We asked two new workers to share briefly about how they came to serve in Japan.
Yutaro: I was a student considering life after graduation and heard a sermon on Hebrews 11—the forerunners of our faith. Some had amazing blessings, others were persecuted and killed. Then Hebrews 12 begins: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses . . . let us run with perseverance . . . fixing our eyes on Jesus” (vv 1–2 NIV). Next we sang Facing a Task Unfinished. A couple of the verses are:
We bear the torch that flaming
Fell from the hands of those
Who gave their lives proclaiming
That Jesus died and rose
Ours is the same commission,
The same glad message ours,
Fired by the same ambition,
To Thee we yield our powers.*
I had taken my faith for granted. I had grown up in a Christian family, but never appreciated the cost of it. The faith handed to me—the flaming torch I held—was stained with blood. The blood of people in the Bible, many Christians, and Jesus himself. This gospel has been passed down through sacrifice, suffering, and death. So that we might be saved. Now I have the responsibility to pass this gospel on to my generation and the next.
Liz: My husband and I sensed God’s leading into missions. But where? Friends told us that Japan was less than 1% Christian. We researched, found OMF, and joined a two-week Prayer and Vision Trip.
In Japan, I shared my testimony at a church. Afterwards, a Japanese woman told me that our stories were similar. She was not a Christian, but writing Bible verses was helping her deal with anxiety. She was comforted by God’s Word, but had not yet given him her life. I felt God say, “Look, I can use your testimony to speak to these people.”
On that same trip, at the top of the Yokohama Landmark Tower we had a 360 degree view of Yokohama—buildings as far as we could see. I remembered that most Japanese people don’t even know a Christian and have no chance to hear the gospel. A huge city of people who had not heard the good news! How could I not come back to share with them?
By Peter, an OMF missionary
· Lyrics by Fionan Debarra, Keith Getty, Edmond Martin Cash, Kristyn Getty
