Some the girls at Kinjo fellowship lunch

Some the girls at Kinjo fellowship lunch

I have…and it’s not simply over some guy either. In fact I don’t think I have cried out as much in my spirit as I have this last week in Nagoya. Since arriving I have experienced what can only be described as a whirlwind of emotions. It has been one of the most challenging and stretching times of my life but I’ve learnt a lot and I praise God for that.

Here in Nagoya, Olivia (one of the other Megumites) and I are based on a campus by the name of Kinjo. It’s a prestigious girl’s university and from the first visit you can distinctly see that the campus is made up of various “ojyousama” (princess) types, for example the lacrosse and hand bell choir girls. The girls arrive to university dressed up like they’re ready for a night out in town and it’s not uncommon to find the princesses making up in the bathroom, cafeteria and even the library. Image is held in high regard here.

Perhaps it is this image that brings much opposition. Truth is that although Kinjo is known as a “Christian School” we are forbidden to share the gospel outside their building known as the Christian Centre. The reality is that Olivia and I do not actually have permission to be on the campus making friends and reaching out to students but that is a calculated risk we take.

Our prayer is to find a “person of peace” who will respond to the gospel and introduce us to their friends so that we will have a network of students to reach out to. In order to accomplish this Olivia and I with the 2 Campus Crusade missionaries Cecilia and Joyce spend much time talking to “randoms” around campus hoping to get a second meeting with them in the Christian Centre. This in itself is a challenge as it is not unusual for students to respond with suspicion and fear as it is highly unusual for people to approach strangers in Japan.

I can honestly say that all this has once again reminded me of our dependency on God. Fact is that we cannot do anything without him and we need to be so reliant on the Holy Spirit. My weakness reminded of a verse in 2 Corinthians 4:7

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

It’s amazing to think that God has entrusted us with such a great treasure although we are fragile, breakable and really imperfect.  Truly it is a reminder to me that we must never rely on our own strength, wisdom and understanding. Instead it is only through God that all things are made possible.

So please continue to pray for Japan, there is spiritual warfare taking place like crazy but God continues to move. He has already led us to several Japanese girls like Ayaka, Kayoko (who I met on the bus =)) and Riko who have already joined us for “lunch fellowship” at the Christian Centre last week. Pray that he will continue to move in the hearts of the Japanese people and lead us to many divine appointments in Kinjo. Finally please pray that we will continue to depend on him and be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit as we continue to reach out to the students at Kinjo.

Thank you for your support,

Juli ^_^