GCC :: Japan Team 2010

Worship at Azumino Family Chapel (in Japanese!)

Taiko drumming at Matsumoto Castle

Well, it’s 6:25(!!) AM on Monday. We have Internet access, and my body won’t let me sleep anymore. The combination of those two conditions makes for an ideal time to write here and let all of you know what we’ve been doing.

Yesterday’s church service went well. Tammy (Jon Junker’s wife) translated for us so we could understand Jon’s message, and I played the piano for not only the songs that our team was singing, but for songs that the congregation was singing. I gave my testimony during the service, and a young man named Andrew gave his testimony during the luncheon afterward. Andrew has been here for two or two-and-a-half years teaching English, and is about to travel to the United States with his fiancée to begin graduate school.

After church, and after the luncheon, we handed out tracts in some new housing developments around Abundant Life Church. It has been really fascinating to see the houses and the apartments of the Japanese people here. I feel like I’m learning a lot about the Japanese culture, and I’m sure I can say the same for the rest of the team.

After we handed out tracts, our groups met up back at church. We grabbed our towels and toiletries, and headed out for Utsugushigahara Onsen (Utsugushigahara Hot Springs/Public Bath). I wish I had taken more pictures here, because the scenery was beautiful. These hot springs are situated a short distance up one of the mountains that are constantly surrounding us. I’m could probably write an entire, separate entry about this experience alone. We got in for free because one of the English-speaking Japanese men at Abundant Life Church, Takahashi-san, is a travel agent and seems to know the owner of every establishment in Matsumoto. The way this works, in case you were wondering, is that after the men and women split off to different changing rooms, you take off all of your clothes and carry around a small white towel to cover your frontside. You then enter the bathing area—there’s lots of gray stone, and it looks really traditional—and pick out a bathing stall. There’s a stool, a shower nozzle, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shaving cream and individually-wrapped disposable razors. You have to wash yourself before you enter the actual onsen. After you wash yourself (and dry yourself with your little towel, so you don’t drip water everywhere), you wring the towel out and carry it to the springs. You do not, under any circumstances, let this towel into the water; you sit it at the side of the springs or wear it around your head like a headband. At this point, you just soak for awhile and talk to people. If you’re looking to foster relaxed, open communication amongst group of same-gendered people, I don’t think you can do any better than an onsen. After you finish soaking, you get back out, dry yourself off with that little towel, wash yourself again, and dress. I’ll say this: I’ve never felt so clean in my life. I’d do this on a daily basis, given the opportunity. I’ll report on behalf of the ladies that when they entered the changing rooms, they felt pretty unsure about the whole thing; they returned after their baths as true believers.

I used a traditional Japanese toilet yesterday. I’m not going to say any more on that subject.

When we left the hot springs, we went to see a taiko drumming performance at Matsumoto Castle. If you’re unfamiliar with this, it’s basically small (or medium, or large) groups of men playing big drums with elaborate dances and motions. I feel like that description makes it sound sort of unexciting, but I took some pictures and I took a short video on my cell phone that I’ll try to post here later. (The cell phone video is undoubtedly awful. Don’t get your hopes up.)

After taiko, we went to a sushi restaurant where the food comes out on conveyor belts that run around to all of the tables and back to the kitchen. You just grab whatever looks good as it moves by, or if you want something special you use a touchscreen at your table to order it, and it comes out with your table’s number next to it so nobody else takes it. As opposed to the United States, you can actually count on people here not to take your food.

Once we’d had our fill of sushi… actually, I’d like to note here that the sushi is surprisingly affordable. You pay ¥100 per plate, on which could hold three or four pieces, or one big piece. My table, consisting of Jon Junker, Bart Nation (a new English teacher in the area), Rebecca and myself consumed 31 plates. This works out to basically $8.75 per person for all the sushi we could eat (and all of the complimentary green tea we could drink). Green tea here is plentiful everywhere and it’s often free.

Anyway, once we’d had our fill of sushi, we (Jon, Andrew, and I) dropped Bart of at the train station so he could get back to his apartment in Shiojiri. Then we went to the grocery store to pick up some snacks and some breakfast food. Andrew had ¥2000 worth of free food coupons for the grocery store (Apple Land Delicioso, if you were curious) so we procured some food on the cheap.

Then we slept.

This morning, we’re eating breakfast and navigating on our own to the Matsumoto train station, then we’re riding to Matsumoto Castle. This is really just a short training course on how to navigate the Japan Rail (JR) system when we’re in Tokyo, which is many orders of magnitude more complex.

It’s 7:05 AM here. I woke up at 6:00, and I’m making french toast for the team. We’re about to eat some breakfast, and then we’re going to Abundant Life Chapel for the day, and spending the night there as well. We’re singing and giving testimonies during the service this morning, and they’re having a luncheon in honor of our arrival and in honor of the departure of some of their congregants. After lunch, we’ll be handing out tracts in the surrounding area.

We’re going to a hot springs/public bath this afternoon. It should be, uh, awkward. Don’t worry, Christians; it’s gender-segregated.

Tonight, we’re going to eat dinner at a restaurant and celebrate Justin-san’s birthday. Woo-hoo twenty-two!

Tomorrow, we are going to travel on our own to Matsumoto Castle. This means we have to navigate the JR (Japan Rail) lines as a team. We’ll meet Andi and Jun there. It’s nice to be able to learn a bit about Japanese culture.

I don’t know if I’ll have Internet, or if I’ll be able to update in the next 36 hours or so.

Ohayoo gozaimasu! (Good morning!)

Statues from a Buddhist shrine

When one of the Shinto shrines was renovated, the donors names were engraved on a plaque at the front.

We’re in Japan.

WE’RE IN JAPAN!!!!!

We’ve heard back from Takeshi Koiwai and Jon Junker: we’re going to be in Japan from July 27th until August 9th.

Continue praying that God will use us to draw others to Him, and pray for our team as we continue to plan.

We received the go-ahead from the Missions Board this evening; we’re going to Azumino City, Nagano, Japan! The team consists of Patrick Wilson (myself), Justin McEachron, Rebecca Linn, Sara Linn and Lucy Helzerman, whose last name prompted me to hunt her down on Facebook to confirm its correct spelling.

If you’re reading this, our desire is that you pray for our team as we begin meeting together and organizing lesson plans for teaching English to Japanese students, and as we begin the process of raising support for our trip. Be praying even now for the people that we will reach in Japan; pray that we can serve and encourage the Japanese church, and that we can advance God’s kingdom.

I look forward to keeping you updated as we plan as a team for our trip.

In Christ,

Patrick Wilson