Matt: "They Called Me A Zucchini"

So going into this blog I thought that I didn't blog yesterday...I checked and...oops, I did...haha (I blame the heat/being tired.)

So...today...was our second-to-last day of VBS. We had rushed morning because we had to send our luggage to Nokendai from the Send Center. When we arrived, we got in a circle to pray and worship. (It was interesting leading on a piano ten feet away...?)

VBS started. Lucky everyone else, I was the "MC" who intro-ed the theme for the day: Forgiven By Jesus. I used Tim and Vincy in a skit; they were two friends I was trying to be friends with...and they shunned me.(so typical...just kidding...) In the end, the two friends felt conviction and asked me for forgiveness. The skit ended with all three of us going off to see whales...? ...yeah...I thought so...but it worked... I feel like the Holy Spirit spoke through me in my proceeding talk. He is mighty.


Then we split and had another skit...hey that rhymed...(sorry...couldn't help it...) Susan told the story of Peter's denial of Jesus. Tim was Peter. I was Jesus. (I know what you're thinking, parents of mine. Fitting, desu ne?) After the skit, I made a bead cross and also helped an older gentleman pastor make one...man, my Japanese sucks...it was fun!


To close the day, we had our usual closing in song...except the music didn't work so I played it on the piano... (AHHHH!!!!!!!!!) It ended up going okay! Tim, Vincy, and Elliot led the motions while I screamed the words and played as loudly as I could...haha.


PE in the Parque! Tom set-up a cool "teach the teacher" day. The kids did some crazy/weird handstand thing etc...(<--did you catch that?) It was neat! Then the kids pulled me in...ouch...that's all I have to say...

We went home and I was tired. (that was a weird sentence...probably cuz I AM tired...) About fifteen minutes before dinner I got hungry. I made (er...toasted) to pieces of bread (you put bread in toasters - not toast) and ate ice cream. Fifteen minutes later, dinner was oishi and Tim and I spent the rest of the night punishing Elliot Reasoner and Brandon Nakamura for being little annoying kids (euphemism). They called me a zuccini. OH!!!!! And I played the second most amazing guitar ever (behind my Taylor guitar!)!!!!!!! A beautiful 31yearoldguitar!!!

I can't believe tomorrow's our last day of VBS. We've got a barbecue tomorrow and hopefully a lot of the parents will show. I think this is goodnight...

Blessings!
Matt Sekijima

Susan - Day 4 VBS - Forgiven by Jesus

Today's story was about Peter denied knowing Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. I narrated the story while Tim (played Peter), Matt (played Jesus), and Vincy (played the girl who asked if Peter was a follower of Jesus). We also involved the kids in the story by having them be the angry people who arrested Jesus (Matt), and crowed like a rooster. The skits really helped the kids get a better understanding of the story (good job guys, and Vincy!). For application I said that when Peter denied knowing Jesus, it hurt Him. In the same way when we say we don't want to believe in Him, it hurts Jesus. Then I asked them, "do you want to believe in Jesus?" and to my surprised the younger kids all raised their hands. For the older kids, one guy raised his hand half way and said "I believe half way". It was an encouragement and definately a seed has been planted in the hearts of these children.

Tomorrow I will be Emceeing and give a brief introduction to the last story of VBS - Living for Jesus. The story is about Peter demonstrated Jesus love and power when he helped the lame man. I'm not comfortable talking in front of an audience and not sure how to introduce the story since it's about living for Jesus and almost all the kids are non-believers. Please pray for me!!

Shirley: Rain Rain Go Away...

There are thunderstorms forecast for the whole Saturday-Sunday weekend, and then more possible rain and thunderstorms all next week! Wonder what will happen to the summer fireworks scheduled for August 1 in the neighboring park tomorrow...hm?

Please pray that the Lord would change the weather for us, since our park games are from 1-3PM at NBF and are all OUTSIDE! We do not have use of the facility after 12:30PM on Monday and Friday. This is the first time Japan's rainy season has interfered with VBS at NBF. Perhaps it will clear up still. We are PRAYING for clear skies and will even put up with the heat if the Lord sends this rain back to the Pacific Northwest where it should be!

Matt: "Ultimate Frisbee; Ultimate Humidity; Ultimate Japanese Cheesburgers"

Good morning to you! It is 12:36 AM in Washington. Oh boy...what a day...it was hot...but not as hot as back home!!! I love God's sense of humor! Who would've thought that Japan would be cooler than Washington! Irony is a beautiful thing.

