Mensore: David and Leslie Turley in Okinawa

Philippine Trip- Day 1

2010-04-22T09:33:00.003+09:00

Heading to the ticket counter at the International part of Naha Airport was an exercise in faith...and so thankfully, we were able to get our tickets along with some well wishes from the same ladies who had worked with us on our previous visit. Our flight to Hong Kong went well as did our connection to Manila. Immigration also went fairly well and we were able to get the kids into the country legally.

The students are doing great, they used their time on the plane to do their Bible studies and their homework and the girls have talked nonstop. We are staying at the Metro Ministries compound and everyone is so nice, but all our conversations with the folks who work here demonstrate their dedication and service as well as their care for the children they minister to.

We are going out today to visit Smokey Mountain and will be doing some shopping for our own food. We don't know what the day will hold but ask for your prayers for our day. Will update when we have more time.

Mission Trip

2010-03-27T13:14:00.005+09:00

It has been a while since we wrote...much has happened and we are as always so thankful for your prayers and care. We had a wonderful time in Hong Kong with over 700 Asian Baptist Youth and were so thankful to be a part of the excitement and energy these young people have about sharing the Gospel of Christ with Asia. God is doing great things in Asia!

In a previous blog we wrote about going on mission from Okinawa. It may seem strange to some that we would go on mission from Okinawa when we are sent to Okinawa as missionaries, but in many cases, mission to another country means that we can take others with us to see the reality of what service to God can mean.

Next week, from April 4-8, I and three teachers from Okinawa Christian School International will take five middle school students to Manila in The Philippines to work at an area there called "Smokey Mountain". We will be going in partnership with Metro Ministries Philippines which is a ministry started by Bill Wilson in inner city New York many years ago. His vision was to be able to minister to children through a Sunday School approach and the success of that ministry has led to similar ministries all over the world. Each week Metro Philippines ministers to about 20,000 impoverished children.

Here is some information from Wikipedia about Smokey Mountain:

"Smokey Mountain is a large landfill in Manila, Philippines. Consisting of over two million tonnes of waste, it has operated for more than 40 years^[1] and is known for decomposing at such high temperatures that it will catch fire, a fact from which the location derives its name.

Smokey Mountain has a large squatter community, and it is estimated that 30,000 people live near the site, and make their living from picking through the rubbish at Smokey Mountain."

We will go to minister and share God's love with some of the children there and as we get closer to the time, we are all getting excited as we prepare for this journey. The OCSI students have begun asking their fellow classmates to help donate items we will use and they are truly stepping up in leadership for this adventure.

If you would like to see a bit of the Metro Philippines ministry online, you can go to: http://www.metroministries.org.ph/home/
and on Facebook at: Metro Philippines

We ask for your prayers for:
Safety
Continued Good Health
Opportunities for Spiritual Growth
Opportunities for Service

I will try to blog daily so you will be able to follow our trip.

You can see photos on this blog and on Facebook.

http://www.meganwilson.com/subtexts/Manila_Poverty_4.jpg

http://www.visionformission.org.au/photos/2008/smokey-mountain-child.jpg

http://www.greenpeace.de/typo3temp/GB/1de48717c1.jpg

Ladies Day

2009-10-31T19:04:00.008+09:00

October brought with it many opportunities for witnessing God at work. We are so thankful that David was able to return safely to Okinawa after a wonderful trip to West Virginia during the World Mission Offering time. He was able to connect with many churches and speak at the West Virginia Baptist Convention. Many thanks to our Mission Partnership team and to the staff of the WVBC for their continued love and service.

October was also busy here in Okinawa with visits from our colleagues from International Ministries and friends from Tokyo as well as OCSI, at Daiichi Baptist Church and within the Okinawa Baptist Convention.

The Okinawa Baptist Convention ladies had their fall rally called, "Chimu don-don" (Fast Beating Heart) which was not only a wonderful opportunity for the ladies of various churches to meet but also an opportunity to invite their non-Christian friends to enjoy great music and hear the Gospel.

The ladies of Gloria shared a beautiful hymn and another group of ladies who have been working hard on Christian hula dancing shared a lovely dance to the song, "Jerusalem. For those of you wondering about hula in Okinawa, please know that Okinawa and Hawaii share much history. Many Okinawans have made Hawaii their home in the past due to financial hardship and recently the children and grandchildren of these citizens have been returning to Okinawa; many of them to share the Gospel with their extended families here.

Our speaker for the day was pastor Gushiken who is a lively and fun speaker. Wearing a Hawaiian shirt, he shared as many stores in the area are beginning to advertise Christmas, he wanted to speak to the congregation about the way that Mary accepted she would be the mother of the Savior. His talk was one of encouragement about how we can trust in God when we are unsure about the situations in our lives.

