Photos from the Chino 13 mission

Here are some pictures from the mission.  Sorry you weren't able to get them along with the posts during the mission.  I'm not a photographer - but I hope you get the spirit of what was happening.

Friends and family members see team off from LAX.

Arrival at Narita/Tokyo airport.

A friendly face at the Narita airport.  A welcome sight after the 10 hour flight.  Louis,  you cannot get out of the picture.

Chino church members greeting us at the Chino train station.

This was either a publicity poster for our activities at Chino Christ Church, or a wanted poster.  It was on the bulletin board at the Chino train station.

Our greeting at Chino Christ Church.  Sanae-san, Chi-chan, and Chihoyo-sensei share with Monica, Shizuka & Diane.

The front of Chino Christ Church.  Our home for ten days.

Kawano-sensei with other members of the Taishokoto group giving us a concert.  He is the only male member, as well as its youngest member.

Fumi receiving instruction on the taishokoto.  

Daniel and Timothy (Louis Yang's son) trying to make music.

Tsuguru and Shizuka playing a duet.

Shizuka giving a heartfelt testimony to our taishokoto guests.

Some of the volunteers from Chino who helped out at EEC.

Tsuguru and Erica introducing Joseph, Mary & baby Jesus to the campers at EEC.

Crafts in the upstairs room.  Volunteers from the Chino church helping with the Pre-K group.

A happy camper.

Feeding lunch to 70 campers and many adult helpers.

Yes, it was as crowded as it appears in the photo.  Yet, there were very few accidents and everything went smoothly.  I doubt that many of us could feed two children as efficiently as they fed 70.

The adults taking a quick break to have lunch.  Yes, those are hot dogs in their hands and mouths.

Those "reserved" Japanese people joining in with the singing and dancing.

Don't you wonder what in the world they are doing.

A beautification program gone wrong.  I believe it is Shizuka, Chihoyo-sensei, Chi-chan, Daniel and Fumi behind those moisturizing masks.

Lunch on the second day - curry.  Everyone is wearing their camp t-shirt.

The line for "seconds."  The kids love curry.

Crazy Hair Day - Louis and Daniel

Watermelon at lunch on the last day of EEC.

Each of the four groups presented a song for the campers and their parents at the closing of the last day.

The helper standing at the left is a former camper at EEC.  She asked if she could come back this year to help out. 

The "babies" are so cute.  They could just stand there and count to 10 and everyone would applaud.

How many things in life bring you that kind of joy?

...five, six, seven, eight, nine.....

There was a barbecue after the last day of EEC.  Church members and families from EEC were invited.  Cooking in the carport.

Sightseeing in Matsumoto.  A forty-five minute train ride from Chino.

The Matsumoto Castle.  One of four castles in Japan considered national treasures.  It is as beautiful and magnificent as this photograph.

Preparing to leave Chino.  Chino church members come to say sayonara.

Aina-san, Egawa-san, Tsuguru & Monica posing for one last photo.

I hope these photos give you a small sense of what the team experienced in Japan.  Thank you, once again, for your prayers and financial support.  Please give serious thought to joining the team in 2014.  God bless you all.

Fumi's Recollections from Chino

These are the recollections Fumi Stark shared at SFVHC on Sunday morning.

Good morning.  First of all, thank you for all your support and prayers for our mission.  I really physically felt your prayers, when I was there in Chino.  The kids there were wonderful, and the support we received from the Chino church members was unbelievable.  For this sharing I would like to report on some of the things that happened and that I personally experienced, which I may call “miracles”, through this mission.

1) Mission team:  I was a bit uneasy at the beginning because only 4 people out of the 10 were from San Fernando, and I was told that two more people from the South Bay would join after we got to Chino.  Well, it was a blessing to work with these South Bay brothers and sisters.  They were all wonderful, and each one was uniquely talented.  We worked together as a team, and just as if we had known each other for a long time.  At the beginning we were assigned to do some housework, such as cleaning tables, dishes at meal time, helping prepare the meals and shopping for groceries, cleaning bathrooms, etc.  Everyone helped everyone else whenever needed and in whatever work was needed, regardless of our assignments.  We truly were able to work together as one body of Christ.

