It is with some regret and disappointment that I must write this particular post. For those who have been wondering why I haven’t posted here in quite sometime, you’re about to get an answer.
Unfortunately, I am writing at this moment from the quiet town of Waynesboro, VA—My time in Kobe, Japan has come to a close about five months early. The past few of weeks have been stressful for me, as you can probably imagine, and so there have been a lack of updates for this reason.
A couple days after my last blog post, I was informed by TEAM that I would be leaving the country within the week. As you may know, the the Trims would soon be leaving for America themselves and I was going to be left to hold down the fort. TEAM told me that though this was the original plan, they were unable to find supervision for me while the Trims would be gone. Many Japanese, upon hearing the news, offered me their own help and supervision, but TEAM insisted that any supervision I received would have to be through a registered TEAM missionary. My home church also intervened, attempting to work a solution out with TEAM, but, in the end, TEAM seemed rather unwilling to seek an answer, and supplied me with my plane ticket.
It’s easy to be bitter in times like these—And I’d be lying to you all if I said I’ve experienced no such feelings during this time. But more than anything else, I’ve learned during this time what it truly means to trust God when you see no sense or purpose in a situation. I was forced to end this ministry early, to end the Bible studies, and end other face-to-face relationships I had established. Where could the glory to God possibly be in that sort of sad ending?
I don’t need to know. As long as He knows—It is enough.
I want to thank you for all your prayers and support during my ministry in Japan—Especially those of you who followed this blog regularly and kept a constant gaze on what God was (and still is) doing in Kobe. I hope you’ll continue to pray for me as God paves my future, and I hope you’ll also continue to pray for the Japanese that I made relationships with, as you have been.
If anyone is unsatisfied with the explanation given here, please feel free to e-mail me at ethan.mcgonigal@gmail.com, and I’ll be happy to answer any and all questions in a prompt manner. Thank you all for reading.
Greetings once again from Japan. I’m writing from a very nice Japanese home, at the moment. There are some guests staying at the Trim’s house, where I usually stay, this weekend, so I’ve been invited into the household of a Christian Japanese family that Murray knows. They don’t go to our church, particular, but I’ve met them once before. They’re wonderfully kind people, and speak English rather well. This marks the second time I’ve stayed in a Japanese home. The hospitality and kindness is a wonderful experience, but it can be stressful at times just making sure you’re constantly polite. The husband of the home took me to a Japanese hotspring (onsen), this evening—An experience I’ve become well-acquainted with. There’s just not quite anything like letting all your troubles melt away in the heat of the water.
My room, currently. Note the pretty tatami flooring and Japanese-style sliding doors.
The guests that have come are three Americans looking to come to Japan for mission work—All of different ages and backgrounds. They’re on a short, “scout-out-the-land” sort of trip, and Kobe is their last stop before heading home. Since Agape’s “English Cafe” event is this Saturday (6/26) , they’ll be speaking and sharing their testimonies there.
Earlier in the week, I taught the set of four back-to-back English classes at Ichibaku alone for the first time. Everything went well, so I’m thankful that God’s given me the ability to fulfill the duty. It makes me more confident that I can handle all these classes. I also got the opportunity to go out to lunch and do karaoke with Akihiro. He is still coming to church and often participates in the church Bible study, so please continue to pray for him.
My weekend will be mildly busy, considering I do have some things to attend to pertaining to the guests, as well as some personal engagement. I hope to do more Romans study with Taka tomorrow before the English Cafe, and of course there’s church on Sunday. On Monday I hope to meet with Kei to spend some time with him, and on Tuesday I’ll be meeting up with my new friend from the arcade. It’s just lunch, but pray that God will use me as some sort of example. During all this time I’ll be operating from an unfamiliar home, only returning Monday evening—I’ll be in a bit of a daze for a few days. Hopefully everything will go smoothly all the same.
A side note as well—Please pray for my musician friend, “Coe.” It’s difficult to understand all the Japanese that gets thrown my way, but he seems to be suffering from a chronic illness of some sort. Pray that God will sort things out in His own good will.
Perhaps not the most action-packed post ever, but, as you can see, there’s lots to pray for.
Today, Kei and I came to Ephesians 5 in our study. Even though this isn’t the famous passage in Galatians, the fruits of the Spirit are mentioned, so we spent lots of time talking about them. Most of you reading probably know them well, so I won’t bother listing them. It’s interesting how different people struggle with exhibiting different fruits. I told Kei how I feel as if exhibiting “peace” is difficult for me, as I often times like to debate controversial topics, or openly express my opinions—This can often cause conflict that I never intended to cause! Kei, however, said he prefers to lead a quiet life in which keeping peace with those around him is a simple matter. Both of us agreed that self-control might be the hardest of all, as it can be oftentimes difficult to prioritize God over our life and leisure.
In the end, though, as verse fourteen states, God as shaken the Elect awake as those who were asleep—Raised us as those who were dead. We are no longer slaves to sin, and free to exhibit the fruits of the Spirit. It may not be easy, but I have faith that God will bless those (like me) who ask for help. I hope that you, too, will ask God for His wisdom pertaining to the the fruits you find difficult to practice day to day.
Kei being overly photo-shy -- In true Japanese fashion.
It’s been business as usual here in Kobe, Japan—And tension continues to rise as the day of Murray’s departure gets closer. I feel strangely comfortable, though—Thanks to the grace of God. Keep praying that I’ll be able to see all this responsibility through.
I’ve been texting Coe, the musician I met recently, and he says he’d like to come to church soon. I have no idea if he actually will, of course, and I’d rather not get my hopes up. But still—You can’t help but hope. Recently, I met another fellow I’ve been in contact with. There’s an arcade in Sannomiya that I sometimes go to called “Round 1.” One of the fellows that works in there always talks to me whenever I go, because my backpack has some anime paraphernalia on it—He likes the same anime, so we always seem to bump into each other and geek out a little bit. The past time I was there, I decided to give him my contact information, so we’ve been texting back and forth. I eventually did invite him to visit the church sometime, but it would seem he always works on weekends. It’s a shame. Well, I’m just thankful God is placing people in my way that I can influence somehow. I'll do what I can, but the rest is up to God—A thought that’s as comforting as it is sometimes discouraging. On the other hand, if it was in our power to save souls, we’d be in big trouble. In any case, you can always pray for these guys.
Funny story. On Thursday I went to Ichibaku Church to teach English as I’ve been doing the past few weeks. It was all business as usual until the last class, which consists of two middle-aged women. One of the women, who is very kind, brought a box of “Japanese sweets” for all of us to enjoy.
There’s something I’ve learned in my short time in Japan. Japanese “meal food” is great. The stuff you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And the Japanese do have good western-style deserts like cake and ice-cream. But when “Japanese sweets” come up in conversation, you’d better run. As you can see above, they sure look tasty, but…I think you would probably be disappointed. The brown ones are coated with dried soy, the green with seaweed, and the blue with sesame. Below that layer is sweetened rice, and in the middle in “anko” — Red bean paste.
