Although Kumamoto is on the island of Kyushu (I was on the main island of Honshu, where Crystal and Caia still are), I thought you might like to know the latest on the earthquake that struck the city on April 15, with subsequent aftershocks expected for the next week at least.
Kyushu was struck by two major earthquakes in just over 24 hours.
Specific Prayer Requests for Kyushu:
1. The airport is closed because of damage and so are many roads and train lines. Pray that relief supplies can get through and distributed to those in need of it most. Right now 37300 household without water supply.
2. So far 40 people have been confirmed dead and over 90,000 evacuated. Pray for those who are experiencing loss and grief. Sleep is very difficult right now because of the continued aftershocks.
3.Heavy rains and wind would easily cause landslides on the already unstable ground. Please pray for that landslides and further volcanic eruptions would not happen.
If you are wanting to give financially, you can do so through Crash Japan.
http://crashjapan.com/en/donate/
Sunday, 17 April 2016
Day 21 - April 15 - Aaron returns home, the girls stay for an extra week
It was sad when the day actually came for me to finally pack my bags and leave Japan. Who knows the next time we'll be back again (of course, God knows). At least Crystal and Caia can stay another week and continue to build on relationships and friendships we have made during our time here.
Japan Mission is such a wonderful community of believers and it's been great to be a part of that community again and to see how the Lord is working out His purposes through each person there.
Just before I left, I had a great opportunity of connecting with Alex Verwey, who is essentially doing what his dad used to do in managing the English evangelism program, and looking after a the teachers, making sure classes get covered, text books get ordered, and seeking direction from the Lord about other areas of service and ministry that He might want JM to be involved in.
It was really refreshing to hear about Alex's thoughts about a vision for the future as Japan continues to change demographically and thus the needs of the people are changing too.
Japan is a country in many ways, steeped in tradition and change is not something people like to think a lot about.
However, with the ageing population and the growing burden on the economy as these people retire, it is bound to make the dynamics very interesting indeed.
The Japanese have a history of being able to deal with austerity and the 'stiff upper lip' of the older generation is what enabled the recovery after the devastation of World War II.
However, Alex was sharing how he feels that the younger generation is largely being ignored, not just by society, but also by the church.
Just as society finds it hard to change, so to the church, continues with it's programs and services that may not be meeting the real needs of those around them.
This is why it was really exciting to hear about a project that's been going on for the past year or so, where JM went to help a pastor and a new church plant in a rural area of Japan known as Toyama.
If you'd like to watch a short video that the team made when they went to Toyama, click here.
Please pray for Japan Mission as they seek to follow the Lord's direction for the future and as they try to position themselves to be ready for whatever challenges and opportunities lie ahead for it's workers.
If you'd like to read more about the work of Japan Mission and find out ways in which you can prayerfully support what the Lord is doing through them, you can check out their web-site at: www.japanmission.org
Japan Mission is such a wonderful community of believers and it's been great to be a part of that community again and to see how the Lord is working out His purposes through each person there.
Just before I left, I had a great opportunity of connecting with Alex Verwey, who is essentially doing what his dad used to do in managing the English evangelism program, and looking after a the teachers, making sure classes get covered, text books get ordered, and seeking direction from the Lord about other areas of service and ministry that He might want JM to be involved in.
It was really refreshing to hear about Alex's thoughts about a vision for the future as Japan continues to change demographically and thus the needs of the people are changing too.
Japan is a country in many ways, steeped in tradition and change is not something people like to think a lot about.
However, with the ageing population and the growing burden on the economy as these people retire, it is bound to make the dynamics very interesting indeed.
The Japanese have a history of being able to deal with austerity and the 'stiff upper lip' of the older generation is what enabled the recovery after the devastation of World War II.
However, Alex was sharing how he feels that the younger generation is largely being ignored, not just by society, but also by the church.
Just as society finds it hard to change, so to the church, continues with it's programs and services that may not be meeting the real needs of those around them.
This is why it was really exciting to hear about a project that's been going on for the past year or so, where JM went to help a pastor and a new church plant in a rural area of Japan known as Toyama.
If you'd like to watch a short video that the team made when they went to Toyama, click here.
