Child Rearing for Japan

We have an amazing number of young families coming through the doors of our church every week.  Between Mom and Kids Club, Kids Club, and Kids Brown English, I estimate that we welcome over 100 people every week.  It's very lively.  Very noisy!  But a whole lot of fun.  I personally get many hugs, kisses, and "Amy-san, daisuki da yo!" (Miss Amy, I love you!) every week.  What a privilege!

More than having fun together, though, we really want to offer these families more...we want them to experience all the blessings in knowing Christ.  We teach the Bible, sing songs, and hopefully show God's love to them, but still, there is a long way to go before people understand the Gospel.  How can we get there?

It can be a long process in Japan, but just today, the leaders of the Kid's Brown decided to take some tangible steps.  Over the next six months, we will do a series on Biblical Parenting.  I (amy) will teach three times over five months, and then in June we'll have a seminar with a well-known speaker on this topic.  Our hope is to not only teach practical parenting skills, but to show how a knowledge and relationship with God is the source of good parenting.  

I know that many young moms in Japan today have a great desire to learn how to parent well.  They are confused by the many schools of thought out there.  Side by side on the shelves in bookstores everywhere, are books with completely opposite philosophies on how to raise kids.  So I am often asked questions by these moms...and to be honest, I am sometimes surprised at how basic their questions are.  I know this confusion is in part driven by a strong desire to do it right--to really do a good job with their kids.

For me, I think I would also be unsure if Wayne and I weren't trying to base our parenting on God's Word.  There may be many schools of thought, and those change as the times change, but God's Word never changes, and it's a solid foundation of truth on which to base our lives.  That's our only hope in raising our kids.  And that is also where we receive the grace and mercy needed when we blow it, which happens quite regularly.

So I am excited about this opportunity.  I've taught child rearing many times in Japan, but this time it's being initiated by women in the church who want to share the Gospel with all of these young families God has brought our way.  That's exciting!  And I believe we will see God work, for the glory of his name!

Anniversary Musings

We have some new teammates who arrived last month.  As always, with a new family, we see afresh the strange, hard and different things about living in Japanese culture.  They bump up against things that are just a normal part of life to us…but when we see them struggling, it’s not too hard to think back to when we bumped up against such things too.  In fact, since our 22^nd anniversary of life in Japan is approaching, it’s made me think way back to how things were back then.  And I have to say, things have come a LONG way since 1990!  Notable things I remember:

·         We had a home computer, but it was a monster of a thing, and I think we had to know DOS to use it.  Haha!!  Did we know DOS?  NO!  Thus, computer use was a synonym for FRUSTRATION!

·         To stay in touch with our family, supporters, and friends, we HAND WROTE letters.  Yes…individually to each one.   During language school, we did that every month or two—hand written letters to over 100 people! 

·         Phoning was expensive; we called our parents once a week for 10 minutes…that’s all the verbal communication we had.  There was no skype, face time, blog, video conferencing, or any other cheap/free calling+video thing back then.  Of course we could take our film to the photo developing store, wait a week, and then pick up our pictures, choose a few good ones and send them.  In a hand-addressed envelope.  Usually with a HAND WRITTEN letter. 

·         In Japan, the mailman doesn’t pick up outgoing mail from your mailbox.  So the whole HAND WRITTEN letter process would culminate in a trip to the post office.  I still wish they would pick up—but since the mailmen ride mopeds, I can see how they just don’t have room to carry a bunch of out-going mail! 

·         We lived in a summer cabin in the Japanese Alps.  We arrived there on January 1^st, and I had never in my life been so cold!  You could see the ground through the boards of the floor…every morning when we woke up there was iced formed in the bottom of the sink.  Brrrrr…just thinking of it gives me a chill.

·         Until our shipment arrived, and with it our American stacked washer and dryer, I used the Japanese washer in our summer cabin.  It was OLD.  It had a double drum.  You washed the clothes and rinsed them in one drum, then pulled them out, soaking wet, and crammed them down in the other drum to spin.  When the spin cycle ran, the whole machine vibrated so much, it would move across the floor half a foot or so! 

