There's No Place Like Home

Beloved,
This will be the last email from your Sendai Team as we spend the next few days visiting Sendai and the surrounding area before we head home on Wednesday.  It's been a wonderful mission and the Sendai church is truly grateful for having our team over to assist them.  They have asked that we return.

Nakada Sensei shared again from the book of Acts, 15:38.  Like Paul and Barnabas, we will disagree at times on issues, but we need to understand and accept each other and move on.  Your team has worked well together but we know that we are not above any disruption that can separate us.  So we hang on to our Lord to ensure that in all that we do together, we do it for Christ and no one else.

The Sunday service went well this morning.  Fumi shared her personal testimony and Kagiwada Sensei shared from 2 Corinthians 5:17.  We trust that their messages spoke to Toru Sakai and his son, Jotaro, both of whom were in church.  Praise the Lord!   Also for Ono-san who has spend more time in church this past week than ever in her entire life.  Pray that the Lord will draw them to Him and use Nakada Sensei to teach them the basics of what it means to be a Christian.  Stan laid some ground work, but the next weeks will be critical for them.  Toru and Stan promised to keep in touch via email.  After service, we had a wonderful lunch and there was at least an hour of sharing by both church and team members.  It was very good.

After cleaning up, we were off to our first excursion to Sendai Castle and museum build in recognition of Masamune Date.  Last name sound familiar?  Tomorrow, Kumi, Fumi, and Tyler will be leaving in the morning to deposit Tyler with the Chino team in Yokohama.  Kazue will be headed home to Chino.  It was wonderful having her with the team.

The rest of us will stay in the area and learn more about Sendai and its past.   We'll be leaving for Tokyo on Wednesday morning to join the rest of the team for our trip home.  Thank you, everyone, for partnering with us on this trip.  Just thank you....as no other words can express how thankful we are.

And we will praise Him,
Your Sendai Team
 

Fumi sharing in superb Japanese

Pastor Kagiwada encouraged the church and we pray that the
new comers this moring we moved by what he had to say.

There is a very evident partnership between Nakada and Kagiwada
Sesnei.  Gifts were excanged with great humility.

Here is Jotaro serving his father, Toru.  He is such a delightful young
man who will grow up to be a loving man.  Pray for him.

Stan looks just like Date Masamune.  Well at least when he has that
stern look on his face.

The Power of the Gospel

Beloved,

Your team is coming to the end of its mission with the Sendai Church.  Together, we hosted a BBQ lunch for the children and parents who came to the English Camp.  There were 17 campers and 11 came to today's BBQ.  We were thankful for the good turnout.  Again, Jotaro showed up as promised.  His mom and dad will be with him tomorrow at church.  It's such a pleasure to minister to him and his family.

We spent the afternoon cleaning up and just relaxing.  We sat around the table singing some songs and reflecting on the week. The sento gang just left for the bath.....Tyler and Jonathan are loving it!  It's been a great time together as a team.   Thank you for all the good support.

Nakada Sensei again shared a homily from the book of Acts.....chapter 14:19 and following.  It's about how Paul, that despite on going persecution, he continued to preach the Gospel.  Sensei concluded that though these scriptures speak of what Paul did, it is not about Paul, but of the power of the Gospel.  He went on to say that it is irresponsible to plant the seeds of the Gospel and not water and grow them.  Our team came to help plant the seeds.  The Sendai Church must now water and grow the seeds to maturity.  They need our prayers.  They need our help.  Please continue to pray for them and support them.

In tomorrow's service, Pastor Kagiwada will be giving the message and the team will be singing a song with the 3 campers that are expected to come.  Pray for more.  It will be a sweet time for the members to see some results of the camp and for the unchurched parents to take a first step in giving the Sendai Church a chance to love them.  Keep praying.

Our team hopes that we can convey to all of you what we feel as we wind down the ministry here.  There is a real sense of urgency and of need.  Churches like Sendai and Ishinomaki will continue on.  But they need our help to realize growth that they have not previously known.  God is in control, but we must act and support the power of the Gospel.

