The Martin Family have been cross-cultural missionaries for almost 6 years now, and sometimes it feels much longer. Living in a culture that is different from your own presents many unique circumstances. Sometimes, on Sunday nights when we are having pizza and movie night in our home, I forget we are in another culture at all. I am quickly reminded that I am in Japan when I step out in the hallway where the temperature is hovering just above freezing because it is rare for houses to have central heating. (I have mostly gotten used to this.)
What is it like to live in another country? What is it like to live in the biggest metropolis in the world? What is it like to raise a family when your kids are speaking to their friends and you can’t always understand what they are saying? What is it like to plant a church and worship God? There are many differences, but much of the time I am doing the same things many of you are doing because we are living for the same God and following his word that transcends culture, time, and place. Why is this good news? It is good because no matter where I am, I know that God is sovereign and his Word is true.
When we come together to worship God on Sunday mornings, we sing songs of praise, hear his word, participate in communion, listen to the word being preached (or in my case, preaching the word), pray, confess sin, and fellowship with one another. Here in our new church plant in Yokohama, Japan we do all these in two languages, but it is all for the same God that rules the world.
When Rachel and I are thinking about how to raise our kids, we first look to scripture. Paul says, in Ephesians 6:4,
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
We are teaching them to love the standard that God has set forth in scripture. We are teaching them that the whole world is God’s and everything happens in relation to the Creator. The author of Hebrews says that Jesus upholds the universe by the word of his power, which includes Southwest Missouri and Yokohama, Japan. The particulars may be different – like our need to teach our kids how to use the train and to be aware of random bean paste in bread at the store (sorry for not giving the grandparents a heads up) – but the lessons are the same. I still have to remind my kids that God is always with us, that being brave is not doing the most dangerous thing, but the right thing, and that finding good friends can be hard. Thankfully God’s Word is there to guide all of us.
We all have been called to be ambassadors for the one true King. Just like worldly ambassadors go to different places to speak on behalf of their ruler, we are placed by God to speak on his behalf in a specific time, place, and culture. Jesus has promised to be with us and has given us his words to speak and to live.
So, how is life in Japan? It is like yours because Christians are servants of Christ, which means we glorify him in all things.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20,
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Let’s live accordingly wherever we are and praise be to God who makes it possible for a sinner like me to work for him.
Sam + Rachel Martin
Sam & Rachel serve with Mustard Seed Network to plant churches in Japan. Most of Japan is considered unreached which means people haven’t had the chance to hear the Good News about Jesus. They are currently working to plant a church in Yokohama, Japan.
