Chi Alpha Boot Camp

The Chi Alpha Boot Camp went well. According to the registration list, there were 26 people who came. More students came on Friday night. Most who came were from Central Bible Church and were working people.

Although everything didn't go exactly as planned, we managed to be flexible and everything worked out okay. Sakai Sensei had a sudden problem with neighbors next door to the church come up and they wanted to talk with him that morning (the only time they could talk). So he had his wife speak in his place while he took care of the situation. Also, Uchimura Sensei called me early Saturday morning and said he didn't think he could come because of a meeting about the church's remodeling. He asked me to do the closing message. However, he called at lunchtime to say he could make it but still asked me to close the boot camp after he spoke.

I think the learning activities on Friday night went well. The schedule said we were starting at 6 PM but people didn't come until 7 PM. Mitsuru (PK from Hokkaido) and Izumi from Jujo came. We needed at least 8 people to do the scavenger hunt and we had exactly the right number of people. We did some communication activities using small balls and had a hilarious cross-cultural game called "Ho-hos and Bo-bos." Ayame was on the floor laughing as she watched the two groups act out the two different people groups. This game is like what we missionaries do at candidate missionary school for cross-cultural training, by the way.

We had lots of help with the workshops and they seemed to go well. Workshop 1 was Media Ministry. Nozomu san took time out of his busy schedule to come talk about the PA system. Shiraishi Sensei talked about the role of the bass player but a lot of what he said applied to any church musician--how to play with a worship team. Keiko Sugimoto talked about playing piano on a worship team. Akiko Sensei spoke about the heart of a worship leader.

The next workshop went well, too. I really wanted Yokosuka san to come but he was unable. However, Ayame and I made a video of his presentation and showed that. He did a really good job and Ryu chan (a church member) helped us with video direction by making a storyboard. I also made a video of Kei Hiramatsu since the CBC students had to go on a ministry trip that weekend. Hozue Shiraishi spoke and invited a friend Mori Sensei, a medical doctor, to come speak. Later, Joyce's father who was the afternoon speaker, told me that he goes to Mori Sensei's medical clinic. (Small world.) Inoue san, father of one of our student leaders, also came and talked. I managed to record his on video. (In taking care of another detail, I forgot to record Hozue san's and Mori Sensei's talks.)

Kitano Sensei talked about spiritual growth, and Ayame and Yuri said he was difficult to translate because of his content. I rather enjoyed it because I could follow his powerpoint.

We closed with prayer for graduates and for the working people. Yumiko Saito from Dokkyo University was the only graduate there so we asked her to represent all 6 graduates as we prayed for them all.

The purpose of the Boot Camp was to provide a bigger picture of how the Christian faith is to be integrated into all areas of life, and not just when students have think it is "cool" to be a Christian when they have free time. Our faith applies to every season of life and wherever we go. We need to know how to serve in the church and in the marketplace, too.

Southern Japanese?

Two Sundays ago I gave a message in Japanese at my former church, Windy Chapel. I didn't have a lot of time to prepare, but as I was praying about what to speak on, I felt really impressed to talk about a topic that I had recently taught from The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. Chapter 21 talks about protecting the unity of the church in really practical ways. So, I got the Japanese version of the chapter and studied it. I had to look up many Japanese words, but from that I decided to add my own comments to the points and read quotes for my message. I then had a Japanese co-worker look over my message and correct it.

That Sunday I spoke in both morning services and basically read most of it. The last time (2 years ago) when I gave a message in Japanese I had to read ALL of it, but this time I felt a little more free to ad lib in Japanese. I was just so excited to see everyone whom I had not seen since last year, and because everyone was familiar to me, I felt like I was with family.

After the second service, a friend introduced me to a new church member. Sayaka studied in the U.S. for four years and since coming back to Japan, she goes to Windy Chapel and is in the gospel choir that I helped to start. She became a Christian just before going to the U.S. but really became committed to Jesus while she was in the U.S. What really surprised me was that she studied in Mississippi so she speaks English with a Southern accent! During lunch, she really made me laugh when she responded to one of my questions with, "Yes, ma'am."