Hey, everybody! Last week was a true journey, full of ups and downs, laughter and tears, and hope for the people of Sendai and Japan. Got a lot of ground to cover, so I'm gonna jump right in:
Last Saturday, we had two guests from the UK, Izaak and Sarah, who were sent by YWAM UK to go on a short term missions trip to Japan, as a predispose to YWAM itself and international missions, which included staying with us for a week in Sendai. For that time, we took them around the city to do various ministries, of which, to be honest, I have differentiating levels of proficiency and experience in.
On Monday, we went out to downtown to hand out ministry tracks to pedestrians, led by our teammate Tom. Considering I'm pretty shy around strangers, matched with my low level of Japanese, and you have one terrified 6'1 foreigner awkwardly holding out pamphlets to confused locals. The reactions from the Japanese were pretty mixed: some appeared to appreciate the handout, others ignored us completely, and a few politely refused our literature. The highlight of that time was us praying for guidance, which led our group to a popular import store, and Sarah handing an older woman, named Takako, a track and an encouraging cartoon drawn by Tom. She was truly touched and mentioned how she lives in Ayashi, where our base is, which led us to invite her to our local church in the area. It was awesome to see God leading us to Takako and hopefully we can bring her to church someday! Please keep her in your prayers.
On Wednesday, our other teammate, Chrissy, led us to a place I had hoped wouldn't exist in a place like Sendai: the red light district. I wasn't particularity excited on going through there, but I came along as a sort of "bodyguard" for the ladies who were walking with us. However, as we went further and further into that despicable place, I came to a realization: I'm a target. I was the one in true danger. You see, in this place are well-dressed men with slicked back hair, leading potential customers into their "clubs", who may or may not be affiliated with an infamous criminal organization. One of them even tried to get me inside, completely ignoring the two girls walking with me, but I was able to smooth talk my way out of that awkward conversation and get outta there.
As we walked along, we noticed pictures of scantily clad foreign women lining the outside of the buildings, alongside signs advertising food and drinks. The absolute worst part for me personally were the "information booths". Basically, there are these smaller buildings with the logo: "Infor-MEN-ation", outside the clubs. Looking through its window, one can see that the walls are completely covered with pictures of women, almost like a twisted menu one could order from. Whenever my group passed near one, I immediately felt nauseated and heavy, like an invisible dark hand pressing down on me. In that moment, I realized a horrific aspect of this living nightmare: I'm a single, foreign, 30-year-old man. A prime customer. A target. It was like the streets itself was a siren from Greek myth, attempting to call out to me to indulge in its perversity. But God's voice and presence is far greater than that streets' crappy song. He is within me. I am His and He is mine. Amen.
Thankfully, there was an upside to that night: in one of the red light alleyways was a park complete with an outdoor auditorium. Immediately, the atmosphere felt way clearer and peaceful, like the center of a raging typhoon. Izaak had brought a guitar with him, so we sang some worship songs and praises into the night, claiming that spot for God's kingdom. We truly feel that the park has potential for more ministry, like worship, drama, sermons, etc, and we pray that God's peace we experienced there will spread outward throughout the red light district and into all of Sendai. Amen.
I do have one more story about last week's work, but this post is already fairly long, so stay tuned next week for a historical discovery on Date Masamune! Thank you to all who've been praying last week, and to all those who've been praying and supporting my ministry here in Japan! See ya next time!
Ephesians 2:19-20:
"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone."
Ephesians 6: 10-12; 18
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms..." "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."
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