Thursday, October 25, 2007

Dear Family in Christ

As you know, for the last two years I’ve been working with a Christian group at University called Student Life. They are a world wide organisation committed to sharing the gospel and building students to live as Christ did. At Griffith, I have been a part of leading bible studies, organising socials and attending outreaches to help this movement grow because I share the same vision that they are trying to achieve; turning lost students into Christ-centred labourers.

To this end, every year Student life orginises mission trips commonly known as “Summer Projects”. During the Australian Summer, Student Life members take two or three weeks out of their lives to devote their time to sharing the gospel through their actions and words at events like Schoolies and at Universities where International Students are taking Summer Courses. Last year, I was part of one of these mission trips. I spent three weeks at QUT sharing the gospel with the International Students there, many of whom had never encountered Christianity before.

This year, I have the chance to combine two of my greatest passions; Sharing God’s word and Japan. I lived in Japan for one year and for the last three years I have been studying Japanese as one of my Majors at Uni. Japan is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to, and is filled with some of the most sincere people. It is almost a shock to think that it has one of the highest youth suicide rates in the world. As well as that, less than 1% of the population claim to be Christian and the running joke about Japan is that the people are born Shinto, die Buddhist and in between have a Christian-style marriage. The Japanese people are searching for the real meaning to their lives.

I am so excited to have the chance to share that meaning with them; that there is a God who created and loves them, and who went through death on a cross to make a relationship with him possible.

This Summer Student Life is running a mission trip to Japan called “Megumi” which means Grace in Japanese. It will run for four weeks from the 17th of November to 17th December. I am planning to join a team of seven other Australian students at University in Nagoya to befriend the students there and share my faith with them.

It will be an unbelievable challenge to minister to such a culturally different nation but I believe that God calls us to go to the nations with his message of reconciliation. In response to that call, I am eager to go and I am asking if you would be able to partner with me in this. If you are able to support me by prayer, please let me know so I can update you with our prayer needs. This is one of the most important ways you can help and I would be honoured if you would join with me this way. I also need to raise $4000 by the beginning of November, so if you feel that God is calling you to support this mission financially that would be a blessing too.

I look forward to talking with you more about this soon and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call me.

Thank you and God Bless.
In Christ

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