Kids are Fun! 子どもは楽しい！

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 18:2-4

I thought I should take some time to share a few of my funny stories from teaching children so far here in Japan. Typically, I enjoy teaching adults and junior high to high school age, but my classes with children starting from age 4 have been quite refreshing and and fun. I teach two classes of children on Tuesdays at the Lutheran Center in Iidabashi. In my first class there are two young girls. One is especially funny and creative. It's so fun when she starts to understand because she will take the concept and run with it. For example, when we practiced asking "Do you have a pencil/book/ball/etc.?" she started asking me questions like "Do you have a lion?" and I said "No I don't". But when I asked her if she had an elephant she said, "Yes, I do." Hehe, but it must have run away because the next week she said she didn't have an elephant anymore. Then, this week we practiced asking "Do you have a wallet/cell phone/train pass in your bag?" and she asked me if I had a tomato in my bag. I did not, but they really enjoyed looking at all the other things I did have such as a toothbrush, my cell phone, fun keychains, a notebook and more.

On Fridays I teach A LOT of kids at a church in Suginami. I teach four children's classes each with about 8 students in them. They can be quite a handful, but I'm learning slowly how to keep them under control. One of the funniest things from those classes is one boy (in the picture below on the right) who asked me if I flew to Japan every day to teach. So I told him that I lived in Japan and he was pretty surprised. Recently Suginami Church has decided to focus on ministry to children because there are so many youth in the area and over 100 children come to the church each week to study English. Prayerfully through Sunday School, various Kids Day events and little opportunities to witness here and there the spirit will work in these children and grow them in the faith.


Some of my cousins who are younger have had some pretty funny things to say about me being in Japan. My cousin Jake was looking at this blog and noticed a picture of me standing in the middle of the street in Ginza. This was because on Saturday's the close off the road to cars for people to shop. But, being the smart little boy that he is, he asked his mom, "Why is Carol standing in the middle of the road like that, doesn't she know a car could hit her?" So I responded to let him know it was safe since the road was blocked off and I wouldn't normally stand in the middle of the road. He wasn't convinced though and said, "Well you still need to be careful!" Thank you Jake :)

Two of my other cousins want me to marry a Japanese man so that they can be Japanese. My aunt explained to them that me having a Japanese baby would not make them Japanese. But, they still thought it would be fun to have relatives to practice Japanese with. So, no matter where you go, kids will say the funniest things. Praise God for the joy and innocence of children.

Every week when having chapel or Bible study with non-Christians it has been evident that it's often very difficult for them to understand. Faith is very complex, and yet the main point is so simple. Jesus loves you. I'm praying for ways to share faith with them that will be simple, understandable and yet meaningful. I'm also praying for God to work and give all of us a child-like faith.

On Tuesday, I have started a new bible study for a small group of women before their english class. Two of them are not Christians and have never studied the Bible before. This week we were talking about love; God's love for us and sharing that love with others. It has been so wonderful and interesting to see and hear their reactions to scripture for the first time. One woman said, "So God loves everyone, even criminals?!" He sure does, even though they sinned just like we do every day He died for us. So far, these women like many others in Japan are hearing but not necessarily believing. It can be easy to get frustrated and feel like all you are doing is sowing seeds and never harvesting. But, like the theme of our upcoming Kid's Day (Holy Spirit's Rain) God sends his spirit through baptism and His Word to work and grow in people's hearts. Pray for the Holy Spirit to rain in Japan that many more people would grow in faith.

Poll Results

WHICH EVENTS I DID OVER GOLDEN WEEK (HOLIDAY BREAK) WOULD YOU HAVE LIKED TO JOIN ME FOR?
1) hike and look at flowers in Kamakura 4 (57%)

2) listen to a friend DJ in Shibuya 1 (14%)

3) go to Edo Tokyo History Museum 1 (14%)
4) eat guacamole at my apartment and chill with friends 2 (28%)

5) sing in a peaceful worship service called "Holden's Evening Prayer" 1 (14%)

Perseverance in Prayer

"Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" - Luke 11:5-13

I read this passage the other day and it made me stop and think. Lately the theme of prayer has come up a lot in my life. Tomorrow (Sunday, May 11) is Global Day of Prayer. There are many events and large gatherings that will be occurring here in Japan and in places all over the world. In preparation for this event one church here, Hongo Lutheran, has been holding 24-7 prayer for one week which I was able to be a part of. People or pairs or groups have signed up for hour or two hour time slots to make this happen. There is a small room with pictures, scripture verses, print outs of specific things to focus on each day and more.

