As many of you are probably aware, a couple of weeks ago we were blessed to have five people from our home church, Terre Hill BFC, come to visit us. They arrived on Tuesday, March 8th and stayed with us for one week.

The pickup from the airport, from L to R: Pastor Kevin, Ian, Becky, Stacey, and Diane

We quickly got them settled in with a day full of activity and action particularly designed to combat any jet lag. We had dinner with some of our friends that night, the Tamuras, and had a fun time playing Jenga together.

Diane carefully inspects the pile before removing a piece.

One of our highlights of the week was the people on the team getting the chance to meet our English students and interact with them. We had one person from the team in each class to see what it was like, and then everyone joined together for lunch or dinner afterward.

Diane and Becky chat with Kazuko and Fumiko before lunch.

Ian shares his testimony at the Thursday night class.

Between English classes, the group also helped us tremendously with various clean-up projects around the property. One such project was the sorting of the left over garbage in one of the warehouses on the property.

Pastor Kevin expounds to Stacey on the importance of garbage removal.

Another highlight of the week was our trip to one of the prettiest places in Japan called Miyajima. Known for its “floating” temple gate as well as its very tame deer, we spent a great day there sightseeing and souvenir hunting.

Colby enjoying the solitude ways of the monk. Unfortunately he forgot to shave.

As beautiful as it is, Miyajima is a place where people come to worship in both Buddhist and Shinto ways.

The team ended the week by sharing the message and a song in the worship service at the Lighthouse to the encouragement of the members.

The team singing "God is so Good" in Japanese.

Although the recent earthquake happened while the team was here, they were able to return home safely that next Monday. It was an encouragement for Colby and I to have our friends with us, and it was good for them to be able to see a glimpse of what our lives are like as well as meet some of the Japanese people we interact with. Thank you guys for coming!

Praise the Lord for such a neat opportunity to have the Terre Hill Team with us. Praise God for all of the work that was able to be done and all the new friends made. Please pray that God would continue to use the testimonies the team shared with the English students and church members to draw the Japanese unto Himself.

For any of you who didn’t get the opportunity to hear it or don’t live in central PA, here is the interview I had with the local Christian radio station.

It started like no other class I have ever had – with two of our students coming in tears. “Mary” had been in Tokyo last week when the earthquake hit and had gone through quite an ordeal. Even though she was able to return to Yamaguchi prefecture safely, she had to cut her visit with her parents short and was still quite worried about the safety of them and her brother, who all live in the affected northern areas. She decided to come to class because she thought being with her friends would help get her mind off her worries.

The other woman had found “Mary” sitting in her car weeping and brought her in to talk to me, both of them now in tears. Let me tell you, Japanese was hard before, but trying to understand it amid the sobs was even trickier. Eventually we got her calmed down and began to hear her story. It was about that time that Mrs. Koikawa, another student and deaconess at the church, arrived. It was quite a relief to have a motherly figure there to comfort Mary. We talked about her ordeal for a while and I thought I heard them use the word “tenbatsu” (divine judgment). [I found out later that people were talking about it because of some comments made by the mayor of Tokyo.]

“Well,” I chimed in, “according to Christianity, natural disasters aren’t divine judgment (sorry, Pat). When Jesus died on the cross, He took all of God’s wrath for that time and for the future.” I asked them to give me a second while I found the reference for 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11. When I found the reference, Mrs. Koikawa volunteered to read it from the Japanese Bible. It was difficult to think on the spot of the right words to exposit that passage, but sensing my loss, Mrs. Koikawa jumped in. She would have told you that her explanation wasn’t very skillful, but it was in easy to understand Japanese and from a fellow Japanese woman (two more important things). Later on of the students commented that “Mary” needed some relief. “In English we might used the word ‘peace’.” I said. I pointed them to Philippians 4:6-7, and again Mrs. Koikawa was able to share a personal example of how the passage had comforted her.

Mrs. Koikawa shares at a recent church birthday celebration.

Was I disappointed that someone else had to do all my talking for me? Not a bit, if my weakness in Japanese could be an opportunity to empower one of the Christians here to share, then I am happy. While I look forward to the day when I can share effortlessly as the need may arise, Japanese Christians having the opportunity to share with each other is much more important.

Please pray for the Christians here as they talk with various people who have been affected (physically and emotionally) by the earthquake. Pray that God would give them wisdom to share appropriately from the truths of scripture and help people see that their hope can only be in God.

Theresa and I have released a daily prayer guide for the earthquake as our March prayer update. You can access it here:

Do you remember the fun childhood toy that was basically a bouncy ball attached to a long string that was attached to a wooden paddle? You had to try to hit the ball as many times as you could without it falling off the paddle. It was great fun for kids, wasn’t it?

Well, lo and behold, in Japan exists a toy similar to that and there are actually competitions held using this toy! It is called Kendama, and the shape is a little bit different than the traditional American ball and paddle. There is a hole in the center of the ball and a spike at the top of the wooden part that you have to get into the ball when you toss it.

