Author: Clay Fowler

We have reached the end of our final week in Japan this summer. The time sure has gone fast! In many ways, week six has been a fairly routine one. Yet, these are the things that we came here to do. It feels right that this week’s focus has been on “regular ol’ stuff.” I think that’s probably where God can use us the best.

I closed out my summer series on prayer with a third sermon this week. Based on the encouragement and feedback I have received, I think all three sermons landed well. I’m hopeful that they will serve to enrich the faith walk of those who listened. This week during the children’s lesson, I brought along some printed sheets detailing several fruits and their matching trees. We thought about how you can tell what kind of tree it is by looking at its fruit. People are much the same. You can glimpse what is on the inside of a person by looking at the “fruit” of their life. A mom also sent us a picture of the kid’s class upstairs. The boy in the middle is a visitor, but I heard that he was just as eager to participate and even sang a song! We remain hopeful that the seeds we have been planting will sprout strong in the hearts of those who we have come to know.

I feel like we haven’t taken enough pictures of our readers. Here are the few that I have. In all honesty, some of the pics above are last year’s pictures of readers who came back this summer. These times spent one-on-one reading from Luke have been so enriching for Emily and me. At one level, they are about reading and speaking English. But once you start digging into the meaning of particular sentences and paragraphs, the themes of Luke begin to spark a whole bunch of interesting conversations. They become more seeds planted!

Music classes on Thursdays and Sundays wrapped up this week. Such sweet relationships are being forged through this time together. When we return next Fall, these classes will need to look a little different. We may not be able to start them back up right away due to the time commitment of language school and other activities, but the value in using music to form relationships is too good to pass up for very long. We are hopeful that we will be able to figure out how to continue offering some sort of music class again in the future.

After Worship this Sunday, most everyone headed upstairs for a fellowship meal and farewell party for us. These meals are always special (and tasty!). July birthdays were also celebrated, so Keiko-san and I got to go through the line first (see upper left pic). Emily and I also had a chance to share some parting thoughts with the group. We are not enjoying the goodbyes this week — we are hopeful that it is more like “see ya’ later.”

We also enjoyed a handful of other neat moments during week six:

• Walking toward the entrance of the Tachikawa train station there was a portion of sidewalk blocked off and quite a few people gathered around looking up. Some barn swallows had made nests near the ceiling and it was making quite the mess on the sidewalk below. Cute!
• A couple of church members treated us to lunch at a Soba shop just around the corner. It was a tiny place (just five tables), but the food was delicious.
• We also enjoyed a delicious home-cooked meal with the Fukushimas before playing several rounds of Skip-Bo. It is so good for the heart when we get to spend time with fellow believers in fellowship over a meal.
• Finally, I was able to attend the monthly ministers meeting this Monday via Zoom. In the picture above you can see that my iPad is translating live. It isn’t perfect, but it’s enough to follow along and understand most of what is happening. This group of ministers have such servant hearts! It is clear that they love the Lord and work tirelessly to advance His kingdom in Japan.

For a parting shot this week, I thought it appropriate to share a picture Emily took of the sunset. Tomorrow we get back on an airplane headed to the US, and this summer’s trip will come to a close. A big part of our hearts will definitely be staying behind here in Tachikawa! We turn now towards the task of preparing for full-time mission work. In the coming year, we need to establish a relationship with a sending congregation, raise any additional supporting funds, and start all of the processes for moving internationally. In the meantime, we hope to stay connected digitally with many who remain here in Japan. It is also difficult to think about how this move will impact our family going forward. If only we could live in two places at once! We believe God is calling us to go, but that also means being far away from our children, our parents, our siblings, and other family and friends. FaceTime and Zoom may help a little, but it’s not the same.

We appreciate your continued prayer support in these matters. It is the Lord who provides. He has certainly taken great care of us so far!

