Japan Journal 2008

Hebrews 10:23-25

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Tuesday was our last full day here in Japan. Troy prepared a list of questions to help us reflect upon our time here in Japan. What have we learned from the Japanese church? What have we learned from each other? These are a few of the questions that we spent a few hours contemplating and journaling about. The team divided into two groups for much of the day. One group stayed in Sapporo to shop and relax. The other group headed to a mountain about 90 minutes away. The goal was to climb the mountain to enjoy the amazing view. However, driving rain and wind kept the group from reaching the top. Instead, they went to a bath house located on the same mountain to enjoy some relaxation. This evening has been consumed mainly by packing, last-second trips to the store, and spending as much time as possible with our Japanese brothers and sisters. We also met as a team for about an hour to discuss what we learned during our reflection time this morning. This meeting ended with prayer for the cities of Sapporo and Indianapolis.

Prayer Requests

1.       Please pray for all of the final details to fall into place as we prepare to head home. Pray too for safe travel!

2.       Pray for Ben Boswell to be able to begin his ministry effectively. Pray against a letdown or homesickness. We know that God has great things in store for Ben this year. Please lift our brother up in continual prayer.

3.       Finally, please pray that the work that God began while we were here to continue. This goes for the team headed back to Castleview, the believers of Grace Church, and all of those who have been affected by us.

On behalf of the entire team, I want to thank you for joining with us on this adventure. Your prayers have been effective and appreciated. We can’t wait to reunite with our family, friends, and the body of Castleview. See you soon!

Mark 15:19

Jesus…said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Today has been really fun! This morning we had a Japanese vs. American softball game at a local park. Both sides had good plays and good attitudes, but the Americans won 9-5. Go USA! Is this a preview to the Olympics? Everyone had a good time, and only minor scrapes and bruises were sustained. Logan Smith also jammed some fingers, but she has kept a good attitude! We got back to the church in early afternoon in time for a delicious lunch. At 3:30, we had Revival Youth Sapporo, which was modeled after the workshop held at Castleview in May. Troy taught on corporate prayer, ideas for a prayer group, and praying for revival in schools. We put his teaching into practice with a time of prayer. It was wonderful to hear all the voices lifted up to our heavenly Father! In the evening, the girls enjoyed a fun night of chocolate fondue and games sponsored by Naomi Kamidate (the pastor’s daughter and David’s fiancée!)

I have saved the most wonderful news for last. There is a family of believers in the church which stretches over 3 generations, which is very unusual. Hopefully it will become more common as this church continues to grow! This family in Christ started with a couple who became saved, and it has stretched to siblings, cousins, spouses, and children. This is truly an example of the above verse, as this family of believers can be traced back to one Christian. One member of this family is a girl named Midori, who lives in Tokyo. She is visiting her parents here in Sapporo, so she has been with them at church the past few days. Her parents, aunt, uncle, and other family members have been praying faithfully for her salvation for many years. Today during the Revival Youth Sapporo meeting, Midori believed! We have a new sister in Christ! There were many tears of joy when this was announced. Praise God!!!

Prayer Requests

1.       Please pray for Midori to grow in her faith. Continue to pray, too, for Naoki and all of the other visitors who have come over the past few weeks. If you add all of our outreaches together, we estimate around 100 visitors. This is truly a work of God! The churches here are faithful to follow up with each visitor, so pray that the seeds would continue to grow.

2.       Tomorrow a group will climb another local mountain. Please pray for safety.

3.       We are a bit banged up right now, between Tim’s ankle, Logan’s fingers, and other soreness/tiredness. Please pray for rest and healing.

4.       This trip is nearly over. Please pray that we would finish strong and continue to minister effectively over these last few days!

Romans 15:5-6

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It has been a very full day, but also very fulfilling. This morning we had 2 church services again. Troy preached on faith during the regular service, and our music team led the worship during the gospel service. This particular gospel service has been advertised on the fliers we handed out, so it was exciting to see people lining up outside the sanctuary! I don’t have an exact number on the visitors to the gospel service, but I think there were about 10. One visitor was a man named Naoki, who also came to yesterday’s concert. He had previously been involved in the Mormon church, but had always thought something wasn’t quite right about it. This morning after the gospel service, Naoki was captured by the TRUTH of the Gospel, and he believed! Praise the Lord!

After a big pitch-in lunch with the church members, we had a little break before the events of the afternoon. At 2:30 we headed out for another last-minute haifu. (By the way, this really works! We met Naoki in the park about a half hour before yesterday’s concert.) Our final concert began at 3:30. Remember how excited I was yesterday about 25 visitors? Well today there were 32 visitors! The concert went really well, and many people had good conversations with the visitors. Afterwards, we all went to a big yakiniku buffet restaurant. Later in the evening, many went to the sento (bath house) to relax after a busy day.

Prayer Requests

1.       Please pray for our new brother Naoki and all of the other visitors who came to Grace Church in the past few days. Pray that God would continue to work in their hearts and that the church members would continue to pursue them.

2.       Tomorrow we are having a big softball game, Americans vs. Japanese. Please pray for safety and for our competitive natures to take a break. Japanese people are not very competitive, so please pray that we would be good sports.

3.       Finally, please continue to pray for unity, protection, and safety! We are finishing our work here, and we can’t wait to see our friends and families again soon!