My first recollection of today was Vincy in my face shouting, "Wake up, wake up!!!" It was...quite the way to wake up...I prefer my alarm clock, though...

We ate breakfast (with potatoes for the 60th day in a row), had a prayer/worship time, and took off for the Send Center. (Huh, sounds like the same sentence from last blog...oh well...)

Today we had VBS...right...you already knew that...can't think of anything to say right now...probably because I'm tired... Oh! We ate Japanese style(?) burgers today! It was good! And interesting! I'll upload pictures later - don't worry! ;)

PE in the Park was ultimate frisbee... Some kids got hurt, but that's okay; it was fun! And we had a looooong debrief for about an hour and a half...(Alisha says it was 15 million years...I think she has an exaggeration problem...) Those are always fun...(that actually wasn't sarcastic...)

We're going shopping later...five minutes...what should I buy? Oh! Poke'mon stuff, you say??? Okay!!! Sounds good; thanks for your input! My right foot's asleep...just thought you'd want to know...

(later that night)

g2g, guys...sorry! (or maybe not sorry if you don't like my writing...)

Blessings!
Matt Sekijima

Thank God for a great team, we all get along so great and having so much fun. It's great to worship God in the morning after breakfest. God's been so good for our housing, weather. Washington has hotter weather than us. The kids and Moms are enjoying the VBS and PE in the park. It's great to see the shy kids singing and doing the motion when they just stand there at the begining. We've been passing out tracts to people around the Send Center for last 2 days and praying for them.

Tom: Today is Hump Day.

Today is what we teachers call Hump Day. We are half way through the work week and it is all down hill to the weekend. Day 1 started out a little shaky because we got way behind schedule. We made some adjustments and things went very well. We had many returnees and some new faces. Our first PE @ the Park was lawn fishing, in this case dirt fishing. It started out slowly with only a few children but by the time was ended we had a park full of children cast the fishing rods and catching the plastic fish. We had an added bonus. Children from the neighborhood who were not apart of the VBS started coming and watching. We encouraged them to participate. They had a great time. We invite them to come to the VBS too or at least come the next day for more PE @ the Park. Thus far they haven't come but we've been praying that they will.

Matt: "God Works Miracles - My Mac Has Internet"

Oh, what a day... Yesterday was fun. Our first day of VBS! The kids were great (and quite possibly crazy) and had a lot of energy. I remember when I had that much energy...it was a scary thing. ;) Anyway, the kids were actually doing the motions/singing the songs! It was so encouraging! God is working here. After VBS, we had our "PE in the Park." We did some (really fun) fishing thing that Tom put together. It got warm...and fun...

Despues de PE in the Park, we split into two (haha, inTO TWO) groups to prayer walk and put tracks (tracs/tracts/sp?) in mailboxes. I was with Janis, Kelly, Sharon, and Jon. We walked around the neighborhood and I bought a Coke (some more false advertising) for 120 yen. There was another Coke the same size for 150 yen...(......???) so I picked the 120 yen Coke...I think that was smart...

For dinner we had amazing curry and amazing ice cream. Tim and I hung out with the Reasoner and Nakamura kids afterward. They drained me...it was still fun...

--

And now today...got up this morning, ate breakfast, had a worship/prayer time, and took off for the Send Center. The kids were nicer to me today! Everything went smoothly...for the most part... Today's PE in the Park was American football. It was HOTTTTTT!!! But hey, I here it's actually hotter back home than it is here! It's only in the 80s...really humid, though... Sorry that you guys have like 100 degree weather! I quite like God's sense of humor.

We're going to have our debrief soon and go on a prayer walk. I'm tired... Thank you for reading! (When we go out to eat, I will give you the full report you've been waiting for!) ;)

Matt Sekijima

VBS lives on....

Awe...The pictures of the students at TMK's VBS brings back great memories from being on the team last year. It's exciting to hear that all went wonderfully. We have a good God. So glad we can rely on Him.

Hey--I feel like I am empathizing with you all with the time change and the humidity. I am only getting 4-5 hours of sleep due to the heat. It was 86 degrees at 10pm last night in the Seattle area! Hopefully it will only last a few more days.

Rejoicing with you all and praying for fruit as you shine the Son of God in the land of the rising Sun. Patti

TOM: WHY WE ARE HERE!

