Our faithful readers, thank you so much for keeping up with this blog until now! Tomorrow marks one week since we’ve returned home, and jet lag has struck with a wicked vengeance. You can mark the progress of our team in our individual efforts to conquer jet lag by how late you see us liking photos on Facebook.
Anyway… Recap of our last day in Japan!
We didn’t have any events with students planned, so we went shopping at a nearby mall with church members.
Anyway… Recap of our last day in Japan!
We didn’t have any events with students planned, so we went shopping at a nearby mall with church members.
Afterwards, we packed up, loaded up the cars, and left for the airport. We got to hang around for a little longer as we waited for our flight.
What’s really touching is that several of the OPU students came to say bye to us at the airport. What’s great is that all of these students have been able to hear the gospel, and we’ve had serious, deep conversations with them all.
At one time or another, we ended up pushing these students to think quite a bit about their own lives and about the gospel, yet God has preserved our friendships with them. Considering how much we’ve shared with them, and how much we’ve asked them to think, they could have easily been offended and repulsed, but God is showing us all such grace by letting us continue to be good friends.
Now, being friends is still certainly not the same as being saved and knowing Christ, but that just means that if God allows, then the team next year will be able to follow up with them, will continue to poke and prod, and will have more opportunities to sow seeds or to water. Our goal as a team was to proclaim Christ boldly, but to be wise and not burn bridges. By God’s grace, the fact that these students cared enough to come and see us off at the airport is proof that God allowed us to achieve that goal.
Saying good-bye to the students, the church members, Kat, the Mortimers, and Miho was really hard. We lagged so much in our good-byes and last-minute picture taking that we barely caught our flight!
What’s really touching is that several of the OPU students came to say bye to us at the airport. What’s great is that all of these students have been able to hear the gospel, and we’ve had serious, deep conversations with them all.
At one time or another, we ended up pushing these students to think quite a bit about their own lives and about the gospel, yet God has preserved our friendships with them. Considering how much we’ve shared with them, and how much we’ve asked them to think, they could have easily been offended and repulsed, but God is showing us all such grace by letting us continue to be good friends.
Now, being friends is still certainly not the same as being saved and knowing Christ, but that just means that if God allows, then the team next year will be able to follow up with them, will continue to poke and prod, and will have more opportunities to sow seeds or to water. Our goal as a team was to proclaim Christ boldly, but to be wise and not burn bridges. By God’s grace, the fact that these students cared enough to come and see us off at the airport is proof that God allowed us to achieve that goal.
Saying good-bye to the students, the church members, Kat, the Mortimers, and Miho was really hard. We lagged so much in our good-byes and last-minute picture taking that we barely caught our flight!
God orchestrated something really cool on the flight from Osaka to Tokyo though. Esther and I started talking to the Japanese girl sitting next to us on the plane. Her name is Tomo, and Esther was able to share the gospel with her. Ok, might not seem that mind-blowing, but it is. Tomo was able to speak fluent English, was taking the same flights that we were from Osaka to Tokyo, then from Tokyo to LAX, and….*drumroll please* she goes to CSUN during the school year as an international student! What are the chances?? God is so amazing like that! Tomo was very open to hearing the gospel and discussing it afterward (the flight attendant had to shush us a little because we were talking pretty animatedly hehe :3). We’re hoping to hang out with her some time in LA and follow up.
It’s amazing that even up until the last minute of this trip, God has given our team chance after chance to share the gospel with others. What a blessing it has been to be used so frequently to tell others about Jesus! It’s such a privilege, and none of us are worthy to bear such a perfect, precious message, but praise God for loving us and graciously choosing us –in spite of our weaknesses and numerous imperfections — to tell people this Good News!
We know and find comfort in the fact that our flaws, our lack of eloquence, and our fumbling presentation of this truth will not hinder its impact if God so wills. Thank God that He is the one who will cause the growth. We can trust fully that He is good and sovereign to bring about whatever harvest He desires!
It’s been an undeserved honor and a grace to be His servant these past 19 days in Japan.
Thank you for praying for us thus far! Honestly, God has answered so many of your prayers, and we can’t thank you all enough on the home front (or those in Home Front ;P) for pleading before the throne of God on our behalf and on behalf of these students and church members. Please know that God has been so faithful to answer your prayers, so please continue to pray!
On that very subtle note…
Prayer requests!
1.The salvation of the students we’ve talked to over the past few weeks! God is the only one who can save them!
2. Spiritual growth for Eri, Shota, and all of the members of HBC.That they would be encouraged to share the gospel boldly with those God has placed in their lives.
3. Eri, that she would be able to find a church near her school in Nara, particularly one that faithfully preaches the Word of God.
4. Fumika (the girl from OPU who came to see us off at the airport) is very interested in continuing to go to church. She lives relatively close to HBC, right down the street from one of the American HBC missionaries. She’s going on a foreign exchange to Australia soon, and after talking with Shota and Kai (a TMS graduate who happened to be visiting HBC on Sunday and met Fumika at church), she has found a church in Australia, which she hopes to attend. Praise God! Please pray for God to continue to water these seeds of salvation planted in her heart!
