The Story of the Lost Sheep/ Niimi Bible Study/ Outreach

Today was another hot summer day in Yorishima. Since it was so hot, we decided to have Joy Time in Setsuko's room. Today we had Nagisa, Youka, Youka (the same name), Yuki, and Miki. As usual we began with our good morning song and then with our English lesson. Today's lesson was called, "Let's play together!" We reviewed different sports and asked each other if we liked or disliked them. Afterward it was time for the Bible lesson. Setsuko began by asking the children again, "Who is your teacher?" After the students shared the names of their teacher Setsuko began "The Story of the Lost Sheep" from Luke 15:4-7. She asked them, "What would you do if you had 99 sheep and lost only one?" The children said they would look for the lost sheep. Then Setsuko told them that Jesus would also look for the lost sheep and that when the one sheep is found God is so happy that He celebrates! So, in conclusion, Setsuko emphasized that each of us, being one sheep, is so very precious in His eyes, and that therefore, we are ultimately helpless just as sheep are, and thus He will search for us when we are lost. The children really seem to be getting it and continue to show that they are comprehending the lessons from the past weeks. It is a privilege to see the Holy Spirit in action! After the Bible lesson, we played the gesture game and acted out the sports we had studied. It was another blessed time at Joy Time! Praise the Lord!

NIIMI BIBLE STUDY/OUTREACH

This week we did not have a Bible study. Both Shu and Darren were busy. Also, I did not go to Niimi campus due to the fact that I am still fighting a severe ear infection and it was raining that day. However, Shu and I were able to hang out and take a drive to Kurashiki during which time we had a meaningful conversation. We reviewed the material we had been studying in John and talked about our personal walks with the Lord. He told me during this time that he had shared his faith with a friend at school and that later that evening his friend emailed him and wrote "Thank you for Jesus" in the subject line. I was very encouraged by this story! Praise the Lord. We are praying that the Lord will use Shu to reach more students at Niimi College. May His will be done.

The Story of the Good Samaritan/ Niimi Bible Study/ Outreach

Today was a beautiful sunny day in Yorishima, and it was also very humid. As a result, the children asked that we do Joy Time inside today. We were blessed with the presence of the faithful Nagisa, Yuki, and Youka. We began with our usual song and studying the English names of animals. We played the karuta game using the animal flash cars and then Setsuko read today's Bible story. She began by reviewing last week's theme, "Hearing and doing." It was a great blessing to see that the children are comprehending. They were quick to mention "Iesu-sama," which means "Lord Jesus." ("Kami-sama" literally means "God," so you can see how Iesu + sama work together to say, "Lord Jesus"). Praise the Lord for these children who have been given ears to hear! Today's story was, "The Good Samaritan." Setsuko read from Luke 10:25-28, 37. In correlation with last week's theme, "Hearing and doing," this week's theme was, "Go and do." I cannot say enough how exciting it is to see these children faithfully attending each week and attentively listening and comprehending God's word. Praise the Lord! After story time, we played animal pictionary. It was a blessed time for us all! Praise the Lord!

NIIMI BIBLE STUDY/ OUTREACH

This week in Niimi Shu and I got together for Bible study and what a blessed time it was. We studied John 2:1-5. The Holy Spirit led us into greater understanding, specifically in verse 4 when Jesus said to Mary, "My hour has not yet come." It was a blessing to go over Jesus' reference to His crucifixion in this statement. It allowed us to go over what it means to be a Christian and what had to happen so that we could be reunited with our Lord! What a pleasure it is to share in the knowledge of God's Word and to see Shu, who is very new to studying the Word, begin to understand. Then, to hear him say (after we finished our study), "I really want to study the Bible more!" May his hunger continue and the Holy Spirit continue His great work in our lives!

As for the outreach at Niimi college, I was able to go on campus this passed Wednesday, however, recently it has been hard to breakthrough and to reach the students. Of course, it has been raining, so that makes it difficult to talk to students. But overall, it just seems as though they are not interested even when we have been able to talk. So, I will continue to pray for the Niimi College students and see where the Lord leads. Nevertheless, I am very thankful for the men's study that has developed in Niimi and will be content if that is what the Lord has purposed for me for the duration of my stay there. Praise the Lord!

