Natsumi Shoyama
Tokyo Center Church, Tsukishima
There are many struggles, both mental and physical, when living as a Christian in the workplace and in normal daily life. While working as a nurse, I had all kinds of conflicts with my co-workers, with patients, with doctors, and with the feelings and judgments that come up in each situation that arises. I personally experienced these difficulties of working in a workplace where there were very few Christians. And I began to pray about this in my Quiet Times, because by means of the Bible and prayer, I wanted to encourage my fellow Christian brothers and sisters who were in a similar environment. I wanted to dedicate my time to that purpose.
When I was considering becoming a Samurai in the Samurai Projects, I shared with the church members after the service what the Samurai Projects program is. I also explained what kind of service I would like to be involved in at the church as an intern, and I asked people to pray for me and to consider personally giving towards my costs. My pastor and I were concerned about how the church members would feel about this new program. But many of them have joined me in this work of God through their prayers and their giving throughout the year. Through this, I have experienced God’s all-sufficient provision. I am so thankful and encouraged that I was able to start this internship program with the support of the church members. And it is a great blessing now that I am in the second year of the Samurai Projects program, that more and more people are receiving my newsletter and remembering me in their prayers.
After I began the internship program, I became a volunteer staff member of the local area’s middle school and high school student association. Since there was only one middle school or high school student at Tokyo Center Church, where I was an intern, I had no time in my diary set apart for youth work. But, I suggested that it might be good to read the Bible and pray with the one girl at church, which might also help me to better get to know about the challenges and thoughts of schoolchildren. At first, the girl and I were slightly nervous of each other, but we have now been reading the Bible together for a year and a half. We enjoy the time we spend together learning about God through His Word, talking about what we have learned from the Bible passages, and thinking about how these things apply to our lives. I am also thankful that we can talk and pray together about our relationships with friends and family members, and about our studies and future plans. God has used the time so wonderfully and blesses it so much that the girl tells me that coming to church herself and inviting her friends to church has turned into a joy for her. She says that it is like seeing her family, and I can feel the joy radiating out of her. It has been lovely to see the Holy Spirit working in her and transforming her into the likeness of Jesus. I feel that I have been given an experience of seeing something of God’s glory, as a result of this work which I have the privilege of doing as a Samurai Projects intern. The Samurai classes have also been very helpful in training us to read and understand the Bible correctly. And I have hugely enjoyed learning and being challenged by working under the pastor in my local church.
