The familiar screeching of cicadas pulled me away from my desk for a moment.
“Ah, it’s summer,” I mused.
Cicadas are one of the unmistakable signs of summer in Japan. Wanting to enjoy the moment, I opened the sliding door and stepped onto the balcony.
Then my heart sank.
It was the squealing belt of a car engine somewhere nearby that I heard.
The muffled sound through the glass had completely deceived me.
It would be a few days later that the real cicadas would audibly make themselves known to the neighborhood.
That was not the only misunderstanding I encountered recently.
Church Setup
“Do you have to set up the things you worship?”
A young man asked me this question, as we sat courtside at a weeknight badminton meetup waiting for our turn.
There was no hint of jest.
Images of the golden idols often found in Japanese temples flashed through my mind. He was not thinking about setting up chairs or testing microphones. He was asking whether we had to set up idols before each service.
I had mentioned that we use our new meeting space only on Sundays, so he assumed we must set up our objects of worship each week.
He was warm and curious. He was not ready for an in-depth conversation, but he had opened the door and we began to talk about religious things. As we continued talking, I remembered that this was not a stranger I had just met. We had been seeing each other at badminton regularly for a while now.
This interaction reminded me of two things.
1) Many people here (including college grads in their 20s!) still understand little about the most basic Christian beliefs and practices.
2) Relationships matter. This conversation did not happen because I invited him to a formal religious event. It happened through repeatedly showing up and making space for personal connection.
THANK YOU for praying with us and partnering with us so we can have conversations like this!
Outreaches
English Outreach
This month, we (re)launched a monthly English outreach event. Instead of a traditional “English class” we are hosting a get-together to discuss deeper topics in English.
Our first topic was “Why do we compare ourselves”.
We are targeting intermediate to advanced English speakers with topics that can naturally connect to the Gospel.
We had 5 people at this past event including me and a Christian friend and three unbelievers. We are specifically praying that we can connect with young guys through this outreach. Please pray with us.
Family/Kids Outreach
Summer break is upon us here in Japan. We are taking the opportunity to target families with children (like us!) to build relationships with them.
In addition to our monthly Kids Club, we will host a LEGO play days on August 6 and 20 at a local community center.
On August 11, we will hold a Book & Board event. We will read an English picture book aloud and then invite families to stay and play board games together.
We especially hope these events will help us deepen relationships with families who have already attended Kids Club and give us opportunities to share the Gospel clearly.
What does your summer look like?
I will share some prayer requests below, but before that, we would love to hear about how your summer is going. Have you had any funny mishaps lately?
As always, please let us know how we can pray for you!
Yours for Japan,
The Miyashita Family
Click here for a printable version of this prayer letter.
Prayer Requests
- English conversation outreach and the new people attending
- Summer outreach to children and families
- More workers, especially someone who can help lead children’s ministry
- Future teammates and laborers for Japan
- Wisdom and boldness as we build relationships and share the Gospel