Hearing and Doing/ Niimi Bible Study/Outreach

This week at Joy Time we were blessed to have Nagisa, Youka, and Yuki in attendance. They are regulars of Joy Time and it is great to have them with us each week. Praise the Lord! Also, we were blessed with the attendance of Pastor Mori from Takeshima Chapel! He has a very busy schedule and so we were very thankful that he had time to fellowship with us today. Praise the Lord! We began in our usual way by singing our good morning song and then having our English lesson. Today's English lesson was again on colors. We went around and asked eachother, "What color is it?" and "What color do you like?" Then it was story time. Today's story continued with the theme, "Who is your teacher?" The story today was called, "Hearing and Doing," (taken from the book, A Child's First Story of Jesus). The story was taken from the Sermon on the Mount and emphasized Matthew 7:24-25 (hence the title). The children listened attentively while Setsuko read in English and translated into Japanese. After the story we played Bingo. Yuki was the first get bingo and she received the top prize...a battery operated fan! "Woo-hoo!" What a blessed time it was. May these children be hearers and doers of the Word in the future!

NIIMI BIBLE STUDY/OUTREACH

This week I went to Niimi college and talked with students. It seemed that this time was a time for on campus prayer in between meeting students, since I was not able to directly share the Gospel with any of them. Also, our Thursday night Bible study did not meet, since both Shu and Darren were busy. This is a good time to wait upon the Lord for His timing, to rest, and to give thanks. =)

Love Your Enemies/Niimi Bible Study Outreach

Today at "Joy Time" we were again blessed with some new faces! Setsuko's high school friend Miyuki Ueda brought three children; her son Tomokazu-chan, and two daughters, Nana-chan, and Yuina-chan. Overall, our students included the Ueda family along with Youka-chan and Yuki-chan. Praise the Lord for our time together! We began in our usual way, singing our song and having an English lesson. Today's lesson was about colors. It was review for some of the usual students, however it was good practice for all. Continuing with our theme from last week, we again asked the question, "Who is your teacher?" The students shared the names of their elementary school teachers and then we reminded them that Jesus is the ultimate teacher. So, continuing with the theme, (the teachings of Jesus), Setsuko read and translated, "Love your enemies," from the book: A Children's First Story of Jesus. It was a simplified version of Matthew 5:44. As shown in the picture, the children listened attentively. Afterward, we played our usual sugoroku game using the colors we had learned. When we finished sugoroku we had snack time and enjoyed hanging out together. Once again it was a blessed time for all who attended.

NIIMI BIBLE STUDY/OUTREACH

This week was very challenging for me. Beginning on Saturday in Yorishima, I was very sick after I caught the flu and had a 100.9 fever! I barely had enough energy to teach my classes on Monday as I began my work week in Niimi, but God strengthened and I made it through. Praise the Lord! My energy was very low throughout most of the week, so I decided it was wise to rest and recover when I could. As a result, I did not reach out to the Niimi college students after work on Wednesday as I had planned. Nevertheless, by Thursday, I was able to prepare the study. Praise the Lord! Shu was not able to attend so Darren and I were able to finish up the first chapter of the gospel of John. We were blessed as the Holy Spirit led our time together. John 1:43-51 proved to be very edifying and interesting, particularly in verse 51 when Jesus spoke prophetically to Nathanael and the rest of the disciples, referencing Genesis 28 and Jacob's prophetic dream. Overall, we had a great study and great fellowship even though it was just the two of us. It was a truly blessed time. Praise the Lord!

Who's Your Teacher?/Niimi Bible Study Outreach

Today at Joy Time we were blessed with the presence of some new people. Praise the Lord! The new people today included Sayaka-chan, who is a friend of Youka-chan (pictured together on the right), along with the Masuhara family. The Masuhara family includes 9 year old Minami-chan and 3 year old Hajime-chan, along with their father Masuhara-san (not pictured) and mother Michiru-san who is holding Hamjime-chan in the picture. The Masuhara family are Christians who attend Takeshima Chapel. What a blessing it was to be among other family in Christ! Overall, we were blessed with the attendance of 6 students; Nagisa, Youka, Minami, Sayaka, Minami, and Hajime! Once again, Praise the Lord!

