On the Horizon
Greetings once again! It's almost spring, and the tree outside our house is starting to blossom. And across the ocean in Japan, it's almost time for hanami (cherry blossom viewing). Of course, there is a pandemic gripping the world still, with the Tokyo area still under a state of emergency. We look to the horizon and see light at the end of the tunnel, though. Indeed, the Light has been shining the whole time. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
John 1:5
Update:
Our monthly support has now reached 85%! This is a giant praise for us, and something we are so thankful for.
Our move to Japan is definitely on the horizon! We continue to pack our stuff and give stuff away. Based on our level of support, our anticipated timeline for the next few months:
March: Submit COE (visa) application, continue packing, and get house ready to rent
April: Finish packing, move out of our house (and rent it out) and into a temporary place to live; COE hopefully gets approved
May/June/July: Finish raising support and move to Japan
We got to celebrate Kaili's 5th birthday. Of course, it was much different from last year's, which was right before the pandemic hit. But she still had a blast! There were many cakes and unicorns afoot.
We had a great turnout for Lighthouse's virtual prayer gathering for Japan. Thanks to those who could join us, and thank you to all of our prayer partners.
Praise:
Praise God for another supporting church!
Malia's passport was renewed successfully.
Praise God for some potential places to live after we rent out our home.
We also praise God for continued connections with individuals and churches, including new supporters. We're also so thankful for our current ministry partners who have continued to support us during this whole journey. For this we are incredibly blessed.
Prayer:
March 11 will mark the 10-year anniversary of the triple disaster in Japan (earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident). Please pray for the people of Japan that they will be open to hearing about God as they reflect and continue to heal.
Japan extended its state of emergency in the greater Tokyo area again, to last until March 21. Please pray that COVID cases will continue to decline, and that the vaccine rollout will be smooth and swift.
Given the ongoing state of emergency, please pray for our Certificate of Eligibility (COE) application process for our visas, that it will all work out in God's timing.
Please pray for discernment in the rental process for our home.
Please pray that Mason's passport gets approved soon (we expect this in the next week or two).
Please pray for our support application for another church.
We also request prayer for continued connections with potential partners in ministry. We are so thankful for referrals!
We would love to hear from you, whether it be to share your prayer requests or to schedule a Zoom meeting so we can catch up and share more details of our plans with you. Please know that we think of you and pray for you often.
Thanks and blessings,
The Walkers
Jeff, Malia, Mason & Kaili