Brief Report:
The America Trip was divided into 3 parts*
1. Presentation on Hikikomori in Washington DC
Prayers
1. the voices of the hikikomori to be heard!
2. the possibility in finding Christians researchers to work together in this area.
3. the possibility in meeting other potential hikikomori workers.
Learned/Answers
- no. 1 achieved.
- I learned much on my own presentaion and others too;
- I also realized it would be a long way to go before I could have more Christians academian to walk along in this topic.
- Prayers are needed in this area as Christians scientists come together, so that we can seek His heart of parts and roles that we play, to fit into the body of Christ.
Prayers for following trips after conference
4. raise hikikomori gatekeepers and watchers!
5. raise Heart4Japan supporters in giving, interceding and going!
2. Fellowships in Atlanta
Learned/Answers
Hosted by my ex-cell group leader who had moved to Atlanta;
- 3 group sharing occurred with two local Chinese churches;
- Many of them heard about the needs of missions in Japan for their very first time;
- A spiritual awakening for the need to forgive Japan of their invasions into China, and to understand that most Japanese were innocent;
- Reconciliation and healings may be needed in future visits,
3. Meeting Heart4Japan people in Pennsylvania
Learned/Answers
- there is a strong prejudice against the relationship of the specific social culture of Japanese with the phenomenon of hikikomori, mostly due to the media illustration;
- learned about Asperger and its similarities and differences to hikikomori;
- had a few discussions about hikikomori and Heart4Japan with different families who have some Japan/Japanese connection;
- share resources with another two future potential Heart4Japan missionaries, Matthew(US) and Jia(Korea);
- this missions served to encourage both of them, and preparing the hearts of friends involved to support them in future missions to Japan.
Back in Japan (now - Dec):
1. Study and Research began;
2. Cooperation with NPO (Non Profit Organization) in working with hikikomori;
3. Suicide Prevention Internship in Akita;
4. Learning and Performance of Japanese Traditional Dance in November;
5. Working on the possibility of Tokyo U Worship Circle
Akita is known as the prefecture that hasthe highest suicide rate in Japan for recent ten years. In my expository trip to Japan last year, I did some travel to Tohoku, preliminary Akita and Aomori, to "investigate" or try to understand the situation better by just walking around the city, feeling and sensing the atmosphere, and praying. God is so good that He led me to a dedicated team that had diligently spent more than ten years in working towards reducing the number of suicide in these areas. Excellent suicide prevention programs are going on in the city!
