Thoughts About the Mission

Dear Friends - It's Monday morning, 5:30AM Pacific Daylight Time.  The team has been home since only 3PM Saturday, yet Japan feels so far away in distance and time.  As I sat in the midst of 125-150 people yesterday at the Crossway Church worship service, it struck me that only a week ago we were in the Chino Christ Church service worshipping with about 30 of our brothers and sisters in Christ.  From past experiences on this mission, I know that the thoughts and feelings I have for Chino and its church members will change over time, but right now I miss them terribly.

     I've just finished reading through most of the blogs from the last two weeks and realize that I left out a lot of things I had hoped to share and repeated myself again and again - repeated myself again and again.  This year's mission to Chino was a success, I believe.  It was a great experience for the children who attended: the members of Chino Christ Church who participated in the EEC program and who supported us during our stay; and for the members of South Bay Japanese Christian Fellowship and Crossway Church.  We are confident that God will use the experiences of the past two weeks to change the lives of us all.  The past two years we have had fewer adults from the Chino church volunteer at EEC - but they have been replaced by young people who attended EEC in past years and are now too old to attend.  None of them are members of the Chino church - maybe they will be some day.
     I believe our mission to Chino has affected not only the lives of children in the community, but also the Chino church itself.  Since first serving in Chino in 2009, I have seen the addition of new members to the church and greater involvement by some members in the EEC program and other church activities.  In that time, the Chino church has not only been the recipient of a mission team but has now sent out two church members to serve the mission in Sendai - a sister program to the one in Chino.  When we were the dinner guests of the Hosokawas, Hosokawa-san, who is a member of a different Christian church in Chino, told us that the six other Christian churches in Chino are aware of the EEC program going on and have kept tabs of the influence it has had on the Chino church.  So God willing, our partnership with the Chino church will continue and we can be a source of support and encouragement into the future.  If not, the seeds have been planted for members to step forward in leadership positions, for the church to begin and develop outreach programs into the community, and for them to possibly partner with their brothers and sister in the Chino community to support one another and increase their impact there.
     The mission has also had a great impact on two churches here in Southern California.  Our participation in the Chino mission has helped change the mindset of many Crossway church members - that short-term missions are not jus for the "super Christians" but are open to, and in need of people with different talents and abilities, different life and spiritual experiences, and different personalities.  And the Chino mission has brought us into a partnership with our sister church from the South Bay.  I hope the South Bay members have been as blessed in knowing us we have been in getting to know and work alongside of them.
     Our mission started in Chino but its influence is spreading outward.  We sent a team to Sendai for the second time this year - serving at the same time as the Chino mission.  There are other churches in Japan interested in receiving teams to present the same type of programs to them.  During our time of sightseeing I offered to take a photo of a family at one of the shrines and temples that we were visiting.  As I spoke with the father of this family of four, I found I out that this African-American man was an assistant pastor of a church in New York with a membership of over 7,000 people.  They send out teams on short-term missions around the world and wanted to begin one in Japan.  I introduced him to Kagiwada-sensei, who has started the missions to Chino and Sendai, and he gave him his email address.  Great things are possible through their correspondence.
     Thank you once again to everyone who supported our mission through your prayers and donations.  I am confident that the money needed to support this mission is always a great investment in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ in Japan.  May God bless you and use you to reach out to your family, friends, and colleagues.  Love, Don

Koby and a participant of the English
conversation class.

    

Don, Chihoyo-sensei, Chi-chan, and Kawano-sensei

Pastor John, Yumiko, and the Kawano family

Yumiko and Sanae Yumoto saying sayonara at the
train station.

Kagiwada-sensei & Shizuka dining at an Indian restaurant.

3rd & 4th graders during EEC English class.

Celebrating Chihoyo-sensei's and
Chi-Chan's birthdays.  Chi-Chan was born
during the first mission trip  in 2007.

Miyajima and Hiroshima

The "Atomic Bomb Dome"

Dear Friends - It is Friday, August 7th, 11PM.  I'm finally settled down at the computer feeling clean and refreshed after a nice hot shower.  The hotel has its own onsen, but the convenience of having the shower in my hotel room is hard to beat.  The heat and humidity has been brutal since we left Chino, but the activities have been outstanding.  The weather today was the same as the other days since Monday - but the day was the most memorable by far.  We began the day by going to Miyajima Island and visiting Itsukushima Shinto Shrine.  The shrine sits above the ocean's waters at high tide and sits above dry ground at low tide - like when we were there.  At low tide, people are able to walk out to the Ohtorii Gate, but clearly unable to do so at high tide.  We visited other shrines also before having lunch there.  We then returned to the mainland of Japan and Shizuka took Koby and me to Hiroshima, where we visited the "Atomic Bomb Dome" and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.  I have seen many photos of the dome and it was very moving to actually stand right before it in person.  We then walked through the Peace Memorial Park to reach the museum.  In 2013 and 2014 I watched observances of the anniversary of the bomb being dropped on August 6, 1945 while sitting in hotel rooms in Tokyo and Yokohama.  At those observances sat many of the top leaders, or their representatives, from around the world.  Today, workers were removing canopies from the grass, most likely sheltering the guests from the heat.  But it was the exhibits at the museum which were the most dramatic and emotional.  Shizuka, Koby and I used listening devices that explained all the photos, charts, and recovered remnants from the atomic blast.  Some of the photos were too terrible for me to look at, and many of the personal stories were simply gut-wrenching.  Visiting the museum was clearly the most important part of the sightseeing for me.

