Volume 16, Issue 3 　　　　　　　 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER2002

THINGS TO WRITE ON YOUR FRIDGE -continued from page nineteen “So go and make followers of all the people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you, even until the end of the age” (Matthew 28; 19-20). “But before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in him; and before they can believe in him, they must hear about him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them; and before someone can go and tell them that person must be sent. It is written, ‘How beautiful is the person who comes to bring good news’” (Romans 10: 14-15). “He said to them, ‘There are a great many people to harvest, but there are only a few workers, so pray to God, who owns the harvest, that he will send more workers to help gather his harvest’” (Luke 9: 2). “Jesus the one who says these things are true, says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon’. Amen, Come Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen” (Revelation 22: 20-21). Volume 16, Issue 3 　　　　　　　 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER2002 JCF News BIG QUESTIONS... Kandace Shaw, National Coordinator In this article, I want to write about the most famous man that ever lived, God in the flesh, Jesus Christ. My relationship with Jesus began as a four year old, accepting Him as my savior. For many years it meant nothing to me at all. In my opinion people used that word "Jesus" just to sound Christian, as a magic word to spice up prayers, in Christmas carols, to swear at school. I didn't really know Jesus. And the whole time He was with me, watching me, waiting for me to get to know Him. When I was a know-it-all philosophy student at 19, I decided that there were too many leaps of faith necessary in Christianity, too many hypocrites, too much confusion. I decided to give God one last chance to see if He was interested in me, existed, was really the truth behind the craziness called life hanging on a ball of mud in outer space. My life was so empty; I was terrified about the thoughts I was thinking. I was dead serious about letting go of all the patterns from my family that meant nothing to me. I asked one last time if God wanted to work with me, in a way it was to say good-bye to all the superficiality I had assumed was the sum of Christianity. Ever since that day of total desperation, of letting go of my pride and getting down to business of investigating where I was at spiritually, God has been moving in my life, gently, slowly, definitely. I want to know Jesus more-to really know Him! Growing up in a Christian home is such a blessing with the slight problem that things can become clichéd. You have head knowledge that you don't own in your heart. Jesus becomes someone He isn't-the character on the felt board in Sunday School takes on his own personality. Jesus becomes only someone that the pastor, Sunday School teacher, the good Christians know. I feel I am getting to really know Him, after years Inside this issue: Big Questions… - 1--2 This Month in my Stereo - 3 Champions, Challenges and Chuckles - 4 Reaching the Japanese - 5-6 Kids’ Letters to the Pastor - 7 A Bed of Roses 8-9 Monthly Book Review - 9 Learning to Share - 10-11 Christmas Gifts - 11-12 Christmas Songs in Japanese - 13 Thriving Spiritually in Japan - 14-17 Father and Mother - 18 Things to Write on Your Fridge - 19-20 MISSING OUT ON THE ACTION? Do you know of anyone who signed up for JET Christian Fellowship, but has not been receiving the newsletter or information re: events and services? If so, please contact the NC, Kandace Shaw at (0857) 31-6230 or jcf_nc@hotmail.com. - Page Twenty - - Page One -

BIG QUESTIONS... -continued from page one of praying and talking with Him and seeing Him work in my life. Japan has been SO good for this exercise, for building my friendship with Him. The thing about Jesus is you really have to search to get to know Him. Like any relationship, this takes effort. The Bible is a great place to start! People who were in His very presence had the same problem. They didn't seek out who He was or check out where He was born to see if He was who He said He was. They killed Him! How much worse that they could have asked Him any question they wanted about life, reality, the other side of death, but just pushed Him aside and ignored all these claims He was making. It is a sobering fact that my life is so affected by a man who lived thousands of years ago, who made claims that very well could be made by the town drunk. "I am the son of God! I can change your life!" No. There are reasons Jesus is the most famous man who ever lived. As John said, "Jesus did many other things as • THINGS TO WRITE ON YOUR FRIDGE • May god speak to you through his word! Much love and prayers, Christine xxx • “So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day will have enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34). • “But seek God’s kingdom, and all other things you need will be given to you” (Luke 12:31). • "Some of the Pharisees asked Jesus, ‘When will the kingdom of God come?’, Jesus answered, ‘God’s kingdom is coming, but not in a way that you will be able to see with your eyes. People will not say, ‘Look here it is!’, or ‘There it is!’ because the kingdom of God’s kingdom is within you.” (Luke 18:20-21). • “Jesus answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and mind.’ This is the first and most important command. And the second is like the first: ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself’. All the law and writings of the prophets depend son these two commands” (Matthew 22:37-40). • “My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring” (1 John 3:18). • Things to do • ü Plan next 3rd year lesson • ¨ Be patient • ¨ Be kind • ¨ Don’t be jealous • ¨ Don’t boast • ¨ Don’t be proud • ¨ Don’t be rude • ¨ Don’t be selfish • ¨ Don’t get upset with others • ¨ Don’t count up wrongs • ¨ Don’t be happy with evil • ¨ Be happy with the truth (be truthful) • ¨ Patiently accept all things • ¨ Always trust • ¨ Always hope • ¨ Always remain strong • (From 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7). • “But if someone obeys God’s teaching, then in that person God’s love has truly reached its goal. This is how we can be sure we are living in God: whoever says that he lives in God must live as Jesus lived” (1 John 2:5-6). well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." (John 21:25 NIV) My challenge is always to be spiritually realistic. Do I know Jesus? Why do I believe what I believe? In a room thousands of years ago Jesus got down on his knees, took his friend's dirty, smelly feet in His hands, looked at them, made the cloth wet, wiped at the dried dust, washed the dirt from around their toenails, washed the curve in their foot, their crusty heels, washed them clean and wiped them dry. One friend after another. His knees were probably a bit sore after a while, HIS hands a little dirty, HIS neck bent, HIS head lowered. This is the work of God. It is so beautiful. He knows about the dirty stuff of life. He knows what has to be done and is willing to do it, to work with us. He longs to love us and wash us clean from the junk we carry around. This is the work of Jesus! We serve a unique Lord. HIS NAME IS ABOVE ALL NAMES! HIS NAME IS JESUS. The views expressed in JCF NEWS are not necessarily those of the JCF Leadership Team or JET Christian Fellowship unless specifically stated as such. JCF NEWS seeks to present interesting articles from JCF members at large. It does not seek to advocate, but to be a true forum for discussion and meditation. - Page Two - - Page Nineteen -

