The Problem:
Japan is home to the second largest unreached people group in the world, with only about 1% of its 123.19 million residents professing Christ. Historically, missionary efforts in Japan have proven challenging due to a variety of cultural/spiritual barriers to the gospel.
Our Mission:
Together, we aim to build up the the body of Christ in Japan through creative outreach, media ministry, local church discipleship, and young adult relational evangelism. We are part of the Azamino Chapel church planting team and aim to build up our local church community to become both self-sustaining and reproducing. During our first term, Japanese language acquisition will be a top priority.
Our Story:
Psalm 57:9-10
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
As we survey our lives, our individual testimonies, and even the story of how we came together, we are overcome with gratitude and joy. The Lord has shown us the transformative power of His steadfast love, which compels us to live our lives sold out for the cause of the gospel.
While our personal testimonies are quite different, we can both clearly trace the Lord’s hand in preparing us for our call to church planting ministry in Japan. Olivia was saved out of eastern spirituality in college when she experienced the darkness of Christless spirituality and recognized her need for a Savior. Colton, on the other hand, was saved out of an achievement-oriented mindset that left him feeling purposeless and empty. We thank God for our unique testimonies and the ways that they echo common spiritual realities in Japan.
Additionally, we praise God for independently burdening each of our hearts for the Great Commission before we ever met! While Olivia felt burdened for missionary work after going on a handful of short-term trips and experiencing the power of Christ to transcend cultures, Colton felt distinctly called to missionary work after hearing a powerful sermon preached out of Romans 10:13-15 in 2019. Through circumstances that neither of us could have predicted, our paths would cross in 2024 by the providence of God.
That year, Colton suffered a severe motorcycle accident while preparing to move to Japan. Through the Lord’s providence and some connections at the seminary we both attended, Olivia heard of Colton’s story and his determination to move overseas despite a long road to recovery. After first connecting, we fell fast for one another and sensed that the Lord had been preparing us for this shared, complimentary calling all along. Now married and hopeful to re-launch to Japan in the summer, we can’t help but thank God for orchestrating our story
We are excited and honored to leverage our lives for the sake of making Jesus known among the Japanese. If you are interested in partnering with us in this endeavor, please do not hesitate to contact us at c.lee@worldventure.com
Follow Along on Instagram and YouTube
