No Access: The 10/40 Window

"The issue is not lostness but access to the Gospel." --Xplore (pg. 12)

Most people that have grown up within the church at least have heard about the 10/40 window. The 10/40 window stretches from 10 degrees latitude to 40 degrees latitude encompassing West Africa to East Asia.

Taken from joshuaproject.net 

The thing that separates people that are living in the 10/40 window from people who are not Christians living outside the 10/40 window is access. In the United State, even if you are not a Christian, you could find a Church, a Christian, or a bookstore with the Bible and Christian books. Point being, that you could find about Christianity if you wanted to. But in the countries within the 10/40 window you couldn't even find out about Christianity if you wanted to. You could live your entire life and never meet a Christian.

They have no access. 

Because they have no access, they need missionaries to go there more than any other place in the world. While we need missionaries in every country, many countries at least have access to the Gospel. Around 10% of all missionaries are even going to the unreached. And believe me, 10% is an generous estimate, some believe that it is more around 5%!


On top of that, only 2 cents for every dollar for missions goes to the unreached and 10/40 window. If you thought the wage gap was bad for men to women, look at the wage gap for missionaries going to the unreached!

Why are they unreached? 

I want to clarify a few things first:

1. They are not unreached because of sin. Everyone is separated from God because of sin. That's a human affliction, not a regional one.

2. They are not unreached because they are in places so remote that no one can get there. Most of the people in the 10/40 window live in places you can reach in 72 hours. You could be in Beijing, Tokyo, India, or Egypt in a few days.


The reasons that they remain unreached today are complicated. Many of the places were the origins for various religions. The Middle East gave birth to Islam. Buddhism is from China, Shintoism is from Japan, and Hinduism is from India. Things like Communism (non-religious) and Sharia Law remain barriers in many places, even if they are no longer the Nation's law.

Some of these governments are oppressive to Christians. Others have very negative connotations of foreigners.

I could go on, but I think you get the point. Some places have hostile environments.

The real reason so many places remain unreached. 

 The real reason that so many people have not heard the gospel is because we have chosen not to reach them.

From Gospel Meditations for Missions:

Paul taught us that the essence of mission is going places where Christ is not already named (Romans 16:20--It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not build on someone else’s foundation.) I don’t understand why church planters so frequently ignore the little word not. The mission is not to plant the coolest church in town, but the only church in town. Why target The Bible Belt when so many places don’t even have a Bible? Roughly 35% of the world has no access to the Gospel. I'm not talking about the people in your neighborhood who have never heard "a clear presentation or the Gospel" (but you could if you would just cross the street). I'm talking about the 2,400,000,000 people who couldn't find a church if they tried. How is this possible? How many of our mission workers are even targeting them? I might be satisfied with a proportionate 35%. But get this: it's less than 5%! Tip a waitress 5% and she'll spit in our soup the next time you order lunch. Five measly percent is a yawn in the face of the Great Commissioner, a shrug at the plight of the damned. It's tantamount to telling the unreached to go to Hell.

Forgive my candor, but I don't know how else to verbalize what our inaction is communicating. We're cloistered in climate-controlled cathedrals, feasting while billions can't even find a drop of Water. "We do not well! This is a day of good tidings!" (2 Kings 7:9) Our main problem isn't fear. Certainly we prefer our crosses guilded, not bloody--but there's a bigger issue. Christ is not our life (Philippians 1:21--For to live is Christ and to die is gain). We're self-absorbed. Distracted. Apathetic. Unimpressed at the stunning honor of fulfilling biblical prophecies. Passionate about anything other than harvest fields of unreached souls--unreached not because they're unreachable, but because we've chosen not to reach them.

All of this his leaves me (Kayla) with just one question: What is more important to you: your comfort, money, and friends which are all temporal, or the thousands of people, whom Jesus died for, who are eternal.

Who do you love more: yourself or God? One cannot serve two masters.

 

Christianity in Action: The Dropbox

Of all of the so-called "Christian" films I have watched these past few years, none have captured my heart like The Dropbox.

