Sunday, March 07, 2004
newsletter blues...
hmm... rushing the gen12ii support fund raising newsletter for team nagoya... while doing it, check out a few websites and started my fire burning for the Lord... singapore is really an antioch in asia... though japan has one of the strongest economy in the world... it has sunk into spiritual darkness... deeper than anyone can expect... no wonder, missionaries are sent there although it has many metropolitan cities...
there is about 125 million people living in japan and out of these numbers... there is only about 1% christian... though which is about 2 million christians in number... and most of the rest are shintoist or buddhist... and the others who does not believe... they sink themselves deeper into materialism and idolatory... the spiritual climate is even worse than those of india's... or even chinese...
christianity appears to them as a 'foreign' religion... the likeliness of a homogenous society accepting someone who is not of a same kind to lord over them is really rare... to them... japanese likes the events and occasions of christianity more than its own beliefs... many japanese choose to marry in a christian style in church and funerals yet they have no link to them at all... and they celebrate easter and christmas without knowing the true meaning of its occasion... and its a popular way of living in japan... incurring the wrath of God without knowing it...
yet... many believe that often... to go on a missions to mongolia or africa is more urgent and important than japan... why is it so? because, we have a core believe to go out to those in poverty and to those who cannot afford... yet, most often... we often neglect those that are nearer to us... in lifestyle or in location... because of these beliefs... many people often miss out the abundant life God has planned for them because they do not have the chance to hear the gospel fully... because the priviledge is given to the poorer countries first...
to me... no matter whether you are rich or poor... that is only a worldy aspect only... and its temporal... because whether we are rich or poor now... when we go to heaven, we will be filled with riches and glory...
many times, i am troubled by the fact that i have to raise fund and our church is tight... so, most often, i have plans or even back up plans... i often said... "by faith... by faith..." yet, deep down inside of me... i still can't go pass myself yet... it was then, God led me to jody kubo's website and i read about king asa and his war against the ethopians... king asa is well ready and prepared in his defences... but then... he put down everything and led his army to the gates facing the chariots... he decided that this is God's war... God's plan... not his... and he went by faith...
2 Chronicles 14:11 Asa called on the LORD his God. He said, "LORD, there is no one except you who can help those who are not strong so that they can fight against a large army. Help us, LORD our God, because we are depending on you. In your name we go against this large crowd. You are the LORD our God. Don't let anyone successfully oppose you." and God routed the ethopians before asa and they all fled...
the campus ministry in japan is very small... compared to singapore... its really by faith... God has rooted them deeply into all parts of japan... and God has sent people to assist them in many areas... the christian community is small in japan... but God faithfully multiply workers in the field in His time to harvest them in His time...
the two universities we are going are nanzan university and chukyo university... nanzan is a catholic based university... while chukyo is a sleek and stylish normal university... they are located in nagoya... campus crusade has been in nanzan for many years but started in chukyo not very long ago... so, two teams are going to infiltrate into their campuses and help them in as many ways as they can... and another team is going to do research for the other 44 universities in nagoya... i think... yeah... not an easy task... but i am going by faith...
this trip also reminds me of lois and chris... their understanding for japan and God's discernment for them to work there... its really wonderful to see people work out of comfort zone to reap the harvest for the Lord... sometimes, people just can't understand why... but its not like when we explain to them, they will understand... but at least... it will be a trigger for them to start a new life in Christ... so, being a missionary of God is a two way bridge...
okay... enough of all these... i have been doing a newsletter and i haven't finish doing it... sigh~ and i overslept and didn't make it to the mass training today... not to even mention the team meeting... i kept myself awake the whole of last night that i have to miss my mass training and team meeting... aargh!! the thought of it... makes me sick...
celebrated zhiming's birthday today... its not like i really enjoyed celebrating it for him but i enjoy the fellowship i had with raymond, priscilla and chingyi... and some of the others too... i like the idea of doing signals to jan... kind of telepathic... although its not... so funny... jan asked if i have made up with zhiming... i said no... i felt that i kinda sympathize with him... but i can't accept people who refuse to change his ways and not be apologetic about it... sigh... i really don't know...
in the morning... i saw pris online and chatted with her... haha... still the same old her... which reminds me of joshua...
crackles that guy hits the list on duty this weekend... and keep asking me to use his coke idea as a cake... stupid idea... but cute though...
sigh~ kinda have to let this off my chest... yet... i can't do it now...
liten shan@
5:28 AM
