It's the Final Countdown!

This post is meant to connect to the campaign for the final countdown so if you didn't get an email, this might seem out of context! Sign up with yours so we can get you caught up if that's the case.

We only have $500 to go for monthly amount! And we are over half-way left to go for one-time: 37,500!

That one-time goal amount you have seen floating around may seem like a huge number for a mission’s trip, but this isn't for a few days, weeks, months, or even a year. It is meant to pay for a lifetime of mission’s work in Japan. 

These funds will go directly to our "out-going" costs. Just like the money you might need to move into a new house, we need these finances to set up a life in Japan and to be equipped for ministry there. This will pave the way for housing, visas, transportation, flights, two years of language school, and utilities. (You might notice these numbers total up more than what is being asked for, and you’re right! Some has been raised already; we only ask for what we still need)

Our website: https://team.org/givenow/us/add-donation?v2glid=92353 (Here you can do recurring or one-time and it's tax deductible!)

Our One-time Go Fund Me: www.gofundme.com/petkoffs2japan (This is only for one-time donations and they do not give receipts for tax purposes, but you can watch progress here real-time.)

So What's Going On?

New, almost there, and returning missionairies at Team's conference (Where we also had our final training.)

We are just about to come up on the one-year anniversary of the fund raising process (August) and a great amount of things have happened in this past year. God as blessed us so much with many people who have a heart for missions that have come on board. We have been flying through the school, orientations, meetings, and more that I know I'm forgetting, but the list is finally down to only one more task. More details and reflection to come (especially for those on the newsletter list) but consider this as a quick catch-up since the last update:

• We just went to Wheaton College Illinois all of last week to attend Team's pre-departure orientation (this was the last step in the sending process!)
• We currently sit at about 65% of the monthly commitments needed (both those that have promised, and those that have started now, which helps with our one-time expenses greatly!)
• Later this year we are planning to hold fundraising events at some of our supporting churches. Lots of interesting and fun ideas; be on the lookout for more info soon to come.
• A campaign is currently be worked on and should go out sometime later this month by both physical and email forms. We need help growing our connections, so when you see these go out, help us spread the word!
• We have nothing but supporting building left at this point, once we get 100%, we are set to go!
• Nick has finished his Master's level studies and is awaiting the diploma
• TheGoFund, a non-profit working with missionaries going long-term to un-reached places, has partnered with us! This means our student loans will no longer be an issue for our ministry! (Hit the logo and check them out!)
• We are working on getting networked with some more churches and communities in the Bay Area and Arizona with the possibility of making a more East Coast trip as well. If you know a potential connection we should get in touch with, let us know.

Evangelism Vs. Missions: Your Role in Each

“Your mission field is in your own backyard”. How many times have you heard that? While the intentions behind these types of sayings are not wrong, they neglect crucial aspects of what missions really is. 

I have read and heard countless speakers teach on Acts 1:8 about how the disciples were to witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Many people compare these 4 locations to mean that we are to focus our mission starting in our own neighborhoods, then to the areas surrounding that, then to the world. The question this always causes me to think about is, “Aren’t the disciples from Galilee?” If Jerusalem isn’t there home town, does this teaching even make any sense….?

Now, I am not saying that we shouldn’t share the Gospel with all the people we interact with on any given day in our home town. The point I am trying to make is that I believe that there is a difference between evangelism and missions.

Looking at the words linguistically, evangelism comes from the Greek word euangelion, which means “good news” or “gospel”. The word mission comes from the Latin word missio, which comes down to meaning something along the lines of “send away” (I studied Greek, not Latin, haha). So while an evangelist can be anyone who shares the gospel, a missionary is someone who is specifically sent out from one place to another to do it.

food for thought: can you be a missionary in your own home country by intentionally sharing the Gospel with people of different cultures there (e.g. refugees, foreign-exchange students, etc.)?

John Piper says, “Evangelism is speaking to anyone anywhere the gospel. Missions is doing that by crossing a culture. It usually involves learning a language, learning new cultural things where… they don't have any access to the gospel. So evangelism is speaking the gospel to everyone, especially those in your culture. Missions is realizing there are cultures and linguistic groups that don't have anybody in them to do that.”

So obviously we can all take part in evangelism, but how can everyone be a part of global missions? I don’t expect everyone to be able to go overseas (nonetheless move to another country), so maybe there is more than just one role in missions.

Romans 10:14-15 says, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?”  So there are those who GO to preach the good news in unreached, cross-cultural places and those who SEND them. That’s where you come in!

unreached people group: a people group without enough indigenous Christians to evangelize to the rest of their nation. They have less than 2% evangelical Christians and less than 5% professing Christians. The Japanese are an unreached people group!