·         Oh, and drying our clothes?  Well, we had a nice supply of clothespins and hangers in our cabin.  There was another cabin next door that had a dryer, and we were free to use it.  So I would load up my wet laundry, put on my snow boots, coat, hat and gloves, and wade through the snow to the other house to use the dryer.  Sometimes when I’d go back to get the laundry, the pilot light would have gone out, and the clothes would still be wet.  Laundry was one of the most stressful activities of those early days.

·         Food was another issue.  I didn't know how to prepare any Japanese food.  And of course there was no allrecipes.com to refer to.  So every trip to the grocery store was a learning experience.  I spent many hours pouring over the catalog of the Foreign Buyers Club, a business that imports international foods.  And we spent many dollars ordering those must-have items like cream of chicken soup, Cheerios, baby cereal, chocolate chips, etc, etc, etc.  These days many foods are readily available, and we don’t even need them anymore; everyone in our family prefers Japanese food.

Well, this trip down memory lane could go on and on…I could mention the medical system, driving, car ownership, house hunting, and endless other experiences that are either hard or different.   Wow!  It’s no wonder our friends are finding each day an interesting experience (read:  challenge!). 

The good news for them is that you do eventually adjust to all of these differences.  And while you might continue to PREFER the American way, you can enter into the Japanese way.  On the other hand, you might wake up one day and realize you have come to truly appreciate and even prefer the Japanese way of doing things. 

I think one of the keys to adjusting is to view it all as an adventure.  Because you rarely run across anything that truly is a matter of life and death—it’s all mostly about preferences and what we are used to. 

As for me, when I remember back to the way it used to be, my first reaction is, “Wow!  That is a lot of change in the life of someone as young as me!”  And my next thought is, “Oh…maybe I am not as young as I think!”  Happy 22-year anniversary to us!

NEW WORDS

We are approaching our 21st anniversary of arriving in Japan, and our quest to master the Japanese language is ongoing. This year we've added words to our vocabulary we never expected to need: nuclear reactor, meltdown, radiation, cesium, miliseverts, mudout, hard labor, supplies, supply runs, etc.

Another word we've heard a lot about since 3-11 is 'kizuna', which means bonds, relationship, connection.

In fact, 'kizuna' was recently selected as the word of the year in Japan. This year Japanese have become aware of the importance of 'kizuna' in a new way. For many, they've lost family members, friends, co-workers, and they deeply miss and grieve for the loved ones who are gone. Many, many have been displaced from their homes--the loss of community has left them feeling lost and disconnected, leading to depression, loneliness and isolation. Others, whose family was spared, have realized how precious those bond are, and they treasure their loved ones more than ever.

I've been thinking about the 'kizuna' or bonds that we have in Christ. It goes beyond that of location, or common experience, or even family. It's a bond that has been purchased with the life, death and resurrection of Christ. It ties us together as believers around the world, and even more, it ties us into the very family of God--with Jesus, our elder brother. Most amazing, it's a bond that is eternal. Nothing--no natural disaster or any other tragedy we can imagine--can break the bond we have as brothers and sisters in Christ...or the promise of eternity together in perfect, complete 'kizuna' with God himself.

I'm thankful for the 'kizuna' we enjoy now as a family, as a body of believers, and as fellow sojourners in this life. but it's just a small foretaste of all that is to come. This Christmas I rejoice in the "kizuna' God has made possible in Christ!

The continuing story

It's been three weeks since our team of 17 went to Ishinomaki, Miyagi and spent a week with the relief work...I wanted to write about our trip right away, but it's taken me this long to sit down and do it. There are several reasons for that--busy life demands, virus-infested computer, etc--but the biggest reason has more to do with the work than the excuses. The time I have spent with relief work over the last few months have been some of the most intense experiences I've ever had. It's not easy to put those things into words, especially when I can't even get my mind/heart around them internally. So I still am feeling those procrastinating-urges...but here is my attempt to communicate.

