Happy to report that the team is on its way back to Seattle today. We sent them off at the local train station around 10:30AM. They will catch the 11:59 NEX train at Yokohama that should get them to Narita airport by 1:30PM, plenty of time to retrieve their sent luggage (sent Sunday morning) and board their 4PM flight to Seattle.
Praying for travel mercies and a safe, non-turbulent flight all the way. Thanks again for sending them to help us. Thank you for remembering us and for praying for us. God willing, we hope to see you again soon in Seattle, or perhaps next year, here again in Japan!
Many blessings!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Shirley: Sunday NBF
I forgot to blog about our 3PM service on Sunday at NBF. We had lots of missionary visitors this day. Larry and Alma Oline came to visit us again, John and Etsuko Martin (MUPS missionaries going home on furlough in 2 weeks) and Gerald May our current TEAM missionary who helps us twice a month at NBF as of April this year. Only 2 new VBS children came and a lot of our regular children were missing also since it is Obon season right now; families go home to see parents and grandparents before school starts next week. Even so, we had 16 kids in Sunday School!
Our service ran overtime by almost 45 minutes, but I think it was worth the delay. Ev, Randy and Tom shared their testimonies to the adults, Lucy gave hers to the kids, we sang 2 VBS songs with the kids, Kohichi gave a brief summary of the 4 laws, Gerald did a short talk that segued well into baptism. And although no one stepped up for baptism today, we had 2 children raise their hands as having accepted Jesus as Lord by saying the believer's prayer again just then. Then 2 mothers were asking LCC team members about baptism....lots of talking, lots of praying, lots of tears. We were so encouraged to see God's hand at work and boy was He busy today!
This is our swingset picture we like to take every year, but by the time we got around to it, a lot of folks had already left. Perhaps the season for the harvest at NBF is right now. Pray we will find a way to support them in their decision to be baptized this year if it comes to that. May God make a way for them.
Our service ran overtime by almost 45 minutes, but I think it was worth the delay. Ev, Randy and Tom shared their testimonies to the adults, Lucy gave hers to the kids, we sang 2 VBS songs with the kids, Kohichi gave a brief summary of the 4 laws, Gerald did a short talk that segued well into baptism. And although no one stepped up for baptism today, we had 2 children raise their hands as having accepted Jesus as Lord by saying the believer's prayer again just then. Then 2 mothers were asking LCC team members about baptism....lots of talking, lots of praying, lots of tears. We were so encouraged to see God's hand at work and boy was He busy today!
This is our swingset picture we like to take every year, but by the time we got around to it, a lot of folks had already left. Perhaps the season for the harvest at NBF is right now. Pray we will find a way to support them in their decision to be baptized this year if it comes to that. May God make a way for them.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Ev: Gratitude for the Faithfulness of Those who Came Before
To Elaine H., Vincy, Sharon, Tim, Kelly, David, Keith Tom, Patti, Mei-Ling, Sets, Wesley, Sam, Janis, Susan, Jeanette, Matt, Masae, Neil, Jasmine, Heather, Bob, Sheryl, Elaine N., Daniel, and Pastor Nancy, (if I have forgotten anyone, please forgive me) because of your faithfulness in coming and in serving in Japan, we were able to reap a harvest into God's Kingdom. You all planted the seeds and we were privileged to be there to harveswt that seed you planted. This may be the year where the ministry here may change to include a youth and women's ministry. There were 7 kids in Randy and Austin's group of 3rd to 5th graders who prayed the "believers' prayer" to accept Jesus as their Savior. Many had been coming all 4 years to VBS. In Karen's and my group of 6th grade girls, 3 prayed the "believers' prayer" to accept Jesus as Savior. Two had never come until this year and one was returning. We passed out cards on the last day of VBS and an additional 7 marked that they had accepted Jesus as Savior. Since we were unable to speak to these kids, we are not sure of their commitment but we trust God to make their response to him a deeper reality. We also had 4 women respond positively to having a womens' Bible study/fellowship group during the VBS time. Almost all the 6th graders said that they would return and bring a friend which would increase the older aged group. Many of the other kids also replied that they would return and bring a friend. Verse Eph. 3:20-21 came to mind, "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power tht works withing us, to Him be the glory in the the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." We could not have imagined what happened this year. Our God is amazingly faithful. Thank you again for all you who came before us, for the love you shared with these people, for your willingness to serve them. When they came into the Kingdom of God, you were all there with us!!!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Lucy: I've fallen in love with my VBS class
My prayer is that God protects them and draws them ever closer to Him.
… I feel as though the past few days my body and my heart have gone through shock. I knew I was getting attached to the kids and all but I wasn’t expecting it to be this bad… Sure the trip back was safe and smooth… but as my dad was pointing out… Satan probably has no problem with us leaving there… Every step I took towards the airport… every train… my heart sank a little bit… I couldn’t sleep much on the plane because I kept thinking about the kids and wondering how they were doing and how VBS was going… We arrived safely at Seatac… and on the drive from the airport back to my house… as the reality of finally being home sank in… my heart began to hurt. My sleep schedule is pretty messed up right now… because whenever I try to close my eyes and sleep I see their smiling faces. Since returning I began watching a Japanese drama in which one of the questions the main character poses to himself is… what is love? As the kids’ smiles flash through my mind and my heart continues to hurt… I can’t help but feeling like this time I really fell in love with Japan… especially the kids… and yet as I began writing this blog I was humbly reminded by a little tug in my heart… that despite how deep or how much I as a human can feel a love for others, God’s is always so much greater. I’m really not sure what the point of this is besides how I’m feeling right now… I guess a little prayer for me would be great… just that I would stop sitting around feeling so down and continue seeking God’s will… because whether I’m here or in Japan… God still has much for us to do.
On a side… slash... slightly less down note. My stomach is once again going through culture shock coming back… if there is any part of me (physically) that is truly Japanese…. It’s gotta be my stomach. Ughhh….
p.s. i feel like my last few or couple posts or whatever have been really... down ish.. sorry! ><...
On a side… slash... slightly less down note. My stomach is once again going through culture shock coming back… if there is any part of me (physically) that is truly Japanese…. It’s gotta be my stomach. Ughhh….
p.s. i feel like my last few or couple posts or whatever have been really... down ish.. sorry! ><...
Lucy: God exceeding my expectations
It’s past midnight and I’m the only one still up, but I had a dessert with coffee jelly and soft serve ice cream on top, so I’m kind of wired by the caffeine. So I’m taking this time to blog about this amazing day! I can’t believe today (or I guess technically yesterday) was the last day of VBS, and I’m going to miss the kids in my group so much! The day before, I thought we had decided not to invite my group to say the “believer’s prayer” because of their young age, but this morning Shirley said to go ahead and invite them to pray anyway. Reasoning: why limit the Holy Spirit? And if they are too young to understand, at least they would have heard the prayer and this would allow them to better understand in future years. So at the end of the memory verse learning time, I sat down with them and invited them to pray silently the believer’s prayer along with me. At the end of the prayer, I thought their eyes were still closed and I asked them to raise their hands if they accepted Christ. When I looked up, their eyes were wide open and they all had their hands up! I had a whole bunch of thoughts all at once when I saw that: 1) they are so adorable and I want to take them all home with me! 2) Okay, I’m new at this and I should have reminded them to keep their eyes closed 3) they are probably too young to understand what I was saying 4) maybe something was lost in translation 5) But God is still so good! I was expecting no hands to be raised, and instead I got the opposite! Even if they didn’t understand what was going on, I felt so encouraged anyway. And maybe, just maybe, some of them did accept Jesus today. Later, Shirley had the kids fill out response cards, and one of the questions was: did they accept Jesus as their Savior. Some of the kids in my group checked the yes response!
I do want to ask you to pray for these kids and for all of those in the other age groups who accepted Jesus this week. At least for the ones in my group, they are so young I wonder how much or if they understand what it means to become a follower of Jesus, but I am reassured that God knows their hearts and that He loves each and every one of them so much more than I do. One of them who checked “yes” is on my heart in particular: when going over Philippians 4:6 yesterday, this child shared about being worried for a parent’s health (and I knew that this parent had a serious illness). Some of you know that one of my parents had serious health issues last year, and it was really hard for me even though I’m in my 30’s. To think that a young child has to bear this kind of worry breaks my heart. I am praying that he now knows (or at least will know) Jesus and His comfort.
