If you’re supporting my trip to Japan in any way, I encourage you to read this special letter from David & Kathy to you. Actually, I invite everyone to read this letter, so please—read on.
Dear friends of Derek Schaab,
Hello! We are David & Kathy Sedlacek, church planting missionaries in Okayama, Japan. It is to help us that Derek is coming to Japan this Spring. We want to send a heart-felt “thank you” to each of you who are standing behind him, whether as a prayer partner, financial supporter, or friend. His coming to Japan is going to make a huge difference in getting the gospel out to many Japanese people who otherwise would not have an opportunity to hear.
Tsushima Christ Church held its first worship service on May 3, 1998 with our family of five and three Japanese people (two of whom were not Christians). Today, the church has an exciting outreach among the surrounding population of 100,000 who live within a 1 mile radius of our church. We work with a Japanese pastor and his family, and several Christians who are now members of our church. In two or three years we believe that we will have achieved our goal of working ourselves out of a job, leaving behind a growing, established church that will be poised to reproduce itself.
Derek will play an important part in the next steps of the life of our young church. We have asked him to join our church planting team for the next two years. He will teach conversational English classes to all ages of people, and do outreach among college students and young singles like himself. We are excited that he is coming soon.
“Coming soon” means that he has much to do in these next couple of weeks. We are asking him to come by April 15. Please pray for Derek, that God will give him His strength to prepare for this trip in the midst of saying goodbyes to family & friends. And please pray for our preparations for his arrival. We already have an apartment ready for him. occupied by one of our short-term helpers who is leaving in April. We are also busy setting up ministry opportunities which Derek will step into when he arrives. Please pray that God would use Derek mightily for His glory during these next 2 years!
Derek has completed all the necessary training, and most of the financial support which he needs to serve with us has been promised (by many of you!). However, he does need around $800 per month in additional pledges/gifts. If you believe the Lord would have you participate in sending Derek out here to us, now would be a good time to let him know!
In Christ,
David & Kathy Sedlacek
Planting churches with TEAM