2) My roommate:  I had a special person as a roommate.  She and I started working together from the beginning, since she was getting our transportation and lodging ready, and she needed some English help from me for translation to let Don and Diane know what she found out and what she did for arranging trains and hotels in Japan.  She is a person who is very enthusiastic about sharing her faith with people.  She would find a chance to talk to anybody who came to the Chino church, for example, church members, parents of the campers, and even people on the street.  If somebody was in trouble in life in general, or in his or her Christian life, she would listen to these people.  Then she would pray to God to ask what she could do to help these people.  One day I was surprised that she came to me and asked me to pray for her because she felt that her attitude was not in the right place, and she was uneasy talking to one person.  She told me that instead of helping and understanding the person’s situation, she was afraid that she was beginning to criticize and judge the person.  Since I am not good at choosing the right words when I pray, I was hesitant to do so.  Well, God provided me with something.  When I finished praying for her, she told me that my prayer gave her peace, and now she could go back to listen to that person.  I was so surprised that, first of all, she asked me for help; and second, that I was able to help her in this way.  I think I gained a friend for life on earth and in heaven from this mission.

3) Weather:  After the first day of the EEC, it started raining that evening; and the rain got heavier.  I was so worried, because our English Conversation Class was held in the carport.  Because of the heavy rain, the floor of the carport was getting wet, even though the floor was covered with plastic mats.  The rain continued till the next morning.  At the 7 o’clock prayer meeting, Kawano-sensei told us that God gave us abundant rain to cool down the weather, since the first day of the EEC was very, very hot and we had all complained.  He added that God might give us too much blessing, and then everyone laughed.  But I was seriously worried that our English class might have to be moved inside, which would mean that we would have to use our 6-jou room (6 tatami mat room) with 17 kids plus three or four sub-leaders, and Monica and I.  Well, by 9:30, the rain stopped.  With the help of Kawano-sensei, Yamada-sensei (who came from Sendai), and Louise, who was a member of the mission team, the carport was cleaned by 10:00, the starting time for the EEC.  Monica and I were able to teach the kids in the carport.  Moreover, because of the rain, the weather got much cooler on the second day.

4) Kawano-sensei’s message:  Every morning at 7:00, we had a prayer meeting with Kawano-sensei.  On the first day when we had our prayer meeting, Kawano-sensei quoted from Joshua, chapter 6, (where Joshua obeyed God’s instructions to walk around the walls of the town for 7 times on the 7^th day at Jericho, and then the walls of the town fell down and Joshua was able to defeat the enemy).  And Sensei told us the importance of this being the seventh time for this Chino mission.  As you know, Shinto shrines have strong influence in Chino City; however, he told us that the walls of Chino City were breaking down before us on this seventh mission.  The Board of Education of Chino City had approved our English Experience Camp for the first time.  Because of this approval, Kawano-sensei was able to distribute 1,600 EEC fliers to three local elementary schools, and also to put up posters to invite the local people, in public places, such as the Chino train station. Our EEC capacity was limited to 64 students; however, over 70 people applied to get into this program.  We accepted 70 students, but unfortunately some on the waiting list weren’t able to join this year.  Kawano-sensei jokingly told us that next year they could distribute the EEC fliers to more schools (to over 5,000 students); and he might ask the city to build an auditorium to accommodate us!  Well, we have seen God’s work throughout the history of this mission, so I think that Kawano-sensei’s vision might not be an unlikely story, and should not be dismissed lightly.

As it’s said in Philippians 1:6 ‘And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work with you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.’

I believe that God will continue blessing this mission to accomplish His kingdom.

Thank you.

Don's Recollections from Chino

   On Sunday morning, I shared with the San Fernando Holiness Church some of my thoughts about the recent mission to Chino, Japan.  This is what I intended to share before abandoning my script.

                     Good morning.  It’s a great blessing to be able to share with you this morning about our recent mission to Chino.  First of all, thank you for your support, both prayer and financial, that made this trip so blessed.  Your financial support allows us to focus on the planning of our sharing and the programs we will be involved in without the stress of having to raise funds.  And it is your prayers that help us prepare for the mission and allows the Holy Spirit to guide and sustain us while we are in Japan.