Also, I am struck by how we are here for just a couple of weeks, which means that we are reaping the fruit of those who sowed before us, and that when we leave, the Tamuras will have the task of following up with the kids and growing them in their faith. Please pray for the Tamuras in this; there are so many thorns here in Japan that can strangle young faith, and we must have the power of the Holy Spirit to provide the protection they need here. They’ve become so dear to me in just one short week, and I’ll be praying very hard for them all.
BTW, as soon as I get access to one of the cameras that took our group photo, I’ll post it. These kids are really, really cute.
Shirley: Day 5-Last Day
We had 28 kids today, one brand new girl who came for the last day. Funny how we are always stressing about having enough bags or gifts for the new kids, a great problem to have that we have not had before, praise God!
When I asked the VBS team to "go for it" this year regarding praying the "believers prayer" and introducing "baptism", my faithless heart really did not expect much. But what a harvest we had today, real or not, it is a significant step forward for all of us.
Our informal, possibly biased, evaluation checklist at the end of our program revealed that 17 people had accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, children and a few mothers. This is astounding to me, and I confess I am really skeptical. But again, I will take it for what it is and we will go from there. God can do all things and if we are obedient to what He tells us to do, we can trust Him to do the rest also! I am so looking forward to Sunday and seeing new faces there (2 new families said they would attend), and am anxious to see if some will step forward to be baptized by Pastor Gerald, our TEAM missionary that day. It is enough to see new faces in our regular 3PM service, but what a glorious day that would be!
"He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" Luke 10:2 NIV
" Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 107:1
When I asked the VBS team to "go for it" this year regarding praying the "believers prayer" and introducing "baptism", my faithless heart really did not expect much. But what a harvest we had today, real or not, it is a significant step forward for all of us.
Our informal, possibly biased, evaluation checklist at the end of our program revealed that 17 people had accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, children and a few mothers. This is astounding to me, and I confess I am really skeptical. But again, I will take it for what it is and we will go from there. God can do all things and if we are obedient to what He tells us to do, we can trust Him to do the rest also! I am so looking forward to Sunday and seeing new faces there (2 new families said they would attend), and am anxious to see if some will step forward to be baptized by Pastor Gerald, our TEAM missionary that day. It is enough to see new faces in our regular 3PM service, but what a glorious day that would be!
"He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" Luke 10:2 NIV
" Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 107:1
What a day! Karen
I woke up this morning very tired and just praying so hard for the energy necessary to end the week enthusiastically. Again, God provided. This week Ev and I shared the duties of teaching the bible stories to all of the kids. We also led a group of seven 6th grade girls in discussions, memory verses, and crafts. And what a joy that turned out to be, as that allowed us to spend significant quality time with our group.
In Japan, I don’t think girls (or boys, for that matter) spend time in discussion- just talking about their lives in general. Yesterday, I led a discussion with the girls about the relationships they have with their fathers. Sadly, most dads in Japan are not active in their children’s lives. The raising of children is the mother’s job. I shared with them how our Father God in Heaven is the perfect father, always available, always listening and always loving. Kohichi was available to translate for me during the discussion. A divine appointment for sure! I didn’t know I was going to talk about dads until Ev told the bible story. It just came to me. Totally a Spirit led thing. I strongly felt the Lord’s presence as we met and I really felt the girls were listening to the message and to each other. All praises to Him!
So, today we had the privilege of harvesting some fruit! On Wednesday, one girl from our group came to Christ. Today, there were two! SUGOI! (That’s Japanese for ‘wow’- I’m learning some of the language, heh, heh!) Ev prayed the believer’s prayer with our whole group. It really was awesome. One of the girls who accepted doesn’t go to church. This was her first VBS. As these kids begin their journey as Christ followers, please pray for them. Pray that they would be encouraged to grow in their faith and that they would feel the peace of our Lord Jesus, deeply.
Thank you, thank you for all of your prayers. I can’t wait to share more with you when I come home!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Shirley: Day 4
We had 27 kids today, 2 new girls attended for the first time. Although we had a sudden thunderstorm so PE in the park was rained out, we had a great game of M&M bingo with Mrs. Karen that carried us to 3PM perfectly, praise God! Hard to believe we only have one more day left. Hope people will come to NBF on Sunday for our closing program at our regular worship service at 3PM.
Ev: God is so Amazing
Day 7's devotion by David Reid was entitled "We are One in the Spirit." I really had the opportunity to see Ephesians 4:2-6 at work:
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing one another in love. Make every every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you called - one Lord, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
David Reid explained that God has given us unity in Him and that it is not something we have to work for because we have the Spirit. We found ourselves literally living together and spending all our time together. The amazing thing is that we found ourselves experiencing this Oneness in the Spirit in practical and wonderful ways. People took turns to cook breakfast, we shared one shower and bathroom well with 10 people, wash dishes, do laundry, clean up, etc. without being asked. People saw a need and just jumped in. It didn't just end with our physical needs but also extended to our spiritual needs. When we had a problem or disagreement, we found ourselves us talking with each other and just submitting to each other in Christ. When I left something important out of my story, Karen covered my backside by sharing what I left out. When we were sharing about Christ with the older girls, Karen left and ended up blocking the doors into the tatami room so there would be no interruptions. Sharon and Lucy worked great as a team with the youngest group of kids. Tim and the other kids, Austin, Garrett and Katherine worked so well together sharing the songs. The kids loved the songs and many kept singing them during the day. There was so many moments when we just watched out for each other and worked together as one body - we put aside all our differences and preferences so we could focus on one thing - sharing Christ and his love to the parents and kids of Japan. It was truly a God-sightings. Today was the last day of VBS and the last kids did not leave until almost 4 PM. The day was suppose to end at 3 PM! We will debrief with Shirley tomorrow at 10 AM over brunch. I'll have to share what God has done this week later. There is so much to share. God is so good and so faithful.
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing one another in love. Make every every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you called - one Lord, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
David Reid explained that God has given us unity in Him and that it is not something we have to work for because we have the Spirit. We found ourselves literally living together and spending all our time together. The amazing thing is that we found ourselves experiencing this Oneness in the Spirit in practical and wonderful ways. People took turns to cook breakfast, we shared one shower and bathroom well with 10 people, wash dishes, do laundry, clean up, etc. without being asked. People saw a need and just jumped in. It didn't just end with our physical needs but also extended to our spiritual needs. When we had a problem or disagreement, we found ourselves us talking with each other and just submitting to each other in Christ. When I left something important out of my story, Karen covered my backside by sharing what I left out. When we were sharing about Christ with the older girls, Karen left and ended up blocking the doors into the tatami room so there would be no interruptions. Sharon and Lucy worked great as a team with the youngest group of kids. Tim and the other kids, Austin, Garrett and Katherine worked so well together sharing the songs. The kids loved the songs and many kept singing them during the day. There was so many moments when we just watched out for each other and worked together as one body - we put aside all our differences and preferences so we could focus on one thing - sharing Christ and his love to the parents and kids of Japan. It was truly a God-sightings. Today was the last day of VBS and the last kids did not leave until almost 4 PM. The day was suppose to end at 3 PM! We will debrief with Shirley tomorrow at 10 AM over brunch. I'll have to share what God has done this week later. There is so much to share. God is so good and so faithful.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Lucy: Experiencing answered prayer.
I think today could have been a tough day, but through the power of God’s grace it was our best ever! We had a lot on our plate: concerns about knowing how to help the kids’ behavior, keeping the morning short enough to have time for a pizza party for the kids and their moms, a women’s Bible study, and outreaching to a local nursing home. But through it all, we felt at peace, the kids responded great to the instruction, moms got to experience sharing and fellowship, and one of the girls accepted Christ. For me personally, I’m starting to feel more comfortable teaching the kids and just having more fun. And I love their smiles! Today we made patterns with fuse beads, and I loved seeing the creativity and individuality in their crafts. I’m looking forward to seeing more of God’s blessing this week!
