I have been in contact with Wayne, our team leader, and getting updates on how everything was going. The Abe house was finished about a week and a half ago, and they had the house dedication ceremony last Friday. During the house dedication, a local pastor comes and there is a time of worship, prayer over the house and family, and then the message. During this message Pastor Suzuki explains John 3:16 and explains who Jesus is and what we believe. He then asks the family if they would like to give their life to Jesus. Even if the family does not make that decision, they are presented with a Bible. This Bible has been personalized by the members that have worked on the house, and they write little messages and stuff inside the cover. In addition, an easy to understand book on Christianity is give to them as well.
So at the Abe-san ceremony they chose not to make a commitment. I have no facts to back this up, but I have a feeling that even if Okaasan would have wanted to, she would not have spoke up. The reason I say that is because in Japan the focus is on the family name, and the man is the head of the family. A woman going a different route than the family is not common and would probably raise some eyebrows. Japanese culture is all about not making waves; there is a Japanese proverb, " 出る杭は打たれる。" ....."The stake that sticks up gets hammered down."
A main problem in Japan when it comes to sharing the Gospel is that Christianity is seen as "foreign" and not Japanese. The view is that Buddhism and Shintoism is Japanese, Christianity is European/American. Therefore, the thinking is if you are a Christian, you're getting away from your Japanese roots and away from your family tradition. That view of Christianity being European/American has started to fade with the younger generation, but their parents are typically not in agreement.
Despite this, there is a way that can get past the stereotype: Japanese Christians building relationships with them. Now, I'm not saying that other Christians can't be effective, because that is not true. However, a fellow Japanese citizen talking to them makes them see that Christianity isn't just for Americans. The second half of what I said was much more important: building relationships. This is the case in all cultures, but especially in Japan. It is all about the relationship!! Without building a relationship, a Japanese person will politely listen and nod their head, but will not do much more than that. Once a relationship is formed, though, doors will open up.
So back to Okaasan and the team. I am so proud of Wayne and am so honored to have been on his team. Wayne has been intentional about forming a relationship with the family, especially Okaasan. As I said, they finished the house 1.5-2 weeks ago, yet Wayne and the team continue to stop by their house for tea time. Now, there is not much time in the day for them to do this; the carpenters have busy schedules. So I was so happy when he told me that they make time to stop by and have tea with them.
So with this blog, I just wanted to shine some light on the challenge of sharing the Gospel in Japan and also talk about how honored and proud I am that I was able to be on Wayne's team.
Please pray for the Abe family and the continual relationship building that Wayne and the team is doing. They are only there until the end of April, and then the base is getting taken down and they are going home. Pray that God will do unexplainable things in the next couple weeks and that after Samaritan's Purse leaves, that the Japanese churches would be blessed and effective in maintaining relationships and sharing the Gospel.
