September: Help us Thy Name to Sing

At Okutama

Joy Bible Camp
This last summer I co-directed Joy Bible Camp with my dad and we had about 160 kids involved in the 3 camps that were hosted in June. Ruth I., the CAJ librarian, spoke for our first and youngest camp. My brother Caleb spoke for Camps 2 and 3. It was a tremendous time of spiritual growth for the kids and staff alike and the Lord worked mightily.

                 Nojiri            

With Grandpa at Togakusfhi

Since 2008 I have been certified as an American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor. This year was my 6th year of training guards and it is always a privilege and a learning experience. I was also able to help teach two weeks of Red Cross Learn-to-Swim program for Level 5 students. I and my co-instructors had about 18 students total. My highlight was helping some of the kids learn to dive for the first time.


Fuji Climb
Five friends and I climbed the Gotemba Trail of Mt. Fuji starting from the 5th station. We began at 10pm on a Friday evening and summited by 6am where the view was amazing! We made our descent in about 4 hours and arrived back at the 5th station by about 10:30am on Saturday morning. This was now my 5th time to climb Fuji but every time I've summited the 3776 meter mountain it is always a great thrill!

New School Year
The new school year has begun and my co-teacher Kimberly and I will be teaching 24 third grade students. Half are boys and half are girls and the year is off to a great start.

Baptism
I praise from this summer was that my 4 year old nephew Micah was baptized at Lake Nojiri!

Prayer Requests

• Teaching: Please pray for wisdom as I start the new year

• Coaching: This school year I am coaching 3 sports seasons: MS Boys Soccer, HS Field Hockey, MS Girls Basketball. Please pray for time management

• Youth Group: We have 2-5 students coming regularly to the KCC Youth Group which is called the 中高生会. This year I will have the help of Karen Johnson (SEND missionary) and Heidi Barkman (MS teacher at CAJ

• Marathon Training: My Yokohama marathon is scheduled for October 29 and Lord willing I hope to gain entrance into the Tokyo marathon but with 310,000 applicants and only 35,000 selected I am still waiting to hear back on September 25th. 

• BSF: Every Monday I will be traveling to Meiji-Jingumae to attend the men's Bible Study Fellowship  (BSF) hosted at Tokyo Union Church (TUC). The church is located right between Louis Vuitton and Burberry and it sets on prime real estate property downtown but about 60-70 men gathered last Monday night to kick-off a 30-week study of Romans. 

• Language Study: Every Tuesday night I visit the Higashi Kurume City Office to have a 1.5 hour Japanese class. My teacher is Tsuneizumi-san and every time is a great chance to have Japanese conversation. Please pray for Tsuneizumi to put his trust in Jesus.

• Shanghai Trip: In order to maintain my American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor certification I  will be traveling to Shanghai American School (SAS) to take a 1-day review course. This will certify me for 2 more years. I hope to find future training in either Guam or Japan which will be easier for me logistically.

• Israel Trip: From December 30 to January 6 my brother Caleb and I will be traveling around Israel with a group called Summit Leaders

• Preaching: Right now I am scheduled to preach at KCC on October 15th. Please pray that I will find time to prepare for this message and that I would learn from the Lord what He would want me to share. 

Digging out a root in the garden at Nojiri

Birthday meal at Asunaro Fish Farm, Nagano

Picnic dinner with cousins and friends

  

August: The Lord will supply all your needs...

The words from Philippians 4:19 have been a good reminder as I have considered certain needs in my own life. Paul writes, "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."  How glorious is God? His glory is incomparable, therefore, how can we doubt the richness of His provision! Through the reading of several Christian biographies this summer including Richard Wurmbrandt and Brother Andrew and I am continually amazed at how God met their physical and spiritual needs through persistent prayer. As we continue through this year let us continue to offer to God our praise, thanksgiving and prayers!


Joy Bible Camp

After CAJ let out and we had our end-of-year meetings for staff we had our JBC staff training on a Saturday. The training went well and it was encouraging to see the energy and excitement of the staff before they headed into two weeks of children's ministry. At Okutama Bible Chalet I co-direct with my dad and one of my responsibilities is to also take photos. In total I took more than 4,500 photos of which only several hundred were used in a link for each of the campers. Both our speakers were named Mark and they shared the gospel message clearly and understandably for all the kids. We had a number of kids accept Christ for the first time and others who wanted to re-dedicate themselves to the Lord or be baptized. I am so thankful for the work that the Lord does each year in these camps and for how he changes lives each year.

