Summer is over and it is back to school and teaching and other work.  It was a good summer, but with hardly any rest.  The only rest I received was during my hospital stay.  I will explain about that later.  It was the hottest summer we have had in Japan.  On the news the other day, they said it was the hottest since weather has been monitored, 113 years ago.  It has not cooled down during the day very much, but the nights are cooling off a little.  The leaves of the cherry tree at church are falling.

I went into the hospital on August 25th and the procedure was performed on the 26th.  This was the second of this kind of operation.  The first one helped to some degree, but I kept having irregular heart beats and always very tired.  The doctor told me that 70% of the patients are cured the first time.  Unfortunately, I needed the second one.  They put 2 wires through  my arteries into the heart.  They put electricity in the wires and my heart rose to about 140 degrees in places.  This was to deaden some of the nerves.  The first operation lasted more than 7 hours.  The 2nd only 3 hours 40 minutes.  I was in the hospital 9 days the first time, but only 4 days the second time.  Since the 2nd operation, I have had no problems, but I must wait to see.  I thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement.    Keep me in your prayers.

Jean is going to the doctor in Tokyo in October to have her neck checked out.  She keeps working, but her neck bends down more and more as she gets tired.  Keep her in your prayers, too.

Tooru, the high school boy who plans to become a preacher, is doing well in school and doing more things at church.  He just put his name on the evangelism committee.  He started teaching the evening service once a month .  He sometimes leads singing on Sunday mornings.  Since he is still in high school, he is afraid to stick his neck out too far.  Japanese high school students are much more afraid to do things than Americans.  He has many good ideas, but doesn’t voice them often.  He still has a year and a half left of high school before he travels to Oklahoma Christian.  The school year here is from April thru March.

I want to thank you all so much for your help in keeping us here.  We are getting a little older, but still can work well with the Japanese.  Many of you have been with us the for the whole 35 years.  That is wonderful.  We love you all for your dedication.  Without you, we could do nothing.  Thousands have heard your word through us.  Only about 50 have given their lives to the Lord.  I pray that more will in the future.  I pray that I can turn over a dedicated, loving church to Tooru when he begins to preach here.  Sometimes people leave and it hurts.  But others come to replace them and we keep going.  Only God knows the outcome.  We love Him and we love the lost and want them to be saved.  This is what God wants.  Recently we studied Ephesians 1 about predestination.  I believe that God leads us to Himself and wants us to follow Him.  We can choose not to, but He chose us from the before beginning to follow Him.  I thank my God that He loves me that much to take me and use me for His purposes.  Thank you and thank God.

Serving Him in Japan,

Marlin and Jean Ray

Location of Hakone Bible Camp for Ochanomizu Church.

This past weekend we participated in the Hakone Bible Camp for the Ochanomizu church.  Hakone is near Mt. Fuji and has a crater lake, Lake Ashi.  It was a famous check point during the Edo period under the Tokugawa Shogunate for those traveling from Kyoto to Edo.  It continues to be a very popular place to visit.  We took a different route this year and were able to cross Lake Ashi by boat.

We traveled by bus from Ochanomizu in the heart of Tokyo to Hakone.  It takes a little over two hours if the roads are not crowded.  This time in August is the obon holiday so the highway and rest areas where we ate lunch were very crowded.

The theme for this year’s camp was “Building Up the Church Which Is the Body of Christ’ (｢キリストの身体なる教会を建て上げる｣).  The theme verse this year is Romans 12:15 – “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”  Dwight spoke twice from Romans 12 – Foundation: Romans 12:1-8; Community Life: Romans 12:9-21.

Mt. Fuji as seen from Hakone across Lake Ashi

The second night we broke up into two classes, men and women.  Josephine had the devotional for the ladies’ class followed by a time of discussion.  Her devotional topic was “An Enemy of the Devil” from Ephesians 6:10-20.  Dwight met with the men and discussed the Sunday morning worship period.  That discussion generated some very good comments about the importance of the Lord’s Supper and being on time for the assemblies.

There was much good time for fellowship.  There were 50 who attended ranging from 3 years old to 80+ years old.  The food was delicious and the ofuro (hot spring bath) was great.  The sad thing was that we did not see Mt. Fuji at all even though we were very close.  But that is quite common for this time of the year.

Children’s class singing a song about Zacchaeus.

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It has been even hotter than usual in Japan this summer.  It has been in the 90’s almost everyday.  Today was about 98 degrees.  We have had little rain in our area.  I try to stay in my office most of the day, but I have duties outside, sometimes.  It might not seem that hot to you, but our humidity is also very high, 80-90%.

