This is Estella writing, and I am currently writing to you all from Hamadera Bible Church in Osaka, Japan. To recap the last few days, we arrived after a long flight on Friday evening, went to our host homes, and went to sleep. Saturday we had a brief orientation meeting and spent the day playing games and doing Bible story activities with the kids from the “church school” that is held on Saturdays at Hamadera Bible Church. Sunday we enjoyed a time of worship and fellowship with the HBC church body and five of our team members (Ed, Christina, Ophy, Evelyn, and Dan) gave their testimonies in front of the church body. It’s these five’s first time serving here in Japan, while Tim, Collin, Chris, Deborah, and I are returnees. For me personally, I can say that it has been such a joy to come back to Hamadera and to be welcomed with such love and joy from my fellow Japanese brothers and sisters in Christ. It is truly such a joy and privilege to be given the chance to be part of their ministry here in Japan and to see the faithfulness of these men and women who are here serving faithfully all year even when we leave.
As a reminder to our supporters, we are here in Hamadera mainly to do college evangelism. Our schedule includes five different schools. Osaka Christian College is an all-girl two year community college, but from what I hear of past experiences, the college is only Christian in name and many if not all of the girls are probably not believers. One of the challenges that past teams have faced with this school is that because it is a two year institution it is very difficult to build relationships with these girls because they are only around for two years and then move on.
One other school that the STM teams have met with since the beginning of the college evangelism ministry is the Osaka Prefecture University. Besides the OCC girls, we will get to spend a lot of time with the students at OPU. They plan to act as tour guides and take us around to some of the shrines and temples in the Kyoto area, which should provide us with some ample opportunity to start religious conversations, ask questions, and look for gospel opportunities. Another opportunity we are praying for is for a “camp” we are having this coming Saturday in which OPU students are invited to Hamadera and stay overnight and hang out with us for the whole day.
The other schools we will be visiting are Seikyo Gakuen (junior high and high school aged students) and Sano High School. Each day we will be visiting approximately one or two schools, and ideally after each day one of us will update the day’s activities and post prayer requests for the next day’s activities and schools. Today (Monday) we will be visiting Seikyo Gakuen, so please pray for good conversations with the students there, because their English will not be as good as the university students. Some more general requests are also to pray for the health and safety of the team, to be bold, yet sensitive, in any opportunity to share the gospel, and for flexibility in our schedules as things often can and do change. One big thing that you all can be praying for throughout the duration of the trip is for us as a team to help in building relationships between the students and Hamadera Bible Church. We as a team will only be here for 2.5 weeks, and the real work of this ministry will be carried on through the year with the church. Our prayer and hope is that our testimony and friendships with the students during the next two weeks will help build bridges between the students and Hamadera Bible Church that will allow them to be more open to coming out to church and hearing the gospel.
The last thing I want to make sure to say is a very big thank you for all of those back home that are praying for our team and for God to be glorified in Japan. Going through ny list of supporters, it is such a wonderful feeling to know that so many people back home are committed to praying for the Lord`s work here in Japan. This nation has so many lost souls who need Christ and need the gospel, so please keep on praying!
One other school that the STM teams have met with since the beginning of the college evangelism ministry is the Osaka Prefecture University. Besides the OCC girls, we will get to spend a lot of time with the students at OPU. They plan to act as tour guides and take us around to some of the shrines and temples in the Kyoto area, which should provide us with some ample opportunity to start religious conversations, ask questions, and look for gospel opportunities. Another opportunity we are praying for is for a “camp” we are having this coming Saturday in which OPU students are invited to Hamadera and stay overnight and hang out with us for the whole day.
The other schools we will be visiting are Seikyo Gakuen (junior high and high school aged students) and Sano High School. Each day we will be visiting approximately one or two schools, and ideally after each day one of us will update the day’s activities and post prayer requests for the next day’s activities and schools. Today (Monday) we will be visiting Seikyo Gakuen, so please pray for good conversations with the students there, because their English will not be as good as the university students. Some more general requests are also to pray for the health and safety of the team, to be bold, yet sensitive, in any opportunity to share the gospel, and for flexibility in our schedules as things often can and do change. One big thing that you all can be praying for throughout the duration of the trip is for us as a team to help in building relationships between the students and Hamadera Bible Church. We as a team will only be here for 2.5 weeks, and the real work of this ministry will be carried on through the year with the church. Our prayer and hope is that our testimony and friendships with the students during the next two weeks will help build bridges between the students and Hamadera Bible Church that will allow them to be more open to coming out to church and hearing the gospel.
The last thing I want to make sure to say is a very big thank you for all of those back home that are praying for our team and for God to be glorified in Japan. Going through ny list of supporters, it is such a wonderful feeling to know that so many people back home are committed to praying for the Lord`s work here in Japan. This nation has so many lost souls who need Christ and need the gospel, so please keep on praying!