Please pray for Japan Mission as they seek to follow the Lord's direction for the future and as they try to position themselves to be ready for whatever challenges and opportunities lie ahead for it's workers.
If you'd like to read more about the work of Japan Mission and find out ways in which you can prayerfully support what the Lord is doing through them, you can check out their web-site at: www.japanmission.org
Friday, 15 April 2016
Day 20 - April 14 - Last Day of School & Connecting with missionary friends
At the start of our trip, the vice-principal at KIU had suggested Caia come for either a week or a week and a half. Now, on my last day here, we've decided to let today be her last day, then she can be there to say bye to me when I leave early tomorrow morning for Canada.
It will be hard for me to say goodbye to Crystal and Caia and also to Japan, as it has seemed almost like we were back here living our regular lives here again!
While the girls were at school today, I went over to a nearby city and met a new friend, Kevin Shephard, who is married to a Japanese lady, Misa, who helps at the Japan Mission office.
While Kevin is self-employed, his main purpose for being in Japan is to serve the church, and he is heavily involved at the church we used to attend here in Ikoma, the same city where Japan Mission is located.
Misa joined the Japanese staff at Japan Mission on a part-time basis, after Mr. Fukunaga, the JM office manager and accountant, passed away a few years back, and right up to his death, he had basically been in charge of most of the Japanese side of the office work including the finances!
What a blessing it has been for Japan Mission to have Misa as a part of the staff, especially since she is fluent in both English and Japanese, a real asset when dealing with some of the more complicated matters of life in Japan.
We had lunch together and chatted about life in Japan.
Kevin and Misa have been married for about 5 years, and the story of how they met and how the Lord kept them for each other is quite something, but I'd have to let Kevin tell you that one :)
Of course a big question several people wanted to know was, 'are you coming back?'. Of course, no one knows the future, but for now, both Crystal and I are of the same mind that Canada is where we're supposed to be.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had the opportunity to share at the Japan Mission potluck on Monday night and felt that I could share about my time in Japan before, and how the Lord has been teaching me in recent years about my identity in Christ, and that's something that won't change, no matter where I am in the world. This has been a great relief and comfort to me as I seek to serve the Lord where we are at the moment.
Humanly speaking of course, there may be a greater spiritual need in Japan, but as my former boss, David Verwey reminded me once, 'a need doesn't necessarily constitute a call', and those words are often a help when I'm reviewing where I'm at in life.
It will be hard for me to say goodbye to Crystal and Caia and also to Japan, as it has seemed almost like we were back here living our regular lives here again!
While the girls were at school today, I went over to a nearby city and met a new friend, Kevin Shephard, who is married to a Japanese lady, Misa, who helps at the Japan Mission office.
While Kevin is self-employed, his main purpose for being in Japan is to serve the church, and he is heavily involved at the church we used to attend here in Ikoma, the same city where Japan Mission is located.
Misa joined the Japanese staff at Japan Mission on a part-time basis, after Mr. Fukunaga, the JM office manager and accountant, passed away a few years back, and right up to his death, he had basically been in charge of most of the Japanese side of the office work including the finances!
What a blessing it has been for Japan Mission to have Misa as a part of the staff, especially since she is fluent in both English and Japanese, a real asset when dealing with some of the more complicated matters of life in Japan.
We had lunch together and chatted about life in Japan.
Kevin and Misa have been married for about 5 years, and the story of how they met and how the Lord kept them for each other is quite something, but I'd have to let Kevin tell you that one :)
Of course a big question several people wanted to know was, 'are you coming back?'. Of course, no one knows the future, but for now, both Crystal and I are of the same mind that Canada is where we're supposed to be.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had the opportunity to share at the Japan Mission potluck on Monday night and felt that I could share about my time in Japan before, and how the Lord has been teaching me in recent years about my identity in Christ, and that's something that won't change, no matter where I am in the world. This has been a great relief and comfort to me as I seek to serve the Lord where we are at the moment.
Humanly speaking of course, there may be a greater spiritual need in Japan, but as my former boss, David Verwey reminded me once, 'a need doesn't necessarily constitute a call', and those words are often a help when I'm reviewing where I'm at in life.
