Hey everyone,
This is Alex Robinson blogging after my first week in Japan. Can't say that is is the easiest week I ever had, but I must say that it has been well worth it ^_^. Where to even start is kinda hard to figure out. Well, a big portion of my week has been spent in teaching and the international school that I mentioned in my first blog. It has been really great working with the kids here and being able to play such a big role in so many of their classes. The school really doesn't have alot of teachers and so I really feel that teaching these kids is going to be a large part of what God wants me to do here. In fact, looking at the schedule of events and camps that are going to be happening here, within the church and as outreach, It seems I am going to be working with kids alot. Which is really fine by me ^_^. Children have always amazed me. There simplicity of motives and purity of emotion along with there almost complete lack of pretense and psychological walls. I don't think there is going to be anyone more receptive to the news that I have than kids here in Japan. Anyway, I have come to find out that alot of the kids in the school are actually not enitrely japanese, but have one parent of another nationality. And this is in fact one of the reasons why they are here. They are outcasts. At least they would be if they had been put into normal Japanese education. It turns out that here in Japan, being only partly Japanese is quite a insurmountable stigma. And even today, children of mixed ethnicity usually are shunned by peers, teachers, other parents, etc. Hard to believe that such sentiments are still so vibrant in the world, especially here. Then again, the world apart from God is a world of hate and fear, so I guess here is where it makes the most sense. Please pray that I can be able to show God's love to these kids and be able to show them that they are His precious children, not worthless freaks like they have been made to feel. And most of all, continue to pray for a upheval in Japan. That God would pour out His spirit on the Churches here and that through them, He would change this country. It is so dark here.
Let me see, what else... Oh, thank you all for praying for me about the language barrier here. This last week, I have been able, thanks be to our Lord, to makes some good steps in the write direction when it comes to japanese. I am learning very much each day and have even been able to make a good stab at the world of Hirigana, one of the most widley used alphabets here. I really think that knowledge of the written world will open alot of doors for me, so I will continue to persue it as far as I can go. It's still been kinda tough though. I never realized how much a language can seperate people. Makes you kinda lonely. But nothing that God, in His love, hasn't prepared me for. And He is my constant companion as well, so I don't have any right to complain ^_^. But do keep praying for me in this. That He would continue to break down barriers and build bridges.
But, the time I have spent with the church has been wonderful. I have been able to fellowship here, help with Bible studies, pray with the college students, hang out with some awesome people, hear their stories, and even was able to share my testimony twice ^_^. God is so good ^_^. I am always in awe of all that He does. In my life and in others. Please pray for more opportunities like this to happen. And, as always, continue to pray for ministry opportunities to open up, for chances to witness, and for guidance in general this summer. Just that He would have His finger prints all over this summer and that His will would be done, not our's.
And lastly, I really ask you guys to start praying about the missions team that is coming from Calvery Chapel Modesto for the last nine days of this trip. Pray that their hearts would be prepared for this type of missions work. It is much different to serve here than to serve in places like Mexico and Kenya. The physical need that is there just isn't present here. There are no churches to build. No foundations to be poured. Nothing to look at with the eye or touch with the hand and say "I did this". No. Instead, it is spiritual poverty that God uses you for here. To share His love and good news of salvation is the only goal. Not to say it is not the goal in Mexico and Kenya, but it must be shared by other means. Means that we in the western world sometimes fail to see as important. This type of sentiment really disheartened the last team that came here from California, I don't want to see it happen again. True service is rarely supposed to be glamorous, but it is always important and needed.
Yours in our Lord with all sincerity,
Alex J. Robinson ><>
P.S. Please pray for my energy levels. Toyko living can sure tucker you out ^_~.
This is Alex Robinson blogging after my first week in Japan. Can't say that is is the easiest week I ever had, but I must say that it has been well worth it ^_^. Where to even start is kinda hard to figure out. Well, a big portion of my week has been spent in teaching and the international school that I mentioned in my first blog. It has been really great working with the kids here and being able to play such a big role in so many of their classes. The school really doesn't have alot of teachers and so I really feel that teaching these kids is going to be a large part of what God wants me to do here. In fact, looking at the schedule of events and camps that are going to be happening here, within the church and as outreach, It seems I am going to be working with kids alot. Which is really fine by me ^_^. Children have always amazed me. There simplicity of motives and purity of emotion along with there almost complete lack of pretense and psychological walls. I don't think there is going to be anyone more receptive to the news that I have than kids here in Japan. Anyway, I have come to find out that alot of the kids in the school are actually not enitrely japanese, but have one parent of another nationality. And this is in fact one of the reasons why they are here. They are outcasts. At least they would be if they had been put into normal Japanese education. It turns out that here in Japan, being only partly Japanese is quite a insurmountable stigma. And even today, children of mixed ethnicity usually are shunned by peers, teachers, other parents, etc. Hard to believe that such sentiments are still so vibrant in the world, especially here. Then again, the world apart from God is a world of hate and fear, so I guess here is where it makes the most sense. Please pray that I can be able to show God's love to these kids and be able to show them that they are His precious children, not worthless freaks like they have been made to feel. And most of all, continue to pray for a upheval in Japan. That God would pour out His spirit on the Churches here and that through them, He would change this country. It is so dark here.
Let me see, what else... Oh, thank you all for praying for me about the language barrier here. This last week, I have been able, thanks be to our Lord, to makes some good steps in the write direction when it comes to japanese. I am learning very much each day and have even been able to make a good stab at the world of Hirigana, one of the most widley used alphabets here. I really think that knowledge of the written world will open alot of doors for me, so I will continue to persue it as far as I can go. It's still been kinda tough though. I never realized how much a language can seperate people. Makes you kinda lonely. But nothing that God, in His love, hasn't prepared me for. And He is my constant companion as well, so I don't have any right to complain ^_^. But do keep praying for me in this. That He would continue to break down barriers and build bridges.
But, the time I have spent with the church has been wonderful. I have been able to fellowship here, help with Bible studies, pray with the college students, hang out with some awesome people, hear their stories, and even was able to share my testimony twice ^_^. God is so good ^_^. I am always in awe of all that He does. In my life and in others. Please pray for more opportunities like this to happen. And, as always, continue to pray for ministry opportunities to open up, for chances to witness, and for guidance in general this summer. Just that He would have His finger prints all over this summer and that His will would be done, not our's.
And lastly, I really ask you guys to start praying about the missions team that is coming from Calvery Chapel Modesto for the last nine days of this trip. Pray that their hearts would be prepared for this type of missions work. It is much different to serve here than to serve in places like Mexico and Kenya. The physical need that is there just isn't present here. There are no churches to build. No foundations to be poured. Nothing to look at with the eye or touch with the hand and say "I did this". No. Instead, it is spiritual poverty that God uses you for here. To share His love and good news of salvation is the only goal. Not to say it is not the goal in Mexico and Kenya, but it must be shared by other means. Means that we in the western world sometimes fail to see as important. This type of sentiment really disheartened the last team that came here from California, I don't want to see it happen again. True service is rarely supposed to be glamorous, but it is always important and needed.
Yours in our Lord with all sincerity,
Alex J. Robinson ><>
P.S. Please pray for my energy levels. Toyko living can sure tucker you out ^_~.
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