February Mom's and Kids

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Well, this last Friday was Mom's and Kids at the center. So Andy, Motoko, and I watched the kids while Lorna and the moms met upstairs.

I always think it is funny that when people go on mission trips they take pictures of themselves with cute kids. I think this is because kids melt people's hearts, and show that you are a very kind person. So I have joined the bandwagon, and am now posting pictures of myself with cute kids. Enjoy.

She sat on my lap, while the other kids made Valentines cards.
They teach them young here to do the peace sign while posing for a photo...
This is Nao-chan, she is actually one of my students too.

The kids made valentines cards with candy for their mom's upstairs.


Snack time: potato chips and sweet bread.

We taught the kids a dance to "Aint no mountain high Enough" to show their moms. Andy really liked it...a little more than us....a little more than the kids even.

February Coffee and Chat

Here are some pictures from February's Coffee and Chat.

The theme was valentines day and Randy Pennington played some love songs on his Saxophone.
I was the shikai (host), and gave a short message about love from God's perspective.

I have so many pictures....but little time to update right now. I promise within the next week some big updates.

Thank you for your prayers, I am finding more and more how much of a spiritual battle it is here.

Restlessness...

I am restless tonight. It is 2:30 in the morning, and I teach in six and a half hours. Yet, I am not able to sleep, and the reason is that I cannot help feeling a sense of being wrapped up in something bigger than myself. The story of God redemption of man keeps playing through my mind...what an amazing story...and here am I an actor in the script of God's redemption. A small role. With but a few actions to act out on the stage, before the curtain falls on me.

This sense of being a part of the story has captured me for some time, but tonight especially as I sit in a land of darkness. With paradigms and categories that defy all my theology and all of what I believe about God's character. I simply rest in the fact that I am an actor in the story of God's redemption, and I have an opportunity to live my part out tomorrow before those who are not yet apart of the production.

Video from Futamigaura and JCFN

Here is a new video and some new pictures from the last couple of weeks.



Video from Futamigaura, with the team.

JCFN prayer meeting



Surprise birthday party for Lorna and Kie-san!


Hard rock Cafe, Fukuoka. Where we had dinner to celebrate the birthday women.

A Japanese hair cut and Fun day

I am accumulating too many pictures and not enough time to post them all, but hopefully right now I can catch up a little.

Yesterday (Thursday here), I went to a hair salon to get my haircut. I figured that this would be the ultimate cross-cultural experience by having to explain to the person who cuts my hair what I wanted. Fortunately, Motoko-san's sister Wakako-san (who is fluent in English and Japanese) decided to take me to her salon.

Salon's here in Japan are not just a place to get your hair cut. It is a place to relax and enjoy your time easing away the stress of work life here. So, I got to the salon and the hair dresser (I forget his name now) asked me what I wanted. I said, "give me a look like David Beckham" (everyone in this world knows who David Beckham is).

I started out getting my hair washed, but what was nice was that a warm towel was place on my face, which was 1.) comfortable, and 2.) it was enjoyable not having to look up my hair washer nose or have those awkward moments where you don't know what you should look at. My ears were then cleaned out, and my head was massaged as they washed my hair. Really, really enjoyable.

Then, the haircut came. All seemed well there, and after my haircut another wash of the hair followed by another massage of the head (longer this time). I was then escorted to a chair and my shoulders were massaged by an assistant as the hairdresser put product in my hair. After this was finished, they brushed me off and put my coat back on me. Now this is the kicker. The best haircut I have ever received (style and enjoyment) and I payed less than I would in the States. Something is wrong here.

So here is the finished product. Sorry for the model pose.
What do you all think? David Beckham-ish or Matt Damon-ish. I lean towards Matt Damon.

Anyways, today we had a Fun Day as a team, so Andy, Lorna, Motoko, Kasumi, and I went out to the peninsula. It was a little cold, but the sun and scenery were beautiful.
In the car on our way out.


The view from the porch of the restaurant we ate at.


My meal at the restaurant. It was delicious.


This is Sakurai Futamigaura. It is a famous sightseeing spot, and is a spiritual landmark for the Japanese. The rocks are believed to be sacred and married (thus the rope between them). The white pillar thing is called a torii and marks all temples and shrines. It is believed that when you pass through the torii gate you pass into a spiritually sacred place. During one part of the year the sun will set exactly between the two rocks, and that is a popular time to come see the rocks.

Well that is all for now. Enjoy.

JCFN and Hard Rock Cafe

My time in Japan will officially be a month tomorrow. Where does the time go?

One of the nice balances the Japanese seem to do well is the tension between nature and technology. They love nature, and they even worship nature in Shintoism. What is interesting then is seeing the Japanese hold to the tension of technology and advancement couple with nature and traditionalism. Here is an example in a picture.

To the right a huge mall with four stories, an arcade, and loud sounds from a pachinko parlor. Behind me is a busy train station. And in front? A gorgeous mountain side. It seems so out of place, and yet that is what Japan holds in tension so well.

Moms and Kids and Kawara Soba

Sorry for the absence of post. Here is a smattering of new things that we have done.

First we had Mom's and Kid's last Friday at the center and I was being introduced again to all the Mom's and kids that came. Lorna spends times with the mothers and does a theme based Bible lesson, and Andy, Motoko-hime, and I kept the kids busy.

Here are a couple of videos from before:



This is before Moms and kids started waiting for the fun to begin.



This was a dance I was "elected" to perform in front of the kids to keep them busy. Andy wanted to get some video of my great moment. Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures or videos of the kids. Next time.

Afterwards, we went out to a Kawara Soba restaurant which is a specialty of the area and is baked on roof tiles from houses. What is Soba you ask?

Soba (そば) is a type of thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour. It is served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup. Moreover, it is common in Japan to refer to any thin noodle as soba in contrast to udon which are thick noodles made from wheat. It takes three months for buckwheat to be ready for harvest, so people can harvest it four times in a year; it is harvested mainly in spring, summer, and autumn. In Japan, buckwheat is produced mainly in Hokkaido.People call soba that is made with buckwheat that has just been harvested "shin-soba". It has more sweetness and taste than soba.

Thank you Wikipedia.

Anyways, here is some pictures of the place.


And here is my steaming pile of Kawara Soba!


Oishii-katta (It was delicious!)