What makes The Dropbox stand out is that there are no actors, but is film footage of a Church living out what it means to be followers of Christ. No cheesy plots, no stars aligning so that two love interests can find each other.

This film takes place in Seoul, South Korea at a Church called "God's Love." Pastor Lee has built a "baby box" or "baby drop box" on the outside of his house so that unwanted babies would no longer be abandoned on the streets and die.

But Pastor Lee wasn't always passionate about these abandoned children. Like in the U.S., many parents abandon or give up their child for adoption if their child has disabilities. Teen moms find themselves in dire situations. Without the support of their families, Churches, or schools, many do not have any way to care for their children. Talking about the desperate young mothers, Pastor Lee says, "When the [pregnant] girls contact them, every single one is suicidal....Deathly afraid they'll have no support, no help....The young moms say, 'Either way, my life will be over so I want to kill myself and my baby.' So this [drop box] is the only way to save both."

But Pastor Lee's story is amazing in itself. His second son was born with severe physical and mental disabilities. When he first saw his son, he asked why God would give him "that kind of baby." Not even 30 seconds later, his focus in life shifted and he said, "Thank you God for giving me this child." Through his son, he saw the value and dignity of human life.

The Lee's spent the next 14 years living in the hospital and ending up adopting four kids, each with disabilities. When asked about the time, having sold their house to pay for medical bills and living in the hospital, he humbly remarked, "We never faced any major troubles."

Soon after being released from the hospital people started leaving babies at their door. One of the first children was named Hanna. Hanna had encephalopathy was was abandoned by her middle school mom who was also on drugs. Despite all this, Pastor Lee cared for Hanna. After six years, "she was taken to be in heaven" in his own words. Hanna never had the ability to talk or to care for herself, but Pastor Lee heartbreakingly describes her death. Looking back, he saw than every moment he spent caring for her was precious.

After hearing about a baby box in Brazil, Pastor Lee decided to build his own. Children were already being left at his door step. With trembling, he built the tiny box with a pressure activated door-bell. Above the drop box is the verse Psalm 27:10 "Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me." Pastor Lee says,  "I never expected any babies. I prayed, please don't let any babies be abandoned, only if his life is in danger..." But the babies came--over 350 babies had come through the box at the time of the film.

When asked why he does all this, he simply replied, "I can't be here and not do anything about it."


One of Lee's adopted children was interviewed and asked what it was like to live at the house with the drop box. "It is like heaven. Then [the door-bell rings] and it is like heaven is at war."  He continues to describe Pastor Lee's disabled son Eun-man, "I believe God made the baby box because of Eum-man. God purposely blessed, not cursed, Eun-man to build the baby box, and I'm really glad that he did."

"God sent them to earth with their disabilities. They're not the unnecessary ones. They teach people. They live with smiles on their faces."

This film did not tell you how you should live your life, or how to be more "Christian." It simply told the story of some courageous Christians, humbly caring for the "least of these."

What has made me come to the conclusion that Christianity is real is not some clever argument. It wasn't some verse that "just jumped out" at me. It wasn't "puzzle pieces" falling into place. It wasn't even the gospel.

For a long time, Jesus just seemed like some nice figure that someone had made up. Because of the bullying that I faced at Church, I couldn't see how someone would believe that Jesus was really who he said he was. After all, it was his so-called followers that were bullying me. But then I saw people that really lived out their faith.

They lived like Jesus. You could see Jesus through them. I so often felt unnecessary at Church because I struggled to read the Bible and memorize verses like the other kids. But people like Pastor Lee convinced me that Christianity was real.

They loved unconditionally.
Gave sacrificially.
And recklessly pursued their God.
All the while, quietly beckoning others do do the same.

They forfeited their own lives so that they could be God's ambassadors on earth.

What is Long-Term Missions Really?

Missions seems to be a bit of an enigma. Most people know what missions is, but few know what missionaries do. This could be because each missionary they talk to seems to be doing something different. And some are even missionaries within Wichita, Kansas!

