God of this City

Monday May 31

We visited the Asakusa temple Monday morning as a group. Visiting the temple was an experience like no other. I have never felt such spiritual darkness before. When we walked up to the temple, there is a huge lantern that they believe guides the way. When really as John 14:6 says, "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
You walk through a huge marketplace to the temple. As a group we have decided to not purchase anything in that market, since most of the proceeds go to support the temple. Right when you come to the Temple is a large pot with sticks of incense in it. The worshipers come and try to cover themselves with the "fragrance". They believe that this will make them right in front of their gods. To the right is a fountain where people are trying to wash themselves with the special water. They believe that this water will cleanse them of their sins. Being their is overwhelming, hearing the sounds of idol worship and smelling the overpowering incense. My heart breaks for these people as they put their hope and faith in these scary looking idols. While I have my hope and faith in the living God who loves me and is good.


Walking inside of the temple was even more overwhelming. You walk right up to this huge alter where people toss money. There is a glass divider that separates the people from the rest of the temple. On either side of the alter is two glass cabinets full of candles. The candles represent babies that have been aborted. The grandparents usually come and light a candle for their aborted grandchild.

Outside of the temple is a Japanese garden full of some idols. People walk around the garden praying to the idols. The idols are dressed in paper clothes and have small wooden huts. My heart broke as I watched people pray to the idols.



Tuesday June 1

I visited an English school ran by a couple who are missionaries in Tokyo. The couple in charge of it are in love with Christ which is just super awesome to see. The wife is from Japan, but lived in the states for 10 years. She is so sweet. Her heart just breaks for her people. She and her husband run a English school that also is a Christian school. They teach children about Jesus, they also offer a Bible study for the mothers. Most of the mothers are not christian, but they want to learn English also. So, they come and do a Bible study once a week. I got to sit in on this weeks lesson. This summer, a new group of moms are coming. One woman is asking how she can believe. Please pray for her heart to be drawn to Father this summer. This English school is the place where I will be doing a VBS at the end of the summer. I was told that this VBS will be the first time most of these sweet kids will here the good news.

Wednesday June 2

Wednesday was an ordinary day. The only difference was a time of worship as a team that night. I really look forward to this time each week.

Thursday June 3

We once again went to our site and prayed over the area. One of our goals is to bathe the city of Tokyo in prayer. Please, pray for this city, that Father will just cover this place.

Friday June 4

Today has been awesome! My group went to our university to meet students. I talked to some girls and they couldn't speak English. I walked outside and then I saw four girls running at me. They had one girl by the hand and she told me, "I speak English!". We talked and she invited us to their English club. So please be praying for this contact and the English club.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Saturday
We went to the Tokyo Government towers to look over the city. These buildings were massive. You go up to the 45th floor and you can see the entire city of Tokyo. The day we went, was an overcast day. As you look around, you see no end to the city. Only on a really sunny day, can you see Mount Fuji. Looking around I was somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer size of the city. Due to the clouds covering the city, it was like a visual representation of the oppression and spiritual darkness in the city. The tower, houses all of the local governments in Tokyo.


Please pray for:

1. That God will cover the city of Tokyo.
2. The small governments that meet in the towers.
3. That the spiritual darkness be lifted off the city.
   

Sunday

Today we spent all day in the park. We worshiped in the park, which was an awesome experience. Where we had our worship service, groups of high school students were playing baseball, Frisbee, and running. This was the loudest I have ever heard any Japanese. They were surprised when they heard a bunch of Americans singing. Especially when our M demonstrated Sumo moves as part of his illustration. We are going through "My Utmost for his Highest" which is an awesome devotional by Oswald Chambers written in 1927. It is a great devotional that gets you in the Word. For lunch we ate in the park, they had Turkish kebabs, which are what I lived on in Germany. Afterward, we played capture the flag in the park. Our goal of doing this is to invite Japanese to come and play with us and join us for worship. We had a twist today, we had to link arms and walk around. This gave us many odd looks when we were running around the park. Many older people shook their heads at us. We stood out, we were yelling, running, and had our arms linked. The park was so full, because most people are off of work. Sunday is the only day that families can spend together, since their lives are so fast paced.



Something I have noticed and have learned while I am here is that respect is a major thing here. One of the customs is that when there is a disagreement, the younger person always apologizes even if they are not at fault. I noticed by riding the buses and trains that if a person gets on that is older, you should give them your seat. You also bow when you pay for something. I have learned five words so far, and two of them are sorry, 残念, and excuse me, 失礼.

Another thing I have learned by being in Japan is that many Japanese believe they cannot be Christians because they are Japanese. When you ask them if they want to be a Christian they say, "I am Japanese, I cannot be a Christian." Since Christianity does go against many of their traditions, it is hard for them to realize they can be a Christian, but it does involve giving up some of their traditions.

Tomorrow, we are going to Asakusa temple to pray over it. Please pray for out team. Being here and experiencing such spiritual darkness is a totally new experience for most of us. Satan flaunts his power more openly here.

