Today is day 3 in Ishinomaki, Japan.
The ministry we are helping with is J’s cafe, run by missionaries Rich and Emi. The town we are in is right on the ocean, and was hit very hard by the tsunami in 2011.
Some photos we took near our home on the ocean.
I am loving being in Japan and speaking Japanese.
Here are some cool stories God has already brought my way:
At the Toronto airport, Heidi and I got to talk to a Japanese man who was reading a book about the “Kakure Kirishitan” (Hidden Christians). They were Japanese people who held on to their faith during the 1600-1800 when Christianity was illegal in Japan. The man’s name was Jun, and he is a Christian, although he said it is hard to rub the Buddhism and Shintoism off his skin.
Jun with his book in the airport.
I also spoke to a man in the Shinjuku bus station in Tokyo, who has lived in Canada the last 30 years. I was shocked to hear he grew up in a Christian family in Akita, Japan! He is 4th generation Christian. His English name is David.
Here in Ishinomaki, we stopped in a flower shop and spoke to a very sweet lady named Utsumi. She was very open in talking to us, and gave us some carnations! There just happened to be a church across the street, and she told us the church was a huge help to the community after the tsunami hit in 2011. She is not Christian, but we prayed for her, and Molly gave her a cross-stitched cross.
Prayers:
Please be praying for these 3 people I have gotten to have conversations with!
Also pray for the spiritual atmosphere here. We can sense spiritual darkness. There are many buddhist temples and cemeteries we walk by. Rich, our host, said many people have suppressed their feelings after the tsunami, and have not allowed themselves to grieve the great loss they experienced.
There is a subculture of people in Japan called Hikikomori. They are so burnt out by the culture of performance, that they have locked themselves in their houses and never leave or interact with other people. Rich told us Ishinomaki has the most Hikikomori of any city in Japan. Here is an article to read more about this: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23182523
Personal prayer:
My grandpa seems to be in his last days and could pass away any day here. Please pray for God’s peace for my family.
God bless you!
Here is a video of the travel day!
