CHANGES

October 2009

Life is filled with change, isn’t it? This summer was very busy with teams and workers. Soon after the last workers left on August 10, a MAPS construction team came to renovate missionary housing in Tokyo. For 3 weeks-from the end of August until mid-September- they worked on my kitchen and another missionary family’s home. I really appreciate their hard work to change my 82-year-old kitchen into a modern one. (It survived the bombing of Tokyo during World War II and various earthquakes.) Afterwards, I had my students and staff come for an American-style dinner of homemade pizza, chili with rice, a green salad, and banana pudding.


Campus ministry at the University of Tokyo and Waseda University started back up this fall. We are trying some new styles of teaching in the Bible studies. We are using a DVD discussion series called Liquid. We started with one called "Crossing" based on the book of Joshua.

Also, a local YWAM team is helping us at Waseda University. Our student president will graduate at the end of this semester, so we are focusing on the theme of "Transitions." The Old Testament is filled with the transitions in Israel's history, and there's much we can learn from Bible heroes like Abraham, Joshua, and Samuel. Along with our student president's graduation, we are considering what to do in continuing the ministry at Waseda.We really need wisdom and favor in meeting new students and connecting them to the campus groups. Would you pray for this?

October 13-16 was the Japan Assemblies of God annual missionary fellowship meeting held in Karuizawa, in the mountains outside Tokyo. It was refreshing to fellowship with the Lord and with other missionaries serving all over Japan in such a beautiful place. At the business meeting I was appointed the business manager for our missionary office in Tokyo for next year. From now until next February I will be in training. Transitioning into this new responsibility will mean adjusting my ministry schedule with Chi Alpha campus ministry, Global University, and Tokyo Urban Church. Please pray that I will have wisdom with this transition.

As always, I want to say how much I appreciate your prayers and giving. May God richly enrich you in every way during this fall season.

Summer Missions Teams

This summer has been the busiest I have ever had in Japan. From May 8 to July 7, our staff hosted five teams who came to serve at universities and churches.

The first team came from Trinity Bible College, an Assemblies of God college in Ellendale, South Dakota. They ministered at the University of Tokyo, Waseda University, ICA Tokyo and GAP Church (bilingual churches in Tokyo) and in Niigata prefecture.

The second team came from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. They ministered at our Chi Alpha ministries in Tokyo as well as at two Japanese churches. They did a powerful drama which impacted the seekers at one of the churches. Personally, it was great to host my first team from my home state and the university where I used to do ministry.

For several years the Japan’s Youth Committee has partnered to host American college students to teach summer English classes at various churches. This year’s group was the best ever! They came from churches and Chi Alpha groups in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, and Hawaii to teach for 2 months. Robert and Amanda, 2 of the 8 students, are working directly with me ministering on campuses and at churches.

A team of Chi Alpha students from Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington, spent their first week in Tokyo reaching out to students from their sister university, Asia University. They spent the next 10 days working with a church in Yokohama teaching English classes and ministering at the campuses to which that church reaches out.

The next team came from my missionary colleague’s home church, First Assembly of God in Honolulu, Hawaii. They only spent 2 days with us but they ministered at our monthly Tokyo area prayer meeting. The next day they ministered at the University of Tokyo using Hawaiian dance and music, another popular way to reach out to Japanese youth.

The last team from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale has been coming for the past six years. They made up the largest team which made logistics around Tokyo a little more challenging, but it was a great time of ministry.

This year we had a new ministry opportunity open up at Seikei University. A professor who is a Christian teaching at a secular college invited us to speak in his English classes all week. While there is freedom of religion in Japan, in practice that is not always true. Amazingly, we were allowed to openly share the gospel. The team shared stories, conversation, gospel music, and drama in the classes and passed out Gideon Bibles and 200 copies of Book of Hope.

Later in the week, the professor told me the following. One student had returned to class after having been absent. A high school friend had committed suicide the previous week and the student was still struggling with the tragic loss of his friend. As the team shared about hope in Jesus in class, the professor noted that the student was fighting back tears. It was apparent that God was speaking to him probably for the first time in his life.

In hosting all these teams, it's clear that the Lord of the harvest is raising up workers. Other missions organizations here have also been hosting many summer workers. God is pursing the Japanese with His relentless love to bring them to Himself. Japan may be less than 1% Christian, but God is busy planting seeds in the lives of the youth of Japan through these summer workers’ lives. Please pray that the Lord will show us how to better cultivate what has been planted.

God is good and what He does is good!

The past few months are now a blur with all the activity that took place. In March We started weekly prayer at the student center. We held a Chi Alpha Boot Camp for student leadership training on March 13-14. We tried to make it fun and practical.