I read somewhere that there are as many as 30,000 tricks you can do using this toy and that those are put to good use throughout the competitions. One website I read even stated that Kendama is used as a part of children’s education as it teaches valuable concentration skills. Our friends the Tamuras, from whom we heard about this sport, said that it can be very exciting to watch people lined up in a row simultaneously performing Kendama tricks. And, in case you’re wondering, adults participate in these tournaments as well, and it is even thought of as a form of exercise.

This may have some of you running to your attic to pull out your box of childhood whatnots and dust off that old ball and paddle set. Sure you may feel silly batting it around again, but remember, in a world an ocean’s width away there are scores of Japanese, lined up in a row, fastidiously practicing their Kendama tricks.

Please pray for the Japanese people that God would continue to draw them unto Himself.

As some of you may already know, Colby and I are looking forward to a team from our home church, Terre Hill BFC, that is coming in early March. Of the many things we have planned, we are going to put on a cooking class that we wanted to advertise for in the newspaper. As with previous advertisements for English classes, we figured we had the system down pat: we contact the guy, he comes here to our apartment, we show him the ad, and he puts it in.

Like normal we contacted the newspaper guy, but we were a bit surprised when we received an email from him. In Japanese, the verb ‘ukagau’ has two meanings: 1) to ask, and 2) to visit. The newspaper man said something to the equivalent of, “I will humbly ask/visit you.” Now, if we had been more studious, we could have determined from the context that he meant, “I will humbly visit you.” However, Colby and I both, looking through our silly American lenses, thought he meant, “I will humbly ask you to come here [to the newspaper company].”

“Oh, that’s odd,” we thought, “he’s never asked us to do that before.” But we thought that maybe going to the newspaper company yourself was standard practice since we had heard of someone else doing so, and so we were happy to oblige him.

The morning of the meeting came and promptly at the meeting time we entered the newspaper company requesting to speak with this man. We were feeling pretty good that we had found the location, the right door, and now were happily inquiring in our previously-practiced-in-our-heads Japanese if this man were available for our appointment.

“Oh,” said the secretary, “Mr. So-and-So is out meeting a client right now. Did you say had an appointment with him? Well, let me try calling his cell phone.” This left Colby and I looking at each other and wondering, “Hmm, did we get the right meaning of ‘ukagau’?” Finally we three were able to ascertain that Mr. So-and-So was actually at our apartment, trying to meet with us, only we were not there. We asked him to please wait and we would be right along, all the while thinking, “Wouldn’t this make a great blog post?”.

Before any of you actually become worried, please know that we were finally able to meet with him, at our apartment, and were able to give him the advertisement. We got a good chuckle out of the whole thing and agreed that at least we all got the meeting time correct. This has taught Colby and I to be more careful the next time we see ‘ukagau’.

What is language learning if it’s not fun?? Thank you for praying for our continued growth in learning Japanese.

For most people, Valentine’s Day is simply about showing that special person in your life how much you care for them. While it is certainly that for us as well, it also signifies the day when, two years ago, we got off a plane and set foot on Japanese soil, embarking on a new chapter in our lives. We have learned so much in the past two years that it feels like we’ve been here for 20 years. However, with the amount yet there is for us to learn, it feels like we’ve only been here for two months.

It is said that if you want to know how well you have adjusted to a  new culture, see how you feel about it after two weeks, two months, two years, and 20 years. Here we are at the two year mark, past the honeymoon stage and getting down deep into more of the nitty-gritty of the culture and language.

So, you ask, how do you feel? Well, I can honestly say that we still like Japan, love being here, admire the people, and want to stay. It is a fascinating place that we have come to understand better over the past couple of years and are excited about all that we will come to understand. Life here is much easier now since we have some language ability and can navigate situations better than before. However, I can just imagine how it will be after 20 years when our language skills are far better and our knowledge of the culture far deeper. It is no accident that we are here, and by God’s grace we look forward to many years to come.

Once again, we thank you very much for continually lifting us up in prayer. Happy Valentine’s Day!

This past week, one of our English students had gone on a trip to a hot spring over the weekend and brought back some goodies for the class. This is a scenario that happens quite often here in Japan and Colby and I have grown quite used to it.

The idea is, anytime you take a for-pleasure trip somewhere, even if it be just a day trip, you bring back a souvenir for those in your group (family, friends, coworkers, etc.) who did not accompany you. This way they too can share in some of the fun of the trip. Usually the souvenir is some food-related item that is specially packaged for just that purpose. Many places, such as airports, train stations, stores, etc. will sell a variety of sweet or spicy treats that you can pick up for your pals.

Stores often have special sections where souvenirs are displayed.