Susan - 1st day of VBS

We have 12 confirmed kids registered, but we were blessed with 17 today, 5 were new and 12 were returnees from last year VBS. The bible story is from Matthew 4:18-20, where Jesus chooses fishermen to be his disciples. Fishermen were not considered the most accepted people at the time but they were loved and accepted by Jesus. So, for craft we made fishes, life size fishes that the kids decorated with colored tissue papers. The fishes were later used in recreation where they were given a real fishing pole to fish for their fishes. Afterward we went to the park and Tom Higashi had them play another fishing game, the game turned out to be a blessing because it drew new kids in and we took the opportunity to invite them to come to VBS and some of them wanted to come. Well, that's it for today. I'm really excited to see what God will bring us tomorrow.

Our first VBS Day -- Janis

Too many words, thoughts and feelings right now... How can I express the wonderful time we had today? Wonderful turnout (17 children), good time with parents (and grandparents), and of course, good times with each other (the team). Yes, we're still laughing up a storm even though in the evenings we're tuckered out! :)

I know I'm repeating myself, but Tom and I agree, this team can only be described as "God given". Each person is working in their strengths and talents. And the energy, morale is strong. I am looking forward to the rest of our trip.

But to who ever reads this, please (continue to) pray for the salvation of the people of Japan (young and old), stamina for the team, and encouragement for the Nakamuras, Reasoners & Tamuras.

Thank you
janis

Matt: "Grape Jello and Coin Purses...It Rains in Japan?"

Hello! How are you? Me? Oh, I'm doing well; thank you for asking...

Okay, let me give you a rundown of my day today! I woke up at about 6AM...this time I blame the timezone switch... (Actually, I first woke up at like 5 because Mr. Morning Person Tom Higashi was up early on the computadora.) I played the guitar and helped "cook" breakfast ("cooked" potatoes; are you proud of me, Mom???).

After we ate, we took off for the Send Center to set-up the VBS.
(I got a little distracted by the amazing YAMAHA grand piano...such a beautiful piano...I think I'll take it home with me.) We had an intro to the upcoming week of VBS and then went to a market to buy food. Oh, yes! You're probably really excited because I'm gonna tell you ALL about the food! I bought chicken karage, gyoza, and two trays of rice...it was SOOOO good! The chicken had this ginger thing going on and it was quite tasty. Don't worry, the gyoza and rice were good, also. I really wanted to speak some Japanese so I went up to some woman who worked there and asked her if my gyoza plate was gyoza (even though I knew what it was...yeah...I'm not weird at all...) ...I'm pretty sure that was a run-on sentence...oh, well...


Later, some of us went to a park. I drank this bizarre grape/jello drink (ew) and went to a 100 yen shop. I bought a coin purse!!! Ah, so awesome!!! I went outside to find it raining (what the heck?) and hung out there for a while.

Now, I'm back at the Send Center. I'm looking forward to tomorrow...it IS what we came here for...I'm praying that God will use us as He desires and that He will reach the children of Japan. I know He is sovereign and powerful; I can't wait to see what He will do here. (Okay, g2g [haha], Tim wants his computer back...)

Blessings!

Matt Sekijima

Shirley: Welcome JMT to Japan

We prayed for you exactly at 3:30PM yesterday at NBF, just as you landed in Narita International Airport. That is our usual prayer request time during our service, so call it coincidence or something only the Lord could time so exactly.

We are thankful for so many answered prayers already, your safe arrival, travel, sustained health, and housing up in Tokorozawa with the SEND missionaries. We will continue to pray for a fruitful week of VBS at TMK this week and look forward to seeing you all down in our area the evening of August 1. By the way Janis, there are fireworks at 7:30PM in the park across from our place that evening, August 1, just so you know. Hope you all will have enough energy left to go watch with us!

Many blessings,
Shirley

Tom: We made it!

We made it to Japan without any problems. Don't believe weather.com or weatherunderground though. They were only off by 10 degrees. Todays high was 96 not 86 as those weather websites said. We were met at the airport by Richard Nakamura, one of the missionaries here. We are getting settled in a great apartment about 20 minutes from the church where are to do our first VBS. We are next door neighbors to our host, Jon and Chieko Reasoner. Thanks for your prayers and well wishes. I will try to keep you informed as the days go along. I'm a little wasted now. I'm the only one of the team that didn't sleep on the trip over. I will be writing again soon.
In Christ,
Tom Higashi 東

Matt: " 'The Wolf That Cried Liar' - I Can't Connect to the Internet From My Mac - It's Tylenol's Fault"

