my Katakana is coming along nicely and I can carry a decent conversation in Japanese. Thanks for all your prayers!

For those who don't know, Japan uses three sets of characters (kana);

Hiragana- the most basic, it's used for writing native Japanese words.

Katakana- it's used for writing foreign words that have been adopted into Japanese. For instance, shower becomes shawaa and when written into Katakana becomes シャワー.

Kanji- Chinese characters. There are over nine-thousand of these. They relay thoughts and ideas. In order to read the average Japanese newspaper one would have to know some six-thousand Kanji.

Yesterday, I officially sent in my application to TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission) and am eagerly awaiting a reply. I'm so excited by the possibility of going to Japan this Summer!

Please be praying that;

• I will get the opportunity to go to Japan this Summer
• I will be able to retain all the information I'm learning
• That I will continually put my trust in God
• And that I will be able to make enough funds to go

I will try to do better at keeping everyone updated.
Again, thanks for your prayers.

Peace,
Trev