Hardly this American’s idea of a “sweet.”
But, it would be disrespectful and mean not to eat one! So I did, and drank my cup of tea. It was not an experience I hope to have to endure again anytime soon, but one I was fully willing to endure to make sure this woman left feeling happy.
Today, I actually had the privilege of going to “Kansai Missionary Fellowship.” Many missionaries from this area of Japan get together a few times a year and fellowship, and so I went. It was very nice—I got to meet Americans, Australians, Japanese, and even a Finnish fellow. There was a nice meal, nice conversation, and great worship service and prayer time. Always nice to spend some time with fellow Christians who speak fluent English once in a while.
One of the best conversations I had was with an older Japanese fellow who was saved during his college years and is now pastor. He gave me incredibly valuable insight into the Japanese psyche and why it can be very difficult to reach the Japanese. He said that the Japanese mentality is all about self-reliance—Being strong enough to be successful through your own power. If you achieve success, you achieve happiness. But he told me he never felt this happiness, and felt as if he was working towards nothing at all. What was the purpose of his life? He once stumbled into an on-campus Bible study where he heard about Jesus’ meal with the tax collectors. Christ struck him, he told me, as the kind of teacher he could trust. Someone who wouldn’t reject him for who he was. As he studied more and more about this man, he eventually recognized His divinity—And the need for Him as a Savior due to his inability to earn salvation.
But he told me another reason that the Japanese are initially difficult to witness to is their indecisiveness. Japanese don’t like making decisions on their own, but they like to be directed by authority. This mentality is apparently fostered in the Japanese school system. For example, writing assignments aren’t about students creating new ideas and opinions, but only about parroting exactly what the teacher said—That’s what gets you good grades. It’s difficult to ditch all they’ve been told their entire life for this strange new teacher, Jesus.
It's also pivotal, he said, to make sure the Japanese truly understand what "sin" is, and why we are all guilty of it. Most Japanese are upstanding citizens, who follow a certain breed of eastern "humility." They don't understand why they are sinners headed toward judgement.
The most important, and simultaneously scary, thing he told me was to be living as a constant example. Japanese people are quiet, he said, but always thinking—And always watching. They are watching me to see what a Christian is. He insisted that my outward example was the most effective way to witness to the Japanese. I pray that God will make me into the example He wants me to be—And I hope you all will pray the same for me. Until next time.
Rainy season has indeed begun, complete with cloudy skies and muggy air. The humidity I could stand to do without, but cloudy skies are always welcome in my world. My opinion is unpopular, of course, and the Japanese always give me inquisitive looks when I tell them I actually like rainy days. This Thursday, I was sitting in on one of Marcy’s classes and we were speaking English with a Japanese woman very gifted at the language. After her initial surprise at my liking of rainy days, I said, “Maybe I’m just a strange person. But I do think the rain is beautiful. Have you ever seen the sea when it is storming outside?” She replied, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I understand—I’m a normal person.” Needless to say, we all erupted in laughter.
My time in Osaka went well, Saturday and Sunday both. I got royally slaughtered at the Smash Bros. tournament, but it’s okay—I met lots of cool people and learned lots. The symphony on Sunday was absolutely wonderful. I wish more people were aware of the beauty many video games contain pertaining to their music.
At the tournament, many talented players drew their favorite characters.
Monday, English study with Shie went well as well. It was nice being able to ask a native Japanese tons of questions about Japanese. Since her school is an international university, I got to meet Japanese and non-Japanese students alike—Including some Americans.
On Thursday, on the way home from some teaching, I heard some beautiful music in Myodani Station. I followed the sound and found a fellow calling himself “Coe” playing some phenomenal music, live. I sat there and watched him for about an hour and a half until the end of his set. He expressed his gratitude for staying so long, and we talked for quite a bit. I asked him if there was any of his music I could buy off him, and he handed me a disk with a song of his on it. The song on the disk is amazing, and it’s something I’ll definitely treasure. He asked me if I’d be there to meet him again and talk if he ever showed up to a service at my church—I told him, “Absolutely!” So who knows.
"Coe" at Myodani Station
Things are about to get pretty…Insane on my end, to say the least. Kathy’s leaving for America tomorrow and Murray will be following her in a few weeks as well as Marcy. I’m basically going to be here alone! I’ll be taking over a ton of the English teaching ministry, and I’m not gonna lie—That’s pretty stressful. Eventually, at the end of next month, I’ll go back to Karuizawa where I was for the men’s conference to help with the children at the yearly TEAM conference there. I’ll be there for a week, so that’s a thing. It’s going to be a crazy summer and even I’m not entirely sure what to expect. But I digress.
Today, in my Ephesians study with my friend Kei, we went over Ephesians 4:1-16. One of the passages that really struck me here was verses 8-10.
“When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)”
Before Christ comes into someone’s life, we are slaves to two things—Death and sin. We are slaves to continually sin before God with no thought of his standards, and we are doomed to die—Not just once, but twice—The second time for all eternity. But Christ “led captivity captive.” On the cross, Christ crushed sin, paying our penalty in full. Now we are free to sin no more. Death claimed Him, but on the third day he rose—Crushing death underfoot as he had sin. During those three days, Christ took our captors and made them His captives.
And it’s also an incredible blessing to know that the same Jesus who ascended into Heaven after His glorious resurrection is the same one who first ascended to earth, as verses nine and ten tell us. Yes, it’s theologically important—But is not also a blessing we can consider every day? God came down and lived as man. Those who say God could never relate to us are blasphemers, sorely mistaken. God knows us well. Not only did He “knit us together in our mother’s womb,” but he has also lived as a man Himself. When we suffer here on earth, we can trust God can relate.
Yep--It's about that time here in Japan. Rainy season happens this time of year, and it gets pretty muggy and rainy. The mugginess I could do without, but the rain makes it not seem so bad. Those of you who know me well know that I love me some rain, so to me this is just a treat before the inbound brutal Japanese summer. Nothing quite like relaxing indoors while the rain tap-taps on your roof, and the dusky outdoor colors are calming to the eyes. I know my opinion is unpopular, but what can I say.
As usual, everything else is fine on my end. Tomorrow, I have no Bible study with Taka as he attends Liz and Paul's Bible study every other week. Instead, I'll be waking up early tomorrow morning to get to Osaka by 8:30. Osaka is one of the biggest cities in the southern region of Japan, as you may already know, and I'll be competing at a Super Smash Bros. tournament there. For those of you who don't know, Smash Bros. is a video game which I've been playing for a long time and enjoy playing competitively. In Waynesboro, I play this game with a large group of other guys--Tournaments and all. When I heard there was a tournament happening in Osaka, I signed up immediately. Japanese players are excellent at the game, though, so I sure won't have it easy. I've been practicing though, so wish me luck!
On Sunday, after church, I'll actually be going down to Osaka yet again. This time I'll be attending an orchestra. It's called the Gamer's Symphony and many of the greatest game composers of all time will be represented through some of their greatest works. I absolutely can't wait.
