Dan Graber
mmmm… that was some good rock climbing..
anyways, we ended up getting away early from Nagashima on Wednesday to head down to southern Japan for some high quality repelling. While I had helped train the group in the proper techniques of repelling, I failed to mention that I myself had only done it twice before and the last time I had done it was 2 yrs ago… I tried to maintain composure as best I could anyway but I did end up waiting and repelling last, he he… ah, but the next day we got to rock climb which I love so well. God held back the rain for us the whole time we were climbing that day and I know we were all thankful. I found myself first in line to climb and even though I had done it before, no one around me for miles that I knew had attempted this climb. Once I got started I realized that it would be a fun and challenging climb. Despite this I found myself stopping often and enjoying the beautiful scenery. And then there was the exhilarating feeling of reaching the top at last. I hope you enjoyed my chopped up sentences and poor grammar. And if you did you have my love for you, unless of course you did something previously or presently to become undeserving of my love…see ya in the states! -Dan Graber
Merilee
Hello Everyone! I have really enjoyed my first few weeks of GRIT. I have done so many things that I never thought I could do before! I finished a 5K! I have been up early and EXERCISING! I have been a blayer for people who are repelling and even for those that were climbing up a mountain. I have also made some wonderful friends. Japan is not as scary as I thought it would be. I was nervous about the bugs…there are bugs! But….they do not really bug me! I sleep with a bug net…but even so, I am amazed that they do not bother me as much as I worried about them doing! God is truly teaching me some life lessons over here. I miss my family but it is a super blessing having Susan and Norman and Chloe and Cameron here. Japan is beautiful and my desire is to be beautiful for God. I want to glorify Him in all that I do. Thank you for your prayers. Love, Merilee\-b b-n
Dean Graber
Wow! The lessons in leadership have been powerful. It is perfect for what God is doing with this group. We went rappelling and rock climbing Wednesday and Thursday. The forecast was rain but instead it was perfect weather! We camped along the ocean in a very primitive sight. I saw a long black snake just as we arrive. With no bathroom facilities it make night trips from the tent interesting. But we all rappelled on Wednesday and everyone did fine. From the cliff you overlooked down 2000 feet to the ocean. It was awesome! When the group first say the cliff they swallowed hard a couple of times, but had trained well and went right over the 140 foot edge. The next day we climbed in the same area. Dan went first to put in some anchors and he did super. It was a tough climb and he figured it out. About a fourth of the team made the climb. Yes I did make it. We talked at the camp site and back at the church the spiritual lesson learned. The one that stood out was that we climb by faith not by sight. Success is not in getting to the top but be willing to reach. So our walk with Christ. Every one was safe and praise God the rain held off two days, because now it is raining and is supposed to for the next 6 days. We have with us three Japanese youth as they can work it around their school. Pray for Uyua that he would make a public profession of true salvation. He is a great kid who is a senior this year. He has expressed a lot of interest but not yet committed publicly to Christ. Dan and I went with Norman to Kagoshima on the bullet train to get some climbing protection. The trip which would take an hour and 1/2 by car took 14 minutes on the bullet train. It goes 300 km and hour! It has its own special set of tracks and goes straight through mountains and over rivers. You look out side and can tell you are really moving, but then suddenly you are in a tunnel. I would say that at least have the trip was in a tunnel to Kagoshima. While in Kagoshima we met a Japanese man who is a retired English teacher at the University. The city is 500,000 plus population. He was very friendly and we were getting ready to find something to eat and he led us to a little place that he said was good food and cheap. He was right on both accounts! I do not know what we ate (which rarely you do) but whatever it was it was delicious and only 190 yen or $1.70. It reminded me a lot of Jerry”s main lunch. I was right at home. We have been going hard ever since we arrive. Every day we get up at 6 or before because we all need to have breakfast and cleaned up ready to run at 7. The exercise routine is gear to push us to the max. For some that comes sooner than others :) I think I have lost 13 lbs if I am reading the Kilograms correctly. My clothes are loose so something is happening. One final thought. It is important for right hearts to do the right thing. Unfortunately it is very easy for wrong people doing the right thing or right people stop doing the right thing. When both are present, God blesses. Love you all. Dean Graber
Anonynmous
As of today, I've been in Japan for three weeks. It seems like it has been much longer. This week the G.R.I.T. group went rock climbing. It was pretty scary, but enjoyable and fun. On Sunday, half of us went to an average Japanese church a couple hours away. There were about 11 people there, including the pastor, and we met in a room that looked like it was a single car garage before it was converted into a church. I honestly can't think of much to say now. It has been a challenging program, but the most challenging part has not been the activities we have done, but what God is doing with my heart. Sometimes I can only muster the strength to say, "To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul" (Psalm 25:1) If anyone thinks of it, pray for Yuya, an unsaved Japanese high schooler who hangs out with us a lot.
