G.R.I.T.

Joel Diffenderfer

Something something greeting (I never know what to say)
I`ve only been in Japan for three and a half days, but it seems like so
much longer than that. So much has happened. Misti and I got into
Osaka on Friday afternoon, and my sense of time was shot. We spent the
rest of the day with the Ewings and their kids. My first Japanese meal
was yakisoba, these delicious fried noodles with meat and carrots and
other stuff in it.
The next day, we flew to Kagoshima. Man, the pilot was new or
something. The Petite`s picked us up at the airport, and we`ve been
with them ever since. Mrs. Petite grew up in Japan as a missionary kid,
and Mr. Petite is a studious man, so their Japanese is amazing. Same
goes for their daughter, Danielle (sometimes you envy those MKs). That
night we went to their church for Voice of Hope, a gospel choir/outreach
program. I met Masafumi and Takuya at that event. Those guys are
perhaps the awesomest teens I have ever met. And they love God so
much! Masafumi was saved first, and apparently he witnessed to Takuya
until one day Takuya came to the Petite`s church and said, `I believe
that Jesus died for me`. I`ve spent some time with them over the past
couple days. We even went to an onsen (public bath/hot springs)
together. Oh man, it puts hot tubs to shame! Kimochi! (Feeling good)
Haha.
Perhaps it is merely the Japanese personality (although I doubt it),
but the believers in Japan are so friendly and crazy (the good kind).
There is such a sense of community in the church. `Sunday Church` was
twice as long as english class (kinda cool, as an outreach and helping
members of the church, the Petites have an English class at the time we
would normally do Sunday school, and they use The Bible to teach English
and God`s word at the same time) and the sermon, as most of the members
stayed after for fellowship. Long fellowship. Misti, Danielle and I
hung out with Takuya, Masafumi and some other girl whose name I forgot
(I am having a horrid time with names, please pray for me about that).
Then later that night the six of us went to the onsen while the adults
had a staff meeting.
Today was the Petite`s day off, so we went driving around. Stopped at
the something somethign park and went biking. Japanese bikes are neat,
you don`t have to hunch over to ride (no, not because I`m tall compared
to sereval of them, that`s just how they are). Later, I got some
horrible, horrible stomach cramps (sugoi ittakatta nda yo (it hurt sooo
much)(you came blame that horrid Japanese on Tayuka and Masafumi. They
have...taught me `proper` Japanese. Haha.)) and got to go to a Japanese
clinic. Hooray. Just the experience I was looking for. They drugged
me up enough that I am well now.
I suppose that every missions field is tough, but from what the
Petite`s talk about Japan is extremely hard. So few saved, and only
part of those are good, fruit bearing seeds. Supposedly 85% of second
generation Christians (kids of saved parents) fall away from the church.
Well, no more thoughts come to mind, so I suppose it`s time to end
this. Mata ne.

posted by Norman @ 10:06 PM