We also went to a sushi-on-a belt restaurant, which was really, really good. I think I’m being spoiled with the sushi here :)
Ev: Our Mighty God Answers Prayers!
After Shirley talked to us about the problem with some of the new kids, we spent time to pray. To be honest, I felt a little depressed because it was happening under our noses but we did not know Japanese or what was being said. Today I realize that we are facing a spiritual battle and that the only way to win is putting our trust in God. God has given us the victory, we just need to trust in Him, no matter what the circumstances look like. As we rode the train on Wednesday morning, I remembered the story of Gideon who faced 1000s of Midians with only 300 Israelites. God wanted to be sure that all would know it was He who would win the battle, not a large army. Shirley talked to the kids about their behavior and what God expects. We placed kids in the thinking spot if they forgot the 2 rules - 1) love God by listening/obeying and by doing their best and 2) love others by being respectful and by being kind.
The first thing that happened was Karen had difficulty trying to think of how to relate the story of the good Samaritan to the Japanese culture and children. We talked but nothing seemed to "hit" us. When Shirley shared the problem, it was the exact situation she needed to bring the of idea of what "loving your neighbor" really meant. The lesson hit home for the kids. It seemed if God, in His providence, provided the needed situation to present this truth in a powerful way.
The second event was Lucy sharing a story about a little girl lost in the Amazon Rainforest and how she learned that what was on the outside was not as important as what was on the inside. She was nervous but God worked through her to tell a story that kids really listened too.
The next thing that occurred was when Katherine shared her testimony to the kids at the end of the day on Tuesday. A mother of one of the boys shared today that because of what she shared, her son come home and began asking questions about God. God had used Katherine's testimony to touch his heart. God is so good.
Today we had Austin share his faith story and the kids were attentive as he shared.
During the story time we shared the 4 spiritual laws that Richard had given us. We did not have time to talk to anyone about whether they wanted to accept. But God had a divine "disaster" when our Cosco pizzas for pizza party were given away and another batch had to be made. That meant that our 12:00 pizza party would not start until 12:30! But what was a misstep for us turned out to be an opportunity for God to work. One of the girls became a Christian. She accepted Christ as her savior and began to cry. She then went out to tell her other Japanese friends what she had done. They asked her what happened and she told them. If the pizzas were not late, there would not have been time to talk with her!
After the pizza party and the kids went out to do PE in the park. Karen shared her faith story and the mothers were really encouraged. They also shared from their hearts about their lives. One mother shared that would come to church this Sunday!
Finally we went to the nursing home. We sang our songs and share the gospel message as well as the parable of the lost sheep. We passed out bookmarks with John 3:16 printed on them in Japanese as Ausin played (Boy, is he good!) People seemed grateful that we came.
It was a tiring day but for some reason we weren't tired. God was so faithful. When the circumstances look bad, we have to remember that God is still working and nothing is ever unplanned when we give our plans to Him. Thank you so much for your prayers. We can honestly say God answers prayers! May He receive all the glory for everything.
The first thing that happened was Karen had difficulty trying to think of how to relate the story of the good Samaritan to the Japanese culture and children. We talked but nothing seemed to "hit" us. When Shirley shared the problem, it was the exact situation she needed to bring the of idea of what "loving your neighbor" really meant. The lesson hit home for the kids. It seemed if God, in His providence, provided the needed situation to present this truth in a powerful way.
The second event was Lucy sharing a story about a little girl lost in the Amazon Rainforest and how she learned that what was on the outside was not as important as what was on the inside. She was nervous but God worked through her to tell a story that kids really listened too.
The next thing that occurred was when Katherine shared her testimony to the kids at the end of the day on Tuesday. A mother of one of the boys shared today that because of what she shared, her son come home and began asking questions about God. God had used Katherine's testimony to touch his heart. God is so good.
Today we had Austin share his faith story and the kids were attentive as he shared.
During the story time we shared the 4 spiritual laws that Richard had given us. We did not have time to talk to anyone about whether they wanted to accept. But God had a divine "disaster" when our Cosco pizzas for pizza party were given away and another batch had to be made. That meant that our 12:00 pizza party would not start until 12:30! But what was a misstep for us turned out to be an opportunity for God to work. One of the girls became a Christian. She accepted Christ as her savior and began to cry. She then went out to tell her other Japanese friends what she had done. They asked her what happened and she told them. If the pizzas were not late, there would not have been time to talk with her!
After the pizza party and the kids went out to do PE in the park. Karen shared her faith story and the mothers were really encouraged. They also shared from their hearts about their lives. One mother shared that would come to church this Sunday!
Finally we went to the nursing home. We sang our songs and share the gospel message as well as the parable of the lost sheep. We passed out bookmarks with John 3:16 printed on them in Japanese as Ausin played (Boy, is he good!) People seemed grateful that we came.
It was a tiring day but for some reason we weren't tired. God was so faithful. When the circumstances look bad, we have to remember that God is still working and nothing is ever unplanned when we give our plans to Him. Thank you so much for your prayers. We can honestly say God answers prayers! May He receive all the glory for everything.
Shirley: Day 3 -Blessed!
"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17
This is one of my favorite verses and a perfect description of today. It was a day of answered prayers, thank you. We reminded the kids of the rules, implemented our 30 second time out as planned (4 kids were sent to the corner today), and the older girls were better behaved as well. Huge praises.
We had 29 kids today, an all time high for us. We also had 7 moms today at our lunch-time session when Karen shared her testimony. What a wonderful time of sharing among the moms (Kohichi was there to translate). I thought Karen's testimony, especially about baptism, was spot on for us and our group. The Lord told her clearly what our group needed to hear, amazing! Usually the Costco pizza lunch is the highlight, ha. One new mother said she wanted to come to NBF on a regular Sunday!
Ev has some seriously praise-worthy blogging to do so I will defer to her to tell you. So much of today was not according to schedule, but I felt the least stressed I have ever felt in the 4 years we have had VBS at NBF. That, in and of itself, is a great praise! It felt that things happened just as God had planned all along, and it felt wonderful.
Mr. Onoe came to take the team to the nursing home at 2:30 or so, and from what I heard, it went just fine. We are so encouraged that he feels lead to take our VBS teams to the nursing home each year, and even translates for them, a really big step for him. He is such a sweet man and we hope and pray that in his own quiet way, the Lord has taken permanent residence in his heart.
We gave out our manga bibles today, also. These are available at Amazon also; there are 3 now (Manga Messiah, Metamorphosis, Mutiny by Tyndale), the latest one starts in the Old Testament. NBF will purchase a case of the newest one for Xmas this year. The kids were so happy to have them. They were silent as each of them read through their books as soon as they received them. How wonderful!
All I can think of and hear in my mind is Tina O. singing the words to Twila Paris' song "How Beautiful," in my head right now (yes, I know this is a really old song). It was a long and busy day, but blessed beyond belief. We are grateful to the VBS team, our prayer partners at LCC and our awesome God who loves us so very much.
We send Sharon and Tim back to you tomorrow....will be praying for safe and uneventful travel.
Good night and thank you again!
This is one of my favorite verses and a perfect description of today. It was a day of answered prayers, thank you. We reminded the kids of the rules, implemented our 30 second time out as planned (4 kids were sent to the corner today), and the older girls were better behaved as well. Huge praises.
We had 29 kids today, an all time high for us. We also had 7 moms today at our lunch-time session when Karen shared her testimony. What a wonderful time of sharing among the moms (Kohichi was there to translate). I thought Karen's testimony, especially about baptism, was spot on for us and our group. The Lord told her clearly what our group needed to hear, amazing! Usually the Costco pizza lunch is the highlight, ha. One new mother said she wanted to come to NBF on a regular Sunday!
Ev has some seriously praise-worthy blogging to do so I will defer to her to tell you. So much of today was not according to schedule, but I felt the least stressed I have ever felt in the 4 years we have had VBS at NBF. That, in and of itself, is a great praise! It felt that things happened just as God had planned all along, and it felt wonderful.
Mr. Onoe came to take the team to the nursing home at 2:30 or so, and from what I heard, it went just fine. We are so encouraged that he feels lead to take our VBS teams to the nursing home each year, and even translates for them, a really big step for him. He is such a sweet man and we hope and pray that in his own quiet way, the Lord has taken permanent residence in his heart.