In addition, Setsuko's new job at an elementary school in Fukuyama city is the same school that Minami attends! Furthermore, nine year old Minami is a believer (who was baptized some time ago) and she visits Setsuko everyday when school is in session. They are definitely an encouragement to one another while being in the world (but not of the world). Praise the Lord for our family (of all ages) in Christ!

As usual our Joy Time began with our good morning song and an English lesson. For our English lesson we continued in our study of the days of the week. After studying the days of the week, we read our Bible story. Today's Bible study theme was, "Who is your teacher?" So, we asked the children to name their teachers at their elementary schools and then we told them about Jesus, who is the ultimate teacher. Therefore, today's story was about Jesus teaching the people, entitled, "True Happiness," (from the book, A Child's First Story of Jesus). The story was set with Jesus preaching to the people. Basically, it was a simplified version of the Sermon on the Mount and the children listened attentively.

Next, we played Sugoroku using the days of the week. We had a blast! Once again, the Lord brought us students and His name was glorified! Praise the Lord! I can't say enough about how much of a privilege it is to serve Him!

NIIMI BIBLE STUDY/OUTREACH

This week in Niimi the Thursday night Bible study included only Shu and I, since Darren was busy and could not attend. Also, it was raining on Wednesday, (the day I usually reach out to students at Niimi college), so I was not able to talk to/invite students as planned. Nevertheless, the Thursday night study continued. Our study was in John 1:28-42 and the Holy Spirit lead the way! Praise the Lord. Typically, Shu has trouble understanding some of the English, and even some of the Biblical Japanese for that matter, since it is generally not taken from the Japanese lexicon, so translation is sometimes necessary. Thus, since Darren was not able to make it, we were short a translator. Nevertheless, for this study we did not need a translator as the Holy Spirit gave us understanding in full effect! The Lord continues to prove Himself to me, reminding me of John 14:26. Even Shu was surprised and made the comments, "I understand!...This is very comfortable... We can study like this in the future!" What a blessing! I continue to be amazed as I learn that to be used, all we have to do is show up and let God take control! Amen!

God Tests Abraham/Niimi Bible Study Outreach

Today we were blessed with Yuki and her sister who joined us for Joy Time. We began today's lesson in our usual way by singing our good morning song and reviewing the previous English lessons. We reviewed greeting one another and the the days of the week. Also, we continued with our review of colors but we put them in the context of likes and dislikes. It was an enjoyable lesson with lots of laughs. Today's Bible story was about how God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. As shown in the picture. We emphasized that Abraham obeyed God even though he didn't want to sacrifice Isaac, and that God blessed him for obeying. Ultimately, we wanted them to know that God loves us and that His plan is always the best even though we may not understand it. As shown in the picture, Setsuko read the story in English and translated into Japanese for the first time today. As the Lord leads, we are getting her prepared to do Joy Time by herself in the event that I will not be available. By God's blessing, she is becoming more comfortable and I am confident she will be able to do it. After the story we played the card game "Uno". As we learned last week, just hanging out and talking proved to be a blessing. The children asked probing questions which led to further conversation about God and His Word. Once again, it was a privilege to serve Him.

NIIMI BIBLE STUDY OUTREACH

This past Wednesday I went to Niimi College campus to reach out to students. I brought my guitar and some Japanese/English tracts and was able to share with a few students. There were mixed reactions; some friendly and some not so friendly. Nevertheless, some people heard about Jesus for the first time. One of the funny things that happened to me was being expected to play guitar for a group of girls, despite forgetting my song book. I was able to remember the song, "Jesus is the Answer," and fortunately they seemed to have enjoyed it. I invited them to the Bible study the next day, but they were all busy with night classes. Nevertheless, I told them I would be there next Wednesday doing the same thing and they agreed that we'd meet again then. May the Lord use that time for His glory.