I'm having a pretty geeky weekend--But no shame! I'm glad I've been blessed with the time to do these fun things!
On Monday, which is usually a free day for me, I put something on my schedule. There is a girl named Shie that Marcy used to teach English to. Her and I met recently, and after some discussion decided we ought to meet semi-regularly and practice language. In addition to my current self-study, plus the class I'm currently taking on Wednesday, this will be a great addition to my Japanese-learning-repertoire. Other than that, not too much going on. Hope all is well on everyone else's end.
Today I studied with my Christian friend, Kei. We're going through Ephesians, and coming to Ephesians 3 we spoke a lot today about "[knowing] the love of Christ, which passeth all knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God." This verse really got us on the subject of showing God's love to others in our own lives. One of the hardest ways we're called to do this is showing kindness and forgiveness to those who have wronged us. Sometimes things are easy to forgive. When someone accidentally spills a drink at your dinner table, or is ten minutes late to your dinner out, forgiveness is easy. On the other hand, a deceitful lover, an abusive parent, or a traitorous friend--These are instances where it is much harder to show such an attitude.
Still, God doesn't say anything about picking and choosing. We are to "bless those who persecute us" and "forgive others as God first loved us." If God forgave us an entire life of wretched sin, we can forgive anyone on earth--No matter how unforgivable the wrong may seem presently.
We also talked about how forgiving doesn't mean forgetting, and the two do not go hand in hand. Forgiveness means we cease to hate a person in our heart for their wrong doing, leaving their judgement to God and not ourselves. Depending on the offense, we should return kindness to wrongdoers, but God understands we are mere men and sometimes must be wary of our well-being.
Forgiving an abusive spouse, for example, doesn't mean you must return to them, neither does forgiving a back-stabbing friend mean that friendship can ever be truly repaired. God does not expect us to be foolish in our relations with others.
Thank God, then, that He forgives us in an even purer sense. Not only has He ceased seeking judgement on the souls of the Elect because of Christ, but is sanctifying us daily that we might one day eternally be in His direct presence without shame. We don't have the ability to perfect those who have wronged us--Thank God that He does.
Was able to study a second time with Taka on Saturday, so that was a blessing. Taka's very intelligent, and it shows through his attitude towards the study and the questions that he asks that he doesn't take any of this lightly. But he's also obviously wary of blind acceptance, as he should be, and seems to really want to weigh all his options.
I personally don't think there's anything wrong with this, as I think that if you truly "weigh your options," Christ will always come out of top--This is, of course, only in God's good will. Some people might condemn the suggestion that it's okay to look into other religions, but I disagree. After all, if Christianity is worth believing then should it not stand out as the truth compared to everything else? Plus, once again, we must remember that God draws to Himself His own, so it's not as if one can resist His calling through the influence of another religion. Also, if you are indeed a Christian, it helps to know a little about other faiths when you're dealing with someone who is involved with one of them. But I'm going off on a tangent, I think.
What I really wanted to mention in this post one of Taka's seeming main concerns about the faith. His questions imply that he is extremely concerned about those who are born and raised in other religious environments, such as Islam, perhaps. It's easy for someone with a Christian background to know these things, and also simple (per se) for someone with no religious background to seek out Christianity. But what about those who's pagan state is part of their upbringing, and perhaps social status?
He told me that he recently watched the film "God's Not Dead," which immediately made me internally cringe. I don't like explicitly "Christian" films and it's things like these that explain why. Trying to explain the gospel through awkward Hollywood settings, in my humble opinion, is more of a nuisance than a help. They hear neither Moses or the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one makes a big budget Hollywood film.
So apparently, in this film a Muslim girl discovers Christianity and becomes interested. Her father finds out she's been listening to Christian sermons online and kicks her out of the house. It's not at all unrealistic, to be fair, and Taka wanted to know that since these sorts of things do happen, how is it fair more or less.
These things are difficult to explain to those who are not saved. Essentially, I told him that first, these sorts of things do happen, and is it not amazing that Christianity is so powerful that people like this girl will risk everything for it? As far as the "fairness" of the situation, that's all subjective. Firstly, Christ never said it would be easy to follow Him. Yes, some are blessed with the privilege of leading a relatively easy life in Christ--But not all. Many Christians lives are wrought with fear, persecution, and isolation. How could such a loving God be so unfair?
Taka didn't phrase it in such a stereotypically harsh way, but this seems to be his struggle in any case. In this particular case, I told him, again, how Christ said we must bear our cross if we wish to follow Him. He never promised a life of ease--But he does promise us eternal paradise and joy for following Him--Such that will make any present sufferings seem as a distant dream. I also told him that the evil that takes place in this world towards Christians or anyone else is not God's fault, but our own. God created this world perfect, and mankind is now simply paying for our sin--Praise God He has offered a way out!
He appreciated my answer, but it's clear that he's still not totally convinced. It's a typical struggle for the non-Christian, I think, but it's funny how to the Christian it's not even a question.
In reality, the question you should be asking isn't, "Is it really fair for God to give an easy Gospel to some and a harder one to others?", but, "Is it really fair that, in our desolate and sinful state, we should be offered any salvation at all?"
People get so obsessed over weighing God's methods in their own custom scales and considering how "fair" He is in His rulings. Doing this, of course, while never one second thinking about who is the true judge of what is "fair" and what is not. If you look at it in that regard, I think it's quite plain to see: The mercy God shows towards us is totally illogical and unfair. Instead of complaining about the way God chooses to dispense His salvation, perhaps you might be better off considering how God would even consider saving one man--Let alone multitudes. The ultimate mystery.
--Ethan
One of Marcy's students that I'll be teaching next month--Mr. Miyake. His birthday was on this day, so we had cookies in class which he was very appreciative of.
Hello once again. Ever since I got back from the conference in Karuizawa, things have been a lot more steady with less surprises. I like some spice in my life once in a while, but it’s always nice to simply get into a groove and stay there. Of course, I know it’s not to last — But that’s okay. Soon, Marcy, the missionary living in the church, will be going back to America to raise more support. During that time, I’m to take over a lot of her English teaching. On Thursdays in particular, that’s about 5 classes back to back. For someone who’s only taken over two classes since I got here, that’s some serious baptism by fire. Oh well. I can handle it.
Probably.
Ministry is still about the same, and all is well. Actually, I’m sure you’ll all be happy to hear that I finally was able to start that Bible study with Takaki (Taka for short) that I tried to do weeks ago but was held back due to sickness and conflicting schedules. Taka’s a very interesting fellow and I like him a lot. He showed a lot of interest in this study, and told me he specifically wanted to study Romans to which, of course, I made no objections. He told me that he never considered himself a “religious” person, but he ended up studying abroad in Melbourne, Australia where he was exposed to multiple religions such as Islam and Christianity. It was then, he says, that he began to truly acknowledge the existence of a god. Now, he’s on a quest, of sorts, to find out who this god is and if he should be serving this god. We had a great first study, and he asked a lot of excellent questions — I can’t wait until next time.
