After everyone on our team arrived at church this morning, Eric led a devotion on perseverance. As this trip is coming to a close, some things that have been on all of our minds include what is going to happen at Hamadera Church and what is going to happen to the students after we leave. We hope that the non-believing students with whom we have shared the gospel will continue coming to church and that the HOPE members will keep reaching out to them. We all care deeply for the people at Hamadera BIble Church (HBC), and it is difficult not to worry about the challenges that the HOPE members face and the struggles that they might encounter in the future. The bible passage that Eric shared with us, 1 Peter 1:3-7, was encouraging and helped remind us that our inheritance of salvation is reserved and kept in heaven. God's power is greater than any of the sufferings that we or the HOPE members might face. We can rejoice despite present sufferings because God will keep us in salvation.
During lunch at church, some of us had the opportunity to here Pastor Kondo's testimony and how he was saved. It was amazing being reminded of how God can change anybody's heart, no matter what background we come from. In the afternoon, we left for Osaka Prefecture University (OPU). It was our last time hanging out with the students. A surprisingly large number of new students showed up. There were about four to five new students and around six returning students. Despite it being a Monday night and all the students having finals to study for, many students still showed up for our last hangout. The students and our team went to Tsutenkaku (an observatory tower in Osaka), where we were able to talk more about our lives and explain what being a Christian means to the students. Several of the students we have met speak Chinese, and some of the team members have been able to use Chinese to communicate more effectively with them. Afterwards, we got dinner at a nearby restaurant, where we split up into tables of three to four people. The smaller groups allowed us to get to know the students better and gave us the opportunity to talk to them about the gospel.
I'm really thankful for the three weeks that we have had here and I'm especially grateful for the time we have had with the people at HBC. Their love and service toward us, such as through hosting us in their homes, preparing meals for us, and providing transportation for us, have been some of the greatest impressions that they've left on us. It has been amazing seeing God growing the HOPE members over these past couple of weeks. Please continue praying for them, as well as all the other students we've met throughout this trip.
Thanks for reading and for praying for us!
-Jennifer
During lunch at church, some of us had the opportunity to here Pastor Kondo's testimony and how he was saved. It was amazing being reminded of how God can change anybody's heart, no matter what background we come from. In the afternoon, we left for Osaka Prefecture University (OPU). It was our last time hanging out with the students. A surprisingly large number of new students showed up. There were about four to five new students and around six returning students. Despite it being a Monday night and all the students having finals to study for, many students still showed up for our last hangout. The students and our team went to Tsutenkaku (an observatory tower in Osaka), where we were able to talk more about our lives and explain what being a Christian means to the students. Several of the students we have met speak Chinese, and some of the team members have been able to use Chinese to communicate more effectively with them. Afterwards, we got dinner at a nearby restaurant, where we split up into tables of three to four people. The smaller groups allowed us to get to know the students better and gave us the opportunity to talk to them about the gospel.
I'm really thankful for the three weeks that we have had here and I'm especially grateful for the time we have had with the people at HBC. Their love and service toward us, such as through hosting us in their homes, preparing meals for us, and providing transportation for us, have been some of the greatest impressions that they've left on us. It has been amazing seeing God growing the HOPE members over these past couple of weeks. Please continue praying for them, as well as all the other students we've met throughout this trip.
Thanks for reading and for praying for us!
-Jennifer
Prayer Requests
- Encouragement and perseverance for the people at HBC
- Continual growth for the HOPE members
- A desire to learn about God and go to church for the students we've met throughout this trip
- A safe trip back to America