     Tomorrow we will do a little sightseeing in the morning before going to the Narita airport to return to L.A. after 2-½ weeks in Japan.  There is so much that has happened during our time here - it will take a long time to process all of it.  Thank you to everyone for your support financially and especially your prayer support.  It has been a great, great blessing to be in Chino - to experience the warmth, generosity, and thoughtfulness of the Chino Christ Church members and of Kawano-sensei and Chihoyo-sensei.  It was wonderful to get together with people in the Osaka area - friends and former members of the South Bay Japanese Christian Fellowship, and friends of Kagiwada-sensei.  I intend to write a little bit more once I get back home - to share more of our wonderful experiences during the mission.  It's after midnight and I need to get my rest for tomorrow.  The mission has been fantastic, but it will be great to be home with all of our loved ones.  God bless us all.  Love, Don

The O-torii Gate in Miyajima- visitors
walking up to it at low tide.

70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Hiroshima

Dear Friends - It is 11PM on Thursday, August 6th - the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.  As I write, the TV is tuned to a station showing video and photographs taken of the devastation caused by the bomb.  Although I don't speak or understand Japanese, the images speak for themselves.  I have seen the city leveled with very little left standing; there are images of burned bodies, some caught in mid-stride when the the blast reached them; and there is an interview of a woman survivor, with the scars and disfigurement the bomb blast caused.  I won't be writing about the mission tonight - my heart aches as I watch this broadcast and the tears fill my eyes.  There are now images of more victims, showing their burned flesh being treated by doctors.  Tomorrow, Kagiwada-sensei will be taking us to Hiroshima.   God be with us all.  Love, Don

Thursday in Osaka

Dear Friends - It is now 7:40AM in Osaka - our second day here.  It is hard finding time and the energy to write blogs this trip.  I wanted to tell you about our last Sunday in Chino, but I'm getting further and further behind in telling about our trip.  I hope to write you about Sunday - maybe after the mission is over.  After spending Monday and Tuesday in Toyama, we moved on to Osaka on Wednesday.  We spent the day in Kyoto visiting a few Buddhist temples and other historical sites.  The purpose of visiting the temples and shrines is for Kagiwada-sensei to give us a historical and cultural perspective to Japan's reluctance to accept Christianity.  He is a storehouse of knowledge as we go from place to place - sometimes having more information than our guides.  Today we will be heading out to Kyoto once again.  Last night we had dinner at the restaurant owned by the mother of Hyun-sensei, the pastor of the Japanese-speaking congregation at Crossway Church, and his sister Yooka, a member of Crossway church, also.  As proprietor of the restaurant, she is the hostess, waitress, server, cook, and chief bottle washer.  She runs the restaurant by herself.  We had a great meal in this restaurant specializing in grilled meats on skewers.  The restaurant has about 10 seats and is frequented by many regulars - Kagiwada-sensei said diners often engage in conversation and the atmosphere is very warm.  There was one other diner while we there, and sure enough, the Japanese speakers from our group were speaking with him and we ended our time at the restaurant with him taking a group photo of us.  We were also joined for dinner by Jaime, a young lady who was a member of the South Bay church but living in Japan for the past few months.  This 21 year old young woman has hopes of possibly staying in Japan permanently.  She was very happy to see her former pastor and good friend Shizuka. With her engaging personality and adventurous spirit, she should do fine in Japan.  Being fluent in Japanese doesn't hurt any.  While in Chino for ten days, we only had rain a few times.  The weather in Osaka and Kyoto is tough - temperatures in the high 90's and 100's with extremely high humidity.  It would be nice to have a break from the humidity.  Being in Chino, a rural area, the atmosphere is warm and friendly and there is a nice comfortable pace of life.  Being in a big city now, everything is fast-paced and impersonal and it is very crowded.  It would be great to take all the cultural sites from the city and to place them in Chino.  But of course, that would probably bring the problems of the city to Chino - not a good idea.  We will be setting out for another day filled with culture (a rarity for me), so I need to get ready.  God bless you all.  Love, Don

A group shot from the restaurant.  

Tuesday, August 4th

Dear Friends - It's now 5:20AM, Tuesday morning and we're in a different church now, in the city of Toyama.  We are the guests of another Kobayashi family - not Koby's.  Kobayashi-sensei, the associate pastor of this church, and his wife have welcomed us with a place to stay and rest for two nights while we spend time during the day sightseeing.
     The last day in Chino is always hectic - we start the morning with breakfast and then clean the church.  We clean the church every morning we are there, but the final morning we do so more completely - not wanting to leave the Kawanos with extra work to do after we leave.  After that, we must rush to get our luggage together and get to the train station.  Yesterday, there were members of the Chino church to drive us to the train station and to see us off.  We only had a short time to say good-bye and get the last minute photos taken before boarding the train.  This year is different than others because we are leaving Chino and going in different directions.  Shizuka, Koby and I rode the train to Matsumoto and then transferred to come to Toyama, on the west coast of Japan.  Along the way we connected with Kagiwada-sensei and Monica from the Sendai team and will spend the rest of the week sightseeing.  Yumiko and Pastor John left Chino on a different train after us to visit family and friends and will reunite with us on Saturday for the flight home.  Kaori caught a train to return to her home in Tokyo.  She will come back to live in the U.S. in December.  Erica will spend the next 2 or 3 weeks in Japan visiting family and friends, but is still in Chino right now, guest of the Yumoto family.  After selecting the two teams for Chino and Sendai in March, spending four months in preparation, and spending a week and a half serving in Chino, our mission to Chino Christ Church is now over.  We had a marvelous mission - all the programs and activities we presented went very well.  Everyone did a great job of preparing and serving here in Japan.  There is so much to be thankful for and to celebrate.  But right now my heart aches as I miss my brothers and sisters of the Chino church - especially the Kawano family.  This is my fifth year of serving in Chino and every year it is harder to leave them.  I would love to have the members of the Chino church transported to the San Fernando valley to become a part of our church family - to spend the rest of my life on earth with them.  But I must be patient and wait for the day that we are taken home to our God and can be together for eternity.  Right now, God needs them to continue the work of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with their loved ones and their community.  May they serve the Chino community with the same spirit, joy, and love as they have served us these past ten days.
     Kagiwada-sensei and Koby are now awake and we'll be having breakfast and then going out for the first full day of sightseeing.  I hope to tell you about our last Sunday in Chino in a later blog.  Thank you for your prayers - they were answered on this mission trip.  God bless you always.  Love, Don

A picture of the Chino church members.  It was taken from the pulpit as I had the opportunity to share with them.

