Falling Leaves and Temperatures

 

Hello!

    A few weeks ago the temperature finally fell enough to feel like fall, but since then it's been warm in the afternoon and cool in the evening, so it's definitely layering season! With the cooler weather, the leaves are starting to change into all their beautiful colors, and the sunsets have been particularly spectacular of late! 
  

     In September, the church held its annual silent retreat at a Catholic retreat center/monastery in neighboring Shizuoka prefecture. For two days, we had guided meditation time, during which we were to remain quiet while in that building, even during meal-times, in order to become more aware of every moment, and to open our hearts as to how God might be speaking to us. We also had a special worship service. Our singing was the only time anyone, but the pastor, should make sound. Thanks to your prayers, I was able to easily remain quiet the entire time except for singing. However, some of the church members were very excited to have extended time together and found remaining silent a bit more of a challenge, so it was not as noiseless of an experience as I had expected. But all-in-all it was a nice change of pace and scenery, and a lovely opportunity to be still and to listen to God. 
    
Mount Fuji is partially in Shizuoka prefecture, so we had a beautiful, wide, clear view of it while we were there; so close to it! 


     Previously, I've met very few people with birthdays in September, but here they seem to abound! One of my English student's birthday is even the same day as mine! Another church member's birthday is about a week before mine, so the pastor and his wife treated us to a joint birthday dinner, which was very special and fun! I also got a package from home! (Can you tell I like watching baseball?)
  

     At the end of September, the Christian Center hosted a multi-church international worship night! I played piano with the worship team from Shonan Community Church. The other teams who played were composed of members from different local churches, even including a trio of high school clarinetists! It was such an amazing time of worship, with many in attendance from different churches, and a few non-church goers who were invited by friends. At least six different countries were represented (Japan, Korea, US, Nepal, Ghana, and Philippines), so we led songs both in English and Japanese. It was the largest gathering of Japanese believers I've seen in a while, and it was so encouraging. Preparing for it helped me "level up" my worship piano skills, which have been growing steadily over the months I've been here, so I was able to play freely and comfortably in a true spirit of worship. It was also nice to have the chance to sing along while others lead. I look forward to the next time we can have a worship night! 


     We held our kids cafe two times, with 7 the first time, and 24 the second time! It was nice to get closer with the few who came the first time, but I was glad so many were able to come the second time. Pray for energy and ideas for each time. Though we can't explicitly share the gospel or talk about religious topics, pray that God's love would show clearly in our words and deeds, and that they would somehow make the connection to our missionary status and our behavior. We are considering starting another kids cafe at the church, which would both connect children to the church for other events and give us the freedom to include religious topics and vocabulary in our teaching. Pray for guidance and wisdom as we consider this new venture.
 
 

     We are watching the Lord growing a seed in the heart of the mother of one of my middle school English students! She is also in charge of the kids cafe. She has been separated from church for a few years, but in December, she and her son will join the church as members and be baptized! I am not certain how deep their faith is, but this is very exciting for the whole church. Pray for them, that their faith would continue to grow, and that they would draw other young people to the church.

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     In my last letter, I spoke of my upcoming trip to Korea. I leave Wednesday of next week (October 30), and will be there for three weeks. This opportunity is part of my Pastor's sending church in Daejeon, about an hour south of Seoul. I will be studying English and Japanese ministry and evangelism, children and youth ministries, and worship leading, under several different ministries. I am very excited for this time to continue studying missions in a spiritually rich environment, and, of course, I look forward to all the adventures that come with a new location and culture. Pray for my heart and mind to be open to all God would teach me through this time, and for my body to remain healthy so as to make the best use of this significant time. Pray for the connections and relationships I will make, and for anyone I come in contact with, that Christ would be glorified in every moment and every interaction.

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     I have a big praise! Samukawa Church will be giving a Christmas concert on Christmas day, and it always brings in many from the community who would not otherwise enter a church. They feature a special guest musician, and this year they have asked me to play harp! For a few songs, a lady from another church will join on piano for a duet. As I have no harp here, we decided to rent one. Thankfully, the pianist had a connection to a harp rental service, and asked the rates for us to consider how long we could afford to rent the harp. The church would sponsor the rental, however the fee for the two days, in addition to the transportation fee, was all the church could manage. I hoped for a longer time to practice, especially since I haven't played since last Christmas! In comparing the month-long rate and the two-day rate, I realized it wasn't that much more to rent for a month, and so offered to make up the difference in fees so that I could have ample time to practice, to give a concert worth hearing. One evening a few weeks ago, the pastor, the pianist, and I met to call the company to finalize the reservation. During the call, the company offered a significant discount, and included things like a bench and extra strings, and even extended it to be slightly more than a month! I had been praying for this situation to work out according to His will, and I could feel His love and blessing in the way He answered that prayer.

