MTO Proposal
日本
(Details to be edited)
My Name is Carly, I am young but with Jesus by my
side I can make a change.
~And
so can You
Introduction
Last
year (2011) in March there was a tsunami/earthquake, I know that although the
incident was tragic and sorrowful, to look on the good side and know that the
people have been robed from their basic needs and will be lead to think the
questions like “Why am I here?”, “Is there a God out there ?”, “Why me” these
questions can be answered with the knowledge of Jesus. Unfortunately Jesus
isn’t known much in Japan.
Christianity in Japan compared to
neighboring nations
I have to explain this first because
doing mission work in Japan is very different from doing it somewhere where the
people might be more accepting. You have to understand Japanese mind set. I done
lots of studying on Christianity in Japan and surrounding areas. Christianity
has been in Japan for over 150 years but then why are there so few believers? Dr. Minoru Okuyama who is the
director of the Missionary Training Centers in Japan said “Japanese people
value human relationships more than truth and principle”
·
China It is well known that China has a large
Christian community and with the country being a communist country there are
laws against preaching the truth and yet they strive and stay faithful. They
put Truth before human relationship.
·
South Korea
South Korea also has the world’s largest church which has more than 800,000
people attending. They put Truth before human relationship.
·
Japan
Japan has
the 10th highest population in the world and is ranked 62th in land size. The
population of people who say that they believe “there is a God” is only 15% and
the population that believe “Jesus is Lord and the only way to the Father is
through him” is only 1%. Many of the churches in Japan are small and normally
have a low Youth attendance. But the Christians that are there are strong and
when they worship they worship joyfully, sincerely, and proudly.
Understanding Japanese mindset
Japanese
highly value human relationship and care about how they are seen by their
neighbors, coworkers, classmates, friends and family, especially the adults.
They don’t want to bother others and instead try to deal with things alone and
are very independent. One example of this is the suicide rate. Japan is known
for having a very massive amount of people who commit suicide yearly. There are
many things that can lead a person to commit something so drastic but one of
the reasons that they chose suicide over seeking help is because they don’t
want to inconvenience anybody.
The Need
Japan is
not often seen as “in need” because it is neither a third world country nor a communist
country. Not to say that there are no missionaries that go there, but fewer
than many other countries. The Japanese need to know that they are loved (as
dose everyone) so that they may live a life of true happiness and share their
happiness with others Jesus said “Go into the world and perch the good news to
everyone”, My proposal is that we go and experience the different culture and
see how a Christian living there can share the good news. We would be in
fellowship with our fellow Jesus Freaks, and see the passion of the people who
grew up with no hope but are thankful to have found it.
INFO:
Funding
Money
should not be a problem for anyone. I am hoping to have a bottle twice a month,
two different kinds. 1. at the Main campus 2. In communities. Also each student can write letters to their
friends and family asking for donations. We could also set up a place in the
main campus to let the people in the church know what this mission’s trip is
all about, and people can contribute. I also have would like the sign up time
to be as soon as possible so we can get somewhat of an idea on the price (keeping
in mind that we will have to have plane tickets).
When
and for how long?
I am hoping for July 9th to July 16th of 2013 a two week trip may seem a bit long
but if you have been on an MTO before you know that the day before you get back
you wish you could stay longer. Details about where we can stay can be
discussed with the church we will work with.
What
is our connection to Japan?
I am attempting to set up a new connection to
Japan. Since we don’t have any yet I am hoping to JLH Osaka (Jesus Lifehouse
Osaka) and CSC (Center Street Church) will become partner churches. Why Jesus
Lifehouse Osaka? Jesus Lifehouse Osaka Is the Perfect Church to work with
because…
1.
Services are
bilingual.
2.
There are Lots of youth.
3.
They are a very
active and growing church.
Contact them at: luke.lifehouse@gmail.com
In
the Future…
If all goes well I think this trip should be
considered to become an annual MTO. Everyone deserves a chance to hear the good
news and make the choice. This trip will not only impact the Japanese but also
the youth that go on the trip in a huge way! When Jesus walked the earth he was
a man of relationship and pure love, who can deny unconditional love, that is
that way to change the world
~Go
into the world and perch the good news to everyone