~ Clay

After a busy couple of weeks, it has been nice to be back “home” for a regular week of readers and classes. We are grateful for the experiences we’ve had, but also thankful to get caught up a bit on our rest and our relationships here. Consequently, this week’s report will be a good bit shorter than recent weeks.

We did manage to get out for a wonderful lunch with the Fukushimas. I think this was my first experience with shabu shabu. It was delicious! They bring a hotpot to your table and fill it with your choice of broth. Note: this restaurant has custom pots that allow you to have two different broths going at the same time. You order a set amount of beef and pork and then there is an unlimited buffet of ingredients, side dishes, and desserts. The meat is cut extremely thin (1- or 2-millimeters), so it doesn’t take long to cook in the broth and pickup the flavors of whatever you add with it. It was a fun experience, and of course the company was the best.

Our last Casual Party of the summer was the most fun! We finished off our tour of Texas by dividing into two teams and playing a game of Texas Trivia. One of the members brought a piñata that she and her granddaughter made at a recent craft event, so we let the winning team have the first crack at it with a broom handle. It was a tough one! Everybody managed to get in a swing or two before it spilled its candy. The parties this year have been so much fun! The activities were a hit, but more importantly the fellowship and getting to know each other more deeply has been very encouraging. We look forward to the possibility that we will return next year and begin holding Casual Parties again.

One of our secondary goals for this trip was to find out more about what language schools we might be interested in next year. I had researched a number of schools online, but after talking with Leslie Taylor a couple of weeks ago, it became obvious that we should start with TAC – Tokyo Academy of Communication. WOW! We were blown away. I filled out the inquiry form online, and we received an invitation to spend a morning observing class. It is a small language school, so the class at each skill level contains just a handful of people. More importantly, nearly everyone involved is a Christian, and most of them are also involved in some sort of ministry. The school is located in the Ochanomizu Christian Center building which contains offices for a number of Christian organizations and ministries. The large black placard pictured above hangs in the lobby. It references Romans 12:11 which reads, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Takahashi sensei employs a rather unique “coaching” method instead of the usual textbook and lecture approach, and we both came away ready to sign up and forget the rest of the schools on the list!

Not only did we get to observe the whole class session, we were included in the lesson and got to participate in the discussions! Furthermore, they had planned a potluck lunch that day as a farewell sendoff to one of the classmates. She and her husband head back to the States for six months to raise additional support funds. Without hesitation, we were invited to stay for lunch and everyone was very warm and engaging. I popped next door to a konbini (convenience store) to add to the meal, and we enjoyed getting to know everyone a little bit better. After the festivities were over, we stayed a bit longer and chatted with both of the teachers. Takahashi sensei and Yamamoto sensei truly see this as a ministry, and we can’t wait to get started learning how to communicate more effectively with them.

Just like last year, this trip included my birthday. Unlike last year, this time I reached the half-century mark! Emily found some really yummy sweet corn and fixed some delicious steak, and we topped it off with some castella cake. If you are wondering why it looks like the candles are suggesting I am 73 years old, it’s because those were the only two candles we had on hand. Then, I realized that they could also mean 7/3 as in July 3rd – my birthday! I’m grateful for what God has done in these first 50 years, and I’m excited for what is coming next.

For a parting shot this week, here are a pair of sisters exploring one of Emily’s instruments. It is a guiro (pronounced “wee-roh”) that produces a neat sound when the scraper is rubbed along the bumps on the hollow part – in this case a frog. Such a sweet interaction between these girls as they explore together.

We have one more week until it’s time to head back to Memphis. These past five weeks have gone so fast! But as I think back to everyone we have been blessed to interact with this Summer, it’s hard to imagine how we fit it all in. We treasure the people here, and we pray that God will use our feeble efforts in service of His kingdom going forward. Thank you to those of you who have been praying for us, sending encouraging messages, and finding ways to engage with this work. We truly appreciate it!

