Tadaima

We are back in the states, recovering from the exciting yet exhausting time in Japan. Please continue to pray for health for us as we return and face entering back into U.S culture. Please continue to pray for the connections we made with students: 1. that they would continue to stay in contact with us and with the local missionaries, and 2. that the Holy Spirit would soften their hearts so that they would enter into a relationships with the true and living God.

We are so thankful for all your support; whether prayerfully, financially, or through personal encouragement. Thank you so much. We will post sharing dates at a later time.

Arigatou Gozaimasu.

~ AndyMo

Update from Rachel (day 18)

So we have been in Japan for 18 days now and
there have been plenty of new experiences that I have had the opportunity to
experience. Some things we have been able to do have been: going to a Hokudai
(university) festival, speak English at Hokudai English club, fold and pass out
flyers to the public, meet some of our new friends at Yosakoi (dance festival),
attend some of the churches here, learn about the Isle of Man in Europe, go to
karaoke.

There is a whole different culture here and
therefore a whole different way of relating and the difference in the culture between what I am use too and the way the
people live here, social life, and the influence of shame on someone's
decisions and life. There is kindness and community in the culture but it
also seems like it is very superficial at times just like in America when we
ask each other how the other is doing and we simply say "fine" and
then continue on with our lives. Someone can easily be over looked and it
is our decision to accept that mundane answer or to be intentional and be the
person that can make a difference in someone's life by loving people as Jesus
loved.

Here are a few of my observations while being
here.

Observations: Japan

-the driver
sits on the right side of the car

-the car
drives on the left side of the road

-the toilet
seats are heated

-face masks
are worn in public places

-many
people walk or ride bikes from here to there

-the water
is so cold when it comes from the faucet the faucet has condensation on it

-bowing is
appropriate when meeting and saying good bye to an individual

-most homes
have a glass porch where the exchange is made from shoes to slippers

-from 7th
grade through High School uniforms are required

-smoking is
allowed almost anywhere; restaurants, school, children are exposed to it as if
it is normal

-the curbs
are small so cars and pull in and out of practically anywhere

-what
little land people do own is transformed into beautiful gardens as small as
they might be

-subway is
a main way of transportation and there were many men in suits with brief cases

–while on
the subway people would have a little book that they would either stand and
read or if there was a seat available sit and read

-while walking
through the subway a mother was sitting on a bench with her arms wrapped around
her child and she leaned over and was rocking him. When seeing this to me
it showed the great love and affection that a mother can have for their child.
I thought it was a beautiful thing.

-Rachel

Photos: days 1-3

Day 1

Bibles, bikes, and bathhouses…

Today was our first full day in Japan, and boy was it exciting! We had the wonderful opportunity to join the OMF Hokkaido center in their bi-annual day of prayer and fasting. We did not stay for the entire time, it was decided that it would be best for us to participate for half of the day because we are still getting over jet-lag after having just arrived last night! It is still so unbelievable that we are already here! Well, we began by reading through 1 Thessalonians 1, focusing on the grace of God: the unwavering, unceasing, and very astounding grace of God. We also sung Amazing Grace. As the words of that hymn filled the room, and the voices of the worldwide church rose up to worship our Lord (while there were only about 30 or 40 people in attendance there were Christians from Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, Brazil, Britain, the US, and more) I was overwhelmed by the reality of the truly amazing grace of God.

Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.

The words above were the words that stuck out to me. I remembered the difficult semester that each one of us had gone through, the difficult past few months that many of our friends have gone through, the difficult year that the worldwide body of believers have endured, but besides remembering the tears and the struggles God showed me the triumph that he has had in my life, in our lives, and when faced with that reality I could do nothing but rejoice (and shed a few tears). We then lifted up the OMF missionaries all over East Asia, Europe, and the West as we read through the booklet of prayer requests and praises on each country, and rejoiced with them in the triumphs that they have witnessed and the powerful displays of the Holy Spirit moving and working in their lives and the lives of the community that they work with.

We then took a moment to read through 1 Thessalonians 2, and we prayed over each country that the Christians there may be able to live strong lives in the spirit of Power that the Lord grants us even in the face of such intense opposition. The room lifted up our brothers and sisters in Singapore, Germany, Canada, North Korea, and Malaysia (to name a few). It was an awesome experience to say the least.

It was then about 1 in the afternoon, and we did what anybody would do after spending a few hours in the morning in prayer, we went to the Onsen (aka the public hot springs bathhouse). Well, we went to lunch first. The constant anxiety associated with the upcoming visit to the bathhouse worked up an appetite I suppose. It was a great time to chat with the missionaries Karen and Dale that we will be working with, along with a newlywed couple that has come up to work with us. THEN we went to the Onsen. Can you say “awkward”?!?! Well, it was, at first. Basically you walk into a locker room, strip down, and walk into a room full of baths of varying temperatures with different minerals in them. You have a small towel that you can take with you. There were a ton of people in there (don’t worry, separate rooms for men and women) but the walls soon came down. Let’s face it, in situations such as that, one MUST embrace it because you really have no other choice. It was a great cultural experience not soon forgotten, and actually it was kind of fun… kind of. There really is nothing like sitting in a hot yellow colored bath with people you just met, or even perfect strangers. Nothing like it.

Prayer Requests:

That we would be Christ centered and saturated in prayer

For divine appointments as we spend our free days in Sapporo

That we would be bold in our proclamation of the gospel while also remaining wise and culturally sensitive

That we as a team would encourage and love each other and the missionaries we would be working with

Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement, both throughout the semester and up until this point!

---

A.W

Made it to Japan!

We made it to Japan! Thank you for your prayers.

Tomorrow = prayer with OMF missionaries, lunch, then a "cultural activity". It says ONSEN on the schedule...oh boy.

--

AM

Departure!

Hello dear friends,

The team will be departing for Japan tomorrow and we are soOo excited! It feels like this past semester has already been such an adventure and time of growth, it is so exciting yet it is a strange feeling to finally be taking off for our ministry destination. Please continue to be lifting us up in prayer as we begin this new stretch of this ministry process.

Prayer Requests:

• Safety as we travel to Japan
• Good comprehension and guidance in the airports as we transfer flights in Japan.
• Health and rest during our travels and the start of our ministry trainings in Japan.
• Bonding, patience, and fun as the team enjoys fellowship on the airplane, and maybe we will even get to talk to people on the plane!
• To quickly get through customs and pick up our luggage.
• For no lost luggage
• That God would prepare our hearts to serve in whatever capacity the Lord calls us to.

Thank you for your faithful support of our team, and for your love. May our eyes always be turned to Christ.

--

A.M.

$ Update

We are at 100%! Thank you all for supporting us!