This week Bruce and Susan were in town from America. Bruce preached at various churches on Sunday and as a couple they met with many team members to encourage their spiritual walk while in Nagoya. We drove up to our team leader’s house and enjoyed an excellent dinner. Part of dinner was this fish a church member had gifted. At first I wasn’t so sure, but our team leader (pictured) did a great job grilling the fish and it was tasty. The eye goes to the guest of honor. Thankfully not us!
During out two week break from language school a Japanese friend suggested we visit the Okazaki (the town we live) Castle and eat at a famous tofu restaurant on the grounds. As we toured I was saddened with how distant the Shinto gods are to the people living on earth. As you walk the grounds there are areas with papers and wooden plaques the Japanese buy to write their prayer requests. A person buys the special paper or plaque at the shrine in hopes the gods will grant them their desire. Common requests are for good exam scores or a boyfriend/girlfriend. On stones names are engraved of those who gave significant amounts of money to the shrine is hopes of finding favor with the gods.
The part where I really was emotionally struck was the bell attached to the front of the Shrine. I asked my friend what it was for and she said it is the signal used to call upon the gods if you want to make a request. After my friend told me this I said out loud, “It is the most comforting thing that our God hears us when we call and never needs to be awoken from sleeping. In fact he’s active even while we’re sleeping.” We do long for the Japanese to know and understand this truth!
At our school there is an annual “matsuri” or festival held. It is a time of games, speech contests, food, entertainment and really an opportunity to enjoy time together. (A “matsuri” is typically an annual event held in all towns/schools across Japan.) For our school each class is given a designated task. This year Cathalain’s class was asked to be part of the procession. This is where once a year the school “kami” or (Shinto deity) is taken out and paraded throughout the school’s campus. Cathalain explained to her teacher she would not be able to participate even though most people know longer believe the “kami” is really a deity and the act is done out of tradition.
These alters are throughout Japan in Shrines, schools and businesses. Since in Shintoism gods are in everything these are important for success and prosperity as a town, school or business. We long for the Japanese to know the ONE, true God who is everywhere and listens at anytime of the day to his people call upon his name.
Below is a video and pictures of the procession with the kami out front and the musicians far behind.
This month we were informed MTW has a donor willing to match dollar for dollar up to $25,000 for the Church Plant being planned for the Nagoya Area. This is excellent seed money for a national pastor/worker and space for a church to meet. So far the team has raised over $12,000 towards the $25,000.
Please consider giving $5, $10, $50, or even more to this excellent project. For every $1 you give you really give $2 thanks to the match.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” – 2nd Commandment, Deuteronomy 5:8
Ministry Update
This month the majority of Japan celebrated Obon. This is a time where families gather together to worship their ancestors and Buddhist priests come into their parishioners homes to pray for the ancestors spirits and bless the alters within their homes. As God’s timing is always perfect, Cathalain “happened” to be teaching the Ten Commandments to the daughters of a family we meet with every week for dinner and to study the Bible. One commandment in particular grabbed the attention of the oldest girl. She wanted to know whether it was wrong to worship idols. This is quite interesting because although her mother is Christian her extended family is Buddhist. In recent months she has shown a growing interest in Buddhism and her extended family is eager to talk with her about Buddhism. Although she is only six, by the end of the night she realized how important Deuteronomy 5:8 is and how God is a jealous God. She began to understand how God commands us to put him first and worship only him. Pray as this young girl grapples with the truth of scripture and as there is a spiritual battle taking place for this young girl’s soul!
Church Planting
Over the past month we have been beginning to pray, discuss, and think more about where we will church plant after language school. Please pray as we try to gather a core group of Japanese, a Japanese pastor, and decide the specific area the Lord would like to see this new church start. Also, we were informed this month that an MTW donor has set up a matching fund for a church plant in the Nagoya area. For every $1 raised the donor will donate $1 up to $25,000. This is a great opportunity to raise some seed money for the church plant and help to pay the salary for a national pastor or for rental space. Currently our team has raised over $12,000. Please consider donating a small amount to this fund to help start a future church in Nagoya. (MTW Project #92886 – Togo Church Plant) For more information check out our website, www.cartersan.com.
Thank you for your partnership! Every day we are grateful for your prayers and support that help to sustain our ministry. Please continue to pray the many who worship many gods, but have yet to know the ONE, TRUE, LIVING GOD!
September Prayer Requests
Pray for physical health for the family as Tobin and Cathalain have struggled on and off this month with various sicknesses.
Pray for our two week break from language school classes. Pray our private tutoring time would be productive and help prepare for the time we will miss due to the MTW Asia All-Area Retreat.
Pray for the All Asia Area Retreat held October 12-19. Pray for this time of encouragement, fellowship, worship, and prayer as missionaries testify to God’s work throughout the region and as missionaries often come needing nourishment and encouragement.
Pray for the Japanese who we meet every day and have the opportunity to share Christ with. Pray the Lord would be planting seeds in the hearts of so many who are lost.
This picture was taken at a local store. It is common to have alters for sale. Over 90% of Japanese have some alter in their house where they worship their ancestors. Some alters cost well over $10,000.
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.
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
For the seeds that have been planted for the gospel to blossom and flourish.
For these young children to continue to have opportunities to be involved with God’s Word and God’s people.
For the many parents who came every day of the week and carefully listened and observed. Pray that they would be drawn to Jesus.
For good follow-up and wisdom in continuing to reach out to the precious children God has brought to us.
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.
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!
We are not sure if the most recent earthquake which happened approximately 3 hours ago will make American news channels, but we wanted to send a quick update in case you do wake up to the news.
There was a 7.1 aftershock/earthquake that hit Northern Japan Saturday night (EST). Originally they anticipated a tsunami of 1 meter but from what we have heard/read there were only very small waves. We did not physically feel the quake in Okazaki and from reports everyone from the Nagoya team is okay. We personally have not heard from the Tokyo MTW team, but usually no news is good news.
Thank you for your continual prays. Please continue to pray for Japan and the hearts of the many Japanese affected by these scary aftershocks. Many of the moms at church expressed great fear to Cathalain as they talked about the most recent quake. Please pray these will be inroads to share the Gospel with so many questioning life right now.
“Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.” – Psalm 119:76
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.