Please Pray for:

1. Strength for our hearts as we encounter new amounts of spiritual darkness.
2. That Father removes Satan's hold over this city.
3. For endurance and strength for Japanese Christians.
4. That the Japanese realize they can become Christians, but it does mean giving everything to Christ and counting the costs.
5. That Japanese churches will grow.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down

The culture in Japan is one of conforming. The saying in the title is a Japanese proverb that sums up the culture here. The people here do not want to stand out, especially when it comes to ideas. This keeps many people from accepting Jesus. Please pray that this idea will change.

Today we went out to our park and University site. We rode with our M to the sites. Riding on the highways of Japan was an experience. Most of the roads are underground in tunnels. Also, something I did not expect was that they drive just like the British, with different cars and everything. So when you look out and see someone passed out in what is the usually the drivers side is kinda scary.

The park where we will be doing ministry is actually where ruins of an early Japanese town is. The park is really large, it reminds me a lot of a Central park, just Japanese style. In the middle of the park is a lake, with a shrine in the middle. I have never experienced such spiritual darkness before. Just standing at the entrance to the shrine you can feel the oppression. You can smell the incense as people give offerings to idols that will not here them.

As Psalms 115 says "But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them."

Please pray that Father will impress upon these peoples hearts that He is the only only one we can turn to that will not fail us. It breaks my heart to see these people giving their money, lives, and prayers to idols. While I stand there, knowing I can talk to the living God.

Cultural differences:

I bought what is called a burrito today for lunch. It was not at all what I expected. Instead it had spaghetti sauce inside of it.

For dinner we went to a type of restaurant that is popular here in Japan. It had Italian style Japanese food. I had never seen that type of food before. It was quite an experience, but really good.

I have also never bowed much before. In Japan, when you pay for something, you bow your head slightly for respect. This has been a totally new experience for me.

Awesome day!

Well, right now it is Friday morning in Tokyo. However, it is still Thursday in the US! Yesterday (for me) was a great day! We had a meeting in the morning then went to our ministry sites. To get there, we have to cross the Shibuya crossing, which is one of the busiest crosswalks in the world. Riding the trains around Tokyo is a whole new experience. You see people from all walks of life. My group has been assigned a station where we PR over the area and then off 5 minute English practice. This gives us an opportunity to meet the Japanese. I met a woman named M with here 8 month old daughter named R. She wanted to talk with me and I was able to share my faith with her. I was able to give her a brochure which she could send in for a Bible. Please PR that she will send in the brochure. She speaks awesome English and attended a Christian University when she was in college. However, some Christian Universities over here are Christian in name only. Hopefully, I will be able to see her each day we are at our station. PR for her heart, that Father will soften her heart for the gospel, and her daughter will be raised in a Christian home. The area we are at has lots of school aged kids coming and going for school. Please PR for them, that they will be raised in Christian homes, and will be leaders for Christ as they grow up. I have a meeting, So I will post later!

Tokyo!

I am writing this blog from Tokyo! It is amazing to know that we are finally here! We went through training from Saturday to Monday. It was an awesome time of learning, team-building, and preparing for this journey. We flew out Tuesday morning (USA time) and landed around 12:30 PM (Japan time). Just being on the plane was a taste of what was to come. We did stand out among the other passengers. The flight was 14 hours, but did not seem to bad. Also everything that was said over the PA system was in English and Japanese. When we landed, it really hit me that I was actually in Tokyo! We took a bus to our neighborhood and then walked to our apartments. Just walking the streets of Tokyo, you can feel the darkness. Seeing some of the things that are sold, advertised, or being done broke my heart. I am falling in love with this place already!

Tomorrow!

I am leaving for my trip tomorrow!! I am so excited! I am going to spend May 22-24 in Dallas doing training and team building at what we call Base Camp. At Base Camp, we spend time getting ready spiritually, building our team, and preparing for the journey ahead. On the 25, we fly out of Dallas to Japan! I cannot believe how fast the year has gone since I decided to apply to go! Father has provided and done awesome things this past year. He has put people in my path who have gone before. They have helped prepare me for this journey. I have also learned through this process, that Father does not call us to be comfortable. Doing what He wants us to do is not always the easiest route, but the best one.

Prayer Requests:

1. Safe travel to base camp and Japan
2. The people we will meet while in Japan
3. Our families as they are still here in the states, that they won't worry the entire summer
4. That God will make himself known to all people
   

Two Weeks until the Land of the Rising Sun

Oh my goodness! Only two weeks! It is finals week here at SFA. I head home this Wednesday, spend a week and a half with my family, then head to Tokyo for the summer! It is amazing how fast the summer has come. In January, I felt like it would be forever until the summer, now it is only a matter of days until Tokyo! Pretty soon I will be packing my dorm room, then packing a suitcase for the summer.

Prayer Requests:

• That Father stirs the heart of the Japanese toward him.
• Safe travel
• Endurance
• Families back home
• The full time M's in Tokyo
• M teams all over the world
• That Father will give us opportunities to tell about him.
• That the suicide rate in Japan will drop significantly or diminish.