 

Last Night in Chino

Dear Friends - It's 11:45PM, Sunday night - a lot has happened in the last two days since I wrote for the blog.  On Saturday we went to Matsumoto by train - an hour ride going west from Chino.  We broke up into three small groups - some went on the tour of Matsumoto castle, and others went shopping and sightseeing.  My group went to a soba (noodle) restaurant where I had tempura with my cold noodles.  It was a great meal made even better by being surrounded by good friends.
     I'm sorry, but I've been talking with some team members and it's now 12:30AM, Monday morning.  I'll have to get back to you tomorrow to continue this post.
     It's now 5:40AM Monday morning.  After waking up about a ½ hour ago, I decided to get up and spend some time writing.  The air is cool and refreshing as I sit in the sanctuary by myself.  Pastor John was already up spending time in prayer and has now gone out for a walk in the community.  Chihoyo-sensei is up, probably preparing for breakfast.  She is a wonderful woman who serves us endlessly with love and warmth.  I am fighting back tears as I think about leaving Chino in about 2-½ hours.  Each year I have come to Chino, it is harder and harder to say good-bye to these brothers and sisters.  Last night we went out to dinner and were joined by Hisao and Hisako, a couple I first met 6 years ago.  In spite of terrible injuries they have suffered in that time, both use a crutch to walk, their is great joy in their hearts that they warmly share with us.  Also joining us was Sanae Yumoto - who has served the mission teams to Chino since the first trip in 2007.  Her warmth and joy light up the room every time we see her.  Her two daughters, Aina and Hikari, served us during EEC and throughout the trip.  Her son, Nozomu, served with the mission in team in Sendai this year.  There was wonderful conversations and plenty of laughter as we shared this meal together with these special people.  Team has been dwindling in size since the past few days.  Megumi and Junko, the two seminary students from Tokyo, left Friday afternoon after the EEC had finished.  They both will move on to other churches to help out, just as they did in Chino - this is part of their service they perform during their summer break.  Sunday afternoon Pastor Raynold from the Crossway church left to go on to Machida, in Tokyo.  His visit there, after visiting Sendai and Chino, has allowed him to touch bases with the 3 churches in Japan that Crossway currently sends mission teams to.  Then late afternoon yesterday, Lily and her husband Soshi left us to return home in Tokyo.  Soshi served on the 2012 team to Chino, and he and Lily plan to return to the U.S. early next year.  So that leaves us with Shizuka, Erica, Kaori, and Pastor John from the South Bay church, and Yumiko, Koby and Don from the Crossway church.  It seems empty without the presence of all these brothers and sisters.  Later this morning, we will have our prayer meeting and breakfast and then give the church a thorough cleaning after our presence here for a week and a half.  Erica will stay in Chino another day before leaving and spending another 2 or 3 weeks visiting.  Pastor John and Yumiko will leave us this morning to visit family and friends.  Kaori will remain in Japan until her return to the U.S. in December, I believe.  Shizuka, Koby, and I will meet up with Kagiwada-sensei and Monica, from the Sendai team, to do some sightseeing until our return on Saturday.  Kagiwada-sensei has planned our time, which will include visits to Osaka, Kyoto, and Hiroshima.  It will be great for me to be able to visit these places, but it will not be the same without all the team members present.

     I'll jump backwards now to fill you in with what we did the last 2 days.  On Saturday, after spending the day in Matsumoto, we went to the Hosokawa home for dinner.  You would not believe the marvelous dinner placed before us.  Most of the food is not what you'd get when going out to a Japanese restaurant in the U.S.  As good as the meal was, it was the hospitality and the joyful conversation around the table that made this time extra special.  We have been invited into 3 different homes during the last 3 visits to Chino - overwhelmed by the graciousness, generosity, and love of these wonderful brothers and sisters.  That afternoon as we made our way from the train station to the Hosokawa home, about a 20 minute walk, lightning and thunder began to roll in.  The rain held off until we all were safe and dry at the Hosokawa's.  What I almost forgot to tell you was the Hosokawa's have converted a bathroom into an onsen-style room.  There is the typical shower, low to the floor, with a large personal tub to soak in.  I will have to discuss this with my wife Janis when I return home.  She really doesn't need her own workroom for her quilting and crafts.  Anyway, Shizuka and Chi-chan, Kaori, and I had the opportunity to use the onsen at the Hosokawa home - another marvelous family from the Chino church.  It's now 6:45AM and their is a lot of activity now as we prepare for the prayer meeting and breakfast.  I need to be more helpful right now.  I will write about Sunday in my next report to you.  It is hard to believe that it is nearly time to leave.  Great thanks to everyone for your prayers, thoughts, and well wishes.  May God bless you as we have been blessed in Chino.  May you experience the same joy, peace, and excitement that we have.  With thanks to God for each one of you.  Love, Don

Don, Shizuka & Soshi in the restaurant.

Yumiko, Kaori & Aya-san at the soba noodle restaurant.

Our meal at the Hosokawa home.  This photo
does not show everything we ate that evening.

