The Paradox in Japan!

The Lord’s Special Gift!

The Lord has blessed me with a special gift. I’m in Japan for a few days with our friends, Issaid and Mie Arechiga who Dawn and I first met in Mexico City. Next week I will be involved in Mission to the World’s (MTW) leadership meeting in Cambodia.
It seemed like the perfect time to visit Arechigas as I’m on my way to Cambodia. After we left Mexico City Dawn and I caught up to Issaid and Mie on the border. They were involved in our first church plant in Mexico, and then a church plant we are helping with on the border.
Last year they moved to Japan, where Mie is originally from. They are working on returning to the U.S. We’ve missed them a great deal. It’s a real gift to be able to spend this time with them.

The Beauty of Japan & The Need for Christ

Japan is a beautiful country with good people. It’s one of the safest places in the world to live. There’s only one problem, very few of them know Christ. Less than 1% of the population call on the name of Jesus Christ.
This is the paradox of Japan. On the outside things seem just fine, but when you lift up the hood you realize that it’s not as healthy as it first seemed.
It breaks my heart to see such a wonderful people lost. They are doing well in many ways. They are a moral people. For these reasons and more they don’t see their need for God.
There is not the poverty here or the violence that one finds in Mexico. Yet, there is a profound spiritual poverty that they are blind to.
MTW has a large missions force here, and the Lord is using them to make a difference, but it is slow work. Pray for their strength and that the Lord will encourage them as they labor.
The only hope for Japan is found in Christ!
O Lord, would you open the eyes of the people here so that they would see their need for a savior. Work in their hearts so that they might realize that they are poor in spirit and in need of a great Savior, Jesus Christ!
In His Grip, Dave
DiasoLifeOnTheBorder.org