At the end of March, I went to district youth camp. The guest speaker from Singapore challenged the youth to dedicate themselves to serve God wherever they go. I was most impressed during the testimony time that all GUYS boldly stood up and shared their vision of what God wants to do through them. God is raising up a new generation here in Japan!

On April 13, we kicked off the new school year with Power Praise Night at the student Center. Several Christian freshmen at secular colleges came and they seem really excited at how God will use them on their campuses this year.

Also, we started up weekly ministry again at the University of Tokyo and at Waseda University. Our group at the University of Tokyo has been reduced because of graduating students so we are looking forward to our summer teams coming to help us reach new students. Also, at Waseda we need to reach new students. We weren’t able to register as a formal group this year, so we have to be creative in how and where we meet.

This month (May) teams from Trinity Bible College and University of South Alabama will come right after the Japan Assemblies of God Missions Conference. In June teams from Central Washington University, 1st Assembly (Honolulu, Hawaii), and Southern Illinois University–Carbondale will come and help us minister on campuses. Please pray for us and these teams.

In addition, 8 summer workers will come to teach English at various churches or to do campus ministry in Tokyo. We will be doing an orientation with them from June 2-5 after which they will go to their 2-month assignments. Please pray that they will be able to adjust quickly to a new culture as they serve the Japanese people.

Lastly, I’d like to report an answer to prayer. Ayame, a staff member who has served with us for the past 8 years, resigned at the end of May. She was burned out due to taking care of both of her invalid parents. We’ve prayed that she could get them into nursing homes, but God not only answered that prayer but enabled her father to become a believer! “God is good and what He does is good (Psalms 119:68.”

Chi Alpha Boot Camp

The Chi Alpha Boot Camp went well. According to the registration list, there were 26 people who came. More students came on Friday night. Most who came were from Central Bible Church and were working people.

Although everything didn't go exactly as planned, we managed to be flexible and everything worked out okay. Sakai Sensei had a sudden problem with neighbors next door to the church come up and they wanted to talk with him that morning (the only time they could talk). So he had his wife speak in his place while he took care of the situation. Also, Uchimura Sensei called me early Saturday morning and said he didn't think he could come because of a meeting about the church's remodeling. He asked me to do the closing message. However, he called at lunchtime to say he could make it but still asked me to close the boot camp after he spoke.

I think the learning activities on Friday night went well. The schedule said we were starting at 6 PM but people didn't come until 7 PM. Mitsuru (PK from Hokkaido) and Izumi from Jujo came. We needed at least 8 people to do the scavenger hunt and we had exactly the right number of people. We did some communication activities using small balls and had a hilarious cross-cultural game called "Ho-hos and Bo-bos." Ayame was on the floor laughing as she watched the two groups act out the two different people groups. This game is like what we missionaries do at candidate missionary school for cross-cultural training, by the way.

We had lots of help with the workshops and they seemed to go well. Workshop 1 was Media Ministry. Nozomu san took time out of his busy schedule to come talk about the PA system. Shiraishi Sensei talked about the role of the bass player but a lot of what he said applied to any church musician--how to play with a worship team. Keiko Sugimoto talked about playing piano on a worship team. Akiko Sensei spoke about the heart of a worship leader.

The next workshop went well, too. I really wanted Yokosuka san to come but he was unable. However, Ayame and I made a video of his presentation and showed that. He did a really good job and Ryu chan (a church member) helped us with video direction by making a storyboard. I also made a video of Kei Hiramatsu since the CBC students had to go on a ministry trip that weekend. Hozue Shiraishi spoke and invited a friend Mori Sensei, a medical doctor, to come speak. Later, Joyce's father who was the afternoon speaker, told me that he goes to Mori Sensei's medical clinic. (Small world.) Inoue san, father of one of our student leaders, also came and talked. I managed to record his on video. (In taking care of another detail, I forgot to record Hozue san's and Mori Sensei's talks.)

Kitano Sensei talked about spiritual growth, and Ayame and Yuri said he was difficult to translate because of his content. I rather enjoyed it because I could follow his powerpoint.

We closed with prayer for graduates and for the working people. Yumiko Saito from Dokkyo University was the only graduate there so we asked her to represent all 6 graduates as we prayed for them all.

The purpose of the Boot Camp was to provide a bigger picture of how the Christian faith is to be integrated into all areas of life, and not just when students have think it is "cool" to be a Christian when they have free time. Our faith applies to every season of life and wherever we go. We need to know how to serve in the church and in the marketplace, too.

