Photos from the trip

See our photos from our mission trip!

Half of us are home!

Jen, Miyou, Joanne, and I are back at home safely! You can only imagine how happy we were to be back home! Thank you for all your prayers and please continue to pray for the rest of the team who are still in Japan.

August 10: The end of our trip

Tuesday morning we backed and headed over to Sakuragaoka to say goodbye. We prayed as a team and took a final picture. The Morris’s came to pick Jenny up and Shun went with them. Aya came to get Emi. Richie prepared to travel alone. ): It was sad that the team had to split up. Michito-Sensei and Iida-san drove Joanne, Miyou, Sato, and me to the airport. Nobu-sensei, Sakae, Yurika, and Mrs. Iida came as well. Once we checked-in we said our final goodbyes and boarded. Now we are flying home to America, tired but happy.

Thank you everyone for praying for us, and all your support. Without you, this trip would not have happened. We are so grateful to all of you as well as God for providing for us. God has blessed us by letting us touch the people here. Seeds have been planted and hopefully they flourish and grow. Our testimonies have moved the people here to want to serve God with all their hearts, and we’re glad we were able to create such an impact. Not only have we changed the people, but they have changed us. This trip worked both ways and all we can do is praise the Lord!

- Jen

August 9: Odaiba

Monday was the day we went to Odaiba! We took the train across the Rainbow Bridge and into Odaiba. We started off with a great ramen lunch and ate out on the balcony, enjoying the scenery. 

After that was shopping! For about four hours we had free time to run around the shopping center. This included a pants-soiling horror house. Given only a red flashlight and forced to walk in a single-file line, we went inside only to scream at every single thing. Every sound was ominous and frightening and the house was filled with our screams and cries of, “KAMI-SAMA, TASUKETE KUDASAI. (GOD, PLEASE HELP US.)” Once we shook it off we were able to continue our shopping. We split up to go to the stores we wanted to. These included a pet store with dogs and cats that were just an overload in cuteness factor, Starbucks with a mango passion tea or yuzu frappucino, various clothes stores, and other little knick knacks.

We had dinner at an Italian restaurant. The pizza was thin crust but still delicious and we had all sorts of different pasta. The sun set and the city was full of colorful lights that were breathtaking. After enjoying the scenery we headed back to the train station to go back to the church.

Once we had to split up the tears wouldn’t stop coming. Some people wouldn’t be able to make it to church the next morning to say goodbye. We went back to our homestays for the night.

- Jen

August 8: Leaving Oshima

Hello everyone back at home! Today was the last day of FMTC. Early in the morning, several people got up before dawn to take a sunrise walk to the beach because the sunrise is supposed to be beautiful. The four of us were a bit lazier and got up to see the sunrise from a platform at camp and crawled back into bed instead.

After breakfast and clean-up, we had our last session. We sang songs and two of the campers gave their testimony. We were all so happy for Moe because she shared about how she accepted Christ during camp!

We took the four and a half hour boat ride back to Tokyo. The ship was huge and had many levels, so after a tearful goodbye to the staff at Oshima (complete with depressing music blasting from the boat’s speakers) we put our bags away and began to explore each deck.

We even played Sardines and had tons of fun with the teens and staff. After that eventful game (the ship had many excellent hiding spots), we sat around for the last hour enjoying each other’s company until we arrived.

The trip home was exhausting and sad as the number in our company decreased as everyone began to go their separate ways home. Once we got back to Sakura-Gaoka, our respective homestays came to pick us up. Emi and I stayed with the Ikutas, who happened to have two dogs. Apparently all our homestays fed us extremely well, and we all slept gorgeously.

- Jen

August 7: Sunday at Sakuragaoka

The next day, Sunday, was our long day but the final stretch. First we started off with the children’s service, performing the skit of the prodigal son again. After that finished, we had the service for everybody else. We sang Hosanna and God of Wonders for the congregation and Joanne shared her testimony again. Nobu-Sensei gave the message. Jenny’s family even came to visit! Lunch followed after service, and we all enjoyed the fellowship and getting to know the other members of the church.

At 3:00 PM, a couple people gathered in the sanctuary to hang out with the mission team. We played games, sang worship, and shared what we had learned from each other. There was a segment where people talked about the members of the team and it was hard trying not to cry. Just the fact that so many people had been touched was almost too much.

Dinner came after and we all ate some yummy pasta and sandwiches. It was once again because some people would not be able to join us the next day and it was the last time we would see them for a while. Our homestays came to get us again and we all got lots of rest because the next day was a big day.

