Japan Mission Team

  • Our Fearless Leader: Mr. Yeager
  • The Guys: Michael, Josh, Joe
  • The Gals: Rebecca, Evie, Amy
  • Our Hosts: Mr. and Mrs. Ogawa

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Schedule

We have an itinerary!
Here is our daily schedule, with specific prayer requests for each day.  UpTen is the mens' dorm where our guys will be staying.  They call their English-speaking Club "Guys Club", even though it is open to all students and even has more girls than guys!

May 15 (Thu)   Arrive at airport about 9:00a.m.  Flight  leaves 11:09 to Detroit.  Leave from Detroit 2:51 p.m. and arrive Tokyo 4:20 pm Friday (3:20 a.m US-Eastern time!!)
Pray for:  Safety, ability to sleep (on the plane) and team relationships; smoothness in going through customs, connecting with the rest of our team in the Tokyo airport (two are on a different flight from the US), getting tickets & taking trains first from airport to Nippori train station and from there to Sendai. 


May 17 (Sat)   It will probably be 10 pm Japan time before we arrive in Sendai.  Orientation, meet some students, tour campus, Izumi & Sendai downtown?

Pray for:  good first relationships and connections with students, quick adjustment to the new time zone, safety in travels around Sendai.


May 18 (Sun)   Drive to Matsushima for Sunday worship.

Pray for: good fellowship, safety in traveling to Matsushima.

May 19 (Mon)  Lunch with students.

Pray for: relationship building, grace & love in communicating.

May 20 (Tue)   UpTen Lunch Time.

Pray for:  good fellowship and relationship building.


May 21 (Wed)  Men's Bible Study at 8 pm.  Girl’s Night – crafts & activities to share American culture with them.

Pray for: open hearts, good sharing.

May 22 (Thu)    Guys Club meeting  & UpTen Night.

Pray for:  good fellowship, relationship building & boldness to witness.

May 23 (Fri)     Picnic, Movie, Cooking American meal (chili) for the students.

Pray for:  good fellowship, relationship building & boldness to witness.


May 24 (Sat)    Shopping downtown Sendai.
Pray for:  safety in travels around Sendai.

May 25 (Sun)   Visit church in Tsukidate and stay over night.

Pray for: relationship building, grace & love in communicating, safe travel up to Tsukidate.


May 26 (Mon)  Day off (Day alone with God).
Pray for: rest and personal growth as we reflect on the past events.

May 27 (Tue)   UpTen Lunch Time.

Pray for:  good fellowship, relationship building & boldness to witness.

May 28 (Wed)  Men's Bible Study at 8 pm.  Girls’ Night - hoping the girls will share Japanese culture with us.

Pray for: open hearts, good sharing.

May 29 (Thu)    Leave from Sendai early on train back to Nippori Station and then to the airport.  Those returning to U.S. leave Tokyo at 3:25 p.m. to St. Paul 12:20 p.m., from St. Paul 3:45 p.m. to Louisville 6:45 p.m. on May 29.

Pray for:  Safety in travels, smooth connections with trains and planes, and for part of our team as they continue on to China.

                                  

Special prayer request from BEST/Guys Club:

Now Guys club is still recruiting mode, last week 40-50 freshmen came.
They are mostly girls and few boys. We are praying for more boys come.

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Thursday, April 24, 2008

Reading

I have been reading and learning all about travel to Japan:
State.gov Travel Information:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1148.html
CIA World Factbook:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ja.html
World Travels Guide:
http://www.wordtravels.com/Travelguide/Countries/Japan
Japan National Tourist Organization:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/
Wikipedia Entry on Japan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan
Wikipedia Entry on Miyagi Prefecture:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyagi_Prefecture
Wikipedia Entry on Sendai:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sendai,_Miyagi
Wikipedia Entry on Customs and Etiquette of Japan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customs_and_etiquette_of_Japan
"The Japan FAQ" Site:
http://www.thejapanfaq.com/
"Jetset Japan" Site:
http://www.jetsetjapan.com/infozone.shtml

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Useful

Below are some useful products which I have acquired for my travels:

Packing Cubes, like these by Rick Steves, help keep my suitcase neat and in order: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PWIQHW

Microfiber Towels, like the Adventure line by Aquis, are lightweight, thin/compact, and dry very quickly. I liked the blueberry (navy) color best, but they are also available in seafoam and graphite:
Small (washcloth size): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AMA49K
Medium (hand towel size): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AMDOD8
Large (hair-drying size): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AM82R6
Extra-Large (bath towel size): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AMBF1Q

Pillow/Blanket, like the Nap Sac by Jet Set, has a surprisingly large blanket that folds up inside a little bag that turns into a pillow cover for the inflatable pillow: http://www.spoonsisters.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=17218&Category_Code=1014000&Product_Count=3

Messenger Day Bag, like this one by High Sierra, is a comfortable bag to carry around all day that has more room than a purse, but without the bulkiness of a backpack: http://www.ebags.com/high_sierra/mia/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=70442

Paper Soap, like this anti-bacterial hand soap paper, will be useful in restrooms that might not have soap available: http://www.spoonsisters.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=51312&Category_Code=1014000&Product_Count=78

Rolling Duffel Bag, like this one by Samsonite, is the largest that will fit overhead on the plane, and the wheels will make it easy to roll around the airport: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I1I6VQ

Point It Picture Dictionary, is a handy little book that doesn't require translation: http://www.spoonsisters.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=14903&Category_Code=1014000&Product_Count=45

Monday, April 14, 2008

Orientation

Since our group orientation last week, I have been busily researching customs and etiquette of Japan. There are seven in the mission team now. Our orientation focused on planning - what to pack, what to prepare for, and what to expect. Here are some examples.

Slippers: When entering a home (or hotel, or sometimes even a school), you are supposed to remove your shoes. Slippers are provided by the owner. I will make sure to pack shoes that are easy to slip on and off, as well as new socks, since everyone is going to see them! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customs_and_etiquette_of_Japan#Visiting_someone.27s_house

Ofuro: The Japanese generally lead very busy and stressful lives. A nice, hot soak at the end of the day is a great way to relax. A traditional Ofuro consists of a shower area for washing and a deep tub for soaking. This sounds just lovely... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ofuro

Toilet: Japan has both traditional "squat" toilets as well as modern Western toilets. The modern ones may have various electronic controls. Sometimes, the hand-washing sink is on top of the toilet's water tank, thus conserving water by using the drained water for the next flush. There are separate toilet slippers for use inside the restroom. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_toilet

Gifts: Oy, the gifts. We will be giving and receiving many gifts during our stay. Gifts are always given when visiting someone's house. I have selected several USA-themed items to bring with me to give to our hosts and others that we meet. Souvenirs are a big deal as well. I read that many Japanese are so focused on picking out just the right gifts to bring back to their friends and family that they miss out on actually enjoying their vacations! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customs_and_etiquette_of_Japan#Gifts_and_gift-giving

I am preparing my testimony to share when I am asked why I came to Japan. We hope to have opportunities to lead groups of students with songs and games. Pray that God will give me His Words to speak - that I will be prepared to answer any question, that I will not have language barrier issues, and that I will have a discerning spirit to know when to speak and when to listen.

-Aimi

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