Lifted Vision Ministry

I’d like to introduce to you a man named Usami; a Nishinarian currently affected by homelessness and his incredible salvation testimony!
I first met Usami the first year I came to the mission field in Japan, back in 2022. He was and still is a very colorful fellow who experienced a very rich and exciting life once upon a time. In the past, he even worked and travelled in the United States for a few years, so he also speaks English very well too! When I first encountered him on the streets of Nishinari, he was excited to speak in English with me and shared some intimate details of his life with me too; about his travels, his children and the good and bad things he’s been through (I will protect his privacy :))
The information that I always shared with him was the gospel message of Jesus Christ! I shared the gospel with him and asked him back in 2022 if he wanted to believe in Jesus. At that time, he told me that he wasn’t ready yet, and that he wasn’t completely sure if he could trust in Jesus. He seemed hopeless at that time, without aim or direction. I encouraged him, prayed over him, and continued to minister with him over the past year. Little did I know that God was working on his heart and on his behalf the whole time.

Malachai 3:6 NIV – “I the Lord do not change.”

I saw him once more in April 2023 at the YWAM Hong Event I held and we took a picture together after I ministered to him (see the picture above). At that time in April, he was still contemplating on believing in Jesus so I asked him if he was ready to receive Christ. At that time he said, “I’m getting closer to believing…”
Well, I have an incredible update everyone!!!! I just saw Usami again this past November and he has now put His trust in Jesus and is SAVED by the Grace of God!!!!! Heaven is rejoicing over this once-lost-but-now-found soul!
This November at another YWAM Hong Kong event I held, Usami excitedly approached me and told me, “guess what!? You’ll want to hear this! I believe in Jesus now!” He even pulled out a thick, Japanese Bible from His pocket and told me that he couldn’t get enough of the Word of God! He started sharing with me some of his favorite scriptures and his eyes lit up as he told me how free he felt now. He told me how he believed in Jesus this year, 2023 (sometime over the summer) due to his friend inviting him to church. He said that one day he just felt like he couldn’t avoid God anymore. He wanted to know the true God that everyone was telling him about for himself.
I celebrated with him and I asked him how church was going when he excitedly told me, “I can’t get enough! I go to every single Bible study, worship night and event that they have. They’re probably getting sick of me by now, but they couldn’t kick me out even if they tried!” 🙂 He told me that he tries to go to some sort of church service every single day now to hear and learn the Word of God. He told me that he asks his pastor many questions after service, is amazed at the Scriptures and that he finally understands them to be the only truth now! He said before, the Bible was just a book to him, but now it is the truth of God!
Usami’s light for Christ has been fully ignited and when I saw him last he had so much joy and hope pouring from his spirit like I have never seen before; his demeanor and disposition were one of a completely different person! Well, isn’t that just what Jesus does when we finally encounter Him!?

What I want to emphasize to everyone is that no seed is too small to sow! Not one conversation is meaningless if procured in God’s love and Word! Through consistently showing God’s love to others, seeds are sown in faith and hope for them to reap unto salvation!!!! God was working on Usami’s heart the whole time and he confessed Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior during a personal moment between him and God alone. You may not see the fruits of your labor until much later in the season however, what God is doing behind the scenes on behalf of the people that we minister to is more than we could ever ask, hope or imagine!

You may have experienced this thought in your own life, “this door on their heart has been closed for a long time.” But I am here to tell you today: you may have thought someone’s heart was a hard wall, but in fact, it was actually an open door. With your help, Usami found his own open door that he himself thought was a wall for a very long time too. Feeling unworthy of salvation for so long, through God’s power, he chose the open door that God was knocking on! You, as a supporter, were also involved in this process of bringing Usami to the saving knowledge of Jesus with me; what you helped him with is not only love and support, but you also gave Usami hope.
My greatest desire and hope for you this year is that you find a door that you thought was a wall in 2024 too. There is always hope on the other side of your situation! Whether it be your own personal limitations you feel are holding you back, whether you are scared to share the gospel with someone you believe, “won’t listen” or whether you are up against a giant, I want to tell you today that what you thought were walls on people’s hearts are actually open doors for you in Christ Jesus! Only though the activation of faith and hope on our part, and God’s wonderful mercy can this be attained!

I want to thank each and everyone of you! Your small attention and effort to the homeless here give them hope and life through Christ in a real and visibly tangible way! You can’t only make others in the same space as you happy and live a life fulfilled in Christ. Now, you have the chance to help unsaved people affected by homeless from afar through this ministry! Thank you to all the surrendered souls who are doing so already! Let’s continue to give hope to those in Nishinari together! Thank you for your mighty impact of dealing hope to those in Nishinari with me! To God alone be the glory!