Step Into Japan With Us!

Where to run?

2012-01-14T21:38:00.000+09:00

Once again, the hi-tech earthquake warning system that rings every cell phone in Japan was just a bit trigger happy. While riding aboard a Yokohama-bound train this past Wednesday, Kaori and I both jumped a bit when hundreds of cell phones around us began wailing simultaneously. This is the "RUN! You-have-a-matter-of-seconds-to-take-cover!" warning sound that is supposedly meant to be of help. To be honest, I'm not sure where I might run or how well I could really take cover in that amount of time.

Once again, the person making the decision to push thebutton was just a bit overeager in his analysis of the computer data. Yet who could blame his "Better to err on the side of safety" way of thinking? So as, once again, alarms went off, passengers aboard the train looked about nervously and tightened their grip on things around them. (And yet the train did not slow down. Did the conductor know of the warning?) After a long minute of nothing happening, conversations, dozing, and book reading resumed.

Meanwhile a fairly large earthquake on New Years Day had no early warning at all. Early warnings without the real thing. The real thing without an early warning. All this tells me that technology for earthquake prediction still has a long way to go. And it tells me that the only place of true safety is in the arms of God, a good place to RUN!

"I've already run for dear life straight to the arms of God." Psalm 11:1 Message

No Room?

2011-12-28T22:51:00.002+09:00

Here is one more story from the tsunami. This was passed along to me by missionary colleague, John Houlette, who helped clean the Matsukawa home of mold to prepare it for interior rebuilding.

When the 311 earthquake struck, residents in a bay area city of Ishinomaki had precious few minutes to prepare for the tsunami that rushed ashore soon after. Mrs. Matsukawa managed to get herself and her elderly mother up to the second floor of their house before the wave arrived. From their bedroom window they watched the water wash large parts of their town away. People floated past their home. Many of them were soon overcome by the freezing temperature of the early March water. One elderly couple floated near enough for them to reach. The couple had been swimming hard and were completely exhausted. Mrs. Matsukawa called out encouragement, “Hang in there. It’s gonna be okay.” Then, with a small bit of makeshift rope (and no small bit of effort) she managed to pull the couple into her upstairs bedroom. The wife, however, had ingested too much debris-filled water and died on the floor. For five days the Matsukawas and this elderly man slept together in their upstairs room with the dead wife’s body. There was nowhere for them to escape to and no one had come to help.

Mrs. Matsukawa rescued others during those five days as well. Once, in the middle of the night, Mrs. Matsukawa heard a pounding on her window. She laughs now that her response to this knocking was to call out in a sweet voice, “Yes? Who is it, please?” A young mother in the neighborhood had paddled up to her window on a tree limb. When the tsunami struck, this young mother had a 4-year-old son in her hand and an infant strapped to her back. Both children were swept away. She alone was left clinging to a tree in a neighborhood yard. She pleaded for help to the family watching from the home. The family ignored her pleas and shut their windows. Mrs. Matsukawa, however, took this woman in. She piled layer after layer of clothing on the woman’s shivering body to warm her up. She shared the bit of chocolate snack she had left. She made room in her home, and in her already turbulent life, until help arrived days later.

Making Room
When I heard the story of Mrs. Matsukawa taking in a desperate young woman, and another neighbor rejecting the woman, I was reminded of the Christmas story. God was acting out of self-sacrifice and love; man was responding out of self-preservation and rejection. Although not a Christian, Mrs. Matsukawa certainly acted in a Christ-like way. Her neighbor, however, acted more like the innkeepers of Bethlehem. And lest we be too hard on the innkeeper, let’s remember that we, too, have more than once failed to give Jesus his rightful space in our lives. We, too, have unintentionally sent him to “the stable” of our lives on many occasions.

Although this world and I fail at times to make room for the Son of God, I am thankful that my Savior made room for me: leaving the joys of heaven for the pains of earth, bringing me into relationship with the Father, preparing for me an eternal dwelling.

Our Savior still seeks room in the hearts of people. And the challenge of making room for Christ in my Bethlehem Inn-like heart is certainly reflected by how I make room for his people. None of those of whom God brings into my life will likely ever come paddling up to my window on a tree limb, but many are equally desperate. Although not a Christian, Mrs. Matsukawa certainly responded to the need around her in a Christ-like way. Her response challenges my heart. How about you?

The Humbled Tsunami

2011-12-02T16:08:00.000+09:00

When the tsunami warning sirens went off, residents in a south Sendai neighborhood fled to the local school. Together with panicked children still in class they climbed to the rooftop. Some 600 altogether watched as the great tsunami of 311 surged ashore and crushed everything in its path, including a church several hundred feet away between themselves and the shoreline. The raging wave came to the very brink of the school roof, but rose no further. Aerial footage that day showed the group of traumatized survivors huddled together and completely surrounded by water. The tsunami had wiped out everything else. (See Google map of location)

The school roof had saved them. Or had it? Some residents had a different story: “When the tsunami came near that church, it fell to the ground. That was how Nakano Elementary school was saved. If the tsunami had flooded in as it was, all 600 people would have been swept away.” The Seaside Bible Chapel took the worst of the blow, shielding the school just enough from the full force of the water. The school roof refugees were spared. A resident commented: “God sacrificed His own temple to save the children.”

God sacrificing his own to save many. The story has a familiar gospel ring to it. Hasn’t God done the same for us, his children? He’s held back the full punishment headed our way and let it crush down instead upon His beloved Son. That's real salvation!

What’s more, He now humbles personal tsunamis in our lives daily. Most of the schooltop survivors probably overlooked a destroyed church as God’s way of holding back the full force of the waters so it would not overcome them. How easy it is for us, though, to miss God’s work. The storm obeys him. Waters are permitted only so far in our lives and no further: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they will not flow over you.” Isa 43:2

The end? No, God still has good things for the seaside church. The cross was found among wreckage and placed atop a beam (photo above). There it speaks powerfully to the many people that pass by. In the last 8 months the church has seen more visitors coming to pray in that location than in all its years of existence. The church itself, the members, are meeting in a coffee house. The video clip here tells a little about the effective outreach God has given them already. God has his “Easter Sunday” good purposes in every “Good Friday” disaster!

Thanksgiving Chicken

2011-11-21T21:15:00.001+09:00

It's not quite Thanksgiving, but our church ladies gathered today to learn a new way of preparing chicken. One of our church members has a large home that can accommodate 20 people in the kitchen at once (and a couple little dogs and American missionary)! Quite remarkable for Japan where most kitchens are smaller than a walk-in closet. And the kitchen always seems spacious compared to the bathroom. Which is a lot more spacious than the driveway (I am now fully qualified to park within centimeters of any fixed object). But I digress...

I marvel at the way that a simple cooking class can gather people together. Several of the ladies are not Christians, but find nothing uncomfortable about gathering for a Christian cook and his salvation testimony, and of course a great meal afterwards.

Now you might be wondering if the Lavermans celebrate Thanksgiving in Japan. The truth is that the holiday has escaped us uncelebrated more than once. Outside of American culture and away from the barrage of media and pushy retailing, we've simply forgotten about it. Besides, it would be tricky to cook even part of a turkey in the tiny fish fryer under the range (Japan's version of an oven). This year, however, we have our sights fixed on a run to Costco. Yes, they have a few of these American warehouse clubs here in Tokyo. And they sell pumpkin pie around the holidays. I might even break out the can of cranberry sauce smuggled from the States. Anyone want to send us onion rings for the bean casserole? Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Merry Halloween?

2011-10-15T18:44:00.002+09:00

It doesn't take long in Japan to discover that many holidays have crossed the ocean. One also soon discovers that the way these holidays are celebrated is very different than one's own experience. Japanese tend to be very eclectic, adopting a variety of styles, tastes and customs from many cultures, but always adapting them to suit their unique tastes. Borrowed holidays are a pretty "mixed up" affair here.

This American foreigner was intrigued to discover that Japanese turned Valentine's day into two separate events in February and March, one for boys and another for girls. Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of Christ. And the Christmas cake, not ham or turkey, is the main eating attraction.

Several years ago Halloween began to become more popular in Japan. While I have mixed feelings about this holiday coming to Japan, it brings a flavor of home to see pumpkins and fall decor in stores. But I have to draw the line at the new greeting this year printed on Halloween goods and decorations everywhere: "Merry Halloween." I hope it is a one-year anomaly coming from some confused supplier somewhere in Asia, but I have the feeling it's going to become a fixed part of the local vocab.

I can see where this mixed up holiday trend is going in Japan. So someday when a Japanese wishes you a "Happy Christmas" in a card with a picture of a Mickey Mouse cake on it, you will know where it started.

Returnees in Kanagawa (RIK)

2011-10-06T16:01:00.000+09:00

Strange, but true, most Japanese become believers while outside their own country. Thousands of Japanese live abroad. Away from their home culture and its obligations and expectations, they are free to consider the faith of their host culture. They reflect on what is missing in their lives. They find meaning and purpose in attending a church. And Christ draws them to himself.

The difficulty comes after their stay abroad has ended and they return home to Japan. Often, Japanese "returnees" find it difficult to blend back into church life in Japan. Their experiences are not completely understood. The renewed pressures of reverse culture shock, family and work expectations, overwhelm their new faith. Many will fade away from church involvement. What a great loss to God's Kingdom in Japan! The church in Japan could be many times its 0.3% size if it were to hold the harvest that returns each year.

RIK (Returnees in Kanagawa) is a group of Christian returnees whose desire it is to change the above tragedy. We want to welcome back and strengthen returnees of all ages, and help them connect with a local church. Denen Grace Chapel is closely involved with RIK, with several of its members composing the core or helping in its meetings. We share the burden to care for returnees, as our own church has returnee members at its core.

RIK just had its second gathering event for returnees. Singing and small groups were a great blessing to the 40 returnees in attendance. We plan more such gatherings, in addition to casual recreational activities like BBQs and hiking together. We're not completely sure where God will take this newly-formed group of people, but we expect Him to work among us as we come together all across Kawasaki and Yokohama.

AND, we expect the need for RIK will grow. With the sharp, sustained increase in yen will come come increasing globalization of Japan's workforce. The Japanese diaspora will surely grow in the years to come, and so will the opportunity and need for returnee ministry.

Would you pray that God will use RIK to encourage returnees, regardless of whether they have yet made a decision yet for Christ, so that a great harvest of souls result, and the church in Japan would grow strong?

Can Japanese get their hope Bach?

2011-09-21T21:26:00.005+09:00

Unintended missionary to Japan?

Who would have thought Bach would be involved in 21st century mission work in Japan? I have frequently read with interest of the strong connection between classical music (particularly J.S. Bach) and Japanese interest in Christianity. Japanese have great respect for beauty and culture, so this is no surprise. It seems God uses a variety of unusual evangelists and music genre to guide Japanese to himself. Gospel music, of course, is another boom. Read the following excerpt of a longer article available here:

No other country in the developed world keeps as many palm readers busy. None produces as much pornography; nearly half the worlds smut is made in Japan—and openly consumed in trains and subways. Suicide rates have risen from 23,000 in 1996 to 25,000 in 1997 and 32,000 in 1998. In that year, seventy–four children killed themselves in Tokyo alone, twice as many as in 1997. According to opinion polls, 60 percent of the population admit to being afraid every day. Most fear bringing shame on their families, teachers, or superiors by failing at work or in school.

“What people need in this situation is hope in the Christian sense of the word, but hope is an alien idea here,” says the renowned organist Masaaki Suzuki, founder and conductor of the Bach Collegium Japan. He is the driving force behind the “Bach boom” sweeping Japan during its current period of spiritual impoverishment. “Our language does not even have an appropriate word for hope,” Suzuki says. “We either use ibo, meaning desire, or nozomi, which describes something unattainable.” After every one of the Bach Collegium’s performances Suzuki is crowded on the podium by non–Christian members of the audience who wish to talk to him about topics that are normally taboo in Japanese society—death, for example. “And then they inevitably ask me to explain to them what ‘hope’ means to Christians.”

Like Georg Christoph Biller, Leipzig’s current Thomaskantor and Bach’s sixteenth successor in that position, Suzuki sees himself as a missionary. “I am spreading Bach’s message, which is a biblical one,” he said, echoing the Swedish theologian and Lutheran archbishop Nathan Söderblom (1866–1931), who called Bach’s music “the fifth Gospel.” A member of the Reformed Church, Suzuki makes sure his musicians, mostly non–Christians, get that point. During rehearsals he teaches them Scripture. “It is impossible to say how many of my performers and listeners will ultimately become Christians,” Suzuki said. He believes, however, that Bach has already converted tens of thousands of Japanese to the Christian faith.

Kevin and the Tomato Stalk

2011-08-26T15:09:00.002+09:00

Not good gardening techniques.

Some of you with a green thumb will probably have a laugh at this. I know I'm not growing these things right. It seemed like a good idea at the beginning of summer to use the tiny bit of ground we have to put in a few tomato plants. They grew wildly beyond my expectations. Mostly leaf and little fruit...at least right now. I've tried to contain their wild ambitions with wire stakes. Are they supposed to get this tall and leafy? Some of you that know better might give me a pointer or two.

Relief Work in Miyako-Taro

2011-08-10T12:50:00.005+09:00

Taro is a mid-sized fishing community along the hard-to-evangelize coastal area of northern Japan. Twice in Taro's past (1896 and 1933) the town experienced major tsunamis that destroyed much. Small seawalls were built. Then in the 1960's Taro came up with a final solution: a 40-foot high super seawall built at the cost of billions of yen. The town felt secure and took great pride in this human testament to engineering. People felt so secure that they built their new houses right up along the outskirts of the wall. Then came 311. The tsunami completely demolished an older, smaller seawall and easily crested the super seawall. This time the loss of life was great. In the video I've posted here you will see row upon row of unclaimed photo albums in the gymnasium of a town hall. These lives are lost or changed forever.

The "Jesus People" in Taro
Six of us from our church plant in Kawasaki drove to Taro. There is no church here, nor any church in most of these fishing towns along the coast. But a church in Morioka (see video of Pastor Kondo), 70 miles inland, is helping coordinate Christian relief and witness in these devastated towns. The suicide rate there has escalated dramatically post 311. So our focus was heart care: talking with residents, delivering food items, offering to pray, doing light cleaning, asking about their needs, and playing with children.

The people who survived the tsunami were amazingly open, breaking cultural norms to open their home, welcome us in, talk and receive the food items we brought. They were also very near to tears and struggling with survivor's guilt. Many of their friends and neighbors were washed away. They only survived because their homes were built higher up on the mountain side, or they were out of town at the time.

After nearly four months of Christian relief activity, there are early signs of God's work in Taro's healing. There has been no high-pressure evangelism, just steady care and intentional serving of local residents. Many are taking interest in the motivation for these volunteers. Some eagerly take Bibles and Christian literature put out at a outdoor cafe a volunteer team has set up. Others have begun calling these Christian volunteers "Kirisutosha" or "the Jesus people," a term of admiration that rings of what Antioch called early believers they couldn't make sense of.

Would you pray for the energy and strength of Christian volunteers entering towns along the coast just like Taro. The opportunities and needs are great, the resources so few. Pray for wisdom to stretch what God has given.

Would you pray that the people would turn away from manmade security, toward the security of the Everlasting Arms, and receive forgiveness in Christ. Now is the time for a great revival in coastal Japan!

Foreigner, but Odor-free

2011-08-04T20:52:00.005+09:00

Have any of you made any embarrassing mistakes recently? Anyone? I just want to know if I am writing to my equals. This week's mistake will probably earn some kind of recognition in the Hall of Shame.

This past week, on a rainy day, I drove Kaori to her violin lesson. On the way home I had a little adventure. I found this can of car deodorizer a while ago. It’s been in our van since we bought it 8 years ago. It was taking up space so I decided to just use it. I read the directions. After mixing the chemicals, you needed to leave it for 10 minutes with the fan on high. I figured the 10 minute car ride home was just the right amount of time. So I mixed the chemicals and put it on the van floor.

Two minutes later it started to smoke a little. And then a lot. And then billows of smoke. I sure didn’t expect that part. I’m sure there was a warning in the directions, but, as usual, I didn’t read them carefully. In my defense they were in Japanese.

So, here I am driving in the van, the rain is coming down hard outside. And inside nauseous smoke is filling the van. My eyes start watering. I open the windows, but now the smoke is blowing past my head in great choking white spirals.

It was a long 8 minutes home. I’m sure people seeing this foreigner in a smoking van wondered what in the world was going on. It’s not the first time they’ve wondered about me. I’m (in)famous in the neighborhood, but at least I am defumagated now.

Tsunami Stones

2011-07-22T15:30:00.002+09:00

His family perished in the water along with hundreds of others. His beloved town was destroyed beyond recognition. His family home and grave markers were washed away. First the earthquake. Then the waves of water that crushed everything in their path. There was little warning of the tragedy that came ashore that day.

In the midst of his grief, the man desires that generations to come not endure the pain and sorrow that he is going through. They must be warned of the danger of tsunamis! They must not build homes along the shoreline! The man devises a warning system: a marker stone. The year is 1896. The Meiji-Sanriku tsunami has just killed 22,066 Japanese.

Hundreds of these stones are found along the coastline of Japan. Some are more than 600 years old. "High dwellings are the peace and harmony of our descendants,” one reads. "Remember the calamity of the great tsunamis," another stone warns. "Do not build any homes below this point,” an inscription on another stone advises. 

In the bustle of modern Japan, many disregarded such good advice, building communities right along water's edge. Perhaps they took comfort in the sea walls built in the 1960's after a smaller tsunami. But in the town of Aneyoshi, a centuries-old stone saved the day. It was advice that a dozen or so households of Aneyoshi listened to carefully, and on March 11, 2011 their homes and lives were spared from a disaster that flattened low-lying towns all around.

A God that loves us infinitely and knows us completely desires that we be spared from personal disaster in this life. He desires that we be spared not from physical death, but from spiritual, emotional and relational death that poor choices and rejection of His ways can bring. His warnings are left for all generations to know and heed. The warnings in His Word are not raging outbursts from an angry God. His warnings are gracious love calls that say, "I am for you. I want you to enjoy everything I have to give you. Listen to my wisdom for your life."

