This summer has been the busiest I have ever had in Japan. From May 8 to July 7, our staff hosted five teams who came to serve at universities and churches.
The first team came from Trinity Bible College, an Assemblies of God college in Ellendale, South Dakota. They ministered at the University of Tokyo, Waseda University, ICA Tokyo and GAP Church (bilingual churches in Tokyo) and in Niigata prefecture.
The second team came from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. They ministered at our Chi Alpha ministries in Tokyo as well as at two Japanese churches. They did a powerful drama which impacted the seekers at one of the churches. Personally, it was great to host my first team from my home state and the university where I used to do ministry.
For several years the Japan’s Youth Committee has partnered to host American college students to teach summer English classes at various churches. This year’s group was the best ever! They came from churches and Chi Alpha groups in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, and Hawaii to teach for 2 months. Robert and Amanda, 2 of the 8 students, are working directly with me ministering on campuses and at churches.
A team of Chi Alpha students from Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington, spent their first week in Tokyo reaching out to students from their sister university, Asia University. They spent the next 10 days working with a church in Yokohama teaching English classes and ministering at the campuses to which that church reaches out.
The next team came from my missionary colleague’s home church, First Assembly of God in Honolulu, Hawaii. They only spent 2 days with us but they ministered at our monthly Tokyo area prayer meeting. The next day they ministered at the University of Tokyo using Hawaiian dance and music, another popular way to reach out to Japanese youth.
The last team from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale has been coming for the past six years. They made up the largest team which made logistics around Tokyo a little more challenging, but it was a great time of ministry.
This year we had a new ministry opportunity open up at Seikei University. A professor who is a Christian teaching at a secular college invited us to speak in his English classes all week. While there is freedom of religion in Japan, in practice that is not always true. Amazingly, we were allowed to openly share the gospel. The team shared stories, conversation, gospel music, and drama in the classes and passed out Gideon Bibles and 200 copies of Book of Hope.
Later in the week, the professor told me the following. One student had returned to class after having been absent. A high school friend had committed suicide the previous week and the student was still struggling with the tragic loss of his friend. As the team shared about hope in Jesus in class, the professor noted that the student was fighting back tears. It was apparent that God was speaking to him probably for the first time in his life.
In hosting all these teams, it's clear that the Lord of the harvest is raising up workers. Other missions organizations here have also been hosting many summer workers. God is pursing the Japanese with His relentless love to bring them to Himself. Japan may be less than 1% Christian, but God is busy planting seeds in the lives of the youth of Japan through these summer workers’ lives. Please pray that the Lord will show us how to better cultivate what has been planted.
