Meet Miki! Jesus' Heart for Japan

Introduction

Hello, everyone! Grace here, and I wanted to share with you that February is a really special month because February 2021 I started my blog. I’m planning on a Year In Review of my blog soon, but I’ve been really moved and encouraged by all of you! I thank you for reading, listening, and being here. I thank you for being part of my life and journey. I thank God that He is speaking to me and to you constantly. 

I recently thought about how much my life has changed since I started to really walk with Jesus, not just on sleepy Sunday mornings, but in my day to day life. One of the ways that God moved me was to do summer missions before optometry school! Since we were in the pandemic, we didn’t get to go abroad -- but that didn’t stop God. Nothing can stand against the power of our God to reach people. God loves us so much! God loves you so much!

During summer missions, I served on the team for Japan, where I met my precious sister in Christ and friend: Miki! She lives in Japan, is the sweetest girl, and my prayer warrior. She’s one of my greatest blessings that continues to keep on giving. She reminds me of God’s purposes and plans that span way beyond me. Knowing her, loving her, praying for her, having her pray for me, and sharing our lives has been so wonderful. Since June now, we’ve been talking -- and recently God placed something in my heart! 

As I write these blogs, I get to share my life and my story. What if I used this blog to also share the stories of other people? Their walk with Jesus? Their faith? Their testimonies?

In the Bible it says, 

“But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:8-15)

The greatest gift you can give to anyone is the gift of Jesus. 

Jesus has changed my entire life not just made it better, but He makes it the best life possible. The truth is that school/work is great, friends are great, relationships are great, family is great! The truth is also that not only do these things fade, fail, or lack fulfillment - they are all temporary. They all have an expiration date. Friendships go sour or stale. Relationships lose their passion in the “did you do the dishes?”s and “you never listen to me!”s. Your family comes in with their own agendas, experiences, expectations, and inability to understand you. Then, you find that school or work, even when you’re at your best performance, doesn’t quite satisfy a deeper longing you have. You were made for more. You were created for greater things that this world, the next 80-90 years can’t hold, and that eternity is placed within your heart by God.

I hope and pray that my precious sister and friend, Miki, can shine a light on how God moves and works in our lives. I love her story. I love the person God is making her to be. I love the gift of friendship we have with each other.

Miki’s Story: 

FULL TESTIMONY

Testimony translated in English I'm a Meijigakuin university student 1year, from this April, I graduated from YANCHA, I join in GAKUSEIKAI. Today, talking main is my junior high school days but something else too. Please listen to my testimony of salvation. I was born in non-christian family so I hadn't known about God, Jesus and church well. Rather, to go to the temples or to the shrines is natural for my family and then when I was elementary, I had spent my life to play soccer on my lesson on every weekends is natural too. I had started to know Him since I entered to mission school, when I was junior high school student 1year. In this school, there are worship on every morning, hymns and messages of pastor or teacher and then pray time and also the Bible class once per a week. When I was junior high school student 3year, I was lead local church first but for last 2years I'm really in trials and conflicts. I couldn't study at all, so I been last since from junior 1year of summer to the end of 2year about for 2 years because I hadn't attended almost all of classes even though I had being been to school so then my grades were very poor. And then at my home, especially my father is scary because he often used violence to me manytimes and manytimes and also he is severe in terms of study and career pathways. In terms of friendship, I had fallen into negative thinking and distrust of people when I was elementary 6year because of bullying from best friends so in my class at junior high school, I was shy and plain so I hadn't have any friend. So I had felt lonely or sadness because I was always alone. Then I hadn't known about why am I in here? or what am I? or why do I live for?. I've been thinking about it. I hadn't have something that I can brag to someone about or special memories for me rather I was in like darkness. But only two people had got to have a connection with such I. One is christian homeroom teacher of English class in my class, another is the Bible class teacher. Without fail, the two teachers helped me and didn't abandon me and also taught about how much God loves me even though I tried to suicide at school or injured by myself. And then they prayed for me for hours and hours also they have been together with me. They taught to me that our life haven't happy or joyful always and we may think "Why, God?" for our life but someday we can feel happy and joyful if someone is alive someday. And they said that God doesn't give trial we can't overcome to us. That's why this is 1Corinthians10:13. I thought God's love is even in me and God's existence in me and God is even though I was not a christian and I hadn't been to church. I had been reading the Bible both at school and at home because I was always alone wherever I am. Then God's word's were given bravery and encouragement to me. Since I started to read the Bible, I have noticed that God is real my Father, Creator, my best friend. And when I was junior high school student 3year, I started to go to local church because I got to talk a little with pastor of the church at school. While reading the Bible and enjoying God's love, God gave the power that I'll do my best about school study to me and then I was last in junior high school, but I got to go on to the top class of that high school. In addition, senior christian students and christian teachers made such a christian circle at the year in order to praise for God and also pray for each other at school. The circle named "GIFT", "Gift From God". One day, Bible teacher invited me to come the circle when I'm free so I wanted to go to this and went there. The circle members praised for God and prayed from the bottom of their heart and all members were shine so I thought it was amazing and this community was the only place for me. For me, my junior high school life was lonely because I couldn't make friends, so I was able to read a lot of Bible, enjoy God's love slowly, and meet God.Because I didn't know myself, I thought I want to continue to find myself in God and be with God forever. It was because I was in darkness that I thought I want to rely on and believe in God who was omnipotent and perfect.From this time on, I really fell in love with God. And when I was high school student, I became to go to school same to at junior high school. I was given a wonderful encounter from God in the christian circle, in there I got to meet one senior girl. Through my meeting with this girl, I was led to the present church "Yamato Calvary Chapel", and my life changed a lot. She invited me to her church and youth group, "YANCHA" on 15 April,2018. I was welcomed and loved by pastors, staff and many students in this church. In the first worship of YANCHA, the Holy Spirit's presence was praised, there were powerful testimony and messages, and prayers, and I was really moved. and was crying from beginning to end. After the service, the staff prayed for me for repentance and shared one verse of Revelation3:20. He said to me "If you open the door to your heart, Jesus will come in and also God. And if they come in, they'll never forget you, even if you forget them". Church's members prayed for me always. I found myself having been to church every week. To put oneself in a place of prayer and praise, attending church weekly, and baptism or communion ceremony every month saw in me, and then I thought I want to get baptized! and also I want to be a Christian!! One day, God told to me to tell my parents that I want to be baptized. I thought it was God's time, but my parents objected to me being baptized. I told to God, why? Why don't you love me? And I envied other people who got baptized. But God taught me that I always love God first and leave everything to him without forgetting to thank him. And in fact, God endured me so that I could grow up so that I could love people so that I could get used to the flock of churches. I lost my classmate to illness before I baptized.But through that sadness, God grew my faith. God made me feel better through his church community and people. Many people and family members said, "You've changed lately!You're feeling better now!" By continuing to go to church, my parents have come to think that going to church is good for my daughter because I have more smiles, made friends, became more positive, and became to go to church is good for my daughter. Baptism, which continued to be opposed by my parents, was suddenly approved when I visited the grave that winter. On March 31, 2019, about a year after I started going to church, I was baptized by pastor Mr. Okawa. I was grateful to God that my family, school friends and teacher also attended my baptismal ceremony. This is my testimony of salvation. I was able to know that negative things always turned out to be positive. My life has changed since I met God.And at the prayer meeting before I was baptized, God gave me a vision to become a missionary in Africa.It was to give up all the lives I had lived for myself to God and live for God. I want to share God's love with people all over the world.Everything really has meaning, and in every event there is God's wonderful plan and purpose.And all prayers never fall to the ground. Finally, I'll end my testimony with one verse in the Bible. Romans‬ ‭8:28 「And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.」

