Dear Friends, Brothers & Sisters - It's 5:30PM on Thursday and not too much is going on right now. (This was actually written yesterday, but I've only now been able to get online to write you. It's Friday, 5:30PM) A few people are getting dinner ready, the young people (minus me again) are out somewhere, and I've just returned from a walk and a little shopping. Some of the young ones told me how to get to a store with just a short walk. It ended up being a bit more than a short walk, but that's okay - I found my way there, anyway. In this store, it's like a department store, market, and 100 yen store combined. 100 yen is about 95 cents. I found a few things to get, but I won't tell you who they're for - I don't want people to know how little I spent on them. (You'll like your gift, Marc) I guess I look like the natives - the store clerks speak to me in Japanese; I smile and say, "Hai." (yes); they hand me my change and I say "Arigato" and leave with a smile on my face. I know I really haven't deceived them into thinking I'm Japanese, but it's fun to pretend I did. It's so strange to be walking down the street in a residential area and to see vending machines. It's nice to be able to get a Gatorade-like drink seemingly anywhere and anytime you may be out for a walk or run.
I was looking at yesterday's blog and was appalled by all the errors. It was late at night when I was writing and there were other people waiting to get online. We can only have one person online at a time. Sorry.
This morning we started with a message from Kawano-sensei again. His Passage from the Bible was 1 Corinthians 3:5-9. What then is Apollos? What is Paul? I planted, Apollos watered, But God gave the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one. and each will receive his wages according to his labor. "For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building This is the seventh mission to Chino. We accumulate experience from each mission, and each mission is unique - mission members change and church members change. 2007 was the first year of the mission and we were thankful that God would allow us to do His work. The carport at the church was used for English Conversation and had a very large rock there in the ground. Kawano-sensei says he can still see Pastor Kagiwada and Hayato, members of that first team, trying to dig it out. It took all day - there were a lot of rocks there, but that one was huge - it took 2 people to remove it. Each member of the mission wonder, "Why was I sent here?" Some wonder, "What can I do? Who am I?' People are finishing the missions and see why they were sent. In the passage from the Bible today, Paul plants, Apollos waters, but God grows the plants. God's plans we do not understand, but it is clear that He has a plan for each of us. Kawano-sensei ended with, "I appreciate that we serve here and use God-given talents. I know this team can do things other teams cannot do."
EEC went well today - everyone had good reports during our debriefing meeting after the children left. The kids seemed to be much more comfortable today, and all you teachers know what that means - more mischievous behavior. It's hard to believe that we only have one day left of EEC - we've already been in Japan for a week. It seems like our mission team has been together for much longer - I'll leave it at that. As Kawano-sensei shared with us, it is becoming clearer and clearer why each member of the team was chosen by God to be here. There are talents, skills, and personal qualities that were not apparent during the selection process - there is a far greater depth to each person on the team than can ever be captured on an application form. We are in the process of putting together bags for each child - containing a certificate, framed picture of themselves, and assorted goodies. It is late, 10:50PM, but everyone is upbeat and working joyfully. Please pray that this energy and enthusiasm will continue tomorrow, and that it will be a memorable time for the children. Great thanks for your prayers - they make such a difference in all that happens here. God bless you all.
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