The Heart of my Japanese Friend

I am on such a high from an amazing conversation I had yesterday with my Japanese friend. When I first met him, he wanted to get together for language exchange and said he had questions about Christianity even though he was already baptized. So while in orientation we met a few times and then I moved to Niigata. But I am in Tokyo for the weekend now to meet my cousin and his wife who are traveling through this way, and so I had time to meet up with him again. So much has happened and changed in his life since I last saw him. Regarding his questions about Christianity, he has started attending a Japanese service as well as the English service he attends, and had just returned from a short term mission trip to South Africa. I have never seen someone so changed in such a small amount of time by a mission trip. His volunteer work was largely with those who are suffering from AIDS. He volunteered at hospitals where he shared the gospel with people who were on their deathbeds; orphanages full of children who had lost their parents to the AIDS virus, many of whom were HIV positive. He talked about the power of touch among these people; his apprehension at first, but then the power of it and even the role of touch in Jesus' touch in ministry. He spoke of his struggle with theodicy- why God would allow all of these orphans to be born HIV positive... but then he said he realized that if he, as a sinner, could feel so much love for them, then how much more does the God who created them feel compassion and love for them. He's now contemplating quitting his job and moving to Africa to join in this ministry for a year alongside the pastor he met there. I am just blown away by the change in this man and the heart God is giving him for missions and ministry. All of the things he was saying were so counter cultural in Japan- about touch and even volunteering. God is so powerful and although the growth of Christianity is slower here than most countries, it is deep, and within those hearts where Christianity does take root it takes hold and is producing fruit that will last! What a blessing this was to my heart! This all happened two days after I had a conversation with someone about how some people say that Japan is a swamp where the seeds of faith planted may grow, but soon rot. But this couldn't be farther from the truth; its just slower growth than other places in the world. But as such, pray that God brings more laborers and blesses those here in the faith with patience and encouragement as we press on and seek to share the hope of eternal life in Christ.