The Power of Prayer
“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” Matthew 9:37-38
It is rare that you get an opportunity to go a single time to Japan, let alone be given the ability to go five times!
This is my story about how a country and people group captured my heart and has been a focus of mine since 2011. It was in 2011 that the Great Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami struck off the coast of Miyagi prefecture, devastating and destroying towns and people’s lives. Edie Cummings, the wife of former OPC Missionary Cal Cummings, came to speak at my church. It was then that I knew that I had to go.
I took two short term trips in 2012 and 2013, and then spent the whole summer of 2014 working at the Nozomi Center in the small town of Yamamoto, just south of Sendai. I went back in 2016 to visit some of the locals and Cal and Edie and Yui Hamada. Over the years, this field has remained on my mind since my initial trip.
When my wife and I joined Cedar OPC (Jenison/Hudsonville, MI) in 2021, we quickly became involved on the missions committee. Pastor Steve Igo, from our first meeting said, “We are going to send a team [to Japan].” Three years later, that hope came to fruition and Cedar was able send a team this past summer. We joined with my old home church, Harvest OPC, Wyoming, MI, since both are in the greater Grand Rapids area, to send 14 members to Japan. This team was the biggest and youngest average age team to go to Japan. The youngest member was only 9 years old. It would also be the first OPC team to be sent to Nozomi Chapel (Center) since the pandemic. There were plenty of concerns, but I feel that we were able to adequately prepare ourselves before the trip.
Getting to Sendai and Yamamoto was our first hurdle. We made it to Japan safely, but due to my somewhat rusty Japanese speaking and translating abilities, we almost became stranded in Tokyo Station. Thankfully, we made it on the final train to Sendai and after 28+ hours of travel we arrived at Nozomi.
Our mission was to work with Woody and Laurie Lauer at the Nozomi Church in Yamamoto as well as Matt and Annette Cummings (son and daughter in law of Cal and Edie) at the Joy Center in Sendai. We had many outreach opportunities planned with both sets of missionaries, including English sharing cafe times, a VBS day, a local school outreach cultural event, cooking classes, a friends’ lunch and more. We also were able to help with some of the Nozomi Church repairs and facility upgrades. A large need at Nozomi is diaconal oversight of the building.
This trip was different from my four other trips in many ways. This time, I was the leader, in charge of 13 others. I was no longer able to think solely about myself, I had to care for the productivity, safety, and enjoyment of the others. I worried about the size of the team. Team sizes are usually restricted to ten members or less. On this trip we had more, and many were young—eight of the members were under 20 years old. God used both the size and the age configuration of the group to work to His advantage. The younger children attracted other children and mothers to return to Nozomi on multiple days. Additionally, having a large team meant that we were able to get a lot done in a lesser amount of time as well as help more missionaries.
It was difficult to see the Nozomi Center in disrepair, although encouraging to see it was clearly used and well-loved. It needed cleaning and repairs throughout the whole building, from cracks, to dust, and general neglect. The Nozomi building is used for events every day. It has seen so many faces come through its doors and the wear and tear shows. We were able to work to make the building look like new.
We encountered God in many moments through this trip. We saw him in our scheduled events, in our travels, in our safety, and in all we felt the power of prayer. It seems kind of silly to not think about how powerful prayer is, but unless you stop and consider it, you will often miss how the Lord answers even the smallest prayers. It was at a prayer gathering with Matt and Annette, some Japanese Christians, and a few non-believers that a question was raised, “What prayers has God answered in your life?” I know that I ask God for many things and thank him generally for answering prayers, but do I stop and look at the prayers He has answered? He does answer them! I paused in that moment and was shocked at how many prayers God had answered during our short time in Japan.
One of the most powerful lessons I learned during this trip was when we were at the Joy center for the English Cafe. Only a few people came into the Christian community center for the four-hour duration of our time there, so I began to pray for more to join us. It was then that three vans pulled up and the room filled with people. Eleven Japanese people heard the gospel that day—a clear, tangible answer to prayer leaving me in awe of God's timing and provision.
Over the years, I have seen the impact on others as a result of the OPC sending teams yearly to Japan. I have seen this sorrowful, depressed area become lively and excited. As our time on this trip went on, the more of the gospel the Japanese heard. They were curious to see all the foreigners at the Center and even began to drop off vegetables or stop by just to say “hi.” The OPC has invested in this region, and it is showing fruit. They know us as the place that continues to care, years after the tsunami and earthquake. I have seen this area tilled by so many laborers and the little seeds are starting to sprout.
An example I have of this is when we were sitting in a packed Nozomi Chapel for a friends’ lunch. I saw Japanese people hungry for the gospel. They diligently flipped through the Bibles provided to them and wanted to know the message that was being taught. They wanted to understand it and do more than just listen; they wanted to follow along and ask questions. The people of Yamamoto are eager for the gospel.
Overall, I had many worries and doubts about this trip and about Japan which is perhaps seen as a dying or dead mission field, with a one percent “Christian” population. The situation there is seemingly hopeless. But this trip filled me with hope. Nozomi means “hope” and I am encouraged and hopeful for Japan. It’s obvious some desire that same hope and can sense that we have something they desperately need. I am committed to going back to Japan as much as possible, maybe even longer term, if that becomes possible. I would love to see OP Churches continue to send teams yearly—multiple teams a year if possible. I think the fruits of our labors will be evident in years to come.
As I reflect on this journey, I am filled with hope—not just for Japan, but for the future of our mission work. I am committed to returning, to continue sowing seeds in this fertile ground, trusting that God will bring the harvest. We are the workers; the field is ready for us to go and continue going for years to come. I encourage anyone feeling called to mission work to consider Japan. There is so much need. If you are thinking of participating in short-term missions and need assistance in preparing that, please contact me and I can walk with you through that process. If you are thinking long-term, I suggest contacting Woody Lauer or Cal Cummings to begin your next steps.
