- How can I support your ministry?
By far the best thing you can do is pray. Pray for Japan as a nation, pray that Japan will receive the good news of Jesus Christ, pray for the bondage of culture and history to be broken. We are working in a small village in Nagano Prefecture and we see a lot of different people each week as they come through camp. Please pray that we could have in impact even if it’s only for 5 min or one meal together. Pray that they would see something different in the staff at NORTHSTAR and be interested in learning more about God. - How can I support you financially?
We have partnered with Hood River Alliance Church to handle our needed financial support from the US. If you would like to support us financially you can send your check to the following address. Make checks payable to “Hood RIver Alliance Church” and then write “McAllister” in the Memo/Note section. Please note, if the check is made out to us directly then the church can’t deposit it.
Hood River Alliance Church
2650 Montello Ave
Hood River, OR 97031
541.386.2812Or you can use PayPal to send a donation by clicking on our “Donation” link.
- What is the population in Japan?
The estimated population In 2007 was 127,433,494 and that puts Japan 10th in the world for population. Please have a look at the Wikipedia page on Japan for a lot more info. - What is the Christian population?
Today there are about one to two million Japanese Christians, or about 1%. Please continue to pray for Japan as a nation that they will come to know the freedom of Christ. - When is the best time to travel to Japan?
Japan is very beautiful in the spring and the fall and it tends to be cooler then too. Check out the Japan National Tourist Organization for more travel into.
Summers in Japan are quite hot in the big cities. Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya can all get to about 38˙C [100˙F] in the summer and there is a lot of humidity too. I recommend you stay away from three major Japanese holidays because it’s so busy. However if you want to see some real culture these holidays may be good for you. They are all religious in nature and you can read more about Oshogatsu, [New Years] Golden week, and Obon [Summer holiday] on Wikipedia. - What religions are common in Japan?
There are two major religions in Japan, Japanese Buddhism and Shintoism. After that there is a long list of other religions and beliefs as well as the belief in nothing or Atheism. - What are some challenges you face when sharing the Gospel with Japanese people?
I would say a big one is how tightly Shintoism and Buddhism are ingrained in daily life and how that keeps people from wanting to step out of the normal. Another big challenge is the limited understanding a foreigner has of the way Japanese people think. It’s very different from western thinking and often leaves me with more questions than I started with.