It has become a Black Box  within the Christian Church. I'm fairly confident that we can all give the answer that mission work is telling others about Jesus/the Gospel, but I would be hard pressed to find a more specific answer.

In reality, the answer is quite simple on the surface, but complex enough to take a lifetime to understand in every context. But I believe that within every country, area, and place, missions has two core components.

Component 1: The Gospel

 

Mission work with out the Gospel is humanitarian work at best, and more likely Christian Tourism.  If your "mission trip" does not include Gospel-centered preaching, then, you are not really doing Christian Missions.

You see, the goal of missions is to fulfill the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20.

          Then Jesus cam to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (NIV)

Missions strives to fulfill that commandment. Now, it is often thought that the command "go" is the main part of the verse. But this is simply incorrect. The main verb is "make." Missions--in essence--is making Christians. That's how you can be a missionary no matter where you are.

Component 2: Serving Others

 

The thing that really throws mission in for a loop is serving others. This will look different everywhere. Some places need clean water, and some don't. Wichita is one of the biggest sex trafficking cities in the U.S., so serving others could look like opening your home as a safe house for those trying to get off the streets. Serving others could looking like being a foster parent. It could like translating the Bible into a different language. It could be teaching people who are illiterate. It could be any number of things!

There are so many different ways in which to serve others. But one thing I know for sure--Christianity is to be a servant. Paul [the apostle] often starts off his letters with the phrases: "Paul, a servant of Christ" or "Paul, a slave of Christ." It is even further highlighted in Philippians 2: 5-7a.

          Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature with God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant. 

If God himself came to serve, how much more are we to serve!

We Are Orlando

After the recent shooting that happened, the phrase "We are Orlando" as been floating around social media.

This struck a chord with me. It reminds me of the phase "We are the Body [of Christ]." When one of the members is grieving, we grieve with them. When one of the members rejoices, we rejoice with them. When one of the of the members is hurt, we hurt with them.

The phrase "We are Orlando" communicates the same thing. It declares that we are one people and that we all hurt when there is injustice and pain. It gives the same feeling of togetherness that Christianity is supposed to inspire.

What happened that day in Orlando was wrong. End of story.  So what if it happened at a gay night club? Does that make their suffering any less real? Does that some how make them less of a person?

NO!

Do we think that a Christian that over eats is less of a person? NO! Yet gluttony is one of the seven most deadly sins. Or do we think that the suffering of a person with pride is any less than the suffering we endure? NO! Yet God opposes the proud.

What if we removed the logs out of our own eyes so that we could see the world with love and compassion? Jesus, when he was here had the holy right to judge people for what they had done, but with his dying breaths, he said, "Forgive them Father, they know not what they do!" Only Jesus has the right to judge. It is and never was our place to judge anyone, but to treat every person with the love and compassion that Jesus showed. The kind of love that forgives its killer. That love will stand out even more than neon.

As a group, Christians have failed the one real task we had: Love the Lord you God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself. Upon these two commandments rest all the law and the prophets.

Christians were supposed to be Love incarnate.
But instead many see us as Hate incarnate. And not without reason.

Here is the thing about the Gospel. Angry people need the Gospel.Prideful people need the Gospel. Lazy people need the Gospel. Good people need the Gospel. Bad people need the Gospel. Tall people need the Gospel. Short people need the Gospel. Gay people need the Gospel. Hardworking people need the Gospel. Bloggers need the Gospel.
And in cased I missed you:

Everyone needs the Gospel!

Every community needs the Gospel. 

Many Churches has chosen to neither praise or denounce the shooting. This is the coward's way. What happened was evil by every measure--and beyond evil by the measure of the Bible.  

To stand passively on the sidelines, unwilling to do anything, is the same as supporting it. For the Churches that won't pick a side--history has chosen your side. You have sided with the terrorists. For you, Love has lost and Hate has won. 