EEC is over

Dear Friends - It's 5:40PM Friday and the kids from EEC have been gone for over 3 hours now.  Some people are preparing dinner, some are doing tasks for the upcoming worship service and some are zonked out.  It's always bittersweet to finish the EEC program.  It takes so much energy and preparation, being at your best while trying to present a high quality lesson to young children.  The children are so high-spirited, it feels like you're trying to tame a herd of hamsters at times.  But we've spent 4 months or so preparing for this event, and like the day after Christmas, there's a slight letdown after a big event you've been waiting for has passed.  Tomorrow we will travel to Matsumoto to do some sightseeing and in the evening we've been invited to a church member's home for dinner.  I understand that they have their own private onsen.  I'm going to see if they will adopt me into their family.  Thank you for all your prayers - we were blessed to not be impacted by rain, for people to be protected from ailments and illness, and for the program to proceed without any glitches.  Dinner will begin in a few minutes, so I'll get back to you to give you more updates.
     It's 9:10PM now.  Pastor Raynold from the Crossway church arrived about 11:30AM today and got to see some of our EEC program.  He also was able to join us for our annual curry lunch during EEC.  The women who prepare our lunches are fantastic.  The curry is great - especially when you consider that they feed over 100 people.  My brain is shutting down and I'm finding it difficult to write coherently.  Thank you once again for all your prayers.  MEBIG and the worship service on Sunday will be the last activities we present - you can pray that God is honored by our words and actions and hearts will be changed.  May you be blessed just as we have been.  Love, Don

Koby snooping as Erica checks her email.
This was part of his "Hulk" costume - as the mission
team dressed up as super heroes.

Day 2 of EEC Finished

Dear Friends - It's 9PM Thursday night and some of us have returned from the onsen.  There are a few drivers who take us, and we leave and return at slightly different times.  We're waiting for the last group to come back so we can have a team meeting.  The rain from last night was gone by the time EEC began this morning, and the only rain today came about 5PM - brief showers.  All the activities seemed to go well.  The theme for our camp is "The Greatest Hero."  Following that theme, the children made capes during craft time on the first day, and today take personal photos while wearing their capes against a backdrop of a city skyline.  The Bible class presented the story of Moses on the first day, and the story of David today.  Tomorrow the story will be about Jesus.  It's 11PM now, our meeting for tomorrow's last day of EEC went well.  We handled all of the concerns people had with their various responsibilities - it should be a good day tomorrow.  Erica is printing the individual photos she took of the campers, looking like super heroes, that will be placed in picture frames for the campers to take home.  And then she will be putting the slide show together that will be shown to the parents tomorrow.  Shizuka, Megumi, and Junko are putting together "goodie bags" for the children to take home with them.  I'm waiting for the chance to grab one of the bags when they're not looking.  Yumiko and Lily are preparing for the crafts tomorrow - decorating the picture frames.  It's already 11:20PM, so people will most likely be working late into the night.  I need to stop writing and start helping someone with their tasks.  If you're taking the time to read this blog - thanks!  Thanks for your prayers and thanks for your interest in what we're doing.  God be with you and bless you.  Love, Don

Kaori planning for the last day of EEC.

 

The Mission Team

Dear Friends - It's now 8:50PM, Tuesday and I'll try and write a little bit before our team meeting to prepare for the EEC beginning tomorrow.  My morning began about 6:00AM when I got up from the futon to spend some time in prayer.  As I began praying for each team member it struck me how blessed I am to be part of this team.  Each of them has unique talents, a wonderful engaging personality, and a strong devotion to God.  They are quick to step in when there are tasks to be done - regardless how unappealing it may be.  They greet people with great enthusiasm - sharing the joy and peace God has placed in their hearts.  Koby did a great job of teaching a class of children and adults a hula this morning.  His enthusiasm and crazy personality drew everyone into the dance - even those who were reluctant in the beginning.  He greets everyone without reservation and people feel they are his best friend minutes.  It is now 6:30AM Wednesday morning - we had Koby's Hawaiian class and the Taisho koto concert yesterday, then began the preparations for EEC - putting up decorations and getting the materials for our classes in order.  With EEC beginning today, there is much less free time available to the team.  I will do my best to keep you up to date with our activities.  Yesterday I started telling you about the team members - I'll try to finish, now.  When you first meet Yumiko, you see a quiet, kind, and very considerate person.  She is very kind and very considerate, but hardly quiet.  The more time we spend with her, the more we see her joyous, playful spirit.  She is the youngest among four siblings in her family and it is clear that she was the youngest child.  Her playfulness keeps everyone is high spirits throughout the day.  But it is her caring heart that most impresses you.   She expresses her emotions freely and you are drawn into heart.  Pastor John is the only first-timer to Chino on this mission - but has quickly fit into the team here in Chino.  A retired pastor who still preaches part-time, his speaking skills have not diminished with age.  He gave a health seminar that drew both church members and non-Christians and he also gave his testimony at the Taisho koto concert yesterday.  Although he may not be able to jump around with us during the singing of some children's songs, his speaking talents are unmatched by anyone else on the team.  It's now 3:30PM on Wednesday - and everyone is tired after the first day of EEC.  This is the second year of serving in Chino for Kaori.  A member of the South Bay church, she is currently living in Japan.  She has been doing a lot of translating for us - a very tiring and difficult task.  She is working with Shizuka in the Bible Lesson class.  Kaori's gentle spirit and ready smile make her someone easy to spend time with.  It's now 8:30PM and we've just gotten back from the onsen - I will finish this posting before going to bed tonight - I promise.  Erica is the youngest member of the team, by about 25 years, but is not intimidated by any of the older folks.  Her energy and enthusiasm is a great plus in dealing with the children who come to our activities - not getting annoyed by the misbehavior of the campers like the 3 old men on the team are.  She is soft-hearted and very playful.  If it sounds like I keep describing the same person, it is because the women on our team are similar to one another with many of the same wonderful qualities.  Shizuka, Erica's mom, has the title of co-leader for our mission team - but she is truly the leader of this team.  Her bilingual skills allow her to communicate directly with the Kawanos in Chino.  She selects songs for us to sing during worship services and also activities with the children - and then she teaches us the songs and plays the piano and guitar to accompany us.  Her walk with God is evident in her words and actions - she truly lives a life that pleases God.  And on top of all that, she has a friendly demeanor and does not show anger in her interaction with others.  We are blessed to have her leading this team.
     The rain has finally come to us.  It rained hard Monday night/Tuesday morning, but not while any of us were up.  Tonight the rain started about 6PM and it is now pouring.  It has cooled down the night air and it is less humid than it was.  The forecast is thundershowers for the next few days.  It seems like every year we have this type of weather with the possible threat of EEC being disrupted.  But every year in the past, God has allowed the program to go on without being impacted by the weather.  I assume that will be the case for the next two days of EEC.  Even so, I would ask for your prayers that the rain would not impact our activities.  I do not want to become complacent nor fail to acknowledge who's hand controls everything.
     We will be having  a short team meeting in about 5 minutes so I will close this entry.  I'm sorry it has taken so long to finish it.  I am truly humbled to be a member of this mission team.  All the team members are quick to jump in and get things done - always with a smile.  I hope you have come to know them slightly better through this entry.  Although I try to remember to say it in each entry, it is not just a formality - thank you for your prayers.  Chihoyo-sensei and Shizuka are recovering from ailments, but seem to be getting better.  Keep them in your prayers.  Give thanks for how well things have been going.  God bless you all.  Love, Don  

