The Robotic Toilet

Long Awaited..... domo

I know that I have fallen behind on updates, so here we go. As of right now, there will be no m's on the island of Kyushu (the island that Fukuoka is on) this time next year. At least, no Southern Baptist m's. Two of the members on my team finish their term in October, one in January, and the other two will retire next year after over 30 years of ministering in Japan. I trust that God will move here. Please be in prayer for hearts to be moved for Japan and the island of Kyushu. Maybe you are the one that God wants.

I wish I could say that hundreds are flocking to the Lord, but this soil is very dry and hard. I have had several meaningful conversations these past couple weeks, but there is little showing of the hidden work that God is doing. I know that He is tugging on some heart strings. SG has been asking great questions. Keep him in your prayers. H has been getting a lot of encouragement to live his life in reckless abandonment to Christ from some awesome people.

On a lighter note, I've been able to show God's love to many younger Japanese in addition to the college students. They've been anywhere from 3 to 12. Japanese babies are ridiculously cute and the kids are incredibly playful. I was able to help Nancy with her outreach to preschoolers and their parents last week. There was so much laughter. We also handed out some Manga Bibles a few weeks ago to some college students, and their professor said some were expressing interest in what they read.

All that being said...

This is Domo-kun. He is a mascot for a Japanese TV Station. He was born from an egg.

Soon to come... a video of the robot toilet.

Karaoke!

The Beauty of Babel

Let me share with you the beauty that was Babel. Remember, in Genesis, when the people of the Earth wanted to build a tower to the heavens to make a name for themselves, and God confused their language so they would inhabit the whole Earth instead of congregating in one place? If your first thought is, "Yes... what an inconvenience that has turned out to be...," then I think there is an element being lost.

Here is a modified illustration that I gave a close friend of mine a few months ago on the beauty of the various personalities. WARNING: You may walk away thinking that I am a hippie. That is neither here nor there.

Imagine all of time and space as a canvas for which the master artist seeks to paint. Now it is the people of the Earth that are the paints. As time goes on, more people are added to the piece while those of the past could be built upon. If all were the same(that is of the same personality, aspiration, social background, or language) and must be used to cover the canvas, we would have a whole canvas of one color. A rather bland creation.

However, each person is incredibly different, and this artist is not limited to the visible spectrum of color but can pull from the whole realm of light and color. With the oddities that each individual brings, we have a new shade or hue. Some colors leave a larger stroke, and some only a speck. Regardless, each is used to tell the story. In the end, the masterpiece will be complete. This masterpiece that is only compiled to show the glory of its' master.

All analogies break down, but I hope this speaks something to you. I give this illustration to tell about the seeming confusion of language barriers. This last week, I have heard prayers to the same Master in five different languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Laotian. Only one of those could I understand in entirety. The others were just part of the beautiful painting that reflects the Master.

Here's some additional encouragement to your prayers! In the last week, two individuals were asked if they would like to call Jesus their Lord. Neither answered in the affirmative, but both responded with, "not yet." I pray that you look at those words as words of fascination. God is certainly working on these two men who we see regularly.

There is also the added conversation with a Japanese believer. I was allowed to encourage him to step out in faith to be willing to stand out as a Christian amidst a people who shun any who strive to be different from the crowd. Keep him in your prayers as he wrestles with such a great endeavor. He will be referred to as a letter for his sake: H.

Hard Soil

This blog is brought to you by the musical stylings of Ben E. King. As I write this my roommate Anson and a friend of ours, SG, are singing and playing "Stand by Me." I have met many fairly fluent English speakers here in Japan this last week. I've learned so much. A lot of great conversations and a fair share of heart breaking things.

On Tuesday, I learned in greater detail that Japan is a difficult place for m's. Some people refer to it as the Missionary Graveyard. Many m's that are well trained come here and meet a people with no desire to know Christ. They end up returning home incredibly discouraged. It is a place where m's come and their passion dies.

SG is an incredibly smart law student here in Fukuoka. We study the Bible with him and have very deep conversations. He also plays Go with me. It's a strategy game like Chess, only harder. A game that is usually played by older people. Much like 42. Yet many of you know that 42 doesn't have to be for the older crowd.

Earlier, I was asking SG about the shyness of the Japanese people and their embrace of the American culture. Before World War II, Shinto was the primary religion of Japan with the Emperor as the leader of the religion. While there was a Parliament, the Emperor still had a lot of power. Because of his influence, many Japanese died in acts of suicide in devotion to the Emperor rather than be taken prisoner during the Battle of Saipan. SG said that the States helped generate a new constitution for Japan that emphasized freedom and allowed protection for the minority. He claimed that the power that Shinto had in past proved devastating and has led the Japanese to avoid a "strong religion" or a religion held by the state. This has, however, trickled into the people having reservations on accepting religious ideas themselves.

Humility is also a very big thing over here. So, standing out is something that is looked down upon. That explains the shy factor. It also increases the rejection of religious ideas. If someone becomes a Christian, it is usually kept secret. There is a fear of being rejected by kinsmen when you stand out.

Pray for God to move here. To shake the foundations of the people like he shakes the earth. Pray for passion for the Japanese Christians. For fear to be diminished and for God to be exalted regardless of societal pressures. Pray for my team, myself, and all the other m's in Japan. That we may not lose heart and keep pressing on.

Also: the video should be able to be viewed from the last post!

The Land of Fukuoka

Welcome to Fukuoka! I've been here for a few days now and have already made a few friends. You met a few of them in the video. They have been teaching me how to make gyoza and a variation of okonomi-yaki. It is quite a different culture over here, but it is also very refreshing. Hopefully you learned a little about the Fukuoka and the Japanese people from the video. The video was originally intended for Go Now m's to see. I, however, never saw it. Anson was heartbroken with all the time he put into it.

My team consists of six members including myself: Nancy, John, Phouxay, Bouasy, and Anson. We are the only Baptist m's here on the island of Kyushu. Anson and I live life mainly with college students. So far, any English speaking college students that I have encountered have been very conversational. Tomorrow, we'll be going to Fukuoka  Institute of Technology. While I am here, I will also be attempting to learn Japanese!

Buddhism and Shintoism are mainly a cultural idea in Japan rather than a religious one. Their roots surely run deep. We visited a Buddhist temple and a Shinto shrine the other day. Here are some pictures!

 

Here you see the tallest seated wooden Buddha in Japan and a bunch of portable Shinto shrines called Mikoshi.

 

 Konichi-wa! Some kindergarten students that came to visit the Buddhist temple. They offered prayer to the Buddha and performed some other Buddhist practice involving stone beads on a rope. We weren't sure what that was completely, but as you can see, Buddhism is very prominent even down to kindergarteners.

Please be in prayer for conversations with college students and that God would shake the foundations of the people as He shakes the Earth.

Waiting...

In just 8 hours, I will be on my way to Japan! I can't wait. I should also sleep. However, I made this blog public with out a first post. That's a blog no no.

Here are a few things you can expect to see as you keep up with this blog:

• Pictures
• Words
• Wit
• Maybe some awkwardness... (I'm slightly awkward(in a cool way))
• For sure, God working
• Me wondering "why me? I'm just some guy from a really big state."
• Prayer requests
• More words

I'll try to keep this updated weekly. If you're wondering, "Why hasn't he posted in a while?" you should probably assume that God is doing some crazy awesome things. Do you know why? Because He will.

Here's some things I need prayer for right now:

• Traveling tomorrow
• I feel a little anxious(understatement)
• I feel ill-prepared
• Those my team and I encounter

More to come!