Life since the earthquake/tsunami 1-B

How Christians in Mito reach out to the community and the world

The Mito family has two main ministries that have been going strong for several years and other smaller ministries daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly. As already shown, the people here are also open to new ways of showing God’s love and are more than willing to go to strange places, do hard work and serve new people.

Just like any other country, there are many people who have lost homes and the ability to take care of themselves. They live on the streets, eat what they can and just barely survive. In Japan, homeless people are not just looked down upon, but they are typically ignored even as a member of society. If you didn’t know Mito had homeless people, you just wouldn’t know. Mito church gathers clothes and food for Mito’s homeless and once a month a group of people gets together to make and serve a nice lunch and disperse necessary items. With some of these people, we have created a special relationship and we hope they are able to see God despite their troubles.

Japanese people are becoming more and more aware of the need to learn English. People pay upwards of $40 for a private English lesson with a native speaker. We offer a series of English conversation classes, much like Let’s Start Talking, with our own materials called English Bible Class (EBC) for free. Some people just come for the English conversation. Some people realize that they are learning new things about God and want to know more. Some people decide to give their lives to God because they have learned to accept Him into their hearts. Through EBC we have many activities to reach out to EBC students and their friends. We have parties, a talent show, A Christmas party and other fun activities where we can share God’s love.

Other ways Mito members reach out to people include weekly Bible studies, visiting college campuses to talk to the students, small concerts, adventures in the park, group outings, etc. The newest big ministry that the Mito members are excited about is Joel’s work with street children in Cambodia. Joel goes to Singapore and Cambodia two or three times a year. This past year, around 10 members of Mito’s church family joined him in this endeavor, more have committed to go this coming year and everyone has helped raise money. This family is becoming more and more aware of people’s needs and how we can help those needs. Many members are eager to help with the relief work for the tsunami victims through the church’s newly organized endeavor.