Please Send Me to Africa
by Patrick Low (edited in yr 2003)
A childhood dream.
"Please don't send me to Africa...," when I first heard this song by Scott Wesley Brown a few years ago, I felt kind of strange; in an unusual way, it somehow did not echo my heart's desire. As far as I could remember, it was my secret childhood dream to become a missionary to Africa when I grow up--although at such young age, I had no clue what cost being a missionary would entail, plus I did not become a Christian until I reached 18. Along the way, there were moments when I dreamt of becoming an office executive, wearing suit and commuting to work by a nice car everyday. For some reason, when it came to enter university, I remembered that childhood dream, and I began to ask myself what I should major in so as to prepare myself to become a missionary when my time came. In this light, I figured that the best profession would be a medical doctor, but realistically speaking, my academic results would never make it. Nonetheless, I knew that I had to be faithful to my passion and interest; after a more realistic evaluation, I eventually opted for Architecture.
Unexpected twists.
Just shortly prior to entering the university, I had decided that I would get involved with a Christian group on campus to help with my Christian growth. Although I had aimed to join a particular group recommended by some of my church members, I ended up in Campus Crusade's Bible study group. I as much as never realized before that I was weak in evangelism and desperately needed coaching in this area. At first it might seem that Campus Crusade had only made a mark on sharpening my skills in evangelism, when I looked back on those years of involvement with the ministry, I realized that not only have I gained the skills of evangelism, I was very much trained in the process, and my walk with the Lord was strengthened. It was an unexpected twist to my expectation. Another unexpected twist of event was that, I sensed the Lord directed me, not so much to Africa but rather to Japan. Taking into account of my childhood dream, it was hard for me to comprehend.
A Shinto festival held in my neighborhood.
Submit to His leading.
In 1991, at the end of my first year in university, I was one of those students who were challenged by my discipler, a staff member of Campus Crusade to go on a short-term mission trip to Bulgaria. I agreed to avail myself of the mission trip, but instead of Bulgaria, I requested Africa. I was then told that there wasn't any opening in that country at that moment. Since the Iron Curtain had just fallen and there were reports of overwhelming responses to Christ, I felt that the time was ripe for me to join the team. However, there were still many obstacles along the way, and eventually, we got news from the regional leadership that they would like us to be the first student team from Singapore to Japan instead. For some reason, the decision was too much for us to comprehend. We could accept when there were talks about us going to Romania or Hong Kong, but not Japan. It just did not correspond to the idea of a mission trip to most of us. It was more like a fun holiday than a mission trip. Other than the staff member who was supposed to lead the student team, all other nine students decided to opt out. We were then asked to go back to pray before making a final decision. Few days later when we came together again, it was amazing how the Lord had changed our hearts. We finally submitted to the decision of the leadership and agreed to go where they felt that we should go. With that decision, I ended up in Japan for the first time in 1991. It was a hands-on experience of a lifetime, and through that encounter our team members began to apprehend the saying, "Japan is the graveyard for missionaries"! Having said that, we also sensed the Spirit of the Lord moving among the Japanese, and it was exciting to be a part of His plan.
A non-threatening ministry outing for university students from Tokyo.
"The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few."
Returning from the first exposure to the ministry in Japan, I was convinced that the harvest was in desperate need of laborers, especially among the more than one million undergraduates in Japan! Despite that sense of calling, I was still in the mode of seeking out my own way rather than His way. Thankfully, God had a strong hold over my life and finally I saw myself yielding to His will. Only God alone knew what was best for me and there was no need for me to wrestle with Him, but submit myself to His leading. The following year, I ended up in Japan again for my second mission trip.
One day, out of the blue...
There was one Japanese guy that stood out among the many whom I have met and befriended--Takatsugu Nakamoto. I met him during my first mission trip in 1991. On the very last day of ministry on the campus, instead of rushing back home, I just felt led to spend some time in quiet prayer on the campus ground. As I was by myself, sitting at a bench and praying, I saw this guy walked towards me. He looked familiar but I could not recall at all where I had met him. He tried to explain in his broken English that I had approached him with another guy (the missionary that I was following after) and shared a booklet with him. Immediately I knew he was one of those random witnessing contacts. Before my leaving, he expressed the desire to correspond through mails, and as such, we exchanged our addresses. Upon my return to Singapore, I tried to keep my promise; I wrote him a few letters but never ever gotten a reply. I was disappointed and thought that it might be one of those cultural cues that I failed to pick up. Despite the disappointment, I was determined to keep on writing at least for one year till my next mission trip to the same campus.
Takatsugu came to visit us in Tokyo last Summer.
When I was about to go back to the same campus, I wrote another letter to inform him about my imminent trip. One of the first things I did when we settled down at our lodging place, I called him to set up an appointment to meet on the campus. From then on, he turned up for most of our events, and in the process, he prayed and accepted Jesus too. We have since continued our correspondence and he even took time off from his work to attend my wedding ceremony in Singapore. And by the time we moved to Tokyo last year, as a faithful friend, he took time to visit us in Tokyo. Up till now, I continue to thank God for His hands in this special relationship.
The time for the cross.
When I graduated from my course, I decided to spend a special project term of a year in Japan as a short-term international staff at Nanzan University in Nagoya. It has proven to be one of the best times in my spiritual life thus far, as I have learned to hold onto Him tightly in times of discouragement, disappointment and desperateness. Although it was supposed to be a time to discern and sharpen God's call for my life, it was more like a guilt confession to God. When my graduation drew near, I sensed that, it was the time for me to carry my cross by going into full-time ministry. Despite the anticipation to go into mission field, I saw myself trying to run away from God, and yet, I knew no good reason to deny Him. I decided to bargain with the Lord, "I give you one of my best years, and after that one year, you let me go...." Towards the end of that one-year term in Japan, God remained silent and I knew what He had spoken earlier still stand. I knew I could make no better decision than submit to His will. It was with that decision that I felt myself soaring on God's wings again! I remembered praying on the plane from Japan to Singapore, "Lord, I knew you have called me and I am willing to be your servant to Japan, but, please grant me my heart's desire that I will not be back to Japan on a long-term basis as a single; please do provide me with a spouse and partner in ministry, who will be willing to come back with me."
Patrick, Estella, Elisha, Megumi
His perfect timing.
It took almost ten years before I finally bring my family of four (my wife and two kids) to settle on this land, where I sensed God has called me to serve. It has not been the easiest time to wait for God's timing, but on the 9th June 2002, my family was finally dedicated and sent by our home church as missionaries of Campus Crusade for Christ. In the process of waiting, there were numerous times we questioned God's timing, but having arrived and settled in Japan, we began to understand that God's timing is indeed perfect. It remains our prayer that God will use us as His mighty servants and witnesses. Those years of pruning by the Master have made us see that it is no longer what we can do for Him that matters most, but rather the fact that, He is really interested in us. It is with such privilege that we embark on our new lives on our Promised Land.
May God's name be glorified in and through us.