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| Caia and her buddy Emma who are in the same grade 1 class at KIU Academy. Emma and Caia hit it off from day 1, and she was tearful today to think that Caia wouldn't be coming back to school again |
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| Thought I'd take one more photo of the front of the elementary building at KIUA. This building is used on Sundays for Kyoto International Chapel meetings |
Wednesday, 13 April 2016
Day 19 - April 13 - Kimono & Kim playtime
A tradition in Japan when a girl turns 7 years old is for them to wear a special kimono (traditional Japanese clothing) and my (Aaron's) Japanese teacher, Mrs. Kobayashi, made a special trip from her home just to dress Caia up in this special outfit so we could take some photos of her wearing it.
This was one of the highlights of our trip, as part of the reason for coming was to make sure Caia had the opportunity to see something of Japanese culture and experience that for herself.
We had hoped to do this, but were surprised when Mrs. Kobayashi offered to come and do this for her without us even asking! What a blessing.
The day finished off when Kim Ayars, one of the JM English teaching missionaries, came over to play with Caia while Crystal and I had a few hours off together. Thanks Kim!
This certainly has been a trip with many experiences and times of blessing from the Lord. We have seen His hand at work in many ways and have been able to connect with many of our friends and some of our unsaved friends too.
We appreciate your prayers.
This was one of the highlights of our trip, as part of the reason for coming was to make sure Caia had the opportunity to see something of Japanese culture and experience that for herself.
We had hoped to do this, but were surprised when Mrs. Kobayashi offered to come and do this for her without us even asking! What a blessing.
The day finished off when Kim Ayars, one of the JM English teaching missionaries, came over to play with Caia while Crystal and I had a few hours off together. Thanks Kim!
This certainly has been a trip with many experiences and times of blessing from the Lord. We have seen His hand at work in many ways and have been able to connect with many of our friends and some of our unsaved friends too.
We appreciate your prayers.
Tuesday, 12 April 2016
Day 18 - April 12 - Nara Park & Supper with the McKenna's
Since I'm returning to Canada on Friday, we spent the day as a family, and headed back to Nara Park and the surrounding area.
We explored the shopping streets (shotengai) and even had the opportunity of speaking to a couple from Tokyo who were visiting for the day and giving them some Gospel literature in Japanese (the Yorokobi no Izumi produced by Japan Mission).
While Tokyo is the nation's capital, Nara is often known as the cultural capital, and is home to the 'Daibutsu' (giant Buddha) which is housed in one of Japan's oldest wooden buildings.
Japan's two main religious traditions are Shintoism and Buddhism. Shintoism is the worship of the ancestors which is the ethnic religion of Japan and Buddhism was imported to Japan from China via India.
Although religion appears on the outside to play a very central part of Japanese life and culture, if you were to ask the average Japanese person if they were religious or not, they'd probably say, no, although at the same time, they would also likely say that Japanese are 'Buddhist'. From a Western viewpoint, this seems like a contradiction, and yet to a Japanese person, it isn't. Herein lies a possible reason why many foreigners struggle to adapt to Japanese life and culture, because there are many seeming contradictions that make living here interesting to say the least.
After getting back, it was a blessing to have supper with Alistair and Wendy McKenna, who have been pastoring at Osaka International Church for around a year. Although approaching retirement, they both felt the Lord's call on their lives to return to Japan, where they had served around 30 years previously, and are willing to be here for as long as the Lord would have them.
They shared their story of how the Lord called them back after all these years, to the land of the rising sun, and of how He provided accommodation for them in Ikoma, right next to Japan Mission, all as they waited upon the Lord for guidance and direction about where to live when the came to Japan.
The story was an incredible story of faith and trust and of God's provision in answer to prayer and in accordance with His Word. This was certainly a challenge to my own life and how I go about my daily life and trust God for guidance.
We explored the shopping streets (shotengai) and even had the opportunity of speaking to a couple from Tokyo who were visiting for the day and giving them some Gospel literature in Japanese (the Yorokobi no Izumi produced by Japan Mission).
