Tokyo Team

Airport

After Peter’s flight left we came to our nearly empty terminal. Sitting across from us was a couple going to Brazil. They struck up a conversation with us and asked where we were going and what we would be doing there. We told them that we were going to Japan in a Trek 7 trip. Although we didn’t know a lot of the details at the time, we told them that we would be doing different things there including teaching English. They were excited and told us that they were Christians and that several people they knew were Christians.

The woman then asked if we were “praying folk,” to which we excitedly said “yes!” She pulled out her phone and tuned on the lock screen. “It’s my son.” On the lock screen was a young man in a hospital garb, bald, smiling, going through chemo. She told us how he his cancer was one that was hard to cure and that he was going through chemo in a desperate attempt to save his life. What amazed me more was this man’s attitude. He saw his diagnosis as having no downside. Either he live and got to spend more time with his wife and kids, or he got to go be with Jesus. Even though he wasn’t there, his faith, and his parent’s faith, amazed us, affirming our decision to go on this trip.

Please pray for their son, Brent.

PRAY YAMANOTE

 For those of you who, like me, can’t read kanji (Chinese characters) the lime green train line is the Yamanote (Yah-mah-no-teh) train line. The Yamanote line makes a circle around the middle of Tokyo. The ministry gathers believers to ride the whole Yamanote line and pray for Tokyo. Each time they also get off at one of the many stations and pray for the station.

Our group met the group at one of the train stations. Many Christians were gathered, both short-term teams like Trek 7 and long-term missionaries, all praying for Japan to glorify Christ. We rode the Yamanote line, praying for the people riding on the train along with praying for Japan as a whole. Some people prayed quietly in groups, others read their Bibles, some sat or wrote quietly, and some listened to worship music.

We got off at the Shinagawa (She-nah-gah-wah) station. This station is over 100 years old, making it one of the oldest stations in Tokyo. It is near many offices in Tokyo and many salary men get off at this station. In Japan, an average work week is about 60 hours a week or more. The Japanese try to find meaning in their work and rank instead of in Christ. Despite all the time and effort they put into their work, many realize that it seems fulfilling and commit suicide.

Praying in the train was an amazing experience. Despite the fact that it took over an hour to ride the whole track, we didn’t run out of things to pray about. I have the feeling that we could ride the train line from the first train (5:00AM) to the last train (11:00PM) and not run out of things to pray about.

Colossians 1:9-14

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualifies you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He as delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Day 1: Arriving in MN

I arrived in MN safe and sound (despite the fact that both planes had lots of turbulence). I met the other team mates that I will be working with. My team will have three girls and two boys.
We had a pizza dinner and played intense Uno (our game lasted at least twenty-five min.).

Count Down: 2 Days

Where is home?

Being a Christian, I have heard the phrase "we're not home yet." While I agree with what the phrase is saying, where would our "home away from home" be? While I am tempted to say "with my family" or "in my house" (both are true), that is not really the point of being "aliens and strangers" where we live. It does not mean that we won't or don't have a home down here (on Earth). Our homes on Earth are more like temporary living arrangements. It is like living in a tent. It is not something you would want to do forever, but it gets the job done. 

Aliens and Strangers

First let me define what I don't mean by "home." Home is not the building that you live in. To keep is simple I'll call that a house. House=building. Families move, but they still live in a home.

I also don't mean a place. Like "the mountains feel like home to me" is not what I am getting at. 

We are called to live as aliens and strangers. That means that we live our lives (according to the Bible) and because we follow the Bible, our actions will stand out. People who don't belong stand out. Let's say you see a picture. this picture is black except for a single green dot. What do you notice first? While you take in the black background, your eyes are drawn to the green dot because it stands out. In the same way a Christian's actions are to stand out against the world. 

Christians don't fit the world's idea of normal. They don't meet the status quot. However you want to say it, there is something that separates Christians from the rest of the world.

Re: Home?

So, if out home is not a building, or a place we live, where is it? Our home is with other believers. When I am in a group of believers, I get this feeling of wholeness. This thought of, this is where I am meant to be. Most people would call it contentedness. I think of it more along the lines of true freedom. When I am in a group of people following God, I can be who I am because they will love me no matter what. They will spur me on to be better that I thought I could be. They will be happy when something good has happened to me, and sad when something bad has happened. 

Each person might have a different race, gender, interest, or background, but we are all united by one thing: Jesus on the cross. 

