Local partnerships

Ministry continues amidst the changes related to my medical treatment.  Last week I was able to meet together with Pastor Miguel of the First Brazilian Baptist Church of Los Angeles (Primeira Igreja Batista Brasileira de Los Angeles).  We spoke together about JEMS working together with his church to encourage one another and to explore possible mission opportunities.

Pastor Miguel and Pastor John meeting in Culver City

We are currently investigating the possibility of mobilizing members of his church to consider serving with JEMS in Japan this summer, specifically in the city of Toyohashi.  

Why is the South America Department going to Japan?  Because there are approximately 275,000 Brazilian Japanese living in Japan today.  They migrated to Japan to escape the economic instability that has been impacting the Brazilian economy for the last thirty years.  These migrant workers are called dekasegi (Portuguese:   decassegui).  

  

The original Japanese word dekasegi  roughly translates as "working away from home".  Many of these Japanese Brazilians have chosen to make Japan their home.  In so doing, they face discrimination, language barriers, cultural adaptation and other difficulties.  Although some have lived for a number of years in Japan, many Japanese nationals consider them as "gaijin" or outsiders.  As these Japanese Brazilians continue their life in Japan, their children are facing challenges of acceptance and adaptation in their adopted land.  

The Igreja Evangélica Holiness do Brasil (Nikkei), based in São Paulo, has established five mission churches in Japan to meet the spiritual needs of the dekasegi population.  The challenges  facing the churches are as numerous as the problems faced by the dekasegi themselves.

 

Each summer, the Brazil Holiness Churches in Japan work together to offer two weeks of camp for children and teenagers.  JEMS has been invited to work in partnership with the Brazilian Holiness Church to share the good news of Jesus with this migrant community in Toyohashi.  In turn, JEMS is asking the Primeira Igreja Batista Brasileira de Los Angeles to consider serving in this missionary project.

  

The wonderful advantage of sending Brazilian Americans to work with Brazilian Japanese is that the language is already in place.  However, the challenge for these Brazilian Americans will be one of entering into a country with different cultures and customs. 

Please join Pastor Miguel and me in praying that the First Brazilian Baptist Church of Los Angeles will be able to form a team to send workers to minister to these young people in Toyohashi, Japan.  

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