For the Churches who have condoned and denounced this shooting. For the Churches that accept ALL people as people who God loves. For the Churches that hold fast to the Bible in truth and Love. I can truly say that Love has won. You are the true image of the Church and the true Church. Churches were never meant to be places of judgement, but rather a gathering of imperfect people worshiping a perfect God. 

So, go! Embrace those who are suffering because of this act of Hate. Seek justice for the marginalized, love mercy and give mercy to all you meet, and walk humbly with your God. 

The REAL Purpose of Short-Term Foreign Missions

As I hope would be apparent, there is no such thing as a short-term or part-time Christians. Either you are for God or against Him. You are a full-time Christian or not a Christian at all.

So, if there are no short-term Christians, why are there short-term missions? Surely, God doesn't want the Gospel going to every tribe, tongue, and nation only part of the time. God wants the Gospel to go to every tribe, tongue, and nation all the time.

If there is no such thing as a short-term Christian, and God wants the Gospel to go to every tribe, tongue, and nation all the time, why are short-term foreign missions a thing? 

While there is no easy answers to this question, I believe there are several good reasons that short-term missions should exist.

Reason 1: To Confirm a Long-Term Calling.

Back in the day, mission trips were much more costly. You only went on a mission trip if you were pretty sure God was calling you to that place. Because of the "popularity" of short-term foreign missions, it is very hard to find a mission trip that's purpose is to confirm a long-term calling that is not planned by the person in question.

Really, what you should look for is an intern position. Generally with intern positions, you are able to do what the long-term mission team does on a daily basis--basically live and be a missionary in that country. In addition, you will work along side the long-term team and find if you can work together well. The long-term team takes you seriously and you seriously consider life-long missions. It really is a win-win situation. And one that glorifies God!

As for intern based missions, generally you have to look at the mission organizations within the country you are looking at. That's just how the cookie crumbles.  But if you are looking at a more general internship that lasts only a summer, I recommend ReachGlobal's Trek7 teams. (Read more at https://go.efca.org/ministries/reachglobal/trek7) I went on their 2015 Tokyo trip, and I believe that God has called me to Japan for possibly life-long missions.

Reason 2: You Can Offer a Needed Skill Set.

For this one I think it's easier to just give examples:

Giving medical care in a place with no medical access.
Being a native speaker of English (as it is [for some unfathomable reason] the new business language).
Hosting some sort of English camp (with the camp in English!)
Assisting under-trained doctors with operations so that they will learn how to operate better.

Basically, is is something that you can do that couldn't be done without you. 

It is NOT, I repeat, it is NOT building some building. Every country that I have ever heard of (and I've take college geography) has people that can work as unskilled laborers. And by having the people around the church help build something for the church (or town) you have a chance to not only boost the economy, but also so share the gospel. Unless you are working with some fancy material that is not native to that area, or needs special training to work with it, under no circumstances should you build anything! End. Of. Story.

But, back to what short-term missions is.

Reason 3: To Build Relationships Between Churches (Vision/Prayer Trips). 

The relationship between a missionary and their supporting churches is paramount! Without the supporting churches, there are a lot less missionaries and God (literally) knows that we need more missionaries!

What happens usually in a Vision Trip (I have also heard them called Prayer Trips) is a group of Christians go around a country(s) and meets the long-term teams that are serving. They pray with and for the long-term teams, and then (once back in the States) gather support and raise awareness for the long-term team and their needs. While fun things happen on these trips (think tourism), the point of these trips it to be an advocate for the people there.  Just like how Jesus is our advocate, these team strive to support those far from home.

What Does This Mean? 

In the most basic terms, I believe that if you are going on a mission trip, it must be for at least one of those three reasons. For any other reason a more accurate term would be "Christian Tourism." The goal of missions isn't to make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. It isn't to let you see the world. It isn't because other Christians are going on mission trips. It isn't so that you can get away from your boring life.

But most of all, the goal of mission trips are not to make you look spiritual.

The goal of mission trips is to bring GLORY TO GOD and PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL!