~ Clay

Emily and I were blessed to attend the Nationwide Ministers Conference held at the Shinshu Bible Camp in the mountains of Nagano. John Mark Hicks led a study over the course of three days focusing on our practices of assembly, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. What a wonderful time of renewal in God’s word and being able to spend quality time with brothers and sisters! A handful of preachers couldn’t attend this year, but the group picture above represents the majority of congregations in Japan. We pray that the renewal gained during this time will help each of these churches be a blessing to their communities, and that the Lord will receive all of the glory. Thank you to the Ibaraki area ministers for planning such a special time together.

I preached on Prayer again this week, exploring the notion of how our relationship with God encourages us to pray in ways that include asking God to change. It was a challenging topic to consider, and I’m cautiously optimistic about how the sermon came out. I pray that the Spirit helped my feeble words take root in those listening. We were joined this Sunday by some visitors from the US. Jason and Rebekah Smith, along with their daughters Ruth, Lydia, and Julia, have been planning a family vacation to South Korea and Japan for some time and wanted to spend a few of those days with us. The Smiths also attend the White Station congregation in Memphis, and we have been friends for a number of years. Additionally, Jason is a member of White Station’s Global Missions Team. It is always a joy to share the work in Japan with others, so we treasure the opportunity for the Smith family to be here.

Monday and Tuesday of this week were spent visiting the sights in Tokyo. The Smiths had a number of places on their list to see (and shop!), and Emily and I tried to mix some local flavors in where we could. We managed to visit most of those and a few others, too. It was an exhausting two days! Most importantly we got to spend good time with friends.

The non-sumo fans in our group obliged Emily, Jason, and I with a stop at the Kokugikan in Ryogoku, Tokyo. This, of course, is the home of Grand Sumo and plays host to three of the six annual tournaments. The place was very quiet because most everyone related to sumo is currently in Nagoya making preparations for the July tournament. Still, we enjoyed the visit and found a couple of neat things to do.

There are a great many shrines and temples in Tokyo. Some are Buddhist and some are Shinto. A number of places reserve space for both religions. Most of them are small in size, but some of them are very large. Meiji Jingu is a Shinto shrine surrounded by an immense forest. It features broad gravel pathways leading toward wide open courtyards and understated shrine buildings. It is a quiet and solemn place dedicated to Emperor Meiji who died in 1912. He was instrumental in guiding Japan through the transition from being a land dominated by Shogunates & Samurai to becoming a country open to the West and embracing new ideas. Up until the end of World War II, the Japanese Emperor was thought to be divine, and this shrine was setup in 1920 to venerate and pay homage to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken for their efforts to lay the foundations for modern day Japan.

Just a few train stops away is Senso-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo. The atmosphere surrounding this temple seems like the complete opposite to the grounds of Meiji Jingu! Senso-ji is the oldest Buddhist temple in the Tokyo area. It was finished in the year 645 and stands to pay homage to Kannon, the goddess of mercy, after two brothers found a statue of her in the nearby Sumida River. The grounds are highly popular with tourists for the many classic picture spots and the whole neighborhood is alive with an endless variety of shops hoping you will buy their goods.

Located roughly halfway between Meiji Jingu and Senso-ji on the Yamanote Line is a small museum tucked away in a quiet neighborhood. While it attracts a tiny fraction of the visitors as the other two, the Zōshigaya Old Missionary Museum has a special meaning for those of us in the Churches of Christ. More commonly known to our faith tradition as “The McCaleb House,” this residence played an important role in early Japanese mission efforts. John M. McCaleb arrived in Japan in 1892 and worked to evangelize the Japanese from his home in the foreigner’s settlement in Tsukiji. Wanting to expand his presence and ability to meet needs in the community, he built this house in the Zōshigaya district in 1907. He went on to also build a church, preschool, and Bible institute. Notably, his residence also served as a gateway location for other missionaries such as Sarah Andrews and O.D. Bixler. When a new missionary would arrive, this house was a safe place to live in the first couple of months while they got their bearings, identified their target mission field, and made arrangements for longer-term housing. In 1982, Toshima City purchased the property and restored it to its original condition to preserve it as a museum. In 1997, the Zōshigaya Old Missionary Museum was registered as a “Tangible Cultural Asset” of Tokyo.