Enough complaining.  We had a great camp this year.  We finished most of the work we had planned in work camp and the grounds were ready for the campers.  The first camp was about 30 elementary school students, and staff.  There was one girl from a Christian family who wanted to be baptized, but after talking with the camp director, Ataka-san, it was decided that she should wait until next year.  She is only six, but understand some, but not enough.  Sadly to say, no one else in all three camps wanted to be baptized.

The second camp was the largest, at 50.  The group from Cordova California came again and most of the classes were in English.  Translation was provided for those who needed it.  The team did a great job teaching.  And they also helped with the camp’s needs.  We built a small toilet for men and they provided most of the labor.  We had finished the concrete foundation, and they built the upper part.  They did many other things around camp and we really appreciate their work.  All went well until the last day.  As they were packing up to leave, one of the girls found a snake sitting on the window sill.

Hitachi Christian Camp 2010 Pictures

Several guys came and with many hands, the snake was apprehended.  I noticed that some of the girls even helped.  The snake was put in a container and taken away from camp.  Thankfully, it was not a poisonous snake.

Jean and I celebrated our 43^rd anniversary of marriage and the 35^th of our arrival in Japan, both on August 18.  We took a one day trip to Iwaki and visited an aquarium.  It was very hot outside, but cool inside.  We ate some good sushi, (raw fish) and enjoyed ourselves.

We came back through Hitachi City and visited Usami-san in the hospital.  She has been battling cancer for more than 5 years and is not doing well.  Last week, her first grandchild was born.  Please pray that God will intervene and help her.  She is now very frail.  We need her guidance at Tomobe church.  She is a great worker and wonderful person.  All the women looked up to her for leadership.  Jean and some of the other ladies are stepping in to fill her place, but we need a strong Japanese lady like her.

Next week I go in for the second procedure on my heart.  They must deaden some nerves to stop my heart from beating irregularly.  Please pray for me.  It is not such major work, but it is not fun or easy.

Jean is trying to get an appointment to see a specialist in Tokyo about her neck.  First she must ask the doctor here for a recommendation.  It will probably be in November before she is able to see him.  Also, keep that in your prayers.

Please pray for the Tomobe church as we struggle against the tide in this city.  There are so many destructive forces in Japan.  We teach so many people about God, but don’t see many respond.  We have many classes and many people who ask good questions, but not the right ones.  “How can I become a Christian” is a most difficult question.  There are several who have studied for several years and are, I think ready.  But they don’t ask the right question.  I have told them the answer, but they still don’t ask.  Keep the Japanese people lifted before God so He will know we care.

Thank you so much for the support you give us, not only in money, but your prayers.  This is the only way we can stay here.  God wants us here working for Him.  I believe that with all my heart.

Serving Him in Japan,

Marlin and Jean Ray

The “Flocks” began meeting, and God is blessing those connections. Our group met for lunch on the 11th of July — we are hoping to set up some more time together in September, since many people will be traveling in August. (Almost everyone in Japan has summer vacation time in August.)

We also continued to prepare for the English Bible Class outreach ministry, which will begin in September. With the guidance of those wiser and more experienced than I am, I have been working on writing the text for the small group discussions. It has been more challenging than I expected, but I have really enjoyed the experience. I think that God has helped us to create a text that will facilitate relationship building and spiritual conversation. We will have a training session for the teachers on August 29th. And then twice monthly classes will begin on September 5th. May God bless this ministry!

On the 18th Daniel, Staci (two Mito church members) and I began teaching a class for the Junior High School students on Sunday mornings twice a month. This is a little outside my area of expertise, since I have never worked with junior high kids, but I am learning a lot. My hope is that the class will be an encouragement for the kids. I am glad that God pulled me toward helping with the spiritual development of these kids. They are wonderful!

Please pray with me . . .

• ~that God will prepare those who will teach the EBC classes, and that he will open the hearts of those who will come for the lessons. As of today (August 17) we have 14 adults and 4 kids registered.
• ~that God will continue to shape and protect the hearts of the children of Mito church. We are so blessed to have many children worshiping with us — please pray that we will be able to be used by the Holy Spirit to help in their spiritual growth.
• ~that the Spirit will continue to work among the people of Siem Reap, Cambodia. Please also pray that God will bring the group from Japan home safely, after their time of traveling, building relationships with Christians across Asia and sharing God’s love with friends in Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
• ~for God to help me to be more disciplined in my faith and my work. It is easy to lose motivation and feel discouraged when we are not depending fully on God — please pray for my protection and that my dependence on God will grow as I try to do the work the Spirit calls me to do everyday.
• ~for times of quiet and holy rest. Japan and America are both busy countries, full of distraction and demands on our time. Let’s pray together that we will make time to be still and to listen for the voice of our Lord and Savior. Praise Jesus for his desire to connect with us!