"Today I am giving you a choice between prosperity and disaster, between life and death...Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live." Deut. 30:15, 19 NLT

Uncool Hero

2011-07-13T23:00:00.004+09:00

Another sign of the times in Japan: a new superhero has been born. With the Fukushima nuclear power plant down (melted down), and the mecury up, Japan is scrambling to find the extra energy it needs to avoid summer blackouts. Everyone is being urged to turn off or turn down unneeded electric.

Only in Japan would you find a superhero to champion the cause. Right out of the PR office of Tokyo's Power Company just in time for the peak summer heat comes: Energy Savings Man. He may look cool, but the advice he gives is anti-cool: TURN OFF YOUR A/C (Or, at least adjust the thermostat).

I'd like to say I am Energy Savings Man in our home, but it is Kaori who truly champions the cause. We fight over control of the A/C thermostat...it's going to be a long summer. These days, It turns out that it's COOL to be a little more UNCOOL in Japan.

No Second Opinions?

2011-07-08T12:20:00.004+09:00

I was interested to see this hospital scene. That any doctor's opinion in highly vertical socially structured Japan is even questioned is a sign that, perhaps, things are changing a bit.

The Second Opinion window, however, is obviously not getting much business. After hours? Shut down by the doctor's union? Shut down for lack of inquiries? Japanese patients embarrassed to appear so brazen? Perhaps some combination of all of the above. Some things change more slowly in Japan. Somehow I doubt this will catch on fast.

Symbols of Hope

2011-06-25T13:41:00.011+09:00

As life in the Tokyo area returns to a new kind of "normal," the waves of challenges and sorrows continue in northern Miyagi and Iwate prefectures. It's easy to be so overwhelmed by the destruction and sadness of the area as to miss the symbols of hope...

A solitary pine tree remains standing on a destroyed beachfront. It withstood the tsunami that destroyed everything around it. The tree has been at the center of an intense rescue effort to preserve its life. Saltwater poisoning in the soil threatens to do it in, and so team of specialists dig around the tree, replace soil, and monitor its health. DNA is extracted to replant the area someday with bits of new hope from this symbol of living hope.

Not far away another tree stands. A cross rises up above the site of a destroyed church building. Although once a symbol of death, the cross is a great symbol of life. No effort needs to be made to preserve the cross. Rather the cross offers to preserve the lives of all around from sin that has poisoned the "soil" of this world, and threatens to do us all in. The vision and prayer of Christians from this church is to replant the area with the love of Christ, the DNA of the cross. A sign nearby proclaims: "We believe in the revival of this land! Special hope is found here."

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:3

Brace for Impact?

2011-06-04T12:17:00.003+09:00

As small aftershocks keep coming two and a half months after the major 3/11 quake, Japan's hi-tech Earthquake Early Warning System is getting increasing scrutiny.

The hi-tech system was rolled out to much fanfare just a few years back. It's set up to ring, vibrate and flash the 125 million plus cell phones throughout Japan when an earthquake is imminent. Sounds great. Makes me feel more secure. Technology is infallible, right? The problem is that technology, and this system, still depends on a fallible human link.

The biggest failing of the system was with the 3/11 quake. No early warning from cell phones. Several hours later, long after the tsunami had done its worst, the cell phones spewed out their first warning of the day. No doubt the person asleep at the switch with this one paid for the mistake with his job.

Since then the person in charge of pushing the button to alert all cell phones seems to be overcompensating for the 3/11 early warning boondoggle. The alert sounds. The cell phone vibrates off the table, lights flashing. We scatter away from windows. We open doors that might get jammed. We grab something solid and wait. And then...and then...nothing.

It's not that we're disappointed there wasn't another aftershock, it's just that these "cry wolf" false warnings that rattle us out of bed and our days activities are making it harding to trust the early warning technology at all.

Create technology so we needn't depend on God. Find comfort and security in buttons and gizmos and transistors. This is the natural direction of man, full of himself and his desire to master and rule his world. There's nothing wrong with using God-given wisdom to create technology to better our lives. But when dependence on technology moves us away from dependence on God, a problem emerges in our heart. Japan has long had this unhealthy dependence on technology to the exclusion of God. Its spiritual awakening starts with realizing the limits of man's wisdom and abilities. Pray that this disaster will open Japan's eyes to the need for a dependable source of security, the unshakeable ROCK, our God.

Tsunami Ground Zero

2011-04-07T20:55:00.000+09:00

I still haven't returned from tsunami ground zero. That is to say, although I've been back several days already, the reality of the scene is still with me. The incredible amounts of mud in once beautiful homes, the cars tossed around like toys, the shell-shocked people moving about sadly, the piles and piles of everything imaginable from the lives of so many now gone, the smells of kerosene and decay and sewage, the overwhelming feeling of heaviness...it all comes together in Shiogama. The city (along with Kessenuma, Ofunato, Nattori, and many others) along the coast has was hit straight on by the 40ft. tsunami. It's hard to articulate the sheer size and amount of devastation. Riding through town brought scene after shocking scene of devastation. It hurts my missionary heart to see the extent of sadness and lost hope.

Stateside news has moved on to other topics, but the reality of things here in Japan has just begun. This is a disaster of epic proportion. But even in tragedy there is hope.The cross is being proclaimed. Click this video to see the footage from Tsunami Ground Zero that I've put together. (Churches/Mission Committees: Please download here and use for your church's mission education and vision.)

The most valuable thing?
What's taken away. If you knew that in 25 minutes everything around you would be taken away, what would you do or grab? As the tsunami sirens blared away, families in Tohoku fled to safety with little more than the clothes on their back. And then the monster wave came. Those who hesitated lost their lives. Those who fled lost everything else.

Last week I worked in Shiogama alongside a relief team of 5 missionaries. We were overwhelmed by among the piles and piles of people's once-precious possessions, now broken, muddied trash waiting to be taken away. I was reminded again of the fleeting nature of the things of this world. At one home, we carried out a priceless baby grand piano (photo left) to the curb. I felt truly sorry for the piano teacher in the picture who lost his livelihood and his beloved treasure. At another home at which we scraped out mud, the owner was sorting a ruined collection of home videos and cameras. "Toss it all...toss it all." he repeated. In my feeble attempt to comfort him I said, "This is a sad time. But Shiogama will return. It will come back. I'm praying for you!" The man replied slowly, "Shiogama may come back. But I cannot. I've lost everything. I can't live here again." How great is the loss for those for whom the world is all there is!

What's left behind. The following is from our church association's pastor in Kesennuma. As much as 80% of Kesennuma, a city of 70,000, was destroyed by the tsunami.

Pastor Minegishi was working in his church office when the earthquake struck at 2:46PM. They have many earthquakes in their area, and actually had had one just a few weeks before. At that time, the tsunami warnings sounded, but there was only a small wave. But on 3/11, the jolt was so strong, Pastor Minegishi sensed this time was different. He had worked at a nuclear power plant before and was trained to check the sea right away whenever a quake occurred. So he jumped in his car and rushed to the sea to check whether it was receding or not. Actually he relates he didn’t see a strong recession, but the warning sirens were sounding, and his instincts told him this was the real thing, so he rushed home, picked up his wife and daughter, and headed for higher ground immediately. The roads were still clear, and they could leave the area without any problem. The tsunami hit 40 minutes later. Many people weren’t sure whether there would be a tsunami or not. When they finally realized one was coming, they all tried to make a getaway in their cars. But by then it was too late – the roads got jammed, and they got stuck in the traffic. The tsunami crushed them in its relentless path.

An older lady in Pastor Minegishi’s church shared this story of what happened to her brother. He picked up his daughter with his car, and they headed for his daughter’s child’s kindergarten. They made the fatal mistake of trying to pick up her child instead of escaping themselves and trusting the kindergarten to watch over the children. The schools in Japan are trained to protect the children in their care at the first sign of danger (although there have been some tragic mishaps also). So her child was already being taken to higher ground while they were headed for the kindergarten. Sadly, they got caught in the traffic jam that trapped many. As danger approached, the father ordered the daughter to get out of the car and seek safety in a nearby 3-story concrete building. She did so, but he was still determined to go to the kindergarten. The daughter relates the last words she heard from her father while talking over their cell phones were: "The water's come!" and then he was cut off. The tsunami slammed into the car and swept it away. She has searched in vain for her father and their car, but has not been able to locate either.

Pastor Minegishi returned to his church and home the next day. To his horror, they were both swept completely away, and nothing is left where they once stood. They had built a new church sanctuary and dedicated it just 3 years ago. But they have lost everything. He loves to read and down through the years had collected thousands of books covering many Christian as well as secular topics. But every single book in his library has been washed away. He felt like he has experienced what Job went through when Job lost everything – his home, possessions, business, and even children. Through this experience, Pastor Minegishi has realized that God’s love is the most valuable thing in life, far above all material possessions. He has renewed his dedication to God and wants more than ever to love Him and live for His purpose. He quotes Song of Solomon 8:7 often, "Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away."

Gotta share Jesus
This past Sunday I shared a simple message on Lamentations in light of recent events. In our sharing time afterward, a woman told me excitedly, "I've gotta share Jesus. I've gotta tell my friends that he's coming again. Things in this world are coming to an end someday." Among the confusion as to God's purposes for this kind of evil tragedy, that kind of passion for evangelism is also bubbling to the surface in Christians. That passion in our hearts is also stronger than ever. This is a historic time of opportunity in Japan for missions. I sense that a wave of spiritual awakening in Japan is coming that will be more powerful than any old tsunami. Have you ever thought about coming and sharing Jesus with Japanese? The harvest is ripe and ready! Would you pray and support us as we reach out to these people that need Him?

How to Pray
1) for pastors up north ministering in tragic circumstances, some approaching burnout
2) for stressed out relief workers working daily without electric and water among great sadness
3) for wisdom to organize and utilize resources effectively in the Christian relief effort going on
4) for opportunities to share Christ, and for the response of many to the gospel message
5) for a quick and safe resolution by the Fukushima Fifty to the nuclear power plant crisis
6) most of all, for Japanese to turn their hearts toward God, place their faith in Jesus, and find rest from their heartache in him

How to Give
Please click here if you feel led to give:
1) Regular or one-time support -- through WorldVenture online. We want and need to stay here, and minister to a heartbroken people
2) Our Evangelism Special Project -- all gifts in April will go toward earthquake restoration work and evangelism efforts
3) Japan Earthquake Relief -- general relief fund to aid our WorldVenture churches in the affected area

March 25 - Earthquake (10)

2011-03-27T17:32:00.003+09:00

"The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him." Nahum 1:7

Hope is on the Way
We appreciate the many of you who have expressed your prayer support. We're reading those email, we just can't respond.

These are unusual times in Japan. Even as the nuclear reactors continue to belch mysterious smoke and strong aftershocks rattle us daily, we are trying to make plans and move ahead with things. Our strength is in His promises to us.

There has been a tsunami of tragedy, but there will now be a tsunami of Christian relief and hope flooding the area in the days to come. Our church, and many, many others across the country, are hurriedly working together to gather needed items, and holding prayer vigils for this historic time in Japan. Volunteers are organizing into teams, setting up base camps, sharing resources, and enlisting support. Sleepy Japanese Christians are being awakened anew in their faith.

Next week I will be going into the tsunami area on the coast (near Shiogama) with a few other missionaries to get an idea of needs and begin to help with the cleanup. It will no doubt involve a lot of mud. The area is safely outside the evacuated zone around the nuclear reactors (no worries, mom). I hope to take some needed supplies and equipment up as well. We will be making a church our "base camp" and moving out from there. Without running water, food, bedding and little heat, it will be a rustic camping experience. I hate the idea of any form of camping, but I sense God pushing me out. I simply can't stay put here in "safe" southern Tokyo, while people I care are dealing with this tragedy alone.

How to Help
Let's get real practical. Kids of tsunami families need items replaced to get back to school and "normal" life again: school supplies (pencils, erasers, paper, etc.), gym wear, backpacks, athletic gear, etc. Tsunami families that have not lost their homes need supplies for major cleanup: work gear and work clothing, boots, tools, buckets, towels, etc.

If you would like to give toward that specific need please let us know and we will facilitate that for you.

Remember this special 2-minute appeal for prayer from our church is downloadable here, and now also posted on Facebook here. (FBusers, please share and like).

I know churches/groups want to collect these items, but...
Please let us buy these above items locally as it helps the local economy recover and fits the standards for things that Japanese use.

Alternative collection idea for church/groups/individuals
You really want your church to touch this need directly. You need a project. We get it! Easter is April 24. By that time short-term needs will be met, but despair will still be a daily reality. Wouldn't it be great if families and kids could hear the resurrection hope that Christ brings? Wouldn't it be great if they had Easter craft items and resources sent from Christians in America in the love of Jesus that churches could use for outreach? Items such as Easter basket building material, candy, craft material (particularly with Christian symbols), coloring kits, games and prizes, giveaway items, picture books (Easter story), etc, etc. These are items not available in Japan. I'd love to take such items (combined with a few locally bought items) to the affected areas on your behalf. This is a possible idea for churches/mission committees. Please let us know if you intend on doing this so that we are not inundated.

How to Pray
1) for safety as I travel north next week with a few other missionary volunteers
2) for wisdom to organize and utilize resources effectively in the Christian relief effort going on
3) for opportunities to bring encouragement and Christian witness to those we meet in the tsunami area
4) for physical strength and health, and spiritual and emotional strength and health. We know the scene we will go into will be shocking.
5) for a quick and safe resolution by the Fukushima Fifty to the nuclear power plant crisis
6) most of all, for Japanese to turn their hearts toward God, place their faith in Jesus, and find rest from their heartache in him

March 20 - Earthquake (9)

2011-03-20T17:53:00.001+09:00

Sunday Renewal
What do you preach after an unspeakable tragedy? After the tsunami, Noah and the flood might at first seem to be dicey choice. But Genesis 8, the account after the flood, is a picture of God's healing grace, renewal of the earth, and firm promise. Pastor Kondo has been preaching through Genesis the past few months. As it worked out, this Sunday was scheduled to be on that very passage. Pastor Kondo preached tenderly and powerfully of the promises of God that carry us through the worst of disasters. It was divine timing and a message of great healing for distraught people.

Thank you for praying for our church today. We were able to hold a service at Cozy Hall as usual. There was no power outage.

I've often been frustrated that the rental hall we have is in a triangle between the police station, fire station and hospital. The constant emergency vehicles with sirens blazing can be unnerving during our services, particularly for newcomers. However, it seems that being in this triangle of necessary emergency services has resulted in us being spared from the planned rolling blackouts. Did God know we needed this location to meet at after such a disaster?

Share this Video
The mood was a bit weary and heavy at the beginning of our time together on Sunday morning. But gradually people were encouraged by each other and the time of worship. After the message, the Holy Spirit open floodgates of emotion bottled up in people's hearts. Many tears as we closed our time together, and then prayed together in small groups.

Many of you have a close investment in our work here. I want to show you a bit of that. I took a video of some of our church members to help you remember their greatest need for prayer. As you can see, by the time church was finished, people were back to smiling. Please look at it below.

CHURCHES & MISSION TEAM MEMBERS: Please show this 2 minute video to your church if possible to encourage their prayer support for Japan at this time. View and download video here.

How to Pray
1) for the rescue efforts going on in the hardest hit areas where 30 of our churches are located
2) for that the current nuclear problems would be resolved soon. The wind is changing direction toward Tokyo.
3) for a "lifeline" to be reopened to the north areas allowing transport of essential items and help
4) for many people in the area that STILL have not yet been heard from by friends of ours
5) most of all, for Japanese to turn their hearts toward Him and for opportunities to witness and comfort
6) that the surging yen would weaken, and the dollar strengthen. It has been going the opposite direction for some time.

March 19 - Earthquake (8)

2011-03-19T17:22:00.003+09:00

After the Triple Punch
The 9.0m earthquake and 40ft. tsunami double punch killed thousands (7500 and counting) and left a half million homeless. But then the knockout punch: the nuclear crisis began. The fear that has gripped people has done at least as much damage to the Japanese psyche as the earthquake and tsunami. No, I am not writing this from a fallout shelter. The Lavermans are watching, waiting, praying, planning, but also trying to go about life and ministering to distraught people, albeit in unusual circumstances. The scheduled power outages and lines for many things has made the dark, quiet environs feel a bit like a bad edition of "Survivor Tokyo." (We have a single light on in the house). But Japan is pulling together. Our church people are uniting in prayer. GOD IS AT WORK IN A BIG WAY. Keep praying please! We suffered through Friday (Mar 11), but Sunday is coming for Japan!

On Pastor's story
I want to share with you a testimony from our own Pastor Sato, of Fukushima Daichi Seisho Church. His church is one of the larger (150 members strong. That's big for Japan.) in our association and only 5 miles from the nuclear facility having so many problems. As you might know, the area has been evacuated and is currently a ghost town. Please read it to move you to prayer and praise. Here are his words:

I give thanks for your prayers. On March 15th at 1 in the morning, my wife and I, having joined a truck which was full of relief supplies, stopped at a local store, taking anything we could get our hands on from shelves, buying it all and filling our trunk and back seat area with these supplies we headed north straight for Fukushima. Though on the way we saw sink holes in the road and houses that had partially collapsed we moved smoother than we expected, yet we also heard about another explosion at the nuclear power plant and the leakage of radioactivity and added to that we heard reports of the enlarging of the evacuation area, prohibitions regarding entering the evacuation are and the like, so though perplexed we chose the inland road. It took 10 hours, but finally we arrived safely in Aizu at the refuge shelter (a church) at 11o’clock in the morning. Hallelujah!
About one-third of the 60 church members came from near the nuclear power plant, the radioactivity contamination testing not yet done they then joined us in the afternoon. At that time when we immediately started with a worship service, I began to hear their sobbing voices and I realized just how much each had passed through upon arriving here. In the evening we went to a nearby hot springs and shared the joy of bathing for the first time in five days. We were deeply touched by the kindness of the Aizu Church. One by one, trembling with emotion, I saw them call out and embracing each other saying “You alive!” and the flow of tears fell to flowing again.

