From the high seas and the remote jungles of Papua New Guinea, Saw Ai Hua found her calling, ministry and life in the Land of the Rising Sun. After serving on Doulos from 2006 - 2008, this Penangnite is now pastoring together with her husband in an international church in Tsukuba, Japan. She also connects with Japanese youth through teaching in a private high school.
While waiting for permission to sail into Japan on board the Doulos amidst a time of intense praying due to the difficulty in entering this country, Saw Ai Hua felt the Lord place a burden upon her heart for this country which has less than 1% of Jesus followers. She answered God’s call and has been serving in Japan for the last five years, pastoring an international church together with her husband. She is also teaching English part-time in a local private high school in order to have contact with the locals and better understand the youths.
Traveling through 16 countries and being immersed in so many different cultures and languages while on Doulos from 2006 – 2008 changed Ai Hua’s worldview in life immensely and spurred her to continue to be involved in missions even after Doulos. She had been assigned to the Book Exhibition and then the Evangelism departments, and this allowed her to be at the forefront of meeting lost souls and ministering to them in various ways. After her time on board, frequent prayer meets for Japan together with former shipmates and a one-month stint with a travelling team in Japan confirmed her call to Japan. She met her future husband, who also was burdened for Japan, while equipping herself at the Malaysian Baptist Theological Seminary in Penang. Together, they pastored two different churches in Malaysia for eight years before they were finally commissioned as missionaries to Japan. Last year was her most difficult as she far away when her mother was very sick. But meeting other OMers and ex-OMers during the OM Japan Alumni Gathering that year reminded her of God’s faithfulness and encouraged her to continue on.