Tomihiro Hoshino's Story

During our recent trip to Japan we visited the Tomihiro Hoshino Museum in Gumma Prefecture. The museum is a powerful witness to Mr. Hoshino's Christian faith and strength to overcome great difficulty. At 24 years of age he was paralyzed from the neck down. That happened in 1970. Four years later he became a Christian. He paints by holding his brush with his mouth. These paintings and his poems have had a large impact on people in Japan and around the world. You can find out more about him at http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=TomihiroHoshino .

While at the museum we received a copy of his first book "Love From The Depths." I recommend reading this book.

Lessons of encouragement are many. Also, the way he came to become a Christian is very helpful.

His first contact with Christianity was during high school, climbing up the hill side near his home he discovered a small white cross, marking a Christian grave. On the cross in small letters were the words "Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads."

After his accident a college friend brought him a Bible in the hospital, and prayed for him. But he never read it until another patient gave him several books written by the Ayako Miura. Then a local pastor and a Christian from the church visited him weekly.

I have learned much from Mr. Hoshino's story. His accident happened about six months after we came to Japan to begin our missionary work. I never heard of him until at least 15 years later, and have never personally met him. Yet his life and testimony has touched millions of people.

In the prayer book "Operation Japan" there are listed many Christian hospitals. As I pray for those in the hospitals I pray that the Lord will touch those patients, and I ask that God would raise up other Tomihiro Honshinos.

First Steps

Liz Godwin aat our RJC Conference in 2006 led a workshop on preparing the soil for sharing with Japanese.

She gave six important points in preparing the soil for ministering to Japanese. Here are her points:
1. Building trust
2. Finding common ground
3. Listening
4. Answering questions
5. Developing authentic relationships of love
6. Sharing a pre-evangelisc book

These are helpful points as we seek to share Jesus.

Helpful Websites for Japanese Ministries

Here are a few websites that I have found helpful in our ministry to Japanese:
1. Iwa www.iwarock.org/index.html
2. The JapanNet www.japannet.typepad.com/
3. Reap Magazine http://reapmagazine.com/
4. The Christian Arts Network for Japan (CAN) www.japancan.com/Site/home_en.htm
5. Mission: Japan www.missionjapan.com/community/

English Bible Class

At the Reaching Japanese for Christ Conference in February Dee Wirz spoke about "Teaching an Effective English Bible Class." She distributed a three page handout. If you are interested, please send me a note at don_wright@mac.com.

Her first point was

People who come to English Bible classes often have mixed motivation and interests.

The class is both an English class and a Bible class.
1. The “felt need” and first interest of students may initially be to practice and improve their skills in English communication.
2. A secondary interest (or at least an openness to learn) may be in the Bible and Christianity. Their “real need” is to hear the Good News and come to know God personally as Savior, Creator and Provider.

The teacher should make every effort to faithfully satisfy both of these needs.