FATHER AND MOTHER Jean Byrne, Newsletter Editor THIS MONTH IN MY STEREO Kathryn O’Reilly, Tape Librarian This month I have finally found the time to have a real look at the tapes in the library and I have been pleasantly surprised by the diversity of the tapes – I am sure that there is something for everyone, wherever or whoever (or what ever) they are. If you want to receive the (almost) complete tape list, please e-mail me at jcftapes@hotmail.com, or call me at home on (075) 952 8720 (ext 227). You can also resort to snail mail: Apt. 227, 10-10 Tomo oka 3 Chome, Nagaokakyo-shi, Kyoto-fu 617-0843 This month I have three recommendations: BEST FRIENDS: Rx for troubled friendship. **** four stars This is the final part of a four part set. The reason that I like this tape so much is that it explains what Jesus tells us to do when things go wrong in our friendships – whether it is your fault or (more likely!) their fault. This is a fun sermon that deals with an uncomfortable topic in a really nice way. Also, I have passed many pleasant hours wondering what Rx stands for – don’t tell me, I enjoy the mystery. SERMON SAMPLER TAPE. ***** five stars Actually, I have never heard this tape! However, Coretta made it last year because people were having trouble choosing sermons. What it is is 12 minute excerpts from various different sermon tapes. If you hear something that you like, you can order it from the library. If you hear something that you don’t like, you can not order it… VIDEO: Transformations, a documentary. ***** five stars I was pretty excited when I found this amongst the tapes. This is what the back cover says: Don’t imagine… BELIEVE! Journey with host George Otis Jr. to transformed communities on three continents. Learn how the power of prayer can deliver similar results in your own neighborhood. I think that there are very few things that we need more than a vision for revival in Japan. And this video will give you a glimpse of the amazing power of God to change lives. And finally… The tape library has become what it is (10 plastic drawers and two cardboard boxes full of CDs, tapes and videos) through the donations of JCF members. If you have any spare sermon tapes, Christian music tapes or CDS, or Christian videos, please think about donating them to the tape library, either now or when you leave Japan. My daughter, Elizabeth Aiko, is seven months old now, and I’m just now beginning to feel like a mom. It’s a huge life change, becoming a parent. One day you’re free and independent, concerned only with your own affairs, the next you’re completely responsible for every aspect of a new little baby’s life. Her entire life and well-being are dependent on Dan and me as we muddle through, trying to learn as we go along. It’s a lesson in patience, gentleness and flexibility – well, all of the fruits of the spirit (is flexibility in there?). Let me give you an idea of what Dan and I do for Aiko every day. We feed her five times a day, play with her, clean up after her messes, change her diapers, give her a bath, help her learn to walk and crawl, come when she cries, put her down for naps, trim her nails, make sure she’s warm or cool enough, keep her away from dangerous or breakable objects. We schedule our activities around her feedings and nap times. We try to keep her entertained and happy. We try not to indulge her temper tantrums. I could go on for quite a while on this. Suffice it to say that daily, my thoughts are continually on her, to the point that I have difficulty concentrating on anything else. My role as mother has taken over my life for the time being. A comparison: If I, as a fallen woman, know how to care for my child in such a way, just think how much greater GOD’s care for his children is! Psalm 139 says his thoughts of us are more numerous than the stars in the sky. Matthew 6 urges us not to worry about anything because GOD, our father in heaven, knows what we need and will provide it for us. He has compassion for us, like a father has compassion for his children. So many people in this world don’t understand the analogy of GOD as our father because their own parents didn’t model the perfect model - GOD. Good fathers are many times hard to find in our day and age. This is especially true here in Japan! Here, it is the mother who tenderly cares for the children, while the father takes a more passive role in the children’s lives. Many Japanese feel distant from their fathers, and therefore when they hear the analogy of GOD as a father, they view Him also as a distant figure. I think, perhaps, that it is not inappropriate to introduce GOD as a more motherly type of figure to the Japanese. A famous Christian Japanese author, Shusaku Endo, takes this approach in his books. In the preface to the American edition of A Life of Jesus, he writes, “The religious mentality of the Japanese is – just as it was at the time when the people accepted Buddhism – responsive to one who ‘suffers with us’ and who ‘allows for our weakness,’ but their mentality has little tolerance for any kind of transcendent being who judges humans harshly, then punishes them. In brief, the Japanese tend to seek in their gods and buddhas a warm-hearted mother rather than a stern father. With this fact always in mind I tried not so much to depict God in the father-image that tends to characterize Christianity, but rather to depict the kind-hearted maternal aspect of God revealed to us in the personality of Jesus.” An interesting point of view, isn’t it? For GOD truly is both mother and father to us, his children. He is our all in all. The Japanese long for a GOD with whom they can find forgiveness for their faults, and with whom they don’t have to put on an act of being stronger than they are – a GOD with whom they can be REAL. That’s what we all long for, no matter what culture we are from! And that is the GOD we serve. I pray my husband and I may live out his love and acceptance in our family and others may find him through us. - Page Three - - Page Eighteen -

