Missions and Travel in Asia

“What are we good at?” Professor Naoto asks the chapel participants. “Koreans are good at prayer. Taiwanese are good at singing,” he continues. “We, Japanese, are good at thinking.” Everyone at the seminary chapel laughs. I give out a big smile of approval. I am guessing this group of Japanese Christians is making fun of themselves. Everyone seems to take the joke well.

Last month of June, 2016, I was in Japan, around the areas of Osaka city and Kobe city. I went with a music team from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, for a mission trip, to visit different Free Methodist churches and two seminaries. Most of us were there for two weeks. At the Kansai Biblical Seminary in Kobe, we visited the chapel service where I spoke on “Seeing the Lord’s Harvest” and shared about some ways to prepare for the harvest happening around the world. Professor Naoto is the current Dean of this small seminary. After the service, our team had a good time of fellowship with the seminary students. We made promises of hosting them when they come to Taiwan. Professor Naoto also expressed his desire to visit our seminary, Holy Light Theological Seminary, in Kaohsiung. We ended our meeting with a renewed commitment to be future partners in the Lord’s work.

On another day, we visited Osaka Bible College and shared at its chapel service. I spoke on the same topic about the Lord’s harvest in missions. Again, I heard the joke about Japanese people being good at thinking. Come to think of it! This was the reason why I came to Japan. I wanted to help local Christians think about the Lord’s harvest around the world. Prayer and singing would naturally come whenever we as Christians come together. However, thinking would need a little help, the assistance of an outsider, like myself, to come and challenge national leaders to seriously think about missions and global issues.

Next month, August 2016, I will be in Cambodia for a time of teaching. I will participate in the YLMC (Young Leaders Mission Congress) of APFMMA (Asia Pacific Free Methodist Missions Association), an FM ministry. I will speak on the topic: “A Biblical Theology of Mission.” Most of the participants will be young leaders and pastors who have a passion for missions work among our Asia FM ministries. At this congress, I hope to see participants thinking about God’s work, to seriously consider their role in the Lord’s harvest around the world and to examine missional concepts from Scriptures so that they can be informed. We will pray. We will sing. And we will be thinking about God’s work in the world.Miss