Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Hear I am. Send me!"' -Isaiah 6:8

What does an average day look like as a Missionary Teacher in Okinawa, Japan?

Opening my eyes, I reach over and draw back the edge of the curtain. The sun is rising over the ridge behind my apartment, kissing the face of this little corner of the world. "Thanks, Lord," words that I once more utter as I begin the day. Rising up, the day begins: shower, devotions, coffee, and the soft dance of music from my phone. As it is with most people, it is a simple, normal day.

7:15am rolls along, and in a quick collection of my bag and lunch, I walk out the door and my morning changes. Beyond the scope of the small apartment, a soccer field stretches out before a small portion of the city can be seen down the hill. But there is yet one other thing that lies beyond this. The Sea. Stretching down the coastline and as far as the eye can contain, the ocean stands like a mirror; it's image alluring, deep and mysterious. The only other characterization in the distance being a series of small, mist-covered islands.

Walking the two minutes up to the third floor classroom, I turn on the lights and air, and begin to work. Within twenty minutes, students begin to enter the classroom - faces filled with joy and an eagerness to learn. One student enters, and finding a place in the small wheeled chair near my desk, begins to ask me questions about the Bible. Two other students walk in smiling and laughing, yet there is something different about their conversation and I am only able to pick up a few words as a beginner in their language. Listening, the conversation switches back and forth between English and Japanese before they walk back out of the classroom.

A few more minutes passes when the bell rings for the five-minute warning before class. The time elapses, and the students have taken their seats - prepared to learn. We open in prayer, as a series of requests are made, and then we begin our time together. The next five hours are filled with a series of different Bible classes, and the day progresses to its end. Smiling the students leave, and one-by-one the teachers themselves make their ways back to their families and homes. Walking back myself, I am stopped a number of times by the smiles and conversations of teachers and students alike, before making my way one once more to the balcony in front of my apartment. Looking across the waters to the little islands, all that can be said before the evening begins is this: "Thank you, Lord for all that you have given to us."

Read more from Ryan in his blog

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