CHAMPIONS, CHALLENGES AND CHUCKLES Great, not-so-great and sad moments in Christian History, November/December Compiled by Jim Nesbitt, Missionary Liaison November 3, 1966: John Lennon tells reporters that his band, the Beatles, is "more popular than Jesus," starting a major controversy. He may have been right; but that describes the values and spirituality of his generation. However, Jesus’ nature and life aren’t determined by popularity contests. November 10, 1770: French anti-Christian philosopher Francois Voltaire says, "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." November 11, 1620: Forty-one Puritan separatists land in Plymouth, Mass. They planned to settle further south, but "We could not now take much time for further search … our victuals being much spent, especially our beer." - William Bradford’s journal, 19 December. November 14, 1990: British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge dies, aged 87. Editor of the Manchester Guardian, thenof Punch & later a BBC commentator, the cynical, licentious Muggeridge became a Christian. His reporting on Mother Teresa made her a public figure. November 22, 1963: British scholar and author C.S. Lewis (born 29 November 1898) dies, the very same day as Aldous Huxley and John F. Kennedy. November 23, 1654: French scientist and mathematician Blaise Pascal becomes a Christian. The creator of the first wristwatch, the first bus route, the first workable calculating machine, and other inventions then turned his life to theology. December 3, 1552: Jesuit founder and missionary Francis Xavier, dies awaiting admission to China. Before that, he had preached in Portugal, India, Indonesia, Japan, and elsewhere. December 8, 1934: CIM Missionaries John and Betty Stam are beheaded by Chinese communists. They had met as Moody Bible Institute students and married the year before their death. Their biography prompted hundreds to volunteer for missionary service. December 9, 1843: The first Christmas cards—more like postcards—are sold for a shilling. December 14, 1853: Founding of Illinois Institute by Wesleyan abolitionists. It became Wheaton College after its president, Jonathan Blanchard, asked local landowner Warren Wheaton for a large property donation, offering to name the school after him and "save [his] heirs the expense of a good monument." December 24, 1223: Francis of Assisi stages history's first living nativity scene, complete with live animals, in a cave near Greccio, Italy. December 24, 1818: Franz Gruber composes "Silent Night" in the St. Nicholas Church of Oberndorf, Austria. December 25, 496: King Clovis, founder of France, is baptized in the Cathedral of Rheims, with 3,000 of his soldiers. "Worship what you once burned, and burn what you worshipped," the priest instructed them. Clovis and his troops showed little change after their "conversion", apparently believing Christ was simply a war god who would answer their prayers for victory. December 25, 1931: Missionary radio station HCJB, run by World Radio Missionary Fellowship, Inc., begins broadcasting the Gospel from Quito, Ecuador, to eastern Asia. December 28, 1714: George Whitefield, called "the marvel of his age" for the way his preaching could move an audience, is born in Gloucester, England. His message kicked off America's first "Great Awakening." A couple months later, they piled on the bus and went in to Fukuoka where Paul's church put on a special puppet show for them and told the Christmas and Easter stories and gave them presents and sent them back wanting to return some time. As I began my second yearly round of one-shot shogakkou visits in my town (during my third year), I wasn't quite sure what to talk to my first shogakkou about because I'd already introduced myself and told them about Canada the year before, so I prayed while riding my bike to one of my closest schools and the first visit of the year that God would guide me in what to tell them. Well, as I was talking with Kocho-sensei before my presentation, we got talking about belief systems and I wound up explaining that the difference between Christianity and other belief systems was that other religions were man's attempt to get to God and Christianity is God coming to man where he's at and I explained the Gospel. Kocho-sensei told me it was interesting and I should tell the students that. I wasn't quite sure I had heard right because my Japanese was still a little rough in areas, so I figured I'd just wait and see if what I thought I'd just heard was in fact what he'd meant. Well, as it turned out, I discovered as he was introducing me that that was actually what he wanted me to do, so I got to share the Gospel with the second largest shogakkou in my town. Right from man blowing it to Jesus dying and becoming alive again so that ANYONE WHO BELIEVES can know Him and go to Heaven. I couldn't exactly do an altar call at a public school visit, but...that's a hundred and some children who've now been exposed to the Gospel. A month before Christmas last year, the social studies teacher at the high school Summer worked at came up and asked her to prepare a talk about Jesus to present to his ichinensei social studies classes. He told her that in his class they learn about Buddha and Jesus and various other historical characters and since he was Japanese and had a Buddhist background, he could tell them things about Buddha, but he didn't know much about Jesus. However, since she's a Christian, she'd know things about Jesus. Thus, she just needed to go in and tell them about what Jesus means to her. Well, she went in and shared her testimony with them (a Japanese friend had translated it for her) and it was a really awesome opportunity. If any of you have or have friends with the issue of JCF News when Summer wrote about that, it's worth checking out. What a powerful experience. I could go on for pages about the opportunities that have come up for people here and still not cover them all...in and outside of work. It's great to be able to share those experiences with each other and build up the body of Christ. Let's spur one another on in Him, sharing what He's doing and can do and praying accordingly. 1 Thess. 5:11 Your friendly newsletter editor, Jean, here! I'm looking for NEWSLETTER ARTICLES FOR THE NEXT ISSUE! Has God been teaching you something cool here in Japan? Did God bring you to Japan in an amazing way? Were you reading in your Bible the other day and you came across a verse or passage that really encouraged you? Do you write poetry? We all need encouragement and the newsletter is a great way to give it! The deadline for the January/February issue is MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24th. Please send your articles to jcfnews@hotmail.com or Jean Byrne, 45-2 Shin, Nio-cho, Mitoyo-gun, Kagawa-ken 769-1406. If you have any questions, give me a call at 0875-82-5447 (I'm home all day). Thank you! - Page Four - - Page Seventeen -

