Two main reasons for the change. First, we can offer better communication via a monthly newsletter. Second, not enough people were regularly visiting our blog to justify the time. We believe the best use of our time is captured in the monthly letter.

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Thank you for your partnership to love on the people of Japan.

We’re going to make some changes soon to our blog, so for the next few weeks it will be static. Actually, if you’ve been checking, you already know it has been static for quite some time. Thanks for your patience! In the meantime, please connect with us via Facebook or email.

We’re doing well! Thanks for your prayers and partnership!

November 2012 Newsletter

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For information on making a financial contribution to this ministry, follow this link.

This newsletter makes mention of a letter from Jim Millard, the founder of Sunrise, to our ministry partners. Here is a link to the letter.

On October 1, we transitioned from Asian Access to Sunrise, and financial gifts should now be directed to Sunrise. Here is information for financial donors.

• If you send checks, please print and mail the form below with your check.
• You may use this form to set up automatic giving via Electronic Funds Transfer.
• If you would like to give via credit card, follow this link to the Sunrise website to give securely through PayPal. (Scroll down the page to find our names.)

We love Japan and being the hands and feet of Christ here.

If you are a financial donor, please direct all future giving to Sunrise.(Click the image.)

• If you send checks, please print and mail the form on the right with your check.
• You may use this form to set up automatic giving via Electronic Funds Transfer.
• If you would like to give via credit card, follow this link to the Sunrise website to give securely through PayPal. (Scroll down the page to find our names.)

Sunrise handles receipting differently then Asian Access. Unlike Asian Access, Sunrise does not issue receipts monthly. Sunrise issues a yearly receipt each January, which covers giving for the previous calendar year. If you are a monthly donor and have relied on Asian Access’ monthly receipt to remind you to give, we have two suggestions. First, consider giving automatically via Electronic Funds Transfer. This may be done via the same form. It’s simple, safe, and may be stopped at anytime just by notifying Sunrise. The second option is to send us an email and request a ‘reminder notice’. Once a month, we’ll send a brief email that will include a printable form as a reminder to give.

As with Asian Access, all Sunrise missionaries raise financial support. Our transition to Sunrise was not motivated by financial reasons, though we do expect to find some savings. Sunrise is a smaller organization and allows us greater autonomy when making decisions in areas such as retirement and health care. These savings will come at a time when the value of the dollar remains very low against the yen and should provide some relief for us.

If you have any questions regarding financial giving, please send us an email. Thank you for your financial support of this ministry and our family.

I’m getting ready to run the Kobe Marathon in November, followed by a half-marathon in Sanda in December, so a friend and I ran a practice 16k this past weekend. Best part of it, an hour-and-a-half of talking and getting to know each other better. If we were able to talk then we weren’t running to our full potential, but it was a great time together. Loved it.

All things to all people…

We thought we’d take a moment to share again why we are transitioning. First of all, we still love and respect Asian Access, the mission we have been with for over twenty-four years. We are grateful for everything the Lord has done in and through our time with this mission.

Over the past five years, our vision has shifted to develop leaders and multiply congregations in “marketplace ministries”, and less on professional clergy and existing congregations. Sunrise is able to provide needed vision, direction, experience and discipleship for this to happen. We will still collaborate with Asian Access in various projects, as these two organizations have already been partnering for over fifteen years, which will be great.

We are excited to work alongside the Sunrise family to proclaim the love of Christ to the Japanese people. We look forward to you getting to know this family, too. Check out the Sunrise webpage to learn more.

We had a great summer, which included some family time on the Sea of Japan and up in Nagano. Lot’s of fun. We also have been coaching a Japanese family as it prepares to relocate to India. We’re working on our transition from Asian Access to Sunrise International Ministries. Lastly, we spent a chunk of time thinking though the strategy we are using with the English school as a Kingdom business, and we are excited for the fall.

The kids are lamenting being back in school, but doing well. Wishing everyone all the best and for the love of Jesus to overflow in every area of our lives!