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.