And all that to realize, they have just started a Gypsy like wanderings, no longer having a home, and I ask these who left with just the clothes on their backs, “Do you need to launder anything?” and when they answer “We have NOTHING to wash.” I cannot find the words to respond to them. When I ask, I find that some of them have had nothing to drink or eat for 3 days; others had spent those days numb with cold. This drifting lifestyle has just started with the pressing need to secure gasoline and a place to stay. This large family of 60 people trying to live together, and making matters worse this is a nationwide emergency in which it is hard to make decisions, so we have decided to head north preparing to establish ourselves, anticipating a protracted situation. Perhaps as a result of exhaustion, there are those who have received I.V. in the hospitals, both the old and the small children, even as God’s people after the exodus, it looks like we will be traveling in the “wilderness”. Will we ever be able to return to that town? Will it become ruins? Will be able to return in 2 or 3 months? When will we again be able to open our front doors to the church and our homes? All seems to be a drift, in the midst of feeling our way we unite our strength guided by the pillar of fire and cloud, no other option but to wander.

The day before we left, the police gave a special “disaster relief” certification for our car so we were able to get a full tank of gas. Tomorrow the Yonezawa Church will pay a great sacrifice by receiving in their building. We give thanks for their compassion and sympathy, and we can do nothing but kindly accept this means of survival. It is just like living out a scene in a drama, I never thought I would have this kind of experience in my lifetime. O Lord, may you protect this flock that has begun to wander scattered about in various places like the “Remnant” like a people left behind.

Psalms 121 1I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. 3He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

ONE FINAL NOTE: Mr. S, is a member of this church. He is currently leading a project team at the Fukushima nuclear facility, helping to restore the power/pumping needs. God has left a witness from this church in the middle of the disaster.

PRAY!
* Pray that we can hold a worship service tomorrow (Sunday). We are unsure with the power outages.
* Pray for Mr. S's witness at the Fukushima facility
* Pray for the rescue efforts going on in the hardest hit areas where 30 of our churches are
* Pray for wisdom and calm in making contingency plans for our church and mission
* Pray that the surging yen would weaken, and the dollar strengthen. It has been going the opposite direction for some time.

March 18 - Earthquake (7)

2011-03-18T18:03:00.000+09:00

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday." Psalm 91:4~6

We wait anxiously for a resolution to the growing nuclear problem in Fukushima. As foreigners leave in droves from Japan, we wonder what God has for us here. Part of us says to evacuate or flee south, too. But our church and Japanese need the hope God brings now more than ever. We have no intention of being foolishly heroic. We are watching the situation carefully and putting together contingency plans. But we feel safe in His care, covered by His wings both night and day. And there's so much opportunity and work to be done now!

Prayer and Perspective
Today and yesterday we had small group prayer meetings. Many tears, much grief, but also a lot of faith expressed in God. Our baby Christians in the church are really growing up, uniting and comforting each other through this tragedy. It makes this church planter proud to see, but I know it is all the Lord's work in their lives. He is glorifying himself in His church in Japan in a big way right now!

Why the Tohoku?
Can we see God's saving mercy in this tragedy in Tohoku area? There will be much time to reflect more deeply as stories emerge in the coming weeks and months, but let me share just a little perspective that God gave me yesterday.

After WWII, our mission entered Japan and began intense church planting work -- not in heavily populated urban areas, but in the countryside of Japan, Tohoku! Why here and not where the masses were? There the gospel was received readily. Churches were established quickly. We have more than 30 churches in the area devastated by the earthquake and tsunami.

It is no understatement to say that this area (the area of current devastation) has been among the most evangelized by our mission. Just as Nagasaki had the longest relationship with the gospel in Japan (500 years) before the atomic bomb fell, so Tohoku has had the longest spiritual opportunity in postwar Japan. And since then, the church there has really worked hard at evangelizing their areas in the last 60 years. It is even reported that one of the Fukushima Fifty (50 workers left in the Fukushima Nuclear Plant trying to avoid meltdown) is a strong believer and leader in his church. God has definitely left a witness. I believe that part of God's plan with all this was to prepare the Japanese people in that area spiritually for this great tragedy. He sent his workers into that harvest field 60 years go to begin reaping the harvest. As Peter 3:9 says, "He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

Click here to see before and after pictures of the area.

In my next email I will share a testimony from the pastor of the church just 5 miles from the nuclear facility in crisis.
I do not want to SPAM or fill your email boxes, but we are truly desperate for your prayer. This is a historic time in Japan in many ways. Please allow us to email you regularly as we go through this crisis period.

PRAY!
Please keep praying! You can impact Japan from your knees right from your home!
FB users, register your prayer support here. PRAY...

...for the rescue efforts going on in the hardest hit areas. It is now snowing in the area
...for a quick resolution to the growing crisis in three of the nuclear reactors up north
...for shortages, particularly in the north, to be filled quickly
...for many people in the area that have not yet been heard from by friends of ours
...for wisdom and calm in making contingency plans for our church and mission
...for stress levels on our family and mission family

Additional prayer need: the yen is strengthening (dollar falling) in a big way in the middle of this crisis. This may have long-term impact on many things here. Pray that it will recover to its pre-crisis levels (which was already a major crisis for us missionaries).

We pray especially that many Japanese would turn to Christ through this crisis. Our God is eager to save! We are hearing reports of spiritual decisions!

March 17 - Earthquake (6)

2011-03-17T23:46:00.002+09:00

Now what?
That's been the question it seems each day, and sometimes each hour for places north of us. After the quake came landslides, then the tsunami, then the traffic and transportation problems, then blackouts, then the shortages of essentials, then the nuclear crisis, now the snow and freezing temperatures. One Japanese man interviewed on TV today asked, "What did Japan do to be punished like this?

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." Lam 3:21-24

In my next email, I will communicate a bit of perspective I gained today of the Lord's great faithfulness leading up to this great tragedy.

"What are you standing in line for?"
Today we had a special prayer meeting with church members. I reminded them of how prayer for Japan is now a global movement in the church. They are not alone. They have Christ, and they have 2 billion Christian brothers and sisters praying for them. This is an important reminder for Japanese who suffer from a bit of a minority complex (only 0.5% our Christians.)

At the prayer meeting one lady told an interesting story. The shortages (particularly of gas and some basic food items) have created a bit of panic buying. I took the picture at left yesterday. When I say panic buying, for Japanese that means standing in a very orderly but determined way, even hours on end, until items are completely gone. At a particular store there was a long line that twisted down the block. When our church member asked a shopper toward the end of the line, "What are you standing in line for?" The shopper responded, "I don't know! But everyone else is in line." The people in the middle of the line didn't have any idea either. From the front of the line came the answer: toilet tissue. (Let me assure you that we are well stocked with toilet tissue. Please don't send us any -- this means you, too, mom...I know what you're thinking.)

Our pastors in the news
Three of our church association pastors were in California with a fellow missionary visiting churches and gathering ideas when the quake struck. A local news service did a human interest interview on them here. This is not the circumstances they would want to be interviewed under. They have since returned safely to Japan and are ministering to their congregations.

Pray for our church association with nearly 30 churches in the affected area. One of our flagship churches is only 3 miles from the nuclear facility in Fukushima. Click here to see the video interview.

PRAY!
Please keep praying! You can impact Japan from your knees right from your home!
FB users, register your prayer support here. PRAY...

...for the rescue efforts going on in the hardest hit areas. It is now snowing in the area
...for a quick resolution to the growing crisis in three of the nuclear reactors up north
...for shortages, particularly in the north, to be filled quickly
...for many people in the area that have not yet been heard from by friends of ours
...for wisdom and calm in making contingency plans for our church and mission
...for stress levels on our family and mission family

Additional prayer need: the yen is strengthening (dollar falling) in a big way in the middle of this crisis. This may have long-term impact on many things here. Pray that it will recover to its pre-crisis levels (which was already a major crisis for us missionaries).

We pray especially that many Japanese would turn to Christ through this crisis. Our God is eager to save! We are hearing reports of spiritual decisions!

March 16 - Earthquake (5)

2011-03-16T20:33:00.001+09:00

For such a time as this
The events of the past several days, as surreal as they seem, have gradually permeated the atmosphere of everything in Japan. The nonstop tremors, rolling blackouts, emergency alerts and shortages have all created an air of constant emergency that is wearying to body and soul. But we rest in God's goodness and protection. We know that God has a purpose for the events and for us.

Some of you have expressed concern for our safety and asked if we are leaving Japan, particularly with the current nuclear crisis. Thank you for this concern. We are quite safe, and feel secure in God's will to stay put and minister as He allows. There will be much work to do in the coming weeks, months and years, even after the immediate crisis has settled. Troubled times are certainly opportunities to speak into the hearts of Japanese that have been tightly closed. "And who knows (Kevin) but that you have come (to Japan)...for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14

Close Call
One of our church members was shopping with a non-Christian friend at the warehouse club, Costco, here in Machida, Tokyo immediately before the quake struck. She was leaving the building and headed up to the parking, but her friend decided she needed a free refill on her drink for the ride home. Moments later the quake hit. The ramps of the parking garage pancaked on top of each other, trapping cars underneath (photo above at right). This is one of the few structures in Tokyo that received enough damage to make the news. Both were likely spared by the "need" for a refill (the hand of God). he non-Christian friend was pretty frazzled. She has been to our church. She told me in December when I gave an invitation to receive Christ's forgiveness at our Christmas service that she "wanted to put her hand up too." Pray that this close call would urge her to that spiritual decision.

Enough
Some of you have asked what we need. For now, we have enough. We are well supplied! Different areas are struggling with shortages, particularly in the hard-hit Sendai area. Gasoline has been a problem for many. Most stations are closed or have long lines and very tight rations. I had filled up the car several days ago. I grumbled about the gas prices that have steadily crept up above $7/gallon. But now I am thankful to have paid that! Stores have also been selling out of many food items, but we have enough and expect supplies to be restored soon. The rolling power outages throughout Tokyo have not yet affected us. We have running water and gas. The weather is fairly warm. We have all this...and Jesus too!

"We survived the quake & tsunami, but..."
"...but we may not survive the cold and lack of medical care." In stark contrast, there are very serious shortages mounting north of us. Medicine, heating oil, gasoline, food and drinking water, emergency radios, baby items, underclothing, even toilet paper are all in short supply. My personal frustration is to see the desperation of the survivors, and be able to do so little from here.

Tranport service is stopped. Roads are cut off. Nothing gets through. My heartfelt instinct is to grab a shovel and supplies and head north. But I'd soon be a liability myself. There will be time for this type of response with organized teams when the situation stabilizes. The needs in the area will continue for some months (and years) to come.

On top of the disaster and growing humanitarian problems in the north, it is now snowing there and temperatures are below freezing. The gasoline shortage has hampered early relief work. BUT, help is slowly getting into the affected areas. AND a relief effort is being organized by mission organizations here, with the support of many Christian organizations in the States. We expect to be able to tell you more about this in the days ahead. Take a look at one of the planning meetings at left in our mission building here.

PRAY!
We know you are praying. Please don't let up! Double up your prayer time...

...for the rescue efforts going on in the hardest hit areas
...for a quick resolution to the growing crisis in three of the nuclear reactors up north
...for shortages, particularly in the north, to be filled
...for many people in the area that have not yet been heard from by friends of ours
...for Japanese to turn their hearts toward Him

We pray especially that many Japanese would turn to Christ through this crisis. God has purposes.

March 14 - Earthquake (4)

2011-03-14T23:51:00.000+09:00

The Search Continues

Slowly information has been coming in from the Sendai areas. The search continues for nearly 10,000 people still missing or unable to be contacted in the hard-hit areas around Sendai. Whole towns simply disappeared in the tsunami. Many of the missing were likely swept out to sea along with vehicles, houses, and everything else. You need to understand that this is not exactly next door to us. As you can see by the map below, Sendai is quite a distance from Tokyo, nearly 150 miles away.

For Kaori and I, the distance makes the devastation no less easy to bear. Now that reporters have gotten into the area, the information coming out steadily is absolutely heart-wrenching. To see the constant unspeakable images of the Japanese people we love suffering (and understand what they are saying), to know (and have visited) the places where the tragedy occurred, and to be able to do SO little from here is particularly emotionally draining. We feel a sense of powerlessness and grief for the incredible humanitarian need just north to us. Yet, we don't dare turn off the news for long periods of time as there is information we do need to know (and much we wish we didn't).

Our situation
Our situation is far more secure and comfortable than many. We have all basic services. Food and water is also readily available. However, rolling blackouts throughout Tokyo have begun today. Japan has been strictly told to do all it can to conserve electricity (b/c of loss of power plants), and so we're heating and lighting a single room (our prayer "command center"). We are told we'll be without power tomorrow for part of the day. We're eating through our perishables in anticipation for blackouts, but have plenty of nonperishable things to keep us going a long time without shopping.

Today I was out for a bit in the shopping area of our town to get an idea as to the mood of things. People are very polite, but there is a general sense of concern and emergency permeating things. Many of the stores were closed. There were lines for many things. Grocery and convenience stores were very busy. One was virtually stripped bare except for some candy and ice cream. Today at least there obviously is a little bit of panic buying in light of the blackouts. I was happy to see that some cereal (which Japanese generally don't eat) was left. It had my name on it so I happily brought it home.

Aftershocks are continuing, a few more than 6 magnitude. We are told to expect a 7 magnitude in the next few days. We have flashlights,blankets, Bibles, earthquake kits (CHECK BLOG HERE FOR INTERESTING STORY ON THAT) ready at the door if we need to leave in a hurry. But at this point it would be unlikely even with a 7 magnitude quake. We are also too far inland to be easily affected by a tsunami.

The real concern remains with the nuclear power plants along the coast up north. It seems that a meltdown may have been averted, but the situation is still fluid and somewhat sketchy. A worst case scenario might have a radiation leak turning the surrounding area (we have a flagship church right there) into a ghost town, and perhaps affecting areas as far south as us. This is highly unlikely, but the surreal events of the week remind us that nothing is beyond imagination at the moment. It's great to know that God's got us covered regardless.

Keep Praying
We as humans live a weak, frail existence. We depend upon a great God, the only One to cling to when the foundations of this world shake. This week reminded me anew of this. And so we need your prayer.

1) for the rescue efforts going on in the hardest hit areas -- it is expected to snow up there tonight
2) for a "lifeline" to be reopened to the north areas allowing transport of essential items and help
3) for many people in the area that STILL have not yet been heard from by friends of ours
4) for three churches in our church association in the area that STILL have not been heard from
5) Most of all, for Japanese to turn their hearts toward Him and for opportunities to witness and comfort
99% of Japanese are without the hope and eternal life Christ gives. We have prayed and sweated for this country's revival a long time. Could God be allowing an answer in this way?

March 13 - Earthquake (3)

2011-03-13T19:23:00.002+09:00

Still All Shook Up

We are still shaking here in Tokyo. Sometimes it's us. Sometimes it's the ground. The aftershocks keep coming, continuing to unnerve people here. Thank you for praying.

When the quake first occurred we knew it was severe, but had no idea as to the scope of things. I had been sneezing from spring hay fever and joked lightly that my sneezing just now was powerful enough to move the earth. Slowly, however, as information has come in the gravity of the situation has dawned on us and the nation. It is a truly awesome disaster. We would not wish this upon the country that we love, but God has some purposes even at this time. We rest in His arms.

The quake has been revised to a 9.0 magnitude, the largest in Japan and fourth largest in recorded history.
You need to see some of these photos to understand. They are absolutely apocalyptic.
It is important to realize that this is, for the most part, these are more than 150 miles north of us.

What's next
As if the massive quake, tsunami, dam breaks, and landslides didn't cause enough destruction, the nuclear powerplants along the coast are struggling to avoid a meltdown. We are also expecting some acid rain tomorrow from the massive fires at the oil refinery in Chiba.

Due to the power plant disasters, the prime minister of Japan has just come on TV to tell of rolling blackouts from tomorrow (3/14). We are not sure if we will always be able to communicate with you (don't worry mom, we will be fine!).

We have been warned that there is a 70% chance of a quake (aftershock?) of greater than 7 magnitude in the next few days.

Water and gas (and internet) services are all working for us here in our neighborhood. This is not the case for all Tokyo. Many of our colleagues in ministry are roughing it. I was out earlier this afternoon to do some shopping. Although there is a little bit of panic buying (batteries, bread and some other staple items are sold out), for the most part there is plenty of food and water and everyday items. The atmosphere is solemn and quiet, but we also see some people having their hair done and eating out.

Justen's adventure
Justen was at school at the moment of the earthquake. There was some slight damage to the building. Because the train system had come to a halt (large parts of it still are), the teachers tried to return kids by car, but quickly became stuck in the massive traffic jam caused by everyone having the same problem at once for more than 3 hours. Finally, one of the teachers stayed behind in the vehicle while another walked with the children -- a 3hour walk -- back to that teacher's home in Tokyo. There the kids spent a restless night with a few more adventures thrown in. Justen returned back home safely on Saturday. He was worn out in many ways (and so was his mom).

"Yes, Jesus loves me!"
In spite of all this, thirty people and ten kids gathered at our church plant, Denen Grace Chapel, this morning (3/13). I shared a message of hope from Psalm 23. We had a time of singing, prayer and communion. In the middle of communion twenty-some cell phones went off warning us that an aftershock was imminent. It was quite an unexpected special number!

But the heart-warming scene that brought tears to this church planter's eyes was standing toward the back and listening as church members sang "Jesus, Loves Me." (I took a video of this and hope to post it soon.) Many of them were unsaved and unbaptized just a couple years ago. To see the change in their lives -- and now in the face of this devastating reality -- crumbled down the walls that stress had built over the past few days. The emotion welled up within me. It was all I could do to hold it down as I preached.

PRAY!
There is so much more we could share. Please follow us on Twitter or friend us on FB. We'll try to put some things there. Please understand that we are really overwhelmed at the moment in many ways. Above all, PLEASE PRAY

1) for the rescue efforts going on in the hardest hit areas -- there is much loss of life, pray for more survivors
2) for many people in the area that have not yet been heard from by friends of ours
3) for three churches in our church association in the area that have not been heard from
4) for Japanese to turn their hearts toward Him
99% of Japanese are without the hope and eternal life Christ gives. We have prayed and sweated for this country's revival a long time. Could God be allowing an answer in this way?

