Posted January 10, 2010

Tomohisa had reached a coveted status in Japan’s vertically-ordered society: medical doctor. Along with the status came wealth, which he used to buy the affection of women…and lots of booze. His selfishness blinded... [Read More]

Posted December 2, 2011

When the warning sirens went off, residents in a south Sendai neighborhood fled to the local school. Together with panicked children still in class they climbed to the rooftop. Some 600 altogether... [Read More]

Japanese Get "Bach" Hope

Posted September 21, 2011

Who would have thought Bach would be involved in 21st century mission work in Japan? I have frequently read with interest of the strong connection between classical music (particularly J.S. Bach) and Japanese interest... [Read More]

Tsunami Ground Zero

Posted April 7, 2011

I still haven't returned from tsunami ground zero. That is to say, although I've been back several days already, the reality of the scene is still with me. The incredible amounts of mud in once beautiful homes... [Read More]

"Nice Try, Kevin" File

Posted February 9, 2011

This one goes into the "Nice try, Kevin" file. I just thought it was a nice-looking bunch of flowers in the storefront and, on the spur of the moment, decided Kaori deserved to enjoy them. Chrysanthemums, however, are... [Read More]

The Gulliver Complex

Posted November 9, 2007

I'm a giant again. Well, not really. But it sure feels like it again since returning from the States. The first sign was bumping my head in the shuttle bus from the airport. By habit, I normally duck my head through any... [Read More]

Foreigners Don't Get the Point

Posted January 31, 2010

I'm standing in line at a drugstore with other shoppers. The woman in front of me has just pulled out a business card file. Hurriedly she flips through at least a hundred or more cards searching for the right one. It's a... [Read More]

More Powerful than Bombs

Posted July 5, 2008

Fuchida grew up loving his native Japan and hating the United States, which treated Asian immigrants harshly in the first half of the twentieth century. Fuchida attended a military academy, joined Japan's... [Read More]

Ready?

Posted September 14, 2010

I'd been putting it off. Although I knew it was important, taking inventory of our earthquake and disaster gear just wasn't getting done. Japan rests along the "ring of fire" in the Pacific ocean, a stretch of area that is... [Read More]

150 Years Later

Posted March 17, 2009

This spring marks the 150th anniversary of Protestant Christianity in Japan. The first protestant missionaries set foot in the port of Yokohama back in 1859. Now they were real church planters -- overcoming all... [Read More]

Rambling Notes from Japan

Here are some blog posts that we hope will make you feel a part of things, and help you understand how to pray better for us and Japan. Please see our external blog in Blogger, if this page does not display correctly.

English Teaching Good for Your Health!

August 6, 2010 09:29 | English Bee, Exercise, Kids | Permalink

This probably won't turn into a diet fad, but it turns out that English Teaching can actually help you lose weight. It's true. I lost 2 lbs. last week with the six Kids English classes, setup, breakdown, prep, etc during our Tokyo heatwave.

Our annual "Kids English Bee," or kids English classes, help develop some new relationships in the neighborhood. We had about 20 kids altogether. The style of English teaching that I use is hardly the traditional method here in Japan: sit with open book and fill in written exercises. The style I use involves exercises, but in the physical and aerobic sense of the word. I adapted the Genki English curriculum, adding and taking away some things. You can take a look at it here. It's very active. Lots of games. Lots of singing. Kids eat it up. It was great fun, but a challenge for this new 40-year-old to keep up with the little kids. However, I highly recommend the curriculum to anyone looking to shed a little weight.

Let the Children Come

November 16, 2009 07:00 | Church Planting, Culture, Holidays, Kids | Permalink

Japanese celebrate a 1000-year-old festival in November called Shichigosan. “Shichigosan” literally means “seven, five, three.” These are the ages that are considered critical in a child’s development by Japanese. Parents will dress their children in traditional clothing, and take them to the local shrine where the priest will offer a prayer of blessing from the gods.

This affords a unique opportunity for the church in Japan. There is no stronger god than the true, living God; and no greater blessing than that which He gives. Why not ask parents to have the church pray for their children instead?

This past November Sunday, I again had the opportunity to pray for the salvation or spiritual growth of kids gathered at our church, as parents watched and listened. Jesus said, “Let the little children come!” and so we welcome them in His name!

Easter in Japan

April 17, 2009 02:03 | Church, Easter, Kids | Permalink

Thank you for praying for our Easter outreach as a church this past month.

We had many first time visitors on Easter Sunday. And we had a great time of fun together during our Kids Easter Party on April 5. Kids in Japan have no idea that Easter has anything to do with Jesus. But at least a dozen more do now!

Easter Kids Outreach

March 25, 2008 11:07 | Church Planting, Devotional, Easter, Kids, Outreach | Permalink

Chocolate eggs and easter bunnies aren't unique to America. The "whipped cream" part of most American holidays have found their way to Japan. Easter goodies can be found in department stores here with very little searching. The Christian meaning of the holiday is completely lost on Japanese kids. What an opportunity for the church in Japan to introduce the resurrection story! We really enjoyed having 17 kids out for our Easter Kids Outreach. They sang Easter songs, heard the gospel story, played games and made crafts, and learned that church can be a welcoming place for kids (as did their parents as well).

I preached on John 11:1-45 (story of Lazarus' resurrection) this year at church. I was struck again by what Christ has done for us spiritually. He came from the land of the living, to a land under the curse of death. He stood before the our tomb where we lay spiritually dead (Eph 2:1). Just like Lazarus, we smelled pretty bad! But then Christ called us out and into life united with him (Eph 2:5). "Kevin, come out!" I'm glad I responded to his call to new life in Him. This year's Easter (earlier than usual) dovetailed nicely with the start of cherry bossom seaso. So it really felt like a celebration of new life.

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