                  This was my third trip to Chino, having gone in 2009 and 2010.  The passage of four years since first going allows me to see some of the changes that have occurred in this mission.  When I first went, I believe there were about 50 children attending - this year there were 70 with some more on a waiting list.  The Chino church members have become more plentiful in helping out with EEC, their VBS-style program that is at the heart of our service to the Chino church - and they have become much more active in their participation.  The MEBIG program - a type of Sunday School session before the worship service has grown in size and the manner in which it is presented.  The leader is a young woman, not that dissimilar to our own Amy Nagatoshi, who is in charge of our KidVenture program, and she is a ball of energy.  What a great role model for the children with a servant’s heart for reaching out to them.  We were invited into the homes of church members twice this trip for dinner.  I had never been in anyone’s home on either of my prior trips.  What gracious and generous hosts they were to invite so many of us into their homes.  Team members were also invited into one of the member’s home for a calligraphy lesson.  This woman actually teaches calligraphy and her home is set up to conduct classes.  She had samples of hers and her husband’s artwork on the walls of their home.  But the biggest change that I see is the quality of the time spent with the members of the Chino church.  More than just bringing us meals and transporting us around town, it is the time spent with them in conversation, sharing meals, bathing at the onsen, and activities like playing with fireworks that will always be deep within my heart. 

                  We have also seen the growth of our team to include South Bay Japanese Christian Fellowship.  Last year there were four team members from South Bay and this year there were six - over half of the Chino team.  I thought this might mean that I would be more of an outsider to this team, but I was very wrong.  Just as with other teams I served on, we became very cohesive and very close.  I would gladly serve with this identical team again.  The hard part is that I won’t see six of the team members very often in the future - unlike when the entire team came from San Fernando. 

                  What is in store for the future relationship between San Fernando, South Bay, and Chino Christ Church?  My guess is that Kawano-sensei will want to continue this program and this partnership for some time to come - it seems to have been successful so far.  And with the certification from the Chino Education Department, it allows for even greater publicity for the EEC program, directly to students in Chino’s public schools.  This certification reminds me of the growth in the ZOE ministry in Thailand, and the opening of doors in our service to Montague and Sara Coughlin elementary schools.  While we were there this year, a pastor from a church in Sendai (the region hard hit by the tsunamis) came with his family to observe and participate in the EEC program.  He hopes to begin a similar program next year after talking with Kagiwada-sensei, who started this program six years ago, while he was the nichigo-pastor here at San Fernando.  So this modest program has seen growth each year in Chino and is possibly the model for a similar program elsewhere in Japan.  I don’t know if anyone could foresee this when we first went to Chino in 2007. 

                  With such a rosy picture for this mission’s future, what are you going to do?  First of all, I ask for your continued prayer support.  There are things that occur that are not because of our talents or desires.  They happen because God has placed us there and has prepared our hearts and the hearts of the Japanese people for that occasion.  Your prayers ensure that our minds are unburdened by the world’s woes, our hearts are focused upon God alone and not our own selfish desires, and our bodies are rested and free from illness or aches that bring our focus back to ourselves.  And your generous financial support year after year has been fundamental to sending a team these past seven years. 

                  But more than thinking about your support for future teams, I want you to give serious consideration to going to Chino.  We have a church full of people who would be fantastic ambassadors for Jesus.  We need young people, full of energy to match that of the children who come to EEC.  We need mature people with the life experiences and the Christian experiences to share with the Chino church members - and not just the super-Christians.  On the last Sunday we were in Chino, a member who came to our parent workshop and brought her young son to EEC and helped out with the pre-k group, gave me a warm hug as she left the service and said good-bye.  I thought it was just my radiant personality that charmed her, but I later learned that she had been away from the church for a while and had recently returned.  My sharing at the first Sunday service we were there, was about the Prodigal Son and my own return to the church.  I assume that was part of the reason for the hug.  But it wasn’t my perfect life that connected with her - it was the real-life experiences that we all share with one another as forgiven sinners.  You never know who is going to connect with your story - and I know that we all have a compelling story to share with others. 

                  There will always be reasons and excuses for not going and serving on a mission.  Probably all of them are valid and reasonable.  But the thing you have to ask yourself is, “Does God want me to go?”  “Is God calling me to serve Him?”  Those are the most important questions of all.  I would love to see all of us go to Chino and have the blessing of serving our Lord and Savior, and to receive the abundance of blessings that all the team members in the past have received - but I will settle for ten of you next year.  Will you be one of those ten?  Thank you.

