Dear Friends, Brothers & Sisters - It is Tuesday night, 10:30PM, and everyone's gone to bed. It is not often when you can experience silence with so many people staying in the church right now. We started the day with another message from Kawano-sensei with the reading of 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." Kawano-sensei has been the pastor of the Chino church for eight years now and the members are not used to giving testimonies, a story about their life and how God has impacted them. The testimonies from our team during yesterday's worship service touched the hearts of the Chino church members. But they think and say that they can't give a testimony like that - sharing their faults, weaknesses, and failures in life. We are all afraid of exposing ourselves - afraid people will think less of us when we do. But Jesus tells us that His grace, His forgiveness and love, will make us strong in those moments and times we feel weakest. So Kawano-sensei feels the notion of God's sufficiency is not in the Chino people, yet - but he is thankful for the sharing of the mission team members to help the Chino members to better understand this scripture and take it to heart.
Later, a group of four members went to visit members of the Chino church, Mr. and Mrs. Gomi. Mrs. Gomi, who is in her 90's, is living in a nursing home. They talked with her and sang some songs to her. It was clear they had brightened her day as she responded to the presence. The team then went to the Gomi home to visit with her husband Mr. Gomi, who is also in his 90's. He is in better physical health than his wife and better able to communicate with them.
After lunch we had a crafts/English class for children and a parenting meeting. The crafts class was attended by about 15 children and was enjoyed by all. Two moms came to talk with our panel of 2 parents and 2 young adults - it was supposed to last one hour but they stayed for four. People's concerns for being good parents are the same everywhere.
Later in the afternoon, four of the team members went to a church members home for a lesson in calligraphy. Brushes were used to write on a wooden plaque and on paper. It is not an easy thing to do. We saw some of the samples of our hosts artistry - it was very impressive. One sample must have been about 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide.
The members of the Chino church have been very gracious hosts in bringing us meals and driving us to shop and visit the sento (public bath) each night. Another pastor arrived last night and is visiting the Chino church to observe the EEC program. He hopes to get ideas for setting up a similar program at his church. It would be a great blessing if he sees things that we are doing that he would like to copy. Well I should turn off the lights so that the guys up in the loft can sleep without being bothered by the bright lights. Thanks once again for your prayers. God bless you all.
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