Dear Friends,

We have incredible news. First, let me back it up a few days. So, we were pretty pumped up about raising support after leaving the Global Missions Conference recently. We had our eyes fixed on raising this money and were firmly resolved to not get distracted and somehow fill our support account so we could get to Belgium in January for CCMI training. Then Monday came. You know how you just kind of wake up in a funk and are lethargic and all you want to do is eat some fried food and drink any corn-syrup-laced beverage in sight? It was a day like that. We looked at the numbers, saw all the work that needed to be done, and got very discouraged. We heard Michael Oh speak at the conference about how he fasted and prayed and 1.2 million dollars came in for the seminary building in 80 days or something ridiculous like that. So I (Jake) thought I'd try to be ‘uber-spiritual’ and fast and pray...well, it didn't turn out so well. I chickened out when I smelled what Anna Claire was cooking for dinner (sorry for the bad puns). I felt like such a loser. The next day, we got on our knees and cried out to Jesus (literally) and felt like a couple of spiritual twits. Who are we that God would use us? Who are we, weak and so easily distracted from God's mission, to be raising all of this money as 26 year olds? Who are we with such small faith to be going to Japan? Who are we? Like the disciples we can't even stay awake for one moment and focus on our suffering Savior.

But then it dawned on me. This whole week I've been asking the wrong question. It's not, "Who are we?" The question we should be asking is, "Are You Worthy?" "Are you worthy, O Lord, for us to endure all of this?" "Are you worthy, Lord Jesus?" Essentially, it's the opposite question: "Who are you, Jesus?" It's fairly simple, really. He is the worthy King who is making all things new. And when I thought of that, I realized that the reason I get so discouraged about support raising is this: though I say with my mouth that God is the one who will fill our support account, that he is sovereign and rules the cosmos and has moved heaven and earth to make his love known in this world; that God is on a mission, cares about, and loves the people of Japan more than I do, in practice I've made it all about me. The reason I got so discouraged about having 'failed' at fasting when I ate Anna Claire's yummy chicken that night, for not staying focused and praying enough, for not being a rock star at support raising, etc. etc. etc., is because I fall into the myth that the great story of redemption is really all about me and what I must do instead of about Jesus and what He has done. It's so startling how, like this past weekend, I can feel the veil lifted off of my heart and for a brief time find myself lost in wonder, love & praise at the majesty of who Jesus really is; for just a brief moment I can stop thinking about me, and then I wake up the next morning like a zombie and the default mode of my heart is to say, "My kingdom come, my will be done on earth." That’s the difference between religion and the grace of the gospel: God accepts us not because of what we’ve done, but because of what He has done out of amazing love for us through His Son Jesus. Thank God for the gospel, that it puts us in our right minds and gets us outside of ourselves so that we are able to love God and to love other people authentically; that because Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith, we can stop worrying about how good we must be or how much we've screwed up this world (whether through our unrighteousness or self-righteousness). We desperately need community like you all to remind us of that good news on a regular basis.

So, I know you're asking, "Uh...what is the awesome news"? Well, we sent out a newsletter saying we still needed $3,600 of our $8,000 to get to Belgium for CCMI. I was working at our computer last Thursday and I got a call from a random number, but I recognized the area code. Anyway, this gracious pastor asked me how support raising was going and wanted to know how far we'd come along with raising the $8,000 for Belgium. I said we had raised $4,400 but still needed that remaining $3,600. He told me he just got out of a session meeting and they committed to giving 10% of their church budget to church planting - half to local church planting, the other half to church planting anywhere else in the world. Then he said that since we are on the Nagoya Church Planting team that they'd like to give it to us. Guess how much the amount is. $3600!

more...

Our apartment packed up.

Gee’s in Japan An Update From The Gee’s • November 2010

O Help My UnbeliefOur Support Raising Journey So Far

home: 120 Torbet Rd. Forsyth, GA 31029 • e-mail: geesinjapan@gmail.com • web: geepan.tumblr.com

Global Missions Conference November 5-7

Us

The Newsomes

Th e Youngs

The Carters

The Cravens

The Sinks

Richard Ketcham

home: 120 Torbet Rd. Forsyth, GA 31029 • e-mail: geesinjapan@gmail.com • web: geepan.tumblr.com

PRAYEROn Our Way to Training

Please keep a few things in prayer in the near future!

• We will be traveling to Virginia the first two weeks of December

where we will speak at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church on December 5th for a Missions Conference as well as meeting with a host of individuals and reconnecting with our home church, Christ

the King Presbyterian Church, in Roanoke. We are really looking forward to this time with so many great friends and hope to pick up

some supporters along the way!

• We are learning Japanese right now and it is taking a toll on our

brains! Pray we pick up the language and stay faithful in our studies.

• Of course, pray for our training in January, the flight over, the preparations beforehand that need to be made, and that it would

be a fruitful time.

• Please continue to pray for our support also, that God would continue raising up faithful supporters who have a heart for Japan and want to see God’s love spread throughout the city of Nagoya!

We are currently almost at 25% of our total support. We still need a little over $5,000 in monthly support.

We cannot express to you how grateful and humbled we are that God has provided for us through YOU! Not only did this small, young church help meet our needs, but so many of you individuals stepped out in faith to help us get to this

training in January. We thank God for you and are so overwhelmed at His mercy toward us. We are looking forward to keeping you updated on how training is going and all that we’re learning during that time - we’re confident that it will prepare us greatly for what God has in store for us in Nagoya.

Over 2,000 people came to the Global Missions Conference in Chattanooga.Reuniting with the Nagoya team in Chattanooga!