Interacting with the Japanese in settings like these confirms even further my belief in the doctrine of Total Depravity — We are sinful men, and only God can draw us to Himself in His own good will. You have, literally millions of Japanese, walking around day in day out not giving God a second thought. To most Japanese, work and possessions are paramount. Without them, life is meaningless. Then, all of a sudden, people like Taka and Kei are exposed to the Bible and ravenously want to learn more about God and His Word. Of course, I realize that many times this might be mere curiosity that leads to nothing, but not in every case. Kei, who I study with on Fridays, told me that he went years without thinking about a god, until one day he looked at the world around him and it occurred to him there must be a higher being somewhere. He went searching for this higher power and God used Christians in his area to expose him to the truth. That’s a perfect example of God’s Special Revelation smacking someone clean in the face. It’s an amazing thing, and simultaneously comforting knowing that God makes all the calls — Not us. We are blessed instruments, but we are easily disposable in case of failure. Humbling and scary when I put it that way. We truly must be careful how we represent the name of God — Not so much for the fate of others, but for our own sake that we might not dishonor the God we claim to serve. Keep that in mind today as you interact with others. Stay sharp.
The "Tetsujin" (Iron Man) who stands stories tall, guarding Shin-Nagata.
The beautiful city of Kobe at dusk.
Originally took this picture at an arcade for my gamer friends, but I figure I should show my face once in a while.
Hello again—It’s been a pretty busy, but pretty good past ten days or so. The mad dash for Kathy and I alone to teach every English class at Agape is over. Murray finally returned a couple days ago, so hopefully things will be going back to a more normal pace. Some good crunch time is okay once in a while, but I’m glad to hopefully get back into some sort of groove.
Last weekend, I got the opportunity to travel eight hours north to Karuizawa—A breezy city in the high mountains of Japan, which is a popular hotspot for those in the lower regions to escape from brutal Japanese summers. It’s not really that time of year yet, but TEAM was holding a men’s conference here that I was required to go to—So I went. As beautiful as it was, I spent most of the time in the forest-like retreat area, so forgive my lack of pictures. I did take of videos of the trip, though, so I hope you will enjoy those.
The Karuizawa/Nagano area.
Karuizawa Station
Beautiful footage I got of Osaka on the way back.
An eight hour bus like that is called a “yakoubasu (夜行バス)” — It literally means, “night bus” and travels during sleeping hours. They’re fairly comfortable and cheap, but I wouldn’t expect to get a Holiday Inn-quality sleep on one. It was fairly interesting traveling so far, alone, but my low-level Japanese got me what directions I needed as I hopped trains and transferred lines. I actually paid about $5 to put my luggage up in a locker so I could explore the area, but soon after realized I was at the wrong station. So out came the luggage I had just paid to store, and back through the station I went to pay for another ticket to go one station over. When I finally did get to the right destination, I wasted another $5 because I didn’t follow the instructions on the locker properly and ended up having to pay again. It was stupid and embarrassing on my part, but hey—Live and learn.
The conference I attended was on the subject of “discipleship.” It was less of a preaching/teaching sort of event, and more of a counsel—A sharing of ideas. What are the best discipleship methods? Specifically the ones that “work best” in Japan. Around twenty or so good, Christian men attended, and I was glad to be a part of the group. I found it interesting that the focus of discussion was on methodology. Not that that’s a bad topic—I suppose I just found there to be a disheartening lack of scripture. I feel that perhaps sometimes we get far too caught up in trying to “sell” or “market” Christianity to certain demographics, when in reality, all we can really do is preach the scriptures and pray that God will water the seed. After all: God saves souls—Not us! We were each to give a ten minute speech on our view of discipleship. I actually recorded mine, and you can listen to it by clicking here.
But don’t get me wrong—It was a profitable time, and I got to meet all sorts of missionaries with a heart for Japan—Young and old. I was the youngest and least experienced of the group, even still, so it felt a little overwhelming at times, but everyone was kind and gracious, so I’m thankful for that. As stated previously, I didn’t get to see much of what Karuizawa had to offer, but my first day, while I was waiting for registration, I got to look around an absolutely massive outlet mall near the station. Ladies, mark that place down on your bucket list. Holy man.
After the conference, I had to spend about 12 hours in a city called Nagano, because my bus which left from there didn’t leave till late at night. So, being me, I did some googling and found that there was a large arcade about 45 minutes away by foot. I tried to find a bus to at least near to where I wanted to go, but couldn’t really accomplish that. So I basically said, “Whatever. I’m here for 12 hours,” and walked the distance. It was well worth the trip. Got to play a lot of fantastic Japanese arcade games you’d never see in the States, and I won an adorable “Relakuma (Relaxing Bear)” for Kathy, who loves the character. Fun fact: You can actually win crane games here in Japan. Crazy, huh?
I came back to Kobe and got immediately hit with a whirlwind of activity. The first full day I was back, I went to help teach at an English class taught in extremely large building in the middle of Sannomiya called “Mint Kobe.” The teacher, Mr. Hatakeyama, is an extremely kind, older man who knows Murray and Kathy. He had invited me to do this a few weeks ago, so I gladly accepted. I was asked to speak about my life in America and then foster conversation from it. I had a lot of fun, and I think it was a great opportunity. It was all women I got to speak for, and they were all very enthusiastic and engaging, though sometimes too unconfident! I always enjoy showing pictures of my family too. Whenever I show my mother’s picture, the room always lights up with cries of, “She looks so young!” and “So beautiful!” — One women even said she looked like a “movie star” from “Hollywood.” Well, it’s all true. I love bragging on my mom.
Neglected to take a picture of Mint Kobe. Thanks Google Maps.
I actually helped with two classes—An afternoon and an evening. Mr. Hatakeyama very graciously took me out to lunch after the first. It was for very, very high quality Kobe beef. Let me tell you—They aren’t lying when they say it’s the best. Melt. In. Your. Mouth. It’s unreal, and I hope some of you get the chance to try it someday. Just be warned—You certainly do pay out the nose for quality. Thankfully, I didn’t, because I had an extremely generous host. After the evening class, he suggested we go to a bar. I’m 20—But that’s the earliest legal drinking age in Japan. I told him I’d be glad to go with him, but that I really didn’t have a taste for alcohol. I really would have been fine going, but I suppose he thought he may have offended me (which he didn’t) and took me to a coffee shop instead!
The next day was equally busy, if not more so. In the morning, I went with Kathy to a culture festival at the junior-high all-girls school where she teaches English frequently. Those girls were very talented and did some really, really cool stuff. I don’t have any pictures or videos to show you, so I’m sorry, but I didn’t feel like it would be very kosher of me to start snapping pictures of underage girls, regardless of intentions.
After that, I went to Myodani to do a similar song and dance to Mr. Hatakeyama’s class. Some of you might remember Mrs. Miyoshi, the woman from Agape who I played ping-pong with recently. Her husband heads an English-speaking club in Myodani, and I was asked to do essentially the same sort of thing once again. This group was a bit different—It was a longer time of conversation, and the English level of the group was more advanced, so there was more detail involved in the whole gig—Which certainly wasn’t a bad thing! When I talked about my church back home, one of the men asked me why I choose to be a Christian—Well, now. I’m glad you asked.