Church Shooting

This week there was a shooting at a historic black church. When the shooter was caught he said his goal was to start a civil war between whites and blacks. Rather than causing racial tensions to become even more strenuous, it has had the opposite effect. It has united the black communities and the white communities. 

Nothing was more powerful than the picture I saw on TV. In a nearby church, a service was being held in honor of those who died. The entire church was full. Every seat was full. People were crammed in to every isle. It was like a massive sea of faces, half of them black, and half of them white. But in that church I noticed one thing even more--a group of true believers praying for a community, who, thorough tragedy, was slowly being healed. 

Count Down: 8 Days

"Christianity 13" was written by Mark Reid (ZthePhoenix) in a app (for D.S.) called Flipnote. Flip note was accessible by most countries and was a site where people could publish animations or messages. This was one of many Flipnotes to help Christians and Non-Christians through out the world. I hope it changes your life as much as it changed mine. 

Christianity 13

What is a Christian?

Many people going to church on Sunday makes then a Christian.

Others assume that they are Christian because their family is Christian.

Or because they say grace before they eat.

Or maybe they know the Ten Commandments, and can even recite the books of the Bible.

Sorry to say but that stuff doesn’t make you a Christian.

That’s like calling yourself a good person just because you give to charity.

A criminal can give to charity.

Being a Christian is so much more that going to church or being a good.

“The Lord does not look at the things man look at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16:7

You can’t fool God.

Yet, that is what many of us think we’re doing.

We pretend, day in and day out, hiding behind what we think is a ‘Christian’ mask.

You wanna know what a real Christian is?

A follower of Jesus Christ.

“Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33

Jesus said that.

He has already looked at you heart. He knows who’s real and who isn’t.

Today’s ‘Christians’ value this world and things that they have more that salvation.

They’d rather watch T.V. that go tell someone, “Hey Jesus loves you and wants to save you.”

“Hey, I go to Church on Sunday!” Okay, what did you do for that rest of the week?

“Well I would give up anything for Jesus!” No. You wouldn’t.

How do I know? Because you said ‘I would.’

Jesus didn’t ask if you would or not.

He said, “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”

If you said ‘would’ then that means you haven’t yet.

We tend to put Jesus on a waiting list. We want to get all of our fun in first.

Then maaaybe on your deathbed you’ll call on Jesus.

You may not even get a deathbed.

More and more people these days, especially teens, are instantly cut off from this life.

They don’t get a chance to utter that final prayer.

You could pray right now. But hey, it’s your choice not mine.

I thought I was a Christian before. I just wanted to go to heaven.

The idea of knowing God had never crossed my mind.

But when I said “Jesus, my life and everything in it is yours….”

That’s when I crossed the border between fake and real.

I didn’t even know that I could know God until then.

People think being saved is all about going to heaven.

If you are truly saved, you’ll go to heaven, but the most important part of salvation is knowing God.

Nothing even compares to this.

When you know Him, it won’t matter to you when someone tells you ‘God’s not real.’

When you know Him, you do everything in your power to accomplish his will.

You sacrifice time. You sacrifice money. And even Talents and gifts to do his will.

All because you love him.

Because from the moment you begin to know God, you’ll understand what love really is.

This is something you can only understand by experiencing it yourself. I can’t make you know God.

I can’t reveal Him to you. You have to search for Him.

God says you’ll find him if you search with all our heart.

He’s not hiding from us.

We are hiding from Him.

We bury ourselves in the cares and worries of this world, just to keep our minds busy.

That way, we won’t have to ponder, “Why am I here?”

That is what our minds are programed to wonder.

We were made with that question embedded in our minds, so that we would look for the answer.

So, what is the answer to all of this?

God says, “I AM.”

May the Lord bless all who read this.

Count Down: 13 Days

Are all Christians Called to Missions?

            I have often heard that the answer to this question is yes, but with some qualifiers. They say that all Christians should be “Mission Focused.” While I agree, being “mission focused” and being a missionary are completely different.

The Call to Missions

            Only some Christians are called to Missions. They have to be willing to leave everything behind in order to spread the Gospel. They have to be able to travel and use skills they have for missions. Missionaries are called to “go and tell.” The rest of the Church is to be “come and see.”

“Come and See”

            Those Christians who are not called to missions still have an important job to do in the Church. If you are not involved with your Church, you’re not doing it right. “Missionaries plant churches. Most Christians are the Church (Gospel Meditations for Missions).”  So, if the vast majority of Christians, what must the church do?

Support Missionaries

            If the Church does not support missionaries, how can the (universal) Church grow? People in the Church are called to (1) live like Christ and (2) be prepared to share their faith. That is all that is talked about in the Bible. However, growth is paramount for the Church.