THRIVING SPIRITUALLY IN JAPAN -continued from page eleven wrestlers must bow to the Sumo goddess before their matches and the game is a form of worship to this particular goddess. Kendo swords were used by the Samurai against the peasants that they lorded over and abused. The Japanese tend to glamourize the Samurai and don't like to speak negatively of their famous leaders and their history, so they usually don't give the full picture of what it meant to be a Samurai. It was a power thing and the Samurai were deeply involved in meditation and various Buddhist practices. However, Buddhist or not, kendo were definitely tools of abuse and the outfits used in the activity are representative of the Samurai. Ninjitsu was very much tied up in demonic spiritual matters, but ninjitsu was so violent that some of it's tools are now illegal and it doesn't tend to be practiced at your local budonokan (a special gym designated for the martial arts). I haven't had a chance to research karate, judo or any of the other martial arts practiced here. I do, however, highly recommend researching the origins of any such things before tying yourself into such things. Basically, it's best to ask God for discernment and then let Him guide you in what to be involved in and what not to be. Some may be iffy, some abunai (dangerous) and some redeemable. It would be great to see someone use taiko to proclaim the Gospel. Maybe that would be a good event to include in the Easter festival. Next, pray and ask God for opportunities day by day to share His love and His Word. You never know what He may do...I had a few self-intros when students asked what my cross meant. Actually, the first time that happened was my first class in the morning early on in my stay here when I'd asked God before school foran opportunity to share Him somehow that day. He was prompt. Here are some other opportunities that have come up with Christian JETs... Dave's a Japanese American and pretty fluent in Japanese, so he had a Japanese Bible study in his home. A number of people came to Christ through this Bible study, including one lady who's now at Bible school in Hawaii and a high school girl (now in college) who unashamedly proclaims the Gospel to other Japanese people at school. Just before summer holidays between first and second year, one of the middle-aged women in Paul's town suggested to him that when he came back, he should start an English Bible class and she'd come and bring friends. He did his part and she did hers. This resulted in 2 years of English Bible study in a town that has no church...yet. Paul was living in the northwest part of Saga-ken and commuting to an international bilingual church in Fukuoka City every week. One day in Sept. of our second year, Paul wandered into his BOE and they said, "We've got an idea for you and we want you to tell us if you think it's a good idea or a bad idea...” "Ok" "You go to church in Fukuoka every week, right?" "Yeah." "And it's an international church, right?" "Yeah." "So there are foreign kids there, right?" "Yeah." "Ok, now here's the idea and we want you to tell us if you think it's a good idea or a bad idea...We think we should take a bus and fill it with students and teachers from the shogakkou and take them to your church one Sunday to meet the foreign kids. What do you think?" Paul just about cried right there in his BOE because it was beyond what he would have ever thought to ask. REACHING THE JAPANESECasey Carmical, CIR, Nagano City I had many reasons for coming to Japan. I wanted to improve my Japanese, get experience working in Japan, study karate, join my little brother who was studying as an exchange student, and to bring my in-laws’ daughter back for a visit. Most of all, however, I had a deep desireto share the Gospel with the Japanese people, and so did my wife. We prayed for two years for an opportunity to come to Japan. Now that we have arrived, we are actively involved in trying to builda church. We are two of three members at our tiny church. My wifeis teaching an English class, and I built and am maintaining thechurch's website. My wife is also the treasurer and occasionally acts as the secretary when the other member is absent. Japan is a democratic country with freedom of religion, and yet lessthan one percent of the population is Christian. Why is that? One can point to the persecution that nearly wiped out Christianity in the past, but that only explains why the number was so small to begin with. Fifty years of missionary work and yet the percentage of Christians in Japan refuses to grow. I have studied Japanese for only 6 years and have lived in Japanfor just a little over 2 years, so I am by no means an expert on the situation. I do, however, have some observations that will hopefullybe of use. Most Japanese people will tell you that they are Buddhists. This is rarely true, however. One of my Japanese friends said that he tells westerners this because he was once told that westerners look down on people who are non-religious. I don't know whether most Japanese people have heard this or not, but most Japanese do pretend to be Buddhists when they are actually agnostics. Even amongst themselves Japanese people pretend to be Buddhists.Japanese people attend ceremonies at shrines not because they believe butout of a sense of tradition, and they pray, not because they think the godshear them but because they figure it can't hurt. I believe this is the reason why the Christian population is so small in Japan. They are happy with their way of life. This contentment leads to their agnosticism. They feel deep down inside that there must be a god out there somewhere, but they're getting along just fine on their own. At the same time, however, many of my Japanese friends and co-workershave made a statement similar to, "I am happy with life, but somethingis missing." I believe that God has placed within each of us thedesire to fellowship with Him, and I think this may be a door forus to reach the Japanese people. However, the Japanese people are not going to be won (on a humanlevel--it is ultimately God, of course, who convicts) by statements like, "Jesus loves you," or "Repent and believe." The Japanese societyis shaped around Buddhist and Shintoist thought. The concepts ofa Creator, sin, and salvation are foreign to them. When we say Jesusis the Son of God, the Japanese reaction (whether voiced or not)is "Great! Which god?"* When we say all humans are sinners, the Japanese - Page Sixteen - - Page Five -

