Lifted Vision Ministry

Greetings friends and family of the faith!

Have you ever heard of Japanese calligraphy? The Japanese word for calligraphy is 書道, shodō: which translates to, “the way of writing.” It is essentially the art of writing the Japanese language, which dates back to 13th century BC and focuses on writing the most utilized part of their alphabet (kanji), which has over 50,000 characters to memorize! One interesting aspect of the Japanese writing system which carries over into calligraphy is the importance that is placed on the order in which the strokes of characters are drawn. Through studying calligraphy, I can become much more proficient in the written language of Japanese (the most difficult aspect of the language in my opinion, due to the sheer volume of words and their tricky stroke order)!
Achieving full Japanese literacy is complicated, but an extremely necessary skill to live and work in Japan. As a standard, any sort of document that needs to be filled out, needs to be in Japanese. Furthermore, all signs, maps, important information, building names, and books are all in Japanese; so I know that through studying at this school, my Japanese literacy can exponentially improve and help give an advantage to the ministry in more ways than one. The other day, I was ministering to a homeless man, who asked me to write down something for him in Japanese relating to salvation- it was at that moment when I realized that I couldn’t write the complicated word for him. So I used my phone and did my best with what I had…but I realized that having a solid knowledge of the method of writing the Japanese language (which wasn’t so much the focus at the Japanese Language Speaking school I graduated from) will only benefit the ministry, my daily life in Japan and be only advantageous to expedite systems and connections here.

Additionally, in order to stay and minster in Japan, I need to keep a visa since I am not a Japanese national. After much prayer, I have so much peace that this cultural visa for calligraphy study is the best option to be able to continue mission activities and fully dedicate myself to the building of the church, while continuing study the Japanese language, which will be only a 10 hour a week commitment.

SUPPORT RAISING UPDATE, GOOD NEWS!:
– I have paid the first down payment out of pocket required for the visa and have also taken the two required introductory calligraphy classes! (please see what I drew above).

–$1,000 out of the $2,000 required for visa processing fees has already been donated by you! We are halfway there! I praise God for this positive direction and my heart is touched by those who wish to support this ministry and see Lifted Vision minister to the homeless here for many years to come!

NEXT STEPS– A Call to Action!!!
-$1,000 is left to be raised to get the visa and begin school
– The school stated they will need some more time to get documents together on their side, so they extended the deadline and stated they will be ready to help me submit everything by February 1st

YOUR HELP IS VITAL!
Would you partner with me to keep this ministry going long and strong as God has intended?
Need: Only $1,000 left for visa processing fees to stay and minister in Japan
New Due Date: Due by February 1st

How to Give:
1. Venmo: @Liftedvisionministry
(Last four digits for Venmo confirmation: 2485)

2. Direct Giving Link, pay by card: https://liftedvision.org/donate/
Choose a pre-set amount or set your own personal amount!

-Acts 20:35- ESV
“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Thank you for you love, attention and partnership! I look forward to continuing co-laboring with you in Japan for many years to come! God bless each and everyone of you!