EEC1日目 ①

ブログのアップができないまま日にちが過ぎてしまいました。。。無事に茅野ミッションも終了し、メンバーのほとんどもアメリカに帰国となりました。みなさまのお祈りに心から感謝します。

英語ブログでも細かく報告していますが、メインとなったEECプログラムを振り返って紹介していきます。

EECは、英語体験キャンプ（English Experience Camp）のことで、3日間のプログラムです。朝10時からランチも含めて2時までで、英会話クラス、ゲーム、クラフト、日本語でのバイブルクラスの4つのアクティビティがメインとなっています。参加する子供は、2歳半のプリスクールから小学校6年生まで。今年は過去最高の70名が参加となりました。20数名からスタートした7年前から考えると、すごいことです。年々口コミで人気が高まり、今年も予想人数をはるかに超えながらもさらにキャンセル待ちが出るほどでした。

私達はどんな子供達が集まってくるか、子供達がみんな喜んでくれるか、神様の福音を伝えられるか。。。ドキドキしながら準備を進めてきました。

当日は、ボランティアの方々も含めてのミーティングを9時にスタート。教会のメンバーの方もいますが、まったくのノンクリスチャンの方もたくさん奉仕をしてくださっているのが、大きな特徴です。子供がこのキャンプでお世話になっているからという保護者の方もいました。子供達のみならず、このような保護者の方々にも神様の愛を伝えられれば・・・という思いで、準備してきました。

10時からのスタートですが、9時半頃には、子供達が続々とやってきました。受付と同時に、写真撮影も進めていきます。これは、最終日のお土産バッグに入れるフォトフレーム用のもの。初日のせいか、ちょっと緊張気味の子供もいます。

そして、いよいよ10時からプログラムがスタート。70人の子供達が集まるのは、圧巻！つぐるとエリカが司会で、踊りや振り付けを交えた英語の歌を歌ったりしながらすすめていくと、子供達は目をキラキラさせて喜んでいます。その日のテーマのミニスキットをつぐるとエリカが演じたら、40分ずつのクラスがスタートです。

Wednesday, August 7th

Dear Friends, Sisters and Brothers – It is now 5:30AM Wednesday morning, our last day in Japan – our departure time is after 7PM tonight.  Again I’m wide awake when I can be sleeping in, so I’ve decided to get out of bed and write to you one last time from Japan.  Being in Tokyo is a great adventure of seeing new and different things and trying to make myself understood while only speaking English.  We visited the Edo-Tokyo museum which shows displays depicting Tokyo from it’s earliest days.  I could’ve spent more time there to read all the captions for the displays and to try and take in more of Japan’s history – but this was a good start, very informative.  We also spent a lot of time wandering through stores to shop for omiyage (thank you gifts), to bring back for our loved ones.  It is fun to window shop and to compare the stores with those in the U.S. - but I most enjoy trying to find things that will help express my thanks and my love for those who supported me for this mission.  A very generous gift from my parents allows me to buy things without having to stick to a strict budget for spending.  Last night after dinner, the young ones wanted to visit the Akihabara area of Tokyo.  This shopping district is known for being a center for Anime books and memorabilia.  They went along with a friend of Tsuguru’s who he met on a mission to Japan last year with the Holiness church youth choir.  Shizuka and I acted as chaperones for their excursion.  At a couple of the stores, I waited outside to enjoy watching people and to just reflect upon our trip to Japan.  Sitting there watching hundreds of people walk by me, I was struck by how different this experience was from being in Chino.  Being in Chino was a slight taste of Heaven – and I’m not exaggerating.  I think of the times I have mixed cookie dough batter for my wife, Janis, and have used my finger to scoop out a small sample of dough.  Although not even baked, it is very tasty and gives a glimpse of the sweetness that will soon come out of the oven.  Being with our brothers and sisters in Chino offered us a very small glimpse of what we can look forward to when we are called home by God.  Being in Tokyo, where I am surrounded by millions of people, I felt very much alone on that sidewalk.  I’m sure all of you have experienced this at times – but it was all the more evident to me because of how crowded Tokyo can be in the shopping and business districts and while riding on their subway and train systems.  How do we share the experiences of Chino with the people of Tokyo and throughout Japan?

            Yesterday was the 68^th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.  Before going to breakfast, Louis and I were watching some of the ceremonies to remember this horrible tragedy and to honor the victims.  It is a reminder of the horrific pain people can inflict upon each other.  It is a reminder of the choices available to all of us – relying upon man’s lack of wisdom and lack of humanity or relying upon the truth and love of our compassionate and gracious Heavenly Father.  

I’m starting to get sleepy now and am having trouble thinking and writing – I think I’ll get a little catnap in before breakfast.  In case this is my last post from Japan, I want to thank everyone who took time to read these messages.  I hope they gave you a glimpse into what our mission has been like.  It would take hours to thank everyone properly for your support – your generosity and love are appreciated far more than you may realize.  Make sure to talk with all the team members when you get the opportunity.  I’m sure our experiences and recollections will all be different and unique.  God bless you all as we have been blessed in Japan.                 

