God continues to bless us here in Tachikawa. This week was a bit more routine since we have completed all of our planned excursions to other people and places. I filled in last-minute for Suzuki-san and gave the Lord’s Supper comments since he was unable to make it for worship. Nao had a great deal of fun with the Children’s Worship as he demonstrated how the ways that we see things (represented by various types of glasses) can change how we act. Ultimately, by shining Jesus’ light, we are able to find the correct path in life. It was really cute seeing the kids react to each pair when he pulled them out of his bag. We were also fortunate to visit with both of the Fukushima’s daughters since Naomi joined us for worship along with regular member Mitsuko and her children.
This week we have truly come to treasure our time with our English readers. Having several weeks of relationship-building under our belts, Emily and I both feel that the discussions we are having during these sessions are becoming deeper and more searching. It truly is amazing the power of the Word. All we have to do is simply facilitate time and foster a little understanding and the Spirit does the rest directly through the text. We just have to follow His lead. Being week five, it is hard not to look ahead a little and start seeing the end of these reading times with a little sadness, but for now we are soaking in these one-on-one times looking at the story of Jesus.
Music classes bring so much Joy to these kids faces! We even managed to get a couple of old-timers to join us (thank you Nao-san and Noriko-san!). With each class session, these kids and their parents build familiarity and friendship. This week we enjoyed songs that we know and added some new activities to keep it fresh. We pray that these seeds will take root in the near future, and that the community they have found in this place is a glimpse into the fullness of life when lived in a community of faith.
It might seem a minor thing, but we have really enjoyed being able to access the roof to see the sunset! Each one is so unique – sometimes you can see Mt. Fuji (see above with its cloud cap) and sometimes you can’t. Regardless, it is reassuring to know that God created this world with such beauty and wonder. With the heat wave this week, the roof is also one of the best places to try and catch a breeze in the evening, so it is nice to have such beautiful views when we get the chance!
And speaking of the view from the roof… I celebrated a birthday this week and not long after dinner we heard a familiar booming sound from the open window. In the states, July 3rd isn’t much cause for fireworks, but it turns out that nearby Fuchu, Japan, was having a celebration. So we headed to the roof and enjoyed the breeze while watching the show. There were a number of designs that I have never seen before, and it was a very nice surprise!
The parting shot this week comes courtesy of Bic Camera and their Lego Adult section. This Lego version of the Liebherr LR 13000 Crawler Crane will only set you back ¥94,880 (about $600) and contains 2,883 pieces. It is fully operational and can be controlled from an app on your iPhone. It’s almost as tall as Emily!
We have one more week to go this Summer. God has blessed our time here tremendously, and we will definitely be leaving a part of our hearts with these dear brothers and sisters when we return to Memphis.
~ Clay
Fowlers in Japan 