Orientation, July 28-29

     Well, we are off and running.  The day(28th) started slowly in the afternoon as the team trickled in, playing cornhole (bean bag toss) and pool games.  Dinner was followed by some orientation, practicing ice-breaker games, passing out equipment, and then watching the video "God's Fingerprints in Japan" (this video is available in the header above).  It is a great video explaining how God has prepared in Japanese culture the concept of a Creator God, which we can tell them is the God of the Bible.  If you can, take time to watch it.
    Wednesday (29th) started off with practice at the Biola field, and then it was off to Todd's (coach) house for a morning brunch.  After brunch, it was back to Biola for another orientation session.
    Paul started off the afternoon session with some cultural orientation, including some stories of prior trips where mistakes were made, and were illustrative of what to avoid.  Paul spent some time discussing the importance of relationship in Japan.  It takes a long time for them to accept Christ, and even then it is usually because of a long-term relationship.  He stressed that if nothing else, our friendliness and cheerful spirit, and getting outside our comfort zones to establish relationship is key.   We also had a testimony workshop, where Paul discussed the importance of not using words that are Christian based (like "sin") but using words they would understand (like "wrong choices").  It also is not necessary that there be a spectacular change, but it is more about the process. Then we spent some time practicing songs.  In Japan, we will sing one American song, a simple, upbeat song that has a message that is easily translated.  This year's song is "I've Got a Friend (Ain't Nobody Like Him)".  The Japanese song is Kimi Wa.  It's basic message is in part "You were born to be loved, and you are receiving that love through your life.  The love from God that started since the beginning of your birth . . ." (see full Japanese song below for more detail) After song practice, we worked on several skits.  We usually do one serious skit with a spiritual message that can be translated.  We also have one or two funny skits for times when we are just hanging out with another team.  One is a spin-off of the skit with a person behind another sticking their arms through for feet.  This one is one person laying down, another kneeling on his waist covered by a towel doing yoga moves, but the legs are the 2nd person's legs.  The humor comes when others in the "class" try to duplicate this person's moves (see picture).  We have a creative and enthusiastic bunch of guys and it should be a lot of fun.
     After these sessions, there was a 45-minute break to relax, then the team split into two squads for a practice scrimmage.  Assistant coach Phil Yovino even got into the action.  Great job Phil!  After the scrimmage, we went to the Biola fire pit area for a pizza dinner and send-off with friends and family members.  We were treated to a devotional by Don Willett, a friend of Paul's who played at Biola with Paul, and who, among other things, founded the BOLD program at Biola.  The devotional was followed by the first public performance of our American song and our Japanese song.  The evening closed with a closing prayer by a Biola accounting professor Philip Massey, who has had 3 of the players in his classes (& 1 more next semester).
    For further enjoyment, we have the following for you to view.

Pictures. (Select the picture, then the info icon (white circle with the "i") for a description of the picture)
Video Montage
American Song (full version)
Japanese Song (full version, including song explanation)