Thank you.

Q & A

*some parts may have been edited for clarity, but I wanted to keep the original form of how Miki sent me her answers!

Tell us about yourself! What is your name? What do you do? What’s fun for you?

Miki: I’m Miki and 18 years old and university student 1 year [I] am studying social welfare and also to sing worship songs is fun for me!

What did you think about God before becoming a Christian?

Miki: I didn’t know how is christianity God because many Japanese people believe in Buddhism and Shintoism since they are small childs so I had been thinking there are a lot of Gods in anywhere. I had done the act of throwing money offering and praying but didn’t have relationship with God and not listen to His voices and His will so I didn’t know how about who God is.

Why do you believe in God?

I had been confused and worried about my life and also relationship with my friends and family. Too overconcerned so I didn't know why I have to live but then I entered to CMS when I was in from J.H.S to H.S :) For long time, I didn't have bff and community where calmed down but one day my senior christian student who is friend with my brother started good christian community at school and got acquainted with the person. She is really good devout christian, asked to me "Why don't you come youth worship of my church on Sunday?" and I said "Yes:)" when I was H.S student 1year. Since the entrance ceremony, a lots sadness happened my friend died because of sickness and any other else is more too.

How has your life changed since becoming a Christian?

All my life was changed into the best! I had tried to live for myself before becoming a christian but now I wanna live for God as a missionary. That's how was changed! Life to live for Him is so so amazing!「So I am not the one living now—it is Christ living in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God. He is the one who loved me and gave himself to save me.」Galatians‬ ‭2:20‬ ‭

What do you want to share?

life entrusting our absolute sovereignty to God and following in His footsteps, walking our steps with Him step by step are wonderful more than wonderful if wherever and whenever you are in . I want to share with all this wonderful God's love and truth. And wanna continue to tell the gospel to Japanese people and all countries who don't know Him.

What would you ask God if you can ask one question?

If I can ask one question, I would ask God now how can I help and share gospel with people who live in Africa or do the preparations because before becoming a christian God gave me one dream that "Go to Africa to share gospel as a missionary".

What are your prayer requests?

My prayer requests are may my family(dad and mom and brother) be saved and many Japanese people can see God and believe in Him and also Covid19 pandemic all over the world converge and even during corona all children who live in developing and developed countries can have dreams and hopes🙏.

Closing

I just wanted to thank Miki for sharing her story for us, and I love her so much. Miki is so precious to me, and she is one of the greatest blessings. Her heart, her love, and her prayers are invaluable treasures. Her faith is a testimony of the love of our God. Jesus is dwelling in her life. He has changed her and He continues to change her. He is able and willing to do the same for us. 

I am so grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to use my blog to share her life and part of her testimony. Please take this time to pray for Miki, pray for her family, pray over missionaries, and for the country of Japan.

You can follow Miki's insta: miki_shimizu_0326 here!