The backdrop is a snowy night at a famous Buddhist temple. There are no shepherds, no wise men, no angels. But there are Santas. Many of them. In fact, the temple is crawling with the little red-clad characters, some of them carrying paper umbrellas.
 
This Japanese advent calendar isn’t like any I’ve ever seen in the U.S. The Santa labeled the 25th seems a little more familiar, flying a sleigh across the sky. But the 25th isn’t the final date. The really big date, the date the whole calendar is leading up to, is January 1—the biggest holiday of the Japanese year.
 
Sure, the stores in Japan play up Christmas. (Anything to move more merchandise.) But it’s still a small celebration. When dad gets home from work, there might be a small Christmas cake (white sponge cake, white frosting, and strawberries on top) and a present for each of the kids. Few Japanese have any idea that Christmas is about God being born as a human baby so He could grow up and die for the world.
 
The good news? Japanese want to find out more about this “Western” holiday. This means that friends and neighbors who usually decline an invitation to church are interested in coming to a candlelight service or a Christmas party. So, missionaries put on Christmas events during which they share the Gospel.
 
We’re grateful to be a part of this Gospel presentation. We’re glad we can:

• Invite friends to our church’s candlelight service.
• Decorate our front windows with the manger scene.
• Answer any questions that come our way.
• Support the massive outreach effort by educating missionary kids and by training/coaching missionaries.

And we’re grateful for your prayers, financial support, and friendship.

We're thankful that...

• God's loves us, has saved us, and gives us opportunities to be involved in His work in Japan.
• You're involved in God's work in Japan. We appreciate your friendship, prayers, & financial support.
• Japanese are becoming Christians.
• Kim's students grappled with shalom. 
• The Nov. 3 workshop I led at CAJ resulted in teachers developing Biblical perspective lessons plans (slideshow). Thanks for praying!
• We're safe/healthy and that Caitlin continues to feel good about being at Redeemer University College.

Thanks for praying—God is answering your prayers!

• Praise God that 3 of the 4 Japanese adults baptized on Sept. 27 have already shared during the Sunday service about God's work in their lives. Last Sunday Mr. Y said, "I really need Jesus...I would like to live every day accountable before God and keep remembering that every day is God's day."
• Praise God that Kim's students continue to connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. On a recent test on Cry, the Beloved Country, one student wrote, "God gives hope to those who have none. Because of the hope, some broken things can become new.”

Read More...

5: # of slideshows & videos I posted online in Sept.

4: # Japanese adults who were baptized on 9/29 at Kurume Bible Fellowship. Before getting baptized, each person shared a testimony. Please pray these 4 Christians will continue to grow in Christ.

3: # of coaching sessions I have next Tuesday with CAJ staff.

2: # of airplanes Kim will take to fly to see Caitlin in Ancaster, Ontario (Oct. 9-15). Please pray for travel safety and a really good visit.

1: # of essays Kim's English 10 students wrote this week. Please pray that Kim's students will continue to connect what they study and what the Bible teaches.

Thanks for being involved in God's work in Japan.

Kim, whose 51 English 10 students come from 12 countries, reflects on her introductory unit and what students are learning.
 
The high school chemistry/geometry teacher from Sri Lanka lights up. She sees me as I walk into the teachers’ workroom in my sari and says, “You look just like a real teacher in my country should!” Then she readjusts a few folds I haven’t done quite right. (I’m wearing a sari in recognition of Rabindranath Tagore, the first Indian Nobel Prize winner, whose short story we’re discussing today in English 10.) Read More...

Classes start at CAJ in 15 minutes!

• Last week, Kim attended teacher meetings, put up bulletin boards, and planned lessons. I led biblical perspective workshops at CAJ and team building activities in Manila at our mission's EurAsia Team meeting.
• Today, Kim will be teaching English 10, and I'll be helping new staff get off to a good start.

Our vision is to equip students to impact the world for Christ and to empower Christian leaders to pursue God’s calling.

Now, imagine. Imagine that…

You’re a Japanese mother. You and your husband became Christians 2 years ago; none of your relatives are Christians. Your daughter Tomoko is 4. You want her to love Jesus. You go to church and Sunday school. You want more Christian influence for Tomoko and for her to think Christianly. You want to send her to a Christian school. We serve at CAJ, which provides a Christian education for over 150 Japanese students. Read More...

Help your students develop a Christ-centered worldview during class by teaching Biblical perspective lessons and giving Biblical perspective assessments.

As teachers, we ask questions. This strategy doesn't always work, as this video shows.

Want to help your students better understand and apply a Biblical perspective? Ask questions!

By targeting Biblical perspective, teachers can help student apply a Biblical perspective to what they study.

CAJ needs teachers, including elementary teachers and secondary teachers (Bible, ESL, science, home economics).

What are 10 reasons to serve at CAJ?

Kim's students are really enjoying their grammar unit.

Yes, you read that statement correctly—Kim's 10th graders really like doing grammar. Might be hard to believe. I mean, we're coming off of Christmas break and grammar wasn't something I particularly liked.

How about you?

I’m in the Japan Alps, supervising CAJ 10th graders during leadership training. I’m sitting in a circle with my group of eleven 10th graders, talking about the experiences of the day. Read More...