Our team's buzz word was 'flexibility'. We knew as we prepared that we may not be able to use any of our preparations. What did we prepare, you ask? We were expecting to be in the elementary schools of Onagawa Town...perhaps seeing 400 students over the course of the week, doing an 'immersion' English experience for them. So we planned for that: skit, games, crafts, English lessons, sports, and music. It was fun! We met around 4 times pre-trip, and put together a lot of good material--every team member contributed. We got the church involved with the craft prep--we even had the church kids help make banners for the Onagawa school kids. So we worked really hard on preparation. I kept reminding everyone that we might not get to use all of this--the plan hadn't been set, and wouldn't be until the last minute, so we needed to hold our plans and expectations loosely, trusting that God would open the right doors for our time there.

Good advice, and everyone took it, everyone except me, that is! On the trip up, I got a phone call saying that we wouldn't be meeting 400 students...but around 55; we wouldn't be in the schools everyday...but only once, for 45 minutes; we wouldn't be creating the English immersion environment with our ideas...but the school had planned the time for us and we would just implement it. WHAT?!!?!! But...but...but...

After I got over my disappointment, it was a great reminder of a basic lesson in missions: there is a great arrogance in going into a new place (whether it's a new culture, church town, or whatever) with an agenda of all we have to offer. God calls us to be servants...and a servant responds to the requests and demands of the one he serves. What a wonderful opportunity for me to repent and renew my commitment to be a servant of Christ in the Tohoku region.

The time in the school, by the way, was bathed in the grace and goodness of God--so many people were praying for us, and it was so apparent in how the event unfolded. We partnered with a team of wonderful ladies from the Midwest, and the 22 of us spent a wonderful time with the 3rd graders of Onagawa. These kids almost all live in evacuation centers, and are in an incredibly stressful environment--can you imagine waking up everyday and being surrounded by the complete devastation/rubble of your entire town? That is their reality--here are some scenes of their town:

Heartbreaking. But those kids we met showed the resilience and heart of little warriors. On the surface they looked normal--like kids you meet any day in anyplace, Japan. Just below the surface, though, you could sense a whole lot more. But they entered into the time with us with joy and enthusiasm--it was really a special hour.

Other than these few, I still haven't gotten the pictures from this event--we designated photographers--so I hope to do another post on this event alone. It was the last day of our trip, and a fitting end--we saw God work and do beyond what we imagined he could do through this time.

Back to the rest of the trip. Our mission is narrowing our focus to the city of Ishinomaki, and specifically, to the Watanoha and Koganehama area. Here is a map of the region:

We spent Saturday with our MTW partners from Tokyo doing a feeding and open market. Every week they have been setting up at an empty lot or nearby community center in Koganehama to serve this community. Many people in the area are in a category that falls between the cracks of the system. Their homes are still standing--some people are actually living on the 2nd floor--and because of that, they are not receiving the same kind of aid that others are. And yet, the vast majority of them have lost their jobs, their homes are ruined, and they too look ahead to the future with much uncertainty and fear. And so they need supplies, food and aid of all kinds. It was a privilege to meet these residents and hear their stories. They are sad stories. These are people who don't know what the future holds. I was struck with the pain of having everything stripped away--all your material possessions, your work, your livelihood, your loved ones--and being left with nothing. I've never had that experience--99% of the people I know never have either. And yet along with the pain I can't help but believe there is a privilege in this condition--to be left with nothing forces you to ask what is really important, what really matters. In the midst of the ugliness of utter brokenness, when the beauty of Christ is revealed, there is nothing left to distract, nothing to interfere with being able to gaze upon his beauty. We pray this is so for the people of Tohoku, of Miyagi Prefecture, of Ishinomaki City,and of Watanoha and Koganehama. Here are some scenes from that day:

