To Japan in October

Praise Updates on Language! ... and Visas

Hey Everyone, I have ​a huge praise​ to share as ​my Japanese requirements have shifted some from December. I will not need the 500 hours of study before joining the field that I originally thought I would; I will now be doing closer to half that amount! That original requirement was in preparation for the continuously changing visa requirements amid a changing landscape in Japan, which has continued to get trickier since 2021. But my program was able to keep its true beginner section, which they were worried the government wouldn't allow anymore!

As another point to pray over, the government has been slowly making it harder and harder to get visas to stay in the country longer than 3 months, so please be praying for a smooth process, as I am currently applying for my first visa for this October. In addition to that, one of the requirements for my visa application is learning 2 of the 3 alphabets (Hiragana and Katakana), so please pray that these "letters"/characters stick in my memory over the next 2 weeks, as they can be quite tricky. Even with the challenge of learning these ~100 new letters, I'm excited to start making progress in learning Japanese, because I saw how much just knowing a few words helped make many Japanese people more open to talking and interacting with me and look forward to new connections to come, so please pray for the future connections that learning Japanese will open and for this prospective to help sustain the work that is to come in learning Japanese.

Practicalities of my need for support

In the spirit of sharing prayer requests, another topic I need prayer for is the support-raising process as my launch to Japan is so much closer than it feels. I only have another 6 months in the US, Lord willing, and Pioneers/My team has requirements of where my fundraising level will need to be prior to launching this October, so I don't strand myself and get deported 😅.

○ 80% of your monthly & departure support raised by 4 months before entering Japan - This May 31
○ 90% of your monthly & departure support raised by 3 months before entering Japan - This June 31
○ 100% of your monthly & departure support raised by 2 months before entering Japan - This July 31

It's God who provides... often through his people

While the practicalities of raising support are present and important, the process has been quite an emotional challenge for me, as the enemy has been trying many different things to distract, hinder, and stop me from putting the ask into words. Part of that hindrance has been my past default patterns of self-sufficiency and flexibility when it comes to provision/finances popping up and getting in the way. But regardless of the things that may get in the way, God has asked me to continue to rely and trust him for provision, especially over the past 2 years. When I reflect back on God and him providing for me, he has come through every time, (Many of you reading have been a part of that provision for me, so thank you for saying yes to God in that) but I still find myself at times uncomfortable and challenged by not providing for myself as I did while I was working, as well as asking people to partner with me with their finances.

Two little things have helped me reorient myself and better understand this principle of provision with God in control. The first is a phrase I picked up years ago: If it's God's will, it's God's problem. While that phrase is a bit cavalier, it has helped me reorient myself away from self-sufficient thinking and back towards true reliance on God in the moment. The second is this diagram.

This has helped me understand this principle of provision more fully by helping me shift my mindset away from how I did things while I was working into my new role as a ministry worker. In my time working in Chicago, I had been a potential supporter asking God where to invest, and I was happy to hear from everyone doing great ministry work. Now, as I have shifted to being a Ministry worker, my asking of God remains, while he challenges me to invite a whole community to invest in His work through becoming a part of my Support Team. So, here and now, I want to ask you all if God is asking you to partner with me and be a part of the provision I need to move forward with ministering in Japan.

Thank you to everyone who has already supported and is a part of that ~40%. If you want to talk through any specifics or ask more questions about partnering with me, email me and we can set up some time to talk in person/video. Also, if you know any other people who may be interested in supporting, send them this newsletter or give them my contact info if they would rather set up a time to talk.

My Email: potts500@proton.me