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

I Won't Relent!

Oh, how often we sings songs never taking a moment to reflect on what those songs are really saying.  Now, please tell me that I am not the only person who does this! How often I have sung along at church, not because I desire to praise God, but simply for the fact that I don't want to get into trouble or be judged.
We sing doctrine rich songs, not as nourishment for our soul and for the souls of others, but simply for the fact we enjoy the melody. This is a selfish way to look at music.
Music--or more to the point Christian Music--was designed to get a point across. It is meant for us to reflect upon the meaning as the lyrics get stuck into our heads.

Let's walk together through a song and gaze upon the depths of the lyrics. The song that I have chosen is "Won't Relent" by Jesus Culture.

I set you as a seal upon my heart, as a seal upon my arm

A seal is not something that is put onto documents lightly. A seal takes the place of a signature, saying, "I take responsibility for this!" Now, setting Jesus as your seal is the same as saying you are representing Jesus, and that what you are doing is on his behalf. Think about the implications! Setting Jesus as a seal means that everything you do now is not for your own sake, but for Jesus's sake and the sake of the Gospel. Similar to a brand, a seal is not something that goes away. It is saying that you are Jesus' representative on earth.

For there is love that is as strong as death
Jealousy demanding as the grave
And many waters cannot quench this love

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, not depth, nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 38-39)

Come be the fire inside of me
Come be the flame upon my heart...
Until You and I are one

Many times Jesus has been compared to an eternal fire within a person. 1 Peter 1:6-7 reads, "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Jesus/God being a "fire" isn't something that we should take lightly either. If we want Jesus to be a fire in our souls, it means that he will burn everything but himself. That means you will face many trials, forcing you to choose Jesus or your sin nature.  In this song you are asking Jesus to put you through many trials until You and I are one. That means you are giving God permission to do anything he wants with your life until you die. That is also not a claim to be taken lightly.

I don't wanna talk about you like you're not in the room
Wanna I look right at you
Wanna sing right to you

Don't talk about Jesus like he is some relic from a past time--he is very much alive! Perhaps it's just me, but often the time I feel closest to God is when I am singing. There is just something in the music that a lecture can't capture. Maybe the emotion that comes with it. You can hear the anguish, passion, and hope in the songs. There will be thousands of people singing "Praise God" for a thousands different reasons, all in the same spirit. Music was meant to be something to unite the Church. Sadly we have turned it into a dividing faction for churches all around the world. We get caught up in the meaningless (the type of music) and forget the eternal (the meaning of the song). 

You won't relent until you have it all
My heart is yours

Whatever your relationship with Jesus right now, it's not good enough! Jesus is never satisfied with how well we know him, he wants us to learn more. We could study the Bible for a thousand years and still not know all there is to know about God. In the chorus of this song we cry, "my heart is Yours!" But have we really surrendered our full hearts to Jesus?
The surrendering of our hearts means forfeiting all that we are, and all that we have, to follow Jesus.  
It could cost you:
your social standing
your job
your family
your hobbies
your friends
and even your very life.

That is what surrender means. Are you ready to follow Jesus despite all it may cost you?

Forfeit

Mark 10:17-22
And as he [Jesus] was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor you father and mother.'" And he said to him, "Teacher all these I have kept from my youth." And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure I heaven, then come, follow me." Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Despite the fact that Jesus already knew his heart, he still loved him. Jesus knew what this man's idol was--money. It's not an uncommon idol now. He commanded him, "Go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." (v. 21b)

Would I go, sell, give, come, and follow him?

Who else can I turn to? Who else is worthy? Only God is worthy--fully worthy-- of praise.

When I decided to follow Jesus, all other things are forfeited. I no longer claim the perceived right to have a comfortable, or even a good, life. Jesus says in Matthew 10:38 "And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."

In those days if you saw a man carrying a cross, you knew, and they knew, they were going to die on that cross. It was a grim fate, one no one escaped from. You would be dragged to the edge of the city, humiliated, and crucified. Your body would be left on that cross as a testament to your crimes.