We will set up an account shortly to receive any gifts you would like to give specifically to these devastated churches/people.

March 12 - Earthquake (2)

2011-03-13T19:20:00.003+09:00

We're still shaking in Tokyo, both from our nerves and the aftershocks. It's been nearly 8 hours since the big quake here.
The phones are finally working again and we have heard from Justen. He is stuck in a monster traffic jam in his teacher's car. Unfortunately for him school is still in session, but he is safe and on his way back home. It may still take several hours.

At 8.9, this was the LARGEST quake in recorded history for Japan. You may have seen some of the incredible footage of the tsunamis (SEE VIDEO) that have swept through Sendai. I am afraid that many people have lost their families, homes or lives. Boats of people have also capsized. It is now night and quite cold here. My heart is heavy with grief for those affected tragically.

Kaori's family (from up north) and here in Tokyo are all safe. We have been in touch with almost all our Denen Grace church plant family and they are also okay. One, however, had a close call when part of the parking garage at the warehouse club, Costco, collapsed nearby her. We are anxiously waiting to hear from churches in our association that are very near the epicenter of the quake.

Millions are without power. Trains are not in operation. Many people are walking on foot back home from Tokyo. It is quite a sight to see.

On a note of sad irony, the multi-million yen hi-tech system that was supposed to ring cell phones throughout Japan to warn of an imminent severe earthquake has just rung our cell phone...several hours too late. Thankfully, other technology is working and we are very thankful for the fiber optic lines that let us communicate with you by email.

Things are still shaking as I write this email. This experience will remain in the Japanese consciousness and memory for some time. Pray that it brings them seek out God and know the Source of true peace.

Pray
...Justen will return safely from school (ANSWERED!)
...that the loss of life will not be great (WAITING MORE NEWS)
...that people will be rescued safely out of the disaster this has caused up north (WAITING & WATCHING)
...that Japanese people will call upon the name of the Lord who will comfort in this tragedy (PRAY HARD!)

March 11 - Earthquake (1)

2011-03-13T19:15:00.002+09:00

Some of you may have heard of the strong earthquake that occurred in Japan today (March 11) about 2:45pm our time. It was by far the strongest that we've had since coming to Japan, lasting several minutes, and chasing ourselves and the neighbors out into the street. The quake was centered in Sendai, more than 100 miles north us. Sendai has had its share of quakes in the last couple weeks.

We are still glued to the news to see what damage and casualties this has caused up north, and among our church association. Tsunamis along the coast have already made quite a mess of things and no doubt taken many lives. We have been watching on live TV as the cameras have shown many cars and vehicles being swept away, and many fires. The hardest hit area is close to one of our church locations, and several others are in the area. A larger tsunami is predicted to come soon.

We ourselves are fine. A few things were knocked to the floor, but that's about it. The phone lines are down, but internet is still up. We are waiting for Justen's return from school in Tokyo. The trains are stopped for now and his return for school will be very delayed.

There have been two strong aftershocks in the last hour (those chased the neighbors outside, too), and a small one while finishing this sentence. We are used to earthquakes in Tokyo. But having everything moving around you is still a VERY unsettling feeling.

The earthquake has just been corrected to be a 8.4 magnitude

Pray
...Justen will return safely from school
...that the loss of life will not be great
...that people will be rescued safely out of the disaster this has caused up north
...that Japanese people will call upon the name of the Lord who will comfort in this tragedy

50-50 Day

2011-02-22T22:26:00.003+09:00

Only a mathematician could determine the exact day, but it's pretty close. It's 50-50 day. Having turned 41 last month, my life can probably be divided in half. The first half...God's preparation in my life for ministry in Japan. The second half...well, mostly made up of ministry in Japan.

It was at the "tender" age of 20 1/2 in the summer of 1990 that I first stepped foot in Japan as a short-term missionary. Getting off the plane to Tokyo, I had little idea as to the crossroads in life I stood at. God was about to change the focus of everything for me. His love for the Japanese people was about to become my own (His love for one in particular--Kaori Fukase--was about to become my own, too).

At 41, my life has been more about Japan, than about anything else short of Him and my family. At 41, my heart aches twice as much as it did at 20 1/2 to see the Japanese return to their Creator. My passion for the revival and harvest in this country is twice as strong. 20 1/2 years...20 1/2 more years from now I will be nearing retirement. "Lord, help me to use the time you have given me to reach many, many Japanese with your Gospel of good news. Use me up for Your glory and name's sake. May I make You famous in this country."

"Nice try, Kevin" file

2011-02-09T13:10:00.004+09:00

This one goes into the "Nice try, Kevin" file. I just thought it was a nice-looking bunch of flowers in the storefront and, on the spur of the moment, decided Kaori deserved to enjoy them. Chrysanthemums, however, are usually seen at Buddhist altars along with incense sticks and food morsels for the dead. It's sort of like giving your beloved a grave marker for their birthday. This was a point that Kaori reminded me of when I presented my well-intended gift.

If I had stopped to think about it long enough, I might have remembered that this variety is more associated with occasions of death, then times of joy. Navigating the cultural symbols correctly often gets me in trouble. After 12 years in Japan, my nice try, Kevin" file is pretty full.

Christmas Ham

2011-01-20T14:18:00.008+09:00

There's a good reason that Jesus chose "birds of the air" over "hamsters" when illustrating quiet dependence in his Sermon on the Mount. Hamsters don't fit the ideal.

Our new pet, our "Christmas ham" is a fun addition to the family. Kaori said, "I need something fuzzy around this house (besides your unshaven face)." Justen said, "I think I need a pet." So, we needed to make this addition to our family. "Chocolat" is fuzzy. Chocolat is cute. But Chocolat is hardly a picture of tranquility.

Chocolat stuffs every possible item in her food bowl into her cheek pouches (until her face is ridiculously huge), then hoards them in her hamster bed.

Chocolat squirms and squeezes through any attempt to gently hold her in the palm of your hand. The safety and comfort of a warm hand is no match for what adventure might be out there.

Chocolat reminds me of myself a bit. Safe in my Lord's hand, yet unable to rest. Foraging instead of trusting. "Chocolat, stop moving about so much. I'll take care of you. Do you think I can't or won't care for your little needs?" Gulp. I hear the whisper of my Father God to me behind my words to my hamster.

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32

Christmas rescue

2010-12-23T12:58:00.005+09:00

Overheard this past week in the Laverman house:

Kevin: "Kaori, look at this great labelmaker I picked up for free."

Kaori: "Where'd you get it?"

Kevin: "It was just laying out on the garbage pile."

Kaori: "Garbage pile?!"

Kevin: "Someone just threw it away. I cleaned it up, put in fresh batteries, and it works fine! It even has a label cartridge in it. I wanted one like this."

Kaori: "You picked it up? In Japan, that's called STEALING."

Kevin: "From the garbage pile? To me that's called RESCUING!"

It's amazing the things that one finds disposed of in Japan. Japan's ultra-consumerism generates a lot of recyclable "garbage." Is something a little dirty, a little broken? Out to the garbage it goes! Japanese by in large don't have a repair-and-reuse mentality. A little cleaning, a little fix here or there, and a lot of money can be saved by the handy finder (it turns out I may have been "stealing").

I was broken and dirtied by sin. God had every right to throw me out onto the garbage pile. I am so glad that He chose to send his Son into this world to search, find, cleanup and re-use me. That was the ultimate RESCUE! (And I suppose in a way it was stealing...from Satan).

At Christmastime, thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming down into the garbage pile of this world to reclaim me for your own!

Small Thinking

2010-12-08T22:09:00.006+09:00

We're back in Japan. Which explains why I keep bumping into things. After 6 weeks of being conditioned to the wide open spaces of life in America, we are back to working with the inches of urban Tokyo. My mind hasn't totally re-calibrated itself to the new spatial realities of this environment. I keep bumping into things...again...and again. Thankfully no damage has been done to people or vehicles. But heads, fingers, toes, and knees have gotten a little sore.

When we first arrived in the States in October, I suffered through the opposite syndrome. What to do with all this extra space! I could sit wide, or with legs outstretched. I could wander around large rooms and hear my echo. I could get out on either side of the car. I could always find parking. I could buy large size versions of things and find places to put them away. I COULD THINK BIG! Now I must relearn to think small. Small spaces. Turn, move, sit, park, walk about in a tight axis of centimeters.This will take a few days yet to get used to.

Perhaps the shortcut to relearning Japan spatial limitations is a trip to "Don Quixote," the big discount seller here in Japan. The store is crammed with stuff (and extremely noisy). Things are stacked precariously from floor to ceiling with only tiny aisles in between. It resembles the scene from a Dr. Seuss story. If it wasn't for my tightwad missionary nature, I wouldn't step foot in this place. As it worked out, my visit to the store today created a little extra work for the cleanup crew. I may be over jet lag, but spatial distance lag will take a few days more. And so, at least in Japan, it seems that thinking small is at least as important as thinking big.

All this, but no octopus ice cream

2010-10-29T08:37:00.004+09:00

It hits me every time we return home. This time was not unique. Call it part of required re-entry shock. Coming back for 6 weeks of home assignment travel is landing in the land of a million choices.

The day after we arrived here in New Jersey, we needed to stock the refrigerator with some essentials for living. So, off to the supermarket. What's the big deal? The big deal is that EVERYTHING is BIG. And there are a million of them. You name it, the supermarkets here have a million different ones to choose from. But you knew that already. And I thought I did too.

I knew it was going to be tough going. I grabbed a cart, gripped the handle, and steeled myself to focus on the immediate the task. It was no use. The bakery section emitted a siren's cry to my long pie-deprived stomach. Turning the corner, I nearly wept at the selection of cereals. A whole aisle. Incredible! And the boxes could last for days. Steering hurriedly into the next aisle, I hunted for garbage bags. Again, the variety and selection nearly overwhelmed me. JUST GARBAGE BAGS! It took every bit of jet-lagged resolve I had left to not leave the aisle without something. But the ice cream finally did me in. Just a box of vanilla ice cream. A simple thing, or so I thought. There were 17 coolers of ice cream of every size, shape, variety and flavor known to man.

Aaahh...but Japan has one up on the States in this are. My local supermarket in Japan has octopus ice cream. Yes, it's true. Click the photo as proof. It would take a whole post to explain this.

Still, I am again left speechless by the land of many choices and large sizes: my country. It's just that after being gone for a while it all seems so incredible again.

Undokai

2010-10-11T18:31:00.008+09:00

Welcome to fall in Japan. A season for school undokai, that is, athletic competitions.

When I was invited to the undokai for the child of a church member, I anticipated something of a smallish scale. My experience with undokais had been 50~60 people or so gathered in a park to watch and cheer on their kids as they run relays, jump hoops, pull tug-a-war ropes, and so on. Imagine my surprise when the undokai I had been invited to involved 3000 adults and some 300 kids.

With this many involved, it's pretty hard to include everyone without injury. Yet the kids marched in formation, danced in rhythm, and did various group-oriented athletic activities that could only be possible in group-oriented Asia. The day was a great cultural study. Take a look at this short video of the kids dancing in formation to the music. You have to see it to understand.

From Gangs to God

2010-09-27T12:10:00.004+09:00

I was moved by this article of a former member of a Japanese mafia gang, Tatsuya Shindo. From a history of drug abuse, crime, and prison time, God saved him. He's attended seminary and now begun a church here in the Tokyo area, called Friend of Sinners Christ Church. Church attendees include former gang members or the parents of current prisoners. He still sports the tattoos and cut pinky as a sign of his organized crime days, but God has redeemed him to work among Japan's worst dropouts. What a what of change God can do in the human heart.

Ready?

2010-09-14T16:29:00.004+09:00

I'd been putting it off. Although I knew it was important, taking inventory of our earthquake and disaster gear just wasn't getting done. Japan rests along the "ring of fire" in the Pacific ocean, a stretch of area that is particularly vulnerable to earthquake activity. And so having a backpack of essentials by your door to grab on the way out is, well, essential. But mild earthquakes in Tokyo have become such a rather regular part of our lives that we've let our guard down a bit. We weren't ready for an earthquake to come.

When I finally got around to assessing our earthquake readiness, I realized how unready we were. Wiping the dust off the backpack in the carport, I unzipped it to find a horror story inside. The batteries had attempted an escape, leaking acid all over the contents of the bag. To make matters worse, the acid had actually bored a hole through one of the canned items, which oozed its contents out and into the bag as well. It was not pretty (and now I know why all those stray cats were hanging around outside for awhile). The remainder of the canned food seemed intact, but the expiration date was 5 years ago. The bottled water also looked a bit suspicious. The short of it is: we weren't ready for an earthquake to come.

As I replaced and organized new gear for us, my thoughts turned toward the "parables of readiness" in Matthew 25. Five bridesmaids wisely carried extra oil. Two servants carefully used their entrusted resources. A wise and faithful servant works to the best of his or her ability to use what he has been given, and prepares himself for the Master's return and inspection. With God's help, I want to be ready in my life and work for my Master to come. How ready are you?

Food "or" Thought

2010-09-06T21:39:00.010+09:00

"Anyone seen my swimming buddy lately?" There was something about this scene that struck me as sobering, yet almost comical. When I saw what was becoming of these poor fish, I had to stop to record the moment - see this video. Seize the Day, indeed. One moment swimming carefree together with friends, and the next shishkabobbed in front of a fire.

Yes, this fried fish-on-a-stick is actually a popular treat throughout Japan. I am sure there is a sermon illustration in here about the fragility of life and uncertainty of the future. I could almost hear the fish in the tank whispering in agreement with David, "Teach us to number our days aright." Ps. 90:12

The Reason Justen's Growing Taller

2010-08-19T20:05:00.006+09:00

I finally figured it out today. I figured out why my son is growing taller so quickly. He might not be as tall as some 14-year-olds. But he's be going through shoes and pants sizes like there's no bottom to dad's wallet. See for yourself in the photo at left. Now I know why:

Today we stepped aboard the same Tokyo-bound commuter train. Justen was on his way to a few days of summer camp. I went along to help carry all his stuff (you'd think MK's would know how to pack lighter). This wasn't just ANY Tokyo commuter train. This was the Denentoshi line by our house, voted the most crowded of all. It's already outgrown the added capacity they spent 4 years building. And we were in the thick of rush hour, on a day many were returning to work from Obon vacation time. It was a banner day for crowded trains. I have NEVER been this tightly packed in on a train before. I thought I had seen the worst until today. WOW! Having a big suitcase with me only made matters worse. And it did little to engender Christian attitudes from those squeezed in nose to nose around me.

As the train lurched out of the station, I instinctively reached up to find something to hang onto. A hand reached PAST mine to the empty space on the metal rail over my head. It was Justen's hand. I was amazed. It was a day of record temperatures, and at least 98.6 in that train car with bodies crammed around us. I craned my head upward to catch even a bit of breeze coming from the ceiling air conditioning. A head craned PAST mine to do the same. It was Justen's head. I was doubly amazed.

Now I know why Justen's growing. Justen makes this commute every morning to school in Tokyo. His body seems to have adapted itself to this environment. It has to in order to survive this battle of the fittest on Tokyo trains. And all this time I thought it was all the white rice! Go figure.

English Teaching Good for Your Health!

2010-08-06T21:29:00.003+09:00

This probably won't turn into a diet fad, but it turns out that English Teaching can actually help you lose weight. It's true. I lost 2 lbs. last week with the six Kids English classes, setup, breakdown, prep, etc during our Tokyo heatwave.

Our annual "Kids English Bee," or kids English classes, help develop some new relationships in the neighborhood. We had about 20 kids altogether. The style of English teaching that I use is hardly the traditional method here in Japan: sit with open book and fill in written exercises. The style I use involves exercises, but in the physical and aerobic sense of the word. I adapted the Genki English curriculum, adding and taking away some things. You can take a look at it here. It's very active. Lots of games. Lots of singing. Kids eat it up. It was great fun, but a challenge for this new 40-year-old to keep up with the little kids. However, I highly recommend the curriculum to anyone looking to shed a little weight.

The Black (Sumo-sized) Box

2010-07-11T22:47:00.004+09:00

Church Planting = Transporting Heavy Objects. At least it's seemed that way these last eight years. It's true: when you haven't your own church building you need to do a lot of carting things back and forth from home. The first couple years were especially backbreaking. The last six years we've had some storage at the private hall we rent. Still, you name it and I've probably moved to or from church with many grunts and groans.

The latest of the heavy objects made its way to our church location this past Friday. In an effort to upgrade our PA system at church, I purchased a rack enclosure and mounted audio components (audiophiles will know what I mean). It made sense to have it delivered to my home and fiddle with it there, but then came the problem. This cast iron thing is the size of a small refrigerator and easily weighs 500 pounds after equipment is installed. There was no way this was going to be lifted into or fit in my vehicle, even with my sumo buddies helping out. What to do?

It seemed to make the most sense to simply roll this black beast all the way from our home to the church location, a distance of about 1 1/2 miles.

I've long since lost the ambition to completely blend in with Japanese society. I realize I stand out. But I've never felt like I stood out more than this past Friday. I felt the eyes of the community on me as I noisily bumped and rolled this massive black box down the streets. Past bikers and pedestrians, past the local train station, through traffic, down the main shopping street, and in front of the police station. What a spectacle! Although no one was brave enough to ask, the common question I saw written on their faces was, "What is that foreigner doing with that huge metal black box?" Before the journey was done, I had the same question myself. I was drenched in sweat and my back begged for mercy.

Although my sore muscles need more time, my pride has at least recovered. Still, I wonder what strange heavy thing I'll be moving next week. My neighbors are asking the same.

Life in Tokyo has its Ups and Downs

2010-06-17T15:52:00.003+09:00

I have a new appreciation for Japanese engineering. Engineering that uses vertical space UP and DOWN in such dramatic ways:

On a recent trip through Tokyo I went deeper underground than I've probably ever been before. The newly completed shortcut through the heart of the city involves driving your vehicle down an extended corkscrew tunnel that winds you a dozen or so stories underground before straightening out. Only at that level could the engineers circumvent the cobweb of subway lines and underground structures that crisscross Tokyo. Entering the tunnel is like entering a future spaceport. And the ride down not unlike Space Mountain at Disneyland. I think my ears popped a few times on this "journey to the center of the earth." Wow, here is another place I want to avoid being during an earthquake. Not a good idea to run out of gas down there either.