Tuesday, August 6th

Dear Friends, Sisters & Brothers – It’s Tuesday morning, the beginning of our last full day in Japan – it’s hard to believe, the time has gone by so quickly.  It’s 6AM and both Louis and I are wide awake so we just got up out of bed and turned on the lights.  We don’t have to meet the others until 8:30AM for breakfast yet our bodies won’t allow us the luxury of sleeping in late when we have the opportunity.

            It has been such a blessing to serve on this mission.  Before coming over here I was concerned that my lack of Japanese language skills would cause me to miss out on a lot of conversations and make me an outsider to much of what occurred here.  Seven of our team members are bilingual – allowing us to interact so much more with the people of Chino than I have witnessed with the first two missions I served on.  And of the three of us who are not bilingual, Diane knows a great deal of Japanese and is able to communicate if not converse at all times.  And Monica has learned more and more Japanese each year and makes a great effort to use the language she has learned.  She is fearless in speaking and learns quickly from the corrections given to her.  I appreciate all the team members for interpreting and translating for me when I have asked them.  Their patience with me made my experience this year so much more blessed than I think any of them may know – Thank you, thank you, thank you.   In past missions I knew most of the team members before we began preparations since we were all from the San Fernando church.  This year there were six members of the Chino team from South Bay Japanese Christian Fellowship – and the only one I knew from before was Tsuguru.  So again, I was concerned that I might again be the outsider to all these people who knew each other from before.  But I have been overwhelmed by their friendship, generosity, and especially their love.  My heart is so deeply touched by them all as my eyes began to water right now.  I should not be surprised, but this team was very close to one another and much of the credit goes to the South Bay people – but of course great thanks go to our loving God.  I was always confident that the activities would go well, everyone put in so much time and effort into the preparations and we had so much prayer support as with all of our previous missions.  And I knew that the team members would do a great job – the team members whom God called to be on this mission were wonderful people, carefully chosen by God for their skills and talents that would blend to serve the people of Chino, to serve their fellow team members, and to serve God with excellence.  But I have been most impressed by the depth of God’s love in each of the team members.  It has been clearly evident as they have interacted with the children who attended EEC along with their parents, and it has been so well expressed in their interactions with the people of the Chino church.  When we return home, it will pain me to no longer be in the daily presence of these wonderful team members – these dear brothers and sisters will always be embedded within my heart.

            And I want to thank all of you for your financial and prayer support.  Without that support, none of this is possible.  I’ve heard other people say that when they serve on missions, that they take all of their supporters with them as they serve.  All of our brothers and sisters in Christ help mold us into the people we are.  Your friendship, grace, and especially your love has been used by God to make us better people than we could ever hope to be by our own efforts alone.  I could keep writing for hours and hours, but I think I’ll take a break for now.  Again, thank you so, so much for your love and support.  God bless you all.        

Sunday and Monday, August 4th and 5th

Dear Friends, Sisters & Brothers – It’s 4PM Sunday and things have finally slowed down.  We started the day with a prayer meeting and then had breakfast.  After cleaning up, we set up for MEBIG (Sunday school) and welcomed about 25 children for an hour of games, Bible lesson, and memory verses.  It’s a lively and fast-paced hour, but very well planned and executed.  Next was the worship, done by Chino this time.  Erica and Louis gave their testimonies – both sharing from the heart and touching the hearts of the Chino church members.  After the service we had a wonderful farewell luncheon – matching our welcome lunch just a week ago.  The food was, of course, wonderful – and I know I ate way too much food for a single meal.  As good as the meal was, the sharing after the meal was even better.  They go around the room and everyone shares something about the past week.  People shared about the activities and how well the children loved the program; some shared about how much they enjoyed and were blessed by working with the children; and many shared about how great it was that the three churches worked together so well and the blessings from new and old friendships. 

            Had to quit this report– we treated some of our hosts, who fed us and transported us this past week, to a dinner and I never got back to you until now.  We went with the Yumotos and Higuchis, who invited us all into their homes for dinner; Egawa-san who has been transporting us every day when we’ve gone out to eat or to the onsen at night; and of course the Kawanos.     It’s 5PM Monday, now, and I’m sitting in our hotel room in Tokyo.

