Thursday, July 25th - Time Passing Quickly

Dear Friends - It is 4:30PM Thursday afternoon.  I've just gotten up from a nap and feel pretty refreshed now.  The members of this team have been keeping up with members of our church serving on a mission to Baja Mexico, who put in a full day of physical labor, all without the luxury of a nap during their day.  I guess I should feel guilty for my soft conditions here in Japan - but I don't.  The EEC staff enjoyed a lunch of spam musubi with delicious refreshing watermelon.  Whacha think of that Baja?  But seriously, five of the six members of our mission team have served on the Baja mission team and it is with joy and fondness that we read the reports from their 3 blogs.  I believe there are over 40 members of our church outside of the U.S. on a mission right now.  Pretty good for our little community of believers.
     We had 14 children for today's EEC - the children from the orphanage did not come.  Although the number is not very large, there is no reason for disappointment.  When we served with the Kawanos in Chino, I believe there was just over 20 children in attendance the first year.  In the ninth year, the Kawanos last in Chino, there were over 75 children who came.  There is no reason to believe that the same numbers could not come here, also.  After the children have all left the church, the volunteer staff gathers for a debriefing and evaluation of the day.  All the reports were very positive and encouraging.  We had two new volunteers today, including Ichikawa-sensei, the previous pastor of  the Utsunomiya church.  He led this church for 23 years.  I hope that seeing this EEC program, which has brought over 10 new children who never attended the church before, will give him hope for the church's future.  The majority of the church is currently seniors with only 3 children, I believe.  And one of those children is Chi-chan, Kawano-sensei's daughter.  Ichikawa-sensei and Kawano-sensei are different in many ways.  After being served by one pastor for 23 years, it may be difficult for the Utsunomiya church to fully embrace a new pastor right away.  I hope that the activities that we've been a part of, and the sharing that we present at the worship services will help facilitate the changes that Kawano-sensei wants to bring to this church.  I've witnessed the progress that was made at the Chino church where he served for almost 10 years and heard other reports from the members of the South Bay church we served with there, and it has all been very encouraging and uplifting.  I am confident those same types of progress can be made in Utsunomiya.
     It's hard to believe we've already been in Japan a week.  The time is going by so quickly.  We only have a few activities left; the 3rd and final day of EEC, MEBIG (their Sunday school program) and the worship service.  The presence of 3 young people on the mission team has added a lot of energy and fresh ideas to our mission.  It is easy to see why God chose them to be members of this team.   (But don't let them know.  I don't want to see any heads exploding.)
     Once again, we are so thankful for your prayers and we'll-wishes.  Hopefully the people here in Japan will have been blessed like we have.  May God bless you in the same measure.  With love, Don
Me and my bud, Chi-chan.

Chi-chan & Chihoyo-sensei - from 9 or 10 years ago.

Would you let these two characters step inside your church?
Jonathan & Donny

  

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