Rural

We had just moved into our small town in northern Japan when I saw a flier on a noticeboard—“Looking for members for a local band!” I thought: could it be me they were looking for?

When planting a church in rural Japan, it is important to find ways to be part of the community. A suitable building can be a big plus.

He stood there, the only remaining member of this church, hoping that one day he would meet with other locals once again. The question the missionary grappled with was: how could OMF help?

Does God use short-term volunteers to have an impact in Japan? Yes! For example, Megumi started studying the Bible after getting to know Abigail and she's now preparing to be baptized.

Hailey joined a Japanese sign language group. She discovered many Deaf people in Japan know little about Christianity.

What can happen when an old lady who loves the Lord teams up with a missionary who loves his Bible? Jesus builds his church.

"Why are you, a missionary, making coffee and baking cakes in a coffee shop?" Elisa how she's seeing God at work in her ministry.

Morgan asked a missionary: "What does your day-to-day life look like?" They said: "Missionary work is a lot like farming."

At first I was hopeful. He wanted to study the Bible with me, but that isn't quite how it worked out, at least at the beginning.