Through the Lens of Faith
Parker Freeman took his videography skills to the shrines and bullet trains of Japan, as he served on an AMOR spring break trip. In the fall semester of 2024, Instructor of Digital Media Production Mark Volkers reached out to Freeman about making video content for Christian missionaries in Japan.
“People think mission work requires going to places with physical needs” Freeman says. “But what we did in Japan reflects the work of God in a different way.”
The missionaries, Peter and Diane Bakelaar, work with Mission to the World (MTW), a Presbyterian agency. They use Gallery Nani, a contemporary art gallery, to deepen relationships and glorify God in city of Seto. While they had a location and other needs met, they lacked one crucial resource: professional, polished video promotion to share the mission with a Western audience. That’s where Dordt University students’ skills, including Freeman’s, came in.
Growing up with a love for movies, Freeman found that being involved in filmmaking was a natural fit for his time at Dordt. For Freeman, using those skills to help missionaries spread the gospel was the realization of a life-long ambition.
Freeman was part of a crew of 11 Dordt students; that included four digital media majors The crew began with a series of interviews. They spent time talking to a Shinto priest who ran a shrine to Christian martyrs, and Peter and Diane—the missionary couple, and two city officials.
The Japanese attitude towards religion was new to Freeman.
“It's valuable to see first-hand a whole other religion where they don't really believe in a God, but they believe in the spiritual, they believe in being a better person,” Freeman says.
Sparking New Connections
In a predominantly non-Christian culture, Peter and Diane Bakelaar exemplify the Gospel through both their actions and words. Peter, an ordained pastor, has served in Nagoya for over 30 years. Gallery Nani is an outreach to the Seto community where they live.
While the team originally planned to create promotional content for this outreach, Freeman saw an unexpected effect happening. Between interviews, the students were able to interact with the people living and working near Gallery Nani.
Seto is an artistic community, prizing beauty and aesthetic precision. Potters, painters, and tea sellers work in the storefronts all around the gallery. The American students were not only a unique presence; they were also new customers, sparking a unique opportunity for connection.
“Seto is known for its pottery,” Freeman says. “And it has amazing clay there, so as we went up and down the little shopping center, a lot of the group bought pottery. The owners went to the missionaries and thanked them, and new relationships formed there.”
"Helping tell the missionaries’ story opened my eyes to being the voice for others who don’t have a voice of their own.”
Volkers also noticed this happening, as the group’s presence in the neighborhood broke down social barriers and created opportunities for the missionaries to develop deeper community ties and open dialogue.
“We brought in these Dordt students who cared about art and were able to reiterate that these missionaries were here to serve,” Volkers explains. “The Bakelaars went from nodding acquaintances to deep conversations with their neighbors.”
The time he spent in Japan helped Freeman realize that what he truly loves about films is the chance to tell stories. Parker’s filmed sports games for the Dordt Media Network since he began at Dordt. He’s confident that Dordt will develop his passion and dedication while it continues to build his technical skills.
“There are so many lives being lived out there with incredible events that will someday be lost,” Freeman says. “I want to preserve those lives. Helping tell the missionaries’ story opened my eyes to being the voice for others who don’t have a voice of their own.”