After my last post, Better Late Than Never, I am so excited to share that I’ve accepted a position with Mustard Seed Network! I’m now beginning the process of fundraising and training in preparation to move to Japan, hoping for January 2024 as my estimated arrival date. This past week, I sent out my first newsletter. If you’d like to receive email newsletters and other updates along this journey, you can subscribe at this link. In the meantime, my December 2022 newsletter is included in the rest of this post!
My First Newsletter!
| I’m so excited to be sending my first official newsletter as a team member with Mustard Seed Network! It has been a roundabout road to get to this point, after my initial plans to visit in May of 2020 were disrupted by the pandemic. However, ever since finally visiting Tokyo this past October, God has been granting me little glimpses of the ways He’s been guiding towards this destination over the years. He is so faithful! Ironically enough, yesterday I experienced the first little bout of “doubt-attack” about this upcoming adventure. It is incredible – maybe ludicrous is a better word – that the Lord would allow me to participate in the work of His kingdom in such an exciting way. As some fears and concerns rose to the surface, I did my best to bring them to Him, and soon a passage came to mind that seemed to be His response: “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:4-6). I was reminded that everything we do, whatever we accomplish, even the ability to take our next breath – it’s all only by His grace. He is the one who starts every good work, and He is the one who carries it on to its completion. His great strength dwarfs my incompetency and removes the cause for fear, as I trust His power is made perfect in my weakness. With that passage in mind, I want to invite you to “pray with joy” alongside me for a few specific items at the beginning of this preparatory season. |
Please pray for…
1. The people of Japan. Pray that hearts would be softened and eyes would be opened to the goodness of God revealed in Jesus! Pray that the Holy Spirit would go before me to prepare the hearts of individuals I will encounter, that I will be useful to Him in those relationships.
2. Provision of funds. I’m aiming to move to Japan in January 2024 – almost exactly one year from now! Before I can move, I need to raise both one-time and monthly recurring financial support. It’s a big number, but I trust that God is not daunted by that need! Please pray that He would give me wisdom throughout the fundraising process. Pray that the Church at home would be generous, and that I’m able to develop mutual relationships of support in the weeks to come!
If you are interested in financially supporting the mission of Mustard Seed Network, either through one-time or recurring support, I would love to connect and share more information with you. Please email me at nathan.storms@mustardseed.network so we can talk more about what support looks like! (You can also find the general donation page on MSN’s website at this link.)
3. A temporary place to live! I’ve been blessed with some really great friends here in Louisville, a couple of whom have also been really great roommates for the last few months. I’m back on the hunt for a new place to live, though, because these friends are expecting a baby in May! (Pray for their growing family!)
With a little bit of time to look and only a year until I’m planning to move, I am praying for God to provide a place to live for the few months in between. (I’ve been listening to Rich Mullins’ song “You Did Not Have a Home” a lot recently.) Please join in me in praying for this simple, practical need!
4. My personal preparation. Please pray that God would continue to prepare me – spiritually, physically, emotionally – for this transition and for future ministry in Japan. Pray that I would be “sanctified by the truth” of His word. Pray that I am equipped to boldly proclaim the mystery of Christ, in the meantime here at home and soon also in Japan!
N.D. Storms 