Getting to Know the Students

sorry i have not updated in a while. i got a short video, as requested, and i wanted to explain what all we are doing with the students. All the activities we do with the students fall into 3 basic categories.

1. Fun things we do together for instance: Thursdays we go to a gym and play sports for a few hours, then in the evening we meet at the Joy House for “creative time”, which is always a different activity.

This week for creative time we met at the Joy House and split into 4 teams and did a picture scavenger hunt! We had a list of 20 ideas and we had to do as many as we could in 1 hour. Then we came back to the Joy House and show our pictures. This video is our team showing one of our pictures. It demonstrates “Do a model pose”. All the students got a kick out of it! This video also shows, not all, but a good amount of the BEST Club students.

2. Bible study and English lesson. There are 5 or 6 different studies for differing exposure to the Bible and all meeting at different times so students can come to one that fits their schedule. This is a smaller group to allow for group discussions and a closer relationship between attendees. Because of that each of us chose 1 class to attend weekly (a few in my team attend 2 studies).

3. And lastly, we spend time with students one-on-one. This is casual and can be anything from going shopping, meeting for coffee, or even asking them to help you with something simple (that is very difficult because of illiteracy in the language) like at the post office or learning to cook their favorite Japanese food. Being a learner and humbling yourself by asking for help is a witness in itself.

We are all involved in each of these 3 areas building relationships with students. Being willing and eager to learn about the culture and language is a huge witness. As we build relationships with them and open up to them, we build trust. We share pieces of our testimony when we spend time with them and I pray they’ll open up to us in time.

Right now I am in the beginning phase. I am starting to meet individually with students outside of BEST events and I am beginning that relationship process. I pray to become close enough with 1 or 2 students that the relationship will continue when I return to the US.

I am also working with Marc Leis and some local Jr. High kids. Yumiko Leis started a cooking class for Joy (her daughter) and a few of her friends.

This is (R to L) Megu, Yumiko, Leika, Sana, and Joy proudly displaying their cupcakes and citrus club soda that they made.

In Japan and Loving it!

hello everyone!

Thank you all for your prayers! I arrived in Tokyo Sunday with no problems.  We waited for the next flight of team members to arrive then headed for the trains.  With Gods help we managed to get 30 students (and all the luggage) on each of the three trains (one of them being in Shinjuku, a very large and busy station in Tokyo) lead by about 5 Navigators staff without loosing anybody.

We stayed in Tokyo until Wednesday afternoon doing orientation and training, then we all went our separate ways (my team and i coming to Shizuoka).  Shizuoka is beautiful!  The raining season started Monday, but we have had a few nice days.  It has been in the 60's and 70's so far with a nice cool breeze.  Perfect weather.  But i was told by the natives that it is unusually cool for this time of year and that means it will be even hotter when the rainy season ends.  great.  But God will protect me from dying of heat stroke and then Kentucky weather will be very welcoming.  Every new food i have tried so far has been fabulous (except the pickled plum i ate last night).  

Yesterday we did sports with the BEST club and got to know some of the students.  We went to a gym and played basketball and dodge-bee (which is like American dodge-ball, except with these soft Frisbee things).  i will remember all their names eventually. 

Sorry, i haven't given an update until now.  I will probably be posting about once a week.  Check out the pictures!