The next day Bible study was a blessing. Shu and Darren came and thus it was a time for men's fellowship. We continued in our study of the first chapter of John studying 1:18-28. Darren has proved to be a real blessing; translating the English that Shu doesn't understand into Japanese. I am really honored to lead these men in the study of God's Word and I pray that the Lord may continue to use me for His glory. May the Lord lead us men as we seek Him together and increase the group if it be His will.

God's Promise to Abraham/Niimi Bible Study Outreach

This week at Joy Time we were blessed with the presence of three students; Yuki, Yuki, and Youka. Each of them had attended Joy Time gatherings before, so we were happy to see them return. Praise the Lord! We began our English lesson with our usual greeting and good morning song and then we reviewed the days of the week. We decided to play sugaroku again using the days of the week since Yuki and Youka had not played with us before. It was a hit and we all enjoyed it. For our story we read from the Children's Bible about God's promise to Abraham. We told them how God said to Abraham, "Leave your country and go to your people. Leave your father's family. Go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you. I will make your name great." We shared how God blessed Abraham as the father of many nations and with a son named Isaac. We summed it up to the students by telling them, when you obey God, He blesses you. Afterward we all just hung together. It has become apparent that they need time to relax since they have a busy schedule during the week. So, we will be accommodating to their need for rest in the future. While we were resting, just hanging out, the children began to ask about the children's Bible story. So, this rest time seems to be a time when they are willing to open up. May the Lord continue to guide and use this time to plant His seeds.

NIIMI BIBLE STUDY OUTREACH

This past Thursday I was blessed to lead another Bible study in Niimi. We met at Shu's house and Shu and Darren attended. It was Darren's first time attending the study and so I was thankful to have him. He is a high school teacher from Arizona. Ayano was out of town so she could not join us. In preparing for this study the Lord emphasized that by His Spirit we shall understand His Word. "But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things I said to you." (John 14:26) Both Darren and Shu are believers, so it was a blessed time of fellowship in His presence as we gathered in His name. The Lord is faithful and He most certainly did speak to our hearts and all who attended were richly blessed. Praise the Lord! I remember speaking and feeling the Lord directing my words and directing me to certain scriptures. It was such a blessing to see His Spirit in action and His Word upon our hearts! We agreed to meet next Thursday and perhaps, if the Lord leads them, more students may join us. I will be going to Niimi campus this Wednesday so we will wait and see what happens. Also, I have been attending a Monday night Bible study lead by an American lady named Jenny. Her husband is a native to Niimi named Hiroshi and they have a son named Gin. Together, the Horai family reaches out to the Niimi community via English and Japanese Bible studies and are part of Niimi church. So, as a result, after reaching out to the students, I am then able to refer them to the Horai family and Niimi church, whereupon they can also begin attending the Niimi church and get plugged in with the Niimi Christian family of believers! The Lord is working in Niimi and it is a privilege to be used. Hallelujah!

David and Goliath

Today was an interesting day. At first, "Joy Time" (the name of our Saturday Sunday School), seemed as though it was not going to take place. I sat outside on the deck of the Sumida family residence and waited. I prayed that if it was to be, that the Lord would bring the students, and so I continued to wait. I knew Nagisa was not coming today since she had already called. On top of that, Setsuko is out of town right now, so if anybody came I was going to do it by myself today. Fortunately, Setsuko had already given me the consecutive Japanese translation for the story of David and Goliath, so if anyone came I would be ready to read in English and then to read the translation in Japanese. Well, just when it seemed that nobody would come, Yuki and her mother came! Praise the Lord! Also, Setsuko's parents decided that they would join the lesson too! I was amazed. Now, there was Yuki, and three adults. The Lord had provided 4 students! Hallelujah!

We began the lesson by reviewing the days of the week. We drilled the English names and then used them to practice saying our likes and dislikes. Yuki said, "I like Monday." I was surprised, since I don't like Monday very much. Then Yuki said, "I don't like Wednesday," perhaps because of the classes at school she had that day. We all agreed that we liked Saturday and Sunday.