As a part of his talk, he also shared about the recent solar eclipse that parts of India, China and Japan experienced. Even though Okinawa wasn't in the area to see 100% of the eclipse, it did get dark enough to feel dusk at 9:00 in the morning. Because of the usual brightness of the sun, it is amazing that anything could possibly blot it out. But during the recent eclipse, we saw that our relatively small moon was able to come between us and the sun and make it disappear. Pastor Gushiken shared that often we are separated from God because of our fixation on our problems and concerns. He compared God to the sun as being so large and bright and bringing light to the universe but because we are only looking at our problems and not trusting God to help us with them, they become like the moon and can completely block God out of our lives.

We pray that each of us may more and more keep our eyes on God as the source of help for our problems and that we can rely on His unchanging care.

2009-04-03T09:21:00.002+09:00

Headhunters to Soul Seekers:
A Special Travel Newsletter

Dear Friends and Family;
Just a century-and-a-half ago in the wooded mountains of northeast India, headhunting tribesmen proudly adorned the doors of their lodgings with the skulls of their victims. The most honored among them also wore tattoos and headdresses with carved skull images representing their kills. It was believed that the nape of the neck held the soul, and thus to remove the head would free the soul of the victim, but also prove the bravery of the warrior.

However, our Father in Heaven loved these people, as he loves all of his creation, and he had a plan to rescue them from this darkness. In October of 1868 He sent American Baptist missionaries, Dr. and Mrs. Edwin Clark to a mission outpost at Sibsagar, on the border between Assam and the hills of the Naga headhunters. Arriving in March of 1869 they began their duties of operating the mission printing press that produced Bibles and grammatical materials for the tribes of Assam, among whom the gospel was spreading.

One day, near their bungalow, the Clarks encountered some Naga tribesmen who had come down from the hills in search of food. Like the missionaries before them, the Clarks became burdened for the souls of the Nagas. In a letter to the Home Mission Board in 1871, they wrote, “Tribe upon tribe of Nagas are accessible to the Gospel. It is certainly painful for us at Sibsagar to be unable to lift our eyes without seeing these hills, and thinking of them who have no knowledge of Christ.” 1

The missionaries were not allowed by the British Government to venture into the dangerous hills. However, as they prayed for the Nagas, Dr. Clark was inspired with a creative plan to reach them with the Gospel, while complying with the government restrictions. He sent a trained Assamese evangelist, named Godhula, into the hills!
Would he be beheaded? Would he be any safer than a foreign missionary? A year later, in November of 1872 Godhula returned to Sibsagar for a joyful reunion with the missionaries and his wife, Lucy. He wanted to escort Lucy to the Naga village where he was working.

Godhula related how the tribesmen had been very suspicious at first, but gave him a rude hut on the outskirts of the village. One day they heard him singing hymns, and since music is at the core of the Naga heart, they were drawn to his hut out of curiosity. From that point, Godhula was able to make friends and share the Gospel. When he returned to Sibsagar to get his wife, he brought nine believers from the Naga village with him! Dr. Clark baptized them and thus organized the First Baptist church of Nagaland, on December 23rd, 1872.

Then, Dr. Clark himself went into the hills, and though, for his pale complexion, was under suspicion of being a British spy, he established a community of believers. He trained them to take the message to other tribes, and thus the gospel spread among these former headhunters, transforming them into peace-loving soul seekers for Christ’s Kingdom!

Why is that miracle of long ago the subject of this newsletter, you may ask? Well, it so happens that the Rev. Vesekhoyi (Vee)Tetsuo whom I work with at Dai-ichi Baptist Church in Okinawa City, is from a tribal village among the Naga hills. He invited me to go with him to his home church with two Okinawa Christian leaders and another American to present a seminar on contemporary worship. He explained, “Though Nagaland is about 95 percent believers, many are nominal Christians who need a better understanding of the gospel, and young people are looking for new ways to express their love of Christ in worship. Rev. Vee said, “That’s my role, to teach them how to write and sing new songs from the heart, but the Lord needs you, David to teach the solid biblical foundation of worship.” So, after three days of travel which included a harrowing road trip and thrilling elephant ride (just for fun), Rev. Vee, three other members of the mission team, and I found ourselves still alive and well at Chakesang Baptist Church in Kohima, capital of Nagaland, for a three-day worship conference from February 20-22, 2009.

I led ten participants chronologically through the stories of the Old Covenant, exploring aspects of worship, (particularly blood sacrifices) and how these all pointed to the one-time blood sacrifice of Christ, God’s only Son. One of the participants, a doctoral student who had come from a very remote region, came to me after the presentation and pleaded, “Will you sell me all of your textbooks? They are too costly to have shipped from abroad, and I must have them for my studies and ministry!” I am thankful that my luggage was much lighter on the return trip to Okinawa.
Finally, in this “Naga saga” is a historical note concerning the last day of our visit. From the capital city of Kohima we wended our way for two-and-a-half hours up a rough mountain road to Rev. Vee’s parents’ home village of Thipuzu. Upon arrival in front of the Baptist Church, villagers in full native dress encircled us and then extended warm handshakes and greetings. It was moving to see their smiles and tearful hugs for Rev. Vee, whom many had not seen for years.

