Continue?

It is a moment every gamer has experienced (well, at least gamers from my generation).

You are playing a game and you missed a jump, or ran into some spikes, or got hit by a fireball just one too many times. You just lost your last life and 8 letters appear on screen.

GAME OVER

Frustration, Disappointment, dread. (Okay, maybe I get a little over invested in games at times but I’m trying to make a point.) Then another 8 letters appear on screen

CONTINUE

Frustration is still there, but you get another chance. You are disappointed but you are hopeful for better. The dread subsides as you start to focus on what you can do moving forward.

Press START

The level reloads, you are back at the start of the level, without any of the checkpoints, but you have all your lives back.

GAME OVER?

About two weeks ago, I got some bad news that I did not go into detail about except for a few people.

With the rough past few years everyone has had, the team leader in Osaka decided it was time to retire. I was talking with him, working on a smooth transition, and decided to contact the new team leader so I could get his contact information as team leader.

And this is where the bad news comes into play. I got an email back saying that because he was not as experienced as Charlie, he was going to have to cut back on some things including incoming team members, which in turn means that I would not be joining the Osaka team anymore.

Game over, right?

CONTINUE?

Fortunately, this was not Game Over. Charlie is helping me to get in contact with other team leaders and ministries in Japan who are looking for an additional member to join them. The new team leader also had similar suggestions but a different path. Both are giving their recommendation for to those whom they contact. So there are several things to be considered and prayed for as these opportunities come up.

I am also in the midst of support raising and I was starting to hear back from churches around the same time I got the bad news. So I am having to adjust my presentations, no longer talking about Osaka, but about Japan in general. I am also hopeful that will not be a significant factor in the meantime.

LOADING…

So right now I am in a loading screen, waiting to hear back about these options. Using another analogy, I’m fishing and I’ve cast my lines out, and the only thing I can do is wait for the fish to bite. I’m not saying that I don’t have other lines to cast or I am going to be idle while waiting, but there are several things were the only action I can take is to be praying.

The apostle Paul also experienced delays too.

Romans 1:13 NASB95

 I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you and have been prevented so far (…)

And if you have read Acts, you know that Paul did finally get to Rome… after being arrested… then shipwrecked… and I really hope I don’t have to go through all that.

SECOND WIND!

I have experienced delays and setbacks before, but one thing I know is that God can use that like a slingshot. The shot is put into the sling and drawn back, then it is released and launched forward at amazing speed! When I quit my job in 2017, God gave me an opportunity in Japan. When I had to move on from Kobe, God gave me an opportunity in Osaka. And while not as spectacular, when I was locked down in Tucson, God gave me an opportunity to practice producing videos. And while not every setback has lead to a huge advance, I trust God and will continue preparing for Japan. I don’t know how it will happen, but God has prepared something and has drawn me back for a reason.

PRAY

Please be praying for me. Pray that God gives me wisdom in these choices. Also pray that God sends me the divine appointments I need to succeed in finding a new assignment and raising the support to go. And pray that God prepares me to leave Tucson, and the ministries that I have been involved with over the past two and a half years.

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I will be going back to review and update previous posts with a note about my involvement with Saturate Osaka. I'm not going to edit out "Saturate Osaka" from previous posts, just leave a note reminding people of my new assignment. There are no hard feelings towards the team or leadership in Osaka and I hope that one day I can join them again in ministry. But as it is right now, I am just going to clarify that I will not be working in Osaka.