始めまして！We're Ben & Alicia. Jesus saved us as late teenagers out of brokenness, occult practices and hopelessness into a living relationship with Him. We were mentored and discipled at Shoreline Community Church (Assemblies of God), and quickly became youth leaders. We led youth Sunday School, and I (Ben) was involved in the media and video production. We recognized God calling us to cross-cultural missions through a passion for loving & serving ‘the least of these’.

While Alicia went on a life-changing 6-month mission trip to Turkey through an outreach training program called Youth With A Mission, she was given a word from God that, like ‘a light on a hill’, we would be used for “healing, restoring, equipping and sending out.” After Alicia returned, I completed my BA in Community Psychology at the University of Washington in 2010 where I defended the benefits of sharing the Gospel cross-culturally (despite it being a secular program). When asked my five year plan, I remember responding: ’to marry my fiancé, and to serve in cross-cultural missions.’ We married April 24, 2011, and In our passion for missions, our wedding gift request was funds to help lead a missions trip in Mazatlan with the youth group.

A little of our story

We began pursuing where God wanted us to serve long-term. Having familiarity with the JET program, we applied to teach English in Japan in early 2013, participating in a competitive, multi-phase mock teaching interview process, however the Lord closed the door and we were not offered the position. With our first child on the way, Ben found employment working with special needs children as a supervisor in group homes around the Seattle area and Alicia worked as a CNA caring for the elderly while continuing to serve in church.

After some hard transitions in our church, I was led to apply at Western Seminary in 2015, bussing 3 hours from Seattle to Portland. Soon after, I was brought through what felt like a hopeless valley of mental health challenges and a spiritual separation from God, but was given hope through faith in Jesus. We were then led to move to Portland, landing at the Neighborhood Church, where I began serving as Kids Pastor leading children’s ministries, teaching in the school and picking up many other hats while finishing my Masters. And Alicia, while loving our growing family, served as support staff at the private school and church, using her creative talents for outreach and fundraising for the church’s community events.

During this time in 2017, I had unique dream of a man walking/being pulled toward a mountain cave. Speaking as if everything was ‘fine,’ his demeanor changed to immense fear as he was drawn into into consuming darkness from which there was no return. I saw many people being drawn to the same terrifying fate. I then saw a group of people whose arms were linked, ‘catching’ these people from being pulled into the darkness. At the time, given the word Alicia received during YWAM, we thought it could mean starting a recovery ministry to help people with the ‘abyss’ of addiction. Prayerfully, we found acreage in Kingston WA for the development of a holistic residential ministry. The purchase of the land, originally not for sale, was so providential—even closing on our anniversary, April 24th—that during a season of corporate fasting and prayer for the church’s debt, we were led to donate the land to the church, full of faith that ‘His arm is not too short’ (Numbers 11:23, ‘iron’ anniversary gift, pictured below), trusting Him to provide for His vision and our growing family while we continued to grow, live and serve at the church.

After a stretching season, the church remained financially unstable, and moved toward selling. Although painful at first, the Lord had given us another unmistakable call to missions and many confirmations for serving in Japan—Kaito, our 6th child, being one of them. We researched and found the need in rural Japan, and prayerfully began looking for opportunities to serve with our talents as a family. After months of looking, one morning, I heard ‘You’ll find it.’ And that same morning, we did—I happened to find a relatively new ministry with opportunity to serve as family in the same region we had been looking in, and with many of the same unique ministry hats.

Other confirmations: After the year-long application process, we realized the elements of the ministry logo (right) matched the dream. And, the initially unseen social network post happened to be on April 24th, our ‘Divine Appointment’ anniversary day!

Timeline

We each have a story. How and where God fits it all together is incredible!

Benjamin

born and adopted January '88
by Mary Ellen & Mark Copeland in Illinois, USA

Alicia

born May '90
to Jeff & Monica Jacobson in Washington, USA

2006
Became Christian

Married
4/24/2011

10/2013
Davidicus Born

2/2016
Move to
Tualatin, OR

1/2015
Enroll in Western Seminary

Shoreline Community Church

Neighborhood Church

9/2015
Reseda Born

8/2017
Ozias Born

6/2019
Zane Born

10/2021
Alora Born

8/2020
Graduate from
Western Seminary

2008
Became Christian

3/2024
Kaito Born

9/2024
Apply to RJTA

1992
Move to
Washington, USA

9/2025
Acceptance as Missionaries to Japan through RJTA & Helps Ministries

est. 2027
Move to
Iwaizumi, Japan

Kita Sanriku Christ Church

11/2026
Jireh Born

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