The men of the church received us in the village meeting hall, where we sat down to exchange greetings before enjoying a delicious banquet, which must have represented quite a sacrifice on their part during the dry season before the monsoons. The five in our traveling party included two Okinawa church members who had conducted seminars at the conference. When the village elder stood up to speak, he told how some of the older men of the village had not seen a Japanese in their community since WWII. Though Thipuzu village had not suffered terribly at the hands of the soldiers, there had been heavy casualties among the Nagas around the capital city of Kohima.

After the Japanese surrender it had taken weeks for the word of peace to get up into the hills of Nagaland, so the fighting had continued there with great losses. One of the men showed us a little sprig of a plant he had plucked and said, “Before the Japanese came, this plant did not grow around our village. The Japanese soldiers used this as camouflage in their helmets, and thus caused it to take root here. We named it ‘Japon’.
However, in his speech, the old village chieftain said, “Even so, we are happy to welcome these two Japanese here today, the first to set foot in our village since the war, because now in Christ Jesus we are brothers!” “Also, one of our own, Vesekhoyi (Vee) is married to a girl from Okinawa and we are proud to claim him as a missionary to Japan from our village.”

As we all stood in turn to give greetings, our brothers from Okinawa apologized for what their forbearers had done during the war. I was moved because our team members themselves had done no wrong, and Japan had long ago been forgiven, yet, there is something beautiful about expressing sorrow and forgiveness on behalf of a nation or tribe, to further the healing process.

And to commemorate the occasion, we sat at table and ate all manner of dog, frog, fish and snails, and even dragonflies. We nibbled on gooseberries and passion fruit, and enjoyed a king’s table array of vegetables, chicken, and pork. My thoughts went to verse 5 of the twenty-third Psalm. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” I thought, “Christ, in the hearts of all of us present at this table, brings new meaning to that verse. It is not a table to taunt an enemy. This, rather, is a table of reconciliation where descendents of former enemies, (headhunters and combatants of terrible wars between nations of the world) sit down together with hearts overflowing with Christ’s love for one another. Praise be to our Loving Savior!”

And that overflow includes two Naga missionaries from Rev. Vee’s home church who are serving as missionaries in Nepal alongside the Rev. Iwao Kochihira, a missionary from Okinawa. Truly, we are seeing today the fulfillment of a prophecy spoken by Dr. Edwin Clark when he witnessed the movement of the Holy Spirit among the Naga people and said, “The softening twilight of Christianity is here. Soon the broad daylight with its transforming power will reveal a Christianized people.” 2 Please pray for the churches of Nagaland as they continue to fulfill that prophecy, and that they will continue to obey our Lord’s Great Commission by sending missionaries abroad.
In Christ’s Love,

Nagaland

2009-02-16T08:34:00.007+09:00

One blessing of living in Okinawa is the international opportunity of service that seems to be everywhere. Many churches here have outreach in other Asian countries and there are people who settle here from many other countries. In previous blogs, we have shared about Vee Tetsuo, a native of Nagaland, who ministers here with his wife and three sons and who is a native of Nagaland in Northern India. Vee's testimony is one of God's grace and love to a very rebellious young man and of a changed life as Vee turned to God and eventually gave his entire life and work to Him.

As we have ministered with Vee, we have been excited to see how God uses him to bring people of many cultures together in service. We ask for your prayers as David is going to be able to be a part of that service in Nagaland from February 17-26, 2009.

David, Vee and three others (Otani san and Matsuda san of the Okinawa Baptist Convention, and Tracy Daniels, who has worked with Vee in music) will travel to Bangkok, Calcutta and eventually Nagaland to lead a seminar at a church there on the Biblical foundations of worship. They plan on leading this seminar so those in Nagaland will gain skills in how to lead worship in surrounding areas and countries. David will have his focus on the Old Testament, Vee and Tracy will lead in music, Matsuda san (a potter decorated by the Emporer of Japan) will lead in how to use arts to minister, and Otani san will share in how to improve skills in the electronic audio/visual realm. Although Joanna and I will miss David as he leaves for 10 days, we are excited that he will be used as he shares about the foundations of worship in two two-hour sessions. They will also be able to go to Mother Theresa's charity and take a trip to a village in India.

The Chakhesang Baptist Church is very excited and there have been so many wanting to attend from all over Nagaland (over 500) that there has been concern about food and housing.

We ask for your prayers for this trip for God's provision and safety and for those attending the seminar to gain skills they will be able to use to share with those who need to know Jesus.

Here is some information about:
Nagaland: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagaland
Nagaland Baptist: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagaland_Baptist_Church_Council

I will try to post updates as I have them...it appears it may be difficult to contact them but I may be able to receive and send email.

Christmas

2009-01-01T21:29:00.014+09:00

There were lots of Christmas activities in the month of December....the Okinawa Prefecture Christmas where Joanna performed with her musical choir, the Okinawa Christian School Elementary program where Joanna danced to "John 3:16", the OCSI high school Christmas program, Daiichi Baptist church and the outdoor concert that Leslie's church choir ladies participated in, Christmas party at the church, and parties for the physically and mentally challenged among other things....it was a busy time!!!

