Birthday Blessedness!

So, for my birthday, I figured I'd just list what happened, because it would be a very long blog if I wrote it all out! So here are your bites of cake!

-Saturday (23rd)- I hung out with Kengo, Mike and Ty, and Kengo bought all kinds of great snacks and we hung out together, the guys sang me Happy Birthday and we played dutch blitz! Kengo informed me, "I bought good ice cream."

The Big Day!

-Phone call on my cell from Mexico!

-Breakfast right out of bed made by my roommate, including special bread, fresh pineapple, Starbucks coffee, brownies and ice cream. The right way to start off the day.

-Happy Birthday played on my roommate's instrument that I have no idea how it's called and I'd never seen one before. It looked like it stepped out of Mongolia.

-A knock on the door and a serenade from two of my lifegroup girls-- putting my name to the Mexican hat dance tune. And my own bling bling birthday princess crown, a rose, a necklace, McDonald's coffee and pancakes.

-Talked to my family for a bit, and they sang Happy Birthday to me too!

-Happy Birthday sung to me and presents given by Yuiko, Naomi, Kaori and Maki... of which included an invitation to dinner this week!

-Happy Birthday played and sung to me by the FUSE band and all of FUSE! Can you say blush?!?

-A song written for me by Lizzie, Cynthea and Mika... to the tune of Sk8er Boi.

-Kengo didn't tease me once!! In fact, whenever he talked to me, he brightened up and said hey Birthday Girl!

-TGI Fridays for Lifegroup (the 2nd time ever in my life that I've eaten there)... I had an appetizer, and then a free giant sundae shared between 3 of us that were there! (Oh, another round of happy birthdays by complete strangers)... We talked about what God has been speaking to us in our journalling times! It was awesome!

-Encouraging notes and meaningful messages from around the world from many, many people! Wow~ by the way.

-A Haiku written for me.

Seriously, it's been one of the most happiest birthdays I've ever had... The only way to have made it any better would be able to see all my friends and family that don't live in Japan... but considering, I consider myself pretty blessed.

Ah, since we're doing a series on relationships, the topic for my birthday was: Finding Mr./Ms. Right... A sign of the year to come?!? ;) haha!

We'll see...

And Still... the Best is Yet to Come

SOOO much has been happening lately in Japan. So busy and so crazy and so good. Recently, two people from FUSE got baptized!! It was so exciting!! One was a guy and the other a girl. And actually, the girl, Saki, is in my lifegroup, and she was the first girl in FUSE to be baptized. And I got to baptize her!

I've not often said this, but it was one of the most perfect days. I started by accompanying the team that was visiting to Enoshima, by the beach, where the baptisms were going to take place. We walked around, climbed up... well, it was a hill, but the amount of steps-- it felt like a mountain... and then everyone showed up in the afternoon to celebrate the baptisms.

It was a sunny, BEAUTIFUL day at the beach. There was a large number of us in attendance, and we sang in Japanese and English together, listened to the testimonies of these two, and talked about the meaning of baptism as well. Then, off into the water we went, and it seemed like joy just fell over everyone! There were shouts of joy, clapping and high fives as the two came out of the water, and lots and lots of hugs on the beach. Then, after splashing and falling around in the ocean, we came back up and everyone gathered around to pray for them.

We spent quite a bit of time fellowship around the water's edge (and some of us back in the water), and then packed up to head back just as the sun was setting over the ocean. On the way home, I had a great conversation with a new girl, and she is joining my lifegroup (discipleship group) now! Afterward, we celebrated lots of birthdays for October, though mainly focusing on 3 different guys' birthdays. We ate, talked more and more, and finally, around 12:30am, I made it back home, thinking as I walked home-- I don't know how I could have made this day any better.

Why

Did you know that in Japan every year, 30,000 people commit suicide? That's approximately 82 people every day. Did you know that in Japan, you are 50 times more likely to kill yourself than to kill another person?

In fact, on the trains, there are notices everywhere to be careful to hold on in case of an emergency stop to prevent an "accident".

Depression is a major issue in Japan. With so much pressure to work as hard as possible and to do as much as you can, to the sacrifice of other values and priorities in your life, it's no wonder that people suffer from depression. With broken relationships and loneliness reigning in this crowded country, it's no wonder that hopelessness is prevalent.

