Off to the land of the rising sun
Whoever popularized the idea that following Jesus was dull and boring was not following Jesus. Ever since coming to faith in Christ in 1984, it's been one wild ride. And it's just about to get crazier.
I will be in Tokyo Japan from May 28 - June 6 for no other reason than because I'm following Jesus.
Here's the story:
During The Rock's fall kickoff in 2005, I met a Japanese man by the name of Muneaki Watanabe. He is an ISU student studying biochemistry and molecular biology. I pursued the relationship and over a year span we became friends. Along the way, I took Mune to see "End of the Spear" and shared the gospel with him. He thought on it and we'd talk about it for several months when one night he cried out to "whomever was listening" during a desperate moment and God miraculously met him. That was mid-fall of 2006. I baptized him a few months later.
According to Matthew 28: 19-20, we are to make disciples by "teaching them to observe all that I've commanded you". That includes making "disciples of all nations". So to help Mune develop a burden to reach the people in his homeland, I asked Mune if he'd go home this summer to join me in helping a church planting team from Hope Fellowship Church (Denton, Texas) establish themselves in Tokyo. He agreed and I'm now about to step foot on soil 6000 miles from Ames.
Here are some fun details:
We will be staying at a hostel: Sakura Hotel Jimbocho
Two churches that are helping us there are: Ecclesia Funabashi church and Committed Japan that meets at KickBack Café and is associated with Calvary Chapel.
I will be leading a sub-team of 3 or 4 people and we will focus our outreach at two universities: Tokyo University and Nihon University which is where Mune did his undergraduate studies.
A total of twelve people are involved in this church planting mission trip and my sub-team will consist of Mune, Paul Scott (an old college buddy from Minneapolis), and myself... and possibly my brother Jon who is stationed at Yokota Air Base in Japan.
In addition to surveying students and trusting God for divine appointments, we will be featured guests at an English class at Tokyo University that is led by a professor who is helping the church plant. We've been told that we can not talk about the Bible, Christianity, and spiritual things in general. Satan is on the move everywhere. So we got a short talk approved on the philosophical law of "Ex Nihilo, Nihilo Fit". Believe me, it will give Japanese students who are told nothing of God and view everything through a naturalistic lens, plenty to talk about.
You can track our mission teams exploits at: theearthwillbefilled.blogspot.com. The team is already there. We are joining them half way through their stint.
And please, please pray for us. You can be a vital part of this mission trip and reaching the Japanese people through your prayers. Thank you!
Comments
UPDATE:
Tim is doing well. He is just finishing his first day in Japan. Him and Mune spoke at 2 classes at ToDai University in Tokyo. After one class a guy came up to him and flat out said "I am interested in Christianity". Tomorrow he will be getting together with some Japanese guys that will take him on a tour of Tokyo.
Praise God, Tim has not been feeling the affects of jetlag, however he is feeling tired after a long day (it is Friday night over there). Pray that he will stay healthy and encouraged.
Posted by: Kristen Borseth at May 30, 2008 09:48 AM