End of my first week

I've just about finished my first week here...which was really only half a week since I didn't get to Nagoya until about 6! Well, to be more specifically I'm living in Nagakute-Cho which is a little east of central Nagoya.

I've come at a time of great business for the CBI team. CBI is about to move to a new building in central Nagoya to better accommodate it's perspective students in hopes of becoming more accessible and attractive. CBI is currently a few rooms on the 2nd floor of the Nisshin Christ Center (about a 15 minute bike from where I live) but it'll be a bit more a commute after they move.

So far, I've completed a class on wisdom literature (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, Song of Solomon) and have definitely learned a lot and believe that by God's mercy through the Holy Spirit I've gained in wisdom. I also realize how little I know the depth of God's character and how little of His wisdom and knowledge I know and have been completely humbled. Like Job I realize I've uttered what I did not understand and am awestruck that God would send His own son to death for a fool like me.

Through the class I was able to meet some of the students studying at the seminary and staff workers of CBI and will try to be getting to know them better while I'm here. Please pray for opportunities to develop relationships with them and for us to be an encouragement to one another. I also will be trying to visit their churches' Sunday mornings so I can gain a fuller picture of what God is doing here in Nagoya, what the character of the Japanese church is, and what the needs of the Japanese are so please pray that I will be able to see these things during my time here.

This morning my roommate Kenny and I helped out with the Kid's Gospel Week program, which concluded with a concert and matsuri or festival which consisted of fun kid's games and foods. Summer outreach programs like this are popular in Japan and many of the participants are not Christians. The program teaches kids gospel worship songs which then can become a great medium for telling the kids about the song's meanings while they have fun, are baby-sat, and even learn some english. This program even included bible teaching about Jesus (I got to meet the pastor at the men's bible study on Wednesday).

I helped with the nagashi somen booth which consists of floating somen noodles down a stream of running water for the hungry to gobble up with their chopsticks. Eventually holding a big bowl of noodles in my left arm became so tiring that my arm started to shake and I couldn't even hold a snow cone without it shaking. It was a fun experience though and I enjoyed being able to help out and talk to some of the Japanese putting on the program. I was amazed that Yabuhara-san, the man who I was helping serve noodles with, built the whole nagashi-somen contraption himself!

Tomorrow I will be visiting the Nisshin Christ Church Sunday morning and then be going to All Nations Fellowship in the afternoon, which is the church that CBI helps run. My Japanese is continuing to get better/come-back but at times I can't understand everything or say exactly what I want to say so please pray for language ability. Please also pray that as I continue to learn more about Japan that God might be revealing to me how He wants to use me in the future after this trip.

Helping with nagashi somen

Then Job answered the LORD and said:

“I know that you can do all things,

and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’

Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,

things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

‘Hear, and I will speak;

I will question you, and you make it known to me.’

I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,

but now my eye sees you;

therefore I despise myself,

and repent in dust and ashes.”

(Job 42:1-6 ESV)