We look forward to returning home to share the joy of our trip.  We remain humble with how God has used our churches and our teams to serve the people of Japan.  May the Lord's blessings abound on and in you.

And we will praise Him,

Your Sendai Team

This is a tent, right?

Nakada Sensei

That shaved ice sure looks good.

Masaki & Rensei - 2 hamburgers, please

Yorihiko and Jotaro

How do you eat this big thing??

Not too much of that condensed cream, Pastor Ben.

311 Remembered

Beloved,

With the EEC behind us, we spent most of Friday visiting the Onagawa area which is about 2 hours drive from Sendai going in an easterly direction.  Our first stop was a temporary housing complex (set up for the Tsunami victims) in Kirigasaki which is a small village on the coastline.  When the tsunami alert was sounded, the towns people left immediately for higher ground and none were lost. But they lost their homes.

In this temporary housing complex, there were 25 individual units or apartments.  We split up in teams and visited each unit.  The Ishinomaki Church provided a gift of household items which was given to each of the residents.  They were very thankful and expressed deep gratitude for the gift.  We extended an invitation for them to join us in their assembly room and 7 residents showed up.  We were elated.  Willie shared his testimony and we sang a few songs.  While they have lost much, their eyes still reflected a thankfulness for what they did have.  Please pray for them.

After our meeting, we drove through the area which was devastated.  There are still signs of the destruction, but there is also new construction going on every where.  We stopped frequently to reflect on what happened here.  The reported height of the wave reached 75 feet in this area.  It is impossible to even imagine it.  It was quiet in our cars as we remembered 311.

In our devotional this morning, Nakada Sensei shared from Romans 12:15, "Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep."  He reflected on the time when he arrived in Ishinomaki 19 days after 311.  Of the population is 50,000,  3,200 lost their lives here, and there are still 430 missing.  He recalled helping dig through the rubble and seeing the churches come together for the sake of the Gospel.  We'll share more about this when we return.

It is just so good being together as a team.  There is continued laughter among the members, some tears in sharing, good reflection on every experience and just having fun together.  It is such a joy.  Thank you so much for your prayers.  Pastor Kagiwada (still not used to the name Ben) is a real "crack up".  Even Kumi shared that she's learning more about her pastor that she ever imagined.  The team is very thankful for Tetsuo's leadership and for keeping the team 'loose' and enjoying every moment of the trip.  We are continually amazed as to how much he knows about food........well, maybe not that surprised since he has probably eaten everything that has ever been prepared.   Just joking, Tetsuo.......well, maybe not.  Thank you, Lord, for our leader.

We wrapped up the day by eating a lot of sushi.  Be sure to read Tyler's depiction of that.

Thank you, blessed ones.  While the remembrance of 311 was sobering and good, we remain thankful for every remembrance we have of each of you, and give thanks to God for your support and love (Philippians 1:3-5).

And we will praise Him,

Your Sendai Team

Suzuki-san - Saved from the Tsunami

Willie sharing with the residents of Kirigasaki (temporary housing)

The Tsunami came right through this bay.  Imagine it being 75' high.

This shot was taken from the top of a hill where a hospital is located.
The wave was 10' higher than where this picture was taken.

This picture is at the front of the hospital entrance.  Tyler and "Ben"
would have been under water.......but at least Tetsuo would be floating.

This is the site of where the Ishinomaki church stood.  They are now
raising money to build a new church and Christian Center.  Pray with us.

Anyone for sea urchin?
We ate lunch at a restaurant which is now located in a temporary building.

After EEC on Friday by Tyler Yamashita

We finished our EEC yesterday, and boy am I tired. I didn't realize how little energy I had left until after EEC when I slept during every opportunity and couldn't stop yawning. I think that our games went very well. I had to mainly run around and get supplies constantly ready during our games. By the third day, I was literally running on just adrenaline. For the second and third day, I had to keep running back and forth between the community center's kitchen and its parking lot to fill up buckets with water and to keep making water balloons.