Recently, there was a young man here in Japan, about 25 or 26, who was really living the life. He was popular-- had loads of friends. He was talented- an incredible musician. He always had a smile on his face. But, he took his life. And in his final words that he left for this world, he wrote about not being the kind of person he wanted to be and starting to regret who he was becoming. He felt like a burden to other people. He wanted to change, but he didn't know how. He wrote about hopelessness, about not liking himself.

And this is not an uncommon story. It was unexpected, because on the outside, you really couldn't tell how he was feeling. But, this story could easily be told be any number of people. And on this guy's page, people wrote about respecting the way he took his life, because he couldn't find any other way to live it.

These stories, along with the various other stories I hear from other people I meet, reminds me of why I'm here. There doesn't need to be this hopelessness in Japan, when we have the Hope of the world! There doesn't need to be this disliking of self, when they are dearly loved by God, and made in His image. There doesn't need to be this brokenness.

This is why I'm here. For an amazing, yet hurt and lost nation that needs to know about the love of God. Jesus is the hope of Japan! They need to hear, and for so long, they haven't heard.

The State of Things

It's amazing that in the year 2010, with Japan as an open country to the Gospel, it remains as the second largest unreached people group in the world. In fact, looking at world missions, Japan, though in the 10/40 window, isn't even on most people's radar for sending the Good News of Jesus.

The Japanese say the nail that sticks up gets hammered down. Others say, the Japanese are not open to the Gospel. One Christian pastor in Japan recently found a book in a Christian book store about how a move of God is not possible in Japan and the reasons why.

It makes me angry that someone would take the time to write that about the Japanese people when they could be using that time to do something about it! Beside, that person obviously is not doing their research-- right now, the church in Japan is growing faster than it has in the history of Japan. NOW is the time for Japan!

True, we're still small. But, Japan is a great country and the Japanese are open to the Gospel! And while it may take a very long time to see someone make a decision for Christ, the Japanese make excellent and faithful disciples, many times despite persecution and pressure from their family.

It's time to start reaching the new generation of Japan! Right now, of that 0.4% of people who have heard and believed the message of Christ, 80% of those attending a church are over the age of 60. That means that in the next 10-20 years, the church is going to die away if something isn't done about it.

That's why it's so important to be reaching out to this younger generation that is looking for something real! The Japanese are open to the Gospel, it just takes time and patience to see the fruit of it. But, God is starting to do something in Japan. You can see it in FUSE-- God stirring hearts of young people... You can see it in Jesus Lifehouse, the fastest growing church in Japan with over 1000 members in its 8 year history... you can see it in conversations with new friends being made-- who is this Jesus? What is it that you believe? Why are you so nice?

They just need the opportunity to hear. How will they believe unless someone tells them? Now is the time for Japan. Now is the time to share with a searching generation. Now is the time for the church to become established and outward-looking in and all over Japan!

Now is Japan's time.

I would say I'm back on track now [with blogging], but-- well, every time I say that, something comes us and goes crazy, and I get even more off schedule. So, I'm not saying that.

Anyhow, this last weekend was the FUSE retreat, and it was a great time with all FUSE members (well, most of the core ones anyway). It was only Friday and Saturday, but beside wishing it were longer, no one had any complaints. We had a good mixture of team time (journalling together from the same passage and then coming back to share it, prayer time, sharing, etc.) and free time. Friday, after we got there, we explored the beach, and it was so beautiful! (pictured: Maki and I on the beach!)

Over the weekend, I got to know Maki better. She doesn't speak much English, and for Friday, she was the only Japanese-only speaking person in the car on the way there. So, I made use of my Japanese, and also hung out with her most of all Friday and then chatted together in our bunk beds at night. It was a lot of fun getting to know her-- she's really quiet, but she'll talk. Afterward, someone said to her, oh, you were the only Japanese person in the car... And she answered, Oh, that's ok, Janine kept me company and we got to talk alot. (Pictured: team game time)

Anyway, I was very happy to get to know her more!

Sunday night, after FUSE, I met up with a girl that I met at street band a few weeks ago. We got connected via Facebook, and we have a lot of common interests. So, we got together, and talked a lot-- I had the opportunity to share a little about FUSE, and about studying the Bible, etc. I think we will get connected more, and I hope that she can get connected into the FUSE, though her work schedule says otherwise... God can do anything!

So: my good news: Saki, in my life group, is getting baptized!! She's been saved for almost a year now, and is now wanting to take the step to get baptized! We are excited for her. So, in a couple of weeks, I should be climbing into a chilly ocean! It will be a great day for her. Good thing I heard jelly fish season is over...