John Piper often talks about the importance of missions for ALL Christians, and here is a short blurb of one of the videos we like. To warn you, this video can come across as a bit in-your-face, but if you are open to being challenged, then please watch!

We do have organizations that are helping to sending us such as TEAM and The GO Fund, but they both emphasize that it is truly the church that should be the one to send their missionaries. One of the best examples can be found in Acts 13. While worshipping in the church of Antioch, the Spirit told the men there to set aside Paul and Barnabas for a certain work He called them to. So after fasting and praying, the men laid their hands on Paul and Barnabas and sent them off! Other instances of individuals and churches that supported Paul’s missions can be found in the New Testament as well, and we are encouraged by them because we have found support in our churches and relationships as well.

So while you may not be able to commit to going on foreign missions, you can still be a part of it by being a supporter. After all, we can’t go unless we are sent! Giving support can come in various forms (see previous post on giving), so if you are not called to go to missions, find your way of sending people out!

Why is This State So Big?

Nearly all of March was spent with us on the road from Northern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and finally Texas. The main focus was all about sharing God's mission for Japan and bringing people on to be a part of that. We had some great meetings with family, friends, and new faces. We gained some new supporters, ate some interesting (good!) food, and even better, gained some new stories. 

We began our trip leaving from Morgan Hill, CA and made our way across the I-40 which we found takes us on a much more scenic and less busy route to my hometown of Payson in AZ. It also avoids both LA and Phoenix, and who wants to drive in LA by choice? Not I. We pulled it off in about 12 hours over the course of one day, but this leg of the trip has been done a few times now. We stopped to stay with my family for a few days while we made a few calls, had a couple meetings, did some car maintenance (Ended up being pointless, read on...), and bought more food because road snacks are important to over-all well-being and keeping Nick awake.

We left Pine and went south through Phoenix, were we made a pit-stop in east Mesa (car things again...) then out east into New Mexico. At this point, crossing the vast empty desert that is New Mexico, it felt I might pass from old-age before I saw another city/town/something with more than a tumbleweed and single gas station, but oh what little did I know. But it happened, we hit El Paso! Texas! I could feel the second wind coming on, this was our destination state, it can't be much further...

6 hours later, I could drive no more. The great plains of Texas defeated me, and nearly the cars gas tank. It had seemed that I was spoiled on seeing a gas station every 10 miles or so for much our trip, but the phrase "everything is bigger in Texas" must also apply to the distance between stations. This dawned on me as what my family refers to as the "idiot light" on the dash for one's gas level had now illuminated, effectively stamping me as the idiot. So I was hungry, car was hungry, wife was just barely keeping my sanity by playing road games, and thus we decided a more lasting stop was needed. We picked a small hotel in Fort Stockton to stay the night.

Two things happened that night. One: we got into the hotel somewhere around 1am. Second: a special thing occurs on Sunday March 12th that a person in AZ doesn't care about. Daylight Stinking Savings Time. DSST. Somehow I managed to plan us into getting a bit less sleep and putting our arrival time later and later, yeah, I am pro at logistics. We still managed to get enough sleep and finish our trip moving into Houston later that evening. 

The actual time in Texas was eventful and the trip back trouble-free. My Aunt and Uncle were generous in providing us not only a place to stay, but also fed us with food that was much tastier and classier than our typical value meal road grub. We loved spending time with them and all the connections we could make, both new and old. We are hopeful to go back out (even further east next time!) to keep sharing this mission.

How Much is Enough?

Since this stage of our lives has mostly been revolved around raising support, the act of “giving” has been on my mind lately.  As I’ve said before, when we first realized that we were going to have to fundraise to pursue the mission God set before us, the thought made us cringe a bit.  The concept of fundraising can just have such a bad connotation to it, but we know that there is nothing innately wrong about it.  So I’ve been contemplating about the idea of giving both from the missionary’s perspective and hopefully from your perspective as our supporters.

Firstly, all things belong to God. The reason we try to reach the lost with the Gospel is not so that they may become followers of us but because we are trying to bring back to Jesus what He rightfully owns.  He purchased all people for Himself through his sacrifice, and we want both parties to rejoice in that restoration.  Similarly, all money, talents, gifts, resources and everything else belong to Him.

We do our best to maintain the mindset that we are not asking people to give money to us and for our cause but to God and His cause for the world!  The ministry you give to acts merely as a legate of God, to whom you are truly giving. Anything you could give belonged to Him in the first place, so you can rejoice in giving it back to where it truly belongs.

