HI PEOPLE! We have got a lot to talk about this week so, LETS JUMP RIGHT IN!

Something the Lord has already been teaching me during our time in Japan is that ministry rarely looks exactly how I expect it to. Before coming here, I had a small idea in my head of what evangelism would look like and what kinds of stories I would have to share each week. But this past week has reminded me that some of the sweetest moments with the Lord happen completely outside of what we plan. They happen on the walk somewhere, on a day off, in a random conversation, or through a person we almost could have passed by. He has been showing me that ministry isn’t limited to the hours we write into our schedule. So, as I share some updates from our first week of ministry in Japan, I want to tell you about what God has been doing in what I’ve started to think of as the moments in between.

Our main ministry happens on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and a lot of what we do is evangelism. Before going out, we usually spend around an hour in prayer. During that time, we ask the Lord to prepare divine appointments for us, soften hearts, open ears, and give us wisdom for the people we may meet. We ask Him for specific words, people, places, or anything else He might want to show us, and ultimately we just ask Him to guide us and make us sensitive to His Spirit as we go out to share the good news of the gospel. After that, we split into groups of three and start walking around, trusting that God will lead us where He wants us to go.

Honestly, evangelism here has been harder than I expected. The culture in Japan is very fast-paced, especially where we are. People don’t really walk around without somewhere to be. Everyone seems to have a destination, and when people aren’t rushing somewhere, they often keep to themselves with headphones in or their attention on their phones. There have been times when we have walked around for a long time and haven’t found anyone to talk to, and that can be discouraging when we went out expecting God to do something huge.

But through that, the Lord has been changing all of our perspectives on what successful ministry actually looks like. Evangelism doesn’t always mean walking up to someone, sharing the entire gospel with them, and immediately watching them give their life to Jesus. Sometimes it looks like starting a conversation, building a relationship, showing kindness, listening to someone’s story, or simply allowing the joy of the Lord in us to be something that another person notices. We may not always get to see the result of a conversation or prayer, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t using it. Sometimes we are just called to plant the seed, not watch it grow or be the ones to water it. That’s His job. We just have to be obedient and trust that He will take care of the rest.

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow,”- 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

I think there can sometimes be this expectation surrounding missions that every day needs to come with an incredible testimony. We hear stories of healings, salvations, and miracles, and those things are amazing and absolutely worth celebrating. But if we’re only looking for God in the huge moments, we might completely miss what He’s doing in the small ones. Sometimes we go out for ministry and don’t meet anyone at all, and  that doesn’t mean the day was wasted. Ministry isn’t subject to the three hours we set aside for it. God doesn’t stop creating opportunities when our scheduled ministry time ends. He is always working, and He is always making divine appointments.

One of my favorite examples of this happened last week. I was walking around with two people from my group, and we hadn’t really talked to anyone yet. We were just walking and talking with each other when suddenly a man stopped us and asked, “Are you guys enjoying Japan?” We started talking with him and eventually found out that he was actually from the United States and believed in Jesus. We were able to encourage him, talk with him about his faith, and pray for him. It wasn’t a conversation we started or something we planned. We had been asking the Lord for divine appointments, and then one literally walked up to us. It was such a simple moment, but  God knows exactly where we are and exactly who we need to meet.

Another one of these moments happened yesterday during our first adventure day. Once a week, we have a day where we get to explore the country we’re serving in, spend intentional time together as a community, rest, and recharge for the week ahead. Yesterday, we spent the day in Shibuya, which is one of the busiest and most well-known areas of Tokyo. You might recognize it because of the famous Shibuya Crossing, where what feels like a million people cross the street at once. We spent the day exploring, laughing, eating, and just enjoying being together. There was no scheduled ministry time and no expectation that we needed to go out and evangelize. It was simply our day to rest.

Toward the end of the day, though, a couple of the guys on our squad noticed a man sitting on the ground. He looked hopeless and was asking people for money while crowds of people continued walking right past him. The guys felt the Holy Spirit prompting them to stop and talk to him, so they did. I don’t know every detail of the conversation they had, but I know they were able to sit with him, pray for him, and offer him the hope of the gospel. None of this happened during our scheduled ministry time. It happened on our “off day,” in the middle of one of the busiest places in the world, while we were getting ready to go home.

There really isn’t an “off day” from following Jesus. God doesn’t operate according to our ministry schedule. He sees the people everyone else walks past, He knows the conversations we don’t know are coming, and He knows exactly where each person will be at exactly the right time. Our job isn’t to force a ministry moment to happen. Our job is to be available and obedient when He puts one in front of us.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” - Colossians 3:17

That is probably one of the biggest things God has been teaching me this week: ministry happens in the moments in between. It happens on the trains, walking down the street, sitting at a restaurant, exploring a new city, or having a random conversation with someone you never expected to meet. It happens during the hours we’ve intentionally set aside for evangelism, but it also happens during all the hours in between. I’m learning to pay more attention, to ask the Lord what He’s doing around me, and to remember that sometimes a small act of obedience can be part of a story much bigger than I’ll ever get to see.

There have already been so many moments and testimonies from our time here that I could talk about forever, and we’re only getting started. If you want to hear more about what the Lord has been doing in Japan, please reach out because I would genuinely love to share more stories with you!

I also want to end this update with an encouragement for everyone reading from home. The gospel isn’t just for people overseas. It isn’t just for the people of Japan or the places we label as the “mission field.” The gospel is for everyone, and Jesus calls us to go and make disciples of all nations. Sometimes “going” means getting on a plane and traveling across the world, but sometimes it means walking across the room, talking to the person sitting next to you, checking in on a friend, or noticing the person everyone else seems to be walking past.

You don’t have to travel across the world to live on mission. There are people around you right now who need the hope of Jesus. So this week, I want to challenge you to pay attention to your own moments in between. Ask God to give you opportunities to share His love with someone and then be willing to follow Him when He does. It might not be a huge, dramatic moment. It might simply be a conversation, an invitation, a prayer, or choosing to stop for someone when everyone else keeps walking. You never know what God might do with one small act of obedience.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.”- Romans 1:16

And maybe you’re reading this and you don’t actually know what I mean when I talk about the gospel or why Jesus means so much to me. If that’s you, I would genuinely love to talk with you. Jesus has completely changed my life, and I believe He is the only true hope this world has. He loves you more than you could ever understand. He died for our sins and rose again so that we could be forgiven, made new, and have a relationship with Him. We don’t earn that love by being good enough. It is a gift of grace that He freely gives us.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ dies for us.” - Romans 5:8

Lastly, I would love to be praying for you this week. If there is anything you need prayer for, big or small, please leave a comment below or send me a message. My team and I would love to pray with you and for you.

Thank you all so much for continuing to read these updates, pray for my team and I, encourage us, and support us as we follow where the Lord has called us. It means more than I can explain knowing that there are people back home praying for what God is doing here. I can’t wait to keep sharing the stories, the lessons, the challenges, and all of the little moments where we get to see Him move.

See you next week for another update!