Simplicity

     Being in missions can be overwhelming. There are so many things to learn and do. It seems really complicated to be diving into a new culture and trying to help out the missionaries and churches there.

     But what I've learned since being in Tokyo is that being in missions actually helps you enjoy the simple and more basic things in life. That would make sense if you were somewhere like Africa where you only had the "bare necessities" in a physical sense, but it applies to Japan as well.

     Being an American in the United States is easy. People are similar to you and it's easy to get along. But at the same time people are similar and we try to distinguish ourselves through the things that don't really matter. There become cliques and groups of people we decide not to associate with. As Christians, it's easy to only associate with Christians because there are enough to go around in the States.

     But in a place like Japan, there aren't that many Christians. 0.22% are professing believers. And coming into a country not knowing anyone previously, you don't know whether the person you are talking to is a Christian or not. Even in the churches, many are not Christians either. Therefore you are forced to treat everyone equally. There are no classes or ranks, no sects or divisions, and everyone needs the gospel.

     That's what is so amazing about missionaries - they have the power to overcome social boundaries and reach all people for Christ.

     It is so refreshing to talk to the people here because you have no biases or preconceived notions about a person or group of people. You come to realize that you all have humanity in common and that becomes enough for you to be friends. For the believers, you have Christ in common and that creates an even tighter bond.

     The message of the gospel is for everyone, and it is much more simple than we think. Being here in Tokyo has helped me see that God's good news and His love has no boundaries, and we get to be the gateways of it.