God at work in the wilderness

At times, life can seem overwhelming, but it’s not a punishment—places that seem like wildernesses are where a missionary’s faith is tested and our obedience and character are formed. Don’t be discouraged by the challenges you face on the mission field; in the darkest hour, we can be still and listen for the Lord’s voice, which ignites our spirits. When we feel weak, we can rely on God’s strength to endure the most challenging times.

Sharing the gospel effectively in Japan may seem difficult because of religious and cultural differences, but is it a missionary graveyard? Absolutely not. We see that God consistently co-labors with his followers. Let’s trust in the guidance of God’s Spirit and have faith that he will sustain us even in seasons of struggle and testing. Although the wilderness may seem harsh, it is where God reveals the depths of his glory. Miracles unfold before our eyes as God makes a way where there seems to be no way. I would like to share some stories of God’s faithfulness in my own journey.

Heaven’s Café

After our family’s arrival in Japan, we stayed at my wife’s family’s house for almost eight months while we prayed about our next move. Although we had come to Japan with the guidance of God, we were uncertain about how he intended to use us. It was my wife who first received a message from the Lord, guiding us to open Heaven’s Café. It was not long before we started seeing God at work through us. Soon, we were invited to attend a Bible study at the International University of Japan, which resulted in students asking if we would have a church service at the school. This was a miracle because this was a non-Christian school.

As things developed, our group shifted focus and started a community life group in our café. We discussed real-life issues and applied biblical principles to our everyday lives. People were repenting and accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior. We started baptizing in the parking lot, and people would stop to watch. It was a humbling experience.

The greatest miracle was when my wife’s uncle’s friend came in and needed prayer because he had stage four cancer with only six weeks to live. Six months later, he came back and said he was cancer free; Jesus healed him! Both men accepted Christ that day.

Empowering Japan

It’s amazing to witness how God orchestrates connections between people at the perfect time. Some members of Empowering Japan (empoweringjapan.com) learned about what God was doing and decided to visit our café to see it for themselves. We are still doing ministry together seven years later.

Since November 2022, Empowering Japan has sent evangelism teams to spread the good news across Okinawa. The teams comprise intercessors, worship leaders, and evangelists, all working to lead people to salvation and unite churches. Our passion is to create a platform where believers can fulfill Matthew 28:19–20 and make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to follow God’s commands.

We provide training on evangelism to the Japanese people as a way of life. Each team consists of approximately 80% Japanese believers or those who can speak Japanese. To ensure a great experience, we pair our visitors and new members with team leaders. Additionally, we partnered with Yomitan International Church to prepare a mission building that provides a safe and cost-effective place for out-of-town missionary teams to stay.

Called to share

Our mission is more than just a mere goal; it’s our calling, a purpose that fuels us to visit churches and build relationships, host Empowering Nights that uplift and train us, and bring the gospel to the community through Christian music, marketplace ministry cafés, and food trucks. And when the world sees lives touched by the Holy Spirit, our hearts overflow with gratitude and joy. Our team is blessed to organize several gospel community events each year, joining hands with worship teams and speakers who fly in to partner with our Okinawa teams. We had over seventy-five volunteers and a few hundred attendees at our November 2023 event. May the Holy Spirit spark a fire in the hearts of those we encounter and inspire them to join us as we spread the Good News.

We want to encourage everyone that being a missionary is an honor and privilege, and together we are advancing the Kingdom of God daily. If you plan to visit Okinawa, please join us as we share the gospel and witness God’s work.¹

“In the last days, God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams’” (Acts 2:17 NIV).

1. You can read more about our ministry work at www.winloveministries.com.