Praises:

• Huge praise! One of my middle school English students and his mom are joining the church in December!
• English classes and other events have been going well! We have even gained a new 1st grade English student!
• The silent retreat went well and I was able to take that time to listen to God's voice.
• I felt much love for my birthday and got to celebrate together with church members!
• Kids cafe is going well and continuing to grow!
• We were able to reserve a harp to rent for the month of December to use for the Christmas concert, and they gave us a discount!

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for my time in Korea, that I would be open to all God has to teach me and ways to use me.
• Pray for the many with whom I have and will come into contact, that the seeds planted would grow and bear fruit. I have recently been able to have more conversations with a staff member at the nearby 7-11, so pray especially for her.
• Pray for wisdom and guidance going forward with the kids cafe and the possibility of starting one at the church.
• Pray as we begin to plan and prepare for Christmas events, especially for the Christmas concert.
• Pray for each other. Pray for the person who reads this next, only God knows who that is, that they would take time to be still and listen to what God is saying to them, and then have the courage to act on it in faith.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Him,

    Amanda

Summer Adventures

Hello!

    Well, here we are again at the end of another summer in Japan! Yes, it’s just as hot as a Texas summer. (Thank you, humidity, for the 16°F heat index on top of heat in the 90s.) 

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Daily heat stroke advisory aside, July seemed to fly by, with English classes continuing as usual until Japan's summer break started at the end of July. At the beginning of July, I got to accompany my language partner to the Tanabata festival! The festival is especially popular with couples, but for most it is just another chance to make wishes and enjoy a festival.

       A few of you may know that I made an emergency trip home for a week at the end of July to comfort a close friend whose mother passed away. Though a sad reason, I was glad for the chance to see some of you, and I wish I had had more time to visit with you! But I will make sure to spend time with more of you the next time I'm home!

     I had to hurry back to Japan to join in hosting the first of two mission teams from Korea, who helped us put on an English Day Camp at SCC. The three-day camp was open to any children in the community, including current English students. Two students came the first day, one came for part of the second day, and three came on the third day. The team shared Bible stories in English and Japanese, had a short English quiz time, and led different games and crafts. Following lunch together, there was free time to play, do more crafts, and to further discuss the Bible story. After camp each day, the pastor and I were tour guides for the team, taking them to nearby places for sightseeing and dinner. One place was the Cup Noodle Ramen Museum, so I got to check that off my Japan "bucket-list" with them! We also saw the harbor area of Yokohama from the ferris wheel (a great photo-op!) and climbed to the lookout point on Enoshima Island! 


     On Sunday, during the service at SCC, the team presented a special song performance and one lady shared her testimony. After the service, as a blessing and thank you to us, they prepared a special dinner for the church members. During this, they also presented a skit drama, with the theme that Christ is our strength and is the only way to defend against the evil and temptations the world has to offer. One young man performed a taekwon-dance, a performance using moves from taekwondo as an interpretive dance. After this, they left for their accommodations in Tokyo, from whence they would fly home the next day.


     A few days (of much needed rest) later, the second team arrived and put on a camp at Samukawa Church, and I had the honor of hosting part of the team in my house! Especially as it is the church's house, and God has blessed me with the use of it, I was happy to open it to them. The camp and sightseeing schedule for the second team was copy-paste from the first team. We had a total of five students, two of whom came every day! On Sunday, the Korean team's skit drama was during the morning service, and their theme was about Anne Sullivan, specifically Anne's faith and the difference it made in working with Helen Keller, and the impact strong faith can have on the lives of others. 


     The time with these teams was very special and encouraging. Their performances and acts of service were deeply moving, and I could tell their hearts were fully in all they did. It was so refreshing to be with those whose faith is so strong, after being immersed in a culture whose people have no idea how lost they are. Between my limited Korean and their varying levels of English, I was able to communicate with the team members and to get along quite swimmingly! I was surprised by how much of their Korean conversation I could understand, and I could make a few replies or comments, and they taught me a lot in a short time! By the time the second team arrived, I was able to express several simple thoughts and to reply correctly to their questions. (I guess watching all that K-drama is finally paying off!) It also helps that Korean and Japanese are "cousins," sharing many similar words and concepts, and their grammatical structure is basically the same, so my Japanese knowledge was helpful as well. By the end, I was translating Japanese into English (most of the team could at least understand English), and occasionally from Korean to Japanese! Needless to say, my brain was exhausted by the end of those two weeks, constantly operating in three languages, one of which I'm still learning the basics! But God gave me the strength and fortitude to not only get through, but to enjoy those weeks! When I go to Korea soon, I look forward to seeing the members of those teams, especially one lady who basically adopted me and is now my "Korean mom!"