Welcome new believers

            The Church must welcome new believers, regardless of their background. If the Church does not welcome people, who would want to be saved? This is bigger than you might think. I know many people who quit going to Church because they felt outcast there. They thought “If God’s people don’t want me, then God does not want me.” As the Church you are literally to represent God on earth. 

What is anime and manga?

When people think of Japan, they often think of anime, manga, and all games Nintendo. However, what is thing called anime? Why do people watch it? Is it good or bad? What should the Christian stand-point be? I will strive to talk about this topic, explain what it is, and how Christians should view it.

Anime

"Anime" is short for animation, but in North America usually refers only to Japanese animation. Anime is not a genre, but a type of media. Like TV shows with actors, there are many genres within anime. You can have a romance anime, or a sci-fi anime. Because of this, almost everyone can find something they enjoy. 

The Good

Anime comes in all different styles and genres, so everyone can find something they like. Anime also appeals to many different age ranges. Some are meant for ten-year-olds, while others are meant only for mature audiences. Some are fun and playful, while others are serious . Anime truly has something for everyone. 

One thing I personally like about anime is the "special effects" (ex. explosions) don't look out of place or low budget. If you can imagine it, and you can draw it, it can be in a show. Many shows have characters or settings that are just not possible to do with real actors or sets. One show takes place on a planet similar to the Wild West, but has three suns and seven moons. Another show has the characters use magic that is just not possible for Hollywood studios yet. Also, anime is cheaper to make than live action shows, so you often get more bang for your buck. 

The Bad

Because it is so diverse, there are many bad shows (often called "hentai" or dirty) that give anime a bad name. Like any other form of media, you have to preview what you watch before you watch it. Just like America TV, some shows are good, whereas others are not. Once Upon A Time is a good show to watch as a family, Game of Thrones is not. Viewer discretion is advised for anime and for life.
Another reason that I have heard not to watch anime is because of the lack of Christian anime makes. Well, Japan is less than 1% Christian, and many (as in most) American script writers are not Christian or do not write about Christianity. Saying you can't support something because the country it comes from is not predominately Christian is foolish. Last time I checked, China is not predominately Christian, but most stuff in America comes from China.
What I am trying to say is: Truth is truth no matter where it comes from. Good is good, no matter where it comes from.

Manga

"Manga" (Mon-gah) is the Japanese name for comics. Unlike American comics, manga is read from right to left because Japanese is read from right to left. Sometimes manga is flipped to be read "the American way," but is most often left in the original format. Many animes (like Naruto) are biased off of a manga/comic that came first.

The Good

Like anime, manga has something for everyone. One of my friends likes romance manga. I like action manga. If you like it, you can find it (almost, but more about that later). 

Manga is often easier to read than anime. Read anime? Why would you read a show? Many anime are "subbed" (subtitled in English, but the audio is Japanese) and are often hard to understand because of how fast the subtitles need to be read. Manga, on the other hand, allows you to take as much time with each page as you need. 

The Bad

The number one thing that disappoints me about manga is the fact that there are few super-hero mangas. Americans comics are almost exclusively super-hero, but mangas are rarely like that. 

Again, just like with anime, you have to be careful what you read. 

 

Count Down: 14 Days

I leave for Japan in two weeks. Before I go to Japan, I will be in MN for two days for training. So, really, I will be leaving Wichita in two weeks. I am going to try and post every day about something that God has been teaching me. We'll see how this works.

Today I am going to post something from the devotion book that I have been reading to prepare for my trip.

From Gospel Meditations for Missions Day 9

Romans 8:28

            And we know God causes everything to work together for those who love Gad and are called according to his purpose.

            But [Paul’s] plans kept changing. There were obstacles. Like stonings. Team conflict. Traveling mobs. They know they would face persecution, but never know when, or where, or what, or from whom.

            …But we misuse the text (Romans 8:28) as a cliché: Whenever someone loses a job, or has a finder bender, several church members are bound to quip, ‘All things work together.’… That all may be true, but it’s not the point of the verse.

            Let’s not cheapen Romans 8:28 by confining it to the temporal or making it all about us. God is at work in all things to conform us to the image of His son (Romans 8:29).  This inner transformation demands missional outflow, seeing that we are conforming to the One who is constantly seeking the lost.  Paul’s interpretation of ‘all things work together for good’ was not some vague hope of a better situations in the future, nor a passive acknowledgement that someday he might understand the sovereign patchwork….but Paul focused and acted upon one explanation of which he was certain: God sends the saved people to the lost people, and He wants them to preach the Gospel….