            After the sharing at the farewell luncheon on Sunday, we were given a performance of a Hawaiian dance by Kiyomi – who leads the MEBIG program at the church every Sunday.  This young woman has been studying for five years and her performance was fantastic.  So much of her heart was expressed through her movement and her face.  She would fit in so well with the church members who’ve danced at the San Fernando church.  After dinner we went outside and had some fireworks.  We mostly played with sparklers but also had a few fountains to shoot up into the air.  Living in the city of Los Angeles, where fireworks are banned, it is has been many decades since I could play with these legally.  Boys will always be fascinated by fire no matter how old they are.  It started to rain when we were nearly done – I think even God was a little scared by what we were doing.  The church building has been around for eighty years and He doesn’t want us burning it down while playing with sparklers.  After seemingly finishing up for the day, some of us went to a used bookstore – Bookoff, I believe.  Everyone else seemed to know about this store but me.  We were there from a little after 10PM until 11PM when it closed.  I actually found a few things to buy with the help of Daniel and Tsuguru.  We went back to the church and I went to my bed (actually my futon).  A few people were still up talking and doing some things. 

            We woke up early – had to have all our sheets, pillowcases, and towels ready to take to the coin laundry by 7AM.  We had a prayer meeting given by Kawano-sensei again – our last one for this stay in Chino.  Giving our prayers after the message was an emotional and blessed time.  So much happens in the ten days we spend in Chino, and it all goes by too quickly.  I look forward to the day we are reunited at the Lord’s return and we will spend eternity together – and I will no longer need an interpreter to talk with them.  After cleaning up the church, we went to the 7-Eleven to buy our lunch for eating on our 2 hour train ride into Tokyo.  I know, I know – 7-Eleven.  But you can really get a good meal there in Japan.  Tsuguru is leading the competition to see who can buy the most food with their meal allowance.  He’s too young to know that a measure of a good meal is it’s quality, not it’s quantity. 

After getting our lunches, it’s time to go down to the train station to go to Tokyo until Wednesday.  Many church members come to the station to say good-bye and they stay with us on the platform until our train arrives.  It is so hard to release our hugs and board the train.  Tears are coming as I think of all these dear brothers and sisters.  So many more of you have to start seriously thinking about joining this mission some day.  There is not a certain type of person that God is looking for – just a person willing to be a servant for God.  As we leave the Chino train station I put on my earphones for my iPod, and after a short time on comes “Leaving on a Jet Plane” sung by Peter, Paul & Mary from a hundred years ago, or so it seems.  The sweetness of the song matches the pastoral scenery streaming by me as I gaze out the window.  Slowly, the scenery starts to change as we get closer to Tokyo.  My heart started to drop as it became more and more of an urban setting.  And then Bruce Springsteen came through my earbuds singing “Thunder Road.”  For whatever reason, it lifted my spirits, filled me with energy, and I was ready to face Tokyo.

After arriving at the Shinjuku station in Tokyo, we transferred to a local train line to get to our destination.  We had to walk a block or so with our luggage to the hotel.  Kumi was able to find us a place to stay and it was well worth the hike.  The rooms are spacious and very comfortable – and we got them for a cost much less than we would have found on our own.  We will all be meeting in about a half hour to go out for dinner.  Louis is taking a nap and keeping the wild animals away with his bear impressions.

I’m going to stop for now and get ready for dinner.  I’ll come back later.

I’m back – it’s 9:30PM and we went to a nearby shopping center and selected a Japanese restaurant to eat at.  Kumi and Fumi have left the mission team to visit relatives and Daniel has an aunt visiting him, so only seven of us from the team had dinner together.  But Shizuka’s mother, Erica’s grandmother, has joined us through tomorrow night, so we had three generations of women from one family sitting at our dinner table.  It was great eating in Chino the past 10 days, with great fellowship around the table.  But it was also very nice to have some of my favorite foods in the land where they come from.  Sashimi and soba noodles.  I won’t say another word about the food…it was delicious…yes, it was…I love the food in Japan.

            After dinner, we split up and went shopping inside this shopping center/mall which is 11 stories tall.  Louis and I are back in the room now, getting ready to go to bed – which I haven’t slept in since being in Chino.  I had no trouble sleeping on the futon, but it will still be nice to sleep on a bed again.  It’s nice to be able to have a nice meal in a restaurant, buy some gifts, and to sleep in a bed, but it still feels strange to not be in the midst of our Chino brothers and sisters.  All the niceties of visiting a big city like Tokyo and staying in a nice hotel mean nothing without friends and relatives.  Thanks to God that we have the other members of the mission team here to experience these things with.  It’s great to be here in Japan, but I also look forward to returning home to be with family and friends.  See you soon.  God bless you all.