Japan: A Mission Trip

This was my first trip to Asia. Considering how many books I have read about different countries in Asia, this was exciting in itself. Travel always makes my world bigger. Not the world in general because its size stays the same, but seeing somewhere in person just makes that place real--with people I’ve met, places I’ve seen and a way of life I’ve experienced, even if in just a limited way.

The country of Japan is less than 1% Christian. We met many believers and missionaries so we saw many more Christians than the average tourist would. I’m grateful for that. The mere size of the country as a place where the people need Jesus can be overwhelming. It is overwhelming. That sentiment was echoed by the missionaries we met.

I don’t consider myself a gifted evangelist. I get nervous when I’m in a setting where sharing my faith is the only goal. I was able to give my testimony six times to groups, I believe. They listened intently and asked questions following. Then I gave them a printed copy that was already translated into Japanese. This method seems to be effective in that we had “seekers” at every home and church group we attended. At each group everyone would introduce themselves with name, age and when they were baptized. Believers would introduce their friends as “seekers.” In Japan, there is a very clear distinction between Christians and non-Christians.

Evangelism is tough work anywhere. But through mission trips, I’ve realized that in some countries the word “tough” doesn’t even begin to describe it. Yes, I know God’s power is sovereign and people can be miraculously saved anywhere in the world at any time. But I’ve realized how easy we’ve had it in America. Because many of us grew up in a somewhat Judeo-Christian culture (not so much true for generations younger than boomers), the people we evangelize already have a similar concept of God, sin, salvation, etc. Evangelism in this environment, though not easy, has fewer steps to get someone to the point of accepting Christ. I don’t want to over-analyze it, but cultures that are permeated in Buddhism, Shinto, Hinduism, Islam . . .people must be willing to invest hours, weeks, and years to the task of evangelism. One Japanese Christian couple who hosted a group, showed us yellowed booklets that an American man had used with them years ago to teach them the Bible. They studied with him regularly. After several years, they made a decision to follow Christ. How many of us are willing to make that kind of time commitment to someone to bring them on the journey so they can meet Jesus?

Because the Japanese view of God is so totally different from what most Americans (even pagan Americans) know, it makes it difficult to use even a translated piece of literature like a tract or Christian book from the U.S. to reach someone in Japan. That is because they don’t have the background to even understand it. For example, a tract called The Four Spiritual Laws can usually be understood by the average American. I used this tract for the first time in the inner city of New York almost 30 years ago. The tract begins . . . “just as there are physical laws in our universe, there are spiritual laws . . .” They had this tract in Japan and the missionaries are using it because they can easily obtain them and they are in the Japanese language. But they told us that it was mainly a conversation starter rather than a tool to lead someone to Christ.

Why is this? Their (the Japanese) concept of God and spiritual things begins in things like their ancestors and paying homage . . .something an American tract or book doesn’t mention or help bridge understanding from where the Japanese are.

The Japanese work very hard and have priorities that are different but it wasn’t like Mexico or Guatemala or even Eastern Europe where basic necessities like clean water, food, or bathrooms were an issue. On some mission trips I have struggled to stay healthy, find a bathroom, or been disheartened by the poor living conditions--but not in Japan. The poverty in Japan is spiritual, not physical.

What I enjoyed
Taking extra quiet time each day. Because our internal clocks were disrupted we began the week by waking about around 3 a.m. There is nothing to do at that time except pray and read your Bible. I had taken some of my Songs of the Ascent Bible study with me and wished I had the whole book.
Not knowing what the day would bring. Now being honest, we never know what a day will bring. But even though we had a schedule, we never knew what each situation we approached was going to be like. This stands out I guess, because I live such a predictable life with a regular predictable schedule.
The graciousness and politeness of the people. I know this is part of their culture but it was wonderful to be on the receiving end of people who were nice to us pretty much all the time. The believers we met accepted us immediately and wanted to spend time with us. Fun!
Their questions. They had lots of parenting questions which surprised me. They wanted to know the best way to raise children. They were also curious as to what we thought of their country and their homes and families.

Schedule:
We spent time initially in Shizuoka, about two hours from Tokyo. We traveled by bus with our team and the Shinkoiwa pastor and his family. He was our driver. We were able to visit with two missionary families who are with the International Mission Board (your Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon dollars at work). We directly participated in the ministry with the Collins family by prayer walking, and giving away tracts and DVDs in the downtown area. The Rainer family is in language training so we met with them one morning, listened to their story and had a prayer time.

Meeting missionaries was a highlight because I’ve always (since I was 8) prayed for missionaries and when I pray for someone I’ve met or know it makes it easier to pray. I’ve seen their home, met their families and seen their life in some small way. My prayers for them have already increased. The rest of our time was at the Shinkoiwa Baptist Church in Tokyo working with the national Christians there.

Observations:
People dressed very neatly. I knew this going in because I had read a website giving instructions for summer missionaries coming to Tokyo. It told them not to bring torn or faded jeans or pants that looked wrinkled on purpose. Most girls didn’t wear T-shirts like the guys. They usually wore blouses, sometimes layered. They place a high emphasis on brands and looking nice. Jeans are expensive and aren’t worn very much. We saw so many young ladies walking in shoes that were quite obviously uncomfortable--but evidently it was most important to look stylish than avoid foot pain.

The church in Shinkoiwa was interesting in its dress. It mirrored some American churches in some ways. All the youth were dressed casually--guys in T-shirts and pants, girls in pants and blouses. Young children were dressed either nicely by the parents, or very casually--usually ever how their parents were dressed. The older crowd dressed up, while some of the younger adults did too but there were plenty of casual clothes on Sunday morning. . . kind of like America.

The church also had similar issues that we have here. The church in Shinkoiwa was packed--they had seats on the side with terrible views so they could hold more people. They said the church had been packed for years but the one attempt at two services had some problems so they went back to one. The pastor is determined to give two services (morning and evening) another try so their church can grow. They can’t build a bigger church, they have no space--they have to use their building multiple times to reach more people.

The problems they experienced with two services were much like what I’ve seen here: “we like the service full”, “we won’t see everybody if there are two services”, “there are empty seats--people just need to find and sit in them.” These were comments given to me from the Japanese pastor--almost exactly the same comments I have heard people say at my church in Mobile. But this is in a city where there are very few Christian churches, yet there was resistance to growth through multiple services. I guess the enemy finds something that keeps us from reaching more people and if it works, he uses it worldwide. :)

What Changed Me:
I learned to be more patient with people that I share the gospel with. As our country becomes more secular, people who are seeking truth (which is Jesus) have a journey to make and we are helping them. Many of us heard hundreds of sermons and Sunday School lessons before we accepted Christ, yet we expect some lost people to trust Jesus after just a few minutes of conversation. Some can and do. But others will take time and believers have to be there for them to answer questions and live Christ in front of them.

We also have to be hospitable and welcoming to lost people as we have them in our homes and churches. Lost people don’t act, dress, or talk like believers and when we look down on them because they don’t fit in, we can lose the opportunity to lead them to Jesus.

I’m always changed by a mission trip for the better. The experience of the long journey, crossing cultural and language barriers and working with a team on a common goal helps me to see my own culture and mission better. I can see how easy it is to do the same task right here where I live. I’m reminded that I had better be doing it, even if I’m not on a “mission trip.”
Life is a mission trip.