Last week I had the privilege of visiting Pastor Cho from the Ochakko Tea House in Ishinomaki. This is the relief project center started by Hongodai Christian Fellowship from Yokohama, Japan. Over the last three years they have seen 30 people come to Christ and baptized which is quite a remarkable story.
Pastor Cho, who is a Korean missionary assigned by the Hongodai Church to plant a church in this center shared with me that he recently baptized two people and that he has a faith goal of baptizing 20 more people in 2014. That’s an impressive step of faith!
I asked him if things were different since the tsunami, and he shared that he completely changed his paradigm for ministry. For the past 30 years, he has simply shared his faith using a variety of tools like the Four Spiritual Laws. Now, he ministers to peoples needs and listens to them share their loss, grief and pain. The entire community around the project sees this place as a place of hope and frequently visit there to receive the latest news of what is happening around town. It has become the center of activity for the surrounding area.
In the midst of Pastor Cho’s listening to people, many have come to faith in Christ. He’s eager to get more people to serve in the community center as he cannot leave to visit others. There is so much need that people are coming in and out throughout the day. In fact, while we were there 4-5 people visited in less than 2 hours.
God continues to do amazing things in Japan like this and we’re praying for this harvest season. Would you join me in this prayer:
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest,
therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
- Matt. 9:37-38
Is the Lord calling you? The harvest is ripe and the need is great… Come, join us for this mighty harvest season.
Learn more here: http://go2japan.org/
Praying fervently,
Joe
