Hey guys!  The mission Trip is over.  Half the crew is probably back in dallas.  The side trip crew is alive and well.  see you on the flip side guys!

 

-Lottie

Greetings Gang!

Thank you all so much for your prayers, and posts. Knowing that you guys are supporting us really does encourage us all!

Today was a fun day of sight seeing, walking, and shopping with the students. We had Yu, Natalie, Suguru, Haris, Yui, and another girl (who`s name I can`t remember) come with us today. We went to the top of tokyo tower, wich had an amazing view of the entire city (MASSIVE); went to Osaksa, a place with shrines and old arcitecture; and wen to Harajuku, which is a shiek shopping district combining elements of big city and small town with huge clothing stores and little t-shirt shops.

It is absolutely amazing how many students we are spending time with. Yuu, Natalie, & Haris we have spent time with before. But Suguru, Yui, and the other girl are all new to us. ( they have been with the church doing other stuff before though… Yui came to Dallas on a homestay program with PCPC & Oyumino). We would love it if you would continue to pray for all of them to come to Christ.

Howdy, folks.

Thanks to all of you that are checking this blog and praying for this endeavor.

Today began when we left our hotel at 6:30am to begin passing out flyers (promoting the church`s English-speaking mininstry) a local train station. After this sometimes difficult and humbling experience (as rejection was often experienced), we enjoyed egg mcmuffins at the McDonalds next to the train station.

This evening, we put on a huge Texas night, with around 30 people in attendance. This was held at the Oyumino Chapel (not Honda). We had ten students (yeah!), most of whom we had seen before. Everyone was able to connect with the students and spend lots of quality time with them over some excellent taco salad and the best pralines this side of New Orleans. It was definitely one of the best Texas nights we have ever held, and the sight of 30 people line-dancing and laughing to some twangy Texas country music was a sight to behold.

Relationships with students are going well, and it is our hope that they continue to grow closer to the long-term missionaries and hopefully to Christ after we leave.

Love you, and good moring! (We are going to bed!)

Lottie (with contributions from Terry)

Hey guys, sorry for the delayed posts, but we are soooooo tired.

Even now it is midnight, and our day started at 6:30 am.

But back to day four. Our team led an entire church service at Oyumino (Honda) Chapel, including a sermon, worship songs, guitar, etc. It was really blessed.

Next we had the opportunity to help a missionary couple that was in the process of moving to central Tokyo. We helped them clean, pack, move, and store many of their belongings. It was a great chance to just be a blessing to the permanent team here in Japan.

As for the mayhem, we had a great time playing games, singing, and running around with the young children at an after-school program at Kokobunjadai Christian center.

Lastly, the team was able to relax with some of the long-term staff at the sento, a Japanese public bathhouse filled with hottubs, mineral water baths, a sauna, and pools.

Things are going well, but please pray for our continued energy and for good sleep at night.

Good Morning Guys!

Tuesday is now official over in Japan, and it was a great day. The Lord has really blessed John Pfile`s, Eric`s (still haven`t caught his last name…) and Isaac`s (drawing a blank on his last name as well) efforts to draw in college students. To explain: In the past we typically have passed out flyers around campus in an effort to draw in students to church events. Recently These two young men have shifted strategy, and the change really appears to be reaching students for Christ. As mentioned in the Day 1 Debrief, they have joined an “english speaking society” (which is basically an extra curricular club at Chiba University) and in so doing, have developed friendships with some of the members. In the first three days that we have been here, we have had closer interaction, for longer periods of time, with students than all of last year`s week combined. The basic idea is that John and Eric, who are involved in this club, bring us with them when they come to campus. Having us there as additional english speakers means that we can talk to more students and really spend time one on one with more people.

The Lord is at work in Japan. What an incredible opportunity to be here testifying to His glory. It has been a very busy couple of days… here is the recap for Monday:

In the morning we got up nice and early for breakfast and a team devotional time. Breakfast at our hotel is, well, different. I am quite convinced that the hotel intends an `international` breakfast, meaning comfortable for Americans and such. Ha ha ha. When is the last time you had Hot & Sour soup for breakfast coupled with cocktail weenies? I mean, seriously. After several days of those selections and rice I caved and went to the bakery down the road for a delicious sugary donut. Praise God. They sell coffee there – who knew that I would actually have to indicate that I want HOT coffee? Cold is just as common as hot here so that can mean confusion with the language barrier. After breakfast, we had our devotional. Patrick is a rock star as usual – leading the best devotionals ever. We studied Romans 9:1-5. After some prayer, we jumped on the train and went three stops to Toke.

JUNE 1st.

This day was an amazing start to our trip. Oyumino Presbyterian Church has three meeting locations for Sunday Worship. We attended service in the largest center, Honda Chapel. Oyumino is doing very well, and being back felt like a reunion will old friends. Dan Iverson and Justin Uchida are still leading the congregation very strongly and faithfully, and being with them was a great encouragement. Kayko and Yuko are doing well also.

we have been greeted with a gentle and chilly rain –73 degrees! eat your heart out, Dallas)  we’re on the ground, checked in, and safe…not as weary as we anticipated, but certainly looking forward to a sleep cycle here after dinner with John Pfeil and his family.

 

Apparently this thing is a vending machine in Tokyo that walks around and you can buy cokes from it.  Insane!!!!!  Hopefully the hook arms do not move. I’d hate to get mauled by a vending machine even though it would make a good story.

A Coke vending machine robot walking around outside of Shibuya Station in Tokyo. The Japanese schoolgirls looked shocked, as did many other people. 

All right, Ikimasho-ers,   one more comment on what we take with us:

Mark’s been reminding us the last couple weeks (here, and here) that, though evangelism may not be your gift, it’s everyone’s calling.  

Interestingly, the most common google search phrase that ends up leading people to this blog is “fear of evangelism.”  (yesterday even, the search phrase that led them here was “I don’t want to evangelize!”) Google leads them to this post most frequently.

Well, if you’re wanting to take Mark’s instruction from Acts to heart, here’s where you can find your marching orders: an attempt at summarizing the Gospel in its simplest terms but without reducing it from its fullest sense.  Keller outlines the Gospel’s two foci: individual and corporate transformation, the former being in service of the latter. To emphasize one to the neglect of the other can lead to a misshapen, misleading Gospel.  As they say, you can’t have one without the other.  

Read and then see if you, too, can be simple without being reductionistic.  LIke I said a few weeks back in our preparation for sharing the Gospel, use God’s word but find your own voice.