Hi! My name is Matt Sekijima and I'm sixteen years old. (Just thought I'd introduce myself.) Okay, I’m all over the place right now (;)figuratively, of course). The time zone change and ten-hour plane ride have totally messed with my head. About three hours into the flight, I took two Tylenol (oops, false advertising) PM. After about fifteen minutes, I started loosing it – just ask Sharon. Then, I fell asleep. That was probably one of the deepest sleeps I’ve ever had – just ask Tim, he could hardly wake me up for lunch. Ever since then, I’ve been acting kind of interesting. I blame the Tylenol. (The team’s been telling me that I’m talking weirdly and not making much sense…ridiculous…I always make sense…and boy, do I love sarcasm…) Oh, I almost forgot, here’s a (cool?) story about my retainer! Ready? Okay, I put it in a napkin on the tray and it got picked up later by a flight attendant. I didn’t realize until minutes before we landed that I lost it. I went to the back of the plane to look for it (in the tray carts) but I had to go back to my seat. Instead, a really nice flight attendant looked for it for me…nice guy… I went back to my seat and I felt the Lord telling me to look on the ground under my seat. There it was (in the napkin, don’t worry), my first God sighting of the trip! I was sooo thankful!

Anyway, today was looooong (as represented by the extended “long”). We’re at the house and the team’s been making fun of me because I can’t connect to the internet from my beloved Mac… EVERYONE else can get on except for me! They’re never gonna let this one go... I’m really tired and should probably go to sleep. Sorry that this blog hasn’t been very entertaining or informative…again, it’s Tylenol’s fault… Thanks for reading!

Matt Sekijima

Elaine: Thank God

Thank God for get us to Japan. It's night time and we are all on-line and having so much fun. Thank God for providing Housing for us.

Susan - First day in Japan

We arrived safely in Narita airport and met up with Richard Nakamura. We took the limosine bus down to Tokorozawa which is about a 2 hour ride to the Send Center. The team are staying at a missionary house next to the reasoner's. It's a nice spacious house. The guys are sleeping downstair and the girls plus Kelly & Sharon have the upstair room. It's been a long day traveling and we're all pretty tired so I'm going to wash up and get some sleep now.

Shirley: NBF's VBS Flyer

Here is our postcard flyer for this year's VBS program. Registration ends July 31, so we pray lots of kids would sign up before then. Summer break has just started, so we are working hard to enroll new students now.

Shirley: Prayer Request-H1N1 influenza

The H1N1 flu has finally hit our area. One of our kids from NBF has it now. He got it from a classmate's younger brother at a neighboring kindergarten where it is running rampant. One junior high school student is confirmed with it in the Yokohama area, also. Pray that it would not spread like it did in the Osaka area. Pray for the safety of the JMT as they prepare to travel to Japan.

Thanks.

Yes, I am in the 2009 Blog. Let's pray that we will reach a lot of parents and kids this year.

Susan - Ready for Japan's heat wave

12 days until we leave for Japan. I don't know about the rest of the team members, but I'm so ready for the heat in Japan (not so much the humidity though). It's July, but it feels like Fall here in Seattle, cold enough that my finger tips turned blue.

I can't wait to see Emma, Clara, and Mimi again, I missed you guys!

Shirley: Already July!

I cannot believe it is already July! VBS is around the corner and I feel so unprepared.

I am posting the July 6, 2009 Oswald Chambers Devotion I read today. Very inspiring, very convicting. May we all let Him have His way with us, to shape us into His likeness...
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Visions Become Reality
The parched ground shall become a pool . . . —Isaiah 35:7

We always have a vision of something before it actually becomes real to us. When we realize that the vision is real, but is not yet real in us, Satan comes to us with his temptations, and we are inclined to say that there is no point in even trying to continue. Instead of the vision becoming real to us, we have entered into a valley of humiliation.

Life is not as idle ore,
But iron dug from central gloom,
And battered by the shocks of doom
To shape and use.

God gives us a vision, and then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will become real if we will only have patience. Just think of the enormous amount of free time God has! He is never in a hurry. Yet we are always in such a frantic hurry. While still in the light of the glory of the vision, we go right out to do things, but the vision is not yet real in us. God has to take us into the valley and put us through fires and floods to batter us into shape, until we get to the point where He can trust us with the reality of the vision. Ever since God gave us the vision, He has been at work. He is getting us into the shape of the goal He has for us, and yet over and over again we try to escape from the Sculptor’s hand in an effort to batter ourselves into the shape of our own goal.

The vision that God gives is not some unattainable castle in the sky, but a vision of what God wants you to be down here. Allow the Potter to put you on His wheel and whirl you around as He desires. Then as surely as God is God, and you are you, you will turn out as an exact likeness of the vision. But don’t lose heart in the process. If you have ever had a vision from God, you may try as you will to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never allow it.