Trip to the U.S.
This summer I spent most of the time in Rochester, MN where my aunt lives and I was able to see all my cousins during the time that I was there. Most of the days were spent running, resting, berry picking, and enjoying good conversation. We also took a trip up to Lake Vermilion where my classmate's parents now live. The Ellisons let us stay with them for a time and we enjoyed time at their church as well as great conversations with them and their extended family. Philip, their son was the one that I traveled with in Rome, Italy and so it is always fun to re-connect and see what the Lord has been doing in his life. During our time there I was able to run in a July 4th 10km run at Ely, MN and after that we went to my uncle and aunt's cabin in Wisconsin. We did a lot of fishing and caught some blue gill and croppies and Dad even hooked a Northern Pike! After returning to Rochester, MN I then joined Caleb and Amy and their family to Neilsville, WI and went to visit two college friends on separate days in Eu Claire and Winona. After that it was back to Dubuque where my college town is and I had such a blessed time of fellowship with friends from college and friends in ministry.

Nojiri
At Nojiri I've been running regularly in the mornings and was given the opportunity to preach on July 31st using the Colossians 1:15-23 passage which has to do with the supremacy of Christ. What a tremendous letter the book of Colossians is and the what an encouragement it is to read it! So far I've run in the NLA run (2.7 mi) and also the Lake Run (9 mi.) in preparation for the Saitama Marathon that I will be running on November 13th.

Prayer Requests

• Car License - Though I have my U.S. license I need to get my Japanese Drivers License and I'd appreciate prayers for this process
• Teaching - This will be my 5th year of teaching at CAJ and my second year of teaching 3rd graders for which I am very excited
• Preaching -Please pray for opportunities to speak both at my church and others in the Tokyo area.
• Youth Group - We have had 2-5 students coming to the KCC youth group and I'd love to see these youth grow in their love for the Lord and their understanding of his word
• Marathon Training - Between now and November 13th I will need to run about 477 miles if I stay on track with my running schedule.
• Language Study - Work at CAJ is all in English so continuing to learn Japanese is always a challenge. I plan to take free classes offered by the Japanese teachers at CAJ but also to continue study on my own.
• Master's Project - Since 2012 I've been taking graduate classes through Buffalo State University, NY in order to obtain a Multidisciplinary Master's Degree with a focus on technology integration in the classroom. The first half of the program was a certificate and I chose to continue the program but I am now needing to do my Action Research Project and hope to do it in the spring of 2017. Please pray that I will have wisdom (and patience!) to know how to finish strong.

Lake Vermillion, Minnesota

Summer running in the U.S.

Catch of blue gills and croppies

Dad's Northern Pike

Mom's catch

Enoch and Micah at Aunt Wendy's

Reflecting on God's Goodness

I am now into my second week of teaching 3rd grade and following a 6-hour long car ride (full of great conversation!) I was challenged by my brother Caleb to dedicate more time to the Lord and to set that time aside "non-negotiable" regardless of the busyness of my work. Since that conversation I've been waking up early going for a morning run and then spending ample time in the Word and in prayer. Not only have I spent spiritually energized but it has been tremendously rewarding physically as well since I am more rested on the whole. Please pray that I will continue to dedicate myself to the Lord's work as I teach and that he will be glorified through my teaching.

JBC
This past summer I co-directed Joy Bible Camp with my dad and we had a good turnout of kids and excellent staff this summer. We have been thrilled to see the growth in both the kids and the counselors and look forward to this coming summer of 2016 to see what the Lord has in store.

Summer Europe Trip
Following JBC I visited Tom and Linnea in Heidelberg, Germany and then visited a number of other countries while there. My travels took me from Tokyo to United Arab Emirates (a layover), Germany, Norway, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Italy and Vatican City. So, in all I was able to visit 8 countries and was blessed to be able to spend about ten days of my 3-week trip with Tom and Linnea.

