I am terrible at multitasking. I should have been writing things down as I was in Japan, but in all of the time we were spending, trains we were taking, people we were meeting, churches we were visiting, messages and testimonies we were giving, it was hard for me to reflect and to think, therefore, hard for me to write down my thoughts about the trip. Now I am in San Antonio, a victim of time change, and able to think, so here we go...
The mission trip did not start in Japan, but in the air. The flights over were very interesting. Something was amiss on each flight, but there were blessings in their stead. One flight we were on was serviced by a Christian flight attendant, who said to one of the team members that she was going through some things, but felt peace and the presence of God when we came aboard. Another flight involved us meeting some missionaries to Thailand, who we got to minister to.
Everywhere we went in the Tokyo area was by train. It's best to know where you are going, as things can get crazy. We almost left Amanda and Sally on one of the platforms. After we got into Narita airport, we took an hour train ride into Tokyo. I got to see the beautiful countryside and go over my message with Ryota, as I was giving it the next day. We had to pass through one of the most chaotic train stations, and the biggest one in Tokyo, Shinjuku (shin-JEW-koo). While in the Shinjuku area, I felt a looming troubled feeling, not just because of the chaos, but because something didn't feel right. Later did I learn that the area we were passing through was close to one of Japan's most famous areas that we we would refer to as a "red light district". We got into the student center, unpacked, went to eat real ramen (it's a lot better that the 10 cent stuff here), and went to sleep.
The student center was such an awesome place to live. It was so efficient and always kept "Asianly" clean. We took our shoes off at the door, recycled everything there, and folded our futons each morning. A note on futons, they're not like the ones in America. They're super thin, twin-sized mats, but they are really comfortable to sleep on. They don't really use the air conditioner, but a fan was blowing so it was fine. We slept in the sanctuary. The sun rises early there (around 4:30) and sets early (around 6:30).
We woke up the next morning and headed to Komagome(ko-MA-go-may), where the Japan Assemblies of God headquarters, bible school, and Japan A/G's biggest church is. The Assemblies of God is one of the most successful Christian denominations in Japan, but like many Christian churches, its congregations are small. There largest church has around 90 members.
We go to a beautifully furnished chapel at Central Bible College where Amanda Plast leads worship. It seems like there is nothing more beautiful than hearing people sing hymns in Japanese. In japan, there is a time and a place for everything. This is a pentecostal bible college, so I was surprised to see such a reserved atmosphere, and I thought to myself Well, where's the fire? We gave a Texas presentation and I gave my message on the importance of sharing the gospel, and encouraging them as future pastors to not be afraid to speak truth. I sat down, the head of the chapel service asked the students to pray for us, then, the fire fell... I was surrounded by students laying their hands on me praying, some weeping, some shouting, some praying in Japanese, some praying in...not Japanese, and it was as if we could feel the Spirit equipping us for what we came to do.
That night we had a prayer meeting. Staff from Chi Alpha, YWAM (Youth with a Mission), and other churches came together to pray. Austin and Amanda led worship. Nothing but the Blood and How Great Thou Art sound great in Japanese. I got to facilitate the prayer meeting as the Lord led us in prayer, then we all got into groups where we prayed for one another. Then everyone in that room prayed over the Texas team. I'm not one for supporting weird manifestations in church or anything, but God's presence was so strong over us in the room that we felt an incredible joy and peace, and some of us couldn't help but laugh.
The next day, we went to Sayama Christ Church in Saitama prefecture. Like many churches in Japan, Sayama Church is led by by a single female pastor, who has a lot going on, and who has faced many struggles leading the church. That being said, the church is so beautiful. The people were warm and friendly, they loved Jesus, and you could tell in their worship. Ryota gave the message and Chris shared his testimony. One church member who had recently been water baptized was really impacted by Chris's testimony. After the service, we stood at the front, and people came down for us to pray for their needs. Then everyone fed us...there was so much food. We then went back to Komagome and saw two precious Chinese girls get baptized in water. It was an honor welcoming two new sisters into the kingdom of God.
Monday, we got to go to our first Japanese university campus. Our team went to Waseda University. We prayed over the university, ate lunch, and passed out fliers inviting people to a bible study meeting. I will never take booth time for granted ever again. At least people in America will acknowledge you. We had an outreach that night. Austin gave the message and I shared my testimony, and got to hang out with two awesome guys who love Jesus.
Tuesday we had intercessory prayer and went back to Waseda. That night we went to Shin's parents' house. Her father is into French cooking, so we had really good food and dessert. They were really sweet. Pray that they come to know Jesus.
Wednesday we went to Sonrise Nozomi Church, hung out with preschoolers, ministered to their mothers. I got to share my testimony there. That night, we had a youth outreach at the same church. Austin and Amanda led worship (Amanda can sing really well), Chris gave a great message on knowing God's heart. Mikami Sensei (yes, the pastors are called "sensei") took care in making sure we felt at home. They made us really good food, and Mikami Sensei took us on a tour of some classical Japanese buildings.
Thursday was our sabbath. We went into the mountains in Okutama. They were bigger than any mountains I've ever seen. Then we had sushi that night.