Andrew
Ahh... I always feel relaxed after a journey to the onsen (public bath house). We've been busy but we're learning all kinds of great things. I have especially enjoyed Pastor Graber's classes on preparing a lesson for a sermon, Bible study, or devotional. I know everyone had a good time at the English class the other day too. For most of the class I talked to Pastor Kishimoto about school, hobbies, and life in general. Although the 5K run was... fun? It really wasn't that bad. Yesterday Norm, Chris, and I went to Kagoshima and picked up Peter. We had a great time discussing the Japanese language and culture, as well as our small town and redneck childhoods. I've just about gotten over the jetlag but still find myself yawning in the afternoons. This first week has been a little long but I think we'll start to get used to things as time progresses. I think the biggest thing is that it's such a big change from when I was home and constantly waiting for the trip so I would have something to do. At least we're not bored.
Andrew
Later
Luke Scallon
It`s been about a week since we arrived in Japan now. What a beautiful place! Down in the valley on the island of Nagashima, it`s amazing. I`m praising God for a good trip here, too... After spending at least 20 minutes at the Des Moines Airport thinking I left my passport at home 2 hours away... only to find it in my back pocket after all the panicking and such. It`s been an awesome experience getting to know my teammates here, as well as meeting many Japanese people at our church and another church. Pastor Kishimoto is such a joyful man. And the people here are such nice people. I`ve been chewing on something that I challenged myself with for awhile. How can we effectively portray the love of Christ in a way unique to the people here, since they are such an ethical and friendly people? I`ve spent time in prayer, and spent time with the people, and I`ve done my best to represent Christ. This place feels like home already. I`ve been having a blast growing with each of the GRITters. God has blessed us in many ways with many unique people... nobody`s here by accident. I`m looking forward to experiencing God in a new way this summer, and how it will affect my life and decisions from here on out. We`ve also had fun spending time with the MKs, who have endless tanks of energy, straining ourselves with physical exercise, watching Jay sleepwalk, and trying new delicious foods. I think everyone is starting to learn how much I really eat. I love my family here. Pastor Kishimoto shared a couple verses with us that were very encouraging. John 15:16a says, "You did not choose me, but I chose and appointed you." God has a reason for each of us to be here in Japan this summer. And Romans 1:12 says, "that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me." This verse was especially a blessing, because we have a mutual faith with the people of the church here, and we can be an encouragement to one another this summer. Thanks for praying for us... and pray for the lost and Gospel-needing people here. Good-bye now.
Dean GraberWhat a day! We hiked about 6 miles and prayed together as we walked. We walked in pairs and shared different burdens with each other. It
What a day! We hiked about 6 miles and prayed together as we walked. We walked in pairs and shared different burdens with each other. It was a great time. Yesterday we spent in a church up north about 4 hours. I preached in the morning and went throught a translator named Isu. She did a wonderful job. She is Japanese who also went to Word of Life and Practical Bible College. Sent she knew Biblical terms it went well. It is really different using a translator. You have to stay focused on everything you say. Once you get started it can actually help you think about each phrase you use. I also today taught a devotion on prayer and later on how to study your Bible. It was interesting to take Proverbs as our lesson. Well I am soon headed to bed. Still waking up at 3:00 a.m. but now able to go back to sleep.
Andrew Murray
So we're in Japan with everyone else now. We landed on Tuesday... or was it Wednesday by then... so hard to remember. Anyway, we got in rather late and then drove the rest of the way back tot he church. No bullet train but at least we didn't have any troubles with the layovers. On Wednesday we woke up early (thanks to our jetlag) and ate some breakfast before going to the morning prayer meeting. I'm not sure if I speak for all of us when I say this but I, for one, felt (and probably smelled) like I had been flying and sitting in a car for an entire day... still can't figure out why... If you have ever seen any of my blogs from my last trip here or talked to me about Japan then you know that the onsen is quite possibly my favorite part of visiting Japan. We relaxed all afternoon while waiting for Norm to get back with the rest of the group but when he did we all went and finally got cleaned up at the onsen. Then it was back to the church for a quick supper before the evening service. That went well and we had a great time chatting with the people who were around afterwords. At least untill we heard about the centipede... they had found one in the kitchen and we all rushed to see it but Pastor Kishimoto had killed it by the time most of us got there. We were able to see it afterword though because he put it in a plastic bag to get rid of it. Norm has a post about a centipede he found in his house but this one wasn't as big... only about 5 or 6 inches long. It was an adventure. That was yesterday. Today we got up and ate breakfast before going on a walk around town. We got to meet the local police officer and introduce ourselves to him. He sounded very interested to meet us (from what Norm tells us) though he doesn't speak English. After our walk we went to the onsen again (yay) and then went back to the church for a planning meeting that went up to lunch and then we had some free time before supper. Supper is now complete and I am currently tired. I think I'll leave you now and get some sleep. Tomorrow will no doubt be busier than today as we are leaving for the weekend. But I'm sure you'll hear more about that later.
