TOKYO – The heart of Japan!
Japan, 127 million people and an economic heavy weight, but struggling with many social and psychological issues. Young people are withdrawing from society and suicide rates soar. Materialism, conformism and other religions are major obstacles for the growth of the Christian church. Less than 1% of the population is Christian, while the overwhelming majority is Buddhist and Shinto (Japanese animistic religion). There is religious freedom in Japan but “a nail that sticks out needs to be hammered down”, so Christians, being a very small minority group, face repression within the communities and on the job. An especially unreached group within Japanese society is young professionals. As the future leaders of business, politics, media and the arts they are influential in shaping the culture. Initiatives to evangelize this group are in a pioneering stage, but Geert and Eline de Boo have a strong call to follow Christ by reaching out to them, right where they are. Sent by the Reformed Mission League (GZB) of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands they are, together with Rev. Makoto Fukuda and his wife Michiru, planting a gospel-centered church in central Tokyo that focuses on the specific needs of the young professionals aged between 20 and 40. The Church Planting Center of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York assists them in this venture of planting churches in this influential megacity. – m o r e
29 Dec 2012
2012 has been a year of growing and moving on. Read all about our family having to move house at a time where the church had to move too, beacuse it has been blessed with solid growth over the past year: newsletter 33 – 2012.12.
15 Feb 2012
More than 10 months have passed since the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. How is life in Japan now and how has it affected our church planting ministry in Tokyo? Read all about life after 3.11 in our latest newsletter. We are grateful for your ongoing prayers and support.
18 Jan 2012
The other day we organized with Redeemer City to City a ‘Gospel in the City’ seminar to recruit more church planters for the movement in Tokyo. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few… Read more here!
16 Jul 2011
Four months after the massive earthquake that literally changed the landscape of Japan, life seems to be back to normal in Tokyo. However, under the surface everything is changed. The need to preserve electricity is a painful daily reminder that not only part of Japan is still in ruins, but also that the dream of security -of trust in the government, the economy, and engineering ability- is shattered. 3/11 continues to shake Japan. Our world, too, was shaken, but not our love for this people in need. Read about the spiritual and physical needs of the Japanese that we try to … > read more
14 Jun 2011
Thank you for all of you who have not forgotten Japan and continue to pray for this nation, like these 55,000 friends!
01 Jun 2011
Japan is probably off the radar of most news agencies. The resilience of of the Japanese people has been broadcast around the world and peoples minds have been at rest. They will survive… Thanks to the generous donations of many of you we have been able to help many people who actually struggle to survive after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Last Saturday I took a volunteer team of young professionals to the hard hit city of Ishinomaki. Grace City Church Tokyo has been going to this place dozens of times, bringing relief aid, helping with cleaning, and bringing hope … > read more
26 Apr 2011
We are back in Tokyo! Last week we finished (what unexpectedly became) our trip around the world in 36 days. It was wonderful to be reunited with our friends at Grace City Church Tokyo and celebrate Easter together. Easter is always special, but more than ever we rejoiced in knowing the hope of new life. Japan is mourning the thousands of victims and people still missing and trying to get back on its feet. While up north the endless see of debris is gradually being cleared, tens of thousands of temporary houses are being build, life in Tokyo is returning … > read more
12 Apr 2011
Today is 4/11 and we have lived the strangest month of our lives. I am sure I have claimed this many times before, but the rollercoaster we embarked on after the M9.0 3/11 Tohoku Kanto earthquake has been unchallenged so far. After we survived the earthquake – an experience we will never forget, vehemently shaken on the 51st floor, strangers staying overnight because of a city in disarray while separated from our boys for 24 hours – we decided to leave as planned three days later for the US, for a trip to New York and Michigan. We were torn, … > read more
13 Mar 2011
Our family was reunited 24 hours after the massive quake hit the east coast of Japan. We are very grateful to have our boys back safe with us. As a family we are trying to process everything by talking about it together. About every hour we are shaken by another after shock, but they get less and less intens. Everybody worries about the nuclear reactors north of here and rumours about another big quake continue to go around. Public transportation is more or less back to normal in Tokyo, but supermarkets are empty. There is no rice or bread, and fresh produce … > read more
11 Mar 2011
Thank you all for praying. We are alright, although our two boys cannot get home from school (25 miles from here) because public transportation is down and they have to stay there overnight. It was terrifying, especially since we live on the 51st floor of a high rise apartment tower. We have experienced many earthquakes, but never anything like this. We appreciate your prayers for Japan. Hopefully we have had the worst of the earthquakes (although the aftershocks continue all the time), but I think the worst news will come over the next few days when the scope of the … > read more