"Taking your cross" was not supposed to give us a warm, fuzzy feeling. It was not meant to be put on coffee cups and printed across t-shirts. But this was a phrase to set us in our final destination. It was a claim of death--but also a claim of eternal life.

Perhaps phrasing it another way would help you understand. Those who "took up their cross" was the same as saying, "I would rather have you torture me and kill me in the worse way possible than to deny God!" Saying you are "taking up your cross" and "following God" are not phrases to be taken lightly.

Before you claim to be a follower of Jesus, followers who must take up their cross and follow in Jesus' footsteps, ask yourself this:

Are you not only willing, but prepared to suffer and die for the Gospel?

Roadblocks to the Gospel: Foreigner

"Gaijin! Gaijin!" Unless you are ethically Asian while in Japan you will run into at least one kid that will yell "gaijin" at the top of their lungs while pointing at you. Even though adults don't say that, you know they are thinking it. When you walk though the train station many heads will suddenly turn towards you, and every eye is glued on you. You feel like a mix between a superstar and a freak show.

"Gaijin" is Japanese for foreigner literally meaning, "outside person." While there is technically a more polite version (Gaikokujin lit. "outside-country person"), it is shortened to gaijin. It is not meant to be rude, although some people view it as rude, but is meat to be non-formal. In Japanese there are several levels of politeness and different levels uses different conjugations etc. Whereas English does not have any levels for politeness because of this, Japan often sees English, and English-speaking people, as people who don't care about politeness.

While in Japan, unless you are ethically Japanese, you will always be viewed as an outsider. This is not a racist thing, but rather a cultural thing. America has been called the land of immigrants. Even someone who is Native American knows people whose ancestors immigrated to America. It is not unusual to walk down the street and see people who are ethically from Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. The way we realized that someone is not American is not by their skin/hair/eye color or by their religion, but by if they have an accent.

Now consider Japan.

Almost everyone in Japan is a Native Japanese person. Only 1.22% of the population is not Japanese, and many in Japan are from China and Korea. For thousands of years,  no take-over of Japan has been successful. The country was was rather isolated because it was an island. When Europeans cam over to trade, many ports would not accept them or imposed harsh trade sanctions. When missionaries came over, many were killed--crucified and left on display. Many Japanese believers were also killed.

Being Japanese is a source of pride and history. Many can trace their family lines back many generations--all Japanese.

No matter how many Japanese customs you follow, or how good your Japanese is, or how dark your hair or eyes are--you will never be Japanese. You will always be considered an outsider.

But that does not mean you are not accepted. You can be accepted in your community, gain lifelong friends, and meet people who will judge you on your character rather than your skin color.

An Opportunity too Great to Miss

But being foreign give us an incredible opportunity! 

Let me explain. 

Because we are not Japanese, we can question the way Japan works. 

We can believe in Christianity and (generally) not suffer the social consequences. 

We can not follow all the Japanese customs and not be considered rude. 

We can ask questions about Shintoism and Buddhism and compare them to Christianity. 

I think you get the point. 

But perhaps the best opportunity comes from the ability to speak English. Right or wrong, it is what it is. Many people will seek out foreigners simply to learn about a different culture and practice/learn English. 

This is an opportunity far too great to miss. 

People are seeking us out, why would we waste such an opportunity? Many will agree to read the Bible because it is an important text in English. Also, the Bible is one of the easily accessible text that will have English and Japanese side-by-side. Japan is an unreached country, meaning most people have NO ACCESS to the gospel. They have never heard about the gospel, and many couldn't find a Christian if they tried. 

Even if they don't accept the gospel, having access and knowing what the gospel is so much better. As Christians, we can never force someone to believe the gospel.  All we can do is present what we know, and pray that God would touch their heart. 

Never stop praying!