Yumiko taking a turn playing the taisho koto.

Shizuka giving instruction and encouragement to Chi-chan
as she plays the taisho koto.

Monday - Our Day of Rest

Dear Friends - It's Monday morning, 6:20AM - there is not the usual hustle and bustle that I would hear at this time in the morning.  People are usually up having personal times of prayer and devotion - but from our upstairs room where we sleep, I only see Koby down in the sanctuary.  The activities of the first three days in Chino and the emotion shared during the worship service yesterday seems to have sapped the energy of many of us.  Today is a light day for us - Pastor John is giving a health seminar in the afternoon and some of the team members will be visiting church members who are now restricted to their homes and unable to come to the church.  Because of the light day, we decided to skip the usual team meeting at night.  People were able to go to their rooms earlier and seem to be sleeping in later this morning.
     After the prayer meeting and breakfast, our first activity was MEBIG - the Chino Sunday School program.  MEBIG is comprised of Memory Verse, Bible Lesson, and Games.   The memory verse activity and games were conducted by Chihoyo-sensei (I don't know where she gets all of her energy), and the lesson was given by Erica.  
     Yesterday was a time of great joy and blessings for our team members and the Chino church members.  Pastor John and Yumiko gave testimonies and Shizuka gave the message for the worship service.  Their sharing of personal struggles, pain, and suffering showed how God has been with them, has protected them, and even strengthened them through these experiences.  I could hear the sniffles behind me during the service.  People relate to these stories - whether they have the same types of experiences, everyone faces struggles in life.  But the great part of Pastor John's, Yumiko's, and Shizuka's sharing was that they did not end up stuck in that pain and suffering - God lifted each one of them to times of blessings and great joy.
     After the service, there was a potluck lunch where we were gathered in circles to converse as we ate.  We then went around and everyone shared.  This is always a blessing for us.  The Chino church members get an opportunity to share with us and there are always some very heartfelt messages.

     After lunch there was an orientation meeting for the church members who will be helping out at the EEC (VBS-like program) which begins on Wednesday.  It is good to see the people who return year after year to help out and to also see the new helpers.  After the meeting, some church members took a few groups of us out to do some shopping and to have a snack.  Each year the members have made greater efforts to be involved with our mission team members - beyond just providing our meals.  After breakfast this morning, a member took us on a tour of his workplace where they ship "kanten" locally and to foreign nations.  We then went to a factory to see part of the process of its production.  Kanten is a food made from seaweed that is served in noodle or gelatin form.  We also went to a store that sells it - so of course we had to sample a few varieties.  We also went to a "miso" factory.  Miso is made from rice and soy beans.  Those of you who go to Japanese restaurants have likely had miso soup at some time.  It's about time for lunch and I don't want to be late.  Thank you once again for your support for all of us.  God be with you.  Love, Don

At the Kanten shipping site.  Kawano-Sensei, Pastor John,
Koike-san, and Koby.  Koike-san the Chino church member,
 is in charge of the shipping site

A poster advertising the English classes and EEC.  This is
posted in the train station for all to see.

This part of the poster is announcing the Hawaiian class that
Koby will be conducting on Tuesday.  He'l be shaking his
hips and showing the people how to hula.

