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MYstery
Personal Space
Life mk corner
Mk STories • By Ashley Brents
Going Deeper
To go deeper into the idea
of the
Trinity we studied this wee
k, read:
1 Corinthians 12:3-7
2 Corinthians 13:13
Ephesians 4:1-16
Hebrews 9:11-14
1 Peter 1:3-12
Jude 20-21
Prayers, thoughts,
& questions:
Sharing
Jesus
in Japan
MK uses 5-minute English
lessons, park evangelism
Known> 8/1
week’s devotions into motion in
So how do you put the truths of this
your life?
the Trinity means to you. What does
� Think about what each member of
God the Son mean to you?
t
God the Father mean to you? Wha does
you?
to
n
mea
t
Spiri
Holy
the
What does God
tative of the Trinity to make
�  How are you allowing each represen
?
basis
daily
a
on
you
to
Himself real
those who don’t understand it?
�  How can you explain the Trinity to
of why God chose to show Himself in
�  How deep is your understanding
this way to us?
gain a better understanding of the
�  What do you need to do in order to
week to better understand?
this
Trinity? What steps will you take
qualities of each Person of the
�  What is one way you can live out the
Trinity today?
M
Read Through
the Bible
?
Faith isn’t understanding every facet of
God’s character. It’s believing He is who He
says He is and can do what He promised.
54  |  jul 2009  ec  magazine
Want to know more about God
in three Persons? Read His
Word! Follow our plan and read
the whole Bible in a year.
• Job 29–Psalms 12
• Acts 16:16–20:16
y name is Ashley
Brents. I’m 13, and I
live in Tokyo, Japan. My
parents and I moved to Japan when
I was 8 weeks old, and my brother,
Adam (12), and sister, Avery (7), were
born here. My parents serve as project
coordinators/volunteer mobilizers
for the International Mission Board’s
Tokyo team.
I love the Japanese people, the
culture, everything! But I love America
a lot, too. My mom and I joke about
where my home really is. We decided
that it probably is on the airplane
between the two countries.
Two ministries I really enjoy are
Five-Minute English and park evan-
gelism. Five-Minute English is a tool
we use to start conversations with the
Japanese so we can share the gospel.
We hold up signs advertising it at train
stations and call out, “Five-Minute
English!,” and people come up to us.
fast facts
We use a workbook with ques-
tions such as, “Are you a spiritually
minded person and why?”
Park evangelism is going to
the big parks in Tokyo and trying
to make friends. When people are
playing games, we ask if we can play,
too. We hang out with them and try
to share Christ. One time I walked
up to someone who was sitting on a
blanket, and he asked me to tell him
about Christ!
Sometimes our team dresses up as
clowns and gives out Bible tracts as we
talk to people who are watching us. I
make balloons and give them to the
little kids. It can be hard because the
kids speak Japanese better than I do—
and I don’t know what animal they are
asking me to make!
I help with park evangelism in the
summer and Five-Minute English
year-round. I usually work with other
missionaries and volunteers who
come from the U.S. on mission trips.
It is pretty exciting. Last summer 439
volunteers came and talked to 12,201
people, mostly using Five-Minute
English and park evangelism. More
than 1,200 Japanese heard the plan
of salvation, and 88 people got saved.
Isn’t that awesome? God works in
totally cool ways.
I believe God has a plan for the
Japanese. Three summers ago,
the Tokyoites seemed closed to the
gospel. But today they are open and
love talking to Americans. One of my
missionary friends said, “The spiritual
climate of Japan is changing.”
We would love to have you come to
Japan on a mission trip! I love volun-
teers and think it would be so cool if
you would come! If you’re interested in
learning more about work among the
Japanese or how you can be involved
in missions, go to http://thetask.org or
http://going.imb.org. �
Japan
Climate: varies from tropical in south to
cool temperate in north
Terrain: mostly rugged and
mountainous
Area: 145,882 sq. miles (slightly smaller
than California)
Natural Resources: negligible
mineral resources, fish (With virtually
no energy natural resources, Japan is
the world’s largest importer of coal and
liquefied natural gas as well as the second
largest importer of oil.)
Population: 127,288,416 (July 2008 est.)
Literacy: 99% of people in Japan age 15
and over can read and write
Ethnic Groups: Japanese—98.5%,
Korean—0.5%, Chinese—0.4%, other—
0.6%
Religions: observe both Shinto and Bud-
dhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian
0.7%)
Fact List Source: The CIA Factbook, https://www.cia.
gov/library/publications/the world factbook/geos/
ja.html
Pray
journal: Week of July 26
• That the people we meet using Five-
Minute English and park evangelism will
have a hunger to know Christ.
• That the pop culture in Asia will shift
toward God’s truth, the only thing that
can free the Japanese from sin and
death.
• For members of the IMB Tokyo team as
they work to see house churches started
in West Tokyo.
ec  magazine  jul 2009  |  55