One of the churches we spoke at in Japan between June 10 and July 28.
Equipping More Laborers
What’s in this Newsletter:
Japan Trip: Both Mission Senders and Mission Field
New Season of Ministry in Cambodia
Benjamin’s Rapidly Approaching Launch/Our Empty Nest
A New Perspective on “The Laborers are Few.” (Matthew 9:36-38)
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
In 2000, when I sent out one of my first newsletters in preparation to come to Cambodia for the first time, I used this passage. Back then, I thought that the “laborers are few” referred to more Christian workers such as pastors and missionaries.
Recently, especially during our trip around Japan visiting more than 15 churches, I could see so many pastors who have served faithfully but are aging and have not been able to find enough younger pastors to transition to the next generation (not to mention financial limitations of churches and missionaries around the world). As a missionary, I’m keenly aware of how diplomatic, economic, or military conflicts can shut off nations to missionaries, especially from the USA, with little warning.
The above realities are not excuses for not sharing the Gospel, starting from those nearest to us to the ends of the earth in the Acts 1:8 model. The Great Commission begins at our breakfast tables and front doors, and airplane tickets are not always required.
So while I now acknowledge that there will never be enough pastors, missionaries, or other Christian workers to meet all the needs of Christ’s plentiful harvest field, I am also reminded that all Christians are called to be disciples of Christ who in turn multiply into more disciples of Christ.
Making disciples who make disciples may seem like an overwhelming task to many Christians. Here’s an analogy I shared in Japan and Cambodia. Think of Christianity like the medical system. Think of seminaries, churches, theologians, and pastors as hospitals and doctors. I believe that the greatest need for our generation is everyday Christians who are trained and equipped in “Spiritual First Aid.”
While it’s good for hospitals and doctors to have MRI and X-ray machines, these are too heavy and bulky for home first-aid kits. When medical emergencies or natural disasters strike, seriously sick and wounded people cannot come to the hospital or even call an ambulance on their own. They need immediate care from a family member or friend nearby and then more care at the hospital later. Likewise, many people with serious spiritual problems will be unwilling or unable to come to church or talk to a pastor or missionary on their own.
It is my prayer that synergistic partnership between clergy and lay Christians will extend the reach and multiply the impact. Of course, prayer is the key to this passage, but may God give us all the courage and grace to pray, “Send Me!” (Isaiah 6:8)
Kayo and Benjamin with Grandparents/Parents in Hiroshima
In the previous visits to Japan, it seemed that we were being filled by our ministry partners there so that we could be poured out in Cambodia. This trip seemed more like a two-way flow. The testimonies and perspectives we gained in Cambodia encouraged and empowered the Japanese believers and their faithfulness continues to flow into Cambodia.
This was Benjamin’s last trip with us as an MK (missionary kid). He plans to return to the USA for college and adulthood, so we are not sure when he can visit his grandparents in Japan again. We had some very significant conversations with them. Please continue to pray for their salvation.
International Church Wedding
Even though there have been some stresses and even some sorrows during the past couple of months, I want to give an encouraging update on the man from India that I baptized in May. Back when I met him in September, 2024, his fiancée, a new believer from Sri Lanka, was the one who brought him to the international church.
Kayo counseled her weekly since January; meanwhile, I was also counseling/evangelizing him. Now that they are equally yoked, we could help them get pre-marital counseling from the Interim Pastor, and he performed a small wedding ceremony for them on July 31. The groom’s parents flew in from India, and the bride’s sister already lives in Cambodia, along with more family and friends in the room and on Zoom. Please pray for this couple to continue to grow in their relationship with each other and with Christ as the center of their lives.
Looking ahead, Kayo has resumed her work with Precious Women Organization and continues leading the international church’s women’s ministry. I continue leading the international church’s men’s ministry. I am also gearing up to teach an intensive Christology module at Cambodia Bible Institute. I will have to rework my assignments and exams because the class will finish just before graduation, so I will have little time for grading. This schedule happened because I couldn’t teach in 2025 due to my health. Please pray for other projects and ministries too.
Please continue to pray for my health. After several months of trying to find solutions to my severe leg cramps, a neurologist in Japan found that my sodium level was low (but that there was some stress on my liver), so the cramp problem is pretty much gone. It is kind of ironic/comical that a doctor would have to command a 49-year-old man to consume more salt! A praise report is that she also said that I have fully recovered from Guillain-Barré Syndrome (the painful autoimmune disease that destroyed the nerves in my legs and gave me a limp for more than a year). Since returning to Cambodia, I also developed extremely painful/paralyzing tendonitis in my shoulder. By God’s grace, the pain has almost completely gone away, and my range of motion has pretty much returned to normal.
In Christ’s Hands,
Darryl, with Kayo and Benjamin
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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