REACHING THE JAPANESE -continued from page five reaction is, "I've never broken the law; how can I be considered a sinner?" And when we say "salvation," the Japanese think of something that must be worked at to achieve--like nirvana which awaits monks--not something that has been finalized and which only needs to be accepted. These are barriers which we must help them to overcome. I have great respect for missionaries, but I think they are approaching the situation in the wrong manner. Again, I don't pretend to be an expert on the situation, but the simple facts prove that something is not working. I think that many missionaries take techniques thatwork in one culture and attempt to use them in another. The Japanesechurch I attended in the U.S. was pastored by a missionary who hadlived in Japan for more than 30 years. Every Sunday he preached a different parable pertaining to the crucifixion and ressurection, never once explaining why the crucifixion was necessary or how we all came to be sinners. The Gospel message does not begin with John 3:16. When we preach the good news to a culture unfamiliar with the Bible, we must begin with Genesis. This approach, I believe, is demonstrated in the Bible. In Acts 2:22-41, we see Peter preaching to the Jews with his message centered on the Cross. Ken Ham notes, The Jews were a creation-based culture, believing in the true God, understanding sin (having the Commandments), but by and large not accepting the message that Jesus Christ was the Messiah-this was their stumbling block. Peter focused on removing their stumbling block (the Cross) that prevented them from being saved. Thousands came to know Christ after hearing Peter's message that day. On the other hand, when Paul preached the message of the Cross tothe Greek philosophers in Acts 17:18-34, they responded by claimingthat Paul's message was foolish. Quoting Ken Ham again, Paul was nonetheless able to reach some of these Greeks with thetruth of the Gospel, and thus an understanding of the message ofthe Cross, by taking them back to the true beginning of history,starting with Creation, Adam and Eve, and the Fall of man. E.g: 'Godthat made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lordof heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands' (Acts17:24). 'And has made of one blood all nations of men to dwell onall the face of the earth, and has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation' (Acts 17:26). The Japanese reaction will not be that of the Jews. The Japanese people do not believe Genesis and have no knowledge of Creation and the Fall. I think that we will see more results in Japan if we take lessons from Peter and Paul. For a more in depth discussion, please read Ken Ham's article, "Road Work Ahead" at www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/magazines/docs/v23n3_block.asp *The Japanese word for "god" is 神 ("kami"). It does not mean "God" and can only be assumed to mean "God" when a Christian uses the word. In fact, sports athletes are often referred to as "kamisama". It may be a good idea to use the word "Creator" when speaking of the Christian God. The word is 創造主 ("sozonushi" or "sozoshu"; I've heard it both ways). This word only refers to the Christian God, and it emphasizes that we believe in the Creator, not one of the thousands of Shinto gods. time and commitment to Him important enough to COMMAND to us that we make it a priority. In the 10 Commandments, He instructed us to honour the Sabbath and keep it holy. Later, in Isaiah, it tells us that we need to take the Sabbath and focus on God and what He wants rather than going our own way. This doesn't mean living a life of legalism, but it does mean making setting aside a time of rest and focus on God and His Word a priority. It's completely worth taking the time to slow down a bit sometimes to focus on Him and avoiding the rat-race tendency in Japan that drives people over the edge. (Mental illness is not an uncommon occurrence in this country. One former JET saw 2 of the teachers at his school go over the edge in the three years he was here.) With that said, one of the things that can be kept in mind when things do seem like they're getting crazy is that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind". (2 Tim. 1:7) Trust in Him and hang on with everything you've got (and call friends for prayer when necessary) and He is able to maintain your sanity even in the crazy times. One thing about western cultures is that we have a tendency to divide things into spiritual and non-spiritual categories (sacred and secular) and it's easy to forget that those lines aren't so clear here in Asia. There are things that will subtly affect your life on a daily basis that have religious roots in this country (right down to lining up your shoes just so and saying "itadakimasu" before eating). Many of these things are done without people even thinking twice about them. Often the Japanese don't even know their roots and they just go through the form blindly without even thinking about it. With unimportant things like lining up one's shoes, it probably doesn't really matter so much, but sometimes the spiritual roots go much deeper than a pre-occupation with having things just so. Thus, it is important to look into the purpose of what is being done. Often, JETs will be pulled into festivals, unknowingly involving themselves in religious rituals and spiritual ties that they don't understand. Then they wonder why they've been feeling pulled down and depressed some time after that. More often than not, Japanese festivals and many of the activities within them are very religious in nature. For example, the bull demon festival in Uwajima is for the purpose of appeasing certain spirits and it's roots are in fear. If we have been cleansed by the blood of Christ, we need not fear or be obligated to any demonic force, so we should not tie ourselves to that force either. If you have no way of getting out of such a festival because of work obligations, plead the blood of Jesus (His protection) over yourself and invite the Holy Spirit to work in and through you as you pray under your breath while you're there. If you have been involved in any of these festivals and feel you need to deal with any spiritual ties that drag you down, then talk to God and renounce those ties and the festival, inviting the Holy Spirit to take over instead, lest the other spiritual ties attempt to return. (Lk. 11:24-26) That doesn't mean that the concept of having festivals can't be redeemed. Jewish culture is full of God-ordained festivals. Perhaps if the Christians would have big Easter festivals every year, we could redeem the festival concept with something good and reach the Japanese with something they'd relate to. Another area of spiritual ties that we need to be aware of is in the martial arts. Sumo is a direct form of idol worship, right down to the throwing of the salt. Professional sumo - Page Six - - Page Fifteen -