We gave out our manga bibles today, also. These are available at Amazon also; there are 3 now (Manga Messiah, Metamorphosis, Mutiny by Tyndale), the latest one starts in the Old Testament. NBF will purchase a case of the newest one for Xmas this year. The kids were so happy to have them. They were silent as each of them read through their books as soon as they received them. How wonderful!
All I can think of and hear in my mind is Tina O. singing the words to Twila Paris' song "How Beautiful," in my head right now (yes, I know this is a really old song). It was a long and busy day, but blessed beyond belief. We are grateful to the VBS team, our prayer partners at LCC and our awesome God who loves us so very much.
We send Sharon and Tim back to you tomorrow....will be praying for safe and uneventful travel.
Good night and thank you again!
Katherine: Exciting Times!
God has done many wonderful things on this mission trip. So far, there are a couple of things that really stand out to me. Today was pizza day and the person who was getting the pizza was late. While some of us on the VBS team were getting anxious because of the schedule, God was using that time to lead another person to Him. While my mom was stalling the rest of the group by playing “Heads up 10 up,” Teacher Ev was praying the believer’s prayer with one very excited new believer.
Another exciting thing that happened was I heard today that some people were touched by my testimony. I think it is cool that my sharing about how I rely on God to get through the most challenging times, especially with my hair situation (alopecia), could help change another person’s life. I am excited to know that all of our work was paying off as people were taking real steps to becoming closer to Christ.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Day 2 thoughts, Randy...
I had a low grade headache that lasted through VBS today and turned into a migraine as we were returning to the apartment. I was able to medicate and crash for a few hours as the team did chores and had dinner, and now I feel fine – thanks to the prayers of my teammates and yours, too! My teammates are absolutely fantastic. Tim offered to fill my shoes tomorrow and encouraged me to take the day off if I needed to. Just an example of how this team has galvanized under God. We’re laughing a lot and having tons of fun, too!
There is no central idea or theme that comes to mind as I reflect on the first two days of VBS. God is here and He is changing hearts, starting with mine. I really enjoy being with the kids. Most of them show up very early and are filled with energy. Even though the day officially starts at 9:30, we start spending time with the kids at about 9:00, and it’s a whirlwind of constant activity until 3:00, with a 30 minute break sitting on the floor with everyone eating lunch prior to PE in the park with Tom. With the pace of things and the number of kids that are here, I’m finding it a bit challenging to have individual conversations with the kids at a more personal level, but there are good times of bonding that are occurring that I pray God will use as the week progresses.
We asked the 3-5th grade kids today if they had already made a commitment to follow Jesus. I was a bit surprised that only one (and she said she wasn’t really sure) of them raised a hand, but I was encouraged that they did so with their Japanese Bibles in hand, having just read aloud from Luke (I’m too tired to remember the exact verse)… As I talk with the kids, I’m learning to highlight God role as creator. It’s a powerful picture to the Japanese, who live in a culture surrounded by idols and god’s – literally millions of them, none of which can lay claim to creating the heavens and the earth… How great is our God! So much of the work is planting seeds – letting each child know how precious they are to God, helping them understand through our testimonies, scripture, and prayer who Jesus is, inviting them to ask questions, and being available to them. I do get the sense that these children are our hope for Japan, as the strongholds are significant and spiritual warfare is evident, but there is nothing better than a childlike faith. Luke 10:21 reads “At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. (NIV)”. Pray that we are sowing good seeds that God will use to grow lasting faith in Jesus in each of these kids.
Sorry, I just realized I was rambling a bit - must be the medication! I’d better shut down and get some rest for tomorrow. Thanks again for your support and prayers. God Bless!
Shirley: Day 2
Another busy, but terrific day. We had 27 show up today! The kids are very excited to be here, but some concerns and specific prayer requests for tomorrow:
1. discipline issues- pray the kids know we love them when we discipline them...not a concept that is well received in Japan, I think. Discipline is either way too harsh or non-existent, nothing in between. Some of the moms who are helping us had mentioned to me that several new children need to clean up their language and change their negative attitudes towards others and towards the program in general. Maybe it boils down to understanding how to love God and love one another, the 2 rules Ev presented at the beginning of our VBS program this year. May God show us his mercy and grace when we need to send kids to the "time-out" corner to think, because they have forgotten these 2 very basic, very important rules for our VBS program this year.
2. purpose- perhaps it is lost in translation, but do the children understand why they are at VBS and what they are supposed to be doing here? Do they know this team gave up their own vacations and raised support just to provide this program for them? Are they here to learn about Jesus or is this just fun time away from home to act up and be obnoxious? This is a big concern for me, since we hope to see these kids at NBF on a regular Sunday after the program is over.
3. grace and mercy- two very big words with very deep and rich meaning for all of us. we pray these children would understand these words at a much deeper level and know how it applies in all areas of their life, especially in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
As Al has mentioned, we ask for prayer for sustained health, energy and healing for those suffering from various conditions right now. Wednesday is a big day for us, moms and Costco pizza as well as PE in the park and the nursing home visit in the afternoon from 3:00-3:30PM.
Thank you for praying for us and with us. Hope tomorrow will bear fruit, especially our time with the parents at lunch!
1. discipline issues- pray the kids know we love them when we discipline them...not a concept that is well received in Japan, I think. Discipline is either way too harsh or non-existent, nothing in between. Some of the moms who are helping us had mentioned to me that several new children need to clean up their language and change their negative attitudes towards others and towards the program in general. Maybe it boils down to understanding how to love God and love one another, the 2 rules Ev presented at the beginning of our VBS program this year. May God show us his mercy and grace when we need to send kids to the "time-out" corner to think, because they have forgotten these 2 very basic, very important rules for our VBS program this year.
2. purpose- perhaps it is lost in translation, but do the children understand why they are at VBS and what they are supposed to be doing here? Do they know this team gave up their own vacations and raised support just to provide this program for them? Are they here to learn about Jesus or is this just fun time away from home to act up and be obnoxious? This is a big concern for me, since we hope to see these kids at NBF on a regular Sunday after the program is over.
3. grace and mercy- two very big words with very deep and rich meaning for all of us. we pray these children would understand these words at a much deeper level and know how it applies in all areas of their life, especially in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
As Al has mentioned, we ask for prayer for sustained health, energy and healing for those suffering from various conditions right now. Wednesday is a big day for us, moms and Costco pizza as well as PE in the park and the nursing home visit in the afternoon from 3:00-3:30PM.
Thank you for praying for us and with us. Hope tomorrow will bear fruit, especially our time with the parents at lunch!
*sigh...*
August 10, 2010
*sigh*… as we’ve started discussions about what route my mom and I are going to take to get to the airport… I’ve begun to wish I didn’t have to leave early to rest up for Warm Beach… as much as I know it’s the right thing to do, I keep falling more and more in love with the kids here and their smiles and their energy… each time I come here I feel like it gets harder and harder to go back… maybe someday I’ll be stuck for longer than a couple weeks during the summer :O… I’m not sure I’m going to be able to tell the kids I have to leave early… (since tomorrow is my last day and all…) last year I remember seeing the Onizuka boys tearing up as we had our last vbs… ugh. Each time I come I feel more and more like God is calling my heart to stay here… at least for a while anyways… hrmm.. anyways. That can be prayed for at a later date :].