Music class this week was truly special for me (Clay). Soshi (with the brown shirt) and his mom Makoto have been some of our most consistent attendees. Normally, I sit on the edges of class and try to help with the singing, work the light switches, and get some pictures of all of the fun. Well, this week Soshi was having none of that! He really wanted me to join in with the class and even sat with me for several of the activities. Such a special relationship I am honored to share. God has a plan for his life, and I pray that I am able to be a part of it in the years to come.

Our casual party this week was a great time sharing fellowship and fun. We enjoyed snacks and Kool-aid, sampled some Texas Country Music, and played a game learning about our favorite flowers, vacation spots, and memories. I love how each person there found a way to engage in a lively and authentic way! Emily and I both remarked later that this hardy group of Christians is starting to truly feel like it is our spiritual family, too.

For my parting shot this week, I’m offering a photo that you may have already seen on my Facebook page. It’s too good not to share again! We went on the roof hoping for a cool breeze and maybe a sunset. A small cloud came over and it began to lightly sprinkle. As the sun dropped below the edge of the clouds in the west, a gorgeous double rainbow began rising through the sky. I was able to grab this shot as the monorail went by. God’s creation is available for anyone to enjoy, but for those who have eyes informed by the Spirit, nature becomes a song of praise for the Holy One. My heart gladly joins in and gives Him the glory!

~ Clay

Note: My apologies for our Week 3 report being late. We have been on the road and on the go! The Week 4 report (next) will contain much of what kept me from sitting down long enough to get this report written.

A cup, a flower, a few books, and something for writing. They seem like such simple tools! But the conversations which arise through this simplicity have been amazing. The Spirit works in ways that we truly are unable to fully grasp. Both of us have been blessed by our time with readers this Summer. From the moment they arrive, we are focused and engaged in conversation and interaction – so much so that we keep forgetting to take pictures with them! In a way, though, even that is an indicator of how impactful these sessions have been. We remain prayerful that the seeds sown in these moments will one day grow to produce a harvest beyond what we think possible.

Family Music Class on Thursday was such a joy. It tends to be a smaller group since many families are busy during the week, but that can lead to a more intimate time together connecting and enjoying. Emily and I are continually reminded just how busy people are here. Each week has been a different mix of who can be here and who must be somewhere else. A sense of consistency can be elusive. God remains faithful, though.

Worship on Sunday was greatly encouraging! There is a Chinese group that meets monthly on Sunday afternoon, but this week they came early for a joint worship service. Brother Lau Kin Fatt (second row, left end, in the picture above) and his wife Chrissy were visiting along with long-time friends from California, Eddie and Tai Young. The Laus minister for a church in Malaysia and have strong connections to several associated with Tachikawa. The sermon was in Chinese with Japanese translation, and the singing was in Japanese, Chinese, and English (at least!), but it was one Spirit throughout. We even had a visitor pop in for service who had recently arrived in Tokyo via hitch-hiking. He had come to the big city to try his luck in the local music scene. Eddie went above and beyond for the Kid’s Worship time by learning “This Little Light of Mine” in Japanese and then helping lead the kids in a couple of verses.

Of course, nothing puts a finishing touch on a combined worship like heading upstairs for a potluck fellowship meal! What a wonderful way to continue the morning’s worship through sharing a meal and getting to grow closer as a family. A great time was had by everyone (even our new hitch-hiking friend!). After everyone had been through the line and were mostly settled, we sang “Happy Birthday” to those celebrating in June. Then we took a moment to recognize anyone who was celebrating an anniversary. Finally, a few of us stood in turn and shared something encouraging. It really is amazing what sense of family is present here.

