The tokyo thing

So here's stuff to do in tokyo:

fish markets: 5am - whenever we get back home and sleep again.

disneyland (all day for some, just the night for others?)

ghibli museum (a couple of hours, do stuff in the vicinity)

one day's going to be church stuff

allow a day or 2 for being stuffed

allow a day or 2 for wandering around shopping and stuff

stuff includes: gardens, palace, harajuku, stuff that looks good when we get there.... lol i'm so out of it tonight

Jesus you're my Superhero!

Jesus you're my Superhero!
did this at a kids camp in my friend's church once..love it!!!
In Japanese maybe??

Testimony

before i begin, creature comfort is Jono Chua..some have fed back to me that they dun noe who Creature Comfort is and he writes really nasty posts like one of those Sydney Morning Herald North Shore Living, Liberal Voting journalists.. n i've had to say sheepishly that it was just a pathetic international student named Jonathan..

ok, just what is a testimonial? is it a tell all journal of dirty little secrets like Bridget Jones' Diary? a dashboard confessional that one tells to a minister in confidence, preferably of Anglican background, complete with white robes, Authorized Version and 1662 BCP in hand? Or is it a documentary of one's life up till that point, from birth till death, cradle to grave? As many of us will be heading off for mission soon and will probably be giving one in church..isn't this a pertinent question?

growing up in church back home in Singapore, we had Testimony giving each Sunday..n people would often come up n say stuff that wasn't all helpful for the congregation..n the Emcee would have to come up and pick up the pieces after that ..n i always hated how God's people could be so unhelpful to the Body Of Christ..talk about cutting off the nose to spite the face..

we should always be prepared to give a defence of our faith as 1 Peter says..and this is one of the aims of Testimony..to give a defense of our faith in Jesus Christ..and if our conversion experience helps to defend our faith in God's Son, so much the better..but if it clouds our defense, why say it?

And yes, it is about God's glory and ultimate glorification of Jesus, God's Son, which brings the Father most glory..n i can only think of Jesus' Transfiguration in Matthews' Gospel as the best example of how God gives Testimony that glorifies the Son..and ultimately the Father is glorified..and if God the Father gives Testimony that glorifies the Son, can we His children do anything else in our Testimony?

and there is another element of Testimony i believe: to challenge and encourage God's people..this is where we do need to quote Scripture, because through our Tesimony, we are pastoring and ministering to God's people, whether we like it or not..our Testimonies are used by God to work in His peoples' lives..that is why i'm praying and wracking my brains as to how in God's good Creation i should weave Jn 3:16 into my testimony that i'll need to give in Japanese this year.."everything must be proved by two or three witnesses"..if each of us who goes for SPRTE testifies to the goodness of God in sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins..that makes many many witnesses that does prove God's goodness to someone who may be questioning or skeptical about the love of God..

finally, here's something i learnt from the Post-Modernists that may just come in handy...use the same language of communication that is appropriate for the right audience..not just Japanese in Japan or English in Australia..communicate...if i have to use metaphor and analogy to communicate the gospel, i will...and so i must sincerely and humbly apologize to certain of my Anglican Friends in a city somewhere south in NSW at this point and submit to the most painful scourging they may subject me to..but this i cannot recant..

i pray that my senseless meandering has actually proved useful and helpful..i do apologize if i've polemicised rather than drawn together..pray forgive my brothers and sisters in Christ..

Joyce's final budget

Food: $1200 (1500 yen per meal, 3 meals a day, 2 weeks + 1500 yen lunches for 1 week in biwako)

Roof: $800 (2600 * 8 + 2800 * 6 + 1000*5)

Osaka -> Tokyo -> Biwako -> Airport : $370 OR $200 ($370 if taking shinkansen, $200 if not)

Daily travel in Osaka: $120 (1000 * 7)

So far, it's $2500ish if i'm taking the shinkansen...  (this is all slightly overbudgeted too - hoping food won't be anywhere near as much)

incidentally, i think i'll be taking a spare 3G mobile. :) 

Miyoko chan: Student by weekday, Tourguide by weekend

Miyoko (some might remember her from 1st semester) is happy to be our guide on Sunday 14 December. We are busy in Saitama up to and including lunch, but is there somewhere you'd like to go on Sunday afternoon that would need a Tokyo local? 

homestay stuff

oh wow. i am so excited. and at the same time doing the "aaah i'm going to be by myself!!!!" thing - wow. hehe I'm like ooooooooooh!!!!! yay. i get the small children woohoo! :D

Pray for Maiko

Not sure what you do when you get a request for prayer, but why not shut your eyes after reading this and pray straight up!

