Borantia

I've now spent a little over two weeks here in Morioka. I'm surrounded by beautiful mountains and warm, welcoming people. The highest mountain in this prefecture, Mt. Iwate, is only a few kilometers away and there are decent cafes all over the city. Morioka is also a clean city with breathable air, plenty of green, growing things and is considered to have the nicest people in Japan. It seems like a great place to live.

Not a single Starbucks in sight! =D

However, despite all that this city has going for it, the population is decidedly Non-christian. Japan itself is about 0.3% Christian. The region of Japan in which I am staying: 0.1%. Before the 3/11 disaster, this region called "Tohoku" had so few missionaries and so few Christian that some mission agencies considered it to be a lost cause and didn't want to risk any missionaries to go there for fear of rapid burnout. Don't get me wrong, I'm not writing this to bash any mission organizations, but it does seem a bit contrary to the power of the Gospel to keep it from people who desperately need it. But, I digress. What is in the past is in the past and we must now use the present circumstances to move on towards the future.

So what is the future for Tohoku? Well, only God truly knows, but it seems that since the 3/11 disaster there has been a renewed interest in this region. Many missionaries are flocking to the coastal regions where the tsunami devastated many towns and villages nestled on the edge of the ocean. Immediately following the disaster, Christian relief aid and missionaries went to help the survivors. Many other secular organizations helped as well, but I have been told that they seemed disinterested in the people and more focused on doing a job. Many Non-christian, Japanese survivors have noted that it was the Christian workers who showed them the most compassion and were genuinely invested in helping them. I heard one story where many of the secular workers were clearing rubble and throwing everything away. One missionary found a coin collection in the remnants of the house that was being discarded. Instead of leaving it in the trash heap, she found the man who had lived in the house and returned it to him. He was amazed that someone would care that much about him that they would preserve his coin collection. Now this seems very small, and granted, it doesn't change the man's circumstances, but the gesture demonstrated to this man that he was cared about. He wasn't just a statistic of survivors. He was a person. And he now knows who gave him a small piece of his life back and more importantly, he knows Who sent her.

In Tohoku, Christians were generally distrusted as strangers, but now are regarded in a positive light. It was Christians who showed up when things were at their worst and it is Christians who continue to come when everyone else has forgotten. I have gone and witnessed firsthand the ministries that are continuing after these four years. Some of these areas are still barren and temporary housing units are abundant, but some are finding joy in the community they have rebuilt with the ongoing help of Christians who volunteer. There is one ministry in particular in which I was able to participate - the ministry cafe, Ippo Ippo. There, some of the elder survivors come together on a daily basis to keep a sense of community that was taken from them four years ago. Many of them have lost family members, friends and livelihoods to the tsunami. This ministry is just a small shred of happiness in their lives, made possible by the continuing efforts of Christian volunteers. And their religious affiliation is no secret either. The regulars that come to the cafe get to have fellowship with Believers and hear the Gospel regularly. From what I understand, some are getting closer to making a decision for Christ. The average length of time it took for Japanese people to establish a deep enough relationship with a Christian to the point of being open to to discuss the Gospel and possibly make a decision is about seven to ten years. It is a lot of hard, diligent work. Since the tsunami, it seems as though this figure is being cut in half. Be praying for ministries like Ippo Ippo.

Ippo Ippo means one step at a time or baby steps. This has the double meaning of taking small steps on the road to restoration of the community as well as steps toward Christ.

This cafe is completely not-for-profit and doesn't cost anything to those who come in. It is also run completely by volunteers. Volunteer. That word carries a lot of meaning here in Japan. Not only in the coastal regions, but in Tokyo as well. There is a high respect for those who go to the coastal regions to help out with the survivors. When I introduce myself to new people outside of the church, if I introduce myself as a volunteer, their faces immediately light up and they express how thankful they are that people are coming to help out. This word: Borantia (Japanese pronunciation) also carries with it the implication that you are a Christian. I don't even have to say anything that would hint at my faith. I have had people ask me what church with which I was working without mention of anything besides being a volunteer.

To bring this blog post to a nice thematic close, I'm optimistic about the future of Japan. I'm optimistic about Tohoku. I'm optimistic that God has in store for me something that will bring Him glory.

Japanese of the day:
ボランティア
Borantia

You really don't need a translation because I already gave it to you in the second to last paragraph.

Eriya Yogensha

Today is my last full day in Tokyo before I ship off to Morioka, Iwate. It amazes me that I only just arrived here less than two weeks ago! It feels like it has been much much longer than that, to be honest. Not that that means I've been having a dull time, but rather that there has been so much going on in every day that it feels like multiple, full-days have passed in the space of only one. I have learned so much already--far more than any class at Moody could offer. It's all a bit difficult to put into words, really. I don't think I've ever been this excited about learning and ministry! I'm getting great oppourtunities to learn from real missionaries in the field and how they approach ministry. I'm also getting to learn from Japanese Christians who do their best to spread the message of Christ in their communities. God could not have given me a more fitting internship this summer. I could probably write a book with all the knowledge I've accumulated thus far, but I'm really only just beginning. I'm not even a quarter-way done with this internship yet!

I've also picked up more of the language, both spoken and written. It is very hard to learn the language here, even through immersion. Most Japanese won't go out of their way to speak to a foreigner like me and when they do, it is often far too fast for me to understand. I have hearing loss so it takes about a half a second for me to figure out what people are saying to me even in English! It takes much longer with a Japanese tongue. Despite this, the Lord has been good with blessing me with a slightly better understanding of the language even during the short time I've been here. I'm even able to navigate the train system entirely in Japanese with relative ease.

This is only about half of the lines here

I think that more than anything, however, my love for the un-reached Japanese has grown the most. Every time I get on a train car packed with people, I get the feeling that I'm the only Believer on that entire train. It's heartbreaking. In America, 70% of the population at least claims to be Christian. I know that that figure isn't even close to reflecting the real statistics of the actually-practicing Christians, but it's not like anyone could really feel truly alone in their faith there. I have felt alone here. In a city of 13.35 million, It can be lonely for a Christian desperately trying to serve God in such a heathen land. I am sure that many Christians here feel like Elijah in I Kings 19 when he cries out to God that he feels alone and abandoned. In this story, God encourages and reminds Elijah that He has preserved seven thousand Israelites from worshiping Ba'al. There are still some precious few here in Japan who claim Christ as Saviour. I pray that if I could do anything on this trip, I would be an encouragement to our brothers and sisters here in Japan. 

Japanese of the day:

エリヤ預言者

Eriya Yogensha

Translation:

Elijah the Prophet