Joanna's class had a party as well and before the party, her teacher Mrs. Loh asked the students to answer the question, " What does Christmas mean to you" Here are some of the responses from the third grade class:

"Christmas is all about Jesus" Kaito
"Christmas is about God's love" Akiko
"Christmas is about Jesus being born and Santa's elves. Santa Clausgiving out presents and really all about God's love" Joseph
"Christmas is about Jesus and presents and Santa Claus. Jesus is a good guy" Yo
"Christmas is about Jesus and the angel said, "Do not be afraid; I bring you good news of great joy. It is for all the people today: in the city of David a Savior has been born" Joanna

We pray that your Christmas was blessed and that you felt the love of the Savior whose birth we remember.

Jo's class party

The elementary Christmas program

Our church family at Daiichi Baptist Church

Members of the children's musical

Members of the Daiichi choir

Noah's Ark Church School

2008-12-07T21:23:00.010+09:00

As David began his work again with the Okinawa Baptist Convention, a letter was sent to all the churches asking if they would like support help from him. Many churches replied and among those that did was Awase Baptist Church asking for his help as an English teacher at their newly formed church school.

Until recently, there have been no Christian schools in Okinawa for Japanese speakers. Okinawa Christian School International where Leslie works, is a choice for those wanting an English Christian education but for those wanting their children to learn at a Japanese Christian school, there has really been no choice. This has been due in part to the history of Okinawa which has had no history of mission schools (such as Soshin School in Yokohama where we used to teach) partly due to recent strict rules by the Japanese Ministry of Education.

Many here were encouraged by a ruling last year that made it so homeschooled students or those who attended an alternative school could take something akin to the GED in America as they approached graduation age. Passing this test would make it possible for them to attend a Japanese college; something that hasn't been possible previously. As a result of the ruling, two new schools have been started to meet the needs of Christian families and one of them is Noah's Ark Church School at Awase Baptist Church.

Noah's Ark presently has 9 students and they are praying for another 5 this coming year beginning in April. The students receive instruction in Japanese in all the major subject areas including Bible in Japanese and also learn English and Bible from David.

We were truly impressed with the progress these students have made over the past year as we attended their "happyokai", a Japanese word that means the students all shared with friends and family the things they have learned in this school year. The pastor of the church, Rev. Gushiken and their main teacher Ms. Esther ask for you to pray with them for the 5 new students as well as for the present students. Many Christian parents want to protect their children from some of the influences that seem to becoming more and more prevalent.

We hope you enjoy the photos and a short clip of the students singing a Christmas song.

Championship

2008-11-11T19:26:00.005+09:00

We would like to share with you some photos of a special occasion on our son Shinya's life that happened this past weekend. His soccer team at Alderson Broaddus College in West Virginia won their regional championship. Shinya was ecstatic when we talked to him and he said the school is excited as well because this is the first time in 20 years the school has won a championship in soccer. These photos are of Shinya and his teammates.

Okinawa Baptist Festival

2008-11-10T19:59:00.008+09:00

Hello!

What a busy month October was and November looks to be a busy one as well. One very special event that our family has taken part in has been the Okinawa Baptist Evangelistic Festival held over five days from November 5-9, 2008.
The Okinawa Baptist Convention decided to make their annual fall meeting into a special time where Christians could bring their friends to hear the gospel. Each day was dedicated to a different part of society. Wednesday night was a time for the church members to meet and pray. Thursday was for the women, Friday was for the young people,Saturday was for men and Sunday afternoon was aimed at children.
At all of these meetings, fun activities were planned as well as time for more serious thoughts on the Gospel and what it means to meet Jesus. We are excited to see what the results are but we know of at least five children who made first time decisions for Christ and many others who made a decision to live more fully for Christ.

These photos are of some of the activities. Please pray for the OBC, for those who have made decisions for Christ and for those who have heard the Gospel for perhaps the first time.

Blessings,
David and Leslie

Pastor Nohara

2008-09-25T21:46:00.006+09:00

Sunday was a special day at Daiichi Baptist Church. After a wonderful time of worship, the entire church gathered in the fellowship area to celebrate the 25th year of service to the Lord of Pastor Nohara. It was a time to celebrate his life and calling.
He and his wife Keiko were brought to the Lord after their Christian wedding. Many in Japan have a Christian wedding that is performed by Christian pastors as they want the international feel the weddings have. Pastors often use this time to minister and share the Gospel and Pastor Nohara and his wife became Christians as a result and began attending church at Naha Baptist.
Pastor Nohara worked many years at the Post Office while working at Naha Baptist Church as a teacher and layman. His three daughters attest to his love and care of them even though he took all of his work seriously. When he told his family of his call to full time ministry, they were surprised and teased him a little but his wife told his daughters that if their father had made such a decision, it was their responsibility to respect it, and they did. They are currently working at Daiichi church as well in
He began his work at a church near the present day Daiichi church but after several years felt the church needed to be in a needier area so they moved to the church location today as a daughter church of Goya Baptist...an area very run down and very in need.
Presently the church is struggling but is very much alive and meeting needs. We are thankful to be a part of their ministry and truly feel a part of the family...
The photos and video you see here are are some of the festivities--many showed their love by special dances and singing. The video is of the Uehara family who have been members since the beginning of the church.
Please pray for Pastor Nohara and his very important work for Christ in Okinawa.

