Background Information:
Joe reached his 10-year anniversary with Asian Access in July 2018 and continues to experience joy and passion in serving the ministry. It is exciting partnering with missionaries, national partners, and supporters who desire "to see a vibrant community of servant leaders leading the Church across Asia… who unite the Church, multiply leaders and congregations, and extend the transforming power of the Gospel."
Family:
Becca, our oldest daughter, and her husband Lowell live in our home while we’re living in Japan. We’re grateful to have such responsible tenants! Lowell started working for a new company in December and Becca makes their house a home with her warm spirit. Her creativity in all areas of life is such a joy to watch and she has certainly caught the travel bug from her father!
Rachel, our second daughter, is preparing for an August wedding with her fiance Quan Chu. While searching for a job in the animation/illustration industry, she enjoys her part-time job as a dog walker. She certainly gets plenty of exercise! It’ll be exciting to see where Rachel and Quan’s journey takes them!
Our son John is in his first year at Merton College in Oxford, pursuing a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics. We’re excited that that he is enjoying his time there and is thriving in an intellectually stimulating environment. He misses Japan and plans to spend some of his time between terms in “the land of the rising sun.”
Ministry Assignment:
Joe and Silk strive to offer their best for God’s highest “for such a time as this". They trust that the Lord will provide the funding, focus and faith to see the fulfillment of A2’s vision: "To see a vibrant community of servant leaders… leading the Church across Asia…" who are living out our mission, "to unite the church, multiply leaders and congregations, and extend the transforming power of the Gospel."
This year, the Asian Access board has given Joe space to finish a doctorate in global leadership. He’ll be spending a few days every month writing the dissertation and in appreciation for our 10 years of ministry, we have been given a three-month sabbatical, which we hope to start in September, to finish the program.
Words of Wisdom:
This verse has been central to our call these past ten years:
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. - 2 Timothy 2:2.
Asian Access has this same spirit that the Apostle Paul had for Timothy: in-depth discipleship of pastors and leaders. In the words of our founder: “Our vision is to empower your vision!”
ARTICLES RELATED TO JOE HANDLEY
A2 Goes on a Digital Spiritual Retreat
A Silver Lining in 2020's Dark Clouds
$200,000 matching gift will help Asian Access provide secure online tools for persecuted leaders
A Deep Dive into Polycentric Leadership
The Outcomes Conference: Global Digital Experience 2020
Like you, all of us at Asian Access are facing the challenges surrounding our world from these tumultuous days. The pandemic has forced most of the countries we work in to either go on lockdown or at least practice social distancing and the economic conditions have been immense. Many of our partners shared basic survival needs that are overwhelming. I have a needs list from them for well over $100,000 alone just for food to feed the poor. Many have lost friends and colleagues to the coronavirus and the pandemic seems to have no end in sight, or at least is pretty unpredictable. Add to these the racial and political polarization rising in several countries...
I was honored to be asked to review a new book that’s out that I believe is an important contribution to our ever-evolving world. This new book, 
Learning About Emotional Intelligence
“I sense God is moving us toward home churches in the coming days.” (Adrian De Visser) Right before hearing these words from my colleague Adrian who leads a church movement in Sri Lanka, another colleague, Herman Moldez, shared a similar sentiment as he watched the church changing in the Philippines during COVID-19. While many have shared concerns about having to close their church doors for a while, these two leaders see a silver lining in the dark clouds. Like John Wesley led in England in the 1700s, church is being re-thought and re-considered at least in terms that we may know it as in the modern era. The church was always simply the body of Christ gathered—not a building on the corner where people gather. 
breakthrough / ˈbreɪkˌθruː /
$200,000 matching gift will help Asian Access build a secure digital platform to fuel revival
Globalization—and the current pandemic—have tied together intercontinental personal relationships and socially distanced ministry in ways we would have found difficult to imagine not so many years ago.