Also, God was with us on the third day. The schedule for games is 2 groups, then a break, then lunch, then another break, and finally the last group. Well, right before our second group left to their next class, it started to rain all of a sudden. Some of us were afraid that it might have been a typhoon, because it was raining so hard. but right before lunch, the rain stopped. Then by the time that we had our last class, the rain cleared up and the weather became very sunny again. Same thing happened when we went to check out a plot of land for a new church to be built on. It was raining for a little while, but when we got out and started our group prayer, the rain instantly stopped, like God wanted us to not have distractions while we prayed.

Tonight, we went to a revolving sushi bar, which was so good! Everything was so fresh, and it was also cheap too. Me, Kagiwada-sensei, Willie and Stan sat together and even though we all had plenty of food, we were still covered by our budget of $20 each. I ate unagi (fresh water eel), salmon, miso soup with clams and cheesecake. After that, we went to Big House (Supermarket) and got some gifts for the church members and I got some more souvenirs.

 Since I've gotten comfortable with going to the onsen, I've been going every night ever since I first went. This night, I cleaned myself, went to the hot bath, then tried the cold bath. It was painfully cold, like it might as well have been a tub full of ice. While I was in the bath, I tried to hide my expression because there were other people in the bath that looked like they could fall asleep in the freezing water while I was about to scream in pain. I stayed in for about a minute, then got out and immediately ran for the locker room to change. I was shaking the whole time.

It's getting close to the end now, and I feel like I've done so much and learned so many things about Japan and the people who live here. As much fun as it is here, I still miss being home. I have a picture from the last Godswilla retreat and every time I look at it, get a warm feeling in my heart.

I miss you all and can't wait to see you all again.

-Tyler

I only ate 32 dishes of sushi.  Oishi!!

Now The Work Begins

Beloved,
The English Camp was completed this afternoon.  It was a blast.  The kids did a wonderful job singing in front of their parents.  They were in tune, and LOUD.  Real kids sing real loud.

One very pleasant surprise was that Jotaro, son of Toru (wheel chair), walked in to register himself for the EC since his parents were working.  Remember, he's 9 years old!  He mixed well with the others and had a great time.  Before lunch, Stan sent Toru a picture of Jotaro laughing and jumping and Toru was so thankful that Jotaro was there.  They will be in church on Sunday....first time in a church.  Keep praying for them and the encouragement they will bring to Nakada Sensei.  This is the very reason that you sent us here to Sendai.  We give thanks to God and anticipate great things.

The weather has been hot and we welcomed that since the forecast was for rain when we checked it a week before we left for Japan.  We appreciate our youngsters, Tyler and Jonathan, playing with the kids outside under the hot sun.  Well, today we were hit hard with thunder showers but they occurred during the hour that Tyler and Jonathan did not have a class scheduled.  Then the rain stopped and the sun came out just before their next session started.  Thank you for your prayers.

The children were a blessing.  At their 'graduation', each child received a certificate at the end of the closing assembly.  It was awesome to see.  Now that the EC is done, it is now time for the Sendai Church to build on this good start.  They asked that we return next year.  But now the hard work begins.  Now is the time that the Sendai Church needs our intercession the most.  Let us start this race together.

Thank you, beloved.   Tomorrow, we are off to one of the devastated areas 2  hours east of here and visit one of the temporary shelters.  Please pray and thank God for the open hearts of these people who have lost much and have so much to gain.  To God be the glory.

And we will praise Him,

Your Sendai Team

Of to a Good Start on the Last Day

Jotaro catching up with the Crafts

You can't tell by the picture, bu it's raining really hard.

Graduation

Graduation

We're did fireworks in the evening (sparklers)
The kids had  a great time, especially the big one.

Tyler in action.

Another Day, Another Blessing

Dear Beloved,
Today was a blessing as a result of all the hard work the team and church members put into the English Camp.  We were also blessed with the prayers spoken on our behalf by all of you. Thank you.