While Tokyo is the nation's capital, Nara is often known as the cultural capital, and is home to the 'Daibutsu' (giant Buddha) which is housed in one of Japan's oldest wooden buildings.
Japan's two main religious traditions are Shintoism and Buddhism. Shintoism is the worship of the ancestors which is the ethnic religion of Japan and Buddhism was imported to Japan from China via India.
Although religion appears on the outside to play a very central part of Japanese life and culture, if you were to ask the average Japanese person if they were religious or not, they'd probably say, no, although at the same time, they would also likely say that Japanese are 'Buddhist'. From a Western viewpoint, this seems like a contradiction, and yet to a Japanese person, it isn't. Herein lies a possible reason why many foreigners struggle to adapt to Japanese life and culture, because there are many seeming contradictions that make living here interesting to say the least.
After getting back, it was a blessing to have supper with Alistair and Wendy McKenna, who have been pastoring at Osaka International Church for around a year. Although approaching retirement, they both felt the Lord's call on their lives to return to Japan, where they had served around 30 years previously, and are willing to be here for as long as the Lord would have them.
They shared their story of how the Lord called them back after all these years, to the land of the rising sun, and of how He provided accommodation for them in Ikoma, right next to Japan Mission, all as they waited upon the Lord for guidance and direction about where to live when the came to Japan.
The story was an incredible story of faith and trust and of God's provision in answer to prayer and in accordance with His Word. This was certainly a challenge to my own life and how I go about my daily life and trust God for guidance.
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| A Japanese Buddhist Monk stands 'collecting' money from those who wish to give him any |
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| One of the shopping streets in Nara |
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| An unusual sight right in the heart of the shopping area. An Anglican church building! |
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| Looking towards one of the traditional 5 story pagodas |
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| The spiritual need in Japan is great. This lady bows before some little stone statues and offers a 'prayer' |
Day 17 - April 11 - School, Lunch with an old friend & a Japan Mission Potluck
Today I was able to catch up with another good friend from the USA, John Magner. We had supper with him and his family last week, but it was nice just to go and have some time to chat with John. We went for Coffee at a local Starbucks and then had a Chinese meal for lunch.
John has some surgery coming up in the middle of July, so I know he'd appreciate prayer for that.
On my way to meet John, I was able to drop another Japan Mission missionary down to the train station as she went into Osaka to hand out some Christian literature to passersby near a train station. Please pray for these leaflets as they are handed out, that God might use them to speak to the hearts of those who received them.
When I worked in Japan before, I used to hand out the monthly 'Yorokobi no Izumi/Fountain of Joy' leaflets at train stations, shops and other places on my travels as I went to teach various English classes in Osaka.
Crystal and Caia started their 2nd week of school this week. Caia has made some new friends at school. One girl, Michelle, is the daughter of some good friends from when we lived here. Her dad is the principal of the school and her mum grew up in Japan as a missionary kid. The other girl is called Anna and both of her parents are Japanese, but her English is already very good.
It's been really neat to see how the children have taken to Caia and how she has adapted to being here pretty well.
Of course, like any new culture and country, there has been a lot to take in, so last night, for the first time, Caia expressed her desire to go home as she was missing her classmates and her family back in Canada.
It's been a good lesson for Crystal and I as parents too, as it's been relatively easy for us to get along, understanding the language and expectations of Japanese culture to a greater degree than Caia. So, for us to have to try and see things from Caia's perspective, with no understanding of the language or the culture, in some ways it must be overwhelming for her.
Caia and I went for a walk after school in the local neighbourhood around Japan Mission, so I"ll share some photos below so you can get an idea of some of the things we see on a daily basis.
We finished off the evening with the traditional bi-monthly Japan Mission potluck, where each of the JM workers brings a favourite dish to share and we enjoy a time of fellowship together.
We ended our time with some songs and a thought from the Word. David Verwey had asked me to share a word of encouragement for those who came, so I shared something that had been a challenge to me recently and related that to my experience in Japan.
John has some surgery coming up in the middle of July, so I know he'd appreciate prayer for that.
