One Year Back
Greetings Everyone!
Earlier this month marked the one year point since I returned to Tucson after my first trip to Japan, which lasted about 21 months. It has also been almost a year since my last post. (and boy, what a year it has been.) So let me share with you what has been going on, for me, this past year and my plans moving forward.
After I returned from Japan, I took some time off, readjusting to being in America once again and relaxing after some of the stresses I had in the last few months of being in Japan. In the first two months there was my birthday, a family vacation to the Grand Canyon, Thanksgiving, and then finally Christmas and New Years. I also spent some time reconnecting with my home church, East Tucson Baptist Church.
With the new year coming around, I started a few new things. First, I started the application process to be a Team Associate with the mission organization I was working with before. This would make me an official missionary with the organization this time around. The application process I had to go through took some time to go through each step, which was not as quick as I had wanted at times.
I also started helping more at church while I am back. With the pastor's permission, I was allowed to prepare and present a short prayer and reflection message each week. This has been good practice continuing to write short devotional messages (around 5 minutes) and also practice public speaking. As my pastor encouraged me early on, I would find my voice, figure out what methods and preparation work best for me. (I honestly still feel a bit stiff doing it but I feel like if I can keep working on it that will improve.)
In March, the Coronavirus shutdown hit Tucson and many churches locked down and moved online. I helped our church do what was needed to put a service online, which we recorded and then posted on YouTube. I recorded, edited, and posted the videos, including my prayer time videos, each week so our members and anyone who was looking for them could watch on Sunday morning.
In June, we returned to in-person services, with a few extra social distancing measures. We changed a few other things, going from recording the sermon earlier in the week to recording it during in person service, then editing and uploading by Tuesday. This has been my Monday job since the start of the summer.
Early this month, I was officially offered the Team Associate assignment in Osaka. Which means that there are only two significant hurdles between me and returning to Osaka, the COVID travel restrictions and raising support. I am looking into the travel restriction to see how I can become qualified to return or wait for the restrictions are lifted, hopefully around the time I have raised the support I needed. Raising the financial support for this trip is where I need the most help. I am aiming for a summer return, so I hope to be able to raise the needed support by May.
Since this is getting kind of long, I will skip the pitch for now (stay tuned) and let you know that you can support me through my church. One of the blessings of the lockdown was that my church setup an online giving page, so now you have the option to mail in your support or give online (address and online instructions below). I am also asking if you want to support me, please send me an e-mail letting me know what you pledge to give each month, that way I can track my support and keep a budget. I'll also be sending out prayer updates to anyone who asks, please send me an e-mail if you are interested and I will put you on my mailing list.
Thank you and God Bless,
Carl
You can send your support to East Tucson Baptist Church, indicating it is for “Erbe Missions Fund”.
Make checks out to:
East Tucson Baptist Church
9100 E Speedway Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85710
Church Phone #: (520) 917-4233
Or you can give online by going to www.etbc.org/give , click on “Add or change funds” and choose “Erbe Fund” from the pull down list.
Both options are tax deductible.
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