Then it was story time. I read the story of David and Goliath taken from the children's Bible. As I read, I was so thankful because for the first time I was not only teaching children, but I was teaching the parents too. The Lord really encouraged me through this. After the story, we all played Sugoroku using the days of the week. We all had a great time! Yuki's mother thanked me and even asked if I would be here during the summer. So, it seems there might be a need for longer summer program. I will surely be praying about this. We'll see what happens.

MAJOR DEVELOPMENT: NIIMI STUDENT OUTREACH

The past few weeks the Lord has put it upon my heart to reach out the the people in Niimi, the city where I work and live during the week days. So after work on Wednesday, I went to Niimi college to reach out to the students. I brought a basic guide for students to understand the Gospel and become saved if they should choose, and a copy of the New Testament in both English and Japanese. I spoke with a few students on campus who walked by and even shared the fundamentals of Christianity with a girl who claimed to be Buddhist and had never heard the Gospel. During this time a Japanese man approached me. His name is Shusaku, "Shu" for short, and he is a new student at Niimi college. I told him that I am a Christian and that I am here to share about Jesus and he replied, "I am also a Christian!" It turned out that Shu had accepted Christ about 6 years ago, but since then has not read much of the Bible. He said he prays and that God has helped him through some really difficult times such as with his illness. Shu has a brain disease and is prone to having seizures 2 or 3 times a year. But, he is here in Niimi studying to be a nurse to help the poor children around the world. I was amazed. What faith he must have to simply believe in Jesus without much Biblical understanding.

Then as I went home, I ran into another student named Ayano who lives in the same apartment building as I do. I recognized her from a Bible study I had attended a couple of weeks before at a local teacher's house also in Niimi. Ayano is not a Christian, but the Lord has led her to the company of other Christians through the teachers at her school, so she has since showed great interest in understanding. Therefore, upon meeting her again, and having already agreed to meet with Shu on Thursday to study the Bible (the next day), I also invited her to the Bible study and she was excited to come. So, as of now, I have begun teaching/discipling a Thursday night Bible Study. Our first study was from the book of John and it was a tremendous blessing. We began with a song, "At the Cross." First, we translated the difficult words of the song from English into Japanese and then we sang in English together. Then we prayed, in both Japanese and in English. My prayer in Japanese is pretty simple, but the Lord has blessed me with the ability that I was not sure I had. Hallelujah! Then we dug into the first chapter of John. Next week we will be studying creation and the Ten Commandments and perhaps other things if the Lord leads, since ultimately I am trying to paint a clear picture of what it means to be a Christian and how to live the Christian life. The Lord has shown me that Shu needs to be discipled and Ayano is very close to receiving Christ and I am honored to be used in the furthering of such life giving processes. Praise the Lord! I will continue to reach out to Niimi students and may the Lord bless us with more students!

The Story of Joseph

Today we taught about Joseph and how he was sold by his brothers into slavery and into Egypt. Nagisa was our only student today. Praise the Lord for her faithfulness! We began our time together with prayer for the first time. Obviously Setsuko and I pray for this time constantly through out the week, but today the Lord put it on my heart for us to pray together with Nagisa and so we did. Praise the Lord! Then we sang our usual good morning song and reviewed the English names of colors. We played the "slap" game with the color flashcards and then we read the story about Joseph. As usual, I read in English and Setsuko translated. When Joseph's multi-colored coat came up, we made reference to the colors we had studied. We told about how Joseph's brothers hated Joseph since he was Jacob's favorite son and how they ultimately sold him into slavery and told Jacob he had been killed. Then we told of the famine that came over the land and how Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to get food. Finally, we shared how Joseph forgave them despite their hatred for him and that God had allowed for Joseph to undergo such suffering so that he could ultimately be used by God to save many people. The theme was forgiveness and after we told the story, we reviewed the story and talked about how God gave Joseph the ability to forgive. Then we went to the beach. It was a beautiful day despite the usual Spring haze which made for a rather overcast sky. As we sat on the pier and looked down at the water I asked Nagisa if she remembered the story of Noah and the Great flood that we had read a few weeks ago and she did. So after some more talk about the flood and imagining the earth having such a great amount of water during the flood, I made sure to remind her of God's promise that He would never flood the earth again. It was a blessed day and am so thankful Nagisa. Praise the Lord and may the seed being planted in her begin to grow.

