Hello everyone!
It's Alex again, alive and kicking, here to write my fourth blog. I'm very sorry for having to skip writing you all last week. But actually I am not too sorry because it was awesome to be where I was ^_^. I was in Nagoya. It is a small city in the inaka (japanese for the countryside), about six hours out of Tokyo. It was this very first time that I have ever been outside Tokyo and it was an amazing experience. I never before could understand how the population here in Japan could be decreasing. Living here in Tokyo, you can't turn around without being surrounded by people. But when you go out into the country, you see the depopulation very clearly. You see, every year the farming communtities in Japan shrink smaller and smaller as more people flow into Tokyo and the other big cities. And, because the mainstay of the population does not want to get married and much prefers the dating/shacking up lifestyle, few babies are born to replace those in the countryside. Thus we gain the negative slop in population, while more and more villages become ghost towns. But there are some small cities that have maintained themselves so far in the inaka like Nagoya and this is where I found myself along with pastor Hirano and Hara kun (a friend that I have made from the bible college). Originally, I thought that this was going to be a outreach through the church into the community. In this I was mistaken and found that it was actually a trip to encourage a small house church there, one of the few in Nagoya. But, even though I was a little disappointed to not be working in a outreach, I feel that God used me there in a big way. I was able to share my testimony yet again with the small congregation, but this time was much different than the others. I felt a movement of the Holy Spirit in me that was very strong, so strong that the words that came out of my mouth were not mine, but His. Indeed, I have heard of this type of thing before with pastors and God has loosed my tounge and made it to speak eliquently as well. But this time, He spoke. It was amazing. He shared with me as much as with them the ways He has moved in my life. I was left in totall awe. And I really felt the spirit of the Lord move through that congregation and lift all of our hearts with His love, grace, and power. Please pray for this church. Pray that the Spirit would continue to move there and that God would open their mouths and their doors and that they would be His tool in that city. And for that matter, pray for the spirit to continue to move through out this nation. Something amazing is happening here and I have felt it ever since I got here. The Lord is beginning to move in huge ways. Workers for this field have been arriving more frequently then I have ever seen. Americans, Koreans, Russians. Some not even knowing why they are here, much like me. But something big is coming. I can feel it in my bones. The Spirit is moving to overturn the dark powers in this nation. A revival is coming, I just know it. God is going to claim this land. SO CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR JAPAN!! PLEASE!!! That the spirit would be poured out onto the churches and that with hearts full, His servants would take His love to the streets and the cities and in the inaka. And that He would continue use me in this purpose as well. Even now, as I am preparing for the outreaches to come and teaching the international school, the Lord blessed me with much opportunity. Even on the train tonight, He brought to me a man so passionate about America that he began a conversation with me sheerly because I was American. And through that foundation, I was able to share Jesus with him. It was so beautiful. God is so good. I even ended up giving Him my bible to him. Please pray for this man as well. Pray that the God would use that bible and the planted seeds to draw him to Himself. And please also pray for the street evangelism that is going to be happens every Saturday in Shinjuku that I am going to be a part of now and for the street evangelism that is going to be happening in Setagaia ^_^! The Setagaia outreach is wonderful news indeed! Setagaia is a relatively new sister church that horizon fellowship in Machida has. And the people there have been moved to do street evangelism for the very first time! They are all so passionate about it, it is beautiful! I told you the Spirit is working here ^_^!!!
Wow, what else should I tell you. Aside from the other things, I have many praises about the relationships that I have been making here. Early on, this weighed heavy on my heart. You see, it takes alot to have real friendships over here. I wanted to work with the college students, here there stories, encourage them, and help them in there ministries. But, unlike Americans, the Japanese guard themselves and their emotions so heavily, that it can take months or sometimes years for them to open up. But God has been answering my prayers in this. And has been blessing my relationships with them so much that many of them are very close to me now, sharing a wonderful brotherhood and sisterhood with me. Praises be to God. I cannot wait for what is going to come from knowing these people, they have blessed me so much already ^_^. And also I was able to fellowship with Russian missionaries that were here for a short time trying to open up relations between Japanese and Russian churches, just as strong relations have been made between South Korean Churches and Russia. In fact, Russians and South Koreans have been working together in many of the mission fields in Asia. The missionaries I talked to had actually been reacently in China, smuggling bibles ^_^!! Turns out that the Chinese are much less suspicious of Russians than they are of Americans ;D! And then last night I was able to meet with a team from Korea which was awesome too!
Anyway, I gotta sign off now and get some sleep. Tomorrow is sunday and I have to get up pretty early to make it over to Setagaia in time. Goodnight to you all and may the Lord bless your sleep and make it the sweetest of slumbers ^_^.
Yours in our Lord with all sincerity,
Alex J. Robinson ><>
P.S. Just for fun, three hillarious Japanese societal sightings. First, a bit of Ingrish. Walking down the street, I found myself looking at a shop sign that took me quite aback ^_^. The clothing store "FAMOUS CRAP!" Interesting to say the least, but one of the most truthful descriptions of modern fasion I have ever come across ^_~. Second sighting, a little japanese dude with a three foot fro! No joke! And last but not least, I was able to observe a Dance Dance Revolution Titan. I have heard of them before, but never saw one. The people that play the game Dance Dance Revolution so much that the dance pad is second nature to them. Well I saw one in the arcade last week. A buisness man still in his suit with his jacket hanging over the back of the dance pad, working two dance pads with his feet the way a concert pianist works the keys with his fingers. Guy was so fast I couldn't keep track of him. He even brought his own sweat towel into the arcade to dry himself off between songs. How hardcore is that ^_^!