Sunday Morning - The Lord's Day

Dear Friends - It's Sunday morning, 5:45AM.  The sun is up and the air is crisp, we are together with our team members and in the midst of our brothers and sisters in Chino - what could be better.  It reminds of the times when I was in high school and attended a week-long church camp.  It would feel like I was in heaven - and would want that experience to go on forever.  But as I was praying this morning, I thought of all of you back home and my heart was full of joy - for the blessing that you are to me and how God touches my heart again and again through all of you.  As I read the blog that I posted last night it all sounded very bland to me - I'm sorry that it didn't express the joy and excitement experienced by all the team members.  At last night's meeting, although everyone was very tired from the busy day, people perked up as we evaluated the day's activities.  Jim Valvano, a well-known college basketball coach, passed away a few years back, a victim of cancer.  He gave a speech late in his life, exhorting people to make the most of their lives.  A part of that speech has stayed with me - he said you have to do 3 things every day.  You have to think, you have to laugh, and you have to cry - you must have your heart moved to tears either by joy or sadness.  If you do, you have a helluva day.  I find that I experience these things in abundance during each day and it makes me feel so very alive.  And most of all it fills my heart with thanksgiving for the life I lead, the people in my life, and the experiences I have day by day - and this thanksgiving is directed to my God.  Please be in prayer for our team as we face another day of serving our Heavenly Father - that our words and actions will reflect the confidence, security and joy that He brings to each one of us.  With thanks to God for each one of you.  Love, Don  

Our First Full Day

Dear Friends - It's 10:40PM, Saturday night, and we've finished our first full day of activities.  We were led in our first devotional time by Kawano-sensei this morning, providing inspiration for the rest of the day.  Our luggage and boxes of supplies were delivered early in the morning so we had plenty of time to organize our supplies and get the things we needed for today's English classes.  Thank you to everyone who said a prayer for us about the things being delivered on time.  The first class was for children and lasted one hour. Koby & Erica led them in learning "action verbs" - walking, running, hopping, skipping, and jumping.  After that was conversation classes for adults, crafts for children, and singing for children.  During our evaluation time tonight, everyone agreed that the activities went very well.  It was a great encouragement for everyone as we begin preparing for many other activities in this coming week.  Tomorrow we will be in charge of the worship service for the Chino church.  Shizuka will be presenting the main message; Yumiko and Pastor John will be giving testimonies, sharing examples of how God has worked in their lives; and all of us will join our voices together as we lead their singing.  After that will be a welcome lunch, in our honor.  The food is always fantastic and there is sharing from all the people present.   After the luncheon will be an orientation meeting for volunteers working at the EEC starting on Wednesday.  We then hope to do some shopping before dinner.  We again ask for your prayer support for all of these activities.  Although everyone puts in a lot of work preparing for these activities, it is truly the hand of God that allows any of these things to be successful.  It's now 11PM and I'm having difficulty remaining upright while sitting on this chair, and my eyes are struggling to remain open while trying to write to you.  Keep us in your prayers when you can remember us.  Thanks a lot.  Love, Don

Saturday - English Classes

Dear Friends - It's 6AM Saturday morning and from the loft where Koby & I and a college student named Nobuki sleep, I can hear a couple of people down in the sanctuary.  One person has been there since 4AM.  Besides the team members I have mentioned in previous posts, there are two young college students who will be part of our team, also - most likely a very big part.  Aina Yumoto and her family have been a big part of our missions from the start 8 years ago.  Her mother has been a gracious host - helping prepare meals for us, transporting us about in the family's mini-van, and spending time in fellowship with the team.  She is also a very dear friend of Chihoyo-sensei, the pastor's wife.  She came with Chihoyo-sensei to visit us in the states 3½ years ago.  Aina's father works at a resort in the mountains above Chino and the team has visited the complex at least a couple of times.  We have ridden on the small ski lift, visited the museum, and used the onsen (public bath) that's part of the hotel complex.  Although very busy with his work, it is always a great joy to have his fellowship when he is at church.  He and his wife, Sanae, have hosted the team to dinner at their home in the past.  Aina's brother, Nozomu, will be traveling to Sendai to serve with the team that traveled to Japan with us.  He will be the second member of the Chino church to go out and serve on a mission.  The youngest sibling is Hikari - a wonderful young lady who is middle school aged.  Hikari has been coming to our EEC activities since we began our ministry, and last year was her first year serving as a staff member - now too old to attend as a camper.  Aina is a pretty young woman whose heart and gentle spirit just add to her beauty.  She will soon be starting her second year of college.  She is staying with us at the church and is even more involved with our team than she has been in the past.  Her friend from college, Nobuki, is the young man I mentioned earlier.  He spent a year in Australia and speaks very good English.  It has been a great pleasure talking with this very wonderful young man.  When we first formed our mission team of six people, there was only one person under the age of 40.  Although everyone on the team is young at heart - some of us are not young in body.  The addition of Aina and Nobuki is an answer to prayers and will be invaluable as we minister to young children.  We will also be joined by two seminary students to help during EEC, also.  Year after year, God has provided us with everything we have needed.  Enough team members, enough donations and monetary support, good weather when we have needed it, good health and healing from ailments, and a unity among team members.  We thank all of you who have supported us in prayer - it has made all the difference in the world.  So for today, I would ask for your prayers as we begin with some one-day English classes for children and adults.  The boxes we brought with us from America, which are sent from the airport to meet us at the church, have not yet arrived and they contain materials that people will need to conduct their classes and activities.  They are supposed to arrive in the morning, shortly before we begin our classes.  We would greatly appreciate your prayers that the boxes would arrive sooner rather than later in the morning.  And most of all, pray that the classes and activities we present will touch the hearts of the children and adults who attend - that our actions and words would express the joy and confidence we have in facing life because of the salvation we have received from our Lord Jesus Christ.  It's getting close to our 7AM prayer meeting - always a blessing as we receive encouragement from Kawano-sensei to prepare for the coming day. May God be with you and always bless you.  Love, Don

Our First Day in Chino

Being greeted at the Chino train
station by members of Chino Christ
Church

Getting ready to leave the hotel for Chino and Sendai.
Pastor John, Koby, Shizuka, and Kaori from the Chino team,
and Kagiwada-sensei from the Sendai team.