Today was another great day. The kids were a little bit better behaved, but still equally as energetic (God does work miracles that don’t make sense). But ohhhhh man. Tired. Really tired today. I have no idea why… but every night I feel exhausted but I can never fall asleep until a while later… hopefully tonight is different, but regardless of whether I’ve been sleeping a lot or a little God has supplied me with enough energy to play with the kids and whatever other random stuff that goes down ^^V. ugh… spacing out a bit… what else happened… my mom and I got to go down and have dinner with a relative… something like my mom’s dad’s cousin or something or another… I didn’t really get it. but he has the same last name as my grandpa so I guess we’re related somehow. It was a nice time to practice my Japanese since they spoke little English… then came back and found Randy had crashed for a bit… he went to sleep with a headache… something about a lack of sleep, lack of caffeine and maybe stuff he usually doesn’t eat. I’m not totally sure. But regardless… prayer for his head and everyone’s health in general would be appreciated! And also… I might as well add it now since I’m not sure I’ll have time tomorrow night… my mom and I are leaving early… on Thursday sometime… so if you all could pray for us to have a safe trip back too that’d be awesome!... okay bed time… oyasuminasai! ^^V
*sigh*… as we’ve started discussions about what route my mom and I are going to take to get to the airport… I’ve begun to wish I didn’t have to leave early to rest up for Warm Beach… as much as I know it’s the right thing to do, I keep falling more and more in love with the kids here and their smiles and their energy… each time I come here I feel like it gets harder and harder to go back… maybe someday I’ll be stuck for longer than a couple weeks during the summer :O… I’m not sure I’m going to be able to tell the kids I have to leave early… (since tomorrow is my last day and all…) last year I remember seeing the Onizuka boys tearing up as we had our last vbs… ugh. Each time I come I feel more and more like God is calling my heart to stay here… at least for a while anyways… hrmm.. anyways. That can be prayed for at a later date :].
Today was another great day. The kids were a little bit better behaved, but still equally as energetic (God does work miracles that don’t make sense). But ohhhhh man. Tired. Really tired today. I have no idea why… but every night I feel exhausted but I can never fall asleep until a while later… hopefully tonight is different, but regardless of whether I’ve been sleeping a lot or a little God has supplied me with enough energy to play with the kids and whatever other random stuff that goes down ^^V. ugh… spacing out a bit… what else happened… my mom and I got to go down and have dinner with a relative… something like my mom’s dad’s cousin or something or another… I didn’t really get it. but he has the same last name as my grandpa so I guess we’re related somehow. It was a nice time to practice my Japanese since they spoke little English… then came back and found Randy had crashed for a bit… he went to sleep with a headache… something about a lack of sleep, lack of caffeine and maybe stuff he usually doesn’t eat. I’m not totally sure. But regardless… prayer for his head and everyone’s health in general would be appreciated! And also… I might as well add it now since I’m not sure I’ll have time tomorrow night… my mom and I are leaving early… on Thursday sometime… so if you all could pray for us to have a safe trip back too that’d be awesome!... okay bed time… oyasuminasai! ^^V
OUR NBF TEAM
I know I have not blog in a while. I've been letting my NBF teammates do their blogging. You know first timers excitement. Also my computer gets possessed every time I come here. I started this blog 3 day ago and because circumstance, possessed computer and trying to update the VBS highlights am now almost ready to post.
It is now day 15 in VBS days only, meaning I finished my third VBS of the Summer. 25 days chronologically, 19 days in Japan. Things have really heated up spiritually in Nokendai but I will let my colleages share about it.
These are my observation of the NBF Teammates
IN HER ELEMENT
I’ve been able to observe Karen in the last few days leading up to our VBS in Nokendai. Although she has been out of teaching for many year to raise her family, Karen is so enthusiastic about teaching the children about Jesus. Making her plans, using her God given talents for creatively presenting the gospel. She is indeed in her element. She has that excitement of a new teacher, ideas just start bubbling out of her. Day 4 we had a sudden thunderstorm which wiped out PE at the Park. She pulled M&M Bingo out of her bag of tricks and kept the kids busy for an hour. She has been such a blessing to the team.
ONE TOUGH COOKIE
Katherine has been a really trooper enduring exhausting heat, tight living quarters and even tighter traveling being forceably pushed into a train and enduring an allergic reaction to peanuts. We found out how desperately we needed her her when she was unable to lead singing because the allergic reaction. I have been relying on her for the cues for the hand motions changes. She is the most competent song leader of anyone on the team. She gave testimony on Wednesday. Many were move by her trust in God when difficult things happen to her.
EVERYONES SON
Austin has been a surprise. Yes, he is a goofy teenager. He has that youthful carefree way about him. At NBF he has become somewhat of a chick magnet. (He has unceremoniously step into Matt S.'s shoes) He say it can be irritating and exhausting sometime. The big surprise for me it his level maturity while praying. His understanding, remembering all the needs and the way appropriated words flow seem to flow from his mouth. His gift may be pray. (Karli, I know he hasn't written to you but he's doing a good job and keeping everyone laughing. My first impression (back at Newport High) was not good but that another story. His standing with me is much higher now. He play the piano at the nursing home. Of course he forgot his music so he played by heart from his heart. Had some people in tears.
FATHER/SON TEAM
What a bonding experience for Randy and Garrett. Although Garrett is the age of the VBSers but he had the responsibility of JMT member. Randy is handling a large group consisting some energetic boys. (Kosei, Teru and Kaoru for those former JMTers) Garrett gave his testimony Thursday and did a great job.
OUT OF HER COMFORT ZONE
Lucy, as in a previous blog saying she is "out of her comfort zone." The thing is she made herself available to God. Well, she must be channeling Ev, Karen and Sharon because she doing a great job with the little ones. (Lil' Sara, Mimi, Daiki, a new rugrat named Takumi and many others)
FIRE AND BRIMSTONE
Ev showed another side of her on Wednesday. Unknowingly on Tuesday we were told by some of the mother's that some of the children had been "disrespecting" one or more of our team members in Japanese. Wednesday she got up on her soapbox (figuratively) and told them in "no uncertain terms" that we may not know what they are saying about us but God does! (You had to be there, She reminded me of an old time fire and brimstone preacher.) She and Al work so great together. Have you notice they share the same email address, they sign for each other. One thing I am learning the power of two in ministry. A family of believers, like the Sakanashi's and Eng's, can also be a powerful witness.
(Sorry, I can't put the pictures where I want them to be so they are all at the beginning of the blog.
Karen-Good times!
Greetings from Japan! Today was the second day of VBS. The kids are effervescent and busy. Processing each day's activity is ongoing as there are so many new experiences. We're working hard- it's really hot and humid. On the upside, my skin is dewy and soft! Seriously, though, the Lord is good and faithful. He's provided energy and has helped me traipse around Tokyo with my sore hip. It's about 9:45 pm and we're all tired and getting a little punchy while planning for tomorrow's activities. Just thought you'd like to see our very exact way of measuring ribbon for tomorrow's craft. Ev said it's a foolproof way for measuring a yard. And, it works!! Thank you for you're prayers. I feel them.
Al: VBS Day 2
God has been really blessing this team. I am amazed at the cooperation and flexibility this team has shown. Unexpected changes keep popping up and this team has dealt with them with patience, grace and a smile. The biggest change was choosing divide the children into 3 groups instead of two. We had brought enough craft for 24 and we brought enough craft for 4 6th graders. With 28 kids, I knew didn't have enough craft. But with 8 6th graders, we had enough craft for the younger kids. We went to Daiso and Livin to buy enough age appropriate craft for the older children. Another God sighting was that we bought 24 knapsacks for the kids, but Ev and I were concerned that there might not be enough so we bought 4 more. So we brought 28 knapsacks to Japan and we had exactly 28 VBS children on day 1.
Today began at 5:30 as we started waking up and taking our turn at the bathroom. It takes a while for 10 people to shower, clean up and get ready with only one bathroom. Today Tom has the head chief cooking eggs, toast and spam for the team for breakfast. We said a quick prayer at 7:20 and were out the door by 7:30. We caught the train from Kenritsudaigaku (our local stop) to Nokendai.
After a brisk 15 minute walk, we arrived at the Nokendai community center at 8:30. We quickly set up all the posters and electronics. Children began arriving at 9:00. At 9:15 while Tom was leading the kids in a game of Duck Duck Goose, we gathered for a quick prayer before starting VBS.
Today Randy gave the preparatory set by telling about how bad stuff like decaying leaves and poop enriched the rain forest soil. He related it to how God could use bad things for good.
Ev told the story of the 'Lost Sheep" and gave the "Bridge Illustration to show how sin separates us from God and how only Jesus can bridge that gap between man and God.
During recreation time Tom had the students running relays on little 4 wheel scooters.
Then Katherine gave her testimony sharing how God her faith in God gave her comfort in times of personal stress.