Maiko is preparing to speak on a KGK weekend away this weekend and is concerned about how her talks are not yet coming together. Please ask that she'll have clarity, be able to say 'no' to things that don't matter and that God would prepare the hearts of the students attending.

Clothing tip for churches

This comes from Elaine regarding Kinomoto, but could well apply to the other 2 churches we visit:

For people taking part in the service it is better to wear slacks than jeans. The girls don't have to wear skirts. All the ladies here will be in slacks by then, as it will be cold. Also for the girls, they should make sure their tops come down well over their jeans or slacks so that their bare skin doesn't show when they bend over! Also no plunging necklines - even seen beneath a scarf, etc.

Stuff to do - update

Task/Thing	Description	Who	By when
Small photo album:	student's family, the uni surrounds, church, Australian life and scenes, etc	ALL	Before SPRTE
Christmas Carols	A couple in English, A few in Japanese	Rachel	4 Dec!!
Self introductions	At least the Japanese equivalent of: Nice to meet you. My name is _______. I come from ____________ and am now studying in ____________.	ALL	Finalise on SPRTE
Testimony	Begins with your Japanese self introduction, then continues with your Christian story – short sentences, no Christianese. No more than 2 mins spoken straight (such that when translated it will take 5mins or less)	ALL	Draft on blog before SPRTE, finalise together
Clothing for winter	See the blog for things tagged “clothing” and “weather” – Maiko and Elaine have both made important recommendations	ALL	Well before SPRTE
Cash arrangements	Ensure that enough of us have VISA DEBIT cards, and make deposits into those accounts in order to access cash in Japan	ALL	By SPRTE
Print out Jetstar booking stuff		Dene	Before SPRTE
Phones	Work out how many we need etc and which are the best to take (considering chargers (need to handle 110V and USA plug configuration), battery life etc.	Joyce	Before SPRTE
Detailed timetable	Joyce to facilitate discussion on Tokyo week	Dene, Joyce	Ongoing
2WTL	Get enough English versions for our reference, and a stack of Japanese versions to take esp to Biwako	Dene	ASAP
Drivers permits		Dene & Ruth	ASAP
Christmas Pageant		Serene, Rachel	Draft/ideas ASAP
Gifts		Joyce, Ruth	Done?
Bed roll		Ruth to check with friends, Rachel
Slippers? Thick socks?	Buy cool slippers like Ruth	All

Details for self-introduction

Here’s some stuff to help with the jikou shoukai (self introduction):

Nihongo de…	Eigo de…
Hajime mashite	Nice to meet you (not literal)
Watashi wa ____________ desu	I am ________
Dene/Ruth/Rachel: O-sutoraria kara kimashita	I come from Australia
Jono/Serene: Umare mo, sodachi mo, Mare-shia /Singaporu desu. Ima wa, O-sutoraria de benkyoushiteimasu.	I was born and raised in Malaysia/Singapore. At the moment I study in Australia
Joyce: Mare-shia de umare, O-sutoraria de sodachimashita. OR, more symmetrically: Umare wa Mare-shia desu, sodachi wa O-sutoraria desu	I was born in Malaysia and raised in Australia
Students:	I am studying _________
Dene: Daigaku de, Kirisutokyo no senkyoushi o shiteimasu	I’m a Christian missionary/teacher in the uni.
Rachel:	I’m a mother and a part-time uni lecturer
	We’re visiting Japan to learn more about your country and encourage the Christians we meet
Douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu	I look forward to our relationship

As you learn more Japanese you may want to add it to your jikou shoukai. For example you might want to say how many there are in your family, or that you like listening to Britney Spears.