Japan: I waited 25 years to know Christ!
Bob McKemey had spent 45 years as a missionary in Japan. In his years of ministry, he had touched hundreds of lives. As he approached retirement, he began to pray that God would let him see spiritual fruit.
During that year, Bob’s cousins came to Japan to visit, and Bob took them deep into the mountains to visit a waterfall. On the way back, they passed a picnic and camping area and stopped to take a picture.
A lady working there, Mrs. Shimizu, began to ask them questions. When Bob said he was a missionary, the woman actually jumped into the car with them, an intense expression on her face. Twenty-five years ago, she had met Mother Theresa and said that, “her words had been like the Bible to me. But they were not the Bible.” Since then, she had been searching, but she didn’t know how to get a Bible, didn’t know any Christians, and didn’t know any churches. Now, Mrs. Shimizu wanted a real Bible.
Bob was amazed. He didn’t have a Bible to give her right then, but he did give her three books: Manga Messiah
(a graphic novel style gospel story), testimonies of Japanese who became Christians, and the first chapter of The Purpose Driven Life
in Japanese. He also promised he would return when he could with a Bible, and they parted ways.
A couple weeks later, Bob took off toward the mountains with a Bible in Japanese. He stopped at a nearby church to ask if they had a brochure to give to Mrs. Shimizu. Then, together, they prayed for her.
When Bob arrived at the picnic area, Mrs. Shimizu’s face lit up! She had read all the books and had many questions for him. They talked for more than an hour about salvation in Jesus.
While they talked, Bob was thinking. He knew from experience that it generally takes Japanese people at least two years to respond to the gospel. He had seen people try to make things happen too soon with tragic results and he didn’t want to “pluck unripe fruit.”
“It’s too soon to ask her for a decision,” he thought. But he sensed God was telling him, “Go ahead.”
So Bob hesitantly said, “I wouldn’t put any pressure on you, but if you would like to pray …”
“Yes! Yes!” Mrs. Shimizu jumped at the opportunity to trust Jesus as her Savior and they prayed together!
Mrs. Shimizu went on to start attending the church that prayed with Bob for her, and she started reading her new Bible.
Three days before leaving Japan, Bob met with Mrs. Shimizu. He told her, “When you prayed, I was very hesitant. If you push people too quickly, they say later, ‘I tried that and it didn’t work.’ It was just too soon.”
Mrs. Shimizu responded, “Too soon? I waited 25 years!”
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Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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