Silk and I have had such a wonderful last few weeks in Japan.
Last week we were moving which brought several aches and pains, even after just day one of the move! However, the last four we were able to travel to many places in country and say farewell for this season of ministry.
I was so inspired a few weeks ago visiting my colleague Pastor Hideo Ohashi. He has served faithfully with A3 over several decades and his church is a remarkable testament to God’s faithfulness to Japan.
You’ll see him pictured here with his son and grandson: three generations of pastors! What a powerful image of God’s work from one generation to the next.
Hello Everybody!
Well, today is the last day we are in Japan. We fly out in a few hours, and we are heading back to California.
We love it here in Japan. We're going to miss it here. But we are looking forward to being with family. It is a new season for us.
“That is so cool!”
“Really? There’s no way!” – That is what Silk and I thought after using a mobile phone translation at the Japan Post the other day.
Here's how the story unfolded...
We went to close out my account as we are moving to America and thought the bank teller understood our request. She listened to me and took me to the right person who started asking for our documents. We pulled out my bank book, and then she asked for our cash card which we pulled out. Finally, she asked another question. I thought I understood her request, so I pulled out my residence card.
As you think about your opportunities to give before year end, I wanted to let you know about several options for U.S. citizens you may not be aware of.
You can use these options to give to almost any ministry, and although there are exceptions for some ministries, A3 qualifies for all of them.
And despite the pandemic we find ourselves in, A3 is experiencing many opportunities for expanding and accelerating its mission to develop leaders throughout Asia and beyond—such as The Last Mile project in the Middle East that I posted about last month.
As Silk and I are saying farewell to our home of the last 4.5 years, we have visited our friends and colleagues in several places. We wish we’d have time to see everyone but the coronavirus has limited our options. One of the places we were able to visit was the sites of the “Hidden Christians” in Japan. By now you have heard of the book and film “Silence” which reveals some of their story. They went through horrendous persecution for their faith and the stories we heard of their resilience, perseverance, and faithfulness despite the awful treatment and their ultimate sacrifice were sobering and inspiring...
Phase 1 of Matching Gift Challenge Has Been Met!What a joy to learn that we have matched the initial phase of our digital platform initiative. So far, just over $200,000 was given allowing us to enable connections across Asia on a stronger basis. We praise God for your part in helping us reach this milestone. With this giving, we have opened three new countries, some in limited access countries, and enabled at least 1/3rd of our countries to run sessions via digital technology. It also allows us to meet monthly as a global family sharing concerns and praying for one another. It’s been so powerful...
Highlighting the Heromakers MovementA new movement is afoot and I trust you’ll not only follow the snowballing momentum, but that you’ll dive in and become all that God has called you to be. My friend Laurie Nichols recently stepped out on her own to launch the Heromakers Movement and highlight the stories of people who have risen above the fray to shine the light of Christ in our world. I’m so proud of Laurie. I worked with her while she served at the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College and it took a ton of courage for her to take this leap of faith, especially during a year like this. Shout out to heromakers like you, Laurie! Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14) and indeed he has called us to be game-changers and heromakers, whether we are soccer moms or engaging...
Hi there, friends! It's good to see you again, and we just want you to know how grateful we are for you this Thanksgiving season. Well, we know it's been a year of a lot of anxiety. And I'm sure many of you have been feeling that, whether it's the pandemic or the economy, or this week, the U.S. election, and we just want you to know we've been praying for you...
Here's a quick message from us as we head back to Japan for the last 7 weeks before moving back to the U.S. in December. We're praying for you,
Joe and Silk Handley...
Last night our global community met for our monthly prayer gathering and I was so impressed as we prayed through the passage listed below from the prophet Joel. While our world has been through so much, Pastor K reminded us that we have been meeting repenting and praying, seeking the Lord’s direction. He challenged us that now is the time to pray for the healing of our nations from the pandemic and for revival. So, we prayed and the prayers were...
A3 Goes on a Digital Spiritual RetreatA few weeks ago, A3 held our annual fall national directors gathering virtually due to travel restrictions from COVID-19. While not ideal for us, it was such a rich time of fellowship given the limitations of in-depth relational connections via digital formats. Nevertheless, most were delighted to see one another, commune together, and grow in Christ. We spent a great deal of time resting in the public reading of scripture, especially meditating on Psalm 84:5-7.
A Silver Lining in 2020's Dark CloudsWhat a year this has been! As most of us look back on 2020, I’m sure it’s been challenging—whether it’s the impact of COVID-19, the economic collapse or the ongoing polarization in our society and world. It often feels crazy to me. One of the silver linings in the dark clouds of this year for us at A3 though is the blessing of going digital. I’m sure you’ve heard of our Digital Platform project and the corresponding matching gift by now. Through your participation, we’ve been able to start three new countries in what we are calling a soft launch. In one of those countries, we are starting both our pastor and business cohorts simultaneously...
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For over half a century, A3 has catalyzed movements in Asia. Now, with doors open in the Middle East, North Africa, and the West, we have boldly stepped in...
TO CHANGE THE FEW WHO CHANGE THE MANY.
Our new name A3 reflects the broadening impact of our distinctive learning communities in 25+ countries on 4 continents.
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