Contemporary Japan

Today was the fourth Japan short-term missions trip meeting. With only 3 more actual meetings to go, the weeks to prepare only seem to be going by faster. I am feeling anxious and excited for what God has in store for us. My prayer through the preparation is that I stay focused on the task at hand - giving glory, obeying, and spending quality time with God.

This past weekend, I finally picked up a book called, Contemporary Japanby Duncan McCargo. I felt that I needed more insight and a better understanding of the Japanese culture and the Japanese people. As I thumbed through the book, I naturally went toward the chapter about family structure. The facts were alarming, and a bit sad to say the least. McCargo writes that it is rare for a Japanese wife or child to see their husband or father regularly. Japanese men are bound by their companies and is hardly ever home. A common Japanese saying is that "a good husband is healthy but absent." The author left nothing to the imagination about the effects it might have on the members of the family, and their relationships with one another. As I also learned today during our training, the idea of a father and son relationship is nearly non-existent.

However, as an encouragement, I was reminded of the couples and families we will be meeting from the New Communities Church in Japan. It was then that God showed me how the Spirit is touching lives in Japan. Although it is "rare for husbands and wives to entertain other couples at home, or to meet them for evenings out," I knew that through the church there and the events we have planned, that they would be a cause for forming relationships and getting to know families that break the norm in Japan. The team is able to stay with home-stays, many of whom are non-Christians, and neighbors of the church members there. As it is the prayer request of the New Church Community, as well as mine, we pray that this would spark questions and conversations about Christianity. And, hopefully, we can share a lot of the love of God to the children and families that we will meet in Japan.