THRIVING SPIRITUALLY IN JAPAN Deborah Ruth Trotter, Former JET KIDS’ LETTERS TO THE PASTOR Dear Pastor, I know God loves everybody but He never met my sister. Yours sincerely, Arnold. Age 8, Nashville. Dear Pastor, Please say in your sermon that Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week. I am Peter Peterson. Sincerely, Pete. Age 9, Phoenix Dear Pastor, My father should be a minister. Every day he gives us a sermon about something. Robert Anderson. Age 11, Miami Dear Pastor, I'm sorry I can't leave more money in the plate, but my father didn't give me a raise in my allowance. Could you have a sermon about a raise in my allowance? Love, Patty. Age 10, New Haven Dear Pastor, My mother is very religious. She goes to play bingo at church every week even if she has a cold. Yours truly, Annette. Age 9, Albany Dear Pastor, I would like to go to heaven someday because I know my brother won't be there. Stephen. Age 8, Chicago Dear Pastor, I think a lot more people would come to your church if you moved it to Disneyland. Loreen. Age 9, Tacoma Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon where you said that good health is more important than money but I still want a raise in my allowance. Sincerely, Eleanor. Age 12, Sarasota Dear Pastor, Please pray for all the airline pilots. I am flying to California tomorrow. Laurie. Age 10, New York City Dear Pastor, I hope to go to heaven some day but later than sooner. Love, Ellen. Age 9, Athens Dear Pastor, Please say a prayer for our Little League team. We need God's help or a new pitcher. Thank you. Alexander. Age 10, Raleigh Dear Pastor, My father says I should learn the Ten Commandments. But I don't think I want to because we have enough rules already in my house. Joshua. Age 10, South Pasadena Dear Pastor, Who does God pray to? Is there a God for God? Sincerely, Christopher. Age 9, Titusville Dear Pastor, Are there any devils on earth? I think there may be one in my class. Carla. Age 10, Salina Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon on Sunday. Especially when it was finished. Ralph. Age 11, Akron Dear Pastor, How does God know the good people from the bad people? Do you tell Him or does He read about it in the newspapers? Sincerely, Marie.Age 9, Lewiston Having been here a few months, you've probably figured out by now that things aren't quite as cushy here as they were back in your own country as far as receiving spritual food. You learn very quickly in Japan how much you're responsible for your own spiritual feeding. Bible study and fellowship are necessary as we are told in Hebrews not to forsake the gathering of the saints. Depending on where you're placed, this may take on a variety of forms. You may be blessed with the opportunity to attend a local church or a church in a nearby town or city and this can be a great opportunity, whether it's in English or Japanese or both, to build relationships with other Christians in the area. If you live in an area with other Christian ALTs, it may be possible to start a Bible study together. Gunma and Nagano have each had one this past year and Fukushima is starting one. Shimane's been mixing with some other foreigners for Bible study the last few years and that's been good for them. You don't have to be on the leadership team to start something. If you don't know what other Christians are in your ken, contact the JCF leadership team (Kandace or Michael would be the most likely to know who all is here right now). As expensive as it may be to travel in this country, it is completely worth going to at least one or two of the JCF gatherings (and/or other Christian gatherings you may hear about) as the people you meet there may wind up being good friends to keep in touch with for the rest of your time in Japan...and maybe beyond that as well. I'm still in contact with a few of the people I met at the fall retreat three years ago, though most of them are not in the country anymore. The times that one or another of us would call up and say "please pray with me about..." or "Guess what God's doing/done this time..." are beyond number. When you're going through things or have exciting news to share, it's always a blessing to have those connections in the body of Christ. It also presents great opportunities for people to grow together in Christ. I've seen many Christian JETs really grow in Christ in their time here and was encouraged at a JET wedding I went to a couple months ago in the States to think of how I'd seen some of the JETs who were there for the wedding grow in Christ in their time here. (In case you were wondering, yes, they did meet at a series of JCF events) Of course, fellowship with other people on it's own is not going to help you grow and thrive in Christ here in Japan. It's extremely necessary to spend time in the Word for yourself on a daily basis. I've known a few JETs who've come to Japan and discovered that the free time they have is well spent reading their Bibles and they've really grown in their walks with God as a result. These are people who've in some cases, grown up in the church, but now that they have to take it and search and apply it for themselves, they've been going deeper than ever before, internalizing it personally and making it their own. Some people come having already developed that habit and some find it a really good opportunity to start. Depending on your situation, it's also possible to get so busy in your life here that finding time for God and His Word can be very difficult for some people. However, God considered our - Page Fourteen - - Page Seven -

A BED OF ROSES Jim Nesbitt, Missionary Liaison CHRISTMAS CAROLS IN ROMAJI The idiom is wrong. Life is a bed of roses. The problem is that a rose bed doesn’t only have flowers – it has thorns, too. And that’s just like life. Fragrant, beautiful, colourful – but there are also the pricks, punctures, scratches and stabs from misfortune, mistakes, and mishaps experienced from day to day and day after day. The whole issue of why bad things happen to good people, of why there is sadness, tragedy and terror in the world is a major philosophical and theological discussion. Whole books have been written on it. Each decade brings a new popular explanation into the print. We can’t possibly have a full treatment here, but many JETS do have a tough time, especially in early months. So I’m limiting myself to just one facet of the subject: why do Christians have hard times? Why do they have to battle through life, and suffer physically, emotionally, spiritually? The Bible is full of insights on the subject. I’m just going to point you to two reasons we find