It was a really wonderful experience to sit in the quiet and spend two hours in solitude and prayer with God. When I and other missionaries were telling students about this they were amazed that one person could pray for such a long time. But, you'd be amazed how quickly the time goes. There are so many things to pray for!

I've understood the importance and benefit of prayer before, but recently the importance of perseverance of prayer has become more evident to me through experiences, scripture such as the passage from Luke and various devotions. Some examples of answered prayers that I have witnessed are in relation to the classes I teach at LLI. For a long time Amy, a missionary who has recently returned home prayed for new students to join the Tuesday evening class that would be serious and excited about studying English. It was a class of three people and one left at the end of the semester to go to the states. There are now four new people in the class! I can rejoice with Amy that her request has been heard.

Also, a student that has studied for around 10 years is just recently opening up and participating more in class discussions etc. So, be persistent in prayer...keep knocking until the door is answered. The answer may be no, but the end of the passage in Luke assures us that we have a loving father who knows what is best for us! And, join in on the global day of prayer wherever you may be!

Poll Results

This is Amy and I at Bubba Gumps for our spring retreat.

Here are the results from the last poll.
The question was: Which of these American stores do you think is NOT in Japan?

Dominoes 0 (0%)
Starbucks 0 (0%)
Coldstone 3 (37%)
Crispy Creme 0 (0%)
7-11 1 (12%)
Olive Garden 4 (50%)

If this were a question on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and you were the audience you would have helped them get the answer correct. The answer is Olive Garden. This is the restaurant I probably miss the most being in Japan because the Italian food restaurants here just aren't the same. You can find pretty comparable mexican food (though the stores are few), great Indian and Thai restaurants and more, but the Italian ones just aren't so good. So, when I return home in August I will gladly go with anyone else who is a fan of Olive Garden because I miss their pasta, breadsticks and salad! I even printed off their menu from the website and used it in one of my classes to practice ordering food while entertaining business guests haha.

I have never eaten Dominoes, Coldstone or Crispy Creme here in Japan though it is available. I have gone to 7-11 quite often and their food options are much more healthy which is nice. They don't have the slurpies though that I and friends in college would always like to make midnight runs for. I have also gone to Starbucks quite often to study in a coffee shop because it is one of the only smoke free options.

Some other American Restaurants you can find in Japan are KFC, Burger King, McDonalds (of course), California Pizza Kitchen, Subway, Pizza Hut, Denny's (though it's nothing the same), Baskin Robbins, Bubba Gumps, Tony Roma's, Outback Steakhouse and probably more.

野球大好き！ I love baseball!

The other weekend I got to attend my first baseball game in Japan. The game itself is not much different, and for all you MN Twins fans, the stadium even looks the same hehe! This is what the field looks like in the Tokyo Dome.

However, there are some big differences between attending a Japanese baseball game and an American baseball game. That is their intense fan section! They sound and look like they should be at a college football game. They have a pep band that plays songs, matching towels they wave, special cheers and actions for each player and more. By the third inning I was doing the cheers along with them once I figured out most of the cheers they were just saying their name. Like the dome in MN it can be pretty hard to hear and understand words.

(fan section)
Another difference is that the vendors who walk up and down the stairs selling beer, hotdogs and various other Japanese foods are not older men with potbelly's like the beloved Wally the Beer Man. Instead they are all young females dressed in bright neon short shorts, t-shirts and baseball caps. Since that game, I've met various church members and students who are also interested in baseball so I hope to go to games with them and they can tell me more about the Japanese baseball experience.