This idea appears in 1 Chronicles 29.  I’ve recently read through this book and was particularly encouraged by this chapter.  Throughout the story, David is trying to build a new temple for God where the Ark of the Covenant can reside.  He gathers an abundant amount of resources from all over the land, and in combination with what the people were able to provide, they are able build it.  In verses 14, David says, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”  Earlier in verse 9, you see the people rejoice over their leaders giving willingly, freely, and wholeheartedly toward David’s project because they realize that they are giving back to the Lord.  It also pleases David to see how earnestly the people are serving God through his mission to complete the temple.

Just like David, it makes us joyful when we see your commitment to support the mission God has given us because it gives us affirmation that this is how God wants to use us.  If you are confident enough to entrust us with your gifts, then it must be God’s work at hand!

So we hope you find through giving to us (or any ministry really) as your own means of service to the Lord.  By giving, you are an equal partner in serving that mission.  The missionary, Paul, thanks the Philippian church for the aid they provided him.  He says, “Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account,” (Philippians 4:17).  We hope that everyone who does decide to support our ministry finds it as an opportunity to be credited with serving the Lord.

Another one of my favorite examples of giving in the Bible comes from the book of Nehemiah.  Again, God gives his servant a desire to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.  The passion he has for this vision consumes his thoughts so much that it shows in his face while he is at work as a cup-bearer for the king.  The king notices the change in Nehemiah’s demeanor and inquires about it.  Probably being moved by what Nehemiah has to say, the king willingly offers to support him in a variety of ways.  The king not only gave him supplies to complete the task of building the wall, but he also made connections to people in authority so that he could successfully make the make the trip. 

The king truly acted in accordance with Proverbs 3:27.  Because it was within his power to do something about it, he did not withhold good from this man whom he thought deserved it.  He had the power to help Nehemiah in several different ways, which goes to show that support can come in many forms.

In the context of making a sacrifice to God, Deuteronomy 16:17 says, “Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.”  So however God has blessed you (your resources, your talents, etc.), that’s the way you should give back to Him.  If you aren’t able to give with your finances, then find a way you are able to!  Several of our supporters don’t really have money they can commit to giving, but they sure are zealous prayer warriors!  Not all people can honestly commit to praying for us on a regular basis, but they do have the resources to mail things for us or to send us care packages once we’re on the field.  And as far as financial giving is concerned, we have quite a wide range of amounts we receive because people are only able to give in proportion to how God has blessed them.  The best part about different types of support is that they are all equal in partnership, equal in service to God, and all equally needed!

We have had the privilege of being able to witness people’s earnest hearts in giving toward our mission just as Jesus got to witness the widow offer her gift to the temple treasury.  Even though, by the world’s standards, her two copper coins were nothing in comparison to the large amounts of wealth that were put in, Jesus said that she put in more than the others because she didn’t give out of her wealth but rather out of her poverty – a true sacrifice (Mark 12:41-44).

We see the ways you have been able to give toward this mission to Japan, and it is beautifully different for each person.  So just remember that in whatever way you choose to give to God that it’s not about equal giving but equal sacrifice.

The Sea of Trees

Disclaimer: This story was found in an earlier newsletter of ours, but some were not getting them yet and wanted to share it, so here it is.

The Aokigahara, or better known as the “Sea of Trees”, is a beautiful forest at the base of Mt. Fuji that got its name from the illusion it gives of waves in the ocean. However, these "waves" of leaves hide a very sad secret in their depths, leaving this location to be more infamous than famous. Nearly 100 years ago, a Buddhist monk traveled to this forest on a journey to reach a higher plane of enlightenment through fasting and seclusion. The lack of food actually resulted in his death, which started a trend for other monks who believed that the first must have achieved one of the highest states a Buddhist could aspire to. While monks are no longer found going here, the trend of death continues. Kuroi Jukai (translated ‘Sea of Trees’) is a 1960's Japanese novel in which a pair of young lovers take their lives together in the forest. Later in 1993, a handbook was written for the suicidal called The Complete Suicide Manual. The guide praises hanging (the most common method for those who perish among the Sea of Trees) as a “work of art” and called Aokigahara the ideal place to die because your body will be impossible to find and “You will become a missing person and slowly disappear from people’s memory.”

Today, an average of 100 bodies are removed from this ominous location each year, and that’s only counting the ones private parties find in this vast and dense 14 square mile area. It got so bad that since the early 2000’s the government doesn’t even report the number of deaths there. Rather, their solution is to post signs like the ones on the right and scatter phone boxes that connect to free helplines.

Given that over 24,000 people committed suicide just last year, there is still a lot of work to do; more is needed than a couple metal framed signs. The Japanese are losing a person to suicide every 15 minutes. Many of these same people have never heard the Gospel, and with less than 0.5% of Christians in Japan, there is almost no one to share this hope with them. It breaks our hearts to know people are leaving this world without knowing Jesus, and we know it breaks God’s heart as well.