"Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly [is] plenteous, but the labourers [are] few; (38) Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest" Matthew 9:37-38 (King James Version)
This verse has come to mind over and over as we look at the work to be done in Japan. We need as many workers for the harvest as we can get. It just so happened that today as I was planning to post this BLOG that I received an email from someone wishing to come here on a mission trip. In two days time we'll have a Japanese Lady (who lives in Perth) here to give a testimony. Not long after my parents are coming for a 10 day visit and my dad will be preaching on two Sundays. Indeed we pray there will be a harvest of souls in Nagaokakyo.
There's also a good parallel with agricultural work in Japan. It is difficult to attract younger people to stay on the land, and there's a shortage of agricultural workers. Yes, it can be hard working the land in both physically and spiritually. At the same time it is a very rewarding occupation because you're more in-touch with the source of life. Living in Nagaokakyo where we have a good mix of urban and agricultural helps me to understand these metaphors in the Bible in new ways.