First Week of School at Okinawa Christian School

2008-08-23T09:47:00.006+09:00

Wednesday, August 20 marked the first day of school at OCSI-the culmination of all the preparation done during the summer and the beginning of an exciting new year. Echoes of the West Virginia team are still being heard as all are amazed at the new kitchen floor and the new high school locker bay. In addition, the volunteer work done during summer school created a lasting impression.

The first week started off really well as Joanna was able to meet her new teacher and get reacquainted with her friends. Of course she is very happy about the lunch menu and loves being able to learn at school again. Her new glasses will make it easier for her to continue to be a good reader.

Leslie is so thankful that God was so evident and at work. We are all so excited about what the school year will bring in the lives of our students and parents. We have lots of new students, several new teachers and staff and new programs and improvements to be thankful for.
Please check the ocsi. org secondary page for all of our events.

Please keep us in your prayers.

Departure

2008-07-04T14:22:00.004+09:00

With an 11:30 depature time from Naha airport, our crew had to get up and out early. We made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare and said good-bye to the team along with Vee and Ai Tetsuo and their small son Setsuri.

We are so thankful for the time we were able to spend together and are excited about what this trip will come to mean to each person who was on the trip as well as to the church and family members who will hear about their adventures in the future. We also know that their trip has made an impression on many at OCSI, the Okinawa Baptist Convention and Hokuzanso Camp.

We truly appreciate how many of you made sacrifices so they could be here. Thank you for your support of them and of God's work in Okinawa.

Keep them in your prayers as they travel and as David and Joanna will be traveling back to the US on Monday and we ask for your prayers for them as well.

Peace Park

2008-07-04T13:41:00.006+09:00

Today was the team's last full day on Okinawa and we had a lot planned for them. We left OCSI at around 8:45 after speaking with the Crossroad's Bible Study via Skype and arrived at Goya church to pick up the last crew when we were asked by Pastor Tomari if we would be OK with taking the wife of a visitor from Niigata Prefecture with us for the day. We readily agreed and enjoyed spending the day with Mrs. Nakamura.

Our first stop was at the Memorial Peace Park at the most southern end of Okinawa. This Park was built in 2000 to remember the over 250,000 troops who died in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. We first went to the area where the names of all those who died are memorialized on black marble slabs. Most of the names there are those from Okinawa and Japan but there are also names of Americans, Koreans, Europeans and those from Taiwan. The photo was taken at the memorial flame near the cliffs where many lost their lives.

After looking at many of the names, we then went to the museum where the complete history of the war and in particular the Battle of Okinawa is presented in order to get a more global view of what happened in Okinawa. This was a very sobering presentation and with artifacts, photos, video and actual testimonies of those who experienced the war, we all had a better idea of what life would have been like on Okinawa at that time.

We boarded the bus again and headed to lunch and after eating a choice of curry, beef bowl or McDonald's, we went to International Street in Naha. There the whole crew took advantage of the many stalls and vendors of all kinds of Okinawan goods. We met after shopping at a local Starbucks and there we saw the fun purchases. There were t-shirts, dresses, bags, sandals, robes, scarves and many other things that will be making their way to West Virginia tomorrow.

Dinner was at a local department store where everyone could split up and try their own restaurant. We chose our favorite called "Wafu Tei" where we can get good Japanese food. Hilda and Grace ate sushi and really seemed to enjoy it. Some used the time as a last minute chance to do a bit more shopping.

We then headed back to the apartments for some packing and much needed sleep to prepare for the trip home.

Hokuzanso-The Next Day

2008-07-02T20:55:00.004+09:00

The second day at Hokuzanso started early when Jane and two of the Melanies woke up early and went to see the ocean at sunrise...it was a lovely sight and they said they felt they had been led by God to be there at that time and see His beautiful creation.

The rest of the gang woke up a bit later and began work on the main camping building. The men worked on cleaning off the roof while the women worked at cleaning the sleeping mats. The mats required getting them out of the closet, putting them up and hitting the dust out, carrying them out to the basketball court to be wiped down and then finally putting them back again.

Mrs. Kawamitsu was overjoyed and said that our WV team was the hardest working team she has had up at the camp. Mr. Kawamitsu was in shock and thankful for the new weed-eater that Roger bought for him. He kept saying, "kansha shiteimasu, kansha shiteimasu", (I am so thankful) over and over again. As the group were getting on the bus, Mrs. Kawamitsu pointed at Si and said, "You look like an international movie star." Si will certainly want to come back.