We fed around 300 people that day--the menu was yakisoba,which is a grilled meat, vegetable and noodle dish. Once we got the hang of it--particularly the spices--people seemed to enjoy it. (Not that I would know--I spent the entire day with my head down, cutting vegetables and grilling!) These same people also waited patiently in line for the open market, where our team set up a system of receiving supplies--fresh vegetables, clothes, other items. Some of the people had been lined up when we arrived at 9:00 a.m.--for a 12:00 event. That may not seem like a big deal, but it really caught me by surprise. Japanese culture is fast paced, busy, hectic...I couldn't have imagined people waiting 3 hours for simple food and 'shopping'--another reminder that everything has changed--everything--for these precious people.


There is a lot left to tell. The most encouraging time of the trip was the work we did with Samaritan's Purse. I think I'll save that story for another day. I'll close with some pictures of our team, our campsite, and our fellowship. This group was AWESOME. I never once heard anyone complain about anything--and there was plenty of fodder for complaints! (pit toilets, hard ground for sleeping, uncertain plans, hard labor, hot temperatures, and other little frustrations along the way) Every member of the team worked hard, shared their gifts, and contributed to the fellowship and unity in Christ we experienced. I love my team! It was a privilege to go through this experience in Tohoku with them--a small taste of the beauty of the body of Christ as it works together to serve God.

Well, I guess that is all for now...ahhhh...so much unsaid. Oh well, to God be the glory--great things HE has done and is doing!

On the sea in Kamaishi

Mrs. F was born and raised in the seaside town of Kamaishi. She lived with her husband in a home near the sea, and her 89 year old mother lived in the 3rd floor apartment of their restaurant, located in the main part of town. I don't know much about her life before March 11, 2011, but here's what happened to her town on that day.






When we arrived in Kamaishi, at the New Life Church, we were asked to go over to Mrs. F's place and to help her with the cleanup. We got there, and our first task was carrying liquor bottles from the wrecked inside, separating them into opened bottles (trash) and unopened bottles (keepers). Several of us got to work on this, carrying them out, and beginning to clean off the bottles she wanted to keep. It struck me as a little strange that our first task in Kamaishi was working with a vast number of liquor bottles, but we wanted to do whatever the church asked us to do, so we didn't question it. Here's some of what that looked like.

 Here's Mrs. F, watching as we bring things out of the house, adding to the pile of rubble in the street:

 On most walls of her place, the wallboard and siding was gone, leaving the steel frame exposed, and many of those steel beams were bent or broken:

As we worked, I thought about the crash course in post traumatic stress I had received from a member of our church, a counselor, and so I asked Mrs. F, "Where were you when the tsunami came?"  She told me the story of her rushing upstairs to get her mother, then moving as fast as they could through town, around 6-8 blocks away, to the hill beside the church.  With the water lapping at the backs of their legs, they joined the other people hurrying up the hill, and they all pushed and pulled her mother, and somehow escaped the wave.  But with a rush of tears, she said that her husband had been lost; he was at home alone with the tsunami struck, and his body was found that night.  I just cried with her, hugged her, and promised that we would do all we could to help her with the immense clean up job before her.

Pastor Yanagiya of New Life Church met Mrs. F in the shelter; he too is living there, as the manse is unlivable, like much of the town.  As he meets people like Mrs. F, who've lost the men in their lives, he's able to direct the volunteers (like our team) to help with the hard, dirty, and seemingly hopeless job they have.  Here's some of our team with Pastor Yanagiya (in the white coat):

As we spent time with him, sleeping on the second floor of his church, talking with him around the fire under the tent in the church yard, I came to admire this man and his heart for his city.  I kept asking myself what WE would do if we were in his situation.  What if OUR home had been heavily damaged, OUR town destroyed, OUR church called on to be a place of refuge, when we ourselves needed refuge as well?  I don't know what we would do, but Pastor Yanagiya is loving his city in the midst of great suffering--he's showing the love of Christ in very practical, tangible ways:  they have a sign out front with a list of all the supplies they have available; he's sending workers to stand shoulder to shoulder with the needy; he's dreaming and thinking of ways he can do more to serve the people of Kamaishi.

