Every summer towns all over Japan celebrate with spectacular fireworks displays. Our town is especially know for their 2 hour fireworks show. Over 500,000 people were estimated to attend this year. (Our town has a population of around 400,000.) We went with a Japanese family and thankfully they had the opportunity to join a party at the Sport’s Club where their kids belong. This means we had the best view in the house because we up at least four stories high. The show was fantastic and so was our time of fellowship.

Before the show we were able to walk to the castle in our town. Unfortunately it was closed due to the festival, but we took a few pictures along the way. It was very HOT and HUMID. Reminds us of home! In some of the pictures you can see the women and men dressed in their summer Yukata, or Japanese traditional wear. Our friend told us the design is from Europe though and no longer the Japanese designs.

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Every year the Nisshin Church celebrates Kid’s Gospel Week. In some ways it looks like a VBS in America. This year over 170 children attended the final day. Below is an excerpt from a team member’s update and specific ways to pray for this outreach.

Over 170 people attended the final day of our annual Kids Gospel Week! It was an exciting time of interacting and sharing with kids and parents from the community. The gospel was presented each day through teaching, songs, and activities. Close to 30 staff and volunteers worked with kids from ages 3 to 15 years old. A week later, some of the children were still singing to themselves the songs they had learned during the time. For others, the memories go back much farther. One of the older ladies in my Friday neighborhood Bible study remembers earlier times like this. As a young child on her way to school she would walk by a church each day. She was invited to participate in a children’s program and really enjoyed it. She has shared a number of times about her experiences as a child and how she was introduced to the Bible through that local church’s kids program. Those experiences left a favorable impression on her, and she looks back on them even now as she continues to study the Bible with us and as her heart opens further to God’s truth.

Prayer Requests

1. For the seeds that have been planted for the gospel to blossom and flourish.
2. For these young children to continue to have opportunities to be involved with God’s Word and God’s people.
3. For the many parents who came every day of the week and carefully listened and observed. Pray that they would be drawn to Jesus.
4. For good follow-up and wisdom in continuing to reach out to the precious children God has brought to us.
5. For our Japanese youth worker Ayumi as she works with the older youth of our church. Please pray for opportunities to be able to build close relationships and that God’s Spirit would foster heartfelt sharing and receiving of His Word.

Every year we find articles or blog posts discussing the worldwide cost of living. Every year Japan cities usually top the list. This year there were no exceptions. Tokyo remains at the top of most lists as the most expensive city in the world. According to Mercer’s 2011 Report Tokyo is number 2 with Nagoya ranked 11th. Where was New York City? It was 32nd on the list and considered the most expensive city in the United States.

Really these reports don’t tell a new tale. Japan is an expensive place to live and do ministry. We ask that you continue to pray that we would be good stewards of our funding and for the American Church to continue to be generous in reaching the lost around the World, whether in poor or rich countries.

The Economist: The Expense of Japan
Mercer’s 2011 Cost of Living survey highlights – Global
Business Week: “Which City in the World Has $24 Movie Tickets?”

Monday thru Friday our family heads off to language school. The school we attend is quite rigorous and excellent. We are grateful for the challenge and feel like we are learning more and more Japanese every day. We celebrate the small steps and pray as we see how far we still have to go.

Last week one of the students, who was 16, had to return to her home country. We decided to have a party during lunch. We had an international potluck. (There are 11 students in my class from 5 different countries.) We all thought it would be “so-so” but our class pulled together for an AWESOME party!