Get to Know Abby Straub

Ministry Description

I will be serving with Word of Life Japan through their SYME program to teach Bible-based English lessons for Japanese youth who are seeking belonging found in Christ and seeking to learn English! I will also be using my musical abilities to worship God and reach the Japanese for Christ through music!

Learn more about the ministry in Japan.

About

I was born in Novokuznetsk, Siberia, Russia to a teen mom. After a year in an orphanage, I was adopted in 2005. I’ve known about God and portions of the gospel since I was a baby. The specific church we went to refused to talk about trusting in Jesus for salvation, so my parents chose another church which did preach the gospel. When I was seven, my dad explained the gospel to me in full, and I decided to trust Jesus as my Savior that night by my bedside. For a while afterward, it became a routine of going through the motions, through the chaos of middle school, until in high school, I knew I had to sincerely follow Jesus if I was going to follow Him. A precious friend reminds me that it is the most important thing in my life. My faith became more solidified during my two years at Word of Life Bible Institute following my senior year. Since then, my love for God has become vibrant.

Since I was in elementary school, I felt God draw me to missions. My future was unclear, but I knew I wanted to serve God through missions. I have always been attracted to other cultures growing up. At Word of Life, God solidified my desire to teach English through WOL's English Cafe ministry and my desire to reach the unreached through my spring trip to Wayumi with Ethnos360. It was not clear which unreached people group He wanted me to reach until He brought my Japanese friend to my mind. I discovered that Japanese are among the largest unreached people groups, without knowledge of God's love for them. God directed me to CCI (Cross Cultural Internship) where I could both reach Japanese with the gospel and teach English! I am excited for what God has in store as He reaches Japan through faithful prayers, the several ministries there including WOL, and my time in Japan!

Revelation 5.9-10 "And they sung a new song, saying, 'Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.'"

Contact Information

zezakusilo@gmail.com

Address:
Abby Straub
Word of Life Japan
PO Box 600
Schroon Lake, NY 12870