Some of the friends in our Sunday evening Young Adult Cell Group

Girls' Bible Study -- hosted at my house in July

VBS -- hosted by the Taga Church of Christ and a group from California

Worship with the Ochanomizu church.

Sunday (August 15) was the first time for us to worship with them in their new building.  The church owns the property and used the top three floors (6- classrooms and offices; 7-fellowship hall and small meeting auditorium which can also be opened up to use as part of the fellowship hall; 8-auditorium with 225 seats but can accommodate about 30 more).  The second through fifth floors are used by the Chiyoda Ward as a social center for the elderly.  There are rooms for about 6 or 8 temporary patients who take physical and occupational therapy.  The first floor is shared by the church and the social center with a small office for each and separate entrances.

Saturday morning ladies' class.

Josephine shared lessons with the ladies on Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday I worked with Kazutaka-san, the church secretary, to set up for Sunday’s slides during Josephine’s class.  Following class the ladies took us both out for lunch.

Following Sunday’s assembly we had an Aisankai, literally translated as a love feast.  It was a pot-luck luncheon and time of fellowship.  Great food and good fellowship together.  Someone even brought a bunch of McDonald’s hamburgers.  I went for the sekihan and chirashi zushi.

On Sunday while Josephine taught, I took a walk through the neighborhood.  Yesterday, August 15, marked the 65th anniversary of the end of hostilities in World War II.  Prime Minister Kan expressed remorse for what had happened in the past.  He and his cabinet have declined to pay homage to the war dead at Yasukuni Shrine.  While China and Korea welcome this move, right wing activists in Japan strongly disapprove.  We pray for peace knowing that it can only be found in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Here is a clip of the Ochanomizu church singing “O Jesus I Have Promised.”

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Last week the church had their annual CS (church school) Camp.  This is a time for children in Sunday school and their friends to get out of Tokyo and enjoy Bible study, crafts, and a fun together.  This year there were 31 total who went to the camp which is the largest number they have had for a number of years.

I thought you would like to view a few pictures of camp.  Brother Junnosuke Suzuki graciously permitted me to use them.  Since he is taking the pictures, he is not in any of them.  Brother Takumi Fukunaga is the Kyampu Cho (camp director) and has ministered in this capacity for five years.

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Thank you for praying for us.  Please keep praying for us.

In these newsletters, we usually whine about needing MORE WORKERS into the harvest, and WE STILL NEED MORE WORKERS, but this month, we can also PRAISE AND THANK FATHER for blessing us.  He is sending us a new family, and, maybe one more dynamic young lady.

We are asking for a special season of prayer for a new family coming to Japan.

Leslie and Sara Taylor, along with their young daughter Cambria, plan to arrive in Osaka on August 18.  Now is a time of excitement and high stress and big and small decisions.

Leslie has taken a job at a private kindergarten in the Kojima area. He will not be working at our school, LOGOS, but we hope to work closely in evangelism and church planting for as long as God keeps us and them here.  You can keep up with them clicking on their name above

Leslie mentions these needs:

• Safe travel
• Easy acclimation for all of us
• Blessings upon the pregnancy
• Zeal and focus for the work that needs to be done in bringing people to Christ

As we share other news, we want you to see it as a reason to thank God and a matter to ask God to bless.

CONTINUING STUDIES from LST

LET’S START TALKING had a great project in Kojima again this year.  In this newsletter, we want to mention NEW readers who are CONTINUING to read the Bible in a group or one-on-one.

Keiko K is the mom of one of our favorite LOGOS students.  She is very friendly and now seems like an old friend.  Hiroko K is the daughter of one of our long-time Bible readers.  Wakana actually came to the very first LST in Kojima in 2002, and again this year!  Naomi is studying the Bible and now has started a private English class at LOGOS!  Hitomi, a very troubled mom, has been around a while, but is just now starting her own Bible class with Sandy.

MOMENTS: Our lives, like yours, are full of moments that keep us going.  Recent MOMENTS include when Misato, a brilliant twenty-something was reading John 14 with me. “I am the way, truth, life, no one can come to the Father except through me” usually trips people up, but Misato took it in stride, saying, “Please show me where Jesus is.” During the previous study with Yukari and Misato together, I was telling them that God wanted to give them new life, they both perked up, saying, “Please tell us the details!”  I ask God for the words.

When TOMOMI told a LST worker, “I am not your sister YET, but you can think of me as your half-sister!

