Over the past year, our family has traveled to many churches, sharing our testimony of how the Lord called us to be missionaries to the Japanese people. One of my favorite parts of our presentation is the closing hymn, “Rescue the Perishing.” Every time I sing it, the words deeply resonate with me because God has called us to rescue the Japanese people by sharing the gospel. The second verse lingers in my mind long after we sing it, as it perfectly reflects the plight of the Japanese people.

Though they are slighting Him,
Still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive.
Plead with them earnestly,
Plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe.

The average Japanese person has never heard the gospel, read the Bible or attended a church service. Instead, they have spent their entire lives worshipping kami (spirits), which they believe are present in everything, even in rocks and trees. They worship their ancestors, setting up mitamayas or butsudans (altars) in their homes. Many also visit Buddhist temples to meditate and pray. They seem to worship everything except the one true God.

Through these practices, the Japanese may not realize they are slighting the Lord. Nevertheless, He still loves them and patiently waits for them to turn to Him in repentance. Yet they cannot do so if they do not know the error of their ways, and they will not know of the God who cares for them unless missionaries go to share the gospel.

I am so grateful that God has called our family to minister to the Japanese on His behalf. As we plead with them earnestly and gently, we ask that you pray for the 123 million people living in Japan and consider joining our support team.

• Twitter