The team left the camp and headed to the pineapple park and were able to taste a bit of pineapple and drink some pineapple juice. They arrived back at school in time to enjoy dinner and Bible study with the missionary teachers at OCSI.

Tomorrow is a trip to the Peace Park and then shopping at international street...then to the airport by 9:20 for their trip back to the US.

Hokuzanso-Baptist Camp

2008-07-01T22:48:00.010+09:00

Today is Tuesday with lots to report on how the day went at our Baptist Camp in Hokuzanso but first a run down of Monday is in order.

After a busy Sunday, most returned in the morning to the work they did last week. Si continued his work with the OCSI maintenance crew and was able to get all the locker work done as the ladies worked at OCSI in classes. Betty led the chapel for the students as she taught them songs and shared a lesson with them. Roger and Jim spoke at a workshop on church planting to about 20 Okinawa Baptist Convention pastors. The afternoon was spent in fun activities as Betty and Jean were able to visit several of the local military bases with one of the teachers from the base. It was good for them to see where their husbands had served while in Okinawa. The Melanies and Jane went with David to the traditional pottery village and the rest went out on the boat owned by Max, one of the maintenance crew and went snorkeling. It was a great time. Roger said he would have given up his Corvette for the experience!! It must have been great!! In the evening, Pastor Tomari took them all out to dinner....the buffet restaurant had some old staples as well as some new foods.."sliced pigs ear in peanut sauce anyone?"

Today started a bit slower as we took off from OCSI at 10:00 to head to the Hokuzanso Baptist Camp in Nakijin. It is such a help to Mr. and Mrs. Kawamitsu to have their help. The team will be cleaning the kitchens, doing some groundswork, and helping with cleaning up the main building.

They got started as soon as they arrived and seriously began cleaning the kitchens and cabins. Mrs. Kawamitsu wanted them to take it easy....but they didn't listen!! Talk about those stubborn West Virginians! But after about an hour and a half of straight working, they took a break and went swimming in the beautiful East China Sea. We then had a cookout and shared about how this trip has made an impact on us.

Most are making peace with the critters at the camp: the gekkos, mosquitoes, mice and other creepy crawlies...although the camp isn't a four star resort it is a place that has introduced many to God and His love for them as they have stayed there. How thankful we are for the work that is being done by our team.

Sunday-Day 5

2008-07-01T07:33:00.004+09:00

What a day Sunday was!! It started in the morning at Daiichi Church with worship and Sunday School. Jane sang and Roger preached. Roger was able to spend some time talking about church planting with Vee, the pastor of Great Commission International church.

After the service, there was a time of fellowship with church members making origami and eating delicious goya cake. Lunch was at yakiniku (Korean Barbeque) restaurant where you cook your own food. Roger said the octopus was delicious.

We then went to the beach and visited several islands connected by long bridges. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful.

Evening service was at Goya Baptist Church where Roger and Jim are staying. Jim preached and the WV crew sang for the congregation. Joanna took some photos too!

Tomorrow is a busy day at OCSI.....

Baptist Day

2008-06-28T22:30:00.000+09:00

Day four started a bit later than the other days so far and after having a bit longer in the morning to rest, we headed to Koza Baptist Church for the annual Baptist Day worship service. Baptist Day has a long history within the Okinawa Baptist Convention as a day of fellowship and fun for the English speaking and Japanese speaking churches. One aspect of ministering in Okinawa is the way that denominations work hand in hand together and the Okinawa Baptist Convention is no different. The Japanese speaking Japan Baptist Union and the Japan Baptist Convention from mainland Japan and the English speaking Southern Baptist Churches and American Baptist Churches have for a long time linked hands in service together. Baptist Day has been a way to encourage that fellowship.

Our team was able to be a part of the worship and all seemed to enjoy the singing and preaching as well as taking part in the service themselves. When they were introduced to the congregation, the group got up on the stage and sang, "Country Roads". The OBC provided lunch boxes for everyone and they were delicious.

After the service, the team went to Daiichi Baptist Church and participated in the afternoon bilingual service just now getting up and running as Great Commission International Church. Roger preached and after the service everyone enjoyed shopping at the Christian bookstore at the church.

Dinner today was at "Hana Ori" a restaurant serving Okinawa homestyle cooking. Team members had fried noodles, Okinawa fried chicken, seafood noodles and fried chicken with vegetables. The restaurant was a hit. After dinner the main part of the team went to the beach to watch the sunset while Jim Crouch and Melanie Neal went to Tomigusuku Baptist Church to spend the night with church members. They will speak at service tomorrow morning.

Carrie continues to be feeling a bit under the weather but she did sleep more today and was able to eat a bit more food. Continue to keep her in your prayers.

Tomorrow is another day with two church services. Roger preaches in the morning and Jim in the evening.