5. For Japan as a whole, that Christ’s name would be known and well-represented among the Japanese people.
6. Okada-sensei’s visa still hasn’t been approved. Also, the Okada family’s housing situation is kind of dire right now. Please pray for their continued trust in the Lord’s provision and that He would reveal to them in His own time, how much He loves them and will always provide exactly what they need the most.
7. Oumi-san’s continued speedy recovery! He really wants to see his grandchildren at Joy Joy soon.
8. Miho, as she takes a much-needed rest, prepares for her own job, and starts prepping for Japan 2. She’ll be back at HBC soon for Team 2!
9. For the team as we transition back to life in California, that we would remember the lessons God taught us in Japan, and wouldn’t be men and women of weak, temporary convictions, but that the impact of this trip would remain firmly stamped on our hearts.
10. For Team 2, their team unity, their trust in and reliance on God, their safety, and their joy in service. They have lots of ministry ahead of them! Please keep them in your prayers!
We know and find comfort in the fact that our flaws, our lack of eloquence, and our fumbling presentation of this truth will not hinder its impact if God so wills. Thank God that He is the one who will cause the growth. We can trust fully that He is good and sovereign to bring about whatever harvest He desires!
It’s been an undeserved honor and a grace to be His servant these past 19 days in Japan.
Thank you for praying for us thus far! Honestly, God has answered so many of your prayers, and we can’t thank you all enough on the home front (or those in Home Front ;P) for pleading before the throne of God on our behalf and on behalf of these students and church members. Please know that God has been so faithful to answer your prayers, so please continue to pray!
On that very subtle note…
Prayer requests!
1.The salvation of the students we’ve talked to over the past few weeks! God is the only one who can save them!
2. Spiritual growth for Eri, Shota, and all of the members of HBC.That they would be encouraged to share the gospel boldly with those God has placed in their lives.
3. Eri, that she would be able to find a church near her school in Nara, particularly one that faithfully preaches the Word of God.
4. Fumika (the girl from OPU who came to see us off at the airport) is very interested in continuing to go to church. She lives relatively close to HBC, right down the street from one of the American HBC missionaries. She’s going on a foreign exchange to Australia soon, and after talking with Shota and Kai (a TMS graduate who happened to be visiting HBC on Sunday and met Fumika at church), she has found a church in Australia, which she hopes to attend. Praise God! Please pray for God to continue to water these seeds of salvation planted in her heart!
5. For Japan as a whole, that Christ’s name would be known and well-represented among the Japanese people.
6. Okada-sensei’s visa still hasn’t been approved. Also, the Okada family’s housing situation is kind of dire right now. Please pray for their continued trust in the Lord’s provision and that He would reveal to them in His own time, how much He loves them and will always provide exactly what they need the most.
7. Oumi-san’s continued speedy recovery! He really wants to see his grandchildren at Joy Joy soon.
8. Miho, as she takes a much-needed rest, prepares for her own job, and starts prepping for Japan 2. She’ll be back at HBC soon for Team 2!
9. For the team as we transition back to life in California, that we would remember the lessons God taught us in Japan, and wouldn’t be men and women of weak, temporary convictions, but that the impact of this trip would remain firmly stamped on our hearts.
10. For Team 2, their team unity, their trust in and reliance on God, their safety, and their joy in service. They have lots of ministry ahead of them! Please keep them in your prayers!
Finally, if anyone is reading this, and does not know the joy and the love found in a relationship with God, we as a team urge you to consider Christ. We are all sinners, fallen so far from the mark of perfection that God has commanded us to meet, yet God is gracious and sent Jesus to die for our sins though we totally don’t deserve it. We deserve death, but God chose for Jesus, the only spotless, perfect person to ever walk the face of this planet, to die in our place. But after three days, Jesus rose again to prove that he is God and he does have the power to forgive us our sins. Our dear reader, if you do not know forgiveness from God, then it is our sorrow to tell you that you will one day face in hell the wrath of the Creator of the whole Universe. God is an avenger, and does not allow the guilty to go unpunished. But if you want forgiveness, God is gracious through Jesus, because all you have to do is believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he is enough to be a sacrifice for your sins. So, if you do not know Christ, we desperately beg you to consider him and the grace he is offering to you even now.
Jesus is the reason we went to Japan. This message, this gospel, is the one we shared time after time with so many students, and it is one that never grows old. The more we learn about it, the more beautiful it becomes! If you have any questions, feel free to contact any of the team members through this blog! We’d be happy to share more
Thanks for reading, all! For the last time, signing out! (Unless someone else posts something)
– Korinn (for Japan 1)
Jesus is the reason we went to Japan. This message, this gospel, is the one we shared time after time with so many students, and it is one that never grows old. The more we learn about it, the more beautiful it becomes! If you have any questions, feel free to contact any of the team members through this blog! We’d be happy to share more
Thanks for reading, all! For the last time, signing out! (Unless someone else posts something)
– Korinn (for Japan 1)
“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
–Ephesians 3:20-21