I want to let you know that the life of a missionary is not and has not been an easy one (however, no one ever said it would be right?) I’d like to use this post to tell you about what it’s really been like for me here in Japan.

LIVING SITUATION REALITY:
I’ve been living at a share house with other people for the past 10 months and currently call a 4.5 ft x 14 ft room as home (62 square feet room). When I say I can touch both sides of my walls at the same time, I’m not joking 😂. I share a bathroom, shower and kitchen with 6 other floors of people, but have my own room where I keep all of my belongings that I have in this life (books, memorabilia, and clothing for the most part). It’s not the cleanest, not the nicest, and even though I live on the 5th floor, there is no working A/C for this summer which has made it quite unbearable to function in the everyday 100 degree-feeling humid, summer weather of Japan.
I want to let everyone know that I am in no way living “lavishly” here in Japan. I buy food and pay my bills and my daily coming and goings are mostly going from home to school, home to church, home to Nishinari, then back home. My life is and has become extraordinarily simple as I live and serve as a Missionary called to Japan; I have forsaken a lot of the things that in America we would consider to be a part of, “normal life” in order to complete the assignment that the Lord has put on my heart to reach the lost here in Japan. I cut my own hair, buy clothing at second hand shops and do laundry by hand when I need to.

Persecutions and Difficulties Over the Year:
– being forced to move out of the first share house I was staying at in Nishinari due to it becoming a dangerous living environment. Just to name a few of the issues I encountered there: Men knocking on my door at 2am, my room door lock was broken, the water was mixed with sewage and undrinkable, cockroaches, mites, mosquitoes, and a fun Huntsman tarantula in my room (that thing was HUGE and yes they ARE poisonous)!
–Rent tripling, suddenly forcing me to move again to a different share house, the one I live at now (I have moved 3 times in one year since being here in Osaka).
-Spent 718.32 US dollars on medical care and hospital bills due to facing unexpected health issues of rashes/sores and swollen lymph nodes all over my whole body, which I paid for out of pocket
– encountering stalking (being persistently followed) and harassed by men on more than 11 occasions

CURRENT SITUATION:
–I have been living off of my life savings for some time now, and with each passing month it gets more and more difficult to stay. I am currently teaching English as freelance work, but the work is inconsistent and I am able to only bring in about $200 a month at most, Lord willing. Besides that, I have no other income or way to support myself. My rent alone is $675 USD and as you can see, this is why I have been living off of my life savings.
-Another thing happened where unfortunately recently (and no fault to them whatsoever) I lost two of my biggest financial partners due to them encountering their own financial difficulties, as they became no longer able to donate monthly anymore.
-I’ve paid for my school tuition (which gives me my Student visa and keeps me able to do the work I do here in Japan) which is $1,300 every three months out of pocket a few times (God provided for the other times, Thank you Jesus!). However, I say all this to say, that basically, for this mission to continue I really need your help right now.

NEEDS FOR THIS MINISTRY TO CONTINUE:
– Monthly donors committed to helping provide financial support at a set amount for each month
–Prayer Support Partners dedicated to praying for the needs of this ministry
–Care package items, people willing to send supplies from America to Japan (soap, first aid kits, medicines, shampoo and conditioners, basic living supplies, etc).
–One more semester of Japanese Language School paid for: Coming to $1,300

THE GOOD NEWS:
I have a home church and a Japanese church both willing to sponsor me to have a Missionary Visa by the end of this year! Lord willing, I will have the Missionary Visa by this December and then won’t have to pay the school tuition to stay in Japan anymore and will be able to wholly and fully dedicate all my time to tending to the needs of the ministry. My plan is to stay on my student visa continuing my study of the Japanese Language until December so that I do not have to leave Japan and which will give more of the necessary time for my Missionary Visa to be processed; as it often takes many months and has a lot of strict requirements.

HOW TO PROVIDE SUPPORT:
All in all, God has called me to Japan for His perfect plan and purpose (read in one of my recent posts how and why I am called here) and will ultimately provide, but it takes the actions from the church to support a mission and the work of a missionary. As a Christian, we are the church and I humbly ask that you would consider giving in anyway to this ministry in order to allow the work of the Lord continue.
If you would like to give, you can through:
1. The “Donate” button on the home page
2. Venmo: @Liftedvisionministry
(Last four digits for Venmo confirmation: 2485)
3. Western Union

If you would like to reach out to me directly with any questions, comments or other ways you’d like to give, please reach me at hallelujah3333@gmail.com.

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing God show up in a big way! I can’t wait to partner with you and am excited at this open door of opportunity the Lord is giving the church to support an honest and impactful mission in a big way. Each and every person in Nishinari here, including myself thanks you so much in advance for your selfless provision!

Thank you and God Bless~

2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV

“For we walk by faith, not by sight…”