First week on Campuses!

It's been a little over a week since our first day on campuses! My team of 7 students has been sharing on Hitotsubashi University (a commerce-oriented school) and Gakugei University (an education-oriented school) where we've been talking to students about their lives, their experiences in college and in Japan, and their faiths. It started off as kind of a rough week in terms of talking to students and making contacts, but my last 2 days at Gakugei have been really encouraging! So far, there has been some really cool opportunities given to us in getting to know students:

One of my teammates (a Lacrosse player at Montana State) was invited to go and play with the whole Hitotsubashi Lacrosse team and they want to meet up with him again! Another one of my teammates invited a non-Christian student to the weekly Student Impact meeting where the student came and actually received a gospel presentation! Earlier today, a teammate and I got to give a gospel presentation to a Gakugei University student in the main cafeteria!

Overall, the week has been a test of my patience and perseverance in continuing to push though even when our work doesn't seem to be fruitful 100% of the time. It's been a week of trusting the Lord in doing my part and leaving the rest to Him, while taking refuge in Him and energizing myself in Him.

Last Saturday was a free day, so a bunch of us decided to go to Asakusa where we visited the Senso-Ji temple. At first, it was a beautiful sight in its architecture and its art, but after we walked in, it was a heart-breaking image. Hundreds of people were walking in and "praying" to Buddhist images and statues. The sad part was that it wasn't in a touristy "this is a joke" way but in a genuine "i need help" way. This just made me realize a little bit more how much this place really needs Jesus.


On a happier note, this weekend, I've had the best sushi I've ever tasted, gotten closer to my roommates and teammates, saw some really cool tourist spots, and bought a sweet new sword!


Prayer Requests:
1) That I'm seeking the Lord and His glory before anything else
2) That my whole team feel regenerated and strengthened when going to campus and sharing
3) That the hearts of Japanese students are softened and willing to listen
4) That the hearts of my team and I are broken for the students we're reaching out

Thanks for reading! I hope all is well with everybody back home (both LA and St. Louis) and I miss you all!

Until next time,
Andrew