Roadblocks to the Gospel: Harmony

Many who go to Japan, especially during sakura season, say that Japan is peaceful. Peace is something that is promoted in Christianity. Romans 12:8 reads, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

Sakura flowers

There are several cultural things that fit into the Japanese ideal of harmony that do not follow the Bible. I will try to stay away from semantics,  but understanding the difference between Christian's harmony and Japan's harmony is key. 

Don't Rock the Boat!

We have all heard the phrase, "Don't Rock the Boat," but have you ever stopped and considered what that really means? 

The phrase means, "don't cause an argument just for the sake of the argument." Basically if you are in a group project and everyone but you agrees to do it one way, you should just go with the rest of the class. 

In Japan this phrase is taken to the extreme. Unless you are the boss or leader of the group, you are never to go against the flow. If the culture demands it, you follow. Often this is a good thing, like leaving the handicapped seats on the trains unoccupied, but is really a nice form of peer pressure. It also can have very negative affects. 

In Japan, many companies have "drinking parties." While attendance is mandatory, it is very strongly encouraged (as in you may loose your standing in the company or be fired if you don't go). At these parties you are encouraged to drink as much as the rest of the people. They have to drink how much the boss drinks. This can lead to an endless cycle of alcohol abuse.  

In Christianity, we are told to live at peace with those around us. But we are to be uncompromising on moral issues. We live at peace in the world, but we do not live as the world. Many people in Japan don't understand why we would abject to certain activities because by objecting to them we might inconvenience someone else. We rock the boat--and will not yield to doing what we believe is wrong for the sake social convince.

But that's the way it has always been done! 

In Japan, there is only one way to do anything--the Japanese way. In America we have people from all over the world that have live in America for many years. "There's more than one way to skin a cat." In my classes at ESU I know people from China, Japan, India, South Korea, Brazil, Bolivia, and various countries in Europe. Japan does not have this multicultural perspective. Almost everyone is, well, Japanese.  

Japan has been a strong nations for thousands of years. Many practices in Japan have been practiced for as long as the country has existed. In comparison, the United States is a new country with not unique cultural practice that are uniquely American. 

In the same way, Shintoism and Buddhism have been the religions in Japan for thousands of years. Christianity seems like some kind of new religion from the West that has nothing to do with them. You are either Shinto or Buddhist or Shinto-Buddhist because it as been that way for thousands of years and Japan has been peaceful (at times) under those religions. 

Honor your Family

Matthew 10: 34-39 "Not Peace, But a Sword"

Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 

To become a Christian in Japan, it often means you will lose your family. Many lose their friends as well. This is a sad truth. Japan has the freedom of religion, but Christianity is not accepted among many people in Japan. 

Becoming a Christian (there) is like saying your family doesn't matter to you. It is seen as rejecting those around you, both family and friends, and rejecting your culture and heritage (Japan), for some religion in the West. It is seen as a betrayal to what Japan holds dear. 

Not Ashamed to be Alive

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation. Romans 1:16

Be not conformed to this world. Romans 12:2

As missionaries, we are the ones who don't conform to this world. People can pass off as Christians and still be conformed to this world, but missionaries can't. Who moves around the world, endures hardships, learns a new language and culture, while leaving theirs behind?

...Stuff is no match for "the power of God."
Lost people have always be cold to the Gospel. To use the terminology in Ephesians 2, they are DEAD to the gospel. We expect corpses to be cold, but not the living. That is why Christians get rebuked for lukewarmness, not the lost (Revelation 3: 15-17)....

Never before have I understood this. Now I know that Christians don't have the choice to be cold (to the gospel). If we are alive, why are we still without a pulse? Now I understand your spiritual health can have setbacks,  but it just doesn't stop. For non-Christians, they were never alive. How can you expect someone to act alive if they have not been raised to life? The dead cannot raise the dead. Nor can those who are alive. Only the one who is the source of life can raise the dead. It is not on my own power that I can be a missionary, but God's power alone.

...We tend to look at the people and say, "This gal would make a great Christian." or "That people group will never turn to Christ." That is a Christ-less way to look at the world. The first statement assumes some natural merit in the sinner. The second denies the savior's power.... 

