Japan

Ryan is going to Japan this weekend. I wanted to let everyone know what the trip is about (since I doubt he will put it up on his blog for at least a month or two, hehe, just kiddin' Ry). Check out Walking on Water here to see what else they are up to.

Trip Destination:
Kyushu, Japan | August 5-20

Goals & Destination Info:
Imagine a country where the vast majority of people walk around in hopelessness; where people do not know the love and forgiveness of Jesus; where the suicide rate is amongst the world’s highest--about one hundred suicides per day. The place that you have imagined is Japan.

If your desire is to reach the Japanese for Christ, there is no better time to be a Christian surfer in Japan. Approximately 99.5% of the Japanese have never heard the truth about Jesus and there are more surfers in Japan then there are believers in Jesus! A recent Gallup Poll showed that traditionally dominant religions Buddhism and Shintoism are declining among teenagers, and that the Japanese youth are more open to the gospel then they have been in a very long time.

We will be staying on Kyushu Island, which is one of Japan’s best surfing destinations, during one of Japan’s biggest holidays: Obone. Obone is an annual event, commemorating ancestors. Traditionally, it is believed that ancestors return to earth on this day to visit their living family members. Surfers take advantage of this holiday to travel to their favorite beaches and surf as much as they can. This holiday affords us the opportunity to spend quality time with the surfers of Kyushu Island.

Ministry Strategies:
We will be working closely with our good friends from Christian Surfers Japan assisting them in reaching the surfers of their nation.
We will be putting on free surf clinics for the Japanese people who want to learn how to surf. By doing this we will be able to develop those crucial relationships that effective ministry so often depends upon.
We will also be giving out free Noah’s Arc DVD’s in parking lots to surfers.
You will have the opportunity to be involved in showing the Noah’s Arc film, which is subtitled in Japanese.
You will be eating, surfing and hanging out with the new Japanese friends that you meet. This type of ministry is really relational, natural, and fun.

Who Can Come:
We are looking for surfers who want to share their faith with those who are in desperate need to hear it. If you are a Japanese American and you would like to go minister to your people, then this is a great opportunity. This trip is open to just about all! You must be at least 18 years old, or accompanied by an adult.