Summer Missions 2006 Update

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ,

Greetings in the Lord! I am really excited to be writing this letter to you!  To some of you, this may be the first time you’ve received a summer missions follow-up letter from me, but to most of you, updates of my experience in Japan during the past few years may seem like plates of food in a buffet restaurant—before you’re even finished digesting the first, the next ones keep coming! 

Jokes aside, I want to express my deep thanks to you for being my ministry partner and co-worker in the field of world missions.  Though summer missions in Asia only lasted one short month for me, God is honored by the “goers” and also by you, the “senders,” in your monetary and prayer support throughout my whole year of preparation for this trip. Thank you for your faithfulness, but may God received all the glory!

Two Birds with One Stone 

Instead of going to Osaka, Japan for a college evangelism trip like the past two summers, this summer I had the unique opportunity to go to Japan for Children’s ministry AND Taiwan for prison ministry!

 Taiwan, the Island of Beauty

July 3rd to July 18th

I spent about half my life living in Taiwan because of my father’s fulltime ministry status at Prison Fellowship Taiwan.  This summer was actually the first time I returned to Taiwan as a short-term missionary in order to minister alongside my dad.  With that purpose in mind, eight of us from Grace On Campus, UCLA, who all spoke Mandarin to some extent, spent two very meaningful weeks in Taiwan from July 3^rd to July 18^th.

“I was in prison, and you came to Me” Matthew 25:36

During the first week, the team followed my father, Ming Huang, to 3 different types of correctional facilities: a minimum security Christian drug rehabilitation center in Tai-Nan, a medium security vocational institution in Tai-Dong, and a maximum security prison in Lu-Dao with the reputation of being “the Alcatraz of Taiwan.”

Any Christian who has given his testimony in public can probably relate to the stage freight that our team was experiencing. However, our nervousness was coupled with a fear for our tattooed audience, which consisted of robbers, gangsters, thieves, arsonists, rapists, and murderers.  Most of us on the team have been brought up in well-protected environments and have never met a convicted criminal in our lives, much less share our testimonies with them or attempt to lead a spiritual discussion. But God graciously surprised us with the peace that He gives to His children by taking away all the irrational fears that we had, through prayer, through my father’s shepherding, and even through some encouraging words from believing inmates!   Although there may not be a way to know if our testimonies have touched any of the soft hearts hiding behind those stern expressions, the good news of God’s salvation for repentant sinners was proclaimed…and only God has power to change hearts.  In fact, out of the 60,000-prison population of Taiwan, about 500 people every year become baptized.  Though that falls short of even 1%, God is still to be praised for the work that is going on in the Taiwanese prisons!

“But now faith, hope, love, abide these three…” 1 Corinthians 13:13

The team spent the second week with 37 boys ranging from 4 to 20 years old at Faith Hope Love Youth Academy—a private institution in Hua-Lien built by Prison Fellowship Taiwan for boys who have committed misdemeanors not serious enough to put them in prison and for boys who were victims of familial violence.  For four days we followed the same living schedule as the boys, which required everyone to be ready and awake by 6:30am every morning. Our interaction with the boys consisted of group lessons from the Bible, games, individual counseling, group devotions, unicycle-riding, crafts, sports, singing, and time to just sit outside and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Hua-Lien. The team bonded well with the boys and by the end of the four days, everyone became friends. Most of them are deprived of a “healthy” family and have been going in and out of school. Please pray for all the boys to come to know Christ, and please pray for the staff at FHL to be an example of Christ’s love to them as they continue to teach and assist the boys in their everyday living.  Three of the boys were able to visit California for 10 days during August as a reward for their good behavior at FHL. I had the privilege of accompanying them to several Chinese churches throughout California to share their testimonies and perform their unicycle abilities.  According to the boys, the best part about their trip was their visit to the California State Fair and Disneyland!  We look to have more of the boys visit California next year.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel” Romans 1:16  

In between traveling and meetings, our team grew closer to one another and also got to know my parents a little bit more. During the last few days of the trip, many of our team members were able to minister to their relatives who lived in Taiwan. We also visited famous attractions in Taipei to share the gospel with some locals through cold-contact evangelism. The trip gave me a better picture of the condition of Christianity in Taiwan apart from my childhood understanding and stirred up my heart even more for world missions.

Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun

July 20th to August 7th

I never thought my third time in Japan would be so different from the first two. Prior to this trip, I did not have much experience in teaching anything to children, much less teaching foreign kids to whom I couldn’t communicate well. But by the end of the trip, I discovered that I really enjoy working with kids!

 “Let the little children come to Me” Matthew 19:14

 Every summer, Hamadera Bible Church and Izumisano Bible Church hold a 5-day Bible/English camp called “Joy Joy 5 Days” for local Japanese kids in the church’s surrounding community.  The 15 members of our team were a part of the camp in three ways: music, English lesson, and craft.  Every morning, parents drop off their children to the church and we have a singing time in both English and Japanese; during the English lesson, the American team members would teach the children concepts of the gospel through some English vocabulary words.  In addition to JJ5D, there is also a similar event designed for junior high school students held in the evening called, “Joy Joy 4 Nights.”  By the end of a fun-filled but informative week, the children and the students would have heard the gospel several times in both Japanese and simple English, and would make a “decision” as to whether or not they want to know Christ more.  Out of the 90 or so kids and 20 junior high students that attend each camp, only a handful make the serious commitment to learn about Christ, and at best only 1 person ends up coming to church consistently.  As for the rest of the kids, they might not ever hear the gospel again for the rest of their lives unless they attend JJ5D or JJ4N again the next summer.

