Entry 2 - Tokyo, Japan

It’s been a while since I last wrote! So much has happened, and I have been experiencing so much. I am planning on starting to get in the rhythm of posting blogs very often. So stay tuned! Since we are currently living and doing ministry in Tokyo, I wanted to share first about how I see the current spiritual state of Tokyo.

From the surface level, Tokyo seems like the perfect vacation spot for anyone who wants to live it up and have a good time. I mean, futuristic skyscrapers, video games, anime, good food, cool vending machines, and fun activities. The “Life.” However, I've noticed that there is something deeply wrong here. Almost a spiritual heaviness or darkness that covers this city; my team and I all agree. I can’t help but say that Tokyo is the pinnacle of “Worldly Life,” a place where people come to chase their endless desires. It is a bottomless buffet for anyone who seeks it. But how empty it is. How unfulfilling it is. I don't say this to discourage anyone from coming or to say Tokyo is not cool. Tokyo is absolutely awesome with so many fun things, but I believe the Lord is opening our eyes to see through the spiritual veils here.

The other day on our Adventure Day, my friend and I went to Shibuya, famously known as the “World’s Biggest Cross Section,” with hundreds of people walking by every minute. We explored a lot of that part of Tokyo and, to our surprise, it was kind of a letdown. Not that it wasn’t cool, but it wasn’t the way people hyped it up so much. But why? Even though we did some things that are known to be very popular “tourist” destinations, it was not all that. Later that night, we reflected and talked about it. With that, we came to a profound conclusion: because we are not of the world, it wasn’t the same for us who follow Jesus. We don’t drink, we don’t go to clubs, we don’t hook up, we don’t do a lot of the things the world glorifies. And man, was that such an interesting realization. When you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, your desires and the quality of what you enjoy in life are very different and even often opposed to the world.

(Street musician playing very dark creepy music)

Unfortunately, there is such a huge spiritual blindness here. A blindness that I have not seen in any other country. While there is much oppression here, the world and its cravings are so freely available and present to anyone who seeks them. I imagine the parable about the thorns of the world that choke all fresh new seeds. Japan has a population of 1.2% that is Christian. That means 98.8% of the people in Japan do not have the Holy Spirit to lead them into truth. Even though the number is high, that is not to say that everyone is a hedonist here. Many Japanese in Tokyo are people who are happy and living it up. Whether that is the crazy part of Tokyo or the very humble, simple lives in the suburbs. On top of that, everyone I have encountered has shown joy and kindness to me. However, behind the smiles and politeness, I can see in many that there is an emptiness and hunger for something deeper. All I can say is that in Tokyo, there is a huge SPIRITUAL WAR.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

There is a war here that is behind the scenes, leading to death. Powerful strongholds of suicide, gambling, and video game addiction, loneliness and isolation, sexual immorality, bullying, child abuse, and so much more.

With that being said, I am glad that we are here serving because there is hope and the Lord is definitely moving. Fast or slowly? I am not sure, but HE IS. We have been doing a lot of ministry here in Japan, and it has been increasingly getting better as we grow. We have been doing hours of street evangelism daily, hosting worship nights, doing kids club, sports ministry, sharing the gospel at old people care homes, and building relationships with locals. It has been a lot, and it has been so good.

In the upcoming days, I would like to write about some of those stories and encounters that we have collected over this time. Because this is a spiritual war, I believe the fruits may not be instantly visible to us now, and I am okay with that, because the seeds OH, THE SEEDS they are planted!!! As the days go on, we will continue to plant more and more seeds into the hearts of people as we go headfirst into this war.

Prayer Requests

Tokyo needs your prayer, and I mean that. We need spiritual warriors to intercede for the souls here and for our team. If you could be praying for:

1. PRAY FOR the souls and for divine encounters with people.

2. My team’s unity, health (people have been getting sick), and encouragement.

3. .\My overall health, mental/spiritual/physical, as I continue to run the race. It is pretty busy here, so I would love it if you could pray that I can be intentional with my time with the Lord so I will grow stronger in intimacy with Him.

Thank you, everyone, for your support and prayers will be updating more soon!