A Student Away from Home Meeting Jesus

by Yuya Shimada

“Believing in Jesus is the best decision I ever made,” her friend told Lisa* in Japan. Lisa is from Japan and studying International Relations as an exchange student at Sydney Uni. Since her friend told her that, she’s been curious about Jesus and has finally found a way of investigating Jesus in euFOCUS.

In Japan, less than 1% of the population call themselves Christian. Most people end their life without meeting any followers of Christ and having a chance to meet Jesus. I chose to come to Sydney Uni to be a Howie, so that I could get good training here and serve students well back in Japan, but also share the Good News with Japanese in Sydney. According to Operation World, every year over 1,600 Japanese return home having encountered Jesus overseas.

People become more open, have more time and often feel lonely overseas. Living overseas gives us the perfect opportunity to re-think our life values and our relationship with God. Lisa has decided to investing much of her time here to find out why her friend said it was the best decision ever and joined euFOCUS Bible Study, Japanese Bible Study and a Japanese church. She is on the way to getting to know Jesus.

This story is not only about Lisa. It’s not only about Japan. Every year, every month, every day, people meet Jesus outside of their home country, through genuine fellowship with Jesus’ followers. International students need community, love and care in their loneliness of being away from home. More than these things, they need Jesus, whom they haven’t been able to encounter at home. Please join us in praying for international students to experience Jesus’ love, to explore His love and finally to express His love here and in their home country. Please join me in praying that soon Lisa will say “believing in Jesus is the best decision I ever made.”

 

*Not her real name

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