The flipside to this dramatic DOWN is the up, Up, UP of the Sky Tree. This will be a radio tower and observatory some 2080feet tall upon completion sometime in 2012. We recently saw a scale model. Even at 1/25th of the actual size, it soared above us. For comparison's sake, you can see it next to the Empire State Building in the photo above. My list of places not to be in an earthquake keeps growing.

Our God, Eager to Save

2010-06-01T20:48:00.000+09:00

Tomohisa had reached a coveted status in Japan’s vertically-ordered society: medical doctor. Along with the status came wealth, which he used to buy the affection of women…and lots of booze. His selfishness blinded him to the hurt he was causing his family. His drinking and infidelity broke his wife’s heart and alienated his daughter. Eventually it took a toll on his body as well. He developed terminal liver cancer.

For the daughter, Takako, it was a long journey from pain and resentment to grace and forgiveness. Healing began when she found her Savior, Jesus Christ, and was filled by the power of his Spirit. My joy was baptizing Takako and seeing her grow in her new faith. She was faithfully by his side when her father became bedridden in the final stages of the cancer. “My only desire now is for his salvation,” she told me. We prayed and asked God to break down the spiritual resistance in his heart. I wondered to myself, however, whether there was enough time. Tomohisa’s prognosis was not good: a few weeks at best. God would have to be pretty eager to save.

The following week a meeting in Tokyo brought me close to his hospital. I considered a visit, but hesitated. Takako told me that Tomohisa didn’t want to see any Christian pastors. “What good could my foreigner presence and stumbling about in Japanese do but frustrate him more?” I reasoned. “Besides, if the family wanted me there they’d have called.” So, I shoved into the subway train and headed home. Three stations later I felt strongly shoved out. God was doing the pushing, but I couldn’t understand why.

Stepping out onto platform, I wondered what to do next. The answer seemed to come: “Find a place to make a call.” I wandered near the subway station exit, climbing the exit stairs to ground level where I could get a good signal. I scrolled through my address book. Wouldn’t you know it! I didn’t have Takako’s number. For me that was as good a reason as any to get back on the train home. That’s when the phone in my hand rang.

“Pastor Kevin?” It was the son-in-law. “My wife and I are here at the hospital. Tomohisa’s situation is bad. He’s crying for help. I don’t know what to do. I’m not a priest. I’m not even a Christian. I don’t know anything about the Bible. Can you come?” “Of course,” I replied. “I’m not far away now. I can be there soon.” Hanging up, I was stunned at the timing of the call.

But now it dawned on me how unprepared I was. I had no Bible with me, not even a pocket NT or portion of Psalms. What could I share with him? Of all the times for a missionary to be without this critical gear, why now? That’s when I heard it.

Hymns! The wonderful sound was flooding out from a newsstand just up the street from me. This didn’t fit into the local scene. We have hamburgers and hiphop on the streets of Tokyo, but not hymns! Walking up, I was dumbfounded to see a cross and the logo for the Salvation Army. A uniformed woman greeted me, “We only have a few things in English. Are you interested in some Christian material?” “Actually, I’m a missionary. I need a Japanese Bible for a hospital call,” I answered. Smiling, she said,“I just knew you were a missionary. I could tell by your smell.” (NOTE: I’ve been told American missionaries do smell different. But I have to assume she meant it in the ‘spiritual fragrance’ sense.) “Go to the second floor of the building behind us. The man up there will have a Bible for you,” she said. I went. Sure enough, he did.

At this point if God had revealed to me that the woman and man were angels and the newsstand only existed in a spiritual dimension, I would have found the idea quite reasonable. As I reboarded the train for the hospital, I was filled with awe at how God had been leading my steps.

The family was waiting for me at the hospital when I arrived. Tomohisa was doubled up on the bed in obvious discomfort. His estranged wife was seated beside him. The doctor had just come to administer pain medication. I sat near him and softly sang a verse of “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” then opened the Bible and read from Psalm 23 and John 14. “Do you want me to read more?” I asked. He nodded. “Tomohisa, God wants to forgive your sin and has made a way for you to be with Him forever. Listen.” I read from John 3, ending at verse 17. “Do you believe these things?” He nodded again. In his pain, he was almost beyond verbal expression. “Why don’t we pray together and ask God’s forgiveness in Jesus,” I suggested. He surprised me by stretching out his hand to mine, bringing it to himself. As I prayed he moved his lips along with me. When I ended with “Amen” his face relaxed. He sighed softly and drifted off to sleep. The medication had eased his pain, but God had eased his soul. He may have been a respected doctor, an alcoholic, a womanizer, but now he was a child of God.

Tomohisa never fully regained consciousness after that afternoon, four days later passing into eternity, and into the arms of our Lord. I helped with the funeral arrangements, speaking at the wake and funeral. Done in a Christian way (not Buddhist tradition), it was the powerful testimony to the family and relatives. God received much glory for his work of salvation.

I left the Bible I read to Tomohisa in the hands of his wife. She is reading it now. I’ve no doubt that she, too, will soon find the grace in Christ that he experienced in the last moments of life. Why? Because God is moving heaven and earth to accomplish his salvation plan. Trains, missionaries, cell phones, newsstands and people might all be but small parts of it. Let’s not forget that salvation is his business. God IS very eager to save!

Welcoming Home the Harvest

2010-04-10T15:26:00.002+09:00

“If you really want to reach Japanese for Christ, you shouldn’t live in Japan.” Early on in our preparation for missionary service, I was told this rather shocking statement by a Japanese pastor in Chicago. I understood that he wasn’t trying to discourage me from mission service as much as he was trying to encourage me to open eyes for the Japanese mission field locally. There is a greater harvest work that God is doing in Japanese lives abroad that goes largely unnoticed.

In this postwar generation, God has mercifully blessed Japan with great economic wealth. This wealth has empowered many Japanese to be able to work, study, travel, or live overseas. And with advances in technology, communication and transportation, never before in Japan’s history have SO MANY been able to experience life firsthand outside their country. In North America alone, nearly 500,000 Japanese live temporarily. Every year nearly 300,000 move away or return to Japan. In my heart, I wonder why God chooses to enable and move so many Japanese overseas? I have come to believe it is his plan for the harvest of Japan for this generation! God knows that Japanese are less inclined to welcome the gospel message while in their own country. There are many cultural, social, historical and spiritual reasons for this. But when a Japanese goes abroad, they are away from many of those reasons. Living outside Japan, they are able to reflect on their life in Japan more clearly. Many come to the conclusion that there is something more out there, more to life. They come across the strong religious faith of foreigners who befriend them. They are welcomed into a church that cares for them. And many embrace this faith and receive Christ as Savior. In fact, JCFN, an organization in Japan that works with returnees, states that a Japanese is 30 times more likely to accept Christ overseas, than while in Japan. A great harvest of Japanese is occurring overseas! But how well are we welcoming this harvest back home? This is a critical issue for the church in Japan in this era of globalization.

In February and March I had an opportunity to see both sides of the issue. In February I attended the annual Reaching Japanese for Christ (RJC) conference in Seattle. Here, 150 people, organizations and missionaries that work with Japanese in North America, gathered. Many see frequent decisions for Christ and work hard to prepare these new believers for life and faith back to Japan. In March I attended the All Nations Conference in Saitama. Here, many organizations and churches that welcome home returnees, and many returnees gathered, more than 500 altogether. The common reports I heard at these conferences was this: unfortunately, not all returnees feel welcomed or understood by the Japanese church. Many churches don’t know how to accept these slightly different Japanese new believers. Many new returnee believers, in the middle of re-entry shock and adjustment, don’t know how to blend themselves into an unfamiliar Japanese church culture. The result is that many returnees feel rejected, become discouraged, and turn away from the church. A great harvest is lost!

Our church plant, Denen Grace Chapel, is 8 years old this spring. We began with 6 individuals that had the shared the experience of living abroad, and then return to Japan. Over the years God has sent us others that have been saved or lived abroad. This past January, we called a Japanese pastor. Kondo Izumi sensei and his wife, Mikiko, also have an experience of living and serving abroad many years, and then returning to Japan recently. Together with them, we have a vision as missionaries, and as a church to intentionally tap into this great harvest work of God in the lives of his precious Japanese. We want to be a receiving church that understands thoroughly the issues returnees face, how we can welcome, and grow them up in their new faith. How about yourself? Let’s pray that we can be churches and people that better welcome home the harvest.

Flowers for you, Cake for me

2010-03-10T17:27:00.005+09:00

This cake in the photo has a story. So do the flowers. They were brought together in an "installation celebration" for Pastor Kondo and his wife, Mikiko.

In a special service this past Sunday together with other area pastors and missionaries, we officially recognized their leadership of Denen Grace Chapel. This is cause for celebration. Notice the cake is in front of me. The flowers are in front of Pastor Kondo. Hey, we both have our way of celebrating! I'm sure you wouldn't believe me if I said that it was made of tofu.

Confessions of a Conference Disliker

2010-02-27T16:07:00.000+09:00

I'm not much of a conference-goer. I'd much rather be doing, than discussing the doing. Sit and listen has never completely fit my learning style. I'm greedy about how and where I invest time and energy...who isn't?

But when we determined we needed to be in the States briefly, and when American Airlines graciously allowed me to book multi-city award travel, I jumped at the chance to fly to Seattle for a few days to be among co-laborers reaching Japanese for Christ. What a great time the "Reaching Japanese for Christ" conference was!

The worship, messages, testimonies, seminars and, yes, even the food and weather, were all great. The ideas and resources I gleaned were very helpful. But what made the conference particularly fulfilling for me was the opportunity outside of our ministry and country of service context to be among people who completely understood my calling, passion, and challenges in Japan. Our times in the States rarely have this dimension to it. Thank you, RJC2010 staff, for making this conference such a worthy investment of time. It was an empowering and satisfying oasis from which to return to life and ministry here in Japan.

Chicago Forecast: Snowy with a Chance of Re-entry Shock

2010-02-15T23:27:00.004+09:00

Snow and re-entry shock were two surprises waiting for us back in Chicago upon our arrival.

We scooted into Chicago on Monday just ahead of the big snowfall on Tuesday. Okay, just a couple inches or so. But coming from comparatively warm Tokyo, it's been awhile since we saw this kind of snow! Justen enjoyed sledding with a home church member -- what a rare and wonderful treat for him!

Re-entry shock is something we always struggle with when out of the States for a long period of time like this. We've written about this experience here and here and here on this blog. In essence, the values, dreams, ideals of our host culture of Japan become the ingrained norm for us. We become surprised by how far apart they are from folks in our own homeland. Although we want to find belonging and yearn to identify ourselves completely with our home culture, we have been changed significantly in ways while we were gone.

And people, places and things have also changed significantly. Absorbing the many changes all at once is quite overwhelming. It all brings about a sense of alienation, confusion, and frustration. The strongest feeling is that I have simply missed out on being a part of the journey and lives of friends and family...as if I've been asleep while they've all moved on. This is part of the missionary complexities that we are learning to deal with as best as possible for our mental health.

Here Comes the Real Winter

2010-02-07T22:46:00.005+09:00

We had a record snowfall here in Kawasaki last week -- the most in two years. A whole 2cm fell here around us. That's right, 2cm. Students everywhere in Kawasaki continue to be disappointed by another year without a snow day. Still, Justen found enough snow to make this 4inch snowman.

So, we've been blessed up until now. But here comes the real taste of winter. Tomorrow we head to Narita airport and board a plane for Chicago. The forecast there calls for snow, cold, wind...the real winter. And we get to spend two whole weeks in this glorious winter wonderland of Schererville, Indiana.

Strangely enough, I'm looking forward to the change of pace with the weather. So much green year round just doesn't feel natural to one born and bred in suburban Chicago. I feel a sense of shame (very infrequently, mind you) from enjoying such a balmy mission field. One day back in the frosty temperatures might change my opinion, but for now I look forward to embracing the real winter again! Chicago here we come.

Foreigners Don't Get the Point

2010-01-31T21:42:00.004+09:00

I'm standing in line at a drugstore with other shoppers. The woman in front of me has just pulled out a business card file. Hurriedly she flips through at least a hundred or more cards searching for the right one. It's a common sight in Japan. Point cards.

In an effort to keep customers loyal, it seems that every business in Japan -- from the largest chain department store, to the smallest ma and pa variety store...everything -- has their own unique point card. Spend a hundred yen, get 1 point. Collect 5000 points, get a coupon for a few yen off your next purchase. Just make sure you use your points within a certain period of time, and for certain items only, etc. This is the way it goes. And Japanese people seem to be almost fanatical about the concept. The first question you are asked by the cashier is "Do you have a --- card today?" and "Would you like to make one?"

I realize the point card system is popular in the States as well, but the Japanese have truly mastered it. For myself personally, it seems more fuss than it is worth: managing all those point systems for such a meager return. It seems smarter to simply shop at a discount store from the beginning. I guess I just "don't get the point" as a foreigner.

However I do have a few point cards (okay, only one) for places I visit frequently. When making a recent purchase, I was quite excitedly about finally cashing my hard-earned points in to cover the cost. I hadn't frequented the store in a while, but now was finally the moment. When the cashier announced the price of my sale, I confidently flipped out my point card:

"Please use my points." I said proudly, expecting him to be amazed at my diligence.
He looked at the card oddly and then said, "I'm sorry. But this card is no longer used by our store."

My heart sank. All my carefully saved points took wings in an instant. I would have laughed had I not been so amazed. How could they do this to me after carrying that card around so long in my wallet, using it at every opportunity?

"We do have a new point-getter machine. Every shopper can use their store card to get up to 100 points any time they visit." the clerk said, trying console me in my obvious shock.

This was small comfort. But I followed him to the point-getter machine for a demonstration. He inserted my new store point card for me. We waited. How many comfort points would I be awarded? The answer came. As if sticking out its tongue at me, the machine spit the card back out. Printed on it was a big, fat zero.

I guess foreigners just don't get the point.

The Big 4-0

2010-01-18T22:50:00.001+09:00

A few weeks back as the year started out, I preached at Denen on the topic of change and 2 Corinthians 5:17. And the biggest change for me occurred a few days later on January 18. I officially joined the “40's club.”

I used to think that 40 year-olds were wise and seasoned in life. But when I look at myself I realize that assumption was misguided. I’d love to say that after 40 years of wanderings I’m finally ready to enter the promised land. But the truth is that after 40 years I still have a way to go toward spiritual maturity. Weaknesses I see in me haven’t gone away. I’ve made progress, but not as dramatically or as quickly as I’d like. It would be easy to get discouraged, give up and say, “Well, that’s how I’ll always be.” But the Bible holds out a different option. God is always doing something new. So change is always possible. Not because of me, but because of Him.

I'm grateful for a Savior that loves me as I am, and yet moves me toward growth. I'm also grateful for church family that makes the journey fun. As I gave the announcements this past Sunday, the lights suddenly went out. A lighted cake (yep, 40 candles) was wheeled into the room. And the congregation broke into a strain of "Happy Birthday," Japanese style. I suspected something was in the works by the suspicious grins on their faces earlier. Thank you, Lord, for 40 years with you. Thanks for giving Christian friends and family to journey together with.

New Year, New Venture

2010-01-12T20:15:00.007+09:00

Here we go! Pastor Kondo and his wife, Mikiko, were officially commissioned in our Sunday worship service. We will have a more formal installation service in March, but this is the start of their ministry with us as a church.

When we started the church we could not have imagined what God would have in store for us these past seven years. Through all the victories and letdowns, the blessings and challenges, we have trusted that God would provide national leadership for the church. And He did. And what a great couple this is to work with in 2010. We look forward to putting hands together in ministry. Take a look at his background and vision. Also, pray for this financial need.

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:19

Like Angel Voices

2009-12-17T12:32:00.002+09:00

The sound of handbells at Christmas are like angel voices announcing the birth of Christ. What an inspirational joy it was to have them as part of our Christmas celebration as a church!

Our concert on Sunday featured handbells and gospel music, with a Christmas message from Kaori and I (bilingual), and Christmas carols sandwiched between. Rather than fussing with tickets and money, we simply made the concert a charity event with all giving going toward Wheelchairs of Hope.

Altogether nearly 100 people filled the tiny rental hall. This is quite a gathering for a church in Japan! We prayed and planned through the many details needed to see the event go smoothly. There were a few glitches, but God was honored and glorified. Many unbelievers heard the Gospel message explained as simply as I could, and given an invitation to respond.

Thank you, Lord Jesus! Your next birthday celebration at Denen Grace is coming up this Sunday, 20th.

Thanksgiving Mouse

2009-12-03T12:48:00.007+09:00

Thanksgiving was a little different for the Laverman family this year. While our Stateside friends enjoyed Thanksgiving turkey, we enjoyed a mouse...Mickey Mouse, that is. Kaori's folks were down from Yamagata for a week and eager to experience Tokyo Disneyland with family here. So, Kaori's brother's family and ourselves took a day off to challenge the likes of Splash Mountain and Monsters, Inc. Yes, it turns out that it truly is a small world after all.

A couple of things that caught my attention from the day:

1) It seems that Anglo features still fit best with Japanese' perceptions of modern fairy tales. I found it interesting that so many western foreigners were part of the Disney Parade. I suppose it would have been usual to see a Japanese Prince Charming...or would it? And does Mickey have to speak only English. Didn't he get any language training?

2) Japanese are known for their service-orientedness. There were many things that Kaori's father, as a blind man, could not experience in the theme park. But the way that Disney workers fast-tracked us through rides, and bent over backward to accommodate his needs was truly impressive.

Let the Children Come

2009-11-16T19:00:00.002+09:00

Japanese celebrate a 1000-year-old festival in November called Shichigosan. “Shichigosan” literally means “seven, five, three.” These are the ages that are considered critical in a child’s development by Japanese. Parents will dress their children in traditional clothing, and take them to the local shrine where the priest will offer a prayer of blessing from the gods.

This affords a unique opportunity for the church in Japan. There is no stronger god than the true, living God; and no greater blessing than that which He gives. Why not ask parents to have the church pray for their children instead?