The Family Music Class from Sunday morning was great fun. It also ends up being a true source of exercise as well! It has been neat seeing the growth that is occurring in these kids. Watching the parents enjoying these times together with their children has been encouraging, too. For the ones who have been coming more often (and continuing from last Summer), it is good to see relationships begin to deepen. It is our prayer that the interaction they have in this space will be positive and meaningful. As they find a sense of community in these classes, we remain hopeful that the Spirit will use these relationships to stir the hearts of those who come. You never know who will recognize the “light on the hill” that we are shining and who might be drawn to its glow.

After the fellowship meal was over, Emily and I packed our bags and headed out for the first of two destinations. Leslie and Sara Taylor, along with their children Cambria, Madeleine, and Boston, are missionaries working with the Matsudo Church of Christ to the northeast of Tokyo. One of our goals for this trip was to find some time to visit with them to discuss some of the more practical considerations of becoming full-time missionaries. They initially worked with Brent and Sandy Rogers in an area southwest of Tokyo before working with Matsudo alongside Steve Carrell. After returning to the states for a little while, the Taylors returned to Matsudo a few years ago where they are leading an exciting and growing ministry. To our pleasant surprise, they suggested that we come over and spend a couple of nights at their house so that we would have plenty of time to get to know each other and chat. What a blessing this time was! I had originally planned to sit down for a more business-like chat over topics like moving our belongings, VISA paperwork, language schools, health insurance, and others. However, by staying over a couple of nights, we were able to simply dwell with this family who welcomed us into their home so freely. God knew that is what we both needed, and the encouragement gained by all of us was profound. We did end up talking about most of our list, but more importantly we sat down to play cards, took walks around the neighborhood, gave space to share about personal struggles and triumphs, and got ourselves out of God’s way. The Taylors are a sweet family and I am excited to watch the Matsudo church as they continue Kingdom work in the days to come.

Normally, these weekly reports cover Wednesday through the following Tuesday, but after visiting the Taylors, Emily and I caught a ride Tuesday morning with Leslie to the Nationwide Minister’s Conference at a mountain lodge in Nagano prefecture. So, I’m ending this report a day early and I’ll pick up Week 3’s Tuesday as part of Week 4’s report. In the meantime, here’s my parting shot for this week. Emily and I regularly go up to the church roof in the evenings. Sometimes we are hoping to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji, other times it’s to check out the sunset, and occasionally we just go up looking for a cool breeze. During one recent evening, Emily noticed a bright light in the distance and wondered if it might be Tokyo SkyTree, the tallest structure in Japan and one of the tallest in the world. It is almost 41 km away from Tachikawa (a little over 25 miles) and takes about 90 minutes to reach by express train. Sure enough, the next time we were on the roof in daylight, I was able to get a zoomed in picture that was clear enough to confirm that Emily was right! For reference, I put an inset of an arial shot of SkyTree to compare. Even Nao was amazed that SkyTree is visible from Tachikawa. Crazy!

~ Clay

Our second week in Japan has been a busy one. This Sunday was especially full. I preached on the topic of prayer. More than simply making requests of God, prayer is a powerful avenue for deepening our relationship with Him. I even featured prayer in the children’s sermon as a way to talk to God relationally (like using the phone in the picture above). Most of the time, when prayer is seen in Japanese society it is someone who approaches a shrine with some sort of request (a good harvest, success in a business venture, health for a family member, etc.). Many shrines even venerate a diety who “specializes” in answering one particular type of request. So, I wanted to impress on the kids this week that prayer is actually more like the conversations we have with each other. It’s relational.

Like last week, there was a new visitor! He spoke Chinese, so another member sat near him and quietly translated the service to him. There were also some friends visiting from Malaysia and California, too. If I counted correctly, there were people from at least six different countries attending service that morning. I am reminded often of how relatable Christ is no matter our background, language, or culture. I believe Paul refers to something similar when he uses the phrase “mystery of the Gospel.”