As you might imagine, the gospel is not as “well-known” in Japan as it is in America. Though Japan is a highly technical and advanced nation, the total number of professing protestant Christians is less than 1% of Japan’s population—a spiritual desert. Becoming a Christian in Japan could literally make one an outcast from a community. According to our missionary friends and from my own experience in sharing the gospel with the children’s parents and college students last year, people do not usually verbally reject the gospel, since it is considered rude behavior. However, they might just smile and agree with the facts but never make an issue in their hearts.  Please pray for the children and the parents who heard the gospel this summer. In God’s timing, may they continue to attend JJ5D in the future and come to truly know Christ through the ministry of the churches in Japan.  Please also pray for the believers in Japan, because they live in a spiritually desolate country with different forms difficulties for Christians and not enough workers to shepherd the churches.

Many people have expressed their concern for me as to how I chose to use my summer: “Doesn’t going on TWO trips take up a lot of time? When are you going to find time to get a summer internship so you can secure a job for the future? Why don’t you get some work experience instead of just going places and helping people who don’t need you?”  Though these are all valid concerns that I appreciate hearing, I believe that my trip this summer was definitely not a waste of time, but a valuable experience that not only helps me appreciate my upbringing as a missionary’s son, but also gives me insight into my future in the mission field. Whether I write to you again one day about another short-term or long-term mission trip, whether I be in Asia or Africa, I hope that you will partner with me again for the glory of God’s son! When and how it’s going to happen? If it is the Lord’s will, the Lord will provide.  Thank you again for your support! I hope this letter was helpful for you to understand what sort of work YOU are part of! In the meantime, please continue to pray for all the people you know around the world who are laboring for this same gospel and go on a mission trip yourself if the opportunity arises!  Matthew 9:36-38.          

                                                                                                                             Yours for the Master,

                                                                                                                                                  Beland I. Huang

Currently Reading Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 42, Ephesians (lincoln), 592pp see related

Dear You,

Konnichiwa!  I could not have gone on this trip again this year to see God’s mighty work displayed if it wasn’t for your prayers and financial contribution.  I am grateful that I know people like you who are mindful of world missions and God’s eternal plan for His own people.  Thank you for partnering up with me for the sake of the gospel in Japan, I would like to express my appreciation to you by writing this letter to you and updating you on the ministry you have been praying for. 

THE FOREIGNERS

Let me start out by introducing our team.  We are a team of believers from Grace Community Church, most of us are either attending UCLA or have graduated from UCLA.  There are a total of 8 of us, 4 guys and 4 girls.  5 out of the 8 members have studied Japanese before and 6 out of the 8 are returning on this mission trip.  As you might imagine, previous exposure to the Japanese language and culture perhaps made our ministry a bit smoother, and we felt confident as we re-entered the Land of the Rising Sun.  Immediately, the LORD humbled us. 

The Virus

One by one, each of us came down with Viral Gastroenteritis, also known as the stomach flu.  Many of us were immobilized for a few days, but praise God we all recovered and were for the most part, able to minister without being physically hindered for the remainder of the trip.  I did not catch the stomach flu while the rest of the team was sick, but I only had a cold that I caught while still in LA.  Perhaps in some way the cold stopped the virus from attacking me at the time and I was healthy for the remainder of the trip because of that.  However on the night before we returned to America, it seemed like I caught the more severe and intensified form of the stomach flu, and spent my first week back in America in bed.  I am thankful to the Lord that again He taught us that He was in charge and He had plans. 

THE MINISTRY

Our ministry is twofold—

Share the good news to the lost and encourage the Christians in Osaka.

1.    THE CHURCH

The Shepherds

Hamadera Bible Church (HBC) is pastored by three men, Kondo sensei, Okada sensei, and Doi sensei.  The first two men went to seminary and were trained in America.  One of the team’s main purposes is to encourage these faithful pastors in the Lord and bring news and goods from home.  Between the three pastors’ families are 7 children with whom we were able to play with and baby-sit while their parents labor hard in the church’s ministries.

Our partners

HBC has a college ministry of about 15 people.  All of them are guys except for one girl who is just entering college.  Compared to last year’s trip, we spent a lot more time together with these students this year.   Even though these guys are busy with their schoolwork, they actively participated and planned most of the events that we were a part of.  I had the opportunity to practice my Japanese with them while they in turn practiced their English with me; I was able to hear from them in two languages some of their testimonies and how the Lord is growing them, it was a very encouraging experience to hear these guys speak! 

