Thank you for visiting our blog. Please continue to check back in over the course of the next two years as we'll be updating it regularly. We hope many of you received our support letter in the mail. We've also attached it below for your reference. Please let us know if you would like to receive the letter and a commitment card in the mail. We'd be more than happy to mail you one! We're currently in the process of raising our ministry support funds, so please keep us in your prayers!
We're heading to Atlanta this Sunday for a week long orientation/ training at the Operation Mobilization USA headquarters. We're looking forward to learning more about OM and meeting other soon-to-be missionaries. More to come...
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Support Letter
Greetings Friends and Family,
Our first year of marriage has been truly wonderful. God has blessed us beyond measure! We’ve continued to live in the fabulous San Francisco Bay Area while John has been working hard to finish his degree at San Francisco State University. Jennifer has been working as a Program Manager at Friends for Youth mentoring agency in Redwood City.
Over the course of the past year, we have been searching God’s heart for the next step in our lives. God has fully answered our prayers and has led us to an amazing opportunity that is above and beyond our wildest dreams. This fall, we will be joining an incredible international, interdenominational Christian missions organization called Operation Mobilization.
Operation Mobilization (OM) currently supports 5,400 missionaries in over 110 countries. In addition to having missionaries throughout the world, OM has a cutting-edge ministry focused on international cooperation and cultural understanding in the form of a ship ministry. Their ship ministry began in 1970 and since then OM's three ships have visited over 450 different ports in more than 150 countries and welcomed 37 million visitors onboard their ships! In September, we will be joining their newest ship in the fleet, the Logos Hope. We will be a part of an international crew of 500 people from over 50 nations. This will truly be an awesome international experience!
The goal of the ships is “to bring knowledge, help and hope to the people of the world.” The ships visit ports throughout the world for several weeks each and open their gangways to hundreds and sometimes thousands of visitors each day. On average, over one million visitors have been welcomed onboard each ship every year! Each ship has a book fair which offers over 6,000 titles, providing many visitors their first-ever opportunity to purchase quality educational and Christian literature in their language. In addition, each visitor to an OM ship is given free literature that explains how to establish a relationship with Jesus Christ. The hope is that every visitor that comes on the ship will have the opportunity to know God's love for them. What an incredible opportunity to share Christ’s love to people throughout the world.
As well as welcoming guests onboard, we will be going into cities and villages to supply aid and community care. This may take many forms such as medical aid, construction projects, and disaster relief. We will also be visiting hospitals, prisons, and schools to bring encouragement and hope. In each port, the ship's crew partners with local churches to best serve that area. We will have the awesome opportunity to show love to people throughout the world whatever their circumstance, culture, or background.
As fulltime missionaries with OM, we are responsible for raising our own financial support. We have committed to serving with OM for two years beginning this September. To fully support our time on the ship, we will need to raise $1,731 per month from September 2008 – September 2010. We would ask that you would prayerfully consider being a part of our ministry support team and sponsor us on a monthly basis for the two-year period.
If God leads you to support us on a monthly basis, please include a check for the first month’s support along with your commitment card. One-time gifts are also appreciated to help cover our start-up costs (flights to the ship, training, and supplies). Checks can be made out to
Operation Mobilization, and all gifts are tax deductible. Please mail your check and the top half of the commitment card in the enclosed self-addressed envelope. Please keep the bottom half of the commitment card for your records. For your ease, when you receive your first donation receipt, you will be sent a form which will enable you to give through OM’s automated giving plan if you prefer.
We have committed to raising our entire support before we begin our time on the ship this fall. We will be leaving California on July 1 so are praying that God would stir your hearts to give by the end of June. Thank you in advance for your gracious generosity.
With sincere thanks,
John and Jennifer
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