in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. One shows us purpose which is valid in the short-term, in this life. The second is a purpose which focuses on the long-term, really long-term, eternity. In 2 Cor. 1 3, 4 Paul says “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” You’ll find it worth reading on, up to verse 11. What Paul is saying is that one purpose of our having things tough is to equip us so that later, we can be a help, a channel of God’s help to others who have similar difficulties. He’s emphasizing that God hasn’t dumped us, that he strengthens, consoles and reassures us. He comforts us. And it’s the Holy Spirit who comforts us. Years ago, my pastor asked and answered a question to help understand just what work the Spirit does in our hearts. It stuck with me because it’s so right. “When is a chair comfortable?” The answer is “When it gives support in all the right places.” That’s what God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, does for us – he gives us support in all the right places, wherever we need it. So – Tough times prepare us, equip us to help others by passing on to them the insights, truths and encouragement we received from God. Now let’s fast-forward to 2 Cor. 4 16 – 18 . “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” This is right in the middle of an awesome passage – the whole of chapter 4, where Paul is relating his confidence in and motivation for sharing he Gospel with others. The simple truth he so eloquently gives us is that this life is temporary. From the moment we’re born, we start to die, even if for a couple, maybe three decades, growing works better than dying. And during this trouble-tossed life, through focusing on God, the trust in him, and the perseverance, the firm, submissive, humble patience we learn, we are made ready to meet him. We will be ready for it, and his Jingle Bells Yuki o keri, no-yama koete Suberi yuku, karui sori Uta-goe mo, takarakani Kokoro mo isamuyo, sori no asobi Jingle bell, jingle bell, suzu ga naru Kyo mo tanoshii, sori no asobi, oh! Jingle bell, jingle bell, suzu ga naru Sa, sa, ikoyo, sori no asobi What Child is This? Mitsukai utaite, maki-bito tsudoeba, Itoshiki midorigo, shizuka-ni nemure. (Chorus) Ima zo mukaen, ware-ra no Kimi o ba, Tomoni utawan, ware-ra no Shu o ba. Ibuseki uma-ya ni, umareshi Kimi koso, Aganai kiyomuru, Kukui-nushi nare. Iza iza takara o, tazusae isoge ya, Kiyokeki yorokobi, afururu koyoi. Joy to the World Moro-bito kozorite, mukae-matsure! Hisashiku machinishi, Shu wa kimaseri, Shu wa kimaseri, Shu wa, Shu wa kimaseri. Akuma no hitoya o, uchi-kudakite, Toriko o hanatsu to, Shu wa kimaseri, Shu wa kimaseri, Shu wa, Shu wa kimaseri. Kono yo no yami-ji o, terashi-tamo, Tae-naru hikari no, Shu wa kimaseri, Shu wa kimaseri, Shu wa, Shu wa kimaseri. Shibomeru kokoro no, hana o sakase, Megumi no tsuyu oku, Shu wa kimaseri, Shu wa kimaseri, Shu wa, Shu wa kimaseri. Heiwa no kimi naru, Moko o mukae, Sukui no nushi to zo, home-tataeyo, Home-tataeyo, home, home-tataeyo! Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer Makka no ohana no tonakai-san wa Itsu mo minna no waraimono Demo sono toshi no kurisumasu no hi Santa no oji-san wa iimashita Kurai yomichi wa pika pika no Omae no hana ga yaku ni tatsu no sa Itsu mo naiteta tonakai-san wa Koyoi koso wa to yorokobi mashita We Three Kings Ware-ra wa kitarinu, harukeki kuni yori, Hoshi ni michibikare, no-yama koete. (Chorus) Ah, kushiku kagayaku, hoshi no hikari yo, Ware-ra o michibike, Miko no mimoto ni. Waga mochi-kitareru, totoki kogane o, Messiah no kamuri no, kazari to nasan. Waga mochi-kitareru, nyuko sasagete, Ito takaki Mikami, tomoni tataen. Waga mochi-kitareru, motsuyaku sasagete, Mikurushimi no hi no, sonae-matsuran. Yorozu o subemasu, Messiah wa umarenu, Hallelujah, hallelujah, tatae-matsuran. Silent Night Koyoshi kono yoru, hoshi wa hikari, Sukui no Miko wa, mabune no naka ni, Nemuri-tamo, ito yasuku. Kiyoshi kono yoru, mitsuge ukeshi, Maki-bito tachi wa, Miko no mimae ni, Nukazukinu, kashikomite. Kiyoshi kono yoru, Miko no emi ni, Megumi no miyo no, ashita no hikari, Kagayakeri, hogarakani. - Page Eight - - Page Thirteen -

CHRISTMAS GIFTS -continued from page eleven This system of giving and receiving is very difficult for me to be comfortable in. As a child, I was taught, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” and that we are to give freely, expecting nothing in return. Although I am trying to fit into Japanese culture better, I still take more joy in doing things for others whom I know will not feel they need to repay me. I like doing things for strangers, who can only smile and say thank you, and can not find me later to give me a present. We have asked our close Japanese friends to only give us gifts if they really want to – that they should never feel like they are obligated to because we did something for them. To me, this signifies the true “spirit of Christmas.” To Christians all over the world, Christmas is a time when God gave us a gift of joy and hope that we could never earn or repay. That is reason we give gifts at Christmas – to share in this joy and hope. It is not about the presents; it is about the giving. As I walk around shopping malls and see all of the products and toys and games and clothes, I am afraid that America and other Western countries have exported the greed of Christmas to the world and not done a good job of exporting the virtues of Christmas. This Christmas, instead of asking yourself, “What do I want for Christmas?” please ask yourself, “What do I want to give this Christmas?” prepared place will be ready for us. We will graduate and be qualified to enjoy amazingly enhanced mode of existence near to him which is called “eternal life”. In a world obsessed with immediate gratification, we will reap the reward of patient, faithful commitment. It’s for that today’s trials and troubles are equipping us. And we will praise him! We do praise him, for the thorns as well as the flowers because we know that the thorns are not random, arbitrary or vindictive. They create their own special beauty which lives on for ever – for ever after the flowers have withered, faded, fallen ad become compost for the next rosebush. This article was written for the Nio Town Monthly Newsletter. Each issue, Dan writes about some of the differences between Japanese and American culture. • Do you want to receive regular JCF e-mails? • Here’s how you sign up: • Go to www.yahoogroups.com • Click on Religion & Belief • Click on Christianity • Search for Japan Christian Fellowship - Page Twelve - - Page Nine -