So that’s a good recap. I realized I really haven’t talked about my ear in while, and I assure you that’s a good thing. I’ve made a full recovery by God’s grace—The infection has abated and my hearing has returned. Sorry for the late update on that one, but I heartily thank everyone who prayed for me during that time. It certainly wasn't fun!
You can also continue to pray for the people in my own personal circle. I’m still currently doing a Bible study through Ephesians with the young believer and friend, Kei, on Fridays. My friend, Akihiro, has been coming to church almost every Sunday as well. It’s encouraging because he really does seem devoted to seriously learning more about the word. Kathy recently gave him a bilingual Bible as a gift, and during a Bible study at the church this evening I saw notes already scribbled on the pages. Cool stuff. There’s also a new girl our age, Tomoka, who’s recently been coming regularly and participating in this same Bible study. I don’t think I’ve mentioned her before. She sort of came out of nowhere, but it’s certainly been awesome to add another person to the group! I suggested today, at tea, that we should all four of us go to Sannomiya soon, to which everyone wholeheartedly agreed. So, yeah. Things are good at the moment. Thanks for reading. And thanks for the prayers.
Sorry for the long absence! I’ve been busy. You might remember at the end of my last post that I mentioned I was getting to travel and stay with Akihiro’s family for a couple days. That happened, and it was awesome.
We had to take a bus on a three hour trip to Sakaide. Japanese long-distance buses are quite nice! Comfortable seats, plenty of storage space, and a lavatory. We got off the bus in Manae’s town, Takamatsu, and took a train fifteen minutes to near Akihiro’s home in Sakaide. His mother picked us up and brought us back to their home. Akihiro’s mother, Mrs. Tanimoto, was an extremely kind woman, who always had a smile on her face. Their home was absolutely pristine. Sparkling clean, with everything in its place. Didn’t have too long to gawk though, because it was lunch-time. The in-joke of this whole trip was the fact that I have never had Japanese udon before, and Sakaide is famous for the stuff—Akihiro and Manae were intent on getting me some. So we headed out to one of their favorite udon shops in the area. For those of you who don’t know, udon are thick and doughy Japanese noodles served in a delicious broth—Often topped with various other tasty things like peppers, onions, or fish. I definitely found out that day that udon is insanely delicious that day. We had it for lunch all three days I was there—Try some if you ever get the chance!
After lunch, Akihiro, Manae, and I went to a place called Golden Tower. We need these in the states. About $13 per person for essentially all the ping-pong, bowling, billiards, darts, and arcade games you can play—Karaoke is also included. And this place wasn’t a hole in the wall—Check out the view from our humble karaoke room.
Yeah, Manae also made Akihiro and I do one of those photo booths that make your eyes all “pretty.” Results were mildly horrifying. Observe at your own risk.
I returned to Akihiro’s home for my first, real dinner in a Japanese home. It was quite something. Food. So much food. Rice, salad, two kinds of fish, octopus, tofu, beans, slabs of beef, etc. — Some of it wasn’t quite my taste, but most of it was delicious. And the food just kept coming. If something on the table got low, Mrs. Tanimoto was there to put more food on the table. She essentially spent the whole entire meal serving, and didn’t eat until the meal was almost over. It made me feel bad, but I’m told this is simply par for the course here. Mr. Tanimoto, a pediatrician, was present as well and also very kind to me. Their English wasn’t the strongest, but it was enough for me to get across what I needed to say when my limited Japanese abilities failed me. Akihiro and I compliment each other well in that area. Because we each study the other’s native languages fervently, we often help each other out. Akihiro helps me more, though—His language ability is amazing. Still, being at a table surrounded by Japanese people puts you in a great position to speak Japanese, and I really enjoyed having the opportunity. It was also good to be able to tell the family of my Christianity, and explain my missionary work.
The following day, Sunday, our group was made a group of four—An American fellow named Devon, who was a friend of Akihiro’s currently living in Japan, was invited by Akihiro to join us. He claimed to be a Christian, and seemed quite nice, but was also extremely quiet. Didn’t really get a good read on him at all. Not that it matters all that much. We all met Manae once again in Takamatsu and went to her home church. It was a wonderful thing, that I’m glad I was able to experience. The spiritual emptiness of the Japanese is evident every day you step out the door. To see this small church of 30 or so members praising God and preaching the Word in the middle of a spiritual desert was just so encouraging to me. After the service, I got to have udon with the congregation. Everyone was, as expected at this point, extremely kind. The Pastor was a very upbeat fellow, with a genuine personality and a good sense of humor. Talking with Japanese Christians is phenomenal. Being able to experience Japanese kindness and love, and at the same time knowing the person you’re talking to has been pardoned in Christ is indescribable amazing. Spending time with the kind and loving Tanimoto family knowing that their souls have yet to experience Christ can be indescribably suffocating in comparison. Still, Akihiro was with us, and it was great that he got to be exposed to this oasis.
After church, Manae’s mother (a Christian like Manae), drove us to the top of beautiful mountain. The name of the particular mountain escapes me at the time of this writing, but the views were absolutely incredible. Take a look.
That evening, dinner at the Tanimoto home was even more delicious. Yakiniku was the order of the evening—Essentially, Japanese barbecue. A large grill was placed in the middle of the table full of sizzling meat, fish, squid, and vegetables. When the piece of food you wanted was done cooking, you picked that sucker straight off the grill with your chopsticks, dipped it in some soy sauce, and enjoyed. Crazy good. And once again, Mrs. Tanimoto was hard at work. Beef running low? Another package of beef gets cracked open. Japanese hospitality is something I wish everyone could experience at least once. Truly humbling. That day, Akihiro’s 20-year-old brother, Naoyuki, had also returned from university. A shy dude, but very kind. So, Devon, Akihiro, Naoyuki, and I spent the whole rest of the evening playing Smash Brothers. My kind of night, for sure!
On the final day, we got to go see a site where an old Japanese castle had once stood—After that, a large Japanese walking park full of wonderful scenery. There’s not really much I can say about these locations—I’ll show you them instead.
To end the weekend, we returned to Manae’s house for dinner—I can only describe the dinner as essentially Japanese taco night: Roll your own sushi night! I’m not very good at it, but it was certainly fun and tasty. After dinner, Akihiro and I hopped on a bus home. The return trip was good, just as the first, and I even got to talk to Akihiro about some spiritual things—Obviously a great opportunity. I hope everyone who reads the blog is praying for every soul in Japan, but Akihiro is definitely one of the specific individuals you could certainly single out in your prayers if you’d like.