We closed by singing the VBS songs.
We the cleaned up the community center and had lunch on the floor of the community center. At 1:30 we began the PE in the Park session. There was a 30% chance of storms (rain and lightning) today but God held back the rain and we were able to go outside. Tom brought out 8 fishing poles and he taught the children how to cast. The kids were casting at targets until 3:00. We dismissed the kids with a hearty, "See you tomorrow."
We then walked to the train station and reached our apartment by 4:30. Then Karen, Lucy, Katherine and Ev bundled up our laundry and headed to the local Laundromat. The apartment has a washer but not a dryer. We hang clothes outside to dry but humidity doesn't allow them to totally dry.
While the gals are at the Laundromat, I was able to find time to write this blog. I am not totally relaxing as I am also washing all the towels in the washer and will hang them out to dry when I finish this blog. Tom is off at Daiso looking for PE supplies. Austin is also at Diaso. Randy is napping as he suffering from headaches. Please pray for him. Sharon and Tim are having dinner with relatives tonight.
This evening we will go out to find some dinner, debrief about the day, plan for tomorrow and hopefully hit the sack by 10.
Please continue to pray for our health and energy levels. Tomorrow we will be heading to the nursing home after a pizza party where all the parents are invited. We will be sharing God's Word with the parents and later with the residents at the nursing home so please pray that God will open their hearts and minds to His love and grace. God continues to be our strength.
Today began at 5:30 as we started waking up and taking our turn at the bathroom. It takes a while for 10 people to shower, clean up and get ready with only one bathroom. Today Tom has the head chief cooking eggs, toast and spam for the team for breakfast. We said a quick prayer at 7:20 and were out the door by 7:30. We caught the train from Kenritsudaigaku (our local stop) to Nokendai.
After a brisk 15 minute walk, we arrived at the Nokendai community center at 8:30. We quickly set up all the posters and electronics. Children began arriving at 9:00. At 9:15 while Tom was leading the kids in a game of Duck Duck Goose, we gathered for a quick prayer before starting VBS.
Today Randy gave the preparatory set by telling about how bad stuff like decaying leaves and poop enriched the rain forest soil. He related it to how God could use bad things for good.
Ev told the story of the 'Lost Sheep" and gave the "Bridge Illustration to show how sin separates us from God and how only Jesus can bridge that gap between man and God.
During recreation time Tom had the students running relays on little 4 wheel scooters.
Then Katherine gave her testimony sharing how God her faith in God gave her comfort in times of personal stress.
We closed by singing the VBS songs.
We the cleaned up the community center and had lunch on the floor of the community center. At 1:30 we began the PE in the Park session. There was a 30% chance of storms (rain and lightning) today but God held back the rain and we were able to go outside. Tom brought out 8 fishing poles and he taught the children how to cast. The kids were casting at targets until 3:00. We dismissed the kids with a hearty, "See you tomorrow."
We then walked to the train station and reached our apartment by 4:30. Then Karen, Lucy, Katherine and Ev bundled up our laundry and headed to the local Laundromat. The apartment has a washer but not a dryer. We hang clothes outside to dry but humidity doesn't allow them to totally dry.
While the gals are at the Laundromat, I was able to find time to write this blog. I am not totally relaxing as I am also washing all the towels in the washer and will hang them out to dry when I finish this blog. Tom is off at Daiso looking for PE supplies. Austin is also at Diaso. Randy is napping as he suffering from headaches. Please pray for him. Sharon and Tim are having dinner with relatives tonight.
This evening we will go out to find some dinner, debrief about the day, plan for tomorrow and hopefully hit the sack by 10.
Please continue to pray for our health and energy levels. Tomorrow we will be heading to the nursing home after a pizza party where all the parents are invited. We will be sharing God's Word with the parents and later with the residents at the nursing home so please pray that God will open their hearts and minds to His love and grace. God continues to be our strength.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Lucy: being challenged but having fun at the same time
The first day of VBS was awesome! I was pretty anxious, because I don’t have experience working with groups of kids, and the kids I am shepherding are preschool through 3rd grade. It’s like they never run out of energy! But I feel blessed to have a team that is so supportive of each other, and the way Sharon, Ev, and Karen helped me through the morning was such a Godsend. I know I’ll still need all your prayers because I feel so out of my comfort zone, but it’s great knowing that God works in spite of my weakness and He can touch the hearts of the kids when I can’t on my own.
On the flip side, we had a ton of fun. The kids took to the songs and hand gestures really fast, especially the parts where we have to jump! And we played a lot of great games, including us adults. I got a great picture of Ev running so fast, she’s just a blur! (She's the adult in the background in the blue shirt.)
Shirley: NBF Day 1
When it rains, it pours...and that can be a good thing!
It was raining this morning when we got up at 5:30AM. We loaded the car around 7:30AM and the rest of the team took the train. We met at NBF just about the same time since we were stuck in rush-hour traffic. People worked quickly and we were set up before 8:30AM. Our first VBS student arrived at 8:45 AM. They always come early on the first day!
We had 28 children today, just amazing. Even though it rained, Mr. Tom had plenty of games for them after lunch, also. What a blessed way to start the week. Hope the kids keep coming every day! We actually expect more on Wednesday when it is Costco pizza day! Thanks for praying for us, but I think this is just the beginning...
It was raining this morning when we got up at 5:30AM. We loaded the car around 7:30AM and the rest of the team took the train. We met at NBF just about the same time since we were stuck in rush-hour traffic. People worked quickly and we were set up before 8:30AM. Our first VBS student arrived at 8:45 AM. They always come early on the first day!
We had 28 children today, just amazing. Even though it rained, Mr. Tom had plenty of games for them after lunch, also. What a blessed way to start the week. Hope the kids keep coming every day! We actually expect more on Wednesday when it is Costco pizza day! Thanks for praying for us, but I think this is just the beginning...
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Catching up...
August 8, 2010
Oookay… I’ve been slacking off on blogging. A lot. Haha. But here goes a recap of… well. I guess the last week…?
The end of TMK VBS… was soooo good. The new kids really opened up and the ones from previous years were their usual energetic selves. I gave the intro and my testimony in Japanese… and well. I just hope they understood what I was trying to say lol…. Speaking of which I just found out I’m giving my testimony tomorrow too so prayer for that would be appreciated. ><. What else… crafts went pretty smooth… towards the last couple days it was kind of sad though because some of the kids were leaving and we had to give them their crafts… it’s kinda hard to say good bye. Even though we only got to hang out with them for a week it’s really hard to say bye ><… they’re soooo cutteeeee!! Ugh. Haha…
Post VBS we were invited to go to Yamanaka with the Reasoners. It was suuuuuper nice there. We stayed next to the lake in a cabin…. Somewhere around the base of Mt. Fuji. We had some fun… but more than that we got to rest and relax a whole bunch… enjoy God’s creation and such… we ended up canoeing across the lake (me and lizzie) and eliot took a kayak… which was nice… enjoying the lake and the sun and stuffs… good barbequing and food and stuff. Rest is awesome. Haha… then the next day we went up to Mt. Fuji later in the day and climbed from the fifth to the sixth station… that was a lot of fun… a good workout… and rough on the feet on the way down haha. Me and eliot got up there and waited for 30 minutes for everyone else… which was kind of nice… sitting there enjoying the scenery… then to omiyage shopping… then… stuffs. Yeah. the next morning we woke up suuuuuuuuuuper early and had breakfast at denny’s… then saying good byes to the Reasoners… which was hard… after living next door to them and serving with them the previous week… we met up with the Nokendai team without any hiccups… took a tour around parts of Tokyo… which was really good. It was a really good experience… a good mixture of having a good time and experiencing the darker parts of Japan… it was really good how Richard explained the Meiji shrine we went to… their prayers and wishes inviting the darkness in… and learning to pray against it… it was a good time because I haven’t been in that kind of intensive time of praying for a while… it also reminded me that a lot of younger kids… those that have grown up in the church in particular… either don’t fully believe or fully understand then reality of the battles we fight… it was a very spiritually dark place… and saddening as well. Seeing a whole bunch of people lifting their praises to false gods… most because they have never heard the word of God and they don’t know any better… it was a good reminder of why we’re here… and the battle we’re here to fight.
