Joy to the World the Lord has come!!! Yes, He has! And we have had some record numbers in our church services here in Noborito this Christmas season! Good seed is being planted and we are believing for a harvest of souls here in Japan! Glory to His Name! I cannot describe the joy in my soul when I see the Japanese people worshiping Jesus! Here are some photos of our Christmas Candlelight Service. The Christmas message and the choir was wonderful! And everyone loves playing with fire!
I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas Holiday and are looking forward to a great new Year!
Also this month we had a Baptism service. Four people were baptized. I love the way it is done here. It is a special time for the ones being baptized to give their testimonies and openly show their dedication to Christ. The joy of their salvation was evident. I was so moved by the way Christ has moved in each of their lives in such miraculous ways. What a loving God we serve!
After baptism, the parents and loved ones of each person being baptized, gives them a bouquet of flowers and hugs and kisses! So beautiful! Then all attendees posed for a photo! Say Hello to our new brothers and sisters in Christ!
What a blessing to witness the salvation of the wonderful people of Japan!
A week and a half ago I was asked to share a testimony at all three church services about the power of praise. Psalm 22:3 says, You are Holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. God has revealed Himself in my life through praise and what a privilege it was to share it.
December has been a busy month! We are preparing to launch a new Children's Church in the Fuse Jesus Community. The preparations and prayer meetings for this endeavor has begun. Please pray with us for all the necessary parts to come together. We need Japanese leaders, translators, quality supplies and a suitable place to have the services. Sounds like a lot! But we know our God is a big God!
Thank You for your prayers and being a part of the ministry to the children of Japan! I will keep you updated on the progress. If you have a heart to donate to this endeavor, send a check to PAZ Japan, c/o Project Amazon, PO Box 3253, Peoria, IL. 61612 and send a note designating it for the Fuse Jesus Community Children's Ministry. Arigato!
Thanksgiving was a special time here in Noborito. One of the cell groups put on a Thanksgiving Event. Many people were invited. We had quite a crowd! Almost none of the Japanese people attending had eaten turkey or pumpkin pie! Whaaattt!!! Of course there is no Thanksgiving here in Japan so we had to explain what it was.
And it all began as you might expect.....
Yes! At Costco! And we did stop for a bite of delicious pizza after our shopping extravaganza!
Then there is the business of all the cooking by so many people...then slicing and picking the turkey off the bones for serving. The crowd was too big to cut it up at the party so it had to be done ahead of time. Edilaine and I were up to our elbows in turkey parts. There was also pumpkin soup, pumpkin pies, rice and curry, macaroni and cheese, sashimi, and many other delicious dishes. Quite a multicultural spread! The faces say it all!
A wonderful time was had by all. Totemo oishiikatta! And the fellowship was even more delicious!
Family Camp took place in November near Mount Fuji outside the town of Gotemba. It was a three day camp filled with praise and worship, ministry regarding relationships and family, and sporting events that we could all get involved in.
Here Jenny and I are with Captain Yasu! He is the Associate Pastor of the Noborito Church and an awesome minister to the children.
The camp was gorgeous! It was very cloudy and cold most of the time but we caught an occasional glimpse of Mount Fuji.
Some pretty "WOW" shots I thought!
And God knows I love polka dots!!!
Jenny and I did take a day trip to Hakone with friends in November. It was a long train ride with beautiful views of changing leaves in the mountain passes.
We took the Ropeway up the mountain after arriving in Hakone.
At the top of the mountain you see steam shooting out of the ground all around from the volcanic activity below the surface. Eggs are carried in small ropeway baskets further up the mountain to a cabin where they are boiled in the hot springs of the volcano. The minerals in the water turn the eggs black. It's a real tourist attraction so we decided to have one. They taste like a normal boiled egg just more fun!
Many people went up the mountain to see the eggs being cooked. The sulfur was so strong in the air, I was coughing and wheezing and had to walk back down to safer air. I didn't get to see the process.
Views of Mount Fuji were breathtaking. I love this photo of Jenny and Fuji-San together.
At the top of the mountain there was also egg soft serve ice cream! Oh my goodness, Yes! If you want an egg up here, this is the way to have it!
As the grand finale, we took a ship across lake Ashinoko, which is actually a volcanic crater, to visit an aquarium. Here is one of the most interesting fish. I have never seen anything like it before. The photo does not show the size of this thing. It is huge!
It was a wonderful trip! Thanks to our wonderful friend Chitose in the photo with us below! She invited and took care of all the arrangements for the trip!
Last but not least, we were invited by Chitose and another of her friends to be special guests at a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony in Shinjuku.
I hope you enjoyed the photos of the past couple months here in Japan! I want you to know how important each of you are to me. My prayers are continually with you. Please remember the beautiful Japanese people in your prayers and the ministry here.
God bless you! Have a wonderful Christmas and a Powerful and Prosperous New Year!
Rhonda
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