Day 2, Afternoon Orientation, Scrimmage, Dinner

     After relaxing watching Brazil get embarrassed by Germany, we were blessed to hear from Yukiyo Matsumoto.  Paul met her at a Seahorse game as she was the trainer for the other team.  She agreed to come to our orientation meeting and tell us what young people in Japan are like from her perspective.  She is a Christian now but wasn't when she came to the States.  Her story is quite amazing.  See the tab for "A Japanese Perspective."  After Yukiyo, the team was off for more practice and an intrasquad scrimmage.  Then dinner at Chipotle, and back to bed.  Pictures.

Day 2, Morning practice, orientation & lunch, typhoon update, 7/8/14

    A relatively easy morning.  Some slept real well, and some didn't sleep much at all.  After breakfast at the host families, we had soccer practice at 8:30 where coach Ray ran the ladies through some drills.  After practice, we went to the La Mirada regional center for some more orientation on the spiritual battle to be faced, and building relationships, even if it is only a single contact.  After orientation, we went to Chick-fil-A for lunch and then on to Paul's to watch Brazil vs. Germany in the World Cup (we adjusted our orientation schedule to make time.)  Prayer:  We have several members with colds and 1 with a hamstring tenderness.  Praise:  The update from Okinawa is that the emergency has been declared over and our worship leader Mike Gentry said they survived with minor damage and will see us in a few days.    Pictures.

Day 1, Welcome and Orientation

   It was a great start to the trip.  13 of the girls (2 are arriving tomorrow, and 2 are in Japan already) arrived and spent a leisurely evening getting to know each other.  We spent some time by the pool introducing ourselves, dinner, and then an orientation introduction as to what would happen in the next two days.  Staff members Susan & Gil gave some of their insights from prior trips and Paul finished with some initial orientation.  After closing in prayer, we passed out equipment and then it was off to the host family homes.  Tomorrow we will show a video on God's Fingerprints in Japan. It is a wonderful video (length, 31:11), showing how God has prepared the Japanese to see him through their own culture, a "redemptive analogy" kind of thing.  See the "God's Fingerprints in Japan" tab.   Pictures.

In His Service,
Gil

Japanese Song to Learn

     The post that had been done in March with the links to the Japanese song has expired.  That is, those links to YouTube are for some reason no longer valid.  Here are new links to the song in different versions of "God Bless You."

Solo Lady voice
Mens voices
Korean Japanese version
With Guitar Chords
Choir version
Special version
English version

Please Pray---Typhoon is coming

Hello All,

    So it has begun.  Please be praying as a SUPER Typhoon is headed for Japan---Okinawa and then the mainland (for news, see link).  In addition to praying for the people, this could directly impact the tour.  One of the staff, our worship leader Mike Gentry, lives in Okinawa with his wife who is stationed there.  If the damage is too bad, he won't be able to come on the tour.  "And the men marveled saying, 'What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him.' "  Matthew 8:27

In His Service,
Gil