Yesterday Wayne and another pastor left with a 4 ton truck, heading to Kamaishi.  Today they unloaded all 4 tons of supplies at the Christian kindergarten in town, and began helping with the clean up of that place.  The kindergarten principal was overwhelmed with the generosity of the people of Nagoya, sending so much so far to the people of his town.

As we worked at Mrs. F's place, and others, I think each member of our team began to realize that much of the physical work we were doing was really meaningless.  As much as Mrs. F wants to just clean up and get back to business, her building is destroyed and will almost certainly have to be torn down.  But just as meaningless as the actual work may have been, the doing of that work, side by side, with her, was full of meaning.  She felt comfort, encouragement and hope for the future, something the people of Kamaishi and other Japanese coastal residents desperately need.  Her connection with the New Life Church was established, and it's our hope and prayer that this will be the beginning of new life for Mrs. F...new life in Christ.

It was really humbling and overwhelming to go and spend time in Kamaishi.  But I was just a representative of hundreds of people in Nagoya who have contributed to our relief efforts.  What a beautiful thing it is to see the body of Christ coming together for a time like this.  Please watch this clip, and pray for this beautiful thing to continue as we love the people of eastern Japan:

The shifting need

This is Mr. Hasegawa, the angel in disguise, in Sendai helping to organize and distribute donations.


We are so new at this, we have know idea what we are doing--and yet there's a very real sense of God's great guiding hand leading us despite the path being so unknown.  The reports are all saying that while the need for supplies continues, especially in some places, there is an increasing need for personal ministry to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami.  So yesterday as we sent off our fifth truck of supplies--this one headed for Ishinomaki, one of the towns swept away by the tsunami--we began planning our sixth, with a shift in focus.  We've had a great partnership with Hope International--between our supplies and theirs, we have delivered over 10 tons to the region.  And now, God has lifted up a new truck source, via our friend Mark Magnusson, a missionary who has a  church network and kindergarten (where all five of our kids went!).  Mark is jumping in to partner with us.  So this Monday we will send two trucks of supplies and one van of people, going to partner with two churches in Iwate Prefecture, one of which is right in the tsunami-stricken area.  We've decided to send some women on this trip, as the personal ministry side is becoming more important.  I will get to be a part of this team, though quite honestly, not without some fear and trepidation.  I'm very aware of my lack of true understanding of the horrors and loss these dear people have experienced.  Are there any words, any at all, that can touch the depth of their pain?

This too, just as the logistics have been, will be an area where I believe God will do a great work.  There are no human words that can reach into the hearts of people to save and comfort them.  But God's word is rich, and empowered by his Spirit, I believe it can be effective.  I believe, oh Lord, help my unbelief!

Thank you for praying for each of the 8-10 people who will be on this trip.  And for those left here in Nagoya, doing the preparatory work for the next trip, scheduled for this coming Friday.

Scenes from a trip to Iwaki, Fukushima

 This is the Taira Fukuin Christ Church--cracks in a ll the walls, but still standing and being used as a warehouse from which the church members are serving their community with supplies.

 Pastor Akira Mori, Wayne and our church member Motokuni Kannari  talk about all that is happening.

 This is the city office, near the church, where the town of Iwaki has sent up a water distribution point.  Wayne said the saddest thins was the see the elderly struggling to carry their water back to their homes.  They need manpower to help with such physical hardships.

 Pastor Mori took Wayne, Moto and Hideyuki to a nursing home they are supplying, where they passed out fresh fruit we had sent, and other needed items.  These are some of the scenes on the way.

The nursing home is on the shore--the only thing that saved it and the residents was a building that stood between them and the sea.  The director of the home was deeply grateful for the ministry of Pastor Mori and his church.  What a privilege for us to be able to help them help people in their community.