The ECC went extremely well today, from start to finish.  It was 'crazy hair' day; classes were on time; the "wild one" was tamed for a day; the children participated well in the classes; attendance was up by 2; the food was great; the weather was on the warm side, but no rain.  Thank you for praying for our time in Sendai.  Your prayers make a difference every day.  Thank you.

This evening, we were invited to the Fukuda's home for dinner.  Mr. Fukuda is a retired Colonel from Japan's armed forces and is very humble.  Sorry for not having pictures as I forgot my camera.  But know that they were very gracious to us.  The Fukuda's have been attending the Sendai church for the past 4 years shortly after Mr. Fukuda became a Christian.  He is 82 years old and God will still use him in a mighty way.

Our days have been long.  During the EEC, we start the devotions at 6:30am, breakfast at 7, staff meeting at 8:30 and oversee the EEC from 9:00 to 3:00, clean up and then prepare for the next day.  Today's update will be short so enjoy the pictures.   We look forward to the children blowing the roof off tomorrow with their singing.

Good night, beloved, and know that you are making a difference here.
With gratitude,

Your Sendai Team

Our Hard Working Ladies in the Kitchen.
Aihara-san, Ono-san & Aoyama-san
"The lunch was delicious"

Our Group Leaders were the BEST!
"Domo Arigato, Sasaki-san"

Sendai EEC 2014 

Crazy Hair Day
"Yikes, Sensei, you actually do look good!!!"

Is it OK for pastors to act like this?
No one could guess who the mad max was (Nakada)

Ryoko Kashiwagi joined us from Tokyo
She is a former member of Nichigo, SFVHC

Devotions Led by Nakada Sensei

This Horse is ready for the glue factory

Kids Will Be Kids

Beloved,
The day is almost over and there are a few very exciting events to report.

The Sendai English Camp started today and despite a slow start (getting the kids warmed up), it ended in a huge success (getting hot kids to cool down).  Fourteen kids arrived (3 more are starting tomorrow) and 3 others just entered the doors of the church with their mother just as we started and stayed for the morning.  We're hopeful that they will be back tomorrow.  It was a good start for the Sendai Church.

Even though the numbers were small, it still takes an effort on the part of the team and church members to deliver the 5 modules of the camp program.  The pictures and captions describe what happened today.  There is always at least one 'wild' child to keep you honest, and you never forget his name because we know that God will use this child in a great way.  But the majority of the kids listened, participated and had great fun.  At the end of the day, kids are kids no matter who they are and where they're from.  All of them combined to make for a challenging and fun time.  We were blessed.

Earlier this morning, Stan received a reply from Toru Sakai (man in the wheelchair), and that he and his family wanted to join us for dinner tonight.  We were elated thinking that we would not receive a reply.  O' ye of little faith!  As planned, Diane, Jonathan and I were 'picked' up at the church by Toru and his wife, Chiho.  He came in his wheel chair and "wheeled" us to the restaurant which was a 10 minute walk away.  His son, Jotaru, arrived later on his bike in the dark.  He is 9 years old.  One cannot help but feel safe in Japan.   We had a wonderful time of fellowship over a well prepared dinner of cow tongue, a first for many of us.  We even  had cow tongue ice cream which was a treat.....I think.  This time when Stan asked for the "check", he did not get a beer.  The Sakai's are planning on coming to church on Sunday.  Please pray that the Lord will continue to open their hearts to His leading.  We look forward to seeing them.  And Nakada Sensei was very encouraged.

In this morning's devotional, Sensei referenced Acts 13:1-2 which tells of how the God uses all different types of people from varying cultures to serve the church under the calling of the Holy Spirit.  He again expressed his thanks for our team coming and thanked the Holy Spirit for bringing our churches together even though there are barriers in communications.  We are also thankful as we already feel a bond with Nakada Sensei and Kimiko Sensei as well as church members who we have seen on a regular basis as they make our stay comfortable with their generous hospitality.  Our team is one, but not because of anything we have done.  We give all thanks to the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Thank you for your continued prayers as we move to the second day of EEC.  We pray for the Chino team who will be starting their EEC tomorrow.  Thank you.