It's Alex again, alive and kicking, here to write my fourth blog. I'm very sorry for having to skip writing you all last week. But actually I am not too sorry because it was awesome to be where I was ^_^. I was in Nagoya. It is a small city in the inaka (japanese for the countryside), about six hours out of Tokyo. It was this very first time that I have ever been outside Tokyo and it was an amazing experience. I never before could understand how the population here in Japan could be decreasing. Living here in Tokyo, you can't turn around without being surrounded by people. But when you go out into the country, you see the depopulation very clearly. You see, every year the farming communtities in Japan shrink smaller and smaller as more people flow into Tokyo and the other big cities. And, because the mainstay of the population does not want to get married and much prefers the dating/shacking up lifestyle, few babies are born to replace those in the countryside. Thus we gain the negative slop in population, while more and more villages become ghost towns. But there are some small cities that have maintained themselves so far in the inaka like Nagoya and this is where I found myself along with pastor Hirano and Hara kun (a friend that I have made from the bible college). Originally, I thought that this was going to be a outreach through the church into the community. In this I was mistaken and found that it was actually a trip to encourage a small house church there, one of the few in Nagoya. But, even though I was a little disappointed to not be working in a outreach, I feel that God used me there in a big way. I was able to share my testimony yet again with the small congregation, but this time was much different than the others. I felt a movement of the Holy Spirit in me that was very strong, so strong that the words that came out of my mouth were not mine, but His. Indeed, I have heard of this type of thing before with pastors and God has loosed my tounge and made it to speak eliquently as well. But this time, He spoke. It was amazing. He shared with me as much as with them the ways He has moved in my life. I was left in totall awe. And I really felt the spirit of the Lord move through that congregation and lift all of our hearts with His love, grace, and power. Please pray for this church. Pray that the Spirit would continue to move there and that God would open their mouths and their doors and that they would be His tool in that city. And for that matter, pray for the spirit to continue to move through out this nation. Something amazing is happening here and I have felt it ever since I got here. The Lord is beginning to move in huge ways. Workers for this field have been arriving more frequently then I have ever seen. Americans, Koreans, Russians. Some not even knowing why they are here, much like me. But something big is coming. I can feel it in my bones. The Spirit is moving to overturn the dark powers in this nation. A revival is coming, I just know it. God is going to claim this land. SO CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR JAPAN!! PLEASE!!! That the spirit would be poured out onto the churches and that with hearts full, His servants would take His love to the streets and the cities and in the inaka. And that He would continue use me in this purpose as well. Even now, as I am preparing for the outreaches to come and teaching the international school, the Lord blessed me with much opportunity. Even on the train tonight, He brought to me a man so passionate about America that he began a conversation with me sheerly because I was American. And through that foundation, I was able to share Jesus with him. It was so beautiful. God is so good. I even ended up giving Him my bible to him. Please pray for this man as well. Pray that the God would use that bible and the planted seeds to draw him to Himself. And please also pray for the street evangelism that is going to be happens every Saturday in Shinjuku that I am going to be a part of now and for the street evangelism that is going to be happening in Setagaia ^_^! The Setagaia outreach is wonderful news indeed! Setagaia is a relatively new sister church that horizon fellowship in Machida has. And the people there have been moved to do street evangelism for the very first time! They are all so passionate about it, it is beautiful! I told you the Spirit is working here ^_^!!!
Wow, what else should I tell you. Aside from the other things, I have many praises about the relationships that I have been making here. Early on, this weighed heavy on my heart. You see, it takes alot to have real friendships over here. I wanted to work with the college students, here there stories, encourage them, and help them in there ministries. But, unlike Americans, the Japanese guard themselves and their emotions so heavily, that it can take months or sometimes years for them to open up. But God has been answering my prayers in this. And has been blessing my relationships with them so much that many of them are very close to me now, sharing a wonderful brotherhood and sisterhood with me. Praises be to God. I cannot wait for what is going to come from knowing these people, they have blessed me so much already ^_^. And also I was able to fellowship with Russian missionaries that were here for a short time trying to open up relations between Japanese and Russian churches, just as strong relations have been made between South Korean Churches and Russia. In fact, Russians and South Koreans have been working together in many of the mission fields in Asia. The missionaries I talked to had actually been reacently in China, smuggling bibles ^_^!! Turns out that the Chinese are much less suspicious of Russians than they are of Americans ;D! And then last night I was able to meet with a team from Korea which was awesome too!
Anyway, I gotta sign off now and get some sleep. Tomorrow is sunday and I have to get up pretty early to make it over to Setagaia in time. Goodnight to you all and may the Lord bless your sleep and make it the sweetest of slumbers ^_^.
Yours in our Lord with all sincerity,
Alex J. Robinson ><>
P.S. Just for fun, three hillarious Japanese societal sightings. First, a bit of Ingrish. Walking down the street, I found myself looking at a shop sign that took me quite aback ^_^. The clothing store "FAMOUS CRAP!" Interesting to say the least, but one of the most truthful descriptions of modern fasion I have ever come across ^_~. Second sighting, a little japanese dude with a three foot fro! No joke! And last but not least, I was able to observe a Dance Dance Revolution Titan. I have heard of them before, but never saw one. The people that play the game Dance Dance Revolution so much that the dance pad is second nature to them. Well I saw one in the arcade last week. A buisness man still in his suit with his jacket hanging over the back of the dance pad, working two dance pads with his feet the way a concert pianist works the keys with his fingers. Guy was so fast I couldn't keep track of him. He even brought his own sweat towel into the arcade to dry himself off between songs. How hardcore is that ^_^!
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