- Jen

August 6: The Last Full Day of FMTC

It was the last full day of FMTC.  And we had a free time type of thing in the day. We got to choose from either going to the beach, cycling around Oshima, or to do crafts. From like 12 till 3:30 we could choose what activity to do.

The night before I got an email from a friend asking for prayer. Our mutual friend had multiple seizures and has short as well as long term memory loss. I was shocked and didn’t know what to do so I went to Nobu sensei and we prayed. Right after, the team found me and we prayed. It was late and I'm sure they were tired but it didn't matter to them and they just supported me and helped me pray for my friend. The guys went back to their cabin and the girls went back to theirs. Right after, Iida san came over and told me he was praying for me. I felt so blessed to have my brothers and sisters in Christ around me. I stayed out and watched the stars for a while after reading a passage in the bible about the 4 men who brought their paralyzed friend to where Jesus was speaking. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep well. So I asked god to help me sleep well. the next day was an activity day and exhaustion from lack of sleep was the last thing I needed. Also, I knew that camp wasn't over and I came here to serve god. Worrying about my friend all day would do me no good so I prayed that the Lord would give me the strength to stay positive and be my normal self.

To my surprise after Jenny and I listened to music, I fell asleep immediately and I woke up refreshed. Which was good because I really wanted to go cycling because you get to see most of Oshima and get a little taste of everything around the land. But cycling is rigorous apparently. And well if you know me…. I'm unatheletic.

 The next morning, the boy’s cabin leader asked me how I was. I was so surprised because I only talked to the team about my friend. It turns out that when the boys went back to the cabins, they talked with the whole cabin and asked them to pray for my friend and I. I was so amazed by all the love they had for me, and anyone who needed prayer. Even if they had no idea what kind of a person my friend was, they all hurt for me and they all prayed for me and for my friend’s well being. 

So I went cycling with about 8 others. Boy it was rigorous! There was this ginormous hill and I was like oh holly corolla, you expect me to go up this thing? And then the guy who was leading us was like, “oh, you didn't hear? Its all mostly hills!” and I thought boy I should have picked the beach or better yet crafts at the camp because Lord knows I’ve never worked out a day in my life. Like one hill was kinda tiring, then there was another HUGE hill and after I was like “I give up I'm walking my bike after this hill!” when I saw there was another cute little hill. Then shun totally was like “Miyou you're in the way! Quit stopping and just go! What gear are you in? [I was in first gear so I was going like an inch a minuet]. Gosh why are u so undoubusoku [its Japanese for not fit like AT ALL]” I was like oh Shun you're so adorable. We rode this flat road where my hat flew off like 3 times and my hair tie is now missing. Hahah. But the view was so nice! There were greener than green pastures calmly surrounded by the cotton candy clouds and the nice ocean whispering in the background. Then I saw the airport. We stopped at this farm where they have cows and sell Oshima milk which I had been drinking every day. There were like 4 cute chubby/healthy looking cows and I wanted one. But then I changed my mind when I got the soft serve milk ice cream. It was SO soft that when the lady handed me the cone I tried to look at it and turned it every so slightly and it almost fell….. we,ll it did and I caught it and dripped it back on to the cone. But because this was Japan, they gave me another one. Like seriously I thought man, I don't need the cows! Just this right here. Yes.  And we moved on.

We stopped after a while to play in the ocean. Before we went to the water, me, Shun, Yurika, and Nori went to get kakigori (shaved ice). It was as big as my face. I got strawberry. Shun got mango. Aikun got Hawaiian blue with ice cream on top. And Nori and Yurika shared grape. So Shun-chan drops his and because this is japan, they put more on top for him. Yeah we mission team members are a bit clutzy hahah. Then yurika who loves to mess with people [like we bonded so much through pranking], put into aikun’s now super watery shaved ice a little bit of everyone’s shaved ice and turned his purple bowl of ice into this delicious looking yellow. We kid around a bit and then we went to the beach. There I got shoved into the water. Nori was so smart he walked into the water with his sailor shoes and so for the rest of the camp, his shoes smelt really really bad. Then Yurika said there is a part on the cliff that you can jump from. So we all kinda took turns jumping in. before I went, I was like “if I don't float up in like 15 seconds, go get me a lifeguard and save me” because you know my luck! But luckily its deep and I'm small so I went maybe 10 feet under and easily came up. Oh and the water is super blue and clear and pretty. And so we moved on.