            Paul shows us how to see and seize opportunities with confidence in God’s control over events—not for a nebulous ‘good,’ but for the specific good of Gospel advance. It’s like getting new eyes to see the Gospel designs in our seasons of pain or frustration. In the middle of your affliction, with whom can you share Christ?  

The ‘good’ God promises may be a lower paying job with a lost coworker that has been ripening for harvest. A Cornelius. An Ethiopian eunuch. A woman at the well. What if God is choosing you as his messenger, right now, right here?  Your hardship is for God’s glory. And for the coworker’s good. And, if you love God, for your good, too.

…He loves unfurling His glorious Gospel. Because God is ordering your steps, because He is on a grand campaign to draw people to Himself, and because he wants you to proclaim the Gospel, therefore, you can safely assume that the weird, painful, or frustrating things that just happened must certainly have something to do with the Gospel expansion….

God’s yellow pad is smarter than yours. Detours provide new networks to spread the message of eternal joy. For Gospel-centered, God-loving people, what could be better? 

Fundraising Update 3: Fundraising Complete

I have made my goal of raising all the money that I needed to go on this trip! I can't thank you enough for all your support.

Several things happen when preparing for a mission trip. Excitement for what is to come, panic because you are now questioning why you agreed to go. Fear that you will for get something you need, among many other emotions. But one thing unique about mission trips is the heart preparation. While I am on this trip, I will be reading several books. The first one is one that I have already started called Gospel Meditations for Missions.  Despite the high level of vocabulary used (who uses "addendum"?), it has been very good.
We will also be reading The Fuel and the Flame and Live Like You Mean It.

Fundraising Update 2

  At this point I am about 70% funded. Tomorrow (May 5th) is when I will learn the ticket price for going to Japan. I feel confident that I will be able to go on this trip. One of the books (other than the Bible) that has influenced me to go on a mission trip is the book Radical by David Platt. He challenged you to spend 2% of your time in another context. That is one week. That 2% will effect your thinking and outlook for the other 98% of your time. This trip is not just what I can do for others, but it is also a learning time for me. God often uses the craziest things to teach us his lessons. If you are anything like me, you learn the hard way.

One of the things God often uses to teach me is books. I love to read. I love plots and characters. But sometimes I read a topical book. These books often help me grow the most. Here is an excerpt that I have been thinking about recently.

From Radical

            We have seen the cost of following Jesus. Give up everything you have. Sell your possessions, and give to the poor. Go to places of great need and great danger, where you may lose your life. Give your life for the sake of Christ among the nations. The cost of picking up a cross and following Jesus is steep. It cost you everything you have. But in the end, the reward is sweet. You gain more that you ever had.

            In the words of Jesus, “No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred time as much in this present age… and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30) When you do the math on this, this really is no sacrifice. In the introduction to Jim Elliot’s biography, his wife, Elisabeth, wrote a summary of is life and death that seems most appropriate at this point. She said:

Jim’s aim was to know God. His course, obedience—the only course that could lead to the fulfillment of his aim. His end was what some would call an extraordinary death, although in facing death he had quietly pointed out that many have died because obedience to God.

He and the other men whom he died with were hailed as heroes, “martyrs.” I do not approve. Nor would they have approved.

Is the distinction between living for Christ and dying for Him, after all, so great? Is not the second the logical conclusion of the first? Furthermore, to live for God is to die, “daily,” As the apostle Paul put it. It is to lose everything that we may gain Christ. It is in thus laying down our lives that we find them.

As Elisabeth Elliot points out, not even dying a martyr’s death is classified as extraordinary obedience when you are following a Savior who died on a cross. Suddenly a martyr’s death seems like normal obedience.

            So what happens when radical obedience to Christ becomes the new normal? Are you willing to see? You have a choice. You can cling to short-term treasures that you cannot keep, or you can live for long-term treasures that you cannot lose: people coming to Christ; men, women, and children living because they now have food; unreached tribes receiving the gospel. And the all-consuming satisfaction of knowing and experiencing Christ as the treasures above all others.