Southern Japanese?

Two Sundays ago I gave a message in Japanese at my former church, Windy Chapel. I didn't have a lot of time to prepare, but as I was praying about what to speak on, I felt really impressed to talk about a topic that I had recently taught from The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. Chapter 21 talks about protecting the unity of the church in really practical ways. So, I got the Japanese version of the chapter and studied it. I had to look up many Japanese words, but from that I decided to add my own comments to the points and read quotes for my message. I then had a Japanese co-worker look over my message and correct it.

That Sunday I spoke in both morning services and basically read most of it. The last time (2 years ago) when I gave a message in Japanese I had to read ALL of it, but this time I felt a little more free to ad lib in Japanese. I was just so excited to see everyone whom I had not seen since last year, and because everyone was familiar to me, I felt like I was with family.

After the second service, a friend introduced me to a new church member. Sayaka studied in the U.S. for four years and since coming back to Japan, she goes to Windy Chapel and is in the gospel choir that I helped to start. She became a Christian just before going to the U.S. but really became committed to Jesus while she was in the U.S. What really surprised me was that she studied in Mississippi so she speaks English with a Southern accent! During lunch, she really made me laugh when she responded to one of my questions with, "Yes, ma'am."

The World Missions Summit 2

What happens when missionaries and college students meet with God for a 3-day get together? New missionaries are raised up! That’s what happened at the second World Missions Summit held at the Duke Energy Center in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio from December 30 – January 1. About 4,000 missionaries and Chi Alpha university students gathered to hear about missions needs around the world and to respond to God’s call to go. Bill and Carol Paris, Joyce Kitano, and I represented Japan.


In the Gatherings, the main speakers challenged students to “go for a year and pray about a lifetime.” Crystal Martin, national Chi Alpha staff, challenged students to overcome the roadblocks that prevent them from answering God’s call to go. In the next gathering that day, U.S. Missions Director Zollie Smith told the students, “It’s up to you to do something.” The next night, Dick Brogden, missionary to an African nation, challenged students to make the necessary sacrifices to go to the “inconvenient lost.” Scott Martin, national Chi Alpha staff, called students to come forward and announce where God is calling them. About 830 signed cards for overseas missions and about 200 more signed for U.S. based missions. The last night John Bueno spoke and then a national church leader in a closed country followed him. He talked about what is required to be Jesus’ disciple: consecration, commitment, and crucifixion. He told about being imprisoned.

We missionaries personally interacted with students in practical venues. During four meal times called Meal with a Missionary, we sat with groups of 8-10 students and got to know each other as we shared our stories. Also, the different AGWM regions set up Experience Rooms and Booths. Students could hear, see, touch, and even smell what different cultures are like in the experience rooms. (The Eurasia region featured a raw meat odor.). A sumo ring beckoned students do don wrestling suits and wrestle before entering our Asia Pacific Experience Room. They entered by taking off their shoes and sat on the tatami-looking mats. During this time, we Asia Pacific missionaries presented the different areas of ministry throughout our region--church planting, children, compassion ministries, campus ministry, and teaching opportunities. Although the presentation did not list countries, several students specifically asked about opportunities in Japan. In the AP booth area, we sat and talked with students about ministry in Asia Pacific. The AP office is in the midst of following up on 1,000+ students who expressed interest in coming to Asia Pacific.

Unforgettable Christmas

How's your Christmas season so far?

The "Unforgettable Christmas" outreach went well Friday night (December 12) at the Chi Alpha Student Center. We aimed for an interactive experience so as to make it memorable. Last month's guest speaker and his wife came and brought one of his wife's students plus their two little boys. (She teaches English on a part-time basis.) An American missionary couple, a guy from Jujo Church who's been coming the last two meetings, and a member from the University of Tokyo Chi Alpha read Bible passages about Christmas in Japanese. The student president of Waseda University's Chi Alpha was the emcee and she did a good first time job. She and I led in singing Christmas songs in English and in Japanese.

Shelley Carl, U.S. missionary, sang and played a couple of Christmas songs on the guitar and then spoke. She based her message on a new Christmas song "A Baby Changes Everything" by Faith Hill. You can hear it on YouTube here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2o1uxzI-hA&feature=related

At different times she had us get in small groups to discuss her points. We talked about unwanted pregnancy and what we would do if we knew someone in that situation. I think it was really good for Asian young people to openly talk about this. Sexuality is rarely discussed in a Christian setting in Asian churches.

Afterwards, we had a fellowship time. Yuri and I made plenty of cookies because we had leftovers. The apple cider went over well, too. One girl said it was the best she'd ever had. :)