So now, it’s essentially back to the grind. I actually did have a cool opportunity today, though. Mrs. Miyoshi, one of the Christian ladies from Agape, invited me to play ping-pong with her an a non-Christian gentleman named Kiyoshi. Afterwards, we went to Mr. Kiyoshi’s home and joined his wife for tea. It was a wonderful time! Apparently, Mr. Kiyoshi’s wife is a Christian, but he is not. However, he is interested in learning English from me, and also insists that I should homestay with them at some point. I hope God will make me even a bit useful.
That’s all I’ve got for now. Sorry again for the long delay, and hopefully the next one won’t be quite that long. Everyone stay frosty.
It’s been a great past couple of days. On Saturday night, we had an event at Agape called “English Cafe.” It’s an outreach opportunity where people can come eat with us and practice English too. We had a really good turnout, so hopefully we can get even more folks to attend next month.
Sunday was quite a day as well. Since Murray is in America, we had a fellow from the Japanese chapter of “The Gideons” speak to us. He was a very friendly guy, and I think everyone liked him a lot. Something pretty funny happened when he had to leave, though. There’s this very absent-minded older gentleman who comes to the church often—Not just on Sundays. If we leave the church door unlocked, it’s not uncommon for him to come waltzing in, maybe even in the middle of a Bible study or English class, just to hang out. On Sunday, he slipped out early and didn’t have tea with us—We didn’t really think much of it until our guest speaker had to go home. He couldn’t find his shoes anywhere. For those who aren’t familiar with the concept of a “genkan,” Japanese leave their shoes outside the main home in a special room connected to the front door called by this name. Usually, public places like stores and offices don’t have genkan, but a church is different—So no one wears shoes inside the sanctuary. If you haven’t figured it out yet, we eventually surmised it was probably the forgetful old man who had taken the wrong shoes. He lives extremely close, so a very kind lady from our church took a walk to his apartment, returning with our guest speaker’s shoes in hand! It was a bit embarrassing for us, but admittedly quite funny—And the speaker took it with a very friendly sense of humor. All’s well that ends well.
Sunday evening, Kathy took me to an area about 25 minutes away by car called “Tarumi.” After about 2 minutes of being there, it definitely become my favorite place in Japan so far. Those who know me know I love the ocean, and Tarumi’s right on it. A variety of impressive shopping centers and smaller venues line the beautiful seaside, overlooking the breathtaking Akashi Kaikyo Bridge—The longest suspension bridge in the world. Adding to that spectacle alone, the suspension cables glow a variety of bright colors, lighting up the night and the dark sea. Basically, whether day or night, Tarumi is stunning. For dinner, we had okonomiyaki—A sort of Japanese “pancake” made from ingredients such as cabbage, shrimp, octopus, pork, etc — All topped with a special sauce mixed with mayo. It tastes much better than it may initially sound, I promise! After some shopping, we drove a little farther down the road and drank coffee at a Starbucks that overlooks the sea. This certainly won’t be my last visit.
Today, after working at the church for a while, I went with Kathy to do some more looking around Sannomiya—A district which seems to never end when it comes to things to do. Any ladies reading who love to shop best plan to visit this area of Japan before they die—You probably couldn’t cover all this in even a week. One of the first places we stopped was an actual Christian bookstore—It’s literally hidden away on the second floor of a building whose first, initial floor hosts a sports shop. One small room filled to the brim with Japanese Bibles and theology books. As spiritually deprived as Japan is, it’s humbling to know that there are actual Japanese shining small lights even in the middle of a downtown district.
A large crosswalk in Sannomiya.
A few hours ago, I was able to teach a new class of two students. One is a longstanding student with us, a very intelligent high school school boy named Kodai, and the other is a full grown man with a wife and child named Yuuichiro. It’s an interesting duo not just because of the age difference, but also because Kodai’s English far outmatches Yuuichiro’s. It can be difficult trying to adequately factor their different skill levels into the same lesson, but I think it will be a good class when it’s all said and done.
For those who have been wondering, my ear is improving—So thanks for the prayers. Much of my hearing has returned, and the ringing has largely subsided as has the infection itself. The doctor has me on medication meant to drain a large amount of fluid trapped behind my eardrum. The fluid has drained quite a bit, but there’s still a noticeable amount lodged back there that won’t seem to go away. I hope it will drain before Friday. If not, I face the possibility of having my eardrum purposely cut open in order to drain the ear. Not desirable, but I’m also sick of this ordeal at this point—So whatever.
This coming week in Golden Week here in Japan—A national holiday where many Japanese get rare time off. This weekend, I’ll be traveling about an hour south of Kobe to “Sakaide.” Akihiro, my university student friend that you might recognize from our karaoke trip, has invited me to go back home with him for a couple days. Our friend Manae is returning there as well, so I’m sure the three of us will have an awesome time. Manae and I are Christians, but Akihiro is not—So you can pray that Manae and I will be good witnesses. This is a super cool opportunity for me, especially being able to stay with a Japanese family for the first time. I’ve already accepted the fact that I’ll probably make an idiot of myself. Oh well. Often we must fail in order to learn. Thanks for reading.
Hello again. Murray will be in America for the next three weeks, so it's up to Kathy and I to hold down the fort. This is a bit stressful for both of us (more so Kathy) but also very exciting for me especially. I get to teach some classes solo now, without Murray's help, and will probably continue to teach them after his return. In addition, I'll be taking over one his Bible studies with a fellow my age.
So I'll be teaching that Bible study tomorrow morning (4/24) -- I've never really done a one on one Bible study before, but I think that, Lord willing, we will get along. After all, I don't think we can look at the Bible and be left in awkward silence. Just not that kind of book.
So in total there were two English classes I taught alone this week, not counting all the children's classes I assisted Kathy with. The first was with two junior high boys, and the second was with a very successful businessman. The two junior high boys have a pretty low level of English, and of course, I have a low level of Japanese. Sometimes it can be difficult to solidify the ideas I want to get across, but we mostly work out of a textbook, which streamlines things. It's not easy, but doable with a bit of preparation--Plus it's only a 30 minute class.
The second class I actually enjoyed a lot. The gentleman is very high up in his company, but he's not condescending at all--Extremely friendly and conversational. He does lots of international travel for his company, and wants to learn more English because of it. His English is semi-decent. While not super great, it's enough that I can break down complicated English concepts into simpler English words that he does know. And, for when I just need that one Japanese word, my iPhone dictionary usually does the trick.
Which reminds me--I finally got a phone here in Japan. Much needed! Kathy handed me down her practically mint condition (bless her) iPhone 5s, and upgraded to her coveted iPhone 6+. I prefer Android when it comes to phones, but phones (smartphones especially) are tricky business here in Japan--So I'm not passing down a free iPhone 5s for a mere $80 a month. Seven gigs of data and 4G--Plus, iOS has made some improvements since our last rendezvous. The iPhone 5s is snappy little machine to boot so--Yeah. I'm happy. My beloved Moto G will go into hibernation for the time being.
My ear has seen little change. Still the same hearing loss, swollen feeling, and ringing. I go to the doctor's, yet again, tomorrow. Hopefully something will come of it.