On my way to meet John, I was able to drop another Japan Mission missionary down to the train station as she went into Osaka to hand out some Christian literature to passersby near a train station. Please pray for these leaflets as they are handed out, that God might use them to speak to the hearts of those who received them.
When I worked in Japan before, I used to hand out the monthly 'Yorokobi no Izumi/Fountain of Joy' leaflets at train stations, shops and other places on my travels as I went to teach various English classes in Osaka.
Crystal and Caia started their 2nd week of school this week. Caia has made some new friends at school. One girl, Michelle, is the daughter of some good friends from when we lived here. Her dad is the principal of the school and her mum grew up in Japan as a missionary kid. The other girl is called Anna and both of her parents are Japanese, but her English is already very good.
It's been really neat to see how the children have taken to Caia and how she has adapted to being here pretty well.
Of course, like any new culture and country, there has been a lot to take in, so last night, for the first time, Caia expressed her desire to go home as she was missing her classmates and her family back in Canada.
It's been a good lesson for Crystal and I as parents too, as it's been relatively easy for us to get along, understanding the language and expectations of Japanese culture to a greater degree than Caia. So, for us to have to try and see things from Caia's perspective, with no understanding of the language or the culture, in some ways it must be overwhelming for her.
Caia and I went for a walk after school in the local neighbourhood around Japan Mission, so I"ll share some photos below so you can get an idea of some of the things we see on a daily basis.
We finished off the evening with the traditional bi-monthly Japan Mission potluck, where each of the JM workers brings a favourite dish to share and we enjoy a time of fellowship together.
We ended our time with some songs and a thought from the Word. David Verwey had asked me to share a word of encouragement for those who came, so I shared something that had been a challenge to me recently and related that to my experience in Japan.
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| The 'tori' gate with giant rope hanging below. The rope is hung there at a special ceremony over the new year period. |
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| Looking over some of the temple buildings towards Ikoma |
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| Japanese 'coi' fish |
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| Some of the Buddhist statues at the local temple near our house |
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| Lunch with my missionary friend, John. Ramen (noodles), gyoza (dumplings) and chauhan (fried rice). I wasn't needing food for quite a while after this meal! |
Sunday, 10 April 2016
Day 16 - April 10 - Church & More Old Friends
It was great to be back at our old church in Ikoma where we attended when we lived in Japan. We went there on our first Sunday here also, and that's where I taught an English class.
One of the students, Mr. Baba, has studied English through the church English class for more than 30 years!
After the service was over, I was praying for an opportunity to ask Mr. Baba about the reason he still comes to the church after all these years. To my knowledge, he isn't yet a believer.
I had the opportunity today to ask him why he enjoys the church English program so much. He stays for the bi-lingual church service after too. Of course, I got some of the standard answers, such as, he likes to practice his English, but he also admitted that he enjoys the messages each week and that he thinks about what he hears. I asked him if he has a Bible at home and he said that he does. Please pray that Mr. Baba would think more about what he has heard, and perhaps even today's message would have spoken to his heart.
The message was from the book of Ruth and how Ruth's choices affected not only her, but many others too. Ruth chose to follow her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem, and she also chose to follow her mother-in-law's God, the true God.
This message, I feel, is one that might resonate with Japanese, who often see the Bible as a 'western' book and not relevant or for them specifically.
After the service we shared lunch together and then had the opportunity to meet up with Robert & Mai Mackenzie, a couple that we've known for many years.
They attend a church in Sakai city, south of Osaka, the church Crystal attended when I first met her back in 2000.
Robert was telling me about the opportunities the Lord gives him to be a witness at work and he believes the Lord has put him in the position he's in for that specific reason.
Pray also for Robert and Mai, as a Christian couple with 2 young children, they face many challenges living in a culture that is at best indifferent to the Gospel, and at worst, opposes the Gospel message on many fronts.
One of the students, Mr. Baba, has studied English through the church English class for more than 30 years!
After the service was over, I was praying for an opportunity to ask Mr. Baba about the reason he still comes to the church after all these years. To my knowledge, he isn't yet a believer.
