This past month has been one filled with small adventures, with family (oh boy was there family time!) and with friends. It has been a quiet lull in the midst of preparation and I was happy to take out my bike for the first spin of the season with my brother Ben and then again with my good friend and sister Anna and many times since.
As I am preparing to go, there are some loose ends I have been trying to wrap up, one of them being financial with killing what's left of my debt. I was able to make a huge dent in this in the past few months of work and will once again make one last big leap with the assistance from the Loan Repayment Program with the Alliance (A huge blessing these past few years to be sure!). God surely knew what he was doing as I was able to pass the last few weeks in relative peace in that department as Covid19 descended on my parents. Some of you may have heard by now but both of my parents were hit hard, my mother having to spend 5 days in the hospital for treatment. Now home and mostly stable, she has a week, possibly more, of rest and recovery to go while my father (we call him "Fabio") after 3 weeks of being sick is finally and slowly getting back to work with some sort of normalcy. My younger sister Sarah also caught it, but was over it quickly with very mild symptoms while I continue to test negative even after continuous exposure and only one vaccine to date. But because of this, I can technically still catch it so I had been home longer than planned.
Quarantine gave me more time to dive into my reading (finishing 3 books and picking up 2 others) and I had found some good time to reflect on things from women in leadership in scripture to shame and honor to the "Japanese Understanding of Salvation" (great book so far, and I highly suggest if you like this kind of stuff). Reading has been able to play into my preparation process, allowing me to mentally prepare a bit more and keep me and my mind on where it needs to be. Its been as refreshing to enjoy reading again as it has been invigorating for my conversations (rants) with Fabio.
As I am looking forward there are a few- A LOT- of things coming up that I am looking forward to. Exiting quarantine on Tuesday, the first major thing on the agenda is to get my second shot. Then I am traveling to Michigan and Ohio for 3 weeks to visit and speak at churches for 3 weeks, so keep me in your prayers for that adventure! Immediately following my mini tour I will be attending council where I will be commissioned on stage to go to Japan (a rowdy huzzah and Hallelujah to that!). Finally I will be able to spend my time after General Council in Nashville visiting my dear, sweet, darling, most wonderful Grandma-Ma and Aunts and Uncles down south for the first time in probably over 4 years.
There are many things to look forward to, many things the Lord has brought me and my family through, and many things still yet to be done. As I am still hoping and planning to leave late summer, early fall, I am still in waiting for things like visas requirements. This is proving a long process with increasing difficulties to get into Japan while cases are on the rise and uncertainty is reflecting in rigid entry restrictions. So here you find the second big prayer request after my family's continued health and healing: that the path for visa acquisition would open up in the Lord's timing, even if it delays my entry to Japan. The Lord knows there may be things yet to do here in the States, or this is simply a trial of trust.
The third big prayer request and praise report is where I am at in the fundraising process. Currently with the funding change in the Alliance, I am required to raise 60% of my funds needed in order to go to Japan. So far I have reached about 36% of the 60% goal. With about 64% left to go and the time between now and the anticipated time of departure, I have been nervous but faithfully holding onto God's plan and how he's always worked in my life: last minute, completely unpredictable and with a lot of unexpected plot twists. On that note, I have been receiving many questions on how the new funding process works, details on my personal requirements and where to go to for more information and how to give. I will be publishing a separate post outlining as much as I can there as succinctly as I can. So look out for that this coming week!
All in all, I have been spending a lot of time talking to people, groups and churches and zoom gatherings. Through you I have been continually encouraged and blessed in the process. I have made many new friends and reconnected with old ones and have been encouraged by each and every one of you. So now I will end with the best midnight haiku I can think up to you my family~
Trapped inside for weeks
Puppy cuddles held me through
Yeesh.. I miss you all.
Love and blessings my brothers, my sisters, my partners, prayer warriors, and my many friends yet to be!
God's got this!
<3 Jessica Bryant (J)
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