First Week Overview!

We've been in Tokyo for now over a week and it has been a blshat! Some cool highlights:

Waking up at 6 because of jetlag...and not being able to go back to sleep.

Getting to know the railway system as led by a kind old lady who spoke no English.

Going shopping and saying "Hai" (yes) to everything they say at the checkout.

Going on different campuses and praying for the students.

Eating with students in cafeterias and tlaking to them about thier studies, interests, and about American culture (a subject always good for conversation).

Exploring Shibuya, a major shopping district in Tokyo, and eating an omelet of squid, octopus, shrimp, and fish. Also, trying pearl tea, which is a milk tea with tapioca in it (both were really good!).

Praying, praising, traveling, playing, planning, and getting to be around the team; they are great to be around and definately people I want on my side to share Christ with.

Running for over an hour as we got lost...this one I'm still feeling a bit.

Meeting Japanese Christians and listening to them speak about Christ and hearing praise and worship in a language indiscernible to me; this was simply awesome, just awesome.

And there are more stories to tell if time would permit.

For myself, this trip has been a cool look at a people that are foreign yet have all the same needs and hopes as I do. They treasure family, friends, good food, and hard work; yet, they do not know Christ and their lives are given meaning by their jobs, by their fashion, or by their interests. Many Japanese are superstitious (they don't think it's a religion) and go to shrines to worship, give food or money, and pray for success or items they desire, but they do not go to worship the Living God, in fact, they don't even hear about Him. And even when some Japanese do want to come to Chrsit, the social pressure to conform to ancestry worship and to be in harmony with the Japanese culture is tremendous. So then, we need to pray, pray, pray and provide spiritual intercession for these people. And then we need to send people to tell them the Gospel of what Jesus has done. And then we need to be sent to Japan for awhile to come, long after our team's work is done here. People need to come and live here and love these people with the love of God in Christ Jesus. Ok, I had to get that out, but seriously, the call to be missional is for all Christians, whether it be in our neighborhoods, our schools, or in another country, we are to preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:2) for God's Name's Sake, for God's glory, and for the people who need to hear and by hearing recieve faith unto salvation.

This upcoming week, we'll be going back to campuses (Team 1 to Hitosubashi University and Gakugai University while Team 2 (that's me included!) go to International Christian University (which has more to do with "University" than "Christian") and Giadai University) and talking to some students taht we've already met and to meet new people as well. The goal is true friendship in which the Gospel can lovingly be shared by the Word and by our lives (1 Thessalonians 1:8).

If you've made it all the way through this, bravo!, because I know I can get long-winded. As a final note, any and all prayer would be appreciated greatly as, if it according to God's will, it will be done. Thank you if you've taken the time to read this and I hope you are well in the Lord.

Whew! We're here!!

Konnichiwa! (Or Ohio Go Zye Moss! (Phonetically at least!))

Our team had a wonderful briefing and a great plane ride and we are now safely in Tokyo! After a wonderful night of sleep, we woke up and got plans around and traveled about around in our nearby area (eating at a great seafood restaurant!) and relaxing a bit before we hit one of the nearby campuses on Tuesday. All I can say is, praise our Lord Jesus Christ for getting us all here despite all the support and all the travel and for His future work through us on campuses in Tokyo. Hope to write more soon!!

Ok, just some final info before we leave for Tokyo....

We will be leaving at 8 to leave in the air by 12:55 pm. We hope to arrive in Japan around 5-ish and get to our apartments by 9-ish pm. This includes a 14 hour plane trip and then traveling in a big group with luggage in Tokyo; should be a great time for real!

A spectre haunts missions trips, the spectre of support raising, and I am pleased to report that all of our group is going to go to Tokyo and that even though we are $1,400-ish away, that the people who have support left to raise are writing out personal checks and hoping to bring in that money before the end of the trip. And I just want to say that for me, this has been such a way to grow and test God's will for my life and my summer and I am so so so so happy that you all have supported this trip and me and that God is calling me to Tokyo and has shown this with His abundant provisioning and even through days of unfaithfulness or uncertainty, that God has done it. Praise the Lord!

Next stop Tokyo and I hope to write more encouraging news when we are established there!

Kyle

5 days before Update!

Ok, an update!

First of all, this pre-trip has been a great experience in that it has been a great way to trust the Lord and really a good growing experience.

Now, to brass tacks, here is where the trip stands: this Monday afternoon, the people from Central Michigan University (Jess, Joe, and me) will be convening and leaving for Joe's house to stay the night before we leave early (6 am!) to be at the Detroit airport to leave for LA for 3 days of briefing (and meeting the team!) and then on to Japan! Now, with this being said, there is still much to be done before this date. First of all, financial support. Money in hand is about $2900, leaving about $2250 to be raised. Hopefully with some phone calls being made today and with talking to my church this Sunday this goal can be met and if anyone reading this blog can help, I would certainly appreciate it.

To anyone reading, for keeping up, for support (spiritual and/or financial), and for encouragement, I want to thank you, none of this would be possible without you (and of course God, who has made this all possible!).

Until next time!