Only in Japan

Here's a photo of something you're likely to only find in Japan (okay, perhaps also in another East Asian country). What do you suppose it could be? Hint: it was taken at the doorway of our mission's recent 60th Anniversary where several hundred attended. Look closely before clicking to enlarge. If you still can't figure it out, post a comment.

"Mission Impossible" Meeting

Tonight was a great church planting meeting with fellow national pastors. Seven churches in our area have a vision for starting another church. As it is never too early to think about our next church planting work, I also participated. I was encouraged to hear honest fears overwhelmed by strong faith that "God can do this thing through us if we trust Him." There are many who are overwhelmed by the challenge of church planting in Japan. It is a hard country to work in as the harvest is slow to come. But God can do exceedingly more than we ever anticipate if we will but give those challenges to him. "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." Mark 10:27

Guess Who Came to Church on Sunday?

We celebrated our 60th anniversary as a mission this past weekend! The first church planted by our mission (then CBFMS) was in Jumonji, Japan in 1947, shortly after WWII. Since then 85 churches have been started across northern Japan, the Tokyo area, and Kyushu totaling about 3500 believers.

As part of the 60th anniversary celebration, Hans Finzel, president of of our mission, WorldVenture, came to Japan and spoke at several gatherings, including our humble church plant, Denen Grace Chapel. We were privileged to have Hans and his son, Jeremy, spend the day with us. Hans shared a message with us from Luke 5:1-11 and spoke on the "long chain of partnership" (the many missionaries to Japan from our mission since 1947) that has served as a foundation for the harvest work we are part of here. As a living example of this chain of partnership, Betty Duncan (seated next to Hans in photo), who served for many years as a WorldVenture missionary in the Fukushima area, also joined our service along with her son. Our people were thrilled to interact with both Hans and Betty. We really do have a great heritage as a mission here. Kaori and I are honored to be a part of this chain of partnership.

Hey Youth! Let's Go Camping!

We've just finished our 3-day Youth camp at Lake Yamanako. We had 4 college kids attend...and one big kid (yours truly). The first day I had some serious doubts as to how this experience was going to work out. You see, a major typhoon had its sights right on Tokyo. We drove the 100kilometers or so to the campground in what would have to be the worst weather conditions I have driven in. Sheets of rain and powerful winds nearly swept our vehicle off the road at points. I was tempted to complain to the person in charge for choosing to go anyway, but then I remembered that was me.

We arrived safely, made something to eat, had our meeting, and retired to bed to listen to the rain pound on the walls of our cabins all night. It was quite a weather experience. But the next two days were the complete opposite. After the typhoon did its worst, God showed his best. The sun and clear blue skies along with cool fall-like weather were the perfect backdrop for outdoor activities, like cycling in this picture (Mt. Fuji in the background).

Two kids (half of our group) were not believers. It was a great time for them to take some steps toward God. We had a great set of meetings and wonderful outdoor activities. Thank you, Lord, for taking care of our group! Today was Sunday and I was pretty wiped out already, but sanctuary setup, Sunday School, Worship Service, lunch, and Gospel Music Workshop people needed our full engagement. It is a good fatigue that I am feeling.

"I Choose Jesus"

Today Mrs. N. accepted Christ in our dining room. PTL! After I explained the Gospel message to her again (she had come to our home in August as well), she said she was ready to make a decision. With misty eyes she repeated the sinner's prayer after me. Kaori sitting next to me also shed a few tears...of joy. It has been a long journey for her in her life to come to this point. I will share a little more of this story in a later post. Tomorrow is our Youth Camp (in the middle of a typhoon it seems). I still have quite a bit of preparation for that and Sunday, so I will write more later.

Bicycles: the Family Car

Today Justen got a much needed new bicycle. Call it a belated birthday present. See the smile on his face? (Click the photo to enlarge)

I was reminded of how big a role the bicycle plays in Japan's "mass transit" system. In urban Japan where having a place to park a real car would be a luxury for most, the bicycle is not unlike the family car. It hauls groceries, little kids, pets, you name it! I have grown accustomed to seeing the mother taking her kids to school or preschool by bicycle with the baby seated strapped in front of her behind the handlebars, and an older child strapped in back of her in a child seat. This "bicycle-for-three" is a common sight.

What happens when it rains? The mother shelters the baby and herself with an unbrella in one hand, while steering with the other. The child in back holds his own umbrella. Add a few sacks of groceries to this situation--one in the basket in front of the baby, the other in the lap of the child behind--and the bicycle begins to look like part of a travelling caravan. Still, this is not an uncommon sight. But the other day I saw one that surprised even me: on a rainy day a mother and two children each with their own umbrella were mounted on a bicycle with groceries in their laps. Okay so far. But wait! With one hand steering the bike and the other holding an umbrella, the mother was talking on a cell phone cradled under her chin! Remember this is drippy, wet pavement weather! And there are pedestrians, cars, and scooters to contend with as well! Don't believe me? Oh how I wish I had my camera with to show you what it looked like!