SIM is a century old catalyst for global mission with more than 4,000 workers serving across six continents. Dedicated to prayer and care, we bring good news to hard places because there are people living and dying without the gospel.
Asian Access began in Japan by coming alongside visionary pastors and leaders to partner in new ways to grow the church. Now with a network across Japan and a strong history of partnership, together we work toward a movement of Christ-like leaders and disciple-making churches.
SIM and Asian Access have embarked on a new award-winning strategic partnership. Recognized for its innovation, this partnership is truly a new way of doing mission together, each bringing their own strengths and committing to a common kingdom vision. All A2 workers serving in Japan come through an SIM sending office and are members of both organizations.
Together, SIM and Asian Access send workers to Japan to partner with local churches in holistic outreach to make disciples and develop leaders and churches, catalyzing innovation for reaching Japan for Christ. Each worker benefits from the strength of their SIM sending office and the strategic work of Asian Access in Japan.
Throughout the week, I share the story about my faith journey A LOT. As a mobilizer with SIM, I’m one of the first conversations people have with us as they seek to discern God’s calling for them in His kingdom work around the world. An important part of every conversation is getting to share my journey and inviting the person on the call to share theirs.
A favorite line I like to share in my story is “If you don’t have a firm sense of your identity in Christ, and you don’t have a firm sense of His calling on your life, then you probably shouldn’t try to teach middle school English!”
I first heard about what God was doing on your campus on Friday, February 10. At the SIM USA sending office, we take our motto By Prayer very seriously. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, we come together corporately for a chapel service to pray over each one of our fields and our missionaries. On Mondays and Fridays, we do the same, but this time we gather in smaller groups by our departments. One of my coworkers brought up what God was doing on your campus, and we began to pray for you.
By Linda Koyama
Hi, I’m Linda. Nice to meet you. I’m currently writing from Yamagata, Japan, where my family is partnering with a local church. You’ve probably never heard of Yamagata. Don’t worry, neither did I until it was presented as one of the potential prefectures we’d be serving in.
So where exactly is Yamagata? Think north of Tokyo about 200 miles (300 kilometers), or a 4 1/2 hour drive by car. It’s in the southern part of the Tohoku region, closer to the Japan Sea side (rather than the Pacific Ocean side). It’s definitely not one of Japan’s hot tourist spots, but this region is known for its ski slopes, onsens, and delicious fruits.
By Tia Blassingame
Okay, if you look like me you probably started singing that song title and know exactly where I got it from. Perfect, because it has been playing in my head all week! This is truly a different world. Right now, I am at a homestay with my onēsan (pronounced ohnay-sahn) and her family. That term right there is already different vocabulary for you I’m assuming. Onēsan is “older sister” and a “homestay” is when you stay overnight (or more than one night) with a family. In basic “Tia terms” (that’s me), I’m at a sleepover with my sis and her fam. Let me backtrack a bit...
Video used by permission from Prayercast [https://prayercast.com/] a service of OneWay Ministries