How convenient and fun, you say. Yes, it is. However it is not so fun when you are the one who has to plan and budget for said souvenirs when you go on a trip. In America, we usually only get souvenirs if we go on really important, maybe once-in-a-lifetime trips, and even then Colby and I have not generally gotten people souvenirs. But here, living in a group-oriented culture, we have found that even the most trivial excursions qualify for souvenir-giving activities. Many times a church member or an English student has presented us or the group with their goodies and Colby and I have looked at each other and thought, “I didn’t even know they went anywhere!”

Do we have to give souvenirs since we’re foreigners? you might ask. Well, that’s a good question. You could argue that no, we don’t have to since we aren’t Japanese and never will be Japanese. However, Colby and I have chosen to try to get souvenirs more often than not because although we are not Japanese, we can at least try to be like them and fit in with the culture. Have we gotten souvenirs for every trip we’ve been on? Well, no, I don’t think we have…but we try to at least for our major trips. And yes, at those times, it sure is convenient to have a selection of prettily packaged treats to choose from.

More than anything else, Colby and I want to share the gift of Jesus with the Japanese. Please pray for opportunities and ways to do so and that the Japanese we interact with would desire to receive this Gift.

With record-low temperatures and another couple visiting from America it has been an interesting and full week. Last Sunday we woke up to the freezing cold with snow on the ground (about a centimeter’s worth) and no hot water. For many of you who read this in America, you are very used to this kind of weather and probably don’t usually go without hot water.  However here in Ube, because it rarely gets below freezing, there is not as much thought given to insulating pipes from the cold. Thankfully we had hot water by that evening and could shower like normal the rest of the week.

Sunday was also the day when we welcomed the arrival of another couple who are a part of Christar and are interested in possibly coming to Japan as cross-cultural workers. Kris and Heather were here for the week, visiting each of the Japan Field members and getting a good idea of what life and ministry are like in Japan. We were happy to spend some extended time with them showing them typical Japanese stores and chatting about our lives.

Kris and Heather chatting with Pastor Uchida.

Due to the extra chill in the air (and also possibly due to attending the kids’ meeting on Sunday), Colby and I both came down with the flu, and had to make sure to get plenty of fluids in. I am happy to report that though we are not back to 100% yet, we are feeling much better than before. Hopefully we did not pass this on to anyone else!

Please be in prayer for Kris and Heather as they seek God’s guidance for their future. They are presently visiting the Philippines and afterward will visit India. Pray for safety as they travel as well as a good sense of which country would be the best fit for them and their family.

Today I was invited to observe an important day for the young people of Japan. Japanese legally become adults when they turn 20 years old. Although this officially occurs on their birthdays, the second Monday in January is marked as a holiday to celebrate this transition for the young people all across Japan who turned 20 this year. Local governments hold civic ceremonies which are usually followed by the new adults going out to party.

The "new adults" stand and talk at the end of the ceremony.

While the civic ceremony is mainly just a chance for various local officials to give speeches, many young people celebrate the occasion by donning traditional Japanese attire. Young women wear a special type of kimono and young men wear suits or hakama (male kimono with split pants).  Many young women will go to a salon to have their hair and nails done, as well as to have help with the notoriously difficult to put on kimono.  Some girls receive these kimonos as a gift from their parents, but because of the expense (they can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars) many women rent one or use one handed down from a relative. Some young people have also begun to wear less traditional and very bright colored kimono / hakama sometimes with modern accessories and hairstyles.

Young girls in their elaborate dress with fur shawls (a modern addition).

The passage into adulthood brings with it all the traditional privileges and responsibilities (drinking, smoking, voting, etc.) and some young people use the occasion as an excuse to overindulge in these new-found liberties. Even though legally adults, in recent years there have been some incidents of rather “childish” behavior at some of these ceremonies around the country. It would seem these young people are less hesitant to express their individuality than their predecessors and that possibly they are looking for ways to stand out from the crowd.

Three young guys pose for a picture proudly displaying their new privileges.

As Japan’s young emerge from a highly formalized society into a new global era, many are desperately searching for meaning and values in life. Pray that the church would find effective ways to connect with this generation. Pray for ministries specifically targeted toward high school students, college students, and young workers.

Yesterday Colby and I spent the day with a couple of new friends, Luke and Sarah, who are praying about coming here to Japan with Christar.  It was fun to take them to various stores and temples and talk with them about what life here in Japan is like, and it reminded us of our own survey trip we took here three years ago.

Amongst the many things we did together, we also took them to the church’s youth Christmas party.  Three girls came to the party and we all had a fun time playing games, making our own pizzas, and, as you can see below, dressing up Luke (and Colby too) as Santa Claus.  It was the first time two of the girls had heard about Jesus and Pastor Uchida carefully explained about the Christmas story.

Sarah and the girls pose with Luke the Santa Claus.

It was a blessing to be able to spend the day with Luke and Sarah who are eager to serve the Lord in missions.  Please pray for them as they continue to seek God’s guidance for their next step.  Pray also for the salvation of the three girls who came to the party.