     It's 10:50PM and there's eight of us still up and talking.  About 30 minutes ago it looked like everyone was going to fall over and go to sleep - but people have gotten their second wind and the conversation is going full speed.  After a great breakfast at the hotel's buffet, we traveled on to the Chino church this morning.  Everything went smoothly and we were met by Kawano-sensei and other members of the church.  After walking to the church, we were treated to slices of sweet and refreshing watermelon.  Kawano-sensei greeted me as I walked through the front doors of the church with "welcome home."  It really did feel like we were back home - not because we were walking into the church building, but because we were with very dear brothers and sisters.  It's not the building that makes the church - it's the gathering of brothers and sisters living together as God intended.  It's 11:20PM now, and most of the people have gone to bed.  I guess I need to do the same so that I have plenty of energy for tomorrow's activities.  I hope my body will keep adjusting to the time change and allow me to sleep later than 4AM tomorrow morning.   God be with you and bless you richly.  Love, Don    

Ready to Move on to Chino

Friends - It's now Friday morning, 5:45AM.  It felt good to be in a horizontal position after sitting upright in the plane for 10 ½ hours.  After being well hydrated on the flight, my body decided to get rid of some of the fluid during the night - 4 or 5 times.  But being so tired, I was able to get back to sleep easily each time - until 4AM.  That time when I awoke, I was pretty alert - so instead of fighting it, I just got up and prayed.  It was a great blessing to spend time in prayer - giving thanks for getting here safely, giving thinks for my family and friends, and asking for my body and spirit to be prepared for this mission trip.  I then took a short catnap and got up to shower.  It was great to take a leisurely hot shower and not have to worry about watching dollars go down the drain.  Koby just got up and is taking a shower again.  I think we both got a pretty good rest at the bear convention in our room last night.  "Smokey" and "Gentle Ben" were hibernating pretty good last night.  On the flight from LAX, I watched a couple of movies - the first one being "Unforgiven", the life story of Louis Zamperini (excuse my spelling).  It tells of his imprisonment during WW II in a Japanese prisoner of war camp and his endurance of horrific and brutal treatment at the hands of the camp director, "Bird".  Maybe not the best depiction you want to see of the Japanese when going to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.   But what struck me was not the savage behavior of one group, the Japanese, but that many nations, if not most, exhibit the same behavior today in war and terrorist attacks.  It is not a behavior limited to one group of people, but a condition seen in people around the world.  Louis' strength of character is what we should be striving to embrace and exhibit in a broken and fallen world.  His behavior was an inspiration to everyone around him and encouraged them to do likewise.  And when the war was over and he suffered from the inhumane treatment he received, it was only when he was able to forgive his tormentors that he was able to move on and live a fruitful and blessed life.  If he could forgive his captors, what is our excuse?  There are many lessons for us to take from this film.  It's about 6:10AM and the breakfast buffet opens at 6:30 - I think Koby and I may be the first ones in line.  It's been good to have this morning to help transition from the all the worries of getting ready for the flight and the preparations for the mission, to pray and get my heart ready for the next 10 days of the mission.  Be in prayer for all of us that we would be ready physically, emotionally, and especially spiritually for our time in Japan.   It is such a great blessing to be here - and to carry your joy and love in our hearts.  God be with you and bless you richly.  Love, Don  

We're Here in Japan

Dear Friends - Thanks to all of you who came out to Crossway Church on Wednesday to pray for the mission team members and give us a warm sendoff.  When we come to Japan we take one piece of luggage and one box of supplies for the EEC, decorations and other activities.  The weight limit for luggage is 50 pounds and three of our boxes were dancing around the 51 pound mark.  I was concerned that we might get charged extra for those boxes, but we passed through check-in with no problems.  Right now it is 10:40PM, Thursday in Japan - and 6:40AM in California.  The body is really confused, right now.  Please excuse any errors in this post - spelling, grammar, and clarity of thought.  Tomorrow morning we need to catch our first train at 9:45AM - that will give us time to partake of the buffet breakfast at the Narita Gateway Hotel where we are staying.  I'm not trying to make the members of our church who are going to Baja, to build a family a home, this Sunday feel bad - but I doubt you'll have a breakfast like ours during your week down south of the border.  I'm sharing a room with Koby tonight and he's taking a shower right now.  It will probably be our last shower for the next week and a half.  Before you get excited - those of you who have followed our trips from previous years know that we will be going to the public baths once we get to Chino tomorrow.  I look forward to soaking in a tub tomorrow night.  When we arrive at the Narita airport, we use our carry-on bag for our toiletries and a set of clothes to get us through the next day.  The rest of our luggage gets sent to the Chino church by takkyubin - kind of like UPS or FedEx.  The problem this year is our luggage won't be delivered tomorrow as we expected - it will arrive on Saturday.  So we won't have clean clothes when we start out the day on Saturday.  I guess that means I wear my fresh clothes on Friday and then turn my t-shirt, shorts, socks, and underwear inside-out for Saturday.  You don't think anyone will notice, do you?  Anyway - thanks to all of our families, friends and church family members who support, and have supported this mission in the past.  Your prayers, donations, and well wishes make this trip possible and provide us with confidence through our loving God.  May God bless each one of you as we have been blessed by you.  Love, Don

EEC Camp T-shirt

  This is our t-shirt for the EEC - the design has been enlarged on the left.  The theme for EEC is "The Greatest Hero" and the camp scripture verse is Joshua 1:9 - paraphrased, "Be strong and courageous - God is with you."  Our thanks to DVI (Deo Volente Industries) for their design and the printing of the shirts. 

