Hello Friends and Family!
I am so sorry it has taken so long for me to write the first blog post! As it turns out, our only internet access comes from the pastor's computer in his office, so we can only use it whenever he is not in his office. Thus, look for a blog post from me once a week, every Tuesday morning. Last Tuesday night we arrived at the Nakada Church of Christ after 27 hours of traveling! We were all exhausted and very happy to fall in bed. The very next morning we held our first information, spent the day stocking the kitchen with groceries and getting to know the pastor, Maeda-sensei (Fumio) and his wife. That evening we held our second information meeting. Here's a couple of pics of our first 24 hours in Japan:
People arriving at the second information meeting. Then, by Thursday morning we started our reading sessions! We have 40 readers total, which is amazing! It also means that we are staying very busy! In 4 days of reading, we have already studied the Bible for 50 hours with our readers. Here's a little breakdown of our schedule:
9:30 a.m. Team huddle and devotional (we are reading through the book of Isaiah, 3 chapters a day! You are welcome to join us and read Isaiah at home!)
10:00-12:00 Reading sessions
12:00-1:00 lunch
1:00-5:00 Reading sessions
5:00-6:00 dinner
6:00-9:00 Reading sessions
Suffice it to say, by Sunday we were all very tired. Sunday morning we attended our first church service - there are only 8 members! They very graciously welcomed us with a potluck lunch.
おいしい! (oishii- delicious!)
That evening, we had our first LST party! We played uno, had tea and cookies, and listened to a short message from the missionary, Ken. 24 people turned out, and it was a lot of fun!
By Monday, we were all ready for a chance to rest up, do some laundry, and learn our way around Shizuoka-shi! Here are a few pics of what we see when we walk out our front door!
Sumpu castle ruins - America bombed Shizuoka during WW2, and this castle, which was an important historical sight, was destroyed- all but the outside. Now, the inside is a park.
The flowers are blooming! Beautiful hydrangeas are getting bigger everyday! Overall, reading sessions have started off really well. Ian and Lauren each have a few readers that are REALLY searching and asking some deep questions about God and what it means to follow Jesus. We all feel blessed to have this opportunity, and are so thankful for your prayers and support. Ken, the missionary, has been working in Japan for 11 years now, and we are learning so much invaluable wisdom from him. He is married to a Japanese woman, Etsuko, and they have four precious kids! Next post I will write more specifically about the readers, but for this week, please pray that we will be clear communicators of God's love and for this church - it is really struggling right now, because it is so small.
Much Love,
Marabeth
sounds amazing Marabeth. Loved the photos-- I've never tried kumquats (but trust your opinion that they're delicious!). The party looked like so much fun. We think what you're doing is pretty wonderful and ask God to strengthen you as you become clear communicators of God's love and for the church where you are serving. Sounds like you need endurance for those long days as well and a hedge of protection always. much love to you, your team and small church. The Loveladys
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