"The Grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you."  2nd Thessalonians 5:28.

And we will praise Him,

Your Sendai Team

Opening Assembly - Getting Warmed Up
"Which way is right?"

"This is the best craft ever!!"
That's Dai helping out Pastor Ben

Kumi and Kazue leading the Bible Study
"This is so interesting!"

Jonathan and Tyler were Hot in more ways than one.
"Please speak in English, Pirate Jon"

Fumi & Diane teaching English
"English is so hard....but keep coming"

Lunch Time!
"This curry rice is oishi"

Singing Class with Willie and Stan
"Hey, are we going to sing or what?"

Closing Session
"Jesus loves me" led by Diane and Willie

Closing Session
"Sasaki-san, you have to jump like Willie!"

Closing Session
"Thank you for coming"
BTW, Nakada Sensei is also a magician.

Dinner with the Sakai Family
Sho Yuasa (pastor to be), Jon, Chiho, Diane, Stan, Toru, Jotaru
Please pray for this precious family.  God will light their way.

Come and See for Yourself

Beloved,

Today was set aside to make final preparations for the English Camp which starts tomorrow.  We decorated the church in the morning and started practicing our songs and skits in the afternoon.  In fact, it is now approaching 11:00 at night and Kumi and Kazue are still practicing their Bible lesson for the kids.  I don't know what they're saying, but it sounds sad and uplifting at the same time.  They are sure working hard on it.

Our team is so fortunate to have Kazue with us.  Some of our team members met her 6 years ago in Chino and remember her as being reserve, very polite and hard working.  Well, her work ethic is still the same but she is so much more animated today.  When we sing our songs, she is jumping the highest with the greatest joy.  She is representing her members very well and the kids will just love her tomorrow.  Thanks be to God.

We took a break from the preparations and held an English Conversation workshop which was scheduled in the afternoon.  We did not expect anyone to come, but 4 kids and 2 parents showed up.  We were overjoyed with thanksgiving.  Among our guests was Toru Sakai and his son, Jotaru, who came as a result of reading a flyer that was posted in the neighborhood.  Toru is in his early 40's and suffered a broken neck in a diving mishap when he was 17.  He is in a wheel chair and has limited use of his arms, but he is one tough cookie.  He plays in a professional rugby league for disabled players and has overcome his handicap in many ways.  He lives just down the street from the church and we're hopeful that he and his family will take Stan up on having dinner with him, Diane and Jonathan.  Please pray the Toru will be able to meet with us and "come and see" what the Sendai Church is all about.  Pastor Nakada is encouraged.

Today, Sho Yuasa showed up to help with our camp.  He is in his late 20's and preparing to enter Bible school to prepare him for pastoral ministry.  He is a very impressive young man with great enthusiasm and purpose.  Pastor Nakada led him to the Lord about 5 years ago when he was pastoring in Akita.  What a joy to see the fruit of Sensei's labors.  God will do a good work in the life of this young man.

We close tonight with thanksgiving for your on going prayers for us.  Thank you for taking on more prayer requests for those whom the Lord has sent our way.  It is a joy to be here serving on your behalf.  In this morning's devotional, Pastor Nakada shared Acts 12:5, "While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him."   Peter's imprisonment had a good and miraculous ending.  We trust that our camp will end in the same way.  Like Peter, we trust in God for each of your prayers for Sendai....and for Chino.  To God be the Glory.

And we will praise Him, 

Your Sendai Team

English Conversation - Toru & Stan

English Conversation - Jotaru & Diane

English Conversation - Kumi & Misora & Koyo

Future Pastor - Willie and Sho Yuasa

Pirate Ben
Note to Yuriko:  Don't worry, we are keeping Pirate Ben's servings at
every meal down to 3 servings per meal.  He is smiling all the time.

Pirate Kazue - Ready for action for our English Camp