Japan Journal 2006

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Japan Team	08/05/2006 11:29AM
8/3 Revelation 2:19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Our ministry in Otaru began on Thursday. It’s only about an hour away from Sapporo, so we will travel back and forth each morning and evening. Otaru is located right on the Sea of Japan. The city is similar to San Francisco, as it is very hilly. We definitely get a good workout going up and down the hills! We arrived in Otaru mid-morning, and did haifu until lunch. After we ate, we went to the concert hall for our first of 2 concerts in Otaru. Once all of the equipment was unloaded and set up, we split up to haifu a little more. It was a very hot day, so we welcomed some sweet cream (ice cream) to cool us off. The concert brought about 10-12 visitors, most of whom were already believers. Despite a few technical difficulties, the concert went well. We headed back to Sapporo in time for dinner and an evening of relaxation and fellowship. 8/4 I Thessalonians 5:12-13 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. Friday was a continuation of our work in Otaru. We spent the morning haifuing in local neighborhoods. It was another hot, steamy day, so we were very glad to head back to the church for lunch. In the afternoon, we divided into two groups. One group did some shopping in a local shopping street. Otaru is known for glass blowing and music boxes, so we saw a lot of these things. The other group went to the beach to take a swim in the Sea of Japan. It’s a rocky shore with cold water, but the group had a good time. 8/5 James 1:4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Saturday, we had the second concert in Otaru. We arrived in the city around lunchtime, and headed to the concert hall soon after. After setup, we did a few rounds of haifu in the surrounding streets. We had a good concert, including 17 visitors! It was a very international crowd. In addition to the Americans and Japanese, we also had some Korean and Taiwanese at the concert. The music and drama went very well, so it was a good concert to end on. For dinner, we went to a nearby restaurant in Otaru that specializes in fried chicken. It was very delicious, and we headed back to Sapporo after we finished. Here are a few prayer requests... 1) Please pray for the church in Otaru. Like several of the other churches we visited, it is very small. Pastor Watanabe and his family are some of the only believers in the city. Please pray for encouragement for the members of this church and for their ministry to this dark city. 2) Pray for us, as we have only a few days left in Japan. We leave Monday morning. Pray that we would not grow weary, but finish strong. Pray for all the small details that surround our return to Indy. And pray that we have no medical emergencies on the return trip! 3) Pray, also, for Leah’s knee, that it would continue to heal so that she can ride home in comfort. While we are on the subject of physical requests, please allow me to update you on Malachi Cooper. His little hand is almost completely healed! He no longer has to wear a bandage on it, although he is quick to show off his boo-boo if you ask to see it. Praise Jesus for his healing power!
Japan Team	08/05/2006 11:28AM
I’m so sorry that I haven’t updated in a few days. I’ll try to get caught up here… 7/31 I John 3:19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence We had a day of rest on Monday. Some people climbed a nearby mountain. It took much longer than they anticipated, but they had a great time. The rest of the team relaxed around the church and did some shopping in the afternoon. It was a nice, fun, relaxing day. 8/1 Psalm 145:14 The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. Tuesday we put on an English Camp here in Sapporo. We went to a local gym and played team games for most of the day. These ranged from sack and 3-legged races to a volleyball tournament. We had only one casualty—Leah hurt her knee in the morning. To be safe, they decided to take her to the hospital for x-rays. Thankfully, her knee was not broken, but just bruised. Although she has been in a lot of pain, she’s already able to bear weight on it. Hopefully she’ll be able to leave her crutches behind in Japan. Other than Leah’s knee, we had a lot of fun at the English camp. There were a few visitors, and we hope that they will get involved with Grace Church. 8/2 Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Wednesday was an administrative day. After some alone/reading time in the morning, we spent a long time folding newsletters for the church. They ordered twice the number of fliers printed, since they knew we would be around to help fold and haifu them. In the afternoon, we passed out the fliers in the mailboxes of the high rise apartments around Sapporo. Later, we participated in the Wednesday evening prayer service. The music team performed a few songs, and Troy gave the message. Afterwards, we enjoyed fellowship with the church members.
Japan Team	07/30/2006 08:44AM
7/30 Acts 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers This morning we had church, of course. We divided in half to join the children’s Sunday school class and the Jr./Sr. High. At 11:00, we all came together in the sanctuary for a service. Ryan and Erica sang a few songs as special music. Troy preached the sermon this week, focusing on the importance of prayer in the lives of those who follow Christ. Everything went very smoothly, and we enjoyed a nice lunch with the church members. The prayer room is still going strong, as well. It has assimilated into our daily schedule with the greatest of ease. The walls are becoming covered with paper—scriptures, pictures, prayers offered to our most holy God. Although the 48 hours we originally intended ended at 4pm, we made an executive decision to keep the 24-7 prayer going. Our current signup sheet goes through Thursday, which is when we begin our daily commute to Otaru. It is exciting to see what God has already done through this little room on the 6^th floor of a hotel-turned-church in Sapporo, Japan. Who knows what lies in store? The concert went much like that of the previous day. There was again a fairly full crowd, including a few visitors. There were no solid decisions made for Christ, but a handful of conversations after the concert led to interest and desire to learn more about Christianity. In such a spiritually dark world, we are thrilled to even to plant seeds! Praise the Lord!! In the evening, we joined with many of the church members for dinner at the Viking Restaurant. Although it sounds like a Scandinavian feast, this is a chain of yakiniku restaurants. You cook your own food right at the table, so we had a lot of fun with that. We enjoyed the time of food and fellowship with our Japanese friends. Please continue to pray for the requests I posted last time. Pray, too, for both the new believers, that they will grow in the Lord and become lights to those around them. Pray for those in whom seeds were planted, that they will continue to seek truth and that their eyes will be opened to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for all of your prayers. Please know that we can feel the support of our friends and family back home. We love, miss, and are praying for you all.