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.