Akiya and Hatae Shimomura
After graduated from University in 1983, I joined Itochu Corporation. I lived in China (Beijing and Shanghai) as a businessman using my Chinese language skill as my strength for 14 years. God has shown me His dynamic and powerful work there as I served as one of the committee members of a house-church in Shanghai, which was mainly for Japanese expatriate employees. After I changed my job to another company with a Christian CEO, God told me “Go!” in summer 2008 with the Bible verse “all people on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). I returned to Japan holding this promise and started serving at a monthly Businessman Outreach service at Ochanomizu in Tokyo. God gave me the desire to work full-time as a pastor with the Bible verse “I will send you” (Exodus 3:12), so I made the decision to go into full-time mission work with my wife Hatae. If Japanese businessmen are changed, Japan will change, then eventually the whole world will change. I would like to follow God’s lead faithfully with holding this vision in my mind. (Akiya Shimomura）
“He (Jesus) begun to send them out two by two” (Mark 6:7）. We entered a seminary together as a couple for Jesus to use our uniqueness and diversity as a team. Knowing there are many churches without pastors in Japan, starting a new ministry like “Tokyo Central City Ministry” seemed unrealistic and it was hard for us to reach an agreement on our direction after graduation.Meanwhile, God showed me an elementary school poster in the middle of gulf region high-rise buildings in central Tokyo and it changed my view of “central Tokyo” drastically. I realized central Tokyo is now a place for people to live. Since these areas have developed rapidly only recently, there is almost no church, and it made me feel there are many people God is willing to reach right here. Looking back at my own life, I heard the gospel for the first time in kindergarten, then I was led to a church again after I became an adult and eventually believed God as my own Lord and savior. I’m thankful that God sought me out without giving up on me, and I would like to take part of His great work. Please pray for us that we will be able to continually trust God who is always with us. （Hatae Shimomura）