This past November Sunday, I again had the opportunity to pray for the salvation or spiritual growth of kids gathered at our church, as parents watched and listened. Jesus said, “Let the little children come!” and so we welcome them in His name!

Family Time

2009-11-09T13:43:00.002+09:00

A few decades ago there were only a couple churches in greater Tokyo within our association. Today there are more than 20. All things considered, the rate of church planting has been fairly robust. There is still much work to do, and many setbacks in the work that has already been done.

Annually we have a "Family Festa" or joint meeting of all the greater Tokyo area churches as a way of cultivating community and fellowship, and helping us develop a bigger picture of what God is doing in our midst. 150 people might not sound like much with 24 churches involved, but this is quite a large group of Christians by Japanese standards!

This past week, five of us from our church plant, Denen Grace, woke up at the crack of dawn to travel across Tokyo to be a part of this Festa, held at a larger association church. Here's a photo of a few of our church people around the lunch table outdoors. Three are new believers! Pray for even more harvest to come from among our churches spread across the Kanto plain!

Finding Resting in 7-11 24/7 Japan

2009-11-01T21:22:00.002+09:00

This past week I preached in our church on the importance of rest. I shared how the concept of rest flows thematically through Scripture, from God's modeling physical rest for us in Genesis 2 after creation through Christ offering spiritual rest to us in Matthew 11:28.

Sometimes the preacher needs to pay attention to his own message. We have been far too busy as a family in the last two months and scarcely have had a chance to rest. We justify the busyness (or at least I do) by reminding ourselves that it is for God's kingdom purposes. That's good busyness, right? But we need rest. Truth is, most people in Tokyo do. This culture is a 7-11 24/7 365days a year, non-stop culture. People are worn down and worn out. It's obvious just by doing a little people watching. And our church people are equally overstressed and overworked. The biggest obstacle to church planting in Japan (in my humble opinion, at least), is that the hectic lifestyle gives no room for one to consider spiritual things, much less be part of a church community in a consistent way.

Well, I digress. What I really wanted to say is that we finally took 3 days off as a family and went down south to the Mt. Fuji area. The fall colors were wonderful, as was the time together as family. Enjoying our connection with God, with his creation, and with each other. The same components of rest that man experienced in Eden. It's good to take time aside to taste a bit of Eden again!

No (Solo) Fishing

2009-10-08T19:32:00.007+09:00

"Come, follow Me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." Mark 1:17

Most days I feel a bit like that helpless child fisherman from a few weeks back.

A few weeks back at our Kids English outreach in August each kid was handed a pole with a string attached. A magnet hung from the end of the string. Letter and object cards scattered about in a "pond" had to be snagged by their attached paperclips, then hauled in, brought and repeated to the teacher.

One small girl was clearly trying her best, but the string and magnet simply would not cooperate, twirling about aimlessly. She needed help. Placing my hand over hers I steadied the rod and we cast for fish together. What a haul our teamwork resulted in!

Most days I feel like that child. Small. Aimlessly casting about. Overwhelmed. And just a bit discouraged. The "fish" in Japan simply aren't biting the Gospel message. But have I forgotten that the Master's hand is on the rod with mine? He's steadying, guiding, and supporting each cast. He's smiles down as we work together. Why had I gone about solo fishing in frustration? Instead I surrender to the Master's guidance, instruction and care, and we haul in the catch He had in mind.

Ode to Quiet Shopping

2009-09-27T20:59:00.000+09:00

There's a place in Japan I dread going. It sucks the breath of me when I know I must. No, it's not the dentist or even the immigration office (that is an experience, though). It's the large chain electronic store.

Visitors to Japan will quickly notice that quiet shopping is hard to come by in Japan. The worst "offenders" by far are electronic stores. It seems that each store has its own unique theme song promoting it's outstanding prices, great service, thoughtful employees, and so forth. The one I visited yesterday pumped out this information at 2 minute intervals to the tune of "My Eyes Have Seen the Glory."

These infomercials are blasted quite loudly and so repeatedly that one wonders how the employees are able to endure their workday. I suppose like the person living next to the railroad tracks that never hears trains anymore, one eventually grows acclimated to even this environment. Still, I can't believe it can be very psychologically or physically healthy to be exposed to the decibels and repetition. As for myself, I make a beeline for what I need (an ink cartridge, some batteries, an audio cable) and get out as soon as I can.

Lately I've that Amazon.jp is a much quieter (and often cheaper) option. Now if only I could make the gas pump stop giving me instructions and promoting items to the Japanese pop tunes. That is a topic for another day.

A Creamy Drink We Enjoy

2009-09-10T19:44:00.002+09:00

I like this picture of Kaori, age 6. There she is sitting along the riverbank in Yamagata, sipping her Calpis (an uncarbonated dairy-based soft drink in Japan around long before Pepsi) with her brother, Ryuji. Never crossed her mind at the time that some 15 years later a foreigner would come along and -- for better or worse -- the adventure as a missionary wife would begin. Thankfully it turned out to be a foreigner who enjoys a cool Calpis with her now and then. We don't do much sitting along the riverbank these days, but at least the world is in color.

New Life in Christ

2009-09-03T13:00:00.003+09:00

I'm always moved beyond words when someone makes a decision for Christ. This past Sunday when a young woman and a small child placed their faith in Christ as their Savior, I again had the privilege of experiencing the Gospel anew. This is a big step for a Japanese seeker. It's said that the average Japanese takes seven years from their first encounter with Christianity, to their decision of faith. Our Heavenly Father waits patiently, planning the celebration party to welcome them home.

Lately the lyrics of a catchy song by a Christian Japanese musician have renewed me in the transforming depth of the Gospel. In her album "New Day" Asiah sings: "It's a new start, it's new life, it's a new heart, it's a new world, it's a new melody, it's a new day. I have been set free..."

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for beginning this change in the life of another Japanese.

The Best Show in Town

2009-08-28T14:34:00.003+09:00

No summer is complete without a good fireworks show. Japan has some of the best I've seen. And Kawasaki has outdone itself year after year. This past weekend our family went to see the show near the Tamagawa river, a mere half-mile from us. We weren't disappointed. The Chinese are said to have invented fireworks, but it might be argued that the Japanese have perfected them. Coordinating the fireworks display with the beat of music was impressive. Most impressive, however, is the sheer size of the fireworks, and their close proximity to ground level.

I always come away with a better sense of the music that has shaped this culture. The "Sukiyaki" song was part of the show, but many more Japanese favorites had the audience of around 600,000 singing and clapping. Yes, I said 600,000. Believe me, it felt like more. I also always come away with a very sore neck trying to take in both fireworks shows. I've written here before about seeing only half the show. This year was the same. But what a great treat to end the summer with!

Rock 'n Roll with the Beetles

2009-08-11T21:58:00.005+09:00

Three days, two earthquakes, and one typhoon and tsunami. We've been watching as Tokyo has gotten drenched the last couple days under a barrage of rain and heavy wind pushed ahead of typhoon #6. It's been impressive weather! The usual resulting mudslides have left a lot of people with some major cleanup south of Tokyo. Imagine your house with a foot deep of mud in it!

As if that weren't enough to contend with, this morning a 6.6 magnitude quake struck the Tokyo region. It shook us out of bed, quite literally, around 5am. As is my usual custom, I ran to the TV to see where it was centered and how strong it was in that area. A 2 foot tsunami was also reported to be headed toward the Shizuoka area south of us. Although a hundred people were hurt, no one lost their life. The typhoon was much more deadly, with several dozen killed from the mudslides or swept away in the flash flooding.

Meanwhile the beetles continue to sing, the Japanese beetles (cicadas), that is. The hot steamy weather this time of year seems to be a source of nonstop celebration for them. They provide the background music everywhere you go, every hour of the day (and night). In a week or two they will begin dying, but for now the literally millions of them in our neighborhood make quite a sound! Walking outdoors at night, I've had many fly into me. This is always startles me a bit as they are large bugs and make a pretty big impact. Take a look at the video here to get an idea of what they sound like together.

Baptisms in the Kiddy Pool

2009-07-28T16:17:00.000+09:00

Without a church building of our own, we continue to look for creative solutions for baptizing new believers. Praise the Lord that this is even an issue for us! This Sunday we baptized two new believers in the kiddy pool of a nearby kindergarten.

D-san has a mother with a business as a Buddhist guide. His father abandoned them. His grandfather that lives with them has a severe drug habit. Not surprisingly, D-san himself has battled depression. But since coming to church for the first time last fall, he has been steadily growing, changing, and healing. He accepted Christ last December, and is looking forward to be baptized this Sunday at 31 years of age.

H-san took a bit longer to come to faith in Christ. She is a middle-aged housewife who visited our home 7 years ago when we first began church planting work in Kawasaki. A pet lover, she was very interested in meeting our "joyful princess" Keekee. But she was some time away from a decision for Christ. During those seven years she maintained a close relationship with a core church member as God led her through some difficult times. This spring she was back in church again, and this time she was very open to the Gospel. She is growing in Christ and already a tremendous asset and encouragement our the church family.

Praise God for these baptism candidates! Would you pray for their continued spiritual growth and witness to their families? And thank God for good rare sunny weather on Sunday. An issue for us as the rainy season continues here and the pool is outdoors.

Flyer or Fryer?

2009-07-20T14:20:00.003+09:00

We appreciated the effort of several young people who braved the summer heat to pass out flyers for our Kids English Outreach next week. The group came from various church backgrounds in Japan, but the leader, Satoshi, shared common CB roots with us.

The group put some 3000 flyers into mailboxes in our community. Along the way, we stopped to pray at some key locations for Japan, the outreach activity of the church, and the spiritual battle we are engaged in here.

Perhaps the greatest challenge of the day was bearing the oppressive heat and humidity of Japan this time of year. This was a FRYER of a flyer distribution! After 3 hours of walking about outdoors, we were ALL very well done! We ended the time together with a victory prayer meeting and time of worship.

Censored...again

2009-07-16T18:48:00.005+09:00

I've mentioned before that I was thrilled to get the blessing of the local chounaikai (community group) to place our church flyers on their numerous bulletin boards around the neighborhood. This gives us more exposure, and perhaps a little more credibility, in the neighborhood.

There are some twenty bulletin boards in a 3 or 4 kilometer radius around our house. I make the rounds and tack up our letter-sized flyer relating to a specific event: English, Gospel, concert, Kids, etc. The church address and telephone number is always listed at the bottom.

I've been saddened, however, to find on numerous occasions that my flyers have been either obviously torn off the board, cut to shreds, or mangled in some other way. In spite of this, I continue to replace the destroyed flyers and go on.

With our Kids English outreach (7/28-8/2) just around the corner, I once again put up flyers this past week. This time at each and every location someone deliberately moved another item tacked on the board to cover mine. Here's a photo (above). I moved my flyer to a new spot, only to have it recovered. Someone is obviously not happy with my flyers.

And so the spiritual battle for the hearts of Japanese continues. It is frustrating at times to lose little fights like this along the way, but we know God will bring the ultimate victory in the war.

150 Years Later

2009-07-13T14:00:00.004+09:00

This is cause for celebration! 150 years after isolationist Japan opens the port of Yokohama to the world and Protestant missionaries begin evangelism activities for the first time in Japan, Yokohama throws a massive celebration...for the opening of the port. Meanwhile in a footnote event known only to the Christians, the church celebrates 150 years of Protestant missions in Japan at a portside hall. This latter event is the one myself and several members of our church (photo above) chose to attend and be encouraged by.

Altogether around 14,000 believers attended the Protestant Missions 150th events and memorial over the two-day celebration in Yokohama. I wish the first missionaries could have seen the fruit of their work many years later! B&W photos of the 50th anniversary event show mostly foreigners and some Japanese believers gathered at a YMCA. Photos of the 100th anniversary event show a massive group of new post-war Japanese believers gathered in local stadium. And now the 150th events show even more growth.

Still, the fruit is hard to come by in Japan. Japanese pastors speaking at the event unanimously expressed disappointment that 150 years later, still less than 1% of Japanese are believers. They had hoped Japan would have been more responsive given so much time. One pastor mounted the platform and jokingly said "I think perhaps God must prefer kimchi to Japanese food." God has indeed poured out his Holy Spirit on Japan's neighbor of Korea and grown the church there in numbers and ways that Japanese believers could only dream of. "When will this kind of revival come to Japan? We have been waiting these 150 years. Lord, we are ready for it." cried another pastor in prayer.

In explaining the disparity of the way the church has grown in Korea and Japan, one pastor explained the difference to me this way: "Japanese care too much about what other people think. Koreans don't." I've seen this truth borne out in our church planting work. Time and again what others think makes a powerful difference in whether a curious Japanese will enter a church, or make a decision for Christ. And if they are able to overcome this and make a decision, what others think plays a role in whether they choose to be baptized. And after baptism, what others think affects how they grow in their faith. But I digress...

I was encouraged that the Japanese pastors and speakers at the event also unanimously expressed faith that God was and is carefully preparing a powerful foundation upon which he will build a great revival. "He has not discarded us!" singer and songwriter Chu Kosaka said. "He is SURELY at work in our hearts." The church in Japan received a great call and challenge for the next 50 years ahead. Let's expect that revival!

The Joyful Princess 1994~2009

2009-07-06T20:43:00.004+09:00

We knew the day was coming, but that didn't make the decision any easier. After 15 years of being a part of our family history, always being around for all the happenings, our beloved cat, Keekee, now remains only in our photographs and memories.

Keekee grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, moved to the outskirts of Tokyo, and was buried in far northern Japan. All without a passport, I might add. It was quite a life for a cat. It's hard not to be sentimental and reflective about these things. After all, this was more than just a cat. Keekee connected us all the way back to our newlywed lives in Lansing, IL prior to Japan. She was a steady source of comfort and friendship when our family needed it in our adjustments to living in Japan. She was a constant in the many changes we experienced, and a treasure to our family.

But the seizures she began experiencing in her last week were too painful to watch. Her behavior changed and we would find her sleeping in odd places out of view. I suppose pets don't want their owners to see them suffering, any more than they themselves want to suffer. The vet gave us little hope for her recovery, so we let her go to sleep.

"Keekee" means "joyful princess" in Japanese. She certainly brought our family a lot of joy. I suppose the photo in front of the asian fan above proves that she already had Japan at heart 15 years ago. Thank you, Keekee, for making the journey with us together. We will miss you!

Black Gospel and What?

2009-06-22T13:29:00.003+09:00

Black gospel and traditional Japanese drums, that's what! This past Saturday I attended the joint choir Gospel Concert that included many of our church workshop members. It takes a bit of creativity to pull off a mix of gospel music and Japanese drums, but it turned out very well. Typically drums will perform at Japanese festivals, which include religious aspects that are not altogether sanctified. But here we have redeemed them for the gospel. Literally. Take a look at this video link to get an idea.

Future Partners in Ministry

2009-06-15T16:28:00.007+09:00

A missionary can only do so much. Eventually a missionary needs to bring a national partner into the work begun, and begin to turn over leadership if it is to grow in a culturally healthy way.

This is true in our ministry. The church plant has grown over the past several years by God's grace and your prayer, but the time is now right for national leadership for the Denen Grace Chapel. But it is critical that the individual share a common vision with those in our church ministry!

Enter Pastor Kondo. He has a vision to work together with a missionary to reach more Japanese for Christ, and plant more churches. He’s spent 18 years overseas, and 13 years in church planting work (a Japanese church in Connecticut). He’s in his 50’s, but has the heart of a teenager in his energy for Christ. Last month, Denen Grace Chapel called him to begin as senior pastor from January 2010.

We had not anticipated God to work this way even a year ago, but Pastor Kondo’s passion for Japanese saved abroad who return to Japan, dovetailed with the vision for Denen Grace Chapel. We look forward to what God has ahead for us together.

Would you hold us in prayer as we discuss how our teamwork can more effectively reach more Japanese for Christ, and lay the groundwork for future church planting together with Denen?

Happy Birthday, Kaori!

2009-06-09T14:20:00.006+09:00

Happy Birthday, Kaori! My wonderful wife (apologies for the last post) has added another year of wisdom to beauty to her resume. Our youth came and presented her with a special cake, layered with all kinds of fruit and jello as only the Japanese can do to a birthday cake. Since they start counting from age 0 in Japan, we're not quite sure of Kaori's exact age. And she wants to keep it that way! I've known her for 18 years now, so I am sure that she is at least a teenager. Again, happy birthday, Kaori!

My Wife's a Blockhead!

2009-06-02T20:48:00.004+09:00

It's true. She's a blockhead. But let me hurry to explain. Kaori recently accepted the responsibility of head of our block, or "chounaikaichou." Japan is broken down into ever smaller circles of government. The prefectural office -> the city office -> the ward office...and so it goes. At the end of the food chain is the neighborhood group. Within the neighborhood groups are individual blocks of, say, a dozen houses or a couple small apartment buildings. This becomes the "chounaikai" or block group.

The block group is responsibility for caring for the many somewhat smaller matters that concern these households. For example, policing the garbage pile, cleaning up the street trash, requesting the replacement of burned out street lamps, posting neighborhood announcements, collecting various donations and dues, and so forth. The head of the block group, the blockhead, is rotated amongst the households from year to year. This year it became Kaori's turn.

She's taken to the new responsibility eagerly. The awesome power certainly has not gone to her head. Quite honestly, she the nicest blockhead I've ever met.

Seriously though, it is a nice way to get around to meet the neighbors and get to build relationships. And that is always step one in personal evangelism. So...we are grateful to God for the opportunity. She might just want to stay Mrs. Blockhead for awhile! She quick to remind me, though, that this makes me Mr. Blockhead.

Who is That Masked Person?

2009-05-25T20:30:00.005+09:00

Swine flu is here. Here in Kawasaki, Takatsu. A stone's throw from our house. We've lived through the other Asian flu scares, and I expect this one is survivable as well. It is interesting, however, that the first case of swine flu in Tokyo strikes so close to home. A student who attends a local girls school around the corner from us seems to have come down with it. The school, quite well known in the area, remains closed down.

