When Mika* moved from California to the Washington D.C. area with her family, including two young children, she wanted to connect with other Japanese women in the area. She also was a follower of Jesus and wanted to continue to grow as a disciple.
She knew Minako Wilkinson (Navigators International Student Ministry) from an online seminar, so they met in person and over time they became friends and started meeting for Life-to-Life® discipleship.
As Mika has connected with moms of young children for playdates, she also invites them to read the Bible with her. She shares her motivation, “I invite women to read the Bible and learn about Jesus because He is my treasure and my reason for living each day. How tragic to not know Jesus and not have a relationship with Him. That’s why I reach out to Japanese women who do not know Jesus.”
Several of the first group of women that Mika and Minako read the Bible with have moved back to Japan, but they keep in touch online for ongoing spiritual growth.
Now they are meeting with Yuki* who is eager to learn more about Jesus. Each Bible discussion ends with the question, “Who can you share with about what you discovered today?” God gives Yuki a new discovery about Jesus at every meeting, and she shares it with her sisters in Japan.
The three women take turns leading the Bible discussion. Mika says, “Leading Bible discussions keeps me accountable in my walk with Jesus. If I know that I am leading that week, I find myself being more focused and ‘spiritually awake.’”
Even though Yuki has not yet decided to follow Jesus as a disciple, she has also taken a turn at facilitating the Bible discussion, using the question format that the others have modeled. She is growing in her awareness of God as Creator, and her friends are praying that she soon will follow Him as Lord and Savior.
Praise God that Japanese women are hearing and responding to the Good News of Jesus. Pray that God will raise up more everyday disciplemakers like Mika to reach out to moms, or whomever is in their sphere of influence.
*Names changed.
Wonderful NEWS !
I lived in Japan, I pray for your success in bringing many Japanese people to Jesus. When I lived in Singapore, our women’s ministry taught English to Chinese speaking women by reading the Bible. They recognized the values that the US had been founded on and became hungry for God’s Word.