The Body

HBC has around 150 members, a mega church in Japan.  There are the silver-haired as well as many children running down the halls of the church every Sunday.  HBC is also very unique because of its deaf ministry.  There is a sign language translator present at every meeting we attended because there are many deaf members at the church who are very actively involved in the ministries at HBC, one of them is even enrolling in seminary this year to become a pastor to the deaf. 

Many American missionaries also occupy the church, most of them teach English either at the church or in schools.  Aaron Bitzer, a fellow friend from UCLA, who lives at the church and teaches English there, was a very big part of our ministry this year.

Jun Minatozaki, an intern/seminary student who also lives at HBC was the ministry coordinator for our short-term missions team.  

Believers in HBC have encouraged us in many ways.  Some invited us to their homes, some spoke encouraging words to us in Jenglish, some cooked delicious dishes for us every meal, others prayed for our ministry, etc.  Christ’s love was reflected by these people and quite evident to every single one of our team members. 

The Paint and The Garden

It was time for HBC’s sanctuary to be repainted and for the church’s yard to be cleaned up.  Who else would be better for job than a bunch of tall and “outdoorsy” Americans?  This year we had the privilege of serving HBC by repainting the interior of the sanctuary, where the worship services are held, as well as cleaning up the church’s yard/garden.  We spent about a week cutting trees, killing bugs, painting the ceiling, the walls, the baptism pool, and the prayer rooms.  The weather was quite hot and sticky and the constant smell of paint made some of us dizzy, but we were more than privileged to be able to serve HBC in this way. 

2.  THE COLLEGE EVANGELSIM

“Free Talk Time!”

We visited 3 universities in the greater Osaka area this year: Osaka Prefecture University (OPU), Momoyama/St. Andrew’s University, and for the first time, Kinki University.  Our ministry was geared towards the English speakers at the university, i.e. Japanese students who have an interest in English conversation.  The students we met with were all members of each school’s English Speaking Society (ESS), which is a very popular club in Japanese universities. 

For the most part, we had “Free talk time” when we visited the clubs.  “Free talk time” is exactly what it sounds like, each American would sit down with few or several college students depending on club size, and talk about anything anybody wanted to talk about.  As you can imagine, there are tremendous opportunities for the gospel and Christ to be mentioned.  Praise God, we did have many conversations about the gospel and many students showed sincere attention to what was being proclaimed even if they’ve heard it from the teams in previous years.  However, our main purpose was not necessarily to pack us many gospel conversations as we can with the students during free talk times. 

The Connection

Since our team was only going to be in Japan for 2.5 weeks, our job was not to conduct a “gospel drive-by” at every single ESS club we visit.  Rather, our main focus was to connect the unbelieving college students to HBC, hoping that even after we depart, the church could take-over and reach out to them.  We did this by inviting the students to the church meetings and special events and introducing them to the college members at HBC.

The Osaka Excursions

During the two Saturdays while we were there, we were able to go on sightseeing trips with HBC college members and the ESS students.  We visited the two landmarks of Osaka City, Osaka Castle and The Tsutenkaku Tower.  Due to scheduling conflicts with their school events, only few ESS students were able to show up to the trips.  Despite the small number, we were able to see the HBC college members getting to know the ESS students even sharing the gospel and their testimonies.  We all had a great time together visiting places and buying souvenirs, but without a doubt the greatest gain was the relationships built during these trips. 

THE HEART BEHIND MISSIONS

Another Year, the same Sovereign God

God opened my eyes even more this year, not so much as to see how lost Japan is without Christ, but to see God’s faithfulness again in the work He has going on there.  The statistic of 99% of the country still being spiritually dead continues to grieve my heart, and from the contact we’ve had this time with even just a few souls from that 99%, it is evident that these people desperately need Christ.  The missionaries, the Japanese Christians, and all of our team are constantly learning to trust in God’s timing, that the time will come when He will gather those in Japan who are His.  In the meantime, little me who has no power to do anything can only pray to the One who has the power to change hearts of stone.  No one became a Christian on this trip, but indeed we saw Him work: heart’s strengthened, believers encouraged, the gospel proclaimed, prayers answered, heart’s humbled, God glorified!

It’s not about what I cannot do in Japan; it’s about what God IS doing and what He promises He will do in His Word!

Missions is for every Christian

Thank you very much again for your support, your prayers and your gifts.  I would love to tell you more about how your prayers are answered and how great your money was for the purposes of God, but I’d much rather encourage you go on a mission trip and see it for yourself.  Go to a foreign country and see God work in that place, whether it be a rich or poor country, “Christian” or persecuted Christians country, they all need the gospel.  Even your workplace, the school you attend, your neighbors, they all need to hear Christ as well!  We are merely sojourners on this earth, we’re all missionaries, and our mission here on earth is to proclaim Christ and point people to worship God!  Please continue to pray for Japan and pray for the people around you who don’t know Christ.

Currently Reading NASB Thinline Bible By Zondervan see related

Japan Mission Team 2005: June 19th~July 4th

coming up in less than 3 weeks, please go to our team site for details!

http://www.xanga.com/japanstm

p.s. isn't priscilla cute?