Anywhoooooo… then was onto nokendai… it’s been good here. Different. The atmosphere here is different with new team members and such… but in a good way. We had a day to rest… a day to shop around a bit and go to the fireworks…. One of the days in there I felt really exhausted and rested for a long time…. But I guess it was much needed rest. Today (Sunday) I felt much better… ended up going to church… seeing the kids was… once again. A huge blessing. Seeing their faces light up as they saw us and seamlessly jumping into well. Jumping on people. (namely us. Haha)… but it was lots of good fun. And I’m really excited and feeling renewed for the next few days! Oookay… well. I suppose I should go off to think about my testimony tomorrow… and get to bed soonish.
OH! And there will be pictures to come… (I super duper promise!... sometime soon…)
Oookay… I’ve been slacking off on blogging. A lot. Haha. But here goes a recap of… well. I guess the last week…?
The end of TMK VBS… was soooo good. The new kids really opened up and the ones from previous years were their usual energetic selves. I gave the intro and my testimony in Japanese… and well. I just hope they understood what I was trying to say lol…. Speaking of which I just found out I’m giving my testimony tomorrow too so prayer for that would be appreciated. ><. What else… crafts went pretty smooth… towards the last couple days it was kind of sad though because some of the kids were leaving and we had to give them their crafts… it’s kinda hard to say good bye. Even though we only got to hang out with them for a week it’s really hard to say bye ><… they’re soooo cutteeeee!! Ugh. Haha…
Post VBS we were invited to go to Yamanaka with the Reasoners. It was suuuuuper nice there. We stayed next to the lake in a cabin…. Somewhere around the base of Mt. Fuji. We had some fun… but more than that we got to rest and relax a whole bunch… enjoy God’s creation and such… we ended up canoeing across the lake (me and lizzie) and eliot took a kayak… which was nice… enjoying the lake and the sun and stuffs… good barbequing and food and stuff. Rest is awesome. Haha… then the next day we went up to Mt. Fuji later in the day and climbed from the fifth to the sixth station… that was a lot of fun… a good workout… and rough on the feet on the way down haha. Me and eliot got up there and waited for 30 minutes for everyone else… which was kind of nice… sitting there enjoying the scenery… then to omiyage shopping… then… stuffs. Yeah. the next morning we woke up suuuuuuuuuuper early and had breakfast at denny’s… then saying good byes to the Reasoners… which was hard… after living next door to them and serving with them the previous week… we met up with the Nokendai team without any hiccups… took a tour around parts of Tokyo… which was really good. It was a really good experience… a good mixture of having a good time and experiencing the darker parts of Japan… it was really good how Richard explained the Meiji shrine we went to… their prayers and wishes inviting the darkness in… and learning to pray against it… it was a good time because I haven’t been in that kind of intensive time of praying for a while… it also reminded me that a lot of younger kids… those that have grown up in the church in particular… either don’t fully believe or fully understand then reality of the battles we fight… it was a very spiritually dark place… and saddening as well. Seeing a whole bunch of people lifting their praises to false gods… most because they have never heard the word of God and they don’t know any better… it was a good reminder of why we’re here… and the battle we’re here to fight.
Anywhoooooo… then was onto nokendai… it’s been good here. Different. The atmosphere here is different with new team members and such… but in a good way. We had a day to rest… a day to shop around a bit and go to the fireworks…. One of the days in there I felt really exhausted and rested for a long time…. But I guess it was much needed rest. Today (Sunday) I felt much better… ended up going to church… seeing the kids was… once again. A huge blessing. Seeing their faces light up as they saw us and seamlessly jumping into well. Jumping on people. (namely us. Haha)… but it was lots of good fun. And I’m really excited and feeling renewed for the next few days! Oookay… well. I suppose I should go off to think about my testimony tomorrow… and get to bed soonish.
OH! And there will be pictures to come… (I super duper promise!... sometime soon…)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Ev: God is in control
Today was a lesson about who really is control through a series of events. First we had arranged to be at the nursing home today at 10 AM but when we got there we found out there was a miscommunication about the day. The nursing home was not expecting us. We have now arranged to come at 3 PM Wednesday afternoon after the pizza party. Please pray for the service that many people would be open to the message in words and music about God's amazing love and grace towards them this coming Wednesday. Next in the afternoon we realized that we had another miscommunication about the coloring booklets for the kids to use during down time. We had not copied the booklets for the kids yet so we had to do it the next day. Finally,in the evening Shirley gave us the VBS count for the week - 3 pre-schoolers, 5 1st to 3rd graders, 6 4th to 5th graders, 8 6th graders, and 3 7th to 8th graders!!! We had not excepted that almost half would be olders kids! Shirley and Koichi had been praying the last 3 years that older kids would come because so often these kids have activities or just lose interest as they get older. It was a wonderful answer to prayer but not what we planned for but God did! Karen and I had expected maybe 4 older kids and again our plans were "disrupted" so we are planning to go shopping for more craft materials today before church. Today God showed me that He was in control, and not to worry and just be flexiblity and go where God leads. It was also encouraging to me that the devotional thought in our book today was "May be the thing that bug you the most is the thing God wants us to grow the most in." Tomorrow we will begin our first day of VBS. I know God will use all of us to share His incredible love and grace to the children but just as amazing He will be challenging us to respond to this same love and grace by giving more of our lives to Him. Thank you for all your prayers. They are being answered. God is so good and so faithful. Blessings, Ev
Lucy: learning a lot about living authentically
I’ve been having such an AMAZING time meeting our missionary partners here in Japan. Not only are they super nice and helping us see the sights this past week (I am so overwhelmed by all the Hello Kitty dolls in the stores! And Pokemon and Power Rangers and Super Mario brothers too!), I am encouraged and even inspired about how they are seeking to live authentically as a followers of Christ. We met with Koichi and Shirley Tamura, Gerald May, Richard Nakamura, and Larry and Alma Oline, and all of them have talked about how reaching people is not about programs or handing out tracts, but building relationships and letting people see how their lives are different because of Jesus.
They got me thinking about what we’ve been learning back home at LCC, like how most people nowadays who start following Jesus do so because they’ve been friends with a Christian who lived authentically loving Jesus. I guess I kind of thought that missionaries were somehow superhuman or something, but meeting them has shown me that they are just like us with the same struggles and challenges, like finding a good education for their kids or how to make ends meet. But what’s different is that they love Jesus enough to hear His calling change their lives and live out here, and they let themselves be seen by those around them.
This is making me think more about what my life is like back home. Am I (we) living authentically? Can those around us see what our lives as followers of Jesus are like? Things like saving face, avoiding conflict, busyness, and distractions are talked about as barriers to Jesus here in Japan, but I see those things as also barriers at home and in myself sometimes. I'm thinking that being here is not so much about what I do in Japan, but about how being in Japan for this short time changes what I do when I get back…
Friday, August 6, 2010
Ev: missionaries are an encouragement to us
Thursday we took trains to Mikata to the TEAM center. We had the opportunity to meet Gerald May who had been serving in Japan 27 years. He shared with us the challenges of ministering in Japan and he took us around Tokyo. We went to the Municipal Building had a great view of Tokyo. On Friday we met with Richard Nakamura and his son, Branden, at the TEAM center. Richard shared about his ministry and vision. We had a chance to go to the Meiji Shrine where we prayed as a group for the Japanese people. It was here that I saw young special needs girl pray and clap to the gods. Her face was full of joy.
I was deeply saddened by the fact her prayers were going up to empty ears. As we headed back, Richard saw a woman sharing tracts about world peace and he spoke to her about Christ's love and passed out a 4 spiritual law to her. As he talked we prayed for God to open her eyes and heart to the truth. We were amazed at Richard's boldness and his heart for the Japanese people. He had given us the 4 spiritual laws in Japanese with English subtitles and told us to pray to see who God wants us to give them to. We will be worshipping Sunday morning at a local church and at 3 PM at Nokendai. Al and Karen will be sharing their testimonies so please pray for them. We are eager to see what God will do this week. Please continue to pray for all of us.
