Wednesdays are one of my favourite days. I cycle 25 minutes to church for a prayer meeting at 10:30 am. We sing hymns, listen to a short talk, pray for various ministries and each other, all in Japanese. Then, I have lunch with the pastors. It’s been so enjoyable to chat with the pastors about life, and ministry, and listen to their stories of faith. I have some Japanese, but I’m thankful that they speak some English too.
At 1:30 pm, I attend a Bible study with the pastor’s wife and a seeker interested in Christianity. After that, the pastor’s wife and I spent time cleaning the church (it’s quite fun wiping the shelves and vacuuming with someone!). I usually finish church work at around 3 pm.
Then I cycle home and spend some time doing admin work such as writing my prayer newsletter, replying to emails, and preparing for English classes.
I live in a shared house of 40 people, we each have our own rooms, but share a common kitchen, dining, and living area. In the evenings, I usually eat dinner and spend time with my housemates. God has been answering prayers and bringing revival to this place. He has provided many opportunities to share the gospel. Eleven of my shared house friends have attended my church events and, in the past five months, three of them have attended a church service. At times, I would sing and play worship songs on the guitar and some of my pre-believing friends join in with singing. Gospel conversations have also happened at random times.
“I see that you read the Bible in the mornings. What is that about?”
“Who can I talk to about Christianity once you leave Japan? I am interested in Christianity, but I’m afraid that I will be rejected by my family.”
“I am curious to know what Christians think about life after death.”
“I have been reading Bible stories on Google. My grandmother was a Christian, but my grandfather was a Buddhist,” said Mami*.
A few of them have now received a Bible. Please pray that God will continue to work in each of their hearts. Each soul is precious in the eyes of God and God can surely move mountains.
*Not her real name.
Rachel, OMF Serve Asia Worker in Sapporo (1 year in Japan)
#OMFJapan #PrayforJapan
