The team just returned from Tokyo, Japan. I have to say the society seems like a utopia. Tokyo is a town of 33 million people, wow. One might think it would be like New York City... smog, traffic, garbage, etc., but this town is pristine. There is concrete in every direction and no noticeable trash. It was amazing. The people are very kind and go out of their way to help you. On the outside it looks good, but on the inside it is very damaged. Spiritually the culture is in darkness. Ancestor worship, Shinto, and Buddhism are the main religions and they are not even practiced. Less than .2% of the people of Tokyo are Christians. Watching the people, I would guess position, power, and possessions are the gods of Japan. The missionary said the following about the Japanese: 80% of the husbands in Tokyo commit adultery; 30% of high school girls participate in subsidized dating (sexual acts for money); and within the last 3 years there have been over 35,000 suicides. Many of these suicides are high schoolers. These facts shows the spiritual brokenness.
The team mainly did general seed sowing and looked for opportunities to share Christ with the Japanese. There were over 100 conversations that allowed us to share a brief testimony, and we passed out over 500 pamphlets that gave them a chance to receive a free DVD about Christ. One girl received a Bible from a member of the team and she said she never held a Bible before...that breaks my heart. Many of us have multiple Bibles in our homes and this was the first time she has ever held a Bible. She said she would read it all. Please pray she not only reads it all, but also accepts Christ as her Savior and shares Him and His Word with others.
The missionary team in Tokyo was a great team. They were very organized and have a God-sized vision for Tokyo. It was great to see them in action. They took us all over the town - literally. Ministry was different in Tokyo...there were many things that our team could do and were willing to do, but it didn't fit well within the Japanese culture. It was really good for the missionaries to help us adjust our scope for the team so we could be more effective.
What did this mission trip teach me? 1. Japan is one of the largest unreached people groups. You wouldn't think it, but it is true. 2. The battle in Japan is a spiritual battle, and we as a church need to pray for Japanese leaders to rise up to embrace Christianity. 3. Japan needs more missionaries. Currently, there are 16 families that minister to 33 million people. There are certainly more lessons I learned on the trip, but those are some of the nuggets.
I will continue to pray for the Japanese and the missionaries that are there. Hopefully, one day many believers will rise up from the population and lead the country in revival. The Japanese are very dedicated to their work...can you imagine if all the Japanese were fired up for God?
Jeff Carlisle
1 comment:
What am I supposed to do? Will I be successful? Will I make a difference? Very legitimate questions that come up on each and every mission trip I've ever been on. And they definitely came up on the recent mission trip to Tokyo.
I think asking thoe questioins is perfectly normal and quite honestly, healthy. It's when you are at that point of being scared to wit's end that you realize that you can't do it. You can't make a difference. You can't be successful. Unless you give it all to God. And taht's exactly where He wants you to be.
Tokyo was amazing in 33 million different ways. To think, 33 million people live and work there is amazing. And it all works! They are so effecient that it all works. Is it crowded? Well yeah, but not to the point that you are ovewhelmed. I'll tell you what is overwhelming: seeing tens of thousands of people everywhere you look wearing black suits going to work. A sea of black suits with their heads bobbing in and out of starbucks' and subway trains. And knowing that only less than half of one percent know Jesus personally.
Out mission team did a lot of street evangelism. That can be a daunting task when you stand at the world's busiest intersection in Shibuya. An intersection where one million people cross a day. But again, it's not about me or my team. It's about God. We have to stop limiting our limitless God.
I'm so glad I went to Tokyo. Was it hard? At times, yes. But aren't all the really great things in life often hard along the eay. That's when we grow. It's called growing pains for a reason. Pray for Tokyo every Tuesday if you can remember. A simple prayer will do, but make sure it's authentic. That's the day the Missionaries fast and pray for Greater Tokyo. Join them and join the next team that goes to Japan. It's an island that desperately needs to be surrounded by the Living Water.
Joneo
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