David and Leslie Turley serve on the island of Okinawa, Japan. David works with the Okinawa Baptist Convention, teaching Bible classes, doing pulpit supply, and working in leadership development. Leslie is an administrator at Okinawa Christian School International (OCSI), and also assists with convention activities.

They write: For most of this past four-year-term in Okinawa, Japan, a neighbor’s rooster faithfully awakened David for a twice monthly, dawn prayer breakfast with Okinawa Baptist Convention (OBC) pastors.  Such prayer and fellowship was probably the one of the most important regular activities for David in fellowship and ministry with the OBC leaders.

 

When a group of pastors pray together they are truly united, so when David was asked to lead the May 2nd prayer meeting devotion, they listened intently as he described the need for a ministry licensing or internship function that might help provide entry-level training for young people interested in ministry.   He was pleasantly surprised after the devotion and prayer that a former convention president, Rev. Kuniyoshi rose to announce his endorsement of the idea. 

After seven years of  “planting seeds” for such a function, David finds it truly encouraging to be given the “green light” to implement something that may improve the survivability and health of churches with aging pastors.  As we are on home assignment, David is using the time in churches to ask pastors in the US for advice on how they view mentorship and licensing and also doing research into how a mentorship/licensing program in Okinawa might work and look to be culturally appropriate there.

Your partnership with us … has led to this amazing opportunity.  Thank you.  God is so good!

 

·        Please pray especially for this new venture of faith that has potential to bear much fruit for our Lord’s Kingdom. 

·        Thank you for partnering with us by praying for us.

• Please pray for the Turley family, and for Okinawa Christians as they spread the Good News of salvation in Christ.