Thursday morning we welcomed our first Family Music Class participants. Some of the families are returning from last Summer, but there were some new faces as well. A year makes such a difference at this age! We are grateful for the opportunity to connect and form relationships in such sweet moments, and we are looking forward to future classes when we are joined by those who couldn’t come this week.

Our first Casual Party was held Sunday afternoon and it was a fun time of fellowship! Last Summer we featured a display on Tennessee for the participants to interact with. This Summer we decided to feature my home state – Texas. Some months ago, when Emily and I traveled to see my family, we made a stop at the large visitor’s center in Texarkana and (with their blessing) took a large stack of plastic bags, posters, postcards, and brochures from all across the state. I also introduced the group to Tejano music! Everyone was especially curious about some facts regarding distances and speed limits. 🙂 During the party, we served popcorn, caramel creams, and trail mix along with two flavors of Kool-aid. I also guided everyone through a party game called “Google Translation Mix-up.” I asked everyone to write an amusing sentence about themselves in their native language and then gathered their statements for the game. For each statement, I used Google Lens on my iPad to translate their handwritten sentence from Japanese to English. Then I pointed my iPhone at the iPad and used Google Lens again to translate the English back to Japanese! Sometimes the translation was amazingly accurate. At other times, it resulted in some rather funny mis-translations. A great time was had by all.

To round out the very busy schedule Sunday, we met with two groups for meals. Emily and I joined the Tachikawa servants committee meeting to enjoy a bento lunch together and discuss future mission plans. We are grateful for the hospitality and welcome shown to us by our brothers and sisters here, and we look forward to the possibility of returning next year full-time. Many details are still to be decided, and the next steps in finding full-time support are on the horizon. It is a daunting process, but we are trying our best to listen to the Spirit and trust in God’s timing. If He wants us here, then I’m confident that He will give us the means to accomplish what needs to be done.

For dinner Sunday evening, we were invited to join a meal with the group visiting from Malaysia and California. Sue Ling (pictured behind Emily) and her husband Shuichi (in the red shirt) took us all to a restaurant in the local mall serving traditional Japanese fare. The couple in the back right are from Malaysia where he is a preacher. The couple in the back left are good friends who now live in California. Sue Ling knew them when she also lived in Malaysia. The lady in front of Emily is a Tachikawa regular who spends part of each year in Malaysia as well. It was a good evening getting to know everyone a little bit better.

Tuesday afternoon, we braved the hot conditions and got out to visit a couple of shops that we went to last year. One location (first three pictures above) was a sushi and dango shop that Emily remembers from her childhood. The shop is a simple counter right there facing the curb with a second space behind it for preparing items for sale. The rest of the building behind and above is their home. If you look carefully, you might notice that she is adding up our purchases using an abacus. She was quick! Since most of it was handmade that morning, she urged us to make sure and eat it within a day for it to taste the best. It was delicious! The other location (the fourth picture) is an old-style, traditional sweet shop where we purchased some treats to bring back as gifts (and a couple to enjoy ourselves). The lady running the shop remembered us from last Summer!

Although the last couple of days have been sunny and hot (95°F), we are technically still in the rainy season here in Tokyo. We managed to get out for a nice long walk through the neighborhood and another one down to the local mall before the heat set in. Emily is always on the lookout for interesting things to see, and she snapped some pictures of flowers alongside the road (and an interesting-looking manhole cover). Space is very limited here in the city, so it is common for people to grow flowers in places where everyone can enjoy them. The white hydrangeas above are a good example. Of course, some flowers are “volunteer” plants growing in common spaces or other opportune spots. The beautiful passion flowers above are actually growing up through a hedge that runs along the sidewalk in front of a local civic gymnasium.

It feels like Mt. Fuji has been playing hide and seek these first two weeks. So, for my parting shot(s) this week here are a few snaps of Fuji-san that Emily managed to capture from either the roof of the church building or one of the monorail platforms. You know it is always there, but often it can be hard to see. It’s worth stopping for a moment when you notice it showing. There’s a kid’s sermon in there somewhere, I think!

~ Clay