As Oswald Chambers writes, "God does not ask us to do things that are naturally easy for us- He only asks us to do things that we are perfectly fit to do through His grace."
Even as I become more acclamated to living in another culture, I am still learning about the Japanese way of life. There's nothing rough about living here. I have everything I need at my fingertips (it's just this lame language barrier that makes obtaining the simple things challenging). I have internet connection, I have transporation; the area I live in is extremely safe. I can leave the apartment unlocked for weeks at a time and no one would break in and steal stuff. I've maybe seen one homeless person. The people of Japan are thriving, very much like back home. The challenge in sharing the gospel is the same as back home...how do you get someone to see their need for a Savior when they are not in need?? We just had a gentleman from the NICS (Network of International Christian Schools) home office come visit our school. He was sharing with us what was going on with the other international schools around the World. There's a school in La Paz, Brasil who just recently had a lock down due to violence in the streets; A school in Afghanastan where the female teachers may not go anywhere in public without a secruity escort or a male teacher from the school due to danger of rape or robbery; A school in Kungming, China (the school that originally contacted me regarding a teaching job) where a teacher died (not sure of the details but it was sad to hear). I sat there listening and kept thinking, "Wow, I am very lucky to have been placed in a country where I am safe with minimal threat to my safety, and I am free to represent Christ without worry of persecution." However, I also thought that what I am doing here seems like no big deal because I am not in any threatening situations, and perhaps I'm not a real missionary. Right now, in my life, I want to learn the definition of a missionary and what that looks like. I know you can be a missionary in your home town and do not necessarily need to be overseas. I also know a missionary is not always in a constant state of crisis with the surrounding community. But I pray the Lord shows me what a missionary is and then I want to live it out. I just want to live it out.
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Believe me...I definitely know the feeling. When I was in Taiwan I wasn't sure if I was doing a whole lot and it was a little intimidating having a roommate who would talk to anyone and share her faith with everyone she met. But I really felt like God put certain people in my life while I was there to love, minister to, and share the love of Christ -- however that looked. On a day to day basis I would prepare myself for what God was doing around me and join Him in His work. There were teachers I worked with and other "foreigners" that I met that I was sure that was the reason God brought me to Taiwan. Even if it wasn't my expectation of what a missionary should be... I knew that God was working through me to touch those specific lives. I wish that I would live that way back at home and look for all the opportunities that are around me to serve God and share His love. Keep strong and know that God is working through your life to touch those around you!
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