That brings me to something our friends in back in the States often ask: "Why is that person in your Japan video wearing a mask?" No, they are not likely to have some highly contagious disease. And they are not fixing to rob a bank! They are simply acting out a cultural norm. It's true: Japanese are perhaps among the heaviest face mask users in the world. The recent flu outbreak has resulted in an actual scarcity (a local drug store is rationing them out!) as commuters and students have donned the mask like never before. Even before the flu, however, Japanese can frequently be seen wearing face masks. Some suffer from hayfever, others are being polite about not spreading their colds, many simply find it a sanitary way of living in an compressed space with multitudes of people.

That is probably the point that is best drawn out here. Americans live, for the most part, with great amounts of personal space. Urban Japanese, however, have no such privilege. Tight. Cramped. Layered. Packed. This is urban life Asian style like you have never seen it. The social dynamics that result from such a close-quartered lifestyle shape Japanese character, and are important to know when involved in mission work. It seems that masks are more than just masks...they're social dividing mechanisms. I feel like launching into a great sermon illustration related to masks, but will leave it there for now. Gotta go get in the line at the drug store for a face mask.

Teamwork

2009-05-21T14:13:00.004+09:00

We're not in this alone. Although it may seem like it at times. The Conservative Baptist Association of churches in Japan has 60 years of history, 55 churches, a camp, a seminary, a mission agency, and a good group of very dedicated national pastors desiring to work together for the evangelization of Japan.

I've just returned from our three-day "Teamwork Meeting" about 7 hours northwest of Kawasaki. The campground it is held at is pictured at right. About 60 pastors, missionaries, and church staff gathered for the meetings.

In spite of the difficulty of the task of reaching their own people for Christ, among the many things that encourage me is the desire of Japanese believers to go outside their country borders, and reach those in other Asian countries with the gospel. Currently we have Japanese missionaries in Turkey, Peru, Congo, and Korea. Short term teams are being sent to Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Mongolia. When a mission field begins to explore what its mission fields are, maturity in Christ is demonstrated in a big way!

Prayer for Denen's Future

2009-05-15T18:30:00.001+09:00

UPDATE 5/17/09 - Denen voted unanimously today to call Rev & Mrs. Kondo as pastor from 1/1/2010. Thank you for your prayer! More in an update later.

We'd like to ask you prayer for this Sunday as we make a very important decision as a church. In 2007 we charted a 5-year course for Denen Grace Chapel's future with four dimensions:

VISION 2012: As God blesses and leads us, by faith we will pray for the following become a reality in the next 5 years.

1. Emerge from the basement and establish a semi-permanent location or permanent location as a witness in the community.
2. Call a Japanese part-time or full-time salaried pastor-leader to work in partnership with the current missionaries.
3. Grow weekly Sunday attendance to 50, membership to 35, and weekday small group involvement to 40.
4. Establish dynamic partnerships with other like-minded churches to lay the foundation for a daughter church plant.

This Sunday, May 17, we will be voting on #2, the calling of a national pastor. We have been working with a candidate for the last half year and feel he is the right man for Denen's future. However, as you can imagine, supporting a pastor for the tiny membership of a new church is a tremendous challenge on a number of levels. Would you pray that people would allow their faith to be expressed as they vote concerning him?

Golden Week Chess

2009-05-05T12:29:00.002+09:00

This is a five-day weekend in Japan called "Golden Week." A string of three national holidays on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday give Japanese workaholics a "golden" opportunity for a break from the pace of life in urban Tokyo. Many return to their family homes or head to vacation spots. We definitely felt the exodus this Sunday in church, with many gone, and many eager to leave immediately after the service. The usual room cleanup crew was pretty thin this week.

Meanwhile, Kaori, Justen and I were invited to the home of new believers, a church young couple here in our neighborhood for the holiday break. Justen got a chance to hone his "shogi" talent with the young husband. "Shogi" or Japanese chess is fairly easy to learn, but incredibly hard to master. For me as an American, watching my son play "shogi" reminds my of how blended his cultural experience is from a young age. And it definitely fits into the category of "where did he pick this up?" Kaori and I just watched in amazement as he beat his teammate twice.

Missionary Break

2009-04-29T13:19:00.006+09:00

BBQ & Bible. Messages & Mushrooms. Onsen & Octopus. Shrimp & Seaside. These and others are the makings of a missionary retreat. This past weekend we enjoyed a rare break from the craziness of missions...to the craziness of missionaries. Our annual Japan Baptist Fellowship 3-day retreat was at a seaside hotel in Ibaraki prefecture.

Every once in a while we need to get apart from the work, and reflect on God's goodness and greatness in our life that empowers us in the work. Not having to be in charge, and getting a chance to hear a few messages in English is a great blessing. Take a look of the photos of "our gang" by clicking here. Go ahead and look! You need a break, too!

Sushi Movie

2009-04-20T21:26:00.003+09:00

A friend recently forwarded this link to me which gives you an inside look at a sushi restaurant. Many popular "kaiten sushi" shops have a circular conveyor belt where plates are placed that revolve around in front of the seated customers. Customers choose the plates with sushi items that look appealing to them.

This short video was taken by a foreign customer who placed a running video camera on the conveyor belt. The clip makes for an interesting few minutes of people watching, and an inside peek at the kitchen at the heart of the sushi shop. Enjoy!

Easter in Japan

2009-04-17T14:03:00.001+09:00

Thank you for praying for our Easter outreach as a church this past month.

We had many first time visitors on Easter Sunday. And we had a great time of fun together during our Kids Easter Party on April 5. Kids in Japan have no idea that Easter has anything to do with Jesus. But at least a dozen more do now!

Way Back When in Japan

2009-04-11T14:45:00.006+09:00

Justen and I took the last day of his school spring break to do a little cultural study. A local museum/park/cultural center near our home has an open-air historical Japanese village. You are free to wander about, touch, look and explore Japan as it existed a century ago. What an incredible change this country has gone through in a relatively short period of time in its history as a nation! For Japanese citizens the lifestyle was perhaps quite normal. But I kept on thinking of the rugged change of life that Protestant missionaries from the west were met with. Once in country, there was no turning back like there might be in today's jet age. Missionaries a century ago certainly were met with their share of challenges even before attempting to evangelize in this country.

I noticed a Japanese "manji" on the doorposts of most of the historical houses in this village. I photographed it at right. Most people would associate this with Nazi Germany. Few know that the symbol actually existed centuries before this in Indian and Chinese culture, particularly in Buddhism and other eastern religions. Japan, which imported Buddhism hundreds of years ago, also began displaying the manji as a symbol of peace.

I was reminded that some Japanese homes now display a very different symbol for peace: the cross. My heart is filled with joy for these Japanese families for whom Christ made "peace through his blood, shed on the cross." Yet 99% of Japanese are unaware of this peace. Pray that this new peace symbol will be hung on the heart doors of all Japanese in a nationwide awakening.

Yakisoba Party

2009-03-31T12:04:00.004+09:00

Yakisoba ranks up there as one of my favorite Japanese meals. This past Thursday we had a Yakisoba party to celebrate the college graduation of three of our church members. Here they are gathered around the table in our tiny dining room (Kaori and Justen in background).

For those of you who don't know, yakisoba consists of soba (wheat) noodles that have been fried on a hot grill. Usually the noodles are mixed in with cabbage, bean sprouts, meat, and seasonings. Various garnishes such as onions, cilantro, seaweed, and peppers might also be added. Yummmm!

Many Happy Returns

2009-03-23T20:36:00.005+09:00

Question: What do all these people in the photo at right have in common? Answer: They've all lived somewhere in the midwest US during their lifetime.

You might have guessed that about the guy at the far left in the photo (yours truly). But the rest of this bunch? Yes, this is a group of midwest "Returnees." Every year thousands of Japanese travel overseas to live as students, businessmen, and educators. Separated from the entanglements of their home culture, many Japanese become Christians while overseas. And every year, after 1 year or many years abroad, thousands of Japanese return back to their homeland as changed people.

The fact is that MANY MORE Japanese become believers while outside their country, than those who remain in Japan! Nearly 80% of all Japanese who become Christians, became Christians while they were overseas. The difficulty becomes connecting these new believers to a church where they can continue to grow when they eventually return home. Often, Japanese "Returnees" find that they cannot really relate well to a traditional Japanese church. They are not understood, and not accepted. Often shortly after returning they uproot their faith from a local church altogether and blend back into society.

This is a great spiritual tragedy in the evangelization of Japan! If all these new believers were to remain in the church and grow strong in their faith, the Japanese church would be many times it's paltry 1% of the population size.

This past week I attended a conference here in Saitama, Japan that focused on the Returnee challenge. Naturally it was attended by returnees of all ages, including many young returnees, new believers and just back in their homeland. "All Nations Returnee Conference" had some 500 returnees in attendance for three days of sharing, worship, message, and strategy. I was blessed and encouraged, and renewed in my effort and desire to reach out to this unique demographic in Japan.

We want to be a receiving church for Returnees. Our church has at its core Returnees: probably 70% of the church has the experience of living from one to ten years overseas. Would you pray that we would continue to bring in and care for returnees, regardless of whether they have yet made a decision yet for Christ, so that a great harvest of souls result, and the church in Japan would grow strong?

Protestant Christianity turns 150

2009-03-17T20:11:00.008+09:00

This spring marks the 150th anniversary of Protestant Christianity in Japan. The first protestant missionaries set foot in the port of Yokohama back in 1859. Now they were real church planters -- overcoming all kinds of odds. In fact, Christianity was still a proscribed religion in Japan when the first missionaries arrived.

The evangelistic work in Japan during this time often needed to be done discreetly at the initiation of the Japanese seeker. One English missionary wrote in 1869 of the difficulty of accomplishing this. “I read those words (prohibition of Christian preaching), and I realized at once the excessive difficulty of our task. What were we to do? The only opportunity I had was simply to receive the visits of any inquirers who chose to come to me to my own house; and would Japan venture thus? They did venture. Before a month had passed, day by day, hours by hour, my house would be thronged with Japanese visitors….”

In spite of this prohibition, missionary work in Yokohama resulted in a series of revivals, with many converts coming from samurai families belonging to the Shogunate. The most success, however, was realized only after Christianity was granted freedom in the country. This occurred on February 21, 1873 in part as a utilitarian response to encourage trade with the West. The government removed the prohibition of Christianity notices on public bulletin boards for the first time in over 200 years. Now, Christian missionaries were free to evangelize openly. The scope of the missionary work was greatly expanded with the help of national evangelists and pastors including such men as Shinozaki and Honda, who advanced the church in country areas.

Take a look at this photo of one of the earliest Protestant Churches. Can you find missionary Guido Fridolin Verbeck in the middle of the group of new Japanese believers? We missionaries today owe a great debt of gratitude for the stubborn will and faith in God that established the foundations of Christianity in this country! Thank you, Lord, for advancing your church in Japan!

Japan in a Panic

2009-02-23T21:14:00.005+09:00

Makoto first noticed signs of panic attacks when he was in the middle of an exam. The tension forced him to repeatedly make trips to the toilet. He couldn't concentrate at all. For the next exam, he made a point of arriving two hours early to make sure he got a seat near the door. That failed to calm him and he found himself in the same situation all five exams he took.

After graduating from university, the company he worked for was changing over to a new system. Makoto threw himself into the extra work involved. He worked well into the night, missing the last train home. He would nap at a nearby sauna and be back in the office first thing in the morning. This went on for months.

One day on a train, when his exhaustion was at its peak, an ‘unpleasant feeling' came over him. His breathing quickened, his palms began to sweat, and he felt the urge to use the bathroom. Soon Makoto couldn't ride the subway to work anymore. Today, fearing a panic attack, he will not even go to a barber shop. Instead he has a stylist come to his home - for an additional fee. “My wife says it’s a waste of money,” he says. “A healthy person can't possibly understand. Imagine a person, who seems perfectly normal, and yet can't get on a train, or go to a barber shop.”

Makoto and many others in Japan suffer from a condition known as panic disorder (PD). Panic engulfs them. How many people are affected? Current estimates suggest up to 4 percent of the Japanese population. What is the solution for panicked Japanese people? The power of the Gospel. "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7).

Japanese Trash Can Wisdom

2009-02-15T20:48:00.006+09:00

I could write reams of blog entries on the humorous and often incongruous ways English is used in Japan. It is delightful to find these nuggets tucked away here and there in our neighborhood. It may just be my dry sense of humor, but they make me smile. Often just when I need a smile. Like the day last week when I sat down at a restaurant table upon which a sign had been placed: "NO SMORKING." It's a good thing I don't smork. The sign was all the more amusing to me because it was not hastily handwritten. It was an engraved plastic professional-looking sign. Glancing at the other tables around me, I noticed smorking was not allowed there either.

This afternoon while buying lunch at the boxed lunch shop, I went to throw away an item and found that the garbage can was full...of philosophical advice (Photo above). I don't typically think of reviewing my life before pitching something. Was the garbage can suggesting that some people are throwing away more important things...their own lives? For the Japanese eye, this type of thing is just ornamental design. No one actually reads it. For this English-speaking foreigner, however, it is makes one do a double-take to see the way that English is used.

Another example that made me do a double-take this past week was this restroom sign. No English was used in this case, but it might have been helpful. I have gotten fairly adept at the various and sundry ways that a public restroom is referred to in Japanese. I've also seen many interesting English versions in Japan: "Resting Room", "Hand Washing Room." Sometimes I confess that I am a bit bewildered altogether and simply stand back to observe which gender enters which room.

This sign was also a new one to me. It appears that this might be a restroom for pregnant men only? Perhaps I am easily confused. But what made it more confounding to me was that the women's restroom had a picture of what looked to me to be more of a man than a woman. Again, I step back in these cases and observe before proceeding. This action has spared me embarrassment in numerous cultural situations. More examples in the spirit of fun to come.

Living Water for Thirsty Souls

2009-02-10T20:17:00.004+09:00

We had a great Sunday at Denen Grace. I get excited anytime I see Japanese people worshipping God. It's the purpose of missions! We want to transform Japanese into worshippers of God, not the idols in their hearts, homes, shrines and temples. A music group called "Living Waters" came in the afternoon and led us in a time of praise and worship.

Speaking of living water, it is interesting to note that the "bottled water" fad is no bigger than right here in Japan. More research has been done on drinking water in Japan than anywhere else. One company produces a bottled water called "Kangen." It's name means "return to the origin." The idea is that this water is a return to the origins of true water as found on the earth in nature before it was polluted by man. The claim is that it will also help your body to return to its original condition when you were young.

That's a pretty big claim. And I seriously doubt it is possible for it to live up to that. Good thing we've a source living water that works better. The supplier is none other than Christ himself who makes a really big claim as well for those who drink it: "The water I give will become a spring of water welling up in him to eternal life." That's the kind of water the thirsty Japanese soul needs! Help me, Lord, to lead Japanese people to its source.

"Where the river flows everything will live." (Ez 47:9)

Japan's Gone Bananas!

2009-01-30T14:01:00.003+09:00

It seems that bananas have been in short supply in our grocery store these days. I wondered why at first. As it turns out, foreigners are the last to pick up on the trends and pop culture. I overheard a conversation at church that brought me up to speed. Stated simply: Japan's gone bananas!

It all started with a pop Japanese singer claiming she lost more than 20 pounds on a banana diet. There was no stopping it after that. Every Japanese young woman who felt she was a kilo or so overweight had to try it for themselves. It is the diet for the undisciplined. The protocol is:

1) Eat 1 banana with room temperature water for breakfast.
2) Eat whatever you like the rest of the day within reason.
3) A small sugary snack at 3pm is fine.
4) Get to bed by midnight.

Here's a link for a video if you're interested in checking it out for yourself.

Japan is a homogeneous unit of people, not individuals. When compared with their western counterparts, Japan is far and beyond a copycat culture. If something becomes hip, it takes the country by storm in as much time as the 150million cell phones can get the word out. (As a side note: I pray for the day that revival sweeps through Japan in the same fashion).

This isn't the first diet to sweep the nation. There was the tofu diet and the fermented bean curd diet crazes not too long ago. I didn't mind the grocery store being low on those. I suppose in time this diet will also go the way of all flesh, but in the meantime if you want a banana you've got to stand in line.

New Neighbors

2009-01-14T10:19:00.006+09:00

We're getting some new neighbors. About 7,500 of them to be more specific. We continue to marvel at the new city-in-a-city called "Rise" being built just a few minutes from us. Its three towers rise some 30 and 40 stories above the rest of the neighborhood. It's slated to be completed by April.

This is just another in the trend of major construction projects around us. Just last year "Eden" opened. It's massive towers of concrete and steel hardly do justice to its name. More than 8,000 people live in that tiny footprint of land. And more such construction projects are in the works in our immediate area. Our easy access to points in Tokyo makes the Denentoshi rail line a desirable place to find housing for commuters. But we wonder if this massive urbanization is really sustainable. Talk about population density!

On the other hand, 7,500 new neighbors means 7,500 new evangelistic opportunities. Thank you, Lord, for bringing those opportunities our way!

The New Year's Flight

2008-12-29T12:24:00.005+09:00

As the year draws to a close, Japanese people are preparing for the year’s most important holiday by cleaning their houses and decorating their front portals with pine and bamboo. On New Year’s eve, millions will prepare buckwheat noodles, signifying longevity and prosperity, and millions more will visit their local shrine or temple.

In another time-honored tradition, a minority will celebrate the year’s end in quite a different fashion; they will vanish into thin air. New Year’s eve, when people generally clear their debts, has become the most popular night for yonige, (the midnight flight). People who have fallen into debt, simply disappear in the night to start a fresh life in an anonymous city or country.

So common is the practice that it has spurned an industry of removal companies specializing in midnight dashes, even avoiding burly men with baseball bats, called variously benriyasan, (‘Mr. Convenient for Anything’) or yonigeya (‘Midnight Flight Shop’). These companies are good at disappearing acts. Once a family has dashed, the yonigeya will clear out the contents of the house in 15-30 minutes, storing them in a secret warehouse until they can be reunited with their fleeing clients. Full-service companies offer leased property and untraceable phone lines in a new city and can, for a hefty fee, provide a new identity, which is no mean feat in tightly documented Japan.

Source: Tokyo Financial Times (2006/01/03) & missionary Neil Verwey

For believers we usually advise, not to flee but to face the music. Jesus says to us, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Don't run away from Jesus, run to Him! He will shoulder your burdens and give you rest!