Arc de Triomphe

At a monastery restaurant

Helping the Ellisons after JBC

Visiting the Aronsens in Drammen, Norway

Eating with Tom and Linnea's dorm

Eating dessert with our Swedish host Carl-Magnus

Visiting a museum with our French friend Tommy

At the Cluny Museum

Overlooking the Roman forum

Serious museum tourist

Traveling through the Swiss Alps

The Colosseum

Versaille gardens

Some places I visited:

• Heidelberg Castle
• the Oslo ski jump
• Vigeland Park
• Viking Museum
• Norwegian Holocaust Museum
• Palace of the King of Norway
• Norwegian Opera House
• Rosendal (Sweden)
• Berlin Wall
• Topography of Terror (Berlin)
• Jewish Museum (Berlin)
• Bodes Museum
• Pergamum Museum
• Checkpoint Charlie
• Versailles
• Arc de Triomphe
• Eiffel Tower
• Louvre
• Colosseum
• Ostia Antica (Rome)
• St. Peters

Teaching
In a span of four years I have now taught in three different divisions. I started at CAJ teaching high school Bible and then taught 6th grade, and now am teaching 3rd grade. The joke within our family has been that I have two options: 1) pre-K 2) administration! I have 25 students and it has already been a tremendous blessing (and BIG learning curve!)

KCC
Tomorrow is the first day of the KCC youth group and we look forward to another great year together in fellowship and learning God's word. I have also committed to preaching at KCC on December 13th and am excited for that upcoming opportunity.

Summer Reading
This summer I didn't do a lot of reading because I was traveling Europe and teaching a lifeguard course however I did manage to find time for three books:

1) The 900 Days: The Siege of Leningrad by Harrison E. Salisbury
A book that tells the fascinating true account of what later became known of as the "Leningrad Affair." The author spent 25 years researching and interviewing eyewitnesses before writing the book.

2) How to Read a Person Like a Book by Gerard I. Nierenberg & Henry H. Calero
A book originally written for businessmen to discuss nonverbal communication which could be helpful in knowing whether a business transaction will go through or not and how to make an effective impression on your clients.

3) Man of All Passions by Robert Hicks
A book I picked up in college in the college library book sale 5-6 years ago. I brought it all the way to Japan and happened upon it this summer. Excellent read and tells the life story of an Israeli IDF officer who felt like he could relate to King David very well.

Prayer Requests:
- Continued rich devotional times
- for wisdom in classroom management
- to get used to teaching 3rd graders and communicating effectively with the parents
- as I continue graduate coursework (which is sort of on the 'back burner' right now until I can get on top of my new position
- for the KCC youth group to thrive

OBC Soccer Camp Day #1

As some of you may know I have been blessed with the opportunity to speak at this year's OBC Soccer Camp. 3 day and 2 night camp with about 19 kids up in the beautiful mountains of Okutama. OBC is situated on the side of a mountain, in a space of about 1 acre many amazing memories have been formed over the years for countless programs and camps. 

We have about 10 staff in total and this morning after breakfast I led a very condensed staff training for those who have never worked at a camp before. We then had some time for prayer, a briefing on camp logistics and some time for worship. We then had a wonderful lunch of hot Japanese curry and coleslaw with fruit jelly for dessert.

Below are some photos of the camp at this time of year which is still early spring. The name 青梅　has to do with the plum blossom and since I've never been to Okutama at this time of year it has been a pleasant surprise to see all the plum blossoms coming into full bloom!

Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for camper safety as they learn about soccer
• Please pray for receptive hearts during the message times
• Please pray for me as I share the gospel with the kids and staff

Our work space until Friday's camp was done.

The nearby hills in the back;
swimming pool in the foreground
(the pool isn't used during the colder months)

The Ome house in the left, Sawai building in the center and on the far end is Mitake house

OBC in panorama

Construction being done on the road side of the camp

Flowers in bloom

Signs of spring!

Staff having fun with masks!

More staff fun….

My own accommodations

My OBC workspace

March 2015

Spring seems to be in the air and with it the plum blossoms are coming out here in Tokyo. I am writing this from the quiet of my classroom at CAJ after having spent a long and eventful day out at Yokota Air Base for a track meet. On the wall of my classroom near my desk two verses are visible:

"Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened 

and I will give you rest" 

Matthew 11:28

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, 

and all these things will be given to you as well" 

Matthew 6:33

In both cases the command precedes the promise. He says come! And He says seek! And in both cases what God has to offer is far more satisfying and fulfilling than anything the world has to offer. I covet your prayers as I strive to fulfill these commands and hope that you also will find your rest and satisfaction in Him today.

Speaking Opportunities

CAJ Chapel March 18th

This next week I will be sharing in CAJ HS and MS chapel on the passage of Jesus' triumphal entry. Please pray that God would speak through me as I share with the students and staff.

