Glimpse Project: Taiwan & Japan

The Glimpse Project is a resource that gives you the ability to peek into the life and ministry of our Lutheran Brethren missionaries. Ten Lutheran Brethren missionary couples/families/units are actively serving in Taiwan, Japan, and Chad. Along with those missionaries, there are two Taiwanese missionary couples working alongside the American missionaries. There are also local ministry partners working alongside the missionaries.
New Glimpse Projects of Taiwan and Japan were released this year, along with companion study guides for each series. Each episode delves into a story, testimony, or subject that provides the viewer with increased insight into the mission. Viewers hear from LBIM missionaries, along with national Church leaders and ministry partners, each providing their own perspective.

These videos are both informative and inspiring. They combine engaging interviews, beautiful videography, and insightful commentary—all drawing the viewer into the context of the mission. It is our hope that these videos, along with the study guides, will mobilize you to increased prayer, support, and tangible engagement with the mission of LBIM in Taiwan, Japan, and Chad.

Dan Venberg, Director of Lutheran Brethren International Mission.

The Story of the Glimpse Project
In 2007, I realized that while some people in my local church had very strong connections with the missionaries we supported, most people had very little knowledge of our missionary families and the work they did around the world. I had grown up as a Lutheran Brethren missionary kid in Taiwan, so I had experienced the day-to-day life of those serving there. I had experienced the culture; I knew what it was like. But for most people, missionaries were just a silent photo on a prayer card on the church bulletin board. And I asked myself what I could do about it.

I thought about creating a series of short videos about different aspects of a specific mission field, so that people could get a glimpse into the lives and work of the missionaries. I had been dabbling with videography, so I gave it a shot.

At the time, I was the worship arts director at Hope Church at Silver Lake in Everett, Washington, and the church generously got behind the project, funding my travel, and encouraging me to do the editing as part of my work on staff.

The first Glimpse Project featured LBIM work in Japan. My goal was to enable the missionaries to share their stories, work, and lives with the viewers. After a positive response to the finished videos, I was invited to make another one in Chad. And then Taiwan. And it just kept going from there. I created two more Chad series, and this year, a new series for Japan and Taiwan.

I’m really glad that my work with the Glimpse Project has been able to connect the stories of our missionaries with the churches that have sent them out. I hope you can see through these videos the ways God is working through his Church to reach the world with the gospel.

Micah Nordtvedt is the creator of the Glimpse Project. He lives in New York with his wife Cari where they film, edit, and direct videos as Micah Joel Productions.