Friday I did not go to Waseda. I went to the University of Tokyo (they call it Todai for short), where we had intercessory prayer and worship. We prayed for our other team members at Waseda, and from what I heard, it went very well. That night we had an outreach at International Christian Assembly. It was a great success.
Saturday, Austin, Shin, Sally, and I went to Rikkyo University. Rikkyo was started as an Anglican university, and it looks like you're stepping into an ivy league school in the U.S. There we got to meet Akari Irokawa and her brother Masayuki (Masa for short). Their mother is a pastor of a church in Kashiwa, where we would be spending the night. So begins the "Kashiwa Experience"
We arrived to a warm welcome in Kashiwa. They brought Austin and I to a room upstairs where we rested for around an hour. Dinner was served and we sat with the children and tried communicating with them. Each of the children has a story of their own. I will talk about two of them. One of the children there is named Nozomi. Nozomi is super smart, to the point where she is bored in school, and doesn't go often. Her mother rejected her, but kept her younger sister. Pray that Nozomi would come to realize that she is valuable to Jesus, and that He will in no way reject her. Sota is around five or six years old, I forget his exact age. His father is not physically affectionate with him, so he tends to gravitate towards other adult men to fulfill his need for comfort. Pray that Sota grows to realize that he has a Father in heaven who loves him, and is willing to embrace him in His arms. We all went to a Japanese public bath. It was pretty awesome, despite the fact that there were kids running around, and old ladies cleaning while we were there. A little culture shock, I guess. The Kashiwa church service was great! Austin gave a message, Sally and I gave our testimonies, we prayed for members of the church, and I prayed for the church. Then they served us a Japanese dish called Okonomiyaki. Basically a pancake thing with anything meat and vegetable in it. It was great. Afterwards, we got to walk around a local university, and Austin and I got to hang out with Masa and a guy named Iwao (sounds like "E-wow"). Austin got to share with Iwao about holiness, and how to walk with Jesus. Iwao attends church, but like many Japanese guys, he doesn't really have a lot of fellowship or men to look up to. Pray that God would use Masa or another Christian to pour into Iwao's life. We came back to the church, helped Masa with a survey he had to do for nursing school homework, and went back to Tokyo
Monday we went back to Rikkyo and had lunch with students. Rikkyo has an awesome library. They have an original 1611 King James Bible there. After Rikkyo, we shopped for our supporters and saw a buddhist temple. The temple was like a physical manifestation of spiritual life in Japan. There was a heave demonic presence surrounding the place, but we got to pray together in front of it. We then went back to the Student Center, debriefed and had a powerful prayer meeting with Chi Alpha staff. The Lord moved and it was so beautiful praying for each other.
Tuesday we went back to Waseda, prayed over the university, and went to minister at Ryota's church in Japan, Evergreen Chapel. It was a sweet last day in Japan.
Japan needs a lot of work, and your prayers as well. Pray for pastors in Japanese churches, pray for their congregations, pray for Chi Alpha staff, and for the universities. Pray for the lost in Japan.
A word about our team, I couldn't have served on a better one for this trip.
Ryota Yogo led our team very well. He was so strategic, and also super patient with us. He always helped us and encouraged us while we were there. Pray for Ryota's family to know Jesus
Ryota's wife Shin is also amazing. She always had an encouraging word for us, and helped us feel very comfortable while we were in Japan.
It was a pleasure getting to hang out with Rick Stevens. Rick always provided us with encouragement and comic relief. He was also a great source of fun and rest when we got back to the student center at night. He has an incredible walk with Jesus. His wife Sheila went to be with Jesus a few years ago due to cancer, but he is such a witness to what it means to have the joy of the Lord. Pray for Rick as he is still in Japan with Ryota and Shin ministering to their families.
Sally Wenner is awesome. When something needed to be done, she was always good at making sure it was taken care of, as well as helping others get things done. She was a big help and encouragement to the team. Pray for Sally as she commits her time to serving UTSA's Chi Alpha team for three years.
Chris Harlos was always encouraging to everyone on the trip, and was a witness to God's love for people. Chris is also pretty dang funny. Pray for Chris as he starts his first year leading a small group.
Evana Toll was a great help to our team. She's super talented, and was always willing to help with worship. Her attitude and kindness was a big encouragement to me and the rest of the team.
Amanda Plast helped us out a lot, whether it was leading worship, helping Sally teach line dances, or encouraging people, Amanda was a great armor bearer. Pray for Amanda, that God would continue to lead, encourage, and minister to her this year.
Austin Porlier is one of my best friends, and it was great spending time in Japan with him, getting to eat real ramen with him, and seeing all of his reactions to the newness of being in another country. Having Austin being there was like having a piece of home with us. His outgoing personality, sense of humor, his walk with Jesus, his passion for preaching the word, and even his beard were big helps in ministering to people in Japan. Pray for Austin as he starts his senior year, graduates, and figures out where the Lord is leading Him.
the Japan trip was a great experience! The Chi Alpha staff over there were wonderful, and are trying their best to share Jesus with the Japanese people. Pray for Joyce, Yuri, Amanda (not our Amanda), and Jian. Pray for their physical and spiritual needs to be met, as well as their ministry.
It's been a great trip, I hope you enjoyed the reading.
-Seth
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