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.
Powerless!
September 21, 2017 03:52
| Culture Shock, Missions
| Permalink
I felt ridiculous. A white foreigner in Japan, shirt stained with engine grease, standing next to my disabled vehicle, in the traffic lane, waving an emergency flare. Only a police car’s flashing lights could have drawn more attention to my predicament. Oh, wait...he stopped by, too. Sigh...
Last week, what was intended to be a family break along the Yokohama bay, turned into a frightening breakdown
New Things
May 31, 2017 03:06
| Musashi-Kosugi, People, Teamwork
| Permalink
New career missionaries have joined us in church planting. New schools and schedules have begun for our family. God’s new beginnings are more frequent and more beautiful than Japan’s spring cherry blossoms...
From the beginning of our work in Kawasaki in 2001, our vision has been to start a small cluster of new churches outwardly focused and networked together for greater impact in this area.
The End of Endings
April 10, 2017 04:19
| Culture, Devotional
| Permalink
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” John 11:25-26
This time of year, people all across Japan walk about in awe under giant canopies of soft pink. It’s cherry blossom time!
Many view the blossoms simply as nature’s beautiful spring show. Others view metaphor: cherry blossoms
Toward Clearer Vision
My physical vision has been nowhere near 20/20 recently. Increasingly blurry vision in my right eye sent me to the eye doctor frequently in Japan, and then to a specialist while in the States for a few weeks in February. Sitting in the office of the retina specialist, I prayed like Elijah: 'Oh Lord, open (my) eyes that (I) may see.' You've sent me to a land with many tiny complex letters. I need
The Land Without Christmas
December 17, 2016 01:20
| Culture Shock, Missions
| Permalink
What if there were no Christmas?
No REAL Christmas, at least. No one around you really knew what the holiday was about. Oh, there were some pretty decorations, tinsel and trees, and colored lights around. Here and there you’d hear jingle bells or see a Santa hat. But that hardly lifts the gloom that hangs about people trudging through daily fears, struggles and regrets. The real
Bridging the Gospel Gap
June 9, 2016 01:46
| Activities, Missions, Vision
| Permalink
It’s Sunday and our rented room is filled again with people coming to hear a gospel singer. The hymn “Amazing Grace” is sung widely outside church in Japan. So today I recount the testimony of John Newton in my message. “What has God used in your life to get your attention, and make you aware of your need for grace in Christ?” I ask. “Even things like a missionary from Chicago with
Chocolate Conundrum
February 14, 2016 08:45
| Culture, Devotional, Holidays
| Permalink
Japan's got a sweet deal for men on Valentine's Day. Forget about choosing cards, fussing over flowers, or treating your date to dinner out. Here in Japan, it's all about gals giving the chocolate. The guys just relax and wait for the sweet treats to come their way. (Don't worry. The men will get their turn later.)
On February 14, ladies get the murky duty of judging where they stand in their relationships,
When it Comes to Christmas, Japan "Takes the Cake"
December 8, 2015 06:08
| Christmas, Culture Shock, Holidays
| Permalink
When Japanese in Tokyo dream of a “white” Christmas, it can only be made of cream frosting...over yellow sponge cake...with red strawberries on top. For Japanese, strawberry shortcake is the essence of Christmas. Here in Kawasaki, the Christmas cake order forms from local bakeries fill our mailbox from late October. For those who dislike the long December 24th pickup lines, home delivery is possible.
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We serve with WorldVenture, an evangelical faith mission. Our sending/home church is Cornerstone Church of Lansing, Illinois.