Then there was Shun. So we were cycling to the cliffs to see the view. Then we took photos to show like look how far we made it. Shunchan’s bike went “tink” shortly after and he ignored it and went on. Then like after 5 min you hear a KABOOM! And I was like what the heck was that?! Turns out his bike tire popped. So what happened was that one of the wires that go from the center of the wheel to the wheel popped off so that was where the “tink” came from. Then the pressure was unevenly distributed and caused the inner tube of the tire to pop.  The thing was we were  late already so it was kinda okay. We called the cycling rental place and they brought another bike for shun. And while we waited, shun and I played sweet and sour with the cars passing by and someone pulled over and asked if something was wrong. I was like whoa how nice. We shouldn't do that anymore. And we cycled on.

On the way home I was already tired to no end. My towel around my neck was soaked with sweat. Don't worry, it smelt like roses J. Well on the way home we just sang and finally made it to the campsite and they were waiting to start the barbecue.

Now the barbecue was exquisite. You had to be there! There was yakisoba, beef, pork, eggplant, onions. All grilled on the grill. It was great. You had to try some.

Then there was campfire. Nobu sensei’s message was on love and how great God’s love is. He talked about forgiveness and  Jesus’ love for the disciples and how without that love there would be no Christianity. Without Jesus ministering to each of the twelve none would have felt moved to spread the love and christ’s teachings around the world. And how that love still lives on today and that forgiveness is still unlimited because god loves us and with that we can do anything and stay strong. Then Richie gave his testimony on how God showed him love, which ultimately saved him. It was all so intense and everyone was crying. I could see that god really moved each and every single one of the campers, staff, and everyone else.

After we packed and then there was a special tea time. There was a special dessert with some tea coffee and water at 10 pm because it was the last night of camp and everyone hung out at the dining room. I could feel the end of camp coming and it was somewhat sad. But I had hope for Japan. The Japanese Christians here have such amazing faith and are so strong in Christ that I knew that Japan was in good hands and I prayed once more under the starlit sky that night. I prayed for japan, the kids at the camp, the staff, and the people who need God or just found God. 

Sorry this post was term paper status long.

~Miyou

August 5: It just keeps getting better

4:30 AM: Emi woke up to take a shower.

5:00 AM: Sato woke up to take a shower.

5:20 AM: Joanne woke up to take a shower.

It felt great to take a cold shower after sweating all night! I have been pretty good about running this whole week, but because of all the stories of heat and humidity, I decided not to bring my running things. It’s too bad, because the weather has been similar to or nicer than Tokyo. The morning started out hot and humid, but as the day went on it didn’t get any worse. Sato, Jen, Emi, and I went to the staff meeting at 6:00. We spent nearly the whole time praying, which was very refreshing! I felt energized and ready for the day.

We enjoyed a breakfast of eggs, bread, and salad. This was followed by cleaning. Sato and I cleaned the boys’ bathroom… I won’t go into sordid details, but a very distinct and strong smell permeated the whole room! We got ready for the morning by practicing our skit about Peter walking on the water.

During the first session, we played Ultimate Ninja as an icebreaker and then went into worship. It was great to hear all the voices singing out to the Lord so strongly! Miyou gave her testimony, and then we performed our skit. Jenny made a very convincing Jesus! Pastor Nobu followed with a message about having faith in God and his plan. Jesus is always reaching out his hand if only we’re willing to take it! We ended way before lunch, so the Agape team decided to practice for that evening: Peninsula night! We got off to a rusty start, but we ran through our four songs in time for our meal of curry and salad.

After lunch, it was time to head to the ocean! I half expected a beach like the ones in California, with fine white sand stretching up and down the coast. When we got there, however, it was a small beach with large grains of black sand. It felt good on my feet, and I was excited to get in! The water was warm and salty, and everyone splashed around with water toys and goggles. There were even a few snorkels, so a few people went looking for fish. I was amazed at how clear the water was; only a few feet below me, I could see small schools of shining blue fish and lots of seaweed.

Tired but happy, we headed back to the camp to shower before a dinner of nagashi soumen. The staff set up what looked like a long line of gutters and ran water down it. Then they dropped soumen down the gutters, and we had to catch it with our chopsticks before it reached the end! It was very exciting for me, and I’m proud to say that I got enough food to eat without having to ask for help!

