by Whitey | Oct 26, 2009 | Life in Japan, Ministry News, Uncategorized
With less than two months left of my first term in Japan, and a lot to keep me busy these days, it feels like time is getting away from me.
Yesterday I visited the Immanuel Church in Toyota (about an hour’s journey by train) to do some ministry. The next two Sundays I’ll be away too, in Hikone and then Gifu, again on ministry. In the meantime I’ve got messages to prepare for those two Sundays. I’m trying to decide what message(s) to use. Probably I will be doing an edited version of something I’ve already written, simply because of the time factor; I need to send a manuscript to my interpreters ASAP.
At any rate, I love having these ministry opportunities. But I kind of wish they weren’t happening all at once. I don’t like being away from my own church for so many consecutive weeks, especially with so few Sundays left between now and December 14th, the day of my flight home.
So I’ve got a lot to keep me busy these next few weeks, between ministry preparation, actual ministry, language studies, and home ministry planning. Somewhere in there I need to squeeze in time for spending with all the fine people I’ll be leaving behind in December. And drawing, too, of course.
I just want to finish strong: in studies, ministry and relationships. “Seize the day” and all that… I pray time won’t get away from me.
by Whitey | Oct 7, 2009 | Ministry News
My latest newsletter (#12 – Late 2009), wherein I talk about being a dreamer as well as my ministry at last week’s prayer meeting (which are related), is now available and can be viewed or downloaded in PDF form HERE. It also features a list of upcoming events that I’d appreciate prayers for. Thanks.
by Whitey | Aug 30, 2009 | Ministry News, Photos
Today’s photo is of a retreat centre in nearby Konan, where we stayed during Chukyo Seikai on August 13-14 (the week before the Tonicam).
Chukyo Seikai is the name of this area’s annual retreat (Chukyo is the name of the area and Seikai basically means “holiness meeting”) for the denomination. I had the opportunity — and challenge — to give a short testimony in Japanese, as well as sing a couple of songs, during one of the worship services. Thanks in large part to the help of some Japanese friends who checked/corrected my Japanese manuscript, it went pretty well, I think. It was definitely a step further than last year, anyway, when I did the same thing, but in English and with an interpreter. And more importantly, I think God used me to encourage some people.
by Whitey | Aug 25, 2009 | Ministry News, Photos
Tonicam is the name of our Japanese denomination’s youth camp. This summer’s event was held last week in Nagano, as mentioned in the previous entry. Our group from Nagoya was pretty small; there were nine of us, but only four were campers while the rest of us were staff. I had the opportunity to play guitar on the worship team all week, which was a challenge — it’s hard enough to read sheet music in English, let alone in Japanese — but a good challenge and a lot of fun. Leading worship through music is one of my passions, and in Japan I haven’t had the chance to do much of it, so it felt good to get to work with the worship band the whole four days of camp.
The stage is also a great place to watch the crowd from. It gets me excited to see Japanese teens getting excited about worshiping Jesus and letting Him work in their lives. And God definitely was at work in people’s lives during Tonicam. I’m thankful I got to be there to see it.
Below are some of the photos I didn’t accidentally delete after camp. You can click on the first one to see it close-up, and then use the arrows to navigate through the slideshow and see the rest:
by Whitey | Jul 27, 2009 | Ministry News, Photos
As those of you on my email list may remember, this month we had a couple of events at the church that I’d asked for prayer about. Let me take a moment to tell you how things went.
The kids’ Ice Cream Party was held on July 5, and was a big success. We had over 47 show up, a large number of whom were first time visitors! And in the weeks following that event, we’ve had a handful of those kids coming back for our regular programs as well. Also, our Jr. High band did some music for the kids’ event. One band member invited some friends, and there were about 15 who showed up! Please pray that these connections to the community will continue to grow.
On July 15, with the help of some church members, hosted a Canada Day party (only 2+ weeks after the real Canada Day). We had a good time of games, English conversation practice, music, prizes and food. Around 36 people attended, a good handful of whom were visitors. Please continue to pray for my weekly English classes, and that God would use me to help this church build bridges with the community around us.
Following are some photos from the Canada Day party, as well as a young adults’ gathering the same evening. Click on any image to see it full-size and un-cropped, and to flip through the whole lot as a slideshow.
(Please let me know if you have trouble viewing these pics. It’s my first time using this gallery feature.)
by Whitey | May 1, 2009 | Ministry News
Hi Everyone,
This Sunday the Immanuel Nagoya Church hosted our annual Kids Festival, featuring music, prizes and of course food! 21 kids came, and they all had a great time — and so did the grown-ups. Best of all, 12 of the kids who came were newcomers. Praise God for new connections with the community!
Other than that, the past month I’ve kept busy with Japanese studies, teaching English, and preparations for a short-term mission trip I’m hosting/leading just a few short days from now.
Please pray for my friends Mike and Nick, who are coming here from Canada to travel and do ministry with me for about a week. They’re scheduled to arrive on Tuesday afternoon (May 5), and flying out on Wednesday, May 13. Please pray for safe travel (both to and in Japan), fruitful ministry and for our physical and spiritual strength during this busy time.
Thanks as always for praying!
