Junpei Morimoto was baptised at South London Japanese Church. This is his testimony:

I was born in Himeji in Hyogo prefecture. As is common in Japan, I grew up in a non-Christian family. Because both of my parents were busy working as teachers, my grandparents often took care of me when I was small. I remember my grandmother praying to a 'god' in front of a small Shinto altar in our home. Of course this was different from the true God in whom I now believe, but growing up in this environment helped me to accept the concepts of 'God' and 'prayer'.

Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

When I was an elementary school student, I sometimes went to the Sunday service of a mission school which happened to be in front of my house. However, the only reasons I went were because my friends also went and because I wanted to enjoy the food! But when I eventually moved from that house, I drifted away from God.

I later spent six years at a Catholic boys' high school where I was taught by a Belgian priest and prayed the Lord's prayer every morning and night. I stopped praying when I graduated from high school, but seven years later when my company sent me to Belgium for a training programme, I was able to meet again with that same priest. I strongly felt that it was the work of God.

However after the training was complete and I returned to Japan, I forgot about God yet again because I was so busy with my work as a currency trader in the midst of an economic bubble.

Even now I feel everyday that I am experiencing a process of being changed and becoming new.

Twenty years have passed since then, and two and half years ago my company sent me to work in London. Half a year before coming here, I visited a Protestant church in Ibaraki prefecture to attend the funeral of a very close senior colleague. As I attended the ceremony, I was very impressed by the way his family and the pastor were all singing hymns in a high-spirited manner even though they should have been in a great sorrow.

When I came to London, I met Naoko-san, who graduated at the same university and was working at same office. In September, I went to a Christian gathering called 'VIP Club' that she invited me to, and one of the members gave me a Bible issued by Gideon International. I thought I had seen it before, so when I got back home I looked at my bookshelf and found the same dark red Bible! I had hardly ever opened it since high school, and yet for some reason, I had brought it with me
to London! I strongly felt that God was leading me and working in me.

Since then, I have been joining the Bible study, Sunday service and Alpha course led by Pastor Shimizu. During this time, one Sunday night in October, I felt a strong compulsion to pray because I was experiencing difficulty with human relations.

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know

I felt a clear sense of relief from the pressure of my heart when I knelt down before God, confessed all of my sins, and promised to repent. It was a moment when I decided to live a new life by following God’s lead.

I think my life has been completely transformed over these past months. Even now I feel everyday that I am being changed and becoming new. For example, I am now trying to avoid alcohol, which I used to love and drink in excess. I found myself saying "thank you" more to my colleagues. I now always pray to God before going to bed... and so on. These changes may be small, but my close friends have noticed and told me that I am different from what I used to be, which makes me feel very happy. I know I have been committing countless sins and I firmly believe that we must repent of all these sins and live our lives in a holy way, because Jesus died on the cross for us, to redeem
us from all of our sins. I have just recently finished the Alpha course and I know I
still have many flaws even though I am a follower of Christ. However, along with
the important step of getting baptised, I want to take the opportunity to renew my commitment to live a wonderful new life in step with the Holy Spirit.

Junpei Morimoto