Friday

2008-06-28T06:21:00.001+09:00

Day 3 was a busy work day. Each member of the team worked in some area at Okinawa Christian school. Since summer school is in session, several worked in classrooms with the regular teachers. Some worked in our library and helped to straighten and put books on the shelves. Some did hot work in our kitchen putting down a new floor as well as helped with taking lockers out of the locker room and moving them down one story.

After a bit of afternoon rest to help with the jet lag, our team went to Mihama and helped Pastor Vee Tetsuo with his ministry in a very busy shopping area in Okinawa. He had prepared tracts with the arrival photo of our team as an introduction and information about the evening church service and sent them all over the area to hand out. The team handed them all out-no one attended the Friday evening service so the WV group had a wonderful praise and singing time in the small rented room above Starbucks.

The service was over about 8:00 and since no one had eaten dinner, we went in search of a place to eat....we looked and looked but it was hard to find a place to serve 15 at one time. We finally found an A and W Rootbeer restaurant that was very happy to have us and we were finally able to sit down and relax a bit and celebrate Jim Crouch's 78th birthday. All the people in the restaurant joined in to sing happy birthday.
Saturday is Baptist Day at a local church and then we will be doing more street evangelism, attending church and then resting a bit before Sunday.
Keep everyone in your prayers for their health.

Day Two in Okinawa

2008-06-26T21:44:00.000+09:00

Our team started the morning early today--most everyone was up at the crack of dawn in spite of extreme tiredness. The group working at school met at 8:00 for teacher devotions and then at 8:30 for elementary chapel. But the 9:00 time slot was important for the three Melanies and Carrie. It was a time for them to gather round the computer and Skype their families. Thanks to modern technology they were able to see and hear their families at the Crossroads Church Wednesday Bible study. It was fun for me to see them communicate with their children, husbands and brothers this way.

The main part of the group spent the morning helping in the elementary classrooms and in the afternoon helping with science and PE activities. Si worked hard with the OCSI maintenance crew putting in a new floor in the school kitchen and others attended pastoral meetings. As soon as school was out at 3:00 we went to our home and we all ate curry rice (a Japanese favorite) and cream stew on rice. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food and although a couple in our group were ready to close their eyes, we were able to discuss the plan for the next several busy days. After meeting we went shopping at the 100yen store and a local grocery store.

You may wonder who the lady in blue is who is eating dinner with us this evening. Her name is Dibbie Adkins and she is working at OCSI as a volunteer teacher for summer school. She also is a native West Virginian and it was a serendipity to realize that she had gone to church in Huntington with Betty Crouch and Jane Riffle over 20 years ago. God is amazing! Coming all the way to Japan to meet old friends makes all of us aware of how He weaves this beautiful tapestry of relationships old and new.

Tomorrow is going to be another busy one with work at the school in the day and evangelism in the evening. Dinner will be in an area called Mihama.

Arrival

2008-06-26T00:49:00.000+09:00

We are thanking God that our WV champuru mission team made it safe and sound to Okinawa this evening. All 12 of the group came out with their luggage- smiling and in good spirits. The weather is hot and muggy and the van we were traveling in had no air conditioning but not a single complaint was heard. They are all very excited about taking part in ministry here and were full of questions as we made the trip from the airport to the various locations where they are staying (with a quick side trip to McDonald's). Tomorrow they will begin their work at the school and after school is out will come back to our home for dinner and a meeting about what to look forward to in the coming week. I imagine they may be a bit tired so we will make it an early dinner.

As we stopped at McDonald's I helped a little with ordering and after we were done, the cashier leaned over the counter and said in a quiet voice with a smile on her face, "Is this group of people all together?" I said, "Yes, it is-these are people from our church in America who have come to Okinawa." What an impression our group made even as they were doing something so simple as ordering. It made me realize yet again of the constant watchfulness of others around us. It is evident this group has an awesome opportunity to share Christ in many ways and as the watchers around see them so full of love and care and learn how far they have come for their faith, it will be a testimony to the truth of the Gospel. "They will know we are Christians by our love....."

Anticipation

2008-06-24T06:29:00.000+09:00

This photo is of a traditional Okinawan dish called goya champuru. Goya champuru is made from a bitter cucumber called goya and a mix of egg, tofu, carrots and pork. Some people here talk about champuru as a truly mixed or mixed up dish made of different ingredients that are absolutely delicious together.
We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our West Virginia team tomorrow--we think of them as our "champuru" team--different people with different gifts from God who will be a wonderful blessing when mixed together in Okinawa.

