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