            You and I have an average of about seventy or eighty years on this earth. During these years we are bombarded with the temporary. Make money. Get stuff. Be comfortable. Live well. Have fun. In the middle of it all, we get blinded to the eternal. But it’s there. You and I stand on the porch of eternity. Both of us will soon stand before God to give an account for out stewardship of the time, resources, the gifts, and ultimately the gospel he has entrusted to us. When that day comes, I am convinced we will not wish we had given more of ourselves to living the American dream. We will not wish that we had made more money, acquired more stuff, lived more comfortable, taken more vacations, watched more television, pursued greater retirement, or been more successful in the eyes of the world. Instead we will wish we had given more or ourselves to living for the day when every nation, tribe, people, and language will bow around the throne and sing praises of the Savior who delights in radical obedience and the God who deserves eternal worship.

            Are you ready to live for this dream? Let’s not wave any longer.

            Pg. 215-217

Fundraising Update 1

So far, so good, as far as fundraising goes, or so I assume because I haven't done this before.  Right now I am 33% funded on what I think the final cost of the trip will be. That's amazing! Thank you for helping me go on this trip!

On May 1st I will receive the cost of the plain ticket from MN(USA) to Japan. By May 4th I will make a decision; if I can afford to go to Japan or not. If I end up not going to Japan this year, I will go next year, and I'll have a huge head start on the fundraising.

But the real question is: When does God want me to go? I know that if I go this year, God will provide the money. And I know if I don't, God wants me to wait a year. To me, the most important thing is what God wants. When I try and have things go my way, they fail in one way or another (or in a lot of ways). On the other hand, if it is truly what God wants it won't fail!

Romans 8:31-39
For what shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He how did not spare his own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charges against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written:
"For you sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
No! In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor present things, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Look around in the world. Can you see the amazing things God has done? One book that shows this is the book The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken. This book is about the persecuted church and how it is growing despite persecution. For most of the places I thought, We have Christians there? And the Gospel is spreading?! Awesome!! I know that where ever I am, God can use me. Just that fact alone, proven by the amazing stories in the book, give my peace and joy.

Again, thank you for donating and reading this far. Hopefully I haven't rambled too long.
If you have any questions email me at kayla.wilson51@yahoo.com

Kayla Wilson
4/19/2015

Support Letter

Missions Trip to Tokyo

Dear Reader,

Hi! This year I will be graduating from Trinity Academy. I am planning to go to Emporia State University in the fall and major in Nursing. This summer I have been given the opportunity to go to Tokyo, Japan with a summer program called Trek 7 with the mission agency ReachGlobal.

For my mission trip I will be in Japan for seven weeks (thus the name Trek 7). At first Tokyo seems like a strange place for a mission trip. Tokyo is a modern city like many in the U.S. so, why would I go to Tokyo? In Japan less than 1% of the population is Christian. Japan is an unreached place, despite being a modern country. In Japan the number one killer of men ages 20-44 is suicide. Hope seems gone from this nation, but as Christians we have the ultimate hope. The reason Trek 7 is bringing a team to Japan is to show how much better Christ is compared to the things of this world. On this trip we will be partnering with the local church in Tokyo. Half of the time will be spent working in our hearts, preparing us for the possibility that God may have called us to long term missions. The other half will be helping the local church with things like helping with Bible Studies, teaching English, and hosting events.

First and foremost, I ask you to pray for this trip. Without God this trip will be a waste of time and money.  The second thing that I ask is: would you consider supporting me on this mission trip? As a high schooler, and soon college student, I have lots of free time, but money, not so much. Together, we can partner to help reach Japan, with some sending and some going. This trip is going to cost $3,000 plus airfare. I am going to pay for as much as I can, but I can only pay for a fraction of the price. Thank you for your prayers and support.  Once again I want to stress that the thing I need first and foremost is prayer for the trip. Thank you for reading this and please keep me and my team in your prayers.

            Please make checks payable to EFCA ReachGlobal. (Send to the address 901 E. 78^th St. Minniapolis, MN 55420) The Trek 7 website is: http://go.efca.org/opportunities/ways-serve/tokyo-trek7.

Thank You,

Kayla Wilson

Why "If to Live is Christ"

You most likely have seen this phrase and know how it ends. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Paul says this in Philippians 1:21. But why title a blog this?  Well, you might notice that instead of “to live” it says “if to live.” I’m one of those people that take the Bible at face value.  If the Bible says something is true, then it is true. The Bible says, “…to live is Christ and to die is gain,” so it must be true. Well that is great and all, but what does that mean? In this blog I am going to be talking about the Christian life and different topics that relate to Christianity. So, if to live is Christ what does that mean for me and the way I live my life? Hopefully, because of this blog, you will have a greater understanding of what living for Christ means. And so, without further ado, If to Live is Christ…