Some Significant Steps Forward in my Christian Life

As well as the main bulk of my testimony as described below, it would be a shame not to mention other ways in which God has helped me. Some are here, but there are more!

• the Word of God

When I was at university I went through a period of not knowing the 'status' of the Bible's words. I believed they were from God, but how much could I take them as they were? I met Christians from different traditions with different views, as well as evangelical Christians who were firm in the word of God being infalliable. I talked about this to one of our CU helpers, Beth Riden, who gave me a book on the topic from the evangelical viewpoint. Reading that book convinced me of the importance of the question, and also released me to more fully be excited about God's Bible as being proof of Himself! I then used the Bible in evangelism in a small study group with two friends and one other Christian. Both were good things to experience!

• Intercessary prayer

While in Zimbabwe on summer mission, 2008, God pressed home to me the importance of prayer, and interceding for others. That was through Don and Lorraine Odendaal, plus just Him working. Lorraine prophesied that I was to be 'Hannah' who prayed in the Bible. I loved interceding, after that!

• My baptism

I became rooted in Oxford Community Church from 2001, and decided to be baptised there. I studied about this: how in the Bible times, Christian adults went under the water in the river, symbolising Jesus death, and coming back to life (as they came up out of the water again). Jesus himself went through this event, as an example. My own baptism as an adult took place while I was in Neil and D Townsend's community group, and had the superb backing of many good friends. Even Clare Holinshead from uni days came, and Nissa and others witnessed it. Those that baptised me were then little known to me, but now I thank God for those specific ones: Keith Elmitt (the mission elder), and Dave Titmas, brother of my good friends Jeff and Amanda Titmas.

• Mission training

This wasn't anything too formal, but it was done through an evening class once a week for two terms, run by folk from our church, and called the Perspectives Course. It was wonderful to hear of God's unravelling story right through the Bible, of bringing the gospel to both Jew and Gentile, and developing a house of prayer for ALL nations. We looked at mission theory, before moving onto how people do it today, with an emphasis on working in teams and building churches. Hearing from experienced personell was exciting. I loved it all!

• International Students

Andy Buchanen from our CU was excellent at roping others into befriending and running events for international students, as he had grown up abroad and seen how his parents did it. And yet it was only really after I left Swansea that I developed a passion for this. In Cardiff, there was a Chinese student who I was permitted to meet with once a week to study the Bible in my Relay work time. From that time on, I was always interested to follow up on such friendships. I had seen hospitality modelled by the Owens in Cardiff, and Dennis and Freda Hawkes. NOOC in Oxford provided a great place to build further friendships, over the table tennis table, as did Friends International welcome meals.

• PrayOxfordJapan!

While on the Perspectives course, I met Chris Dunn, who was also interested in Japan. Him and his wife Vicki were so supportive of me, and God led us to start up a prayer initiative for people from our church, to develop prayer for Japan! As it happened, no-one (hardly) from our chrch came, but a few others from other churches did, so it was good for that! One time Chris shared a powerful word from God for me, which carried me forward. As the church members learnt about this interest from the church newsletters, Lulu Taylor shared a powerful word for me over the phone, through a dream she'd had, which was also significant.

• Personal growth

One of the main areas I needed to grow in before the time was right for me to come abroad was in anxiety management. Since my final year at university, I had become something of an anxious person. This started through exam stress and through incorporating into my life the deathes of some friends and friends of friends. As a result, I knew for the first time how timid people felt. I suddenly felt scared to be in public, to present anything in front of others, to fear hearing bad news again. It took me about three years to come through. I hoped that I would come through, and I knew that I couldn't come to Japan until it had as I wouldn't be a stable person abroad.

At first it was a matter of 'management' of those emotions and reactions, through the Bible verses:

'Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.' Philippians 4.8

Christians shouldn't fear but have 'love, joy and a sound mind' (reference needs adapting/adding)

and/or through breathing exercises and talking to friends.

But while in Oxford, God healed it through time, through prayer over emotion handling patterns learnt in childhood, and through people such as Debi and Naomi to advise, and even Koki Suzuki (unwittingly!) who I met with once a week for language exchange.

What is Japan?

Japan in a famous country for the war, the cherry blossoms, and being an active player in the world's technologal progress, economy and politics.

Buddhism and native Shintoism are everywhere through shrines and temples, and in people's thinking patterns. However, 80% of people don't really follow these religions closely, only for formal events. 0.4% of Japan's population (that's less then 1%) are Christians. Churches tend to be small and mostly made up of women.

For cross-cultural Christian workers, like myself, Japan is easy to live in from a material point-of-view. Apart from houses being very small and the food different, everything else is 'there'. But the main difference is fitting into a less-open society: especially for those from more socially 'free' societies themselves. People tend to keep themselves to themselves here, so foreigners often feel lonely. Japan has problems of married couples having little time together due to husband's work patterns and a different view of marriage, suicide is common and bullying in schools is increasing.

The challenge is to plant churches in neighbourhoods where otherwise no church would exist. So far there are 9 wholly 'unreached' cities in Japan. Statistically speaking, Shiga ken is the most 'unreached' county/state (least Christians to population). This is just where I will be working, as well as in the nearest city, Kyoto.

Why Am I in Japan Working with WEC?

I had no interest in Japan up until I was finishing university. However I was interested in overseas development work. While doing my degree in geography, I would scan Tearfund's employment opportunities, choosing my future job in relief work overseas or from the office in the UK. I had already been in Uganda, and I added to this a summer of work experience with a team in Zimbabwe.

