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Missionaries Profile

Japan

Languages: Japanese

Religions: Up to 84% of Japanese claim no personal religion. Shinto and Buddhism predominate, with people practicing more than one religion; less than 1% Christian

Ethnic groups: Japanese, Ainu, Korean-Japanese, other

Location: The archipelago has four main islands and about 4,000 smaller ones off the coasts of Korea and the Russian Federation

Size: 145,870 square miles, 377,657 square kilometers, or about the size of Montana

Population: 126,772,000 (2001 est.)

Turley, David and Leslie Turley David and Leslie

David and Leslie Turley serve on the island of Okinawa, Japan. David works with the Okinawa Baptist Convention, teaching Bible classes, doing pulpit supply, and working in leadership development. Leslie is an administrator at Okinawa Christian School International (OCSI), and also assists with convention activities.

The Turley’s two sons, Shinya (19), and TK (18) are studying at colleges in West Virginia. Their daughter, Joanna (7) is resides with them in Okinawa, and is a second grade student at OCSI.

Formerly, the Turleys taught Japanese students in Japan Baptist Union related schools in Yokohama, Japan for two four-year terms. This followed a few years of volunteer and special service work.

Their last three years of missionary service were in Okinawa, where both David and Leslie worked with the Okinawa Baptist Convention. Highlights of that term included helping the convention to host the 10thAsian Baptist Women’s Assembly, held in 2003; supporting the Convention as it sent its first missionary family to Nepal; and leading a small local congregation through a rebuilding project and spiritual renewal. Leslie also provided leadership for the Okinawa Christian School International (OCSI) Board of Directors during a crucial time in the institution’s history.

David and Leslie returned to Okinawa in 2007 following a three-year hiatus in missionary service for family concerns, during which they were teaching in public schools in their native West Virginia.

Please pray for the Turley family, and for Okinawa Christians as they spread the Good News of salvation in Christ.

Language used in ministry: Japanese