Page 57 - Full Sample of ec magazine
P. 57

Personal Space                                   life mk corner
 journal: Week of July 26
 MYstery                               We use a workbook with ques-  fast facts
                                                                          MK STORIES • BY ASHLEY BRENTS


                                      tions such as, “Are you a spiritually
 Going Deeper
                                      minded person and why?”    Japan
                                        Park evangelism is going to
 To go deeper into the idea of the
                                      the big parks in Tokyo and trying
 Trinity we studied this week, read:
 1 coRiNtHiaNS 12:3-7                                            climate: varies from tropical in south to
                                      to make friends. When people are
 2 coRiNtHiaNS 13:13                 playing games, we ask if we can play,   cool temperate in north
 epHeSiaNS 4:1-16                    too. We hang out with them and try
 HebRewS 9:11-14                                                 teRRaiN: mostly rugged and
                                     to share Christ. One time I walked   mountainous
 1 peteR 1:3-12                      up to someone who was sitting on a
 JuDe 20-21                                                      aRea: 145,882 sq. miles (slightly smaller
                                     blanket, and he asked me to tell him
                                    about Christ!                than California)
                                      Sometimes our team dresses up as   NatuRal ReSouRceS: negligible
 Prayers, thoughts,                 clowns and gives out Bible tracts as we   mineral resources, fish (With virtually
 & questions:                       talk to people who are watching us. I   no energy natural resources, Japan is
                                    make balloons and give them to the   the world’s largest importer of coal and
                                    little kids. It can be hard because the   liquefied natural gas as well as the second
                                    kids speak Japanese better than I do—  largest importer of oil.)
                                    and I don’t know what animal they are   populatioN: 127,288,416 (July 2008 est.)
                                    asking me to make!
                                      I help with park evangelism in the   liteRacy: 99% of people in Japan age 15
       Sharing                      summer and Five-Minute English   and over can read and write
                                    year-round. I usually work with other
       Jesus                        missionaries and volunteers who
                                    come from the U.S. on mission trips.
       in Japan                     It is pretty exciting. Last summer 439
                                    volunteers came and talked to 12,201
                                    people, mostly using Five-Minute
                                    English and park evangelism. More
       mk uses 5-minute english
 Known> 8/1  lessons, park evangelism  than 1,200 Japanese heard the plan
 SO HOW DO YOu put the truths of this week’s devotions into motion in   of salvation, and 88 people got saved.
                                    Isn’t that awesome? God works in
 your life?    y Name iS aSHley     totally cool ways.
 �   Think about what each member of the Trinity means to you. What does   bReNtS. I’m 13, and I   etHNic gRoupS: Japanese—98.5%,
 God the Father mean to you? What does God the Son mean to you?   M live in Tokyo, Japan. My   Japanese. Three summers ago,   Korean—0.5%, Chinese—0.4%, other—
                                      I believe God has a plan for the
 What does God the Holy Spirit mean to you?
 �   How are you allowing each representative of the Trinity to make   parents and I moved to Japan when   the Tokyoites seemed closed to the   0.6%
       I was 8 weeks old, and my brother,
                                                                 ReligioNS: observe both Shinto and Bud-
                                    gospel. But today they are open and
 Himself real to you on a daily basis?
       Adam (12), and sister, Avery (7), were
 �   How can you explain the Trinity to those who don’t understand it?  born here. My parents serve as project   love talking to Americans. One of my   dhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian
                                                                 0.7%)
 �   How deep is your understanding of why God chose to show Himself in   coordinators/volunteer mobilizers   missionary friends said, “The spiritual   Fact List Source: The CIA Factbook, https://www.cia.
                                    climate of Japan is changing.”
       for the International Mission Board’s
 this way to us?
 �   What do you need to do in order to gain a better understanding of the   Tokyo team.  Japan on a mission trip! I love volun-  gov/library/publications/the world factbook/geos/
                                      We would love to have you come to
                                                                 ja.html
 Trinity? What steps will you take this week to better understand?
         I love the Japanese people, the
 �   What is one way you can live out the qualities of each Person of the   culture, everything! But I love America   teers and think it would be so cool if
                                    you would come! If you’re interested in
 Trinity today?  a lot, too. My mom and I joke about   learning more about work among the
       where my home really is. We decided   Japanese or how you can be involved   pray
 Read Through    that it probably is on the airplane   in missions, go to http://thetask.org or   •  That the people we meet using Five-
 the Bible  between the two countries.   http://going.imb.org. �  Minute english and park evangelism will
         Two ministries I really enjoy are                        have a hunger to know Christ.
 Want to know more about God   Five-Minute English and park evan-  •  That the pop culture in Asia will shift
 in three Persons? read His   gelism. Five-Minute English is a tool   toward God’s truth, the only thing that
 ?  faith isn’t understanding every facet of   the whole Bible in a year.  Japanese so we can share the gospel.   Photos courtesy imb  •  For members of the IMB Tokyo team as
 Word! Follow our plan and read
                                                                  can free the Japanese from sin and
       we use to start conversations with the
                                                                  death.
 • Job 29–pSalmS 12
 god’s character. it’s believing He is who He
       We hold up signs advertising it at train
 • actS 16:16–20:16
                                                                  they work to see house churches started
       stations and call out, “Five-Minute
 says He is and can do what He promised.
                                                                  in West Tokyo.
 54  |  jul 2009  ec magazine  English!,” and people come up to us.      ec magazine  jul 2009  |  55
   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62