     After those busy weeks, I was encouraged to take some vacation time. One day, I went with my conversation partner to a mountaintop overlook near Hiratsuka, only an hour's drive away, had lunch at a cafe, and enjoyed the view of the city on one side and the sea on the other. Another day, I took one of Japan’s special sightseeing trains to the tip of the Izu peninsula in the neighboring prefecture of Shizuoka. I enjoyed the view of the ocean and the beautiful sunset, and visited the spot where Commodore Perry landed to request that Japan reopen its borders to foreign trade. Thanks to him, Japan became reconnected to the world, including welcoming missionaries again, after almost three hundred years of isolation. 


     I took a three-day trip to the town of Hakone, an onsen (hot spring) town about 2 hours away. The beautiful mountain views, fresh air, and delicious food, made for quite a relaxing and refreshing time! I also enjoyed lovely views from a ropeway gondola over the mountain and the sulfur pits. One special thing in Hakone is an onsen-themed waterpark! Visitors can soak in different pools infused with a variety of things like coffee, green tea, grape juice, soda, or sake, as well as enjoy all the usual water park attractions. I especially enjoyed the coffee pool! The last thing I did before leaving Hakone was to visit the Open Air Museum. In addition to the outdoor sculptures, there are several buildings with interesting artwork. One building is filled entirely with works by Picasso! There is also a lookout tower whose outer walls are composed of stained-glass! It was a nice way to finish off my time in the mountains.

     One special thing that happened while I was in Hakone, was that at dinner one night, I met a lady named Viktoria, from Moscow, who was traveling around Asian countries. She spoke English quite well, and we chatted all through dinner and walked around together afterward. She does believe in God, but isn't into the idea of religion. I was able to share how it's more about your relationship with God and Jesus than about any organized religion. She was very open to what I had to say and asked good questions. I recommended some things to read or listen to if she wanted to look deeper into the truth of who Jesus is and wants to be for us. Please be praying for Viktoria, that she would come to know her need for Jesus through the seeds planted that evening. A fine example of always being ready to give an answer for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15), even when on vacation!

     After that, life went back to normal, with English classes starting back up again (except for when they were canceled because of the threat of a typhoon that didn't end up raining on us much), and getting back into the various Bible studies. I was able to buy a few English children's books and textbooks while I was home, so I have been enjoying using them in my teaching and figuring out which book to use with which student. I think the students find enjoyment rising to the challenge of using English textbooks mostly meant for native English speakers! They are all doing well, and I can already see some of their growth! Please continue to pray that I can find ways to speak truth to them throughout their lessons.

  Erika's last Kid's Cafe before moving to      Farewell feast for Erika            "Shrine-mobile" playing music
  serve a church in Okinawa for 3 months                                                 while going through neighborhoods

     There is a new teaching pastor at SCC, and he and his family are settling into their home and new roles. That church recently had a meeting to discuss current ministries and activities, as well as to hear our vision for the church’s future. Please be praying as we continue through this transition time and as the new pastor takes over more responsibilities. Also pray for wisdom for me as I balance my role between both churches.

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     Looking to the future, later in September, our church has an annual 24-hour Silent Retreat. I’m not often silent for very long, so I look forward to hearing what God has to say if I can just be still and listen. Pray that this is a deep and meaningful time for all who attend, and that the church would grow stronger and closer through it.
     Earlier, I alluded to going to Korea soon. At the end of October, I will be traveling to South Korea for about three weeks to visit my pastor's sending church, and to study how they do missions. I am very excited for my first time in Korea, and I hope to reconnect with friends from college. There will be great opportunities to meet new friends, and to have lovely new experiences! One blessing is that the church facility is equipped to house visiting missionaries, so I won't have to worry about where I will stay during that time. Pray as I prepare for this trip and figure out all the logistics and schedules in the coming weeks.

Praises:

• Had fun outings with my conversation partner and got to share more about Jesus with her!
• Both English Summer Day Camps went well and the Korean teams enjoyed their time here and were a blessing to the churches.
• Had the opportunity to witness to a stranger while on vacation.
• Had a refreshing summer break and got to see more of God's beautiful creation around me.

Prayer Requests:

• Continue to pray for us as the new teaching pastor for the SCC settles into his role, and we seek God's will for future ministries there.
• Pray for me as I balance ministries between both churches, especially with potential changes ahead.
• Pray for the many with whom I have come into contact, that the seeds planted would grow and bear fruit.
• Pray for Takaya-san (my conversation partner) and Viktoria, that the seeds planted would be watered and would grow.
• Pray for the upcoming silent retreat, that it would be a refreshing and strengthening time for the church.
• Pray as I prepare for my trip to Korea, that the details and timing would work out quickly and smoothly, and that God would provide what I need for the trip.
• Pray for each other. Pray for the person who reads this next, only God knows who that is, that they would be prepared and bold in giving an answer for the hope that is in them, no matter the context.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Him,

    Amanda

English and Exploration

 

Hello!