The Tower of Babel

This week we taught the children about the tower of Babel. We began our lesson with our usual Good morning song. Then, we told the story about the building of the tower of Babel and taught them that our way is not God's way. We reminded them about God's love for us and how He reaches us despite our efforts (such as the building of the Tower of Babel). Then we shared how God mixed the languages of the people in the world and used that to introduce the various places of the world, primarily Israel, as we explained the the geographic locations of the Bible stories, and America. Then, we went "sightseeing" around the Sumida family household and visited various pictures of popular sights in the Western U.S. that we had placed for the children to see, such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Grand Canyon, etc. It was a "grand" time! Then we played an interactive English learning game with dice called, "Sugoroku" (as shown in the picture). Once again this week proved to be a blessed time with the children and we are thankful that the Lord has continued to bring Yuki and Nagisa each week. May they grow to know the Lord in the near future!

God's Creation

Today we taught the kids about how God created the world. We began singing our usual good morning song accompanied by guitar. For our English lesson we taught them to say the days of the week. We ran around playing follow the leader while saying, "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday..." Then we told the story of how God created the world. How He created the earth and all the animals, and finally Adam and Eve. The children we very attentive and listened well, (there were only two this time). Afterward, when asked what the story was about, Nagi-chan said, (flashing a peace sign in the picture) "It was about God creating the world!" How wonderful to know that these little ones are hearing the truth. To end our time together we played balloon games. We had a "balloon stomp!" We all tied balloons to our ankles and tried to stomp on each other's balloons. Then we hit a balloon back and fourth between us while saying the days of the week and counting 1-100 in English. There were only two children who came this week. But the Lord encouraged me and put Luke 15:4 on my heart. "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses ONE of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the ONE which is lost until he finds it?" Once again a truly blessed time. Praise the Lord!

Noah and the Great Flood

Yesterday we had five neighbor children come to our "Saturday Sunday School". We taught them about animals and the great flood. We taught them the English names of animals like the elephant, monkey, bear, and the pig. We sang a song to practice saying the animal names in English. Setsuko flipped through the cards as we sang the names of each animal and I played guitar. Then we read them the story of the Great Flood from a children's book. I read in English and Setsuko translated into Japanese. First, we told them that after the beginning of creation and Adam and Eve, there came a time when God was very displeased with mankind and so He decided to destroy the whole world with a great flood. Then we told them that God was only pleased with Noah and so He told Noah build an ark that would hold his family and the animals. At this time we made sure to mention the animals we had learned in English. Then we told them how the flooding stopped and the earth began to dry up and Noah and his family and the animals came out of the ark. We told them that God was very sad because of the destruction He had caused with the flood and therefore He promised never to flood the earth again. We told them how God created the rainbow to remind us of His promise. We emphasized that God loves us and wants the best for us. After sharing the story of Noah and the Great Flood we made balloon animals and played animal Pictionary while listening to various children's Bible songs. It was another blessed time with the children. Praise the Lord and may the Lord begin moving upon the hearts of these little ones so that one day they may truly know Him!

Celebrating Easter

This past Saturday on Easter weekend we were able to share about Jesus with the children of Yorishima town. We began our time together with an English lesson, teaching them how to say "Good morning," "How are you?" and "Fine. Thank you." Afterward we told them the real meaning of Easter. They knew that we had planned an Easter egg hunt, so we used that to share with them that Easter eggs are not what Easter is all about. We told them the story about how Jesus died and rose again so that we could have eternal life. This was the first time all seven of them had heard the Gospel! Praise the Lord! Afterward, we went to the park hunted for eggs. Then we came back to Setsuko's house and colored them. Praise the Lord that these little ones are beginning to be reached! Tomorrow, we will be sharing about Noah and the great flood. May the Lord bless our time together.

