Fumi's Recollections from Chino

These are the recollections Fumi Stark shared at SFVHC on Sunday morning.

Good morning.  First of all, thank you for all your support and prayers for our mission.  I really physically felt your prayers, when I was there in Chino.  The kids there were wonderful, and the support we received from the Chino church members was unbelievable.  For this sharing I would like to report on some of the things that happened and that I personally experienced, which I may call “miracles”, through this mission.

1) Mission team:  I was a bit uneasy at the beginning because only 4 people out of the 10 were from San Fernando, and I was told that two more people from the South Bay would join after we got to Chino.  Well, it was a blessing to work with these South Bay brothers and sisters.  They were all wonderful, and each one was uniquely talented.  We worked together as a team, and just as if we had known each other for a long time.  At the beginning we were assigned to do some housework, such as cleaning tables, dishes at meal time, helping prepare the meals and shopping for groceries, cleaning bathrooms, etc.  Everyone helped everyone else whenever needed and in whatever work was needed, regardless of our assignments.  We truly were able to work together as one body of Christ.

2) My roommate:  I had a special person as a roommate.  She and I started working together from the beginning, since she was getting our transportation and lodging ready, and she needed some English help from me for translation to let Don and Diane know what she found out and what she did for arranging trains and hotels in Japan.  She is a person who is very enthusiastic about sharing her faith with people.  She would find a chance to talk to anybody who came to the Chino church, for example, church members, parents of the campers, and even people on the street.  If somebody was in trouble in life in general, or in his or her Christian life, she would listen to these people.  Then she would pray to God to ask what she could do to help these people.  One day I was surprised that she came to me and asked me to pray for her because she felt that her attitude was not in the right place, and she was uneasy talking to one person.  She told me that instead of helping and understanding the person’s situation, she was afraid that she was beginning to criticize and judge the person.  Since I am not good at choosing the right words when I pray, I was hesitant to do so.  Well, God provided me with something.  When I finished praying for her, she told me that my prayer gave her peace, and now she could go back to listen to that person.  I was so surprised that, first of all, she asked me for help; and second, that I was able to help her in this way.  I think I gained a friend for life on earth and in heaven from this mission.

3) Weather:  After the first day of the EEC, it started raining that evening; and the rain got heavier.  I was so worried, because our English Conversation Class was held in the carport.  Because of the heavy rain, the floor of the carport was getting wet, even though the floor was covered with plastic mats.  The rain continued till the next morning.  At the 7 o’clock prayer meeting, Kawano-sensei told us that God gave us abundant rain to cool down the weather, since the first day of the EEC was very, very hot and we had all complained.  He added that God might give us too much blessing, and then everyone laughed.  But I was seriously worried that our English class might have to be moved inside, which would mean that we would have to use our 6-jou room (6 tatami mat room) with 17 kids plus three or four sub-leaders, and Monica and I.  Well, by 9:30, the rain stopped.  With the help of Kawano-sensei, Yamada-sensei (who came from Sendai), and Louise, who was a member of the mission team, the carport was cleaned by 10:00, the starting time for the EEC.  Monica and I were able to teach the kids in the carport.  Moreover, because of the rain, the weather got much cooler on the second day.

4) Kawano-sensei’s message:  Every morning at 7:00, we had a prayer meeting with Kawano-sensei.  On the first day when we had our prayer meeting, Kawano-sensei quoted from Joshua, chapter 6, (where Joshua obeyed God’s instructions to walk around the walls of the town for 7 times on the 7^th day at Jericho, and then the walls of the town fell down and Joshua was able to defeat the enemy).  And Sensei told us the importance of this being the seventh time for this Chino mission.  As you know, Shinto shrines have strong influence in Chino City; however, he told us that the walls of Chino City were breaking down before us on this seventh mission.  The Board of Education of Chino City had approved our English Experience Camp for the first time.  Because of this approval, Kawano-sensei was able to distribute 1,600 EEC fliers to three local elementary schools, and also to put up posters to invite the local people, in public places, such as the Chino train station. Our EEC capacity was limited to 64 students; however, over 70 people applied to get into this program.  We accepted 70 students, but unfortunately some on the waiting list weren’t able to join this year.  Kawano-sensei jokingly told us that next year they could distribute the EEC fliers to more schools (to over 5,000 students); and he might ask the city to build an auditorium to accommodate us!  Well, we have seen God’s work throughout the history of this mission, so I think that Kawano-sensei’s vision might not be an unlikely story, and should not be dismissed lightly.

As it’s said in Philippians 1:6 ‘And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work with you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.’

I believe that God will continue blessing this mission to accomplish His kingdom.

Thank you.