It will be a super busy time for all of us, but we are so excited about how God will use them as they minister in Okinawa. Some of the experiences God has planned for them include:

Volunteer work at Okinawa Christian School International with the summer school program. We have over 125 students who are participating this year.
Speaking and giving testimonies at local churches. Our team will be speaking at Goya Church, Tomigusuku Church and at Daiichi Church.
Leading a workshop on church planting. The Okinawa Baptist Convention will be hosting a workshop for pastors led by our own Roger Adams to help the pastors increase their understanding of church planting.
Handing out tracts and doing street evangelism at two very busy areas in Okinawa: Mihama and Gate Two Street. David and Pastor Vee Tetsuo have begun a small church plant aimed at young people who have no church background. Our team will be handing out tracts and speaking to people; inviting them to church. (see our earlier blog for more information)
Helping with cleanup of our Baptist Camp in the northern part of Japan. (See our earlier blog for information on the camp.) We will spend the night at the camp and while there our team will be cleaning the kitchen to ready it for the summer season and work on the grounds.

It is a very busy schedule with lots packed in--so we ask for your prayers for this special group of volunteers. Please pray that God will protect their health in this very hot and humid season as well as protect them spiritually and emotionally. Please also pray that the work they do will bring people to the kingdom of God.

Pray for:
Roger Adams
Jim Crouch
Betty Crouch
Jean Richmond
Carrie Adams
Melanie Rumer
Melanie Neal
Melanie Kearns
Si Riffle
Jane Riffle
Grace Alsop
Hilda Alsop

We will be sending daily updates so please check back often.

Blessings
Leslie

God's Protection

2008-05-11T16:29:00.000+09:00

Children's Day is observed in Japan on May 5th--it actually began as "Boys Day" many years ago but has turned into a day in Japan to stress the importance of respecting the character of all children and promoting their health and happiness. It is still commonly known as Boys Day and if one travels out during the week before May 5th, one can see huge, beautifully colored "Koi Nobiri", carp like streamers made of paper or cloth that fill with wind and seem to swim in the air. Together with long red and white ribbons, the carp are hoisted on a bamboo pole with a pair of pinwheels high above houses and rooftops. A carp is flown for each son in the family with the largest one representing the oldest son and the others ranging down in size.

We have always felt so blessed with our two sons--we have recognized that both are a gift from God and we have dedicated them to God. As we left America and traveled back to Japan, many of you know how difficult it was to leave Shinya( a college junior) and TK(a college freshman) behind. As a missionary, leaving our family behind is one of the most difficult and sad things we face. We have been thankful for many of your letters and emails as you have offered to lift our family and our boys up to God for protection and care.

We really felt those prayers this week of Boys Day as TK was in a car wreck that could have killed or hurt him seriously--we are so thankful that he was unhurt. The car was totaled on a very isolated bit of WV highway but immediately after the wreck, a state courtesy car was right behind to help TK and make the necessary calls. It was a scary thing to get the message that TK had been in an accident--but it was such an unbelievable blessing to know he was fine. God was watching out for him--we are thankful for your faithfulness in lifting him up and we ask for your continued prayers that this incident will become something that helps him understand God's love and care in his life.

Music Ministry

2008-04-12T21:52:00.001+09:00

David has been blessed by the way God has used his musical talent here in Okinawa and in Japan. He has written several songs as a way of sharing the Gospel and been a part of several music groups. One group was started by Vee, a member of Daiichi church, called the "Bokushillas". Bokushi is the Japanese word for pastor and this group of acapella singers has been primarily made up of of Okinawa Baptist Convention pastors. He will be singing at a special service on April 18th with several Japanese Christians from the Tokyo area and will sing background for a new Christian CD to come out in a couple of months. God certainly uses the talents and gifts we have from Him for His service--and ours is the joy as we do.

Daiichi Church

2008-04-12T21:33:00.000+09:00

We were thankful this Easter for the blessing of the resurrection!! It was a special day for us as we worshipped at Daiichi church in Okinawa, City. Daiichi was started about 15 years ago by Pastor Nohara and his family; wife Keiko and daughters Ai and Naomi. They planned it to be in a business area to reach out to inner city folks. They rented a former clothing store with four stories and since that time of beginning, have had a wonderful group of believers. We have begun a partnership with Daiichi and will be helping the church out. Leslie will be working with children and women and David will be working with the youth, starting an English worship with Vee, Ai's husband, and helping with the start of a new small church plant. God is at work and we are so blessed and excitedThe man in the middle of the photo in the back is Vee--who has a passion for spreading the Gospel and for teaching about worship. A native of Nagaland, he is married to Ai, the daughter of the pastor. They have three small children: Rebito, Kozo and Tsetsuri. In the photo, you also see our family, Vee's family and Stan Murray, our International Ministries area director. The video is of some of the children at Daiichi singing on Easter morning.

Nakijin

2008-04-12T20:48:00.001+09:00

One of our favorite spots on Okinawa is Nakijin or Hokuzanso, our Baptist Camp. We are so thankful for the forethought of former missionary Ed Bolinger and the Okinawa Baptist Convention for purchasing the land in the northern part of Okinawa as a Christian camp area. Many have enjoyed the camping experience there and many have made decisions for Christ there. We love to go up for a day trip or to stay overnight to get away and to relax and enjoy the natural beauty and ocean. This video is of our trip today; the beautiful and clear beach was amazing. When surrounded by such beauty, thanking God for His creation is a natural thing.