Two Weeks Left!
It’s crazy to think that my second summer here in Japan is rapidly coming to a close. The days have truly flown by! It’s been about a month since my last update, so let’s fill you in on all the recent projects and events…
Anna Gardner, Christina, Kanako, Kenshin, and I returned to Aoyama Gakuin, a Christian university in the heart of Tokyo, to perform in the Christianity 101 classes. The vast majority of students in attendance are not Christians.
Selfie with the first class!
It’s very common to have grown up in a nominally Christian high school because many Christian institutions are also academically excellent. Anna danced the story of Ruth, Kanako shared her life story as a Japanese-Christian, and we opened up a time of anonymous Q&A. While the room of 200+ students was dead silent, they had numerous insightful questions about life as a Christian. Many were curious if we ever doubt the Bible or how we can know that God really loves us. Below are a few of my favorite response sheets that the students submitted after class.
The next adventure was a weekend trip to Enoshima and Kamakura. A Japanese family that we are closely tied to invited us to stay at their house in Kamakura. Located an hour and a half train ride south of Tokyo, the area is know as the birthplace of Bushido (the Samurai code of Conduct) and the first Shogun’s residence. There were many conversations about Shintoism and Buddhism in comparison with Christianity.
Our little makeshift Japanese Family at the famous Hydrangea Temple
The view from Enoshima Island
As is our tradition, the interns all went to Tokyo Disney (using personal funds) for a little active rest day!
The castle at Tokyo Disney Land
Look at all our friends!
After sleeping and rehydrating thoroughly, it was time to help Kairos (RUF college ministry) at another large group event. The staff at Grace City Church is keeping a close eye on these events because, with our new permanent location amidst the highest concentration of universities in Japan, this partnership has immense potential for growth. At this event, we yet again had a team of 16 American college students in attendance during their week-long missions trip.
Last summer in Tokyo, we hosted a plethora of charity concerts and community events. This year has been a greater focus on moving the church to their new space and helping them settle in.
Anna Gardner dancing the story of Ruth
However, our largest event of the summer was the Art Life Faith “Artist Party” held July 3rd. At this event, six different artists exhibited their craft and talked about how it relates to their faith. We spent the day cooking food for the dinner portion. During the performance, there were two dancers, an advertising agency creative director, an illustrator, and I sang with a friend. (Harmonizing in Japanese while playing the guitar is no joke!)
A little update on Penelope Panda!
My book is almost fully translated to Japanese! I met with my lead translator and three other consultants to check the wording. Japanese tends to use many more characters than the English counterpart would. This poses a bit of a problem for a children’s book layout, so we often have to slightly condense the wording. I hope to officially publish the Japanese version before the end of my internship… better get busy!
The last bow at our joint exhibition
This past weekend, all the interns piled up into the Shinkansen (bullet train) to travel three hours south to the city of Nagoya. There, we showcased several different art projects at Gallery Nani and caught up with old friends from last year. I presented the full translation of Penelope Panda’s Peculiar Family in Japanese and discussed how we often base our identities in our situations. Ultimately, however, we find true worth as children of God.
And as an added bonus, we got to perform at a local Yochien (Preschool)! I sang “Into the Unknown” from Frozen 2 and “Amazing Grace” while Anna danced ballet for the kids. They thought she was a princess!
Our little impromptu performance
In my last three weeks, please be praying for:
Trying to discern if God is leading me towards long-term missions in Tokyo
That the faith of many new Christians in both Nagoya and Tokyo be strengthened
That my remaining time in Japan would be fruitful and glorifying to God