God's Love for Japan

For many years, Austin Chinese Church has been sending a short-term mission team to Ishinomaki, Japan, a city hit hard by the tsunami of 2011, to serve the local church, help with relief, and continue the tough work of bringing the Gospel to a nation where so few believe the good news of Christ. Although COVID-19 put a temporary halt to this annual mission trip, by the grace of God a team from our church and Fort Bend Community Church were able to return to Ishinomaki this August to pick up where we left off in 2019.

And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. Luke 9:16-17, ESV

Most of our missionaries had joined one of the previous trips to Ishinomaki, but this would be my first time joining the team. Even though I wasn't sure what to expect, I knew that this year's trip would be a bit different from the ones before: we were going later in the year (which meant hotter weather in Japan and a smaller team since the school year was starting soon), and we weren't sure what to expect after not returning for the last few years. What could we do with the meager 14 members and 2 weeks we had? Would the local community even open up to a group of foreigners after Japan had closed its borders for so long?

But Christ reminds us that he does not need us to provide the great resources needed to build his kingdom. Even when his disciples intended to send the crowd of thousands home, thinking that satisfying such a crowd with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish was an impossible task, Jesus fed them all with plenty to spare. He had a plan for our team; we were weak but our God was strong.

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 1:6-8, ESV

Indeed, while we were in Ishinomaki, we found that there was so much we could do! Most of our time was spent at Watanoha Christ Church, helping Pastor Rimpei and his wife Akemi-san with various tasks that they didn't have the time or energy to do on their own. We pulled weeds, planted flowers, repainted signs, fixed lights, and even helped lead worship during Sunday service! Each day, we also always had a few team members helping Akemi-san run her classes for the local children. We helped teach English, run crafts and games, and we were able to host a couple barbecues at the church, which the parents were also invited to attend. At some point we discovered that the family of some of the kids ran an oyster farm close to the church, and we spent the last couple weekdays helping out their business as well!

Each day was hectic; we met each morning to figure out the day's schedule, and so much of our time was spent doing simple, laborious work out in the high heat and humidity. There wasn't a single day that passed without at least a whole trash bag of weeds being pulled up. When would we get the chance to share the Gospel with someone? When would God finally use our team to bring new citizens into His Kingdom, and not just to clean up his garden?

It's true, our team didn't accomplish any great feats in Japan or start a revival during our time there. And yet, somehow, at the end of our short stay in Ishinomaki, God still turned our simple efforts into people walking into a church service for the first time, and many parents even offered to drive us to the train station as we left on the last day! How strange is God's grace, that even with our language barrier, our team and the families we met were eager to see each other again next year.

For myself, this trip has continued to reinforce so much of what I've been learning as a young adult these last few years. God is mighty, and we are simply called to follow Him in His mission to build His kingdom. He's given us plenty of talent and capability to serve Him in a multitude of ways, but when we pridefully take these skills and start to forge our own path forward, He will surely remind us that His way is better, and Christ is enough.

The prayer of one of the church members at Watanoha Christ Church still echoes in my heart: that God would bring revival to Japan like He has done in many other countries. I hope it's one that I can also pray for each day as I return to the responsibilities God has given me here in Austin. And I'd love for it to happen quickly, a takeover of faith like the Jews expected the Christ to bring about two thousand years ago. But God has His own plan for Japan; He's already deep into planning and execution, for His love towards this people is far greater than all of ours combined, no less than when Christ gave His life on the cross for them so long ago. His seeds are slowly starting to take root, and before long His Kingdom shall grow into something more marvelous than what we can imagine.

If God still needs people to pull weeds and farm oysters in the summer heat next year, sign me up. It will surely be the best and quickest way to see His Kingdom blossom, and I want to be there to celebrate when revival finally comes!

With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.

Mark 4:30-32, ESV