"Missionaries"

Scripture: Luke 10:1-12

Today, we had a young family - Chris and Tracy Pousseur, along with their young daughters Ella and Jemma - with us in worship. They are currently in preparation to enter the mission field, and in about a year, they will be moving to Japan to serve through an organization called TEAM. The following are some notes that I took during their presentation.

So why do they feel called to go to Japan? The truth is that Japan has not always been their destination, and TEAM was not always their supporting organization! Before Chris and Tracey were even married, they felt the Lord's call to mission, but they both felt that it would be to Africa. So shortly after their wedding, they went to South Africa with Youth With A Mission. They spent two months in outreach there, and both grew significantly in their life in Christ, but the more they experienced, the more uncertain they became over their presence in South Africa. And while in worship one day, Chris became aware that God's call on them wasn't to Africa, but to Asia.

They journeyed to Singapore to explore their call even further, but very soon, they realized that their call wasn't to 3rd world Asia, but to Japan. Japan, they would discover, is the 2nd largest unreached country in the world - only 2% of the Japanese population is Christian. There is a tremendous need for missionaries there, but few who actually go (see the selected scripture again!!) Materialism has a very great hold on the people, and the fathers in nearly all families are not just the "bread winners", but the "luxury gainers". Women, for the most part, remain in the homes to care for the family, and the fathers, due to their obsession with employment, have limited contact with their children. The family is in peril of a breakdown, and both Chris and Tracy feel that a major part of their mission will be to model the Christian Family to the people they will meet.

And the need is not only great, but it is slowly being recognized b y the younger generation. The Gospel is still not readily accepted in Japan, but the young are beginning to seek a way that must be better, and lives are starting to open up to Christ and his way.

They are gifted in artistic ways, as well as in their relationship with each and with the Lord Jesus Christ, and this will be the basis for their ministry to the people of Japan. Their focus will be based in Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus' Great Commission to his Church.

If you are wiling to support them in prayer, please do so. If you are able to support Chris and Tracy financially, please do so through their section on the TEAM website - just enter Pousseur in the "Select a Missionary or Project" field.