Later
Greetings and salutations (from Misti Nichols)!!
I decided to not start off with ohayo-gozaimas, konnichiwa, or
konbanwa cause I figure others will! So, greetings and salutations it is!
I am currently at Bill and Becky Petite`s home in Aira. My flight
from Chicago left at 8:15 Thurs. morning; I flew to Dallas, in Dallas
met Joel and flew to Osaka. After a little more than thirteen hours of
smooth flying we reached the Osaka-Kansai Airport. I thought the flight
seemed really short. Joel thought it was really long...interesting,
huh. Anyway, we called our contacts in Osaka (Paul and Melissa Ewing)
and then boarded a bus for the forty-five minute ride to where we were
being picked up. We spent the night with the Ewing family. They have
three beautiful boys!! It was so much fun playing with them and asking
Paul and Melissa lots of questions!Yakisoba was dinnner. Oishii
oishii. We played the game Aggravation and I started falling asleep.
It was 9:00 pm. Yay jet lag. The next morning I woke up at 1:30, 2:30,
and 4 (when I stayed awake). Paul took us to the bus and we bid him
(and he us) a fare adieu. Our flight to Kagoshima went well. I slept
for most of it! When we got to Kagoshima I wasn`t sure if Bill and
Becky would remember to pick us up, so I was so incredibly thankful when
I looked out the glass sliding doors separating the luggage claim from
the world and saw two tall white women (aka Becky and Danielle Petite).
They (and Bill) remembered us!! They took us to lunch at a popular
sushi restaurant. Oh man! I don`t even know what kind of sushi I had,
but it was good. I also tried fried squid legs, yummy!!
After we ate we went to their home and began to get ready for the
evening. They had Voice of Hope practice that night and time of
fellowship, so us girls made potato salad and cookies and the guys went
to the church and moved a container of wood! It was a lot of fun trying
to communicate with the women at the church using what very very little
Japanese I know and what little English they know. It was a learning
experience!
Sunday, Joel and I went to English class with Becky and practiced
conversations with the students. In church we sat with her in the office
while she translated the sermon. After church was a potluck. Wow. I
had some salad that was amazing! Since I don't know Japanese I played a
lot of games with the kids and teens. A bunch of us went outside and
started playing volleyball and then soccer. It is hard to trap and/or
kick a ball in a skirt. Anyway, later that night Bill and Becky had a
staff meeting so Danielle, Miyuki, Takuyo, Musafami, Joel and I went to
the onsen. Folks, I have had my first experience with a public bath and
let me tell you, it is wonderful. It really is quite relaxing.
Today was the Petite's day off so they took us to a variety of
places. We spent a far amount of time in the car and during that time I
was able to ask a lot of questions. We rode bikes, visited Bonotsu,
then went for a drive down a rode the Petite's had never been on before
and ended up finding a Phillipino memorial for Japanese soldiers. The
memorial was extremely interesting. We then went to a doctor's office.
Joel got sick. :( It was quite sad.
So it is Monday night. It seems like I have been in Japan for a
really long time but it has only been a couple of days. I've learned a
lot even in the short time I've been here-about Japan, her culture and
people, myself, and others...and I have so much more to learn.
Yesterday Becky and I were talking about some of the reasons the church
attendance has declined and she cited sports or school activities as one
of them because parents allow their children to be involved in them on
Sundays instead of going to church. Later that night I was reading in
Proverbs and saw this verse: "The way of the wicked is like darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble." Prov. 4:19 NAS I started
thinking that sports and the school activities become stumbling blocks
in people's lives blinding them to what they should be doing or how they
should be living. It goes beyond sports and stuff like that though, we
all have areas in our lives that we are stumbling over blindly. For
Japanese a big one is ancestor worship. It is so engrained into their
culture that when they become Christians they almost give up their
Japanese-ness(?). Becky told us a story about a girl. When she told
her mom she was a Christian and wanted to be baptized her mom asked,
"who will worship me?" How sad! Culture blinds them to the truth! It
makes me wonder what is blinding me to what God wants for my life.