OBC Soccer Camp March 21-23

I will be a speaker for 3 sessions at this year's OBC soccer camp up in the Okutama mountains. Please pray that the Lord would bring the staff that is needed and also that God would prepare the hearts of the campers as they come.

KCC Preaching April 19th

Following spring break I will be speaking at Kurume Christ Church. This is has been a tremendous blessing to be able to share with the body of Christ from the word of God and I am thankful for the opportunities that have been given me.

Graduate Coursework

Due to the busyness of teaching and coaching I have put my graduate coursework on the proverbial 'back burner' for a bit but I do hope to continue with my studies through Buffalo State University, New York.

Coaching

This year was my 4th year of coaching HS girls' field hockey and we had 25 girls on the team. We have only two other schools which we currently compete with and we placed 3rd this year both in league and in tournament. 

Track & Field has now begun and we have roughly 60 MS and HS athletes involved. My dad is the head coach and I am helping out along with two other coaches. We had some good results today which was our first meet of the season and it has been a joy to work with the kids in a capacity outside of the classroom.

Teaching at CAJ

This year has been a lot of fun working with 6th graders. The past two years have been spent teaching Bible to grades 9-12 but I've really enjoyed this upper elementary/middle school age. My subjects have been Bible, Math and Science and we recently had a class field trip to the Tamarokuto Science Center which had some displays related to astronomy which was our unit of study in the winter months.

Class photo at Tamarokuto Science Center

Learning about thrust

Creating rockets

Math class: Dodecahedrons!

A presentation on our Sun 

Meteor Presentation

Our class expert on stars

Currently the middle school student body is doing a food drive for the organization 2nd Harvest Japan partly to raise awareness of the needy in Japan but also to meet some of those needs in a physical way.

It's Official - 3rd grade next year!

Transition…Flexibility…these two characteristics have been part of my learning curve these last couple years and apparently I'm still learning! -

2011: Student teaching in 3rd grade classroom

2011-2012: CAJ substitute teacher & ALT for Japanese HS students

2012-2014: HS Bible teacher for grades 9-12 at CAJ.

2014-2015: 6th grade Bible, Science, Math

2015-2016: 3rd grade core teacher….

The joke in my family is that CAJ will need to open a preschool if I continue in the direction I've been going :) Please pray as I finish this year's teaching and make the transition to being a teacher in the elementary division at Christian Academy in Japan. I'm very excited but also aware of the tremendous change that this will be.

Joy Bible Camp - Summer

This summer of 2015 my dad and I will be co-directing the international Joy Bible Camp. We have already found speakers for both camps but we are currently looking for a qualified nurse. Our camps will run from June 13-25 and includes staff training as well. We have already received applications from a number qualified staff which is quite exciting Our theme for the camp will be "Accepted" coming from the passage in Romans 15:7 which says, "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."

Europe Trip - Summer

As some of you may know my sister Linnea and her husband Tom have spent this last year in Heidelberg, Germany as a part of Tom's doctoral studies. So, I've decided to visit them in Germany and while at it I would like do some traveling in Europe so that I can 'kill two birds with one stone.' I will be flying to Europe the day after Joy Bible Camps finish and then will stay there from June 26-July 23. My hope is to visit with Tom and Linnea, do some traveling to historical sites and museums, and get a taste of European culture as well. 

Recent Reads

• Louis L'Amour western novels
• Clive Cussler novels
• Agatha Christy murder mysteries
• "A Child in Japan During WWII: Memories of a German Missionary's Son" by Ehrhardt Imanuel Lang

I'm still working my way through a book called "The German Genius" by Peter Watson and also a book on prayer by Andrew Murray

Other Fun Stories

Trip to Gifu

I took a quick trip to Gifu during a 3-day weekend to spend time with Caleb and his family there. The nephews were recovering from the flu and thankfully I didn't catch whatever they had! It was a great time of fellowship with my brother and his family and also with the church that meets there in Grace Chapel.

Trip to Nagano

The snow was piling up on our roof enough that my uncle asked me to come up and help shovel our cabin since it was being weighed down quite a bit. I took a bus from Shinjuku to Nagano and then spent 6 hours on Saturday shoveling snow from the roof. By the end of the day I had shoveling a good portion of it and the snow was hard-packed up to roof level in the back of the house. Amazing! It was a good break from teaching and coaching and was also fun to be with cousins.

The heavy snows on our Nojiri cabin