We made final preparations for our Peninsula night: we practiced the final skit and went over the schedule for the evening. First, we played a game where two people had to unwind streamers by making circles with their arms. Then we played “Four on a Couch”: my favorite game! Richie passed out CDs and t-shirts to the winners. For worship, we played Jesus Messiah, King of Wonders, Revelation Song, and How He Loves. We took a little too long, so we quickly did the skit about the adulterous woman (he who is without sin, cast the first stone) and then Pastor Nobu talked about how we all need forgiveness. We closed the evening with counseling time and prayer.

Whew, another full day! I was exhausted but excited to see what God would continue to do the next day.

August 4: To Oshima!

This morning was our last in the hotel; good-bye, air conditioning, and hello, humidity! I began my day by sneaking out with Miyou to find candy to celebrate Sato’s birthday. We went to an AMPM, but we had no luck! I decided to try again later when we stopped to buy lunch.

With our bags packed for Oshima, we left the hotel and headed to the train. When we got to the station, the train car was empty, and Richie and Shun enjoyed horsing around on the handholding rings. Although we were excited for the teen camp, we also had no idea what it would be like. No one on the team had been to Oshima before, but everyone we talked to emphasized two things: the heat and the bugs. Still, we couldn’t wait to see what God had in store.


As we continued on our train ride, we encountered more commuters and collected more campers. It was a crowded trip, so we were relieved to finally reach the dock. The mission team headed to a convenience store to get lunch and drinks, and Shun managed to get some candy to share for Sato’s birthday. We enjoyed our lunch while sitting on some covered steps by the dock.

After lunch, it was time for orientation. The campers and staff gathered to hear a little about the camp schedule and environment. Nojiri sensei emphasized staying well rested; there had been times when people fainted from the heat! We got into the groups we would be in for the rest of the week and introduced ourselves to each other. My group was called “San Fran Tokyo” in honor of the mission team and Tokyo churches coming together. It was then time to get onto the boat!

Shun and I looked at the information card in the seat pocket and learned that our boat was called “Yume” (“Dream”) and that it lifted out of the water when it accelerated! We were so excited that we fell asleep for most of the two-hour journey.

When we arrived at the dock, four staffers holding a giant welcome sign greeted us! We were off to a good start. After loading our luggage into a van, we got onto a pink bus and took a quick ride to the campsite. There was so much greenery and life all around us! The hillside was covered with trees, bushes, and ferns; cicadas and other bugs made a symphony to accompany us as we drove and then walked down to the house where we would be staying.

After a quick description of the site and its facilities, we went to our rooms to settle in. I was very excited because I had a package waiting for me: thanks, familia! After opening it, I found some yummy treats for the whole team inside! Jen and I passed them out and then returned to the room. I taught a couple of the girls to play Set! I was very excited. By dinnertime, however, we were all ready to eat dinner. We ate homemade pizza outside around a stone oven and drank cold mugi-cha. Of course, before the end of the meal, we had to sing happy birthday to Sato! (The sign Miyou and Richie worked on said it was her 18th.)

We started out the evening session with a couple of games. “Mingle Mingle” had us get into groups of people with the same number as the leader’s claps. Then we played another game by getting into a circle. We made our left hands into circles and stuck our right hand’s pointer finger into our neighbor’s hand. When the leader clapped, we had to try and catch our left-hand neighbor’s finger while trying to keep our own from getting caught. (I know; it sounds confusing! It was very simple to play, though!) After that we enjoyed some high-energy worship from the praise team. Jen gave her testimony with Miyou translating, and then it was time for an introductory message from Nobu sensei. Sato and the staff began one-on-one counseling with the students, and the rest of the mission team went to pray for the entire camp.

When counseling was done, we went to our rooms for cabin time. In Jen’s, Sato’s, and my room, we all went around in a circle and shared one thing we liked or learned that day. I enjoyed hearing from all the girls in my room because I could tell how much they were excited to be here and to learn about God.

Finally, it was time for lights out! We prayed that the bugs and the heat wouldn’t prevent us from sleeping, and we looked forward to the first full day of camp!

August 3: Preparing for FMTC

Tuesday morning, we ate toast at the hotel, then some of us walked to the McDonalds because Richie really wanted to eat a hamburger. Unfortunately, their breakfast menu was the same as in the states.

We held a brief team meeting with time for prayer and a devotion led by Joanne. Then Mr. Nozawa and Mr. Inoue came to pick us up at 11 AM and drove us to lunch at a Chinese buffet restaurant. It was delicious!

Then they drove us to a Sakuragaoka church plant that Sakuragaoka Church built not too long ago. From there, we walked to an outlet mall. They had many western shops like Nike and Coach, but most of the shops were smaller clothing shops.