Anyway, thanks for reading this and have a wonderful day living in
the love of our Lord!
Misti
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.
Baikingu?
This is Tim.
Today I shared my testimony in the afternoon service at the Nagashima
church. This was an interesting experience for me. My testimony is one
that seems identical to that those of a great many of my friends and
other people that I know who grew up in church. The short version is:
"I grew up in a Christian family and going to church. I was riding in
the car when I was 6 with my mother when I decided I wanted to be
saved. We got home, and she and my father led me through the steps of
salvation. The end." I had always considered it a somewhat unexciting
testimony. When Norman told me, however, that pastor Kishimoto had
wanted me to say something about the fact that not only are my parents
Christians, but my grandparents, on both my mother's and father's side,
are Christians as well, I realized that my testimony is, to the members
of the Japanese church, unique. There are few, if any, Japanese
Christians who can say they've grown up in a church, surrounded by the
love of a church family, because the Japanese church simply hasn't been
around that long. I realized that mine is actually a wonderful
testimony, in that it is proof of what God can do through a strong
church, and it is a story of God's love and grace being passed through
three generations. It is my hope that the Japanese church will grow strong.
Other than that, I've nearly been blown off a mountain, bought an
expensive and very useful toy, had my first taste of real sushi (it was
good. very good. oishii.), and had my first disorienting experince
(all-you-can-eat buffets in Japan, baikingu, are kind of different).
Tim Andrianoff
Hajimemashite. My name is Tim Andrianoff. I'm very pleased to meet
you; please look after me.
And so went my first introduction in Japan. My second was longer; I
threw in the fact that I am living with the Smiths right now, and that I
came from a small town in New York state called Portville. It has been
a busy 3 days since my first flight left the ground. Flying here was
relatively uneventful. Crossing the Pacific, I was entertained the
whole time by the very cool personal movie/video/music/game console
attached to my seat. I had a close connection in Tokyo/Narita. After
wasting some time being disoriented after I got through customs, I found
the counter to check my baggage in again. It was at the end of the
frighteningly long line of people. In the end, I had a personal escort
run me to the gate to get on the bus that took us to the prop plane that
would take us to Nagoya. Making my connection in Nagoya was a breeze
by comparison, and I even got to practice Japanese a very little bit
talking to the lady at the information counter. After that, it was an
hour or two hour drive, or so, back to the Smith's house, during which I
began to get to know one Norman Smith-Sensei.
My first real day in Japan was Wednesday, which started off with a Bible
study at Nagashima Grace Baptist Church. I was barely able to keep up
with even just finding the right verses during the service (which was in
Japanese, of course), and then only due to Seisaki-san's gracious help.
Both the morning and evening services were full of introductions, and I
met a great many of the people that we will be working with and getting
to know this summer. During the evening service, I got the chance to
meet Seisaki Yuya-san, the son of Seisaki-san from the morning service.
We had a language practice jam session, with Yuya-san practicing
English, me helping him to do so, and me also practincing Japanese.
Just so you all know, his English was very skillful; much better that
what I have heard the average Japanese person knows.
That same day, I recieved the grand tour of the Smith's home from the
kind and talkative Chloe Smith, with Cameron, who may possibly be the
happiest little guy ever, following along with us.
Today began with an early morning, with me and Norman getting up at 5 am
to take a train to the city of Kagoshima to meet Yoji-san, a friend of
Norman's. We spent the morning with Yoji, watching a movie, seeing a
bit of Kagoshima, and eating such delicious food as tendon (fried
seafood, etc. on rice) and taiyaki (red bean paste filled fish shaped
pastries). I was able to talk to Yoji-san for a good bit, aided by the
fact that he is skillful in English, and I think (or at least hope) that
I found a new friend in him. At least, I'd eagerly want to meet him again.
On the train ride home, Norman shared with me some about the situation
of the Japanese church. Most every city seemed to be described as "this
city of 100,000 people has about 123 Christians." These are just the
cities that have churches at all. At least two groups of people in
Japan, college students and "freeters," people characterized chiefly by
a lack of ambition, have perhaps one person or nobody in particular
focusing on ministering and reaching out to them. This is not for lack
of desire, but rather due to a simple shortage of people to do so.
Japan is in need of people to serve God in reaching the Japanese. I am
praying God will provide these people, and I am also praying he will
show me what he wants for my own life.