What we should really say is that everyone would make an amazing Christian. Oftentimes the people we think would be farthest from the Gospel are the ones hearing God's knocking.

Our job is simply to proclaim the faith, faithfully and expectantly. Yes, some will reject the Truth, others will delay, but some will believe (Acts 17:32-34). 
No Satanic effort to halt the advance of the Gospel can be ultimately successful, but perhaps the Devil's best strategy to date is this global cooling of the Christian church through our own materialism and defeatist attitudes. Have the people around us become cold to the gospel? Perhaps the better question is this: Have we? 

The italicized portions of this text were taken from Gospel Meditations for Missions.

Hey! Listen!

"God, surprise me!"

By praying this who knows what will happen? Here is what we do know: God can/will do much more than we can hope or imagine. We also know that God is faithful. 

Give yourself away

Jesus literally gave up everything for me. How could I not do the same? But I am selfish and want things for myself. It should not be how can I get ahead, but how can I serve others.

Obey God

The only way I can find true fulfillment is by doing what God has planned for my life. The only way to do that is to obey God. "She has real lasting fulfillment in her heart, finding the joy that only comes when we say no to ourselves and yes to God." (Brown Like Coffee pg. 126)

Seek God

I don't know all that God is capable of. He can save the most evil hear, When God says to witness to someone--obey. Would you deny them access to the Gospel?!? God will always who up, I just have to seek him. "I don't even believe in God, but God was in that room. What happened?!" (Brown Like Coffee pg. 127)

How can I impact eternity? 

"She is leaving behind a wake of impact that will last into eternity." (Brown Like Coffee pg. 128) This goes back to the question: "What is my calling?" And, "What does God want me to do right now?" 

Surrender

The only way that God can use me is if I surrender and obey him with my whole self. Not, "Do I have the strength?" But, "Will I obey?" 

Pray for opportunities 

Again, God can/will do so much more than we can hope or imagine. If we pray for opportunities to share the gospel we will get them. The real question is will I have the courage to share my faith/the truth?  The second coming/death is much too close to not pray for opportunities!

Make disciples of all Nations

This is God's command  in Matthew 28:18-20. As an aspiring missionary, this is a verse that I hold close to my heart, but I often forget the ALL nations part. Yes, "all nations" includes Japan, but it also includes ALL NATIONS. I can't just be passionate about Japan! I have to be passionate for the Gospel to reach ALL nations and EVERY person in the world. 

God's dreams become my dreams

What are my dreams right now? Honestly, to watch Netflix for the next week uninterrupted. Now, I don't claim to be God, but I can say with confidence that Netflix is not God's dream. I know that it is not God's calling for my life. Anytime my dream is not to tell the Lost about Jesus and grow deeper in my relationships with Christ, we have a problem. A big problem called SIN and IDOLATRY.

True sorrow for those who do not believe the Gospel

The world is broken and lost and we have the answer! Those who do not believe the Gospel will be in Hell forever. Let me say that again. They will be in HELL FOREVER. How can your heart not break? We are Hope to a Hopeless world. Weep and cry for the Lost!

Pour out my Life

After all it is not mine. I was bought at a price. He poured out His life for me. How could I not do the same? 

Culture: Food

So far I have had several interesting foods. I have liked most of them, but it has been quite the experience.

The first place we went to was a conveyor belt sushi place. Yes, you heard me, a place that serves sushi in a conveyor belt. It takes a whole new meaning to food being delivered directly to you. You are sat down at a table and at one side of the table a conveyor belt has sushi going around to your table and other tables.

 But let's say that you don't see your favorite sushi or want to order something like soba (Japanese noodles), then what do you do? Well, they have that covered! At each table is a touchscreen menu that allows you to order sushi, soba, and drinks. They even had a menu in English (although "first bonito concrete floor" does not seem like a good translation).
You are seated at your table and then the free-for-all begins.

I could go on and on about all the new an interesting foods in Japan, but this one takes the cake.