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Caitlyn and I have received two common questions over the last few months: what “career missions” entails and our timeline for launching to Japan. Here are some details on what career missions looks like for us and what we will be doing while we serve:
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- We will be serving through Adventist Frontier Missions (AFM). AFM has over 35 years of experience in reaching the unreached. The knowledge, training and support they give will be crucial to the success of our journey to Japan.
- Our planned length of service is at least 6-10+ years. The length of time makes this mission service a “career.”
- Our goal is to help teach and train disciples of Christ who will lead local, Seventh-day Adventist groups of believers in regularly meeting together, studying the Bible and sharing their love for Jesus with others in a culturally sensitive way. We hope that each group of believers will be inspired to share their love for Jesus in a way that will multiply into many groups as the gospel spreads throughout Japan.
- Language learning and culture study will be our first, top priority upon arrival in Japan. With some language and culture under our belt, we will be able to share the gospel more effectively with the people. This type of learning is never quite complete. As we continue growing accustomed to living in Japan, we will regularly pick up new vocabulary and grammar and learn new facets of the culture.
- We will attend training for three months in AFM’s intense summer training program. During this time, we will study topics such as discipleship, soul winning, worldview and cross-cultural ministry, strategic planning, spiritual warfare, world religions, language/culture acquisition, medical work and many other subjects. AFM’s training program in the States only takes place in the summer, and the next time we can attend training will be in 2023.
- AFM’s funding model includes both one-time (launching) and monthly support options. Moving overseas requires a lot of funds for training (including housing and supplies), visas, airfare, equipment and more. Then there are all the ongoing costs of continuing to serve: food, lodging, rent, medical insurance, social security, management costs and everything else. For AFM career missionaries, these two areas end up in two different fundraising goals: one-time donations for everything up to and including our launch and monthly donations for ongoing needs. We pray that we reach these goals this calendar year so we can focus on all the other preparations needed for getting to Japan.
- Our planned launch window is in the fall of 2023. Until then, we will prepare to get to the three-month training next summer, fundraise, work on learning the language, pack, get visas, say goodbye to family, speak at churches and raise mission awareness, and all else that goes into moving to another country for a long time.
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Our new website, https://shoesatthedoor.net, is now up and running! It’s an easy way to view our newsletter archive, see any available media, including old presentations, and contact us.
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Upcoming Speaking Appointments
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- Church service at the Worthington SDA Church in Ohio on August 27.
- Church service at the Pittsburgh SDA Church in Pennsylvania on September 3
Would you like us to come and speak for your church service or vespers and share about missions, tell mission stories, and talk about the needs of the unreached? Please let us know
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Praises & Prayer Requests
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- Michael will head out to a Japanese SDA camp meeting in California tomorrow (Friday) for the weekend. Please pray that he makes many good connections, learns many cultural tidbits and has safe travel.
- If you look closely in the Adventist Frontiers magazine for August 2023, you might find a familiar set of authors.
- There is a potential opportunity to visit Japan before our planned launch window in 2023. This opportunity is exciting but will require much prep work.
- Please continue to join us in praying for God’s wisdom and guidance as we seek to make connections and continue planning and learning about the people we will serve.
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We would love to hear back from you. Always feel free to reach out and send us an email. You can also give us a call or text at ***.***.****. We would be happy to pray for any prayer requests you might have.
Thanks so much for your support!
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 Michael & Caitlyn Babienco
Volunteer Missionary Candidates
Adventist Frontier Missions |
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