Going to Takeshima Chapel

What a blessing it was to attend Takashima Chapel this morning in the Hiroshima area. He gave a sermon from Luke 19 mentioning how the world is much like Israel, unable to submit to the Lord just as Israel did not submit and thus it is written, "For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side. And level you, and your childrne within you, to the ground..." (Luke 19:43-44) When Jesus entered the city He wept because He knew the hearts of the people would cause them to be far from the Lord. Therefore, He preached about quiet time, making time for the Lord, drawing near to the Lord, and waiting on the Lord, that we include time for the Lord each day. Quiet time has been quite a theme for me regarding the last few messages I have heard.
The church is small by American standards, but it is good size for Japan with about 20 people attending today. They were all so kind and quick to welcome me as a newcomer. I look forward to working together with them and fellowshipping in the near future.
Today it rained a little, but not too much. Setsuko and I did a prayer walk for Yoroshima town this evening. Also, there is a college nearby, and since the town is so sleepy, the students tend to hang around the convinient store which we walked by before beginning our prayer walk. There is another opportunity to reach out get some type of ministry going. The facilities are here, so we are praying about this too.
Oyasami-nasai. (Goodnight)

Week 1

Tyler and I were safely arrived in Japan. We are staying in Okayama, Japan. Let us continuously praise our Lord and count blessings. So far, everything is going well. We have cruised around my town by bike, and gave our praises to the Lord at beach yesterday. We felt peace and prayers from others. Thank you so much! By Setsuko

Jeremiah's Prayer

As I grew up in Japan, I did not have any chance to meet a Christian. Coming to USA is definitely God's mighty plan for me. It took me a long time to know Jesus, but now I believe in Jesus and my faith in Him has been making my everyday life in USA. I was reading Jeremiah, the other day, as I prepared final greeting message on Sunday worship service at First Japanese Baptist Church. God touched my heart by showing Jeremiah's faith and hope in God. It certainly is encouragement from God. He was praying and asking God knowing WHAT KIND OF GOD HE BELIEVES.
Jeremiah 32:17 Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
I am leaving everything up to God, and He will outreach His mighty hand and do His work. After Jeremiah prayed this, God responded to him.
Jeremiah 32:26 Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, 27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. 41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
The power of God is so powerful. I just pray and wait to see His signs and wonders! By Setsuko

Two Weeks To Go!!

Packing up my things... What a job! I have too many things that I did not need. I am trying to fit into two suitcases... If I could, it is miracle! Nine years ago, when I came to US, I only had two suitcases. Jesus said, "Take nothing with you for the trip: no walking stick, no begger's bag, no food, no money, not even an extra shirt." (Luke 9:3) All I need is to stop packing, and listen to Jesus. God is bringing me my home country, Japan with Jesus. Why should I need my stuff other than Jesus, then? by Setsuko.

Men's Retreat

This past weekend I was blessed to attend CCMB's men's retreat. Wayne Taylor was our guest speaker and the Lord used him mightly to speak to the hearts of the men who attended the conference. He began by sharing from Luke chapter 3:5. The theme was repentance, and we all needed cleansing. I found myself convicted of each of the four areas described in Luke 3:5. The "low valleys"; which referenced things like self pity and ultimately unbelief, the "high mountains" which referenced pride and lack of dependance in our Father, the "crooked paths" which referenced lying, cheating, defilement, and impurities, and "rough ways" which referenced sinning in anger, harsh words, lack of gentleness, meekness, compassion, and ultimately lacking the fruit of the Spirit. How obvious it is to see the need for Christ is our lives when we become aware of the sin in our lives, therefore we must keep our focus upon Him and not on ourselves.

The second lesson Wayne Shared with us was based on 2Kings chapter 4:1-6 where a widow was unable to pay her bills after her husband has died. So Elisha advised her to ask for cisterns from neighbors so that she could fill them with oil, which was the only thing of value that she had. So, she sent her sons to get the cisterns and as many cisterns were brought, so were they filled. The typological lesson was, as many areas of our life that we bring to the Lord, so shall they be filled. Let God take control. What an encouragement to hear such a promise from our Lord, who is willing and able always when we seek Him.

Another aspect to the lesson, was that the widows oil filled her neighbors cisterns. Therefore, as the Lord fills us with His Holy Spirit, so shall we bless our neighbors. Therefore, reach out and be available for increased responsibilty, that you may be a vessel for the Lord to use so that others may also be blessed.

