Prayer Support
Given that my first two posts were
about money, I thought I would post something about the spiritual
nature of this missions trip. I am writing this based on what I have
read about Japan before going, but I do plan to write another post
like this once I see Japan first hand.
Japan
As I
stated in my first post, roughly 1% of Japanese claim to be Christian,
which makes Japan a spiritually dark place. This
spiritual darkness can be seen in the cultural problems of Japan, a
high suicide rate,
a low birth rate,
and many more. Religiously, Japan is mostly Shinto and Buddhist,
either in active adherents or passive participants.
Pray
for the spiritual needs of Japan, that the Holy Spirit may move ahead
of us and prepare the hearts of the Japanese people to hear the
Gospel of Christ.
English
With
Japan being an industrialized nation, physical needs are rare outside
of low income families. One way that we can serve a “physical”
need for the Japanese is the need to learn English. With English
being one of the primary trade languages, there is useful for
Japanese businessmen who seek to expand their business to
opportunities outside of Japan, or the English speaking tourism.
Another reason English is being sought after is the upcoming 2020
Olympics in Tokyo, which will bring many more English speakers to
Tokyo.
Pray
for those who teach English, that God would provide opportunities to
meet a need in Japanese people's lives and provide an opportunity to
share the Gospel of Christ.
Missionaries
There
are many missionaries serving in Japan. Charles Seelen is one of them
and the one that I have been working with to coordinate a missions
trip. One of the challenges is that many missionaries, especially
from America, are easy to spot as foreigners. On one hand this draws
people to them as the Japanese are fascinated with foreigners. On the
other hand, the Japanese can also be closed off to foreigners,
willing to talk but not really listen.
Pray
for the missionaries who serve Christ in a foreign land, especially
Japan. Pray for their endurance and the example they can set for
Japanese believers.
Japanese Christians
As
mentioned earlier, Japan's population is roughly 1% Christian. Among
those Japanese Christians are Pastors like Taniguchi-Sensei. While
Taniguchi-Sensei is working to reach his fellow Japanese, many
Japanese Christians are much more shy about sharing their faith. A
part of it is the Japanese culture of conformity, which discourages
Japanese people from standing out.
Pray
for our Japanese brothers, Pray God encourages them to be bold about
their faith, that they can share faith effectively with other
Japanese and continue to make disciples.
Me
Lastly,
pray for me. This trip is both exciting and terrifying. I have had a
range of emotion, from joy and excitement to worry and doubt, all
over this past week. While funding is one of my biggest anxieties, I
also anxious about jumping into a foreign country so far away from
where I have grown up.
Pray
for me. Pray for me to be an obedient servant and for God to cast
away my anxieties. Pray also for God's provision, that I may follow
through and complete this opportunity God has provided.
-
Thank
you for your prayers and support.
Carl
Make
checks out to:
East Tucson Baptist Church
9100 E Speedway Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85710
Phone:
(520) 917-4233
indicate money is for
Carl's Japan Missions Trip
PayPal.me/CarlErbe
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