I had the opportunity today to ask him why he enjoys the church English program so much. He stays for the bi-lingual church service after too. Of course, I got some of the standard answers, such as, he likes to practice his English, but he also admitted that he enjoys the messages each week and that he thinks about what he hears. I asked him if he has a Bible at home and he said that he does. Please pray that Mr. Baba would think more about what he has heard, and perhaps even today's message would have spoken to his heart.
The message was from the book of Ruth and how Ruth's choices affected not only her, but many others too. Ruth chose to follow her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem, and she also chose to follow her mother-in-law's God, the true God.
This message, I feel, is one that might resonate with Japanese, who often see the Bible as a 'western' book and not relevant or for them specifically.
After the service we shared lunch together and then had the opportunity to meet up with Robert & Mai Mackenzie, a couple that we've known for many years.
They attend a church in Sakai city, south of Osaka, the church Crystal attended when I first met her back in 2000.
Robert was telling me about the opportunities the Lord gives him to be a witness at work and he believes the Lord has put him in the position he's in for that specific reason.
Pray also for Robert and Mai, as a Christian couple with 2 young children, they face many challenges living in a culture that is at best indifferent to the Gospel, and at worst, opposes the Gospel message on many fronts.
Day 15 - April 9 - A Family Day Out
It was great to be able to spend a day together as a family at Universal Studios Japan, which is about a 50 minute train ride from Ikoma.
This was one thing that we had promised Caia we would do, and feel that she's adapted really well to Japan since our arrival and it was a good motivator for her to get through a challenging and tiring week of school and many new and varied experiences.
It probably wasn't one of the busiest days at USJ, and yet the lines for some of the attractions were 3 or 4 hours at one point during the day!
The highlight of the day for Crystal and Caia was the 'Starlight Parade' at 8pm where various floats and characters from various fairytales paraded through the streets of USJ to music and commentary.
When we got home at night, we sure were glad the next day was Sunday, and Crystal and Caia didn't have to head off to school :)
This was one thing that we had promised Caia we would do, and feel that she's adapted really well to Japan since our arrival and it was a good motivator for her to get through a challenging and tiring week of school and many new and varied experiences.
It probably wasn't one of the busiest days at USJ, and yet the lines for some of the attractions were 3 or 4 hours at one point during the day!
The highlight of the day for Crystal and Caia was the 'Starlight Parade' at 8pm where various floats and characters from various fairytales paraded through the streets of USJ to music and commentary.
When we got home at night, we sure were glad the next day was Sunday, and Crystal and Caia didn't have to head off to school :)
Friday, 8 April 2016
Day 14 - April 8 - A Drive through tea country to teach English
About a week before we left for Japan, I had the thought that it might be special if I was able to teach some English classes while I was here.
That very day, I received an e-mail from Alex Verwey (my former boss's son) who is in charge of the English teaching programme at Japan Mission, asking me if I would consider going to teach English for a pastor who was very ill in hospital.
Although the circumstances were unfortunate, I was very glad to have the opportunity to teach an English class, something I hadn't done in several years.
I was able to teach 4 classes, 3 kids classes and an adult class. There are currently about 15 students who come on a Friday, and Japan Mission is committed to teaching there for 4 weeks. Pray that these students will be open to the Gospel as a result of coming to the church to learn English, and that Yuki and Stephen would have opportunities to speak to them about the Lord.
The drive to Shigaraki-cho, the little town in Shiga Prefecture, next to Nara where we are staying, was very interesting, with long, windy roads, going through mountain paths and tea plantations, then arriving in Shigaraki, which is also famous for its' pottery.
It was a real thrill to be able to go to a small church, and visit with the pastor's wife, Yuki, who has lived in Scotland and England before, so her English is very good. Her husband, Stephen, is quite ill with various health problems, including diverticulitis. Please pray for him as he recovers and goes for surgery in the next few months. Meanwhile, his wife, Yuki, takes the responsibility of keeping the English classes going and making sure the various meetings at church continue. The church has around 17 in attendance on a Sunday, in an area of Japan that is steeped in Buddhist tradition and quite hard work for the Gospel.
However, Yuki remains bright and cheerful, despite the challenges, and is determined to remain here as long as the Lord would have them stay.
The church, though small in size, is well established here, having been here around 70 years!
