Today marks the end of our official first week in Japan. In the moment, time seems to pass really slowly, and every day seems like someone tried to cram an entire week into a span of 24 hours. However looking back, this week really flew by. Just another reminder of how fleeting our time is with the students here.
At our team meeting this morning, we took the time to list out all of the students’ names, and whether they’d heard the gospel yet or not. It was amazing to hear not only how many students we’ve met so far, but also how faithful God has allowed our team to be in sharing with students. The responses of students vary, but we have full confidence that God can and will save them if He so desires. For us, it’s just such a privilege to tell other people how great Christ is and how our amazing God has the power and the will to save sinners.
Today we went to Nara Women’s College for the 2nd time, and by their suggestion, we came armed with discussion questions. We brainstormed in the morning to come up with questions that would easily lead to gospel opportunities or would allow follow-up, “deep-thinking” questions to really challenge the students’ assumptions about life.
My discussion group at Nara talked about the effects of the tsunami and how we can help the victims. That led to a discussion about how we can have lasting peace in a world so fraught with disappointments and anxieties. I’m not sure how much the students understood, but I could tell that the deeper questions were forcing them to think a little more than they were used to.
Sharing the gospel is kind of hard at Nara because we’re so short on time, the girls are not as proficient in English, and the girls are more shy. It’s pretty difficult broaching deeper topics like the gospel. But our God is a God of miraculous salvations. Whatever would bring Him the most glory, He will be sure to bring it about, despite our insufficiencies!
At our team meeting this morning, we took the time to list out all of the students’ names, and whether they’d heard the gospel yet or not. It was amazing to hear not only how many students we’ve met so far, but also how faithful God has allowed our team to be in sharing with students. The responses of students vary, but we have full confidence that God can and will save them if He so desires. For us, it’s just such a privilege to tell other people how great Christ is and how our amazing God has the power and the will to save sinners.
Today we went to Nara Women’s College for the 2nd time, and by their suggestion, we came armed with discussion questions. We brainstormed in the morning to come up with questions that would easily lead to gospel opportunities or would allow follow-up, “deep-thinking” questions to really challenge the students’ assumptions about life.
My discussion group at Nara talked about the effects of the tsunami and how we can help the victims. That led to a discussion about how we can have lasting peace in a world so fraught with disappointments and anxieties. I’m not sure how much the students understood, but I could tell that the deeper questions were forcing them to think a little more than they were used to.
Sharing the gospel is kind of hard at Nara because we’re so short on time, the girls are not as proficient in English, and the girls are more shy. It’s pretty difficult broaching deeper topics like the gospel. But our God is a God of miraculous salvations. Whatever would bring Him the most glory, He will be sure to bring it about, despite our insufficiencies!
On a side note: we’ve recently discovered that how long we stay in Japan and how well we speak English are inversely related. As we stay longer, we all end up “talk good Engrish…. Slow… Like this….?” At the end of the day, it gets pretty bad. -____-
To end the day, the guys were whisked away by church members to go to the onsen. Left behind, the only obvious course for action for us girls was to go eat ice cream. Obviously.
Prayer requests:
- God to change the hearts of the students, to make them receptive to the truth, and to place in their hearts a desire to learn more by getting plugged in with HBC.
- Oumi-san’s surgery coming up on the 30th. Please pray that both he and his wife would dwell on what is true, and that they would have complete confidence in God’s providence.
- We are trying to invite students out to church or hangouts at the church on Sunday, but so far a lot of them are busy and have turned us down. Please pray that we would not be discouraged, but would continue to hope and trust in God’s timing.
- Please pray that our team would continue to stay strong spiritually and physically.
- Discernment and wisdom! Most of the students we’ve talked with so far have heard the gospel, either in whole or in part. Their reactions vary, however. Please pray that our team would “be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16), but ultimately trust that God will use us however He chooses.
Thanks for reading! And an infinite amount of thanks for praying for us! As always, we desperately crave your prayer support!
“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
-Korinn
To end the day, the guys were whisked away by church members to go to the onsen. Left behind, the only obvious course for action for us girls was to go eat ice cream. Obviously.
Prayer requests:
- God to change the hearts of the students, to make them receptive to the truth, and to place in their hearts a desire to learn more by getting plugged in with HBC.
- Oumi-san’s surgery coming up on the 30th. Please pray that both he and his wife would dwell on what is true, and that they would have complete confidence in God’s providence.
- We are trying to invite students out to church or hangouts at the church on Sunday, but so far a lot of them are busy and have turned us down. Please pray that we would not be discouraged, but would continue to hope and trust in God’s timing.
- Please pray that our team would continue to stay strong spiritually and physically.
- Discernment and wisdom! Most of the students we’ve talked with so far have heard the gospel, either in whole or in part. Their reactions vary, however. Please pray that our team would “be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16), but ultimately trust that God will use us however He chooses.
Thanks for reading! And an infinite amount of thanks for praying for us! As always, we desperately crave your prayer support!
“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
-Korinn