While in my final year at university, I went to Spring Harvest Word Alive (a large-scale Christian conference/festival). On the stage one evening, a young lady spoke about her mission work in Japan; she said there was a real need for Christians in Japan. It didn't mean anything to me; in fact I thought what an unappealing place! The following year, when working alongside UCCF, I heard more from this lady: Rosanne Jones from OMF. The idea of mission work grew on me; I also knew the seriousness of it. However by the end of that year, I spoke with Rosanne, telling her I was interested.

I then moved to Oxford to 'move on' with my life. This was a great step that opened up to me. I started learning about new things - about discipleship in the Christian family (church), about being healed by God of personal insurmounable things that hold us back in different ways, of living and working with other young adults, of the gifts of the Spirit being used in church services, and of the mission of God - to reach all nations/people groups, and of the church-planting effort to bring this about. In particular, four individuals were very important - Elaine, who I lived with for three years, and thus learned to form 'community' with; she also introduced me to some relevant people. The next were Len and Debi Bartlotti, mission experts who took me under thier wing and who, together with Naomi Gray, taught me all of the above lessons that I have mentioned through modelling those things to me. I thank all these individuals, plus Tim and Sophie for being lovely friends and listening to many thoughts!

My work at IFES had been great, but it felt like I had reached the end. I handed in my notice at a time when things were changing. I thought I would teach English in Japan for a year, while checking out mission agency options. But in the end, and after a visit to Japan in Spring 2005, I didn't do the teaching bit first. I found mission agencies, and afetr some meetings chose WEC. There was enough of them (ie. about 20 workers in Japan), they were in a place I liked (Kansai) and had Japanese friends already, but most of all I knew in my heart that it was the best option, for me. I completed application forms and interviews, followed by a two-month Candidate Orientation course, and was accepted into WEC in March 2006. I was supported and then commissioned by my church in Oxford in August 2006, at a service where Keith Elmitt (church mission elder), Sally Snelson (my church link) and Sharon Skrzypczak (community-group leader with husband Simon) prayed for me.

Why Am I A Christian?

I am only a Christian because God made it possible for people to know him and be in this kind of friendship with Him; not because I have done anything special.

God could have made people, all those years back when he created people and life, but then chosen to remain anonymous. But he is always kind, he likes to communicate. First he communicated with Adam and Eve. When they didn't follow his commands in the Garden of Eden, he asked them why they were trying to hide from him. He sought them out, and helped them out. But it was only when Jesus came that we could really be in full relationship with God again.

Jesus, God's own son, chose to leave the glory of Heaven to live among man, in Israel. When he was 30 he spent the next three years rounding up men and women to follow him through invitation - not to follow a religious doctrine, but simply to follow HIM.

He travelled about, with his band of 12 close followers, saying he came to release the captives from darkness, to set people free (these were words the Jews knew from their religious books - they had wanted such a person). This wasn't only for those in physically challenging situations; it also stretched to rulers and Jews, as well as the sick and disabled. In a lead-up, Jesus was taken to the Cross, due to false charges against him, and crucified there. But he always said that this was part of God's will. He was humanity's substiute, taking God's wrath for humanity's sin against God, upon himself (Jesus). He died.

On the third day Jesus came back to life. Many people saw him, about 500 in fact. 40 days later he was taken up to heaven before people's eyes.

Jesus sits there now, working with God the Father through his Holy Spirit which covers all the earth, to bring more people into the large family of people that follow Jesus today.

I heard a bit about this when I read a religious tract that was poked through our front door when I was about 12. This built on (1) some Sunday school backgroud I'd had, as my parents had started going to church when I was born, the youngest of thier three children. And (2) My Godmother, Carol, was Christian. She no doubt prayed for me, and she gave me Bible study notes for children which I read with my mum in the evenings. So I had a belief in God, especially in times of trouble, but I stood out little as a 'Christian' at school. Even one time someone asked me about the cross on my blazer, I was very embarrassed, and didn't really admit to knowing God!

Aged about 14 I stopped going to church for a few years. But aged 16, at North Devon College, I started feeling uncomfortable with this. I experimented in very small ways with alcohol, and meeting boys at the college dances, and although exciting in theory, it didn't leave me feeling great or really pleased as I had thought it would. In fact, one day, while walking up the hill to college, I felt really ashamed.

I returned to church, but could only shake the hand of the vicar as I left the church, I couldn't come to God and shake hands. I didn't know how I would get out of this state. I was too scared to give myself all to God. Meanwhile, my brother had become a Christain at univeristy and was very keen now, and later I found out that him and his friends had been praying for me and our family while at university. The result was that, finally, I attended a special service for the Toronto Blessing in another church. In that service, God entered my life in a powerful way, that was a key night in my life.

It was the turning point, after which I could witness about God more, (or at least wanted to), pray in a more real and excited sense with a real God in my bedroom but also as I walked along the street, and discover that three of my good friends from college were already Christians. I also started reading through the New Testament each evening in bed, and that was a real eye-opener - rules for living! A purpose behind the life of Jesus!

Also at this time, perhaps due to hitting 17, I developed an interest in travel and wanting to go abroad. I looked at a number of 'gap year' organisations, and ended up in Uganda with a great group of others like me, on a similar Christian journey. That experience of Christians abroad (in Uganda), and then of university Christian small groups where we studied the Bible together, led me more towards a rounded deeper Christian life.

I was given some leadership in the Christian Union at Swansea University and afterwards worked for a year in the same field, over in neighbouring Cardiff. That was great year of learning more about how to use my time in Christian ministry, and one thing led unexpectedly to another, and after that I moved to Oxford to work with the international version of the same work. The story continued as I met international students there, worked with Christians from around the world, and grew more ready for mission work overseas.