Yuki also mentioned the powerful influence of a cult, known as shumeikai (sounds like shoemaker) which teaches 3 things: 1. Renounce all that is not organic; 2. The hand has the power to heal; 3. Everything in nature is god. This cult has it's headquarters in Shigaraki. Yuki mentioned that when she was living in England, she even met some of the cult members there, as the are very interested in culture and like to collect artifacts from various countries. They have even opened several museums, and have had pieces donated to them from museums overseas!
This cult is particularly powerful among the people who seek to make a living from their pottery making business, as the cult has plenty of money, which they distribute freely in order to gain converts, making their teachings hard to resist. Apparently, they have even opened several museums, and have been given exhibits from museums in the USA!
One praise item is that Yuki told me she has two individuals who are adherents of this cult, come to the church to study the Bible. She feels that the plight of those trapped by the cult cannot be ignored, and is trying to do all she can to teach them the right way from God's Word.
Pray for this little church and for Stephen & Yuki Williams who seek to minister to the people of Shigaraki-cho.
That very day, I received an e-mail from Alex Verwey (my former boss's son) who is in charge of the English teaching programme at Japan Mission, asking me if I would consider going to teach English for a pastor who was very ill in hospital.
Although the circumstances were unfortunate, I was very glad to have the opportunity to teach an English class, something I hadn't done in several years.
I was able to teach 4 classes, 3 kids classes and an adult class. There are currently about 15 students who come on a Friday, and Japan Mission is committed to teaching there for 4 weeks. Pray that these students will be open to the Gospel as a result of coming to the church to learn English, and that Yuki and Stephen would have opportunities to speak to them about the Lord.
The drive to Shigaraki-cho, the little town in Shiga Prefecture, next to Nara where we are staying, was very interesting, with long, windy roads, going through mountain paths and tea plantations, then arriving in Shigaraki, which is also famous for its' pottery.
It was a real thrill to be able to go to a small church, and visit with the pastor's wife, Yuki, who has lived in Scotland and England before, so her English is very good. Her husband, Stephen, is quite ill with various health problems, including diverticulitis. Please pray for him as he recovers and goes for surgery in the next few months. Meanwhile, his wife, Yuki, takes the responsibility of keeping the English classes going and making sure the various meetings at church continue. The church has around 17 in attendance on a Sunday, in an area of Japan that is steeped in Buddhist tradition and quite hard work for the Gospel.
However, Yuki remains bright and cheerful, despite the challenges, and is determined to remain here as long as the Lord would have them stay.
The church, though small in size, is well established here, having been here around 70 years!
Yuki also mentioned the powerful influence of a cult, known as shumeikai (sounds like shoemaker) which teaches 3 things: 1. Renounce all that is not organic; 2. The hand has the power to heal; 3. Everything in nature is god. This cult has it's headquarters in Shigaraki. Yuki mentioned that when she was living in England, she even met some of the cult members there, as the are very interested in culture and like to collect artifacts from various countries. They have even opened several museums, and have had pieces donated to them from museums overseas!
This cult is particularly powerful among the people who seek to make a living from their pottery making business, as the cult has plenty of money, which they distribute freely in order to gain converts, making their teachings hard to resist. Apparently, they have even opened several museums, and have been given exhibits from museums in the USA!
One praise item is that Yuki told me she has two individuals who are adherents of this cult, come to the church to study the Bible. She feels that the plight of those trapped by the cult cannot be ignored, and is trying to do all she can to teach them the right way from God's Word.
Pray for this little church and for Stephen & Yuki Williams who seek to minister to the people of Shigaraki-cho.
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| The English class takes place at the back of the main church building |
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| A view of the main church meeting room |
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| A view of the church building from the outside |
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| The little creatures, in Japanese called 'tanuki' are made from clay by local potters |
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| This is a large Tanuki, but I discovered even bigger ones on my drive |
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| The roads are super narrow. This is actually a road where traffic travels in both directions! |
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| The drive to the church took me along a river for a large part of the journey |
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| In the distance, you can see the tea plantations. It was amazing to see the tea growing everywhere on the journey |
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| The tea looks like very neatly manicured hedges |
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