Japanese University Presentation

Hello everyone. Once again I thank you for your prayers and consideration during this time. I just wanted to give a quick update of our speaking engagement at Aoyama Gakuin University. This speaking engagement was able to come about through a Japanese student friend of mine that came to the University of Montana to study last year. His professor heard that we spoke at a university last year and asked us to give a presentation at their university. This university is apparently "Christian", as it was founded by Methodists. However 95% of the students are not Christian. In the class we spoke at only one student out of about thirty was a Christian. Fortunately the professor was a Christian who was 'saved' in the United States as a student many years ago. He apparently attends a local Methodist church in Tokyo.

So, after Language school last Tuesday, Katie and I went over to the University as soon as possible. (30 minute trip by train as well as walking.) We then came to the classroom and waited awhile before the teacher gave us permission to speak. The class was an upper-level class about doing researched presentations in English. ( I think it was a combination of advanced speech as well as research.) I was able to give a presentation on the "6 Big Questions" in life. (Refer to my mission trip last year in a previous post http://mtwitnessjapan.blogspot.jp/2013/10/japan-mission-trip-week-1.html to day 3 for the questions.) I also added the question, 'Does God Exist?'. After giving the presentation the professor had the students 
break up into groups and discuss the questions for five minutes each. Katie and I then went around and asked as well as answered questions. (In my interactions I was able to talk about some of the flaws of evolution as well as answer questions about Christianity.) Most students had never really considered the questions before in their lives and did not really know what they believed. They gave the general consensus of what is often said about Japanese people: Shinto, Buddist, and Secular-Humanism all mixed together.  The professor also engaged the students in detail as well.

Katie then gave a personal testimony to the students in Japanese and was able to answer their questions afterwards. I believe the students and professors were impacted by her testimony greatly based upon the response afterward. Later Katie was able to pray over a student. A student also said that he thought many Japanese people would become Christians if we spoke with them one on one and answered their questions, since Japanese are very shy in a group setting. I have also heard that Japanese as a whole are interested in Christianity, but the way their system is structured it makes it difficult to become Christian. We also placed our contact information on the board.

Afterward the professor gave his testimony in Japanese as well. He appeared to be highly encouraged and even offered to take us out to eat afterward. He also said that we were welcome to come back another time and do another presentation. I spoke with a student who was interested in learning more English ( which is common here ) and asked him to consider reading the Bible in English with him. Please pray for him as well as others in the classroom.

Though we have been very pressed by the rigors of language school there are opportunities like this one in Japan by simply being Christian Westerners. If you have any questions or comments feel free to ask. Thank you for your support.

October in Japan

Hello everyone! Much has happened since I last posted on this blog. I am now quite over the jet lag as well as sickness and am in the process of adjusting to life in Japan day to day. Also, last weekend we faced some heavy rain, winds, and flooding from the Typhoon, but all is well now. As you can well imagine adjusting to another culture is not easy. Day to day communication is quite difficult, however I am learning new words each day. There have been a few ups and downs with adjusting to the culture as well as big city life. Adjusting can be tiresome, but God is ever present. Mostly my brain has been continuing to get used to new sounds, sights, tastes, and expectations. Here is a link to my video about some Japanese foods:

Japanese Food

Last week Japanese language school just started. My language school, KCP, has about 500 to 600 students and is located near the center of Tokyo in a place called Shinjuku. Every day I get up early and take about an hour train ride into the center of the city to go to school.

Stuffed into the Train

Alley of Shinjuku area

Main street around Shinjuku

There are seven levels of schooling which are supposed to take about two years to complete. Once these levels are complete most people here will be prepared to attend a Japanese college. For most students, this is their chance at a better life since the Japanese standard of living is one of the highest in Asia. My class mostly consists of Chinese and Malaysian students that are about 19-23 years old. (There is also an American, a British man, and a few other southeastern Asians.) Many of these students study Japanese in their home country before coming, do rigorous language school study here, and some work 1-2 jobs at night to pay for everything. They hardly sleep and are in large apartments with a lot of people. For many Asians life is a competition from day one for a better quality of life, so the rigorous schedule of work in Japan is no problem for them. In America it almost seems like we expect a certain level of prosperity without having to work as hard. (40-50 hours a week versus 60+ hours a week, and yes I am not talking about doctors, lawyers, and business owners.) It makes me consider what do we do with our success in America. We have great responsibility to use our resources to further the Kingdom given that most of the world is in some form of poverty. (Luke 12:48)

Orientation at KCP

The Chinese students that I have met are very friendly. I can tell that they have limited access to outside information in their country. (No Facebook, limited internet, gasp!) I sit next to a girl named ‘Jessica’ and a guy named ‘Chris’. They both understand English very well. Jessica speaks English very well and has offered to help me understand any of the Japanese in class since the whole class is in Japanese. Please pray for them as they are from the mainland of China and have likely not heard much of Christianity. I will attempt to befriend them to share the gospel. On a lighter note I met another Chinese guy in class that spoke some English. His first words to me were: “I love United States. I love Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake.” Our culture definitely reaches people more than anything! The first two days of language school were intense. Please pray that I can understand as well as speak Japanese! Katie has had multiple opportunities for witnessing to people as well as doing some actual bible studies. Please pray for her as well as those she is meeting with!

As many of you have seen on the news, a second typhoon has come through Tokyo bringing much rain and shutting down public transportation for awhile. Hopefully this will be the last Typhoon of the season as the first Typhoon killed 9 people from what I have heard! Also a lunar eclipse occurred with great clarity here in Tokyo!

Lunar Eclipse Photo

 Thank you for your thoughts, support, and prayers as I continue to adjust here!