I was deeply saddened by the fact her prayers were going up to empty ears. As we headed back, Richard saw a woman sharing tracts about world peace and he spoke to her about Christ's love and passed out a 4 spiritual law to her. As he talked we prayed for God to open her eyes and heart to the truth. We were amazed at Richard's boldness and his heart for the Japanese people. He had given us the 4 spiritual laws in Japanese with English subtitles and told us to pray to see who God wants us to give them to. We will be worshipping Sunday morning at a local church and at 3 PM at Nokendai. Al and Karen will be sharing their testimonies so please pray for them. We are eager to see what God will do this week. Please continue to pray for all of us.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Randy Eng, Our Amazing Partners in Japan
From left to right, Lucy, Ev, Al, Karen, Katherine with Japan missionaries Gerald May and Shirley Tamura
So far, the most impactful part of our trip for me is getting to know the Tamura family, and TEAM members Gerald May, Larry and Alma Oline. These are truly exceptional people that have submitted their lives to Christ and love the Japanese people with all their hearts. A thriving family of five with 3 busy girls and demanding careers to manage, the Tamuras find a way to run a church, including worship, writing and giving the message, children’s ministry, etc. Both Koichi and Shirley don’t seem to have any down time - Koichi often leaves by 7:00am and gets home at about 10:00pm and is also a great father, and Shirley has a full time job as assistant dean for the University of Maryland and somehow is available and nurturing as a mother. Gerald came to Japan 27 years ago to teach English because he didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do after college. Now he is a Pastor within the TEAM organization and supports NBF up to a couple of times per month. Larry used to be college professor in Florida who lost his wife later in life. Upon retiring, he thought he would end up in missions in Israel, but met Alma a recent widow and Japan missionary through a mutual friend at TEAM. Together with the Tamuras, they planted Nokendai Bible Fellowship. It’s humbling and inspiring to see the obedience and sacrifice of these people. It’s also amazing how diverse their backgrounds are, and how the common bond of Christ has brought them together as a team to reach the Japanese people through Nokendai Bible Fellowship.
Tom: Fellowshipping with the Reasoners
Tim, Sharon and I had some time between VBS's. The Reasoners invited us to a Send Retreat Cabin on Lake Yamanaka at the foot of Mt. Fuji. This was the first time I have had to see Japan outside of Tokyo and the areas around the VBS Locations. It has been a great time to decompress, rest, recreate and fellowship with our missionary partners. We climbed Mt. Fuji. Visited a local nursery.
Shirley: TEAM Japan
For those of you who want to learn more about this missions group, here is a link to the TEAM Japan website and a terrific little video clip about what this missions group has done and is doing in Japan right now.
Shirley: TEAM Center in Mitaka
We took a 6:42 AM bus to get on our 7:19 train this morning for Tokyo, specifically, Mitaka station, where the TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission) Center is located. We made great time, caught the 7:07 train and were in Mitaka as planned just a little after 9AM. After a short, but very hot walk to the center, we had our orientation with Gerald May, our TEAM missionary who graciously continues to help us at NBF (Nokendai Bible Fellowship) in Yokohama. I hope this train ride impresses on everyone again how FARRRR away NBF is from central Tokyo and how LONGGGGG it takes to get from point A to point B no matter how close it may look on the map!
After some talking and discussion, Gerald took us to Shinjuku, a major train stop on the Yamanote Line, and we went up the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to the observation deck on the 45th floor. Clear skies today and a great view of the endless, sprawling city, but it sure was hot today, even for us locals!
They will spend the night in Mitaka at the center, meet up with Tom, Tim and Sharon, Richard and Jon around 10AM on Friday morning and return to Yokosuka in the evening.
We pray for a fruitful time there with Larry and Alma Oline (our dear friends and now retired TEAM missionaries who planted NBF with us in 2001) and any other TEAM missionaries they may happen to meet there, possibly the Sloans and the Jordans.
After some talking and discussion, Gerald took us to Shinjuku, a major train stop on the Yamanote Line, and we went up the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to the observation deck on the 45th floor. Clear skies today and a great view of the endless, sprawling city, but it sure was hot today, even for us locals!
They will spend the night in Mitaka at the center, meet up with Tom, Tim and Sharon, Richard and Jon around 10AM on Friday morning and return to Yokosuka in the evening.
We pray for a fruitful time there with Larry and Alma Oline (our dear friends and now retired TEAM missionaries who planted NBF with us in 2001) and any other TEAM missionaries they may happen to meet there, possibly the Sloans and the Jordans.
DSak - Reflections of Japan
Our God is a Sovereign, compassionate, merciful, loving, and mighty God. All praise and glory be unto Him forever. His Gospel truth has the power to turn lives upside down and irrevocably change their course. His Gospel truth is desperately needed in so many parts of the world, is ritualized and taken for granted in many others. But once in a while, the seeds of His truth fall upon fertile heart soil, and compels a heart to pursue a dangerously transformational Christ-like life. I pray that God instill a passion in me that puts me amongst the least of these, that I might give my life without reservation for the Glory of my Heavenly King who withheld nothing from me. May no other pursuit of this life satisfy or fulfill me, but I pray I find joy and satisfaction in declaring the love of Jesus.
How can I begin to articulate all which God has shown and whispered to me these past two weeks? In my heart I still wrestle to understand it all, but perhaps I am simply not meant to understand it all in this life. I have eternity for that. My heart has been refreshed by the trip and I have been richly blessed by the company I was blessed to keep, and the children I got to serve and minister to. Their smiles were truly priceless. My heart has been broken by the deep need of the people of
I confess, I spent more time in
As I meditated on what the
1.
2. The people of
I have been reading a book called Spiritual Warfare by Dr. Karl Payne. Right before I left for
“…it should be no surprise that the more sophisticated a person or society assumes itself, the more subtle and crafty the enemies’ subterfuges must become to be effective. Demons attempt to destroy their enemies. They do not play at their work or take vacations. They work in deadly earnest. Demons approach their assigned responsibilities from a win/lose mentality. They fight to win and work diligently to make Christians lose… ridiculing Christianity and demonism as emotional hocus pocus and the sign of a weak, gullible mind could be a very effective way to keep a proud, self-made, rationalist, and empiricist, impressed with his own education, opinions, and accomplishments from even exploring the possibilities of spirituality in general, demonic warfare specifically, or the Gospel message of new life in Jesus Christ. The cost of honest exploration might seem too great a price to pay among skeptical colleagues. Satan and his demons are masters of creating confusion and deception, and understand that to be effective it is necessary to fight smarter, not just harder. People who are critical of Christians, Jesus, the Bible, Christianity and miracles are essentially looking for reasons to reaffirm their belief that religion is just the opiate of the naïve, and a mental crutch for the weak-willed people who are looking for someone else to think for them. Overt activity that challenges their basic anti-supernatural worldview could, therefore, become counter-productive. Why wake up people who are spiritually asleep, haplessly bobbing on the waves of naturalism and happily adrift in a sea of moral, ethical and religious relativism? If someone or something made the mistake of rousing them from their stupor, they might actually become motivated to take some type of aggressive action. A more effective plan is to let them stay drugged in their hubris and religious skepticism, sound asleep and devoid of any understanding of spiritual realities.” [p. 137-138]
That, to me, pretty much captured the state of
The spiritual opposition in
Richard-sensei shared a sobering insight with us. Missionaries have recently celebrated 150 years of missions in
For many Americans, it seems this concept of having to commit so extensively and for such a pro-longed period of time is terrifying. But this is exactly what needs to happen! Are we, as the
God’s certainly given me a lot to think about from my time there. Many priceless memories. The children I got to meet and serve were truly priceless. Far too many memories to recite for an already long post. My prayers remain with the NBF team as they to prepare to minister to the children in Nokendai. May your hearts be open though to what God has to show you. For me many of the most impactful things God revealed to me came not through the VBS itself, but through other times either listening to Richard-sensei or John-sensei, or just being out in the city and observing the people around me.
May the God of grace and mercy be with the Reasoner family, the Nakamura family, the Smoker family, the May family and the Tamura family (and many of the others there!) as they serve and minister to the people of
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.” [Philippians 1:3-11]
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." [Philippians 4:8]
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