Humility

This week, I would like to share 2 testimonies of how I have witnessed the Lord's faithful in Japan. Since coming to Japan, I have learned an incredible amount from the Christians around me. I learn from their lifestyle, their words, their actions, and much more. It is truly a blessing to be among fellow believers, and I am so grateful to God for providing this opportunity to me.

The Family

Every day, I spend several hours with the Elliot family. We have our meals together, we work together, we pray together, etc. Throughout this process, I have had the opportunity to learn more about Luke and Yuko (the parents), and their journey to becoming missionaries.

Luke is an incredibly well learned man, whose knowledge of the Bible and of biblical history amazes me every day. He is very intelligent, as he was accepted into a University of Pennsylvania Master's program, attended the University of Toronto for one of his degrees, and holds several higher degrees. Furthermore, Luke had also been a member of the Canadian militia, even leading a platoon of several dozen men at one point. It is obvious that Luke is competent, hardworking, and personable, and he has what it takes to become extremely successful. However, here in Japan as a missionary, he is not paid anywhere near what I am sure that he could easily earn. Instead, he has humbly dedicated his life to the mission that God has given him. He is truly an example of a living sacrifice, and he inspires me to give more and more of my life to God.

Yuko is also an extremely intelligent, hardworking woman with an incredibly kind heart. Yuko holds degrees in Christian education as well as psychology. Prior to becoming a missionary, Yuko had spent her time as a counselor at a mental health facility, where her passion became her career. However, when Yuko became a missionary with 5 children, she gave up her passion to take care of the Aomori Christian Center's facilities and her children. Though she is clearly an incredibly emotional intelligent as well as academically intelligent person, she has given her life to the Lord - not just in word but in action as well.

Luke and Yuko have made me reexamine my faith in God and how I can be a living sacrifice. My time here has taught me much as I learn from those whose lives are dedicated to God and spreading His gospel.


The Doctor

This past week, an OMF doctor named Martin came to visit the Aomori Christian Center. Martin was originally a family doctor in Britain before coming to Japan with his family to serve with OMF. Now, his job entails visited various OMF missionaries to conduct biyearly medical checkups. He also acts as a medical consultant for current and potential missionaries. While I was having lunch with Martin and the Elliot family, I was struck by both his humility as well as the humility of his choice of profession. Our lunch was nothing fancy or expensive - it was simply some cup noodles, muffins a family had donated, and some random leftovers. Furthermore, he did not come in a fancy new car, but rather an older car. His laptop and technology did not consist of the newest Apple gadgets, but was rather simply what was enough to serve his job functions. Martin was a far cry from the high earning doctors of America. He had chosen to abandon respect and money in favor of humble servitude to God and the missionaries of Japan. Even while at the Aomori Christian Center, Martin acted with kindness and joy in his interactions with the kids, the parents, and Tavi and I. He was always looking for ways to help with our cooking, cleaning, and other chores, and he never stopped offering his help. Martin, in just the few hours I had met him, showed me what a Christlike mindset and personality looks like, and my experience with him was absolutely inspiring.