Here is an update from October and November,
and a look ahead toward Christmas!
The last couple of months have been a bit more quiet, but I got to do some fun things! At the beginning of October, there was a long holiday, so I went down to Tokyo to see a friend who shares my birthday so we could celebrate together! I also got to see a couple of other friends, and to visit the church of another CTEN family while I was down there!
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| Tokyo Sky Tree |
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| Downtown Tokyo Skyline at night from Shibuya Sky Walk |
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| Spent some time prayer-walking around SensÅji temple, the most famous and most visited temple in Japan, and the most frequented spiritual site in the world. Even before Japan reopened to tourism, it was sad to see how many people still came that day to ask for help from the local kami or gods. |
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| Friends from |
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| DBU days! |
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| pillow fort fun with the Lath (another CTEN family) kids after church! |
I have now been a part of IKG, Ishinomaki "Kibou" (Hope) Gospel choir, long enough that I can participate in performances! My IKG debut was singing 5 songs as part of a festival held at The Historical Museum of Jomon Village to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Jomon Village is a prominent historical village, with artifacts and pit houses dating back to the early Jomon period, which ended around 300BC. It was fascinating to explore the area, and an honor to perform there!
That Saturday saw me back in Sendai with IKG for the Sendai Gospel Festival, where we sang with members from the Sendai, Nagoya, and Osaka locations of the same choir organization. I was able to watch other groups' performances as well, and it was amazing to see so many people singing praises to God, but tragic to think of how probably few of them actually believe what they sang.
There was another weekend of Gospel performances a few weeks later, with only a few select groups performing, one of which was our group! Unlike the previous performances, this one was indoors, held on a stage that is often used for press conferences. We went down that morning to rehearse, then we spent time together eating lunch and getting ready for the performance that afternoon. It was a great chance to really get to know the other members better. They all commented on how joyful and enthusiastic I looked while singing, so I got to share with them that it's because I really believe in what I'm singing and to Whom I'm singing, and that makes all the difference. It was such a special day, and the guest soloist, who is apparently somewhat well known in Japanese Gospel circles, was really amazing to watch. I can't find anything saying whether or not he is a believer, but the way he was singing, it wouldn't surprise me if he is. Pray for those in the audience that heard the truths of the Gospel and God's love and hope sung, and for those with whom I sang and spoke that day, that they would realize the truth of what they sing and come to know the One about Whom they sing.
In November, we held the first Be One Academy Game Day, where we took the students to a park for a picnic lunch and then spent most of the afternoon there playing games and having fun.
I went yet again into Sendai for a dinner meeting of the Sendai location of Full-House A Cappella Circle. Even though we didn't get to sing together, it was nice to spend time with everyone after not meeting for a while. I got to share some of my story about coming as a missionary and what I do, and they seemed very interested in hearing about it. Pray that I can continue to be a light to them, even though we don't get to meet very often, and that they will seek to know more about the One Who called me here.
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If you thought that Japan doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, think again! They celebrate what they call Labor Thanksgiving on November 23, which happened to fall on the day before American Thanksgiving this year! Like American Labor Day, they are grateful for the job they have and the labor force, but it's also a day to celebrate the work that went into growing, harvesting, and preparing that year's rice. The Be One team took that day to celebrate a traditional American Thanksgiving, complete with turkey (despite the turkey shortage), stuffing, all the sides you'd expect, and even a pumpkin pie! It was so special to get to spend time with the team and some others from our English-speaking community, and I was glad to still have a "normal" Thanksgiving.
_______________________________________________________________Before I come home, I will have one more IKG performance as part of a Christmas concert! Pray that those who listen hear the true message of Christmas in the songs we will sing.
- I was able to perform several times with the local Gospel Choir! I also got to share why I am in Japan with more of the choir members!
- I got to have a traditional Thanksgiving this year with my wonderful team!
- Be One Academy had its first game day, so we're all a little closer after that.
- I get to come home, and my flight was almost completely covered by supporter's generosity!
- Pray for all those with whom I've gotten to share my story of coming to Japan, that they would seek to know more about the One Who called me.
- Pray for Be One's Christmas Eve service. Christmas and Christmas Eve aren't much of a big deal in Japan, especially as it lacks the religious connotations, so there isn't much planned besides a few Christmas parties for the different age groups and a candlelight service on Christmas Eve. Pray for all we invite to be free to come and hear about the true meaning of Christmas.
- Pray for those with whom I come into contact in the community, that they would see Jesus in me and want to know Him because of my presence.
- Continue to pray for church leadership as they seek God's guidance for the future of church and personal ministries.
- Pray for a rejuvenating and beneficial visit home over Christmas, that I will get to see and do all I want and need to while I'm there. Pray for the meetings I have to help continue to guide my steps in His plan, not my own.
- Pray for each other. Pray for the person who reads this next, only God knows who that is, that they will share the reason for the hope and joy that is in them, and that the light of Jesus will shine more brightly than all the Christmas lights this holiday season.
