Where in the World is Ian Smith?

“Are you in Japan?” This is a question that I have been asked several times this past week via e-mail or facebook. The truth is there is a lot of confusion about where I am and what I am doing. I’m hope that this blog-post will help to clear things up.

With Int'l friends from Kangwon National University

As of the writing of this blog post I am in Chuncheon, South Korea. A week from today, on October 11th, I will board an airplane to return to the United States. Initially, I will be staying in Olympia, Washington with my family.

I will be in the States for at least a year to prepare for ministry in Japan and develop the financial partnerships to get there. Once I have reached the support goals set by Converge Worldwide I will depart for Japan. Where in Japan will I be living? I will be spending the first couple of years studying language, so wherever we determine I will receive the best language training.

It is bittersweet leaving South Korea--I have made a lot of friends here, and God has blessed my time here and made it fruitful. This next week will be a lot of goodbyes and packing.

Please pray for my trip back to the States next Thursday. Also pray that I will be able to find a reliable car to make the many trips that I will have to make around the USA visiting different churches over the next couple of years. Pray that I would not be a burden on my family, but that my time living with my parents would be a blessing to them. Pray for my spiritual life during this time of transition as I anticipate that it will be quite a challenging time.