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Getting Started
Please start by reading through the entire acceptance packet.
As we prepare for our time in Osaka this Summer this site will be your one-stop-shop for all information related to our trip. Anything you need can be found here! We will regularly add and update information on the site as we draw nearer to our departure. We will update you whenever new information is added, but please go ahead and bookmark this site and plan to check back frequently to make sure you don't miss anything! Please read everything thoroughly and carefully. As we wait for more information, here's a few ways you can begin preparing for our mission.
Pray:
Begin by making prayer for Japan and Osaka a part of your daily time with God. We have nothing to offer and no means of our own by which we can reach Japanese students. We desperately need God to make a path for us in the hearts and lives of those we meet. Please check out these resources to continue developing your heart for the Japanese people.
Listen: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_uQ_U4smacUlwDBkrwMOg-OyMqthsu6p/view
Follow Along: https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/transferable-concepts/pray-with-confidence.html
Watch and Pray: https://prayercast.com/japan.html
Pray specifically for the students we will meet, unity among our team, and for God to move in and through us as we join Him in this mission.
Learn the Culture:
We have a lot of learning to do as we enter into this new and very different culture. Take time to familiarize yourself with Japanese culture as much as possible. We plan to have several team calls prior to departure to discuss Japanese culture and better prepare for our time.
Read The Japanese Mind: https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Mind-Understanding-Contemporary-Culture/dp/0804832951
We will be discussing this book during our meetings together as we draw closer to the start of our Summer Mission.
But why read it?
The Japanese Mind is a collection of essays based on key concepts in Japanese culture. Each essay will provide you with in-depth information on prevailing cultural values, attitudes, and behaviors in modern Japan. As we prepare for our time this Summer, we want to understand how to interact with the culture of the students we'll be meeting. Japanese culture is very unique and sensitive; our westernized American culture can easily find itself in tension with the majority culture in Japan. This book does a wonderful job identifying many of the key areas of sensitivity and discussing how we may best approach them as an outsider.
Visit and read over the Life in Osaka page of this website.
Begin learning Japanese using a website like Duolingo (while it may not make you fluent, the students you meet will appreciate your efforts in learning some of their language!)
Memorize & Familiarize
Take time before we leave to commit to memorize the Knowing God Personally booklet. Please memorize the four points, all scripture, and illustrations used (arrow diagrams, circles). This can also be found in the "God Tools" app.
Although we are asking you to memorize the Knowing God Personally booklet, we would also like for you to go ahead and download the "God Tools" app onto your phone. This app will allow you to communicate the gospel with a student in Japanese. Please take some time to get familiar with God tools.
Why do I need to learn the KGP?
Much of our evangelism will be built into ongoing relationship building with students. As such, it is necessary for all participants to be so familiar with sharing the gospel that they can focus on guiding the conversation and getting to know students while weaving the gospel in without needing to worry about a specific reference or diagram. God tools may then be used for a full or complete presentation of the gospel after a relationship is established.
Practice taking initiative and sharing the gospel using the Knowing God Personally booklet with strangers this semester to better familiarize yourself with this tool.
Passport:
Visit the page Apply for a Passport and read through the material there. If you currently have a passport, make sure that it is valid until February 3rd, 2026. Otherwise, you will need to renew it before the trip.