Ablaze for Japan

Posted on by Jeff and Alishia Root

What a month we’ve had. Week four has concluded here in Mexico, and it was just as challenging and amazing as the previous three. Thank you for your continued prayers, the Lord has used them to minister to us in some really cool ways. Our hearts are ablaze for the people of Japan, and we can’t wait until the day that they worship Jesus as King. May it be on this side of His return!

Serving at Calvary Chapel Rosarito

We had more outreaches this week with local church plants. One was on a Native Mexican reservation southeast of Rosarito in the middle of Baja. They are an isolated people group that live in difficult conditions. They were excited for the worship and Bible teaching, grateful for the COVID relief food packages we brought with us, and the kids loved the crafts and games we played with them. Spanish is not their first language (we had something in common!), so communication was tough at times. Yet, there was a response to the gospel, thank goodness that the Spirit works in spite of us.

Giving a message at a church with Bryan translating into Spanish.

We were taught by Rob Douglass this week as well. He showed us the unbalanced approach that missions make toward the unreached people groups in the world. It ignited a fire in us for the least reached in the world and reconfirmed our desire to go to Japan and share the gospel. I won’t even attempt to summarize eleven hours of classroom teaching into a paragraph here. If you’d be interested in hearing more about the unreached and frontier peoples, please let me know and I would love to talk with you about them. We also talked at length about culture and what becoming “all things to all people, that I might, by all means, save some” looks like in a practical, boots on the ground, scenario. He has been a missionary for over twenty years in both South Sudan and Sri Lanka and is now training others to be missionaries here in the states.

Pastor Rob using me in an illustration of awkward situations that he experienced in Africa (I am representing one of the brothers in Uganda extending a hand of brotherhood) they also pick there nose and it is very shameful to put your hands in your pockets so quite different cultural norms).

The Lord has opened a door for us that we are praying over. It would give us an opportunity to do some missions work while we wait for Japan to open up to American travelers. Please pray with us about this opportunity, for confirmation or the door to close.

Alishia seeking God on the roof of our compound.

 Praise Report:

  • For the amazing opportunities for growth and stretching that the Lord has provided.
  • For the connections we’ve made with the students, staff, and missionaries.
  • For the weaknesses that the Lord has shown us in ourselves, that we can surrender to Him.

Prayer Requests:

  • For Japan to open up soon so we can go on a vision trip.
  • For strength, energy, and health to finish strong here in Mexico.
  • For financial provision as we continue to follow the Lord’s leading.