The Schedule For Our Mission

     Below is the schedule for our team for the ten days while we are in Chino.  Although it may not look like there is very much going on, we spend a lot of time decorating the church and preparing the materials for our lessons and activities.  On Sundays, the MEBIG is the Sunday School for Chino Christ Church.  In MEBIG, the ME stands for Memory Verse; the BI stands for Bible Lesson; and the G stands for Games.  The 3 main components of the Sunday school are Memory Verse, Bible Lesson, and Games.  On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday you see EEC.  EEC stands for English Experience Camp - very similar to VBS (Vacation Bible School) that we have in our churches.  Most of these activities in the schedule you will read about in the blog while we are in Chino.  Please be in prayer for all the team members as we finish up our planning and preparation before leaving for Japan.  If you want to stay up with us in real time - Japan is sixteen hours ahead of PDT.  
P.S. - If you see Don Kobayashi and Koby in the blog - they are the same person.       

Chino 15 Mission Schedule
7/23 TH Arrive in Japan
7/24 FR AM Travel from Narita to Chino:  9:45AM Narita Express, 12PM Shinjuku
             PM Arrival in Chino:  2PM
                                         Meet w/Chi-chan's Tchr, Meet w/Sister-city reps from Colorado - Koby,
                                           Don & Shizuka                                   
                                         Orientation - Prayer Walk, distribute handouts at station and nearby houses 
7/25 SA 7AM Prayer Meeting:  Kawano-sensei
                                          Free
              1:30-2:30PM Fun Time with English (for kids):  Koby & Erica
              2:30-4:30PM English Class:  Beginners - Don,  Crafts - Yumiko & Pr. John,  
                                         Free Conversation - Koby,  Sing-along - Shizuka,  Photographer - Erica
7/26 SU 6:30AM Prayer Meeting
              9AM MEBIG:  Character - Erica (Kaori translate)
              10:30AM Worship Service:  Chair - Yumiko, Testimony - Pr. John & Yumiko, 
                                            Message - Shizuka
12PM             Welcome Luncheon
               2-2:30PM Staff Meeting for EEC:  Chihoyo-sensei, Shizuka, Don (about 30 min)
               5PM Men's Group:  Pr. John, Koby, Don
7/27 MO 7AM Prayer Meeting:  Kawano-sensei
                                           Free
               2-3PM Health Seminar:  Pr. John
               4PM Visitation - Sister Yoshiko Gomi & Mr. Kesaichi Gomi
7/28 TU 7AM Prayer Meeting
               9:30-10:30AM Hawaiian Class with Uncle Koby
                11AM-2PM        Taisho-koto Concert, Fellowship and Lunch:  Testimony - Pastor John    
                PM                       Prep for EEC 
7/29 WE  6:45AM               Prayer Meeting
               10AM-2PM         EEC (Day 1)  Lunch:  pizza
               PM (after EEC) Staff Meeting
7/30 TH 6:45AM Prayer Meeting
               10AM-2PM         EEC (Day 2)  Lunch:  Hot dogs     Photography
               PM (after EEC) Staff Meeting
7/31 FR 6:45AM Prayer Meeting
               10AM-2PM         EEC (Day 3)  Lunch:  Curry rice   "Crazy Hair Day"
               PM (after EEC) Staff Meeting
               6PM BBQ - Invite children and parents from EEC
8/1 SA   6:45AM Prayer Meeting
                   Free
               PM                       Free
8/2 SU     6:45AM Prayer Meeting
               9AM MEBIG:  Character - Koby (Erica & Shizuka translate)
               10:30AM             Worship Service:  Chair - Pr. John, Testimony - Koby & Erica, 
                                             Message - Don          
                12PM                   Thank You Luncheon
                                           Packing
               4-6PM Takkyubin
8/3 MO    7AM                    Prayer Meeting
                AM                      Clean Chino Christ Church
                                             Yumiko & Pr. John leave for Tokyo Shizuka, Koby & Don leave for
                                             Toyama

Preparing for our mission

back row - Don Hori, Yumiko Chen, and
Don Kobayashi:  front row - Erica Sasaki,
Pastor John Kamiyama, and Shizuka
Sasaki

      This is the ninth year that a team of people from Crossway Church is going to Chino Christ Church in Japan.  We go there to conduct a VBS-like program and other activities to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and to offer assistance and support to the people of the Chino church.  This is the fourth year that members of the South Bay Japanese Christian Fellowship have participated in this short-term mission.  We solicited applications in February for this mission as well as one going to Sendai, also in Japan.  This will be our second year of serving Sendai.  In the past we have had teams of eight to ten members, but in March we only had enough applicants to make two teams of five members this year.  Shortly thereafter we received another member to the team.  Those six people are shown in the picture to the left.  In the back row are members of the Crossway Church of the San Fernando Valley, and in the front row are members of the South Bay Japanese Christian Fellowship.  With a smaller team, many of the activities were being planned by one person, rather than by two or three as in past years.  In spite of this, everyone moved forward with the planning for our trip.  Since that time in March, we have added three more people to the team - all are members of the South Bay church but will be living in Japan at the time of our mission.  Kaori Watanabe served on the mission team last year and Soshi Odawara served on the 2012 team.  Soshi's wife, Lily, will also be joining the team.  The addition of theses members lightens the load for everyone, and will make us even more effective in our efforts.  We have also had the help and support of two members from last year's team, Tara Chiu and Michelle Mori, in our preparations.  We go to Japan, on this two week mission, to share the gospel with people where less than one percent of the population is Christian; to introduce people in the Chino community to Kawano-sensei and the Chino Christ Church; and we go to Japan to support our brothers and sisters in Christ to remain strong in their faith and to grow more Christ-like day by day.  Please pray for us as we prepare for this mission which takes place from July 22nd to August 5th - that all the planning and preparations will be done in a manner worthy of our Lord and Savior, and that we will be ready spiritually to share the power of the gospel.