The third lesson Wayne shared with us was about faith. In 2 Kings chapter 6 a young man was chopping wood and his ax fell off and went into the river. The ax was borrowed and so the young man was very concerned about getting this ax out of the water. So he told his master, who was a faithful man of God, and his master used a piece of a tree to retrieve the ax and told the young man to pick it up when he had brought it to the surface. The typological reference here was that we are the borrowed ax, and that Jesus, who died on a tree as prophesied in Isaiah, brought us up from the bottom because we had faith which He gave to us.

Furthermore, as we read on in 2 Kings 6:8-22 we see that Syria had surrounded Israel and that Elisha was made aware of this. Upon his awareness, he said in verse 16," Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Then Elisha prayed that blindness would be upon those that surrounded Israel and it was done. The enemies were then lead to their captivity whereupon in verse 21, the King of Israel asked Elisha if they should be killed. But in verse 22, Elisha said to feed them and to love them. Therefore, we are to have faith that the Lord will take care of us and protect us against our enemies and we are to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

Finally, pastor Roger blessed us with a message on the importance of morning devotionals. Earlier that day, pastor Nate had shared about the importance of morning devotionals and so it seemed that the Lord wanted us to realize the importance of "getting our orders" as each day begins. We need to "go to our post" and seek the Lord in the morning as referenced in Isaiah 50:4. It was interesting to know that the hebrew word for "seek" implies "early".

What a blessing it was to spend in fellowship with the men of CCMB and other local congregations. We were blessed and refreshed and the Lord encouraged us and it was good.

reflections

Today is Tuesday March 6, 2007, only 22 days until departure. We have been so blessed to be supported by so many different people. Last night at Calvary Chapel Monterey's prayer meeting, brothers and sisters prayed over me and officially sent me out to minister in Japan. The day before that I was able to share how the Lord put everything together with everyone at the missions luncheon at CCMB. Looking back, I remember last month when pastor Arai and First Japanese Baptist Church officially prayed over us and sent us out to minister in Okayama, Japan. I am just so thankful to know that when God guides, He provides. I will be working in Niimi with elementary school students shortly after I we get there. Once again, God has blessed me to be able to have a day job while things begin to get set up. This weekend I will be going to the men's retreat for CCMB and I am sure it will be a blessed time. It will be a time of great fellowship which I am sure I will remember fondly as I begin to situate in Japan this coming year. I really just wanted to take time right now, to write a few things about what has been happening and what will be happening in the near future. As I keep focused on the prize, I pray that the Lord may keep me focused and strong, so that I may continue running the race for His glory. What a joy it is to serve the Lord. Last night our dear sister Nora Braselton prayed with recollection of Neimiah8:10, as it was written, "...for the joy of the Lord is your strength." This was such a blessed prayer for me to receieve because "the joy of the Lord" has been the theme for ministry in Okayama since the beginning. As I read on in Neimiah 9:24, "the children wne in and possesed the land," and I again am reminded of another Word from the Lord that was given to me, as brother Dan Thornton encouraged me by the power of the Hoy Spirit from the book of Joshua chapter 1. To be supported and to give support is essential, that we may help and encourage one another in Christ, with the love of Christ. Another prayer that was prayed for me last night that ministered to me was by sister Melinda, who prayed, "that the Lord may give me the humility of Christ so that the people of Japan may receieve me with love and know that I am there for them to share Christ. Togetherness. As we bless one another through encouragement in Christ, this must be one of the reasons why Jesus said that the greatest commandment is that we first love God, and then love one another.

Greetings!

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ to all who view this blog! We are a missionary team whom the Lord has called for work together so that the people in Okayama may hear the Gospel. We are set to leave on March 28, 2007 and will kick off the Harvest English School this April 2007, shortly after we arrive. We will begin with our Saturday "Sunday School", which is a "Sunday School" held on Saturdays. Then, this summer we will be having a retreat where we will continue with the "Sunday School" activities in addition to hearing from pastors and speakers. Finally, English classes are scheduled to begin next year in April 2008. We look forward to building relationships with the people in Asakuchi City and sharing the Joy of salvation the Lord has given through His Son Jesus Christ.