Cafe: A Sower of Seeds

By Jaclyn van Laar

When I had seen the video of Martin and Ruth before coming to Japan, I remember seeing the café. My first thoughts were that the café must be used as such an extraordinary outreach to the people in the Ghent’s church and for the community. When I arrived and began to watch the interaction between community and the café, I realized that I was right.

Not only was the café a place where non believers could come and get a Christian atmosphere, but I found out that the café was initially built to accommodate a new believer who did not have a job. This is just one of many ways Martin and Ruth were and are still able to use the café as an outreach.

In the second week of my group’s stay here with the Ghents, we were able to host a café Open Mic Night where group members and young people here in Aomori were able to come and play their songs. This night especially gave me an insight to the potential of this café. Most of the people who ended up coming to watch the performances were not Christians. There were women from the English class at the Church and parents of youth in the Church who were not Christians, but because it was a fun night, God was able to move through our songs and allow the Holy Spirit to move in this safe place that has been dedicated to Him for years. This haven also allowed a good friend of ours here in Aomori to open up and play music again since giving it all up for quite some time after hard times in his life. Since our group has come, he was able to open up again to music in his life and playing at the café was such an opportunity for Him to feel not only the team’s love, but also the love of God that night. Since music is becoming such a large part of the Church, for him to be able get involved in music again may plant the seed that will lead him to becoming involved in the Church in the future.

During the café’s Open Mic Night, I was watching the musicians who were playing in front of a window which looked out to the underpass. As I watched, I saw an older lady looking through the window into the café curiously. I then realized that God had chosen the perfect place for this café to be built. With the amount of people who pass by it each day, there must be a few who end up being curious about what is going on there and that is something that could plant a seed as well.

I find that because it takes so long for individuals to become followers of Christ here Japan, it becomes the seeds that are planted which drive a person to eventually finding Christ as their personal Savoir. Hence, the Ghent’s café is an excellent example of the seeds which can be sown here. And by seeing the Open Mic Night, I am able to see what kind of seeds can be planted. My prayer is that this café will begin to be a meeting place in the community and a blessing to everyone who walks in.