Gary and Naoko in Japan

Here are a few reasons why the Japanese people desperately need to know God's amazing love for them and why Japan needs more missionaries: The population is over 127 million, but less than 1% know Jesus . The main religion is a mix of Shinto & Buddhism. Out of 692 large cities, 86 only have 1 church, and 10 large cities have no church at all . There is approximately one church per 16,300 people in Japan. The average church attendance is around 35 people . Japan has fewer baptised Christians than some Muslim countries. Christians find it hard to find time to study the Bible and focus on God because of pressures from society to work hard, long hours with little rest. Many Christians tend not to share their faith with friends due to a cultural pressure of not wanting to offend. New Christians can face the risk of being disowned by family due to the pressure of ancestor worship, a tradition that has been passed down through many generations. Though Japan is materially well ...

What a week! After many months of praying about the future and waiting to hear back after applying to serve with Youth With A Mission in Tokyo, I finally heard back. Last Thursday I was informed that YWAM would like me to join them! Praise God!! I also received my results from university on Saturday. They would like to award me with a 2:1 degree in computer studies! Now I must wait until July to be able to wear a flat hat and cape. Awesome. I will feel special indeed. Okay, so the plan is to join YWAM Tokyo in September where I will focus on Japanese language and culture training as well as spending time reaching out to young people in order to make Christ known. I’ll be involved in the setting up and running of various events such as worship nights, a coffee shop, English lessons, art lessons, music and dance lessons and Bible studies, as well as meeting Japanese students and building links between them and the church. I will also have an opportunity to use skills I ...