When we were walking back to the church, we walked down a path lined with trees that were buzzing with the sound of hundreds or maybe even thousands of semi (cicada bugs).

The rest of the afternoon, we spent practicing our skits and worship songs for the Free Methodist Teen Camp (FMTC) in the sanctuary at Sakuragaoka Church.

Nojiri-sensei and Mr. Inoue took us to a restaurant called Bikkuri-Donkey, which was known for their hamburg. Hamburgs are like a mix between meat loaf and a hamburger patty. Our stomaches full and tired from the day’s events, we walked back to the train station and returned to our hotel.

Wednesday, we are leaving for Oshima and FMTC. We hear that the island and the camp is going to be especially hot, and in the past, many people (both staff and youth campers) have passed out with heat stroke. So we hope to be extra cautious about our health and keep hydrated. Emi has a stack of cool packs, just in case. I think she is also the most prepared member with bug repellant, even though she is the only one who has not been bitten by a mosquito yet.

God has been preparing us both mentally and physically for this next leg of our journey, and we thank you for your continued prayers!

August 2: Asakusa Sightseeing

Monday morning, we all ate breakfast together at Koganei Church for the last time during this trip and packed up all our bags. We said goodbye and got on the train. We had to transfer a few time before we finally made it to Asakusa.

We got off at the train station next to a big tower they are building called Sky Tree. It was 408 meters tall at the moment, but it will be about 600 meters when it is completed. Yuuki Fujiyama joined us there.

From there, we walked several blocks in the hot and humid weather to the famous Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate). We ate lunch first at a monja-yaki restaurant. Only Emi had eaten a monja-yaki before, and we have a lot of fun watching her cook it on the hot plate right in front of us.

With our stomaches full, we spent the next few hours walking back and forth through the shopping street. Everyone bought presents and gifts for family and friends back at home because the shops there sold very traditional and eclectic souvenirs.

I was still very full, but I ate age-manju (friend manju) and freshly made ningyo-yaki (little cakes filled with red bean paste that are shaped like faces, animals, or flowers).

There is a big temple at the end of the street where we tried our luck at the fortune telling stand. Joanne and Richie got a bad fortune, Emi got a neutral fortune, and I got a good fortune. Though to me, it didn’t seem like such a good fortune.

Tired from all the shopping and the heat, we sat down near the gate and waited for the rest of our team before getting back on the train and heading for Sakuragaoka Church.

Once at church, we got to rest for a little bit before we were treated to a yummy dinner of sara-udon and onigiri. We were tired from walking and riding trains all day. I didn't know there would be a welcome dinner awaiting for us at church. Many of the church members were there and we played a game together and sang a worship song. Everyone got to meet their host families that we will be staying with starting Saturday night.

By the time we got to our hotel, we were exhausted and so thankful that our rooms were clean and cool. I fell asleep right away, but other team members were up later.

August 1: Sunday Services

It was the day after we came back from VBS. We were exhausted from the camp but we successfully sat through the two services that we attended to with out falling asleep.  Also we had to “dress up” and that was really unfortunate for me because the collared shirt made me sweat even more.  
I gave my testimony in the first service and I was nervous, sweaty, and my legs were shaking when I was up in the front. 

Jen also gave her testimony in the second service and Miyou translated. 


Jen and  I were both approached by people from the church after the services and we were able hear the nice feedback from them. We also saw some of the kids that went to Yamanakako with us and the team and kids were both excited to see each other.

We also saw the Baker family from Peninsula, Emi’s twin sister, Aya and her mom, and Yuki Fujiyama who used to go to the Nichigo services at Peninsula. Also, Jenny was able to see her uncle, Joanne saw her friend, and we also saw many people that we saw from previous mission trips as well. 


We also got to join sunday school for the kids between the two services. We were also able to see people that are going to join us for FMTC. After the second morning services we ate lunch with the people at the church. And we had this! ↓↓↓↓

Pic

It was pretty darn good like all the other meals.


We remained in the church for the afternoon and had meetings. We also prepared for the FMTC camp.

the schedule looks exciting but we are all worried about the heat.

After the whole day joining services and sunday school, we were able to see the culture difference between the Koganei church and Peninsula. Eventhough things were a little different at the church, I was able to see the unchanging love of God working in Japan

by Shun

Videos

Watch videos that Nobu-sensei took of each day at http://www.youtube.com/user/uchusenkanyamato

We'll be updating about Sunday at Koganei Church soon!