Source: International Mission Board, December 4, 2023
Michaela Knippers grabs the bulky virtual reality goggles off the desk and tightens them onto her head. Her husband, Justin, is already strapped in and waving his hand in the air to scroll through different maps he sees through the goggles.
As new International Mission Board missionaries to Osaka, Japan, they’ve been studying Japanese all day and their brains need a break. For these 20-somethings, that means jumping into the virtual world—a video game simulating reality that, for them, is both relaxing and their place of ministry.
The couple finds a spot to chill in a virtual backyard that resembles countless real ones—neon tiki lights, Texas-sized mosquitos buzzing around, potted plants, and multi-colored flowers. In the back corner, Justin spies some friends around a fire pit and presses his controller forward to walk over. Within minutes, the missionary shares an insight from Scripture.
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