Lifted Vision Ministry

Greetings and Blessings to each and every believer of Christ Jesus,
all the way from Osaka, Japan! 🇯🇵👋🏻

Today, I’d like to introduce you all to the co-founder and Bible study leader of our church gathering, “The Light of Christ” (イエスの光)!
Please meet the very special, Amon-San!

Amon-San is a dedicated, Japanese brother of the faith, who has a huge heart for the homeless and who also lives and ministers with me from the slum area of Nishinari, Japan. Through his time serving with Campus Crusade For Christ (Cru), it was then, during his first mission trip to Taiwan, where the Lord first ignited his passion for witnessing to others. Amon-San was trained with Cru and learned the skills of practical evangelism, mercy ministry and organizational outreach, all under the leadership of seasoned Cru missionaries.

With only 2% of Japanese confessing to be Christian, you might be wondering: how did Amon-San become saved when he was just 21 years old, and in Japan at that!? Please allow me to share!

When he was in college, Amon-San had a Christian, Korean roommate who ministered to him all throughout his college years while they were living together. Amon-San said that his Korean roommate shared Christ with him almost daily and would do things like pray with him before meals and would invite Amon-San to study and read the Bible with him (which cultivated his love for studying the Word). Because of his friend’s faithful and consistent witness to him, Amon-San eventually gave his life to Christ! Since that time 13 years ago, he has been a surrendered and on-fire Christian and a powerful witness to others! Hallelujah!

Amon-San’s love for God, The Word and others overflows and inspires everyone he meets. Like myself, Amon-San has also come from a far away place (Aichi Prefecture in Japan) to minister to the people of Nishinari;
may God bless him for his sacrifice!

As you may know, from very humble beginnings, our home church actually started in Amon-San’s one-room apartment, and has since grown to this room in the Civic Center where we hold our service every Saturday. We pay the rental fee for using this room and we are always able to rent the same room each time, which has been a blessing to us. Since we outgrew Amon-San’s apartment last year, we are now beginning to outgrow our current placement at the Civic Center too! It’s a great problem to have; too many people want to come to church!!! This too is God’s blessing!

Now, we are now believing and praying for the continued growth of the church and have seen visions of the entire building being used unto the glory of God for this church plant. We are praying to either acquire this building or for a larger, permanent building for God’s church in Nishinari. This way, we can fit the growing needs of the church here and can also make room for the Lord to accomplish His will in Japan by reaching as many lost souls as possible!

Would you please partner with us in prayer for God to supply a permanent church building?🙏🏻

-Philippians 4:19 KJV-
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.“

Did you know that the current building that we hold our church gathering in, is the same, exact building that the Lord highlighted to me 7 years ago? This is the exact building where the Lord said that He would plant His church through us! By the grace of God, His Word did not return to void and He has done just that!
All the glory and honor truly belongs to the Lord alone!

-Hebrews 10:23 KJV-
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;
(for he is faithful that promised;)”

At our church service just last week, an attending member, (let’s call him K-san), expressed his yearning to know the Lord more; his desire to be closer to God. K-san expressed thanks to us for creating this space for him to be able to do just that: to connect with His Savior through reading the Word together, where he can go deeper in his faith and walk, and where he has a safe place of love and brotherhood where he can boldly ask questions and receive prayer.

I’m so grateful and humbled that the Lord has been drawing the people of Nishinari to Himself through this ministry and I want to say a huge “thank you“ to you who is reading this right now and to all of our current and future partners; for all of your support to this mission, which is truly changing lives in Japan, all unto the glory of God!

Evangelism Tools used for Outreach; Rice balls, bookmarks, origami tracts, and something sweet and usual to the Japanese palate, Oreos!

Before our church service, Amon-San and I go to the park and do local outreach and evangelism. It is at this time that we invite the homeless men and women to our church! By the grace of God, we have begun seeing the fruit from these evangelism efforts, and even last week, two people came to church after we ministered to them!

After service, we share coffee (and sometimes ice cream) together at a local coffee shop that sells their goods at a discounted and affordable price for low income individuals! We have become regulars here every Saturday, and our Bible discussion continues here at the coffee shop after service. It’s a time of laughter, fellowship, and encouraging one another and has truly been such a blessed time of connection.

Even in one of the darkest and most hurting places in all of the world, Our Lord Jesus’ presence is here and therefore, there is life.
May God Bless continue to bless and have His sovereign hand upon Nishinari.

-2 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV-
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.“

Support This Mission Here: https://liftedvision.org/donate/

To God alone be All the glory! Be blessed dear ones! Thank you for reading!