Japan Newsletter August 26, 2011

Dear Friends,
It is good to be writing you all again. Wanted to give you all a update about all that has happened so far since my return to Japan. But firstly, I want to thank you all for my time in America. Being able to meet with you all, to share at the men's breakfast and at the sunday service as well as with the home fellowships was such a blessing and encouragement for me. So good to see all my old friends and to meet some new ones as well. To meet people that had never met me but knew me and had been praying for me through these blogs and the church was overwhelming to me about the grace of God in my life. That you all so much for your prayers, your support, your warm hearts, great conversations, and smiling faces. I will keep them in my heart as I enter into this new portion of my time in Japan.

Upon returning to Japan, I spent two weeks in Tokyo. Luckily, I was able to arrive in time for the Horizon Family Camp. A time for all the different branches of the Horizon Church in Machida where I served in the past to come together for a time of prayer, sharing, and encouragement with one another. To see the Japanese men and women I had worked with in Tokyo again and share with each other about what God was doing was so great. They were all shocked about the level that my Japanese had gotten reached even in the short time here in Okinawa. I guess all the time here being a intermediary between the Japanese and the American students coupled with the grace of God had a effect on my language skills.

Luckily, this semester will be filled with a lot more of this kind of activity. The staff here is shifting me into rotation as translator. I will be set to translate on tuesdays for the morning devotions as well as filling in here and there whenever it is needed. Even now, I am preparing to translate for the men's breakfast tomorrow and the message that will be given. Please pray for me. Even though I have assisted my friend Hide in translating messages in Tokyo, I have never taken lead translation of a message nor have I done direct translation as all the translation in Tokyo was simultaneously done over head sets. I am kind of nervous and I need God's help in these things.

Also, I am extremely excited to announce that there is going to be a shift in the school here in Japanese to American ratios. Whereas last semester, the predominant ethnicity at the school here was American, this semester there will be more Japanese students than American students. Which also means much more opportunity to speak with nationals and serve along side them during the semester which has always been my desire in ministry here. So exciting ^_^.

But with the increase of Japanese nationals, there is also an increase in Japanese only classes and a decrease in bilingual and english only classes. So much so that I have no option but to take to of my courses in Japanese this semester ^_^;;. This is also a first for me and it is a little bit intimidating, but I am going to do my best in this and hopefully God will use this semester to expand my Japanese tremendously.

Lastly, because of schedule change. I will be able to be involved in melt this semester, which is an English outreach at a local College. I was only able to attend this twice last semester, but I am really excited to be able to take part in this outreach weekly ^_^!

So anyway, lot's to be nervous and lot's to be excited about this semester in school. Please pray for me, for my language abilities, and for ways to serve and minister this semester to open up. Love you all and I will be writing you all soon.

Yours in our Lord,
Alex