Anyway, I stayed up way later than was probably good for me writing this. I need to wake myself up in time to get ready for Bible study tomorrow. In closing, I'll leave you with the congregation of Agape Seishou Kyoukai sitting down for tea after the service--A weekly practice at the church.
Hey guys. Sorry I haven't been as active lately. Actually, there's a reason my activity has been down, and also why there haven't been a lot of posts about ministry. I've actually been sick, but didn't really want to tell anybody until I thought it was a good time.
The cold I had when I first arrived eventually subsided, but it developed into a nasty, nasty ear infection during its course. On the flight here, I experienced severe barotrauma during landing. It was extremely painful, and I think I may have slightly damaged my ear. Best I can figure, while I was sick with my cold, the gunk in my sinuses must have made its way to the damaged part of my ear and infected it.
For a while, I was in some major pain and had some less than pleasant things coming out of my ear. Eventually, my ear drained and most of the pain went away--However, at the time of this writing, my ear is still infected, swollen, and my hearing ability has been affected to a very inconvenient degree.
My experience with the Japanese medical system has been interesting, though not necessarily unpleasant. Japanese medicine is socialized, so it is quite cheap to get medical care and medications here. The detriment, of course, is the lack of personalization. You don't have a personal doctor--You just walk in and see the doc on duty. I've had to go multiple times, so it can be a little frustrating not seeing the same doctor. They take detailed notes that get passed on to future doctors though, so at least there is a sense of progression. I've been on multiple medications the past week or so, and today I was described Prednisone as a more extreme measure to beat this heavy inflammation.
I have received a couple hearing tests, and they have shown that the hearing function in my left ear is currently quite low. The nerves inside my left ear are also being affected, unfortunately. The doctors seem confident that if we can beat the infection soon, my hearing should slowly return. Please pray that I can be rid of the infection, and that the healing process can begin--Permanent damage would be heavily unfortunate, as you can imagine. To me, it basically feels like my ear is swollen shut. I can hear myself inside my head when I talk, and the ear rings. Loudly. All the time. It's very annoying, and makes talking to anyone in a group setting disorienting and frustrating--Especially when they're speaking Japanese.
This has obviously been a rather depressing and discouraging time for me. I am thankful God has brought me this far, and that he has been caring for me even in this sickness. But I just can't help but question--Why bring me this far and allow these problems that have inhibited my ministry and ability to perform? I've been thinking of my mother though all this. Though she's not here in person, her influence reaches across the sea, into Japan. She knows more than anyone what it's like to be struck with illness and not understand exactly why. Pray that I'll be able to exhibit the faith and Christ-likeness she has exhibited over the years through much worse experiences. When I was talking to her this evening, she reminded me of Paul's thorn in the flesh. He did not understand why God placed it there, but trusted Him despite it.
To everyone who's been praying for me--Thanks.
In lieu of a picture set, here's a video I took of Murray and Kathy rehearsing for some of the worship music during Sunday morning. It'll give you a good feel of the music style here at Agape. Please understand that it's difficult for me to get actual pictures/videos of services in progress. As you can imagine, the reason I don't attempt to get them is that it feels disrespectful to be whipping a camera out mid-service.
Welcome back, everyone. Today I got to go watch some sports. Since I’m here in Japan, I wanted to watch something culturally relevant. So what better way to bask myself in the Japanese way than…American football!
Alright so maybe American football isn’t so traditional here, but it’s still interesting to see the Japanese play. Murray’s son, Josiah, goes to a university a little ways from here and they play American football, so we went to a see a game today. The rules are, of course, the same as anywhere, but it’s intriguing to see the small idiosyncrasies noticeable only here in Japan. The most noticeable thing is how low the all-around “energy” is compared to America. Of course crowds gasp and get excited if something unexpected happens, but there’s no constant roar like you’d hear in the States—And you certainly won’t find a rabid fan ripping his shirt off and dancing with his body paint on. Japan likes to maintain a quiet, reserved persona, and it’s even evident at sports events. The most noise was being made by the cheer-squad. Speaking of which—Check out this guy who leads the crowd in cheers. He’s awesome.
In any case, our team slaughtered the opposition. I hear that they’re the best team in their league, so it makes sense.
I got to ride the train system quite a bit today as well, which was beneficial. It’s something I can always learn more about, as it can basically get me anywhere in Japan—For a price of course. It can be a little overwhelming at first trying to read what you need to read and then go where you need to go, but I think I’m getting the hang of it.
Tomorrow’s Sunday, I just remembered. Maybe I can try to give you guys an idea of what our service is like at Agape. In the meantime, pictures.
Football!
The mountains around the field were breathtaking.
This is a popular shopping square in Myodani Station--The closest station to where I live.
Oh--And for those of you praying for the Bible study I was supposed to have today, I really appreciate it. Unfortunately, we had to cancel due to some complications. I assure you that these complications weren't "cop outs" by either party and we hope to reschedule--So I'll keep you all posted on that. Thanks for the prayer.
There's a huge outcry in the United States pertaining to sexism, but Japan has its own problems as I've come to find out. Women are afforded basically the same opportunities here, as men, but sketchy things go on behind the scenes. It's important to remember that Japan embraces a "shame culture," which means that, unlike America, it's less about "standing up for yourself" and more about "making sure not to shame yourself." So, for example, the woman who gets abused by her boss or molested on the train is very unlikely to speak out against it. It's not to say, of course, that such a thing would never happen in the West (it does), but it's fair to say the the social consequences are even more severe here in Japan. You simply just don't make a fuss. It's shameful and unseemly.
The same sort of thing goes for men to a certain degree, but the rules are more lax for them. Men can simply get away with more because of their gender and this unfortunately allows them to take advantage of women quite often. These problems can really even be traced back to childhood. It is common for boys to be disciplined quite lightly and for parents to be more strict with girls. The idea is, "If we spoil a boy now, he will spoil us later in life when he's rich. Right?" Once again, we sort of see the thoughts of the Japanese loop back to work and money.
These unfortunate mindsets don't make marriage any better either. Murray has told me that there are more marriages in Japan based off nothing but money than one would expect. Apparently there is even a saying--"A good husband is healthy and absent." In other words, a good husband is one who is healthy enough to work, and spends all day there making money. Japanese men, as a general rule, spend obscene amounts of time at work, often 6-7 days a week. When the men do happen to be home, they more often than not expect their wives to be there too.
The members of Agape Bible Church are mostly women, and there are many women who would like to come but don't--It has a lot to do with these problems. The church is mostly women because most of them are wives who have the time and opportunity to come on Sunday mornings. There are next to no men because they're either still working on Sunday, or are taking their "well-deserved morning off." Then, there are many women who would like to come but don't because their husbands forbid it, as church is simply robbing them of their wife on the only day they have off. And, as mentioned earlier, the wives don't want to speak up or take a stand--It's all ingrained in the culture.
There are a lot of difficult cultural barriers to overcome here. It's evident why Japan is not the most popular mission field, but its rocky soil is nothing to an Almighty God. We trust in His ability to break down even the most troublesome cultural walls.