LEARNING TO SHARE Dorian Gleason, Nagasaki-ken others for a week, but at this dinner we were the ones being served. A few of us approached the youth group minister and voiced our feelings. We offered to let the youth take a break, or at least give them a hand. He paused for a moment, considering our offer. And then he said, “Perhaps you should share the gift of serving God. Let them enjoy the gift of serving others right now. You guys get to serve others all week long; this is their chance.” It seems odd to think that sometimes we have to share serving God with others. And I don’t think much of the world would consider service as a gift. But it is. It’s only by the grace of God that we’re able to serve Him, and experience the joy that comes with service. And sometimes, I’ve learned, we have to step back and share. We have to let others receive the joy that comes with serving others and serving God. Sometimes that means serving alongside them, but other times it means just basking in grace of being served by someone who wants to serve the Lord. For me, that’s an important lesson to learn. On the weekend of November 2, I had the privilege of attending the Aso Yama Kyushu Retreat with about 45 other people. However, while everyone else was enjoying fellowshipping and getting to know each other, I was focusing on the little details of the retreat: who had to how much, when we ate, when people were arriving and leaving, who could make a trip down to the train station, and multiple other details that come with coordinating a retreat. To say it was a fun experience would not be entirely accurate. It was fun, but in addition it was also incredibly stressful, tiring, hectic and nerve-wracking. I learned a lot that weekend, mostly about what not to do as a retreat coordinator, but I also learned some good personal relations skills…”Oh you’d like to change rooms…again?” “You need to be at the train station at 6:30…am?” “Oh, you’re already at the retreat site???….You do realize you’re one day early, don’t you?” Yes, I must admit, I learned a lot. But one of the things I learned, something taught to me as early as toddlerhood, was how to share. To be honest, I didn’t want to coordinate this retreat. But, last year’s coordinator challenged me to do it, and I felt the Lord asking me to do it as well. It’s been a yearly tradition to have an Aso Yama retreat in the fall, and unless I took up the challenge, it probably wouldn’t have happened. I guess I’m a sucker for tradition. This was my 3rd Aso Yama retreat, but the first that I actively took a part in planning. Like I said, I didn’t want to do the planning. That’s because I’m not really a planning kind of girl when it comes to, well, much of anything really. My plans usually run something along the line of “Hey, you wanna get together and do something, and then maybe we’ll eat something somewhere, if we feel like it, and then maybe we’ll do something afterwards.” I’m just not too much into details. Alas for me, planning retreats is all about the details. But what does this have to do with sharing, you ask, inquiring reader. Well, I may not like to plan, but I like to be involved. I’m kind of a Renaissance girl when it comes to doing stuff like singing, leading worship, leading Bible studies, giving testimonies, cooking, cleaning, praying, whatever. I like to be involved and help out. But, as a retreat coordinator, that just wasn’t possible. Usually behind the scenes, wondering if everyone had remembered to pay the registrar, and thinking of schedule changes, there was absolutely no time for me to be involved in other way. And as someone who wanted to be involved, I found this a bit frustrating. I thought, “I want to serve God...in FUN ways!”, which in my opinion, wasn’t as a coordinator. In the midst of the retreat, as I was exhausted from running around doing odd jobs and also feeling a bit sorry for myself that I couldn’t lead a Bible study or help with the worship, God brought to mind a moment in my past. And through it, He reminded me to share. Way back in the year 19-diggity-5, I was a college freshman and on my first mission trip with my college Christian organization. We stayed at a church that week that could hold all of us, and in the middle of the week that church hosted a fellowship dinner. All of us on the mission trip were invited to enjoy a meal that was catered and served by the youth group. As the food and drink were brought to our tables, those of us that had traveled 17 hours to be there in the name of service, felt a little odd. Here we were, the whole purpose of our trip to serve CHRISTMAS GIFTS Dan Byrne, Kagawa-ken, Nio-cho, Online Webpage Coordinator “What do you want for Christmas” - it is a very common question heard this month. All of the Elementary and JHS students know and can answer it. The shopping malls and TV commercials will be shouting it. I always feel a little sad when I hear it. In my year living in Japan, I have learned that the giving and receiving of Omiyage is a very important part of Japanese culture. Some Japanese have perfected the exchange of gifts, and it is nearly an art form to them. I can appreciate how it is used to smooth relationships with others. However, to some foreigners, including myself, it can be one of the most uncomfortable aspects of living in Japan. When I was teaching in Beijing, China, I lived in a Teacher’s Dormitory. We were celebrating my birthday and we happened to have a few pieces of cake left over. Rather than save it for later, I remembered that a new Japanese professor had just moved into the room next to us, so I rang his bell and asked him if he would like a piece of cake. I just wanted to be friendly and share some of the extra cake with him. To me, this was not anything special. The next day, I was very shocked when I opened my door to find a nicely wrapped box with an entire cake inside of it and a card from my new Japanese friend! That is when I remembered from my college culture classes about the Japanese concept of “on.” “On” obligates Japanese to repay every interpersonal debt. “Oh no!” I thought. “He didn’t have to do this! This cake seems much nicer than the simple piece I gave him last night – do I have to give him a return gift? Will we just keep giving gifts to each other all year?” I was very nervous as to how to respond to a culture so different than my own. Living in Japan has only increased my apprehension. We Jean and I first moved here, we were basically helpless. We couldn’t speak the language, we couldn’t get around because we didn’t have a car, and we lacked some of the necessities in our apartment, so we had to rely completely on our new Japanese friends to help us through the first couple of months. We were building up so much “on” with people there is no way we could every repay them or thank them enough. I hope they understand how much we are thankful to them. - Page Ten - - Page Eleven -

Volume 16, Issue 3 　　　　　　　 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER2002