Christianity in Japan is among the nation’s minority religion. Less than 1% of the population claims Christian belief -- and experiencing it first hand has left a lasting mark on my life. In the photo above, while I might look happy, moments later I would be moved to tears.  The photo was taken in Kyoto Japan at the annual Gion Festival, where an estimated 400,000 Japanese people were celebrating in the streets by walking to a particular shrine.  In this sea of people, the statistics of the situation sunk in -- how many people here know Jesus? How many have had an opportunity to respond to the gospel? The exhilaration of the event quickly faded, and the calling to serve became clear.  The church in Japan is not quite self sufficient, Japanese college students will be the ones that can have the most influence on Japan’s future, and Asian Americans are the ones who can reach these college students.

Other experiences have shaped my decision, including an understanding that the timing is right (by God’s grace I feel like I’m mature enough to lead a team of Asian Americans, and I still look young enough to pass for a student) and the effectiveness of Asian Americans.  For the past three summers, I have been involved with leading Epic Movement (the Asian American ministry of Cru) teams to Kyoto -- I’ve witnessed countless stories where I would say to myself in the aftermath, “I’m pretty sure only Asian Americans could have had this conversation/gotten here.”

Thank you for partnering with me in reaching the 127 million Japanese people for Christ.

Website: http://kiteinahurricane.blogspot.com/2012/02/full-testimony.html