Could Bach bring Revival to Japan?

2008-12-20T12:38:00.004+09:00

Christian History & Biography reports that tens of thousands of Japanese are coming to Christ through the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. This is primarily thanks to organist and conductor Masaaki Suzuki. When he performs the St. Matthew Passion during Holy Week, the concerts are sold out, and afterwards the stage is crowded with people asking about the messages in Bach’s music. The messages are thoroughly biblical, so much so that Bach’s work was once called “the fifth Gospel.” In the words of one Japanese musician who converted to Christianity: “When I play a fugue, I can feel Bach talking to God.” Bach, a devout believer, would no doubt rejoice to know that centuries later his music is still spreading the good news of the gospel.

On the night of Jesus’ birth, an angel appeared to shepherds. Why shepherds? Perhaps they fit with the humble circumstances of His birth; perhaps God wanted to point back to King David, who began as a shepherd; or perhaps He wanted to point forward, to the arrival of the Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God. In any case, the shepherds responded to the angel as others had, with both awe and terror. “Do not be afraid,” the angel told them, then he proclaimed “good news of great joy”—the gospel—“that will be for all the people”—universal in scope. “Today in the town of David”—prophecy fulfillment alert!— “a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord”—the Messiah, the Anointed One (vv. 10—12).

Then the skies exploded in praise! The watching hosts of heaven could hold back no longer, appearing suddenly in a blaze of light and belting out, “Gloria in excelsis deo” (Latin), or “Glory to God in the highest”

--from Today in the Word (Moody Bible Institute)

Snowfall or Dollar Fall?

2008-12-17T15:45:00.004+09:00

No snowfall in Kawasaki, but we do have a dollar fall. It's hard to believe, but since writing this post "Putting a Dollar to Good Use" the dollar has continued it's steady decline. Today it hit 88yen to the dollar. This means the dollar has lost about 25% of its value in Japan since this past summer. Ouch! For missionaries who "eat" by the dollar, this presents some faith challenges! We're not sure how this will play out, but we keep trusting the One who has called us here to supply our every need.

Missionary Christmas

2008-12-01T12:18:00.000+09:00

“Don’t forget it’s Missionary Christmas today!” my mother reminded our church. “We want our missionaries to know that First Baptist remembers them.” My mother has always loved missionaries. For as long as I could remember she was involved with the missions committee. For much of that time, she served as chairman, working tirelessly to build awareness of God’s global cause.

I remember the many times we had missionary guests for Sunday dinner! (They had a foreign aftertaste). And of course, I remember needing to sleep on the sofa many Saturday nights because the Sunday missionary guest needed my bedroom. In some ways, I think I sacrificed for missions long before I ever became a missionary. Looking back, I realize now through my mother’s work, that God was really planting seeds in my heart for a future in Japan.

My mother continued “Don’t forget to sign the Christmas cards, everyone. We’ll be sending those with a small gift to all our missionaries.” Missionary Christmas...as a child in the pew, I often wondered why we did this in September. I knew that missionaries were an odd sort, and I supposed that perhaps they didn’t even know the world celebrates on December 25. Some time later I learned that the postal system in those countries could take a few months. “Missionary Christmas” slowly made sense.

These days, I am the recipient of those cards and gifts from supporting churches. But “Missionary Christmas” has taken on a very different meaning. There’s no greater job than being involved in a spiritual work in human lives. As a missionary, I’ve come to see God in new and more meaningful ways through the eyes of Japanese people. “Missionary Christmas” is the feeling that overwhelms me when I see one make a spiritual decision: to place their faith in Christ, to be baptized, to worship Him fervently, to serve Him joyfully.

I feel like a parent watching a child opening an incredible present as I see a Japanese understanding God’s love, worshipping him, or taking communion for the first time. Although I wasn’t the one receiving, I am a part of the joy of the person who has. And it’s Christmas all over again, any time of year.

Missionary service is hard work. Church planting is harder. But among the challenges, I know that God has great things He is waiting to surprise me with. I can’t wait to unwrap these gifts and find out what they might be. Serving the people I love, this is my wonderful gift from God, my “Missionary Christmas.” My next Christmas may be tomorrow. How about yours?!

Family Issues in Japan

2008-11-20T22:35:00.004+09:00

It's hard to believe, but family issues are really taking center stage in Japan these days. Japanese men have are finally owning up to the problems they face. Here is a sample from a recent news article:

In the corner of a small Japanese restaurant, a dozen dark-suited businessmen gathered at a large table. Smoke hovered over the dinner and beer disappeared as quickly as it was poured. At first glance, it looked like a typical Friday night post-work scene played out all over Tokyo’s taverns. But then your eye stops on a poster-sized sign propped up next to one of the middle-aged men. It reads:

Three Golden Rules of Love:
* Thank you (say it without hesitation)
* I am sorry (say it without fear)
* I love you (say it without embarrassment)

All the men at the table stood up. Equally spaced out and still wearing their stiff black suits, they chanted in unison: "I can’t win! I won’t win! I don’t want to win!" The chant was followed by a deep bow, a straightening of the backs, big smiles and a burst of applause. The meeting of the "National Chauvinistic Husbands Association" was under way.

If you're confused at this point, don't fret. The group is called the National Chauvinistic Husbands Association because it's a club for bossy husbands who need help (a little lost in translation effect here.)

So the title is appropriate for this group of men. In an abrupt about face from traditional Japanese relationships, the men are learning how to give their wives more respect.

More poster signs surrounded the men at this meeting:

Three Golden Rules of Renewing Family:
* Let's Listen
* Let's Write
* Let's Talk

And there's even a system of ranking your husbandry in the club:

Rank 1: Love your wife after three years of marriage
Rank 2: Help with the household work
Rank 3: No extramarital affairs or at least she doesn't know about it
Rank 4: Ladies first
Rank 5: Hold hands with your wife in public
Rank 6: Listen to what your wife has to say carefully and seriously
Rank 7: Solve issues between your wife and your mother
Rank 8: Say thank you without hesitation
Rank 9: Say I'm sorry without fear
Rank 10: Say I love you without embarrassment

After the meeting, we followed a young man named Yohei Takayama home. He'd just been promoted to "Rank 4." He admitted that "Rank 5," holding hands with his wife in public, was not going to be natural or easy. He and his wife have been married for two years. His wife said he’s been a member of the club for a year and a half and it has changed their relationship dramatically.

Namely, she said, he helps more around the house, listens to her more, and understands she also has a career that exhausts her. What they’re growing into, she said, is a partnership. They went grocery shopping, and I noticed he carried the bags and helped her decide what to buy. As they left the store to go home, he took her hand in his. It didn't look like the most natural thing in the world for him, but he was trying. His wife smiled as they walked home.

Lost Japanese Parrot Knew His Address

2008-11-10T13:04:00.004+09:00

When Yosuke, a parrot, flew out of his cage and got lost, the little guy did exactly what he had been taught -- recites his name and address to a stranger willing to help. Police rescued the African Gray parrot from a neighbor's roof in the city of Nagareyama, near Tokyo.

After spending a night at the station, he was transferred to a nearby veterinary clinic, while police searched for clues. “I tried to be friendly and talked to him, but he completely ignored me,” policeman Mr. Uemura said. The parrot kept mum with the cops, but began chatting with the veterinarian. “I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura,” the bird told the vet. He also provided his full home address, down to the street number, and even entertained the clinic staff by singing songs. “We checked the address, and what do you know, the Nakamura family really lived there. When we told them we had found Yosuke, they were elated,” Mr. Uemura said.

The Nakamura family had been teaching the bird its name and address for about two years, and they were very happy that it finally paid off!
Source: Internet News, 2008-05-26

Just like that parrot, and just like sheep we have all gone our own way and completely went off course! All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way. (Isaiah 53:6). To us who are more intelligent than parrots and sheep, God has explained how we can find our way back to Him! You will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul (Deut. 4:29).

Bathing Your Way to Purity

2008-11-03T12:28:00.003+09:00

Much of the way that Japanese religion merges with everyday life in Japan is in areas of physical cleanliness. The relationship between the gods and man in the Japanese worldview comes down to the matter of personal purity. If one is to be on good terms with the gods, it is believed that one must avoid things which would cause physical pollution. If it occurs by some accidental way, it must be taken away. And one great method for doing so is the most obvious one: a good hot bath. Japan is blessed by many mountains, and consequently many hot springs.

One can see here how the Bible speaks to this matter of cleanliness before the God who has made us and loves us. The cleansing God offers has nothing to do with a physical bath. In fact, it is quite useless for a right relationship with our Lord. "Although you wash yourself with soda and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me" (Jer 2:22). God is into the deep cleansing that man needs, begins at the heart polluted with sin, and uses the agent of the Holy Spirit. "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."

Having said that, our family does enjoy a good hot spring bath from time to time for the simple recreation of it. Here's a photo of us last week going to the famous Mt. Zao hot spring. It's an outdoor sulphur spring that leaves one with an unmistakeable smell. Rather ironic that bathing leaves one smelling.

Yamagata Family

2008-10-30T18:18:00.002+09:00

This past week we took a short break to visit with Kaori's home church and family. Here's a picture of the whole Fukase (and three Lavermans) family. Can you find the foreigner? Nothing can make you feel like a foreigner more than being amongst family and realizing you are wholly different. Thankfully, as the Apostle Paul wrote, we are one in Christ: "Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."

Still, I must admit that several days in the "REAL" Japan (Tokyo is not "really" Japan), I discover parts of me that still stick out in this culture. After a few hours of sitting on the floor, my legs, bottom, and back begin to beg for a comfortable chair. And it's still a challenge to muster up the willpower to eat raw fish and salad for breakfast. Lunch or dinner, okay. But breakfast is still a sacred meal that I try to do more Western style when home. And my Yamagata accent listening skills are also in poor shape. It seems I've been spoiled by the "mainstream" Japanese in the Kanto area.

Well, those and many more things are still areas of growth for me in cultural adaptation. Thankfully I've still some years to work on it.

How to decide just about anything in Japan

2008-10-22T17:37:00.005+09:00

Here is a game we played together at our church picnic last week. Q: What in the world is this group of adults doing? A: Playing the rock, paper, scissors game of course! In Japan any child from 3 years on up knows rock, paper, scissors, called "jan-ken-pon" in Japanese. It is the classic way of deciding just about anything. Observe Japan carefully and you will see kids and adults doing this everywhere.

We might think this game is an American invention, but the story goes that jan-ken-pon is based on an ancient game in Japan involving gestures for a snake, frog, and slug. Don't ask me to tell you how one decides the winner of that kind of battle, but perhaps it was an enjoyable picnic game back then, too.

Putting a dollar to good use?

2008-10-12T20:44:00.002+09:00

The dollar has fallen and it can't get up. Such is life of any worldwide missionary these days. What does an deflated dollar mean?

First the technical definition: it means that the purchasing power of a currency is falling so that a given unit will buy less of a product or service in the future than it does today.

Now for the modern definition: it means that artists in Tokyo are feeling much better about using the dollar for origami paper these days!

While out the other day, I was surprised to see a street vendor with his creative collection of origami art out of dollar bills. Perhaps it is a sign of the times. After all, good washi (Japanese decorative paper) can cost quite a bit, but the dollar bill as a artistic medium...well these days the price is pretty good, and getting better. Right now his cost is only 99yen each for each creation, to be exact.

It was humorous to me that many of his creations were winged beasts. It reminded me of Proverbs: "Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky." 23:5

Oh for the good 'ol days when the dollar in Japan could really buy something...like a complete McDonald's hamburger set. These days I'm a yen short of the price of even the hamburger. I suppose, though, my waistline is glad for the change.

Harvester's Scholarship Foundation

2008-09-12T18:41:00.008+09:00

I have great news to share with you. I (Kevin) received notice that I am the recipient of a generous scholarship award. I have been wanting to finish the MDiv program at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, but challenged by the financial end of paying for the tuition costs on a missionary salary. This is of great encouragement and enablement to us in finishing the last part of the program. We are very grateful for the foundation's generosity to us. Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Harvester's Scholarship Foundation!

Harvester's Scholarship Foundation is a non-profit organization that is particularly interested in assisting missionaries with their ongoing training and education. If you are interested in examining the qualifications for yourself or a possible candidate you know of, or contributing to the foundation, more information is available at www.harvestersscholarship.com

New School is Cool!

2008-09-09T18:11:00.001+09:00

There's nothing quite as intimidating as the first day at a new school when you're 12 years old. What a week of adjusting it's been for Justen.

Justen's old church school closed its doors this past summer after 6 years because of personnel and financial struggles. Now Justen is attending "Fountain of Life International School." It is a tiny church-based school (all church-based schools are tiny in Japan) of 10 students ranging from 1st grade to high school. Each student receives a lot of individual attention, tutoring and help. Subjects are taught in English as well as Japanese. And that is "cool" with our bilingual Justen.

The new school is actually a bit closer than the last one, but still requires 3 trains to get to. This time he heads into (instead of away from) Tokyo on the train at the height of the morning rush hour. Or should we say "crush hour." It's a good thing he's still small because It is indeed a very tight squeeze for a good part of the way. Sometime next year a new train line to open near our home should help alleviate part of that congestion, for a while at least.

You can write Justen a note of encouragement at justenmama@mac.com. Thanks for praying for his quick adjustment to his new surroundings.

Why I Needed to be Back in Japan in August

2008-09-05T10:31:00.006+09:00

I needed to be back in time to remember how God works. And why our being missionaries is worth the sacrifice. This past week was a reminder. Let me rewind the clock to set this up.

Last Sunday as Mr. Ubukata entered church, I asked how his father's (Kenzo) surgery went. Cancer had forced the doctors to remove a portion of Kenzo's colon. Mr. U replied that things went very well, thanked me for my prayer, and added that there was just his recovery and "he'll be home soon." That Tuesday, however, things took a dramatic turn for the worse: Kenzo fell into a coma. On Wednesday afternoon he died peacefully in his sleep.

This might have been sad and tragic u-turn for the family, except for one very important lifechanging event: Kenzo had placed his faith in Christ as his Savior a few years earlier. He had the hope of eternity. He was home now. He was walking the streets of gold with his Savior. His 88 years of hurts and pains and sadness fell away in an instant as he discovered incomparable joy and life in heaven.

As we sang songs of rejoicing at the funeral, I was reminded of the chain of people God used to bring Kenzo home. We came to Japan. Mr. U and his wife were friends of our core family in the church plant. So they began attending our tiny Sunday gathering. They placed their faith in Christ. Then Mr. U brought his mother to church. The first Sunday tears flowed down her cheeks as she sang hymns. A few months later she placed her faith in Christ. Then she brought the good news back to her other son. He was saved. At his baptism, Kenzo (the father), decided that this is what he wanted for himself as well. He placed his faith in Christ and was baptized soon after. The eldest Christian in his family, his funeral was of great testimony to his relatives.

Now, a new current of faith in flowing in the Ubukata family. Six of them are believers. What if we had not come to Japan? Where would Kenzo and his family be? God is strong enough to save in some other way, I know. But I am thrilled that in his grace He allowed us to be a part of this family's new heritage, to serve as a link in the chain to bring Japanese to Jesus, just like Kenzo. Thank you, Lord, for bringing me back to Japan in time to see and be reminded of this.

In his baptism testimony three years ago Kenzo wrote: "Many things have happened in the 85 years I've lived, but nothing compares to the great joy of knowing Jesus and walking with him everyday."

Readjustment

2008-08-20T20:24:00.004+09:00

We've grown to expect and understand the adjustments and readjustments needed when traveling between countries and cultures, but that only makes the process slightly easier. We are a week into our readjustment to life and ministry in Kawasaki, Japan. What a week it has been!

1) The jetlag (14 hrs. difference from Chicago time) is one of the first and largest obstacles. For the first several days no matter how hard we tried, we were wide awake at 3 and 4am. And dead tired by dinnertime. They say it takes one day to adjust your body for every hour of difference. That would mean it will take another week yet. I'll have to say, though, I've never gotten so much done before breakfast before in my life.

2) The climate here is another adjustment. It is insufferably hot and humid right now in Japan. It saps your energy and makes you wish for a midday nap, which would no doubt only complicate number 1 above. Today, a mild earthquake hit the area. We thought at first that it was the heavy equipment at the construction site adjacent to our house. A large steel structure is going up (skeleton for new 4-story apartment). The noise would stop us from napping anyhow.

3) Then, of course, there are the many language and cultural adjustments. It seems the new and trendy words I've learned while in the States have displaced in my head an equal number of important and common words in Japanese (I might need a RAM upgrade soon).

On top of this is the work of reconnecting with things in a myriad of small ways that are necessary for everyday life (important stuff like restocking the fridge with my favorite ice cream, for example). And unpacking, cleaning the house, etc. etc. All that needs to be done in the middle of an already busy schedule for us. We've hit the ground running in several ways that make 1, 2 & 3 above a bit more challenging. Tomorrow we leave with some teens for a 3-day camp near Mt. Fuji. It will, at least, be cooler in that area.

Keep up your prayers for the Lavermans as we work through these adjustments over the next few weeks!

Laverman Atlantic Adventure

2008-07-30T12:21:00.001+09:00

Sounds like a movie title or a waterpark ride, but it is just the three Lavermans in the Atlantic ocean near Ocean City, NJ. We've swam in the Pacific (hard not to if you live on an island in the middle of that ocean like ourselves), but the Atlantic was a first experience for all of us. Impressions: saltier than expected, big and powerful wave action, clean beach but foot-scalding hot sand, many too many clams. And, wow, have I mentioned those powerful waves.

In some ways we were foreigners to a new land, definitely out of place with our lawn chairs and "beach umbrella" (a large doorman's umbrella), and pretty clueless in a lot of other ways. We saw no point to investing in those things for a single visit to the beach. We did, however, get a boogie board for Justen (Hey, it was his 12th birthday!) Kevin managed to monopolize the time on it.

Another use for the beach, we discovered, was as a great big baptismal for new Christians. One of the churches we visited on a Wednesday night along the shore line, baptized a couple families in the ocean! An approaching storm made for some cold temperatures and big waves. Planting a Baptist church in Japan, we've had our own unique baptism sites, but ironically the ocean is one place we have yet to visit. A new one for my idea list.