HeiseysA p r i l 2 3 , 2 0 1 9

This week Erica and I are beginning to pack our suitcases and say goodbye to Sapporo, which

has been our home for the last three months. We are feeling sad to be leaving the wonderful people

who have become good friends to us and made our time in Hokkaido special. 

Our language study has been going well, and we thank the Lord for the progress we have been

able to make! Though we still know so little, we are impressed by how much we have been able to

learn during these 3 months of study. It has been so beneficial to learn Japanese while being

immersed in the language and culture. It’s a beautiful thing to learn vocabulary and grammar in the

classroom and then immediately see it in action after we leave the school.

Each day, Monday through Friday, we have had a two-hour class, one-on-one with a Japanese

language teacher. On top of that, we typically studied for two to four hours outside of class. Our

studies consist of vocabulary, grammar, conversation, and kanji. Japanese uses three different

writing systems – Hiragana (46 characters), Katakana (46 characters), and Kanji (2,000+

characters). Paul and I both learned Hiragana/Katakana during our first week here, but learning

Kanji is an ongoing process that takes years to learn and is much needed for everyday life.

Throughout our language study, some days were quite encouraging when we were able to move

smoothly through Japanese conversations, while other days, we were merely met with blank stares

that we weren't sure how to work around. Overall, most days left us mentally worn out, but it has

been such a blessing to be here in Japan, studying this complex and beautiful language!

We have been seeking and praying for opportunities to serve in Japan, and we are blown

away by what God has laid ahead of us. We are excited to share that last month we accepted job

offers to work at Okinawa Christian School International, located in Okinawa, Japan, starting this

August! The school has offered Erica a position to teach 3rd grade, and they have offered me (Paul)

a support staff position which will mean a mixture of bus monitoring, substitute teaching,

maintenance work, and anything else that’s needed. OCSI has over 430 students, ranging from PreK

– Grade 12. The majority of the students are Japanese and come from non-Christian homes. With a

Christian staff devoted to seeing students and families reached with the gospel, OCSI provides

Hello from Japan!

Looking Forward

 a unique ministry opportunity for the gospel to be spread! We are excited to join with the mission of

OCSI to equip students to walk with God and impact the world for Him.

Resourcing Christian Education (RCE) will serve as our sending agency, which exists to

support the work of international Christian education ministries. We like RCE because they are a

flexible missions organization whose main priority is to send missionaries to the field as quickly and

simply as possible. RCE will provide us with both financial accountability and an avenue for financial

support.

We are flying back to the states April 30th where we will be for 2 months before returning to

Japan early July. For us, this time will consist of visiting with friends and family, preparing/

gathering items for Erica’s classroom, and continuing our language study. During the month of July,

we will be visiting with Erica’s extended family in Okinawa. The entire side of her Mom’s family live

there in Okinawa, and it will be an exciting time to see family and rest before starting work in

August. We are looking forward to making the trip to Okinawa together with Erica’s parents, sister,

and brother and having their help settling into Japan.

 

Visas. We have submitted our visa applications, and they are currently under review. Pray that the

process would go smoothly and quickly.

Finances. We are blessed to have paid positions at OCSI; however, we still need to raise some

support before we go. We anticipate having quite a few expenses as we move and begin life in

Okinawa (cost of shipping items, buying/registering a vehicle, setting up a new home, etc.). In

addition, I (Erica) need to raise support for nearly everything that will go into my classroom!

Preparations. As we prepare to move overseas and prepare to teach, we will have quite a bit to do.

The major thing that I will need to gather before our move is books. It will be difficult to gather

English reading materials from Japan, so I need to collect books before going. If you have any books

that you were looking to get rid of, suitable for a 3rd grader (anything from K-6), I would happily put

them to use. 😊

Language Study. After we return to the U.S., we will continue to study Japanese on our own. Pray

for motivation and discipline to do so and for continued progress.

Meaningful Time. During the short period of time we will be in the U.S., we hope to connect with as

many people as we can! We will be staying in Illinois with Erica’s parents, with plans to travel to

other states as well. If you would like to get together, let us know, and we would love to see you!

Our Future Ministry. Please pray for our fellow staff at OCSI and the upcoming school year.

Prayer Needs

With much love & thankfulness, 

                       Paul and Erica Heisey

We are so grateful for your prayers!! Thank you to those who have reached out to us with

encouraging notes, to let us know you are praying for us, or just to check in with us. As we anticipate

the move to Okinawa, please consider partnering with us financially – either with a one-time

donation or ongoing monthly support.

Thank You!

You can donate online at:

WWW.RCE-INTERNATIONAL.ORG/DONATE

(Search for "Heisey" or Acct. No."14964")

Or you can donate by check to:

RCE INTERNATIONAL PO BOX 4528 WHEATON, IL 60189.

(Please write "ACCT. NO. 14964" on the check memo line.)

If you would like to support us financially,

Shoveling Snow Everyday

Many Church Potlucks!

Butchering Chickens

Coffee Dates!

Sushi with our Teacher

Morning Walk to School

Going to the Zoo

Visit to Otaru

Friends from Church

Sapporo Snow Festival