The main purpose of our trip to Japan was to see and experience firsthand the ministry of Leon and Cheryl Hill.  Many years ago, the Hills lived in Albuquerque and were faithful members of Foothills Fellowship.  As a young couple, they were sent to Japan from Foothills 24 years ago.  Over the past two years, Leon and I have talked monthly via Skype and his words and descriptions of the people and ministry taking place there served to heightened my desire to go and see things for myself firsthand.

The Hills have faithfully served the Lord in Japan now for almost a quarter of a century, and this longevity coupled with their relentless engagement in missional living has – and still is – producing great fruit among the Japanese people.  Michelle and I witnessed firsthand some of the fruit of their labors, and we heard many unsolicited testimonies of how they have – and still are – making a great impact on the people with whom they live and serve.

Incredible Language Ability

I don’t care what anyone says…learning a foreign language is a difficult task.  I took six years of German in high school and college and have very little knowledge of the language to show for it.  The German classes I took were some of my most difficult classes and provided me with some of my lowest grades, in spite of the fact that many English and German words are similar.

What I quickly discovered with the Japanese language is that there are NO similarities to the English language at all.  The sounds, inflections, and symbols are very different.  Michelle and I found ourselves feeling mentally exhausted listening to the language being spoken because our brains had nothing to grab a hold of.  There was no framework or context in our brains for processing the sounds we were hearing.  Japanese is an incredibly difficult language for English speaking people to learn, understand, and speak.

However, the Hills have done it!  They are quite savvy with the language, especially Leon who often serves as a translator for poor English speaking saps such as myself!  Both Leon and Cheryl said that learning the language was an incredibly difficult process, but because of the great spiritual need in Japan, and because of God’s calling on their lives to love and serve the people of Japan, both have been passionate about learning the language, and both have become quite fluent and are able to clearly communicate verbally the Good News of Jesus Christ in the Japanese language.

Ministry to Those with Special Needs

As many of you know, the Hills adopted two precious Japanese children as infants.  Jeffrey is now 22 years old, and Abi is now 19 years old.  The bond these two share is sweet and a blessing to observe.  Jeffrey is autistic and has many special needs that Leon, Cheryl, and Abi lovingly and faithfully work to meet every single day.  And – as the Lord often does – He has not only given the Hills the strength they need to care for Jeffrey, but He has given them the strength – and the burden – to help others who find themselves in similar situations.

Once a week, Leon and Cheryl drive over to the home of a special needs young man in order to help his parents (and other volunteers) with his daily rehabilitation regiment.  Michelle and I were able to tag along with them and see them in action.  We watched as both of them rigorously helped this rather large young man with little arm and leg control crawl and walk.  Leon got down on all fours and lifted the young man’s legs back and forth helping him take wobbly steps across the family’s hardwood floors.   The way in which Leon and Cheryl lovingly interacted with the young man’s parents and sacrificially worked hard to help him was touching to watch.

The story of how the Hills connected with this young man is quite amazing.  14 years ago, Leon felt a burden to share Christ in a creative way with some of the young teenage boys in his community.  So, he invited several of them over to his home for games and Bible study.  There was one particular young boy who stopped coming, so after a few weeks passed, Leon did some checking only to find out that the boy had been hit by a truck on his bike and had been severely wounded.  Leon described him as going from a vibrant boy to a “blob in a wheelchair.”  Because of that “missional” connection, Leon and Cheryl were able then to offer their assistance to the boy’s family and be the hands and feet of Christ to them.  For the last 14 years, the Hills have faithfully served this family with the hopes – and prayers – of one day seeing them come to faith in Christ.

Another place where God is using Leon powerfully in the special needs community is at a group home for the severely handicapped.  Every Thursday afternoon, Leon visits a group home that is buried among several low income, poor homes and apartments.  He goes in with his bright smile and youthful energy encouraging the workers by helping them and encouraging the young people by playing soccer with them.  Leon knows that his son, Jeffrey, knows a lot more than he is able to communicate and has the ability to know and love Christ.  Because of this, Leon is confident that these handicapped children can know and love the Lord as well, and so he spends time with them weekly, communicating the love of Christ to them and praying for them. Leon is gifted by the Lord to connect with kids and young adults, and as Michelle and I watched him interact with these young people, we became confident that the Lord will use him to make disciples among them.

A Big Role in The Keisen Church Network

As I stated earlier, Michelle and I received several unsolicited rave reviews of Leon and Cheryl’s ministry from people – not just in their church – but also from the ten-church Keisen Church Network.  The people who spoke to us said that the Hills have been an incredibly valuable asset to them personally and to the building of the church network as well.

The Hills arrived in Japan in 1985, just months after their church, Midorino Chapel, was planted.  Shortly after they arrived, Leon connected with a young pastor named Masahiro Okita and offered his services.  Pastor Okita accepted his offer, and Leon has been serving alongside of him ever since, helping to bring people to Christ and discipling them.  Leon also has become a trusted adviser in the Keisen Church Network offering guidance and direction as other churches are planted and established.

The Hills role in their community is invaluable as they are fully engaged in missional living, looking for any and every opportunity to share the love of Christ with their neighbors.  Whether it’s counseling a young married couple, taking food to a sick neighbor, teaching English to children in order to build relationships with the kids’ parents, or filling the pulpit when Pastor Okita is away, the Lord is using the Hills mightily in Japan.

After spending eight days shadowing the Hills as they went about ministering to the people of Japan that God has called them to, Michelle and I are convinced – beyond a shadow of a doubt – that the Hills are right where they are meant – and sent – by God to be.  We wholeheartedly support them in their ministry there and encourage you to do the same by praying for them, supporting them financially, and considering the possibility of one day going to Japan on a short-term trip that – Lord willing – will be sponsored by Foothills Fellowship.