Children

As I write this Carol is going to "Yummy Club" which is for elementary aged children. There is English conversation, songs, a Bible story and a memory verse. This was something Carol had started and is now led by Keiko. Carol is only participating at this point. 

On Sundays during the informal service we call "Praise Time" the children meet in an adjacent room at the place we rent for the morning to do their own study of God's Word. The story they're working on is about Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. 

Japan in January!

A seven minute tour of Japan, without jet lag.


http://vimeo.com/87008050

Old Technology, Older Theology

Years ago, on a trip to Nagasaki we passed this derelict plane, and it was interesting to read a blog post about it. It was even more interesting to read why the plane has been kept all these years. 

In Praise of the Airplane to Heaven

Press Release

Our best wishes to the fishermen of Watari-cho, Miyagi, Japan! Survivors of the 2011 tsunami are reaining their livelihood thanks to partnership with Food for the Hungry (japan and Canada) and the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada. 

These fishermen/women lost everything because of the tsunami- homes, boats, nets, equipment- and to make things worse, readiation from the collapsed Fukushima Dai ichi nucleawr power plant has forced restrictions on almost all types of private and commercial fishing. But, they are allowed to fish sardines. 

Helping them make the switch to sardine fishing, these families have been provided new, specialized nets, floats, ballasts and more to get them back on the water and proud to be providing for their families once again. 

サマー・トリップ Summer Trip

 "Summer Trip" is what our retreat this year was called, and it was held in the mountains northwest of Tokyo

 As we were grilling I wondered aloud how many times Don and I have stood side by side at the barbecues cooking for people related to Harumi ministries.

\Yes, that's a fire engine in the background, but not because of our grilling. It's something for the children to enjoy. 

We discussed the command to "love on another" in our times together. 

Breakfast on Sunday morning

...followed by a baptism! A great day to celebrate. 

It was good to have two of the girls here. Even though Laura's just south of us, near Mount Fuji, it takes four hours to get to this place, and she wasn't up to that. 

No, that's not Japanese. The retreat centre is run by the Liebenzeller mission of Germany. 

Why Japan?

This is a short, but great video.
http://vimeo.com/92343293

Bridges Are Part of Life Here

We cross three bridges (and three islands) on the way to Harumi, so we're used to pedaling over bridges here in Tokyo. The interesting thing about bridges is that some of the larger ones just appear instantaneously! The video and photographs on this Asahi News web page shows how that is possible.

http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASG4Z624HG4ZUTIL02Y.html