     It has been a full and busy several months, and now that I'm beginning my sixth month here (I can hardly believe it!) I've gotten more settled into my new routine and schedule, with everything in high gear!

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     Jumping back to Easter at the end of March, thank you for your prayers for all the events surrounding Easter. They all went really well! The Kids Cafe had around 20 children come, and we shared about how we celebrate Easter and taught some English words surrounding the holiday. Then we had the Happy Kids Easter event, where we sang songs, did crafts, and shared the true story of Easter! The children who came are now students in my English classes, so having shared the Gospel so clearly at the outset has given a good foundation for conversations that occur during the lessons.


     One special tradition I began last year was to hold a Passover Seder meal on Good Friday. I invited some church friends to join me, but they had to work, so I observed it alone this year. Hopefully next year I will be able to host several people for this special and symbolic meal. 



     On Easter Sunday, one of my middle-school English students came with his mother to the service and stayed for lunch! We had quite a feast! The Easter service in the afternoon was also a special time.

     We've had a total of four Kids Cafes since my last update, and more and more children come every time! This last time, there were 26 children signed up to come! We are so grateful for how this has grown and given us the opportunity to touch so many lives with a simple meal and a morning together. We always play a game, make a craft, and learn a few English words, before we enjoy our delicious lunch together!


     There have been two Funday Saturday events at Odawara Christian Center. These are outreach events to the area, and are open to anyone, but are specifically aimed at youth. They have both been a lovely time of fellowship and fun! The guest speakers at the first Funday were a couple (he from Canada and she from Japan) who shared their journey to becoming missionaries in Japan, and included a Gospel presentation. The guest speaker at the second one was...Me! They originally asked me to give a harp performance, but since I don't have a harp here, we settled on playing a few piano pieces and sharing my testimony. Even though it was the most nervous I've been in a while, I am so thankful for the chance to share what God has done in my life with these people. 


     We've had several birthdays recently, including Pastor Bang’s! It has been fun to celebrate each one and show my appreciation for their friendship in the most common Asian love language: FOOD! I am thankful for these friendships God has given me and for the chance to strengthen them through fellowship.

     Speaking of food, two ladies from the church invited our Thursday morning Bible study group to their houses for lunch, which gave a special look into their lives outside of church, and I got to meet their husbands for the first time! Please pray for the salvation of these men. These ladies always make sure I'm not going hungry!

     A quick look into some of my adventures on my days off (pictured below): enjoying a sweet treat at the local sakura festival, a harp concert, visiting the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Tokyo, admiring God's creation in an aquarium in nearby Enoshima, seeing the Sakura in Ueno with a friend, the yummy coffee and food offered only at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery, petting owls at an owl cafe (you would not believe how soft they are!), and having German food for the first time in forever at an Oktoberfest (in May) in Tokyo. Not pictured: a fun concert in April, seeing Frozen on their version of Broadway, and attending a performance of Romeo and Juliet (in English) performed by local and visiting actors!


     I have started leading an English Bible Study at OCC once a month! It's been a while since I've led a Bible study, and as some attendees are English learners and/or non-believers, I am careful to tailor the focus of each lesson to help them best understand God's Word. Pray for guidance and wisdom in the topics I choose, and for their eyes to be opened to the truth they are reading, questioning, and discussing.

     In addition to continuing to take Japanese lessons online, I have started attending a Japanese tutoring time offered by my local community center! I meet with the same lady every time, and we are developing our relationship. We are even going to a festival together soon! She has been exposed to some stories from the Bible from her time living in America several years ago, so I have been able to share more through our conversation times. Pray her heart would be open and that I could clearly present the Gospel in a way she can understand. 

     Lastly, We have a new pastor and his family joining our team at SCC! He is Japanese, his wife was raised in Japan, and they have a one-year-old baby. They have been serving in Thailand for a few years but felt it was time to return home and minister here. Pray for them as they settle in, and pray for us all as we adjust to what being a team looks like. 

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     Upcoming: At the end of July, we will be hosting two different teams from a church in Korea over two weeks, and they will be leading English Summer Day Camps at both churches! This will be a great chance for outreach and letting more people know about our English classes, as well as a chance to share the Gospel with children who otherwise might never hear it. The teams are between 8 and 11 people, which is a lot for these small churches, so hosting them will be a big task, but I am glad to be here to help them feel welcome and to lead them around. Pray for both churches as we host these teams, that we will have the stamina to serve alongside the visiting mission team. Also pray for the impact this will have on the children who attend, that their hearts would be open to hear the truth of the Gospel.