On a lighter note, have some pictures.
A very pretty pedestrian area near where I live.
Young children and their mothers watch English class.
One thing about Japan that's really hard to swallow sometimes is the incredible strictness of the school system. Pre-school to early middle school is pretty much the same as the States, but let me tell you--At the end of middle school, it gets real.
Here in America, I'd say that college is pretty important. I mean, it's a good thing if you can go to a well-respected college, but the most important thing is just having some sort of degree. Even then, unless you're going into an incredibly specialized field such as medical, your options are pretty broad.
It's nothing like that here in Japan. Here, college pretty much decides the kind of job you can get. Want a good job? Get into a good college. But it's not as simple as that even. See, to get into a good college you have to get into a good high school. And how do you get into a good high school you ask? Rock those high school entrance exams. So it's pretty fair to say that your whole life starts to be decided during the end middle school. A lot of stress for young kids.
And as you've probably guessed, school in general is no cakewalk either. Even more so than the States. Tonight, I taught one of our Wednesday night English students for the second time. He's beginning the 11th grade, and attends one of the top high schools in the area. He showed us his schedule for the new semester tonight, and it contained about eleven classes total, with seven periods a day. He told us that he pulls at least a couple all-nighters a week just to get his work done. These kids aren't working just so their parents will praise their grades--They're working towards their future. It depends on this stuff to a very high degree.
It's kind of a weird thing to swallow. I mean, yeah, there were times during high school/college where I was busy, but I always had time to pursue my hobbies. An all-nighter before exam day here and there perhaps, but I never felt all that overworked. I've heard it said that many Japanese schoolkids are robbed of their childhood--And that's sad.
It all comes from the work-a-holic culture here. Work is the most important thing of all. Doing good work means you have value. Doing poor work means you don't. It kind of defines you. Just another ugly blemish that makes the gospel all the harder a message to preach.
Hey guys. Still trying to fight off this darn cold, so it's gonna be a short one today. Went to a English class this morning with Murray where we taught three older women. One was a visitor, so hopefully she'll come to future classes.
After that we went to Sannomiya to visit the immigration office. I was able to get all my paperwork in line and I received a Visa of Ministry! This allows me to stay in Japan doing mission work for up to one year. It's an ID of sorts, as well, so it opens up some necessities like being able to buy a phone and such.
You can be in prayer for me and a fellow named "Taka." He was one of the guys I met at the Bible study I attended at the Godwins on Saturday. I've been texting back and forth with him, and we agreed to meet up and try for a Bible study together on Saturday. The Godwins have their Saturday study bi-monthly, so I'd like to study with him every Saturday the Godwins are not. This is my first solo ministry opportunity here in Japan, so please be in prayer for me and Taka.
Today, I'll share some older pictures you've never seen before. These are all of Sannomiya. Definitely my favorite place in Japan so far.
Sorry about the delay in writing a blog yesterday. To make up for it, you get to hear about two days! Yay!
But before we begin I feel like I should correct some false information. In my previous blog I mentioned the fellow I met and was able to do Bible study and gaming with—Kei. I said that he was not a believer, but that was incorrect. He is indeed a believer, but don’t cross him off your prayer list yet. Of course we always pray for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, but Kei has a particular problem pertaining to church attendance. He says he wants to come to church, but since his mother’s only day off from work in Sunday, she expects him to be home with her the whole day. He’s very nervous about defying his mother’s wishes, so please pray for wisdom and guidance for him so he can fellowship with his church family as well as his immediate family.
Carrying on, the day before last I had the opportunity to go to lunch with Murray and a fellow my age named Akihiro. He is a seeker who is very interested in the things of the Bible. Murray is hoping I can connect with him, and I think that’s already happened. We both share a great love for music, so I’m hoping that through things Bible studies, karaoke, and just general meet-ups we can have a great friendship.
Akihiro and I both attended a Bible study at another missionary couple’s home—The Godwins. They live in downtown Kobe, called Sannomiya (三宮), and they are preparing to end their ministry here in Japan soon. They’re training Japanese Christians to take over the Bible studies that they’ve been hosting because of this. I had the privilege to attend one such Bible study and it was simply fantastic. These studies are done in English, mostly, so that the attendees can study the Bible and English at the same time. I think that sometimes, when you encounter someone who cannot speak your language well, your brain tends to subconsciously register that person as perhaps being less intelligent somehow. Well, that’s obviously not true, and it was even more evident being able to study with these Japanese. Some were Christians, others not, but they all genuinely sought to understand the Word better and asked amazingly interesting questions. We were studying Proverbs 9, and so much interest was shown about “Wisdom.” They all wanted to learn more about wisdom, what it really was, and how they themselves could attain it. It's awesome.
After the Bible study, I went with Akihiro to a karaoke parlor. Karaoke is sort of a known concept in the States, but nothing like in Japan. Here, there are whole buildings dedicated to a past-time usually reserved by Americans for Friday nights at the bar. You pay a very reasonable fee (about $6 for an hour and a half) and that lands you all the non-alcoholic you can stomach and a room solely dedicated to your group. You find your room number (much like finding a hotel room), walk in, close the door, use a touch screen to start picking songs, and boom—Karaoke. They actually have a pretty decent selection of Western songs, so if you’re not confident in your Japanese reading skills, they have you covered. It really is a blast, and not as embarrassing as one might thing. You just let loose and sing. No one cares if you’re good or not. I’ll definitely be back many times, guaranteed.
Akihiro about to exit karaoke with me. We were out of time so sorry for the rushed picture.
Of course, I had to use the train system to get to Sannomiya and back. I had Akihiro helping me with both trips, but I feel like it won’t be long before I can start using the system confidently myself.
Today in particular was Sunday, so I was able to attend a worship service here in Japan for the first time. Murray didn’t preach as long today, since he wanted me to share my testimony. but other than that it was a pretty normal service for them. It’s certainly different from what I’m used to back home—The music especially is much more contemporary than what I'm familiar with, with drums, guitar, and piano—But it doesn’t really bother me. Many churches that used the modern worship style feel fake or phoned in—Agape’s worship feels genuine, and I think that’s the important thing. Singing praise songs in Japanese, I can handle, but I still need to work on understand sermons in Japanese—That might take longer than I have!
After church, there was another irregularity in that we threw an Easter party for the children. Last week’s weather was very poor, so it was postponed until now. Kids were able to find easter eggs with candy, dye hard-boiled eggs, and then hear Murray speak about Christ’s death and resurrection. It was a blast helping out, and awesome to see little kids getting exposed to a gospel many in Japan haven’t heard.
I feel like I should write more, but unfortunately I’ve fallen ill with some body aches and a scratchy throat. This sort of thing is common in international travel, so it’s nothing to worry about. You can just pray that it doesn’t affect me too heavily as to impair my work. I’m going to go try and and sleep it off. In the meantime, have some pictures.
Looking down Sannomiya.
Bible study at the Godwins. Akihiro is in green, on the right of me.
