Day 6, Slow Morning, Clinic, BBQ & Game

     So tired all of us, but most everyone talked about how they woke up around 4-5 and it was so light out it was hard to get back to sleep.  Fortunately, the schedule had planned for a slow morning of a late breakfast and showers.  Breakfast was good, but it was the first time that I had corn on the cob for breakfast (see picture).  After breakfast, Mike lead us in a time of worship.  It was so good to have Mike be able to join us and lead us in a worship time too.  After leading us in worship, Mike lead us in our Japanese song.  Pastor Hasui even sang a solo for us.   Following worship, Pastor Hasui did some orientation, including some history of Christianity in Japan (see the book Silence by Shuzaku Endo).  Paul then went over our schedule for the next two days.
     Since our goal is to build relationships here,
it was good to see some fruit of that twice this morning.  First, we were visited by Kohei Nakamura (& Chieko) who became a Christian on a Seahorse tour in 1997 (Nakamura's Story, 1min).   In talking with Chieko, I discovered that one of the college boys from 1999, who accepted Christ after our visit there, is now a pastor in Nagoya.  Another example of hitherto unknown fruit and the benefits of long-term ministry.  Next, we were visited by two girls from the Sangyo University soccer team.  They came to hang with the team, and to even join us in the two games we will play today.  This was exciting as this is what the ministry is all about---building continuing relationships.  One of the girls, Yuka, will be coming to the States for a home stay in the Biola area.  It is nice to watch the girls relating even as I am writing this.
     At 2:00pm, we left for our afternoon clinic with the Tahara FC (football club).  There was about an hour of clinics and then an hour of playing games.  There were junior high boys and elementary school girls.  After the games, we sang our song and Briana gave her testimony.
     Then our bus driver, who is also the president of the football club, took us to his greenhouse (his business of growing flowers) where he prepared a BBQ dinner for us.  SOOO much food, especially considering the girls had to play again at 7pm.  Again, it was good to watch the girls relating to our hosts.
     At 7pm, we went back to the same field and played several 20 minute games.  We split into two teams (& were joined by Nana & Yuka) and played against the FC Papas (Hasui's team of over 50's) and a team of men from another local church.  We sang our team song after the game, and Ray gave his testimony.
    In order to relieve Pastor Hasui from having 20 people tromp through his house again to take a shower, he had arranged for several families to take the girls home for showers there.  One of the girls (Natalie) got into a conversation (as much as possible) with a guy about who we were and why we were hear.  She asked him if he wanted to know more and he promptly got up and left the room---not because he was offended, but, as it turns out, to get a Japanese/English dictionary so he could ask about what the "kingdom of heaven" and "hell" meant.  Michele finished her shower and took over the conversation as Natalie left.  Eventually they left him with one of our brochures.  Wow.  Something as simple as taking a shower turns into a seed planted, and we already saw earlier today some results of those earlier seeds.  God is sure creative!
Pictures
Day 6 Video Montage

     I did not have access to be able to get the movies off of the main movie camera, so here is the video from Day 3 of the girls singing the team song for the first time to the Biola girls.  Very good for a first time.
Team Song