FUTURE WORKERS

JASON, our current, and last for a while, intern, wants to work in Japan some day.  He is not in a hurry, but if the right situation presented itself, he would consider it carefully.

ERICA, a Harding graduate Walton Scholar from Honduras, did her student teaching under Sandy at Augusta Elementary School in AR about ten years ago.  She has since studied and worked in Japan and is now teaching back in Honduras.  At the moment, she is in Kojima on vacation and is looking for work in Japan.  Erika is a gifted teacher and a brilliant Christian.  She is almost blind from RP and uses a white cane to get around.  She inspires me.  We wish we could hire her at LOGOS, but we can’t now.  She has applied to a new elementary school started by DOSHISHA U., a very highly acclaimed university in Kyoto.

SPIRITUAL POWER

OBON IS HERE! THE Japanese festival of the ancestors is considered by many to be the epitome of the spiritual darkness surrounding this country.  Please pray for God to be the GOD OF THIS CITY in a way that draws people out of their darkness, and for us to be EQUIPPED to speak for Him.

PARENTING SEMINAR AUGUST 22

God has let us meet several mothers who want more help and guidance in raising their children.

Sandy, Dr. Dobson via dubbed video, and Erika, are putting together a morning program for the moms and dads, we hope, and games and stories for the children.

A CHANCE TO HELP??

A new foreign mother finds herself alone and having to work and take care of her baby in Japan.  We hope to be able to reach out and help her soon.

Thank you for reading, praying, and shining your light!

Brent and Sandy Rogers

WORK FUND CONTRIBUTIONS:

Japan Mission Fund / Cloverdale Church of Christ / 3000 E Park Ave / Searcy, AR 7214

Fellowship time with the Matsudo congregation following morning assembly.

Sunday, August 8, we worshiped with the Matsudo congregation in Chiba Prefecture.  This congregation was started 50 years ago by L. T. Gurganus.  They will have their 50th anniversary assembly next year.  Steve and Debbie Carrell are working with this congregation and will complete their third year in October.

Following worship someone pulled out some old photographs of Motosu Christian Camp.  One of the members at Matsudo was a fellow staff member for the camp some 28 years ago.  It was fund to see young faces and remember the joyful times we had at camp.

That evening we worshiped with the Ochanomizu congregation.  They have been in their new building about 9 months now and it is very nice.

One reason for visiting the Matsudo church first is to go with the Carrells to Costco.  We can get some food items in bulk at a savings.  This is a good time to talk about their work, the church situation in Japan, and other things that missionaries have in common.

65th Annual Summer Seminar in Ibaraki

We had one day of study at Tachikawa before leaving for Omika in Ibaraki Prefecture.  This is where the Ibaraki Christian University is located and the venue for the 65th Summer Seminar.  I was asked to speak 15 minutes about how I became a Christian and the Park Avenue congregation’s involvement in Japan missions.

Our main purpose for going was to meet people we would not ordinarily have the occasion to meet.  We renewed some old friendships which gave us opportunity to catch up on different situations and people.  It was very enjoyable.

We cut the seminar short a day to return to prepare for the weekend.  Josephine has two classes with the Ochanomizu ladies and I have a bi-lingual sermon for Sunday.  This was our sponsoring congregation while working in Japan.  Several of their members have visited us in Memphis.  Wednesday night classes will begin August 25.  We will study the Holy Spirit.

Evening meal and fellowship time at Summer Seminar.

Sharing information concerning the Park Avenue congregation's involvement in Japan

Burger King is back in Japan. Supper with Steve and Debbie Carrell.

Japanese children usually have summer homework.  Like most children they would rather enjoy the summer break than do homework.  But on Mondays and Fridays from 9 until 11 they can spend some time together doing homework in the air-conditioned comfort of the church’s building.

During this time they will do some homework, have calligraphy class (church member and professional calligrapher as the teacher), do some crafts, sing Bible songs, have refreshments, and hear a Bible story.  Sounds a lot like vacation Bible school adapted to the particular situation in Japan.  The first day of camp brother Obata reports that over 10 children showed up.  Remarkable since the camp was only advertised by word of mouth.

While ministry with children is a long term commitment, many of the mothers of the children also came.  Seeds of good will, understanding, and God’s love were sown.  We pray that they fall on good and honest hearts.

Summer Study Camp - Mondays and Fridays in August

We also had lunch with Masa, minister for the Yokota congregation.  The Park Avenue church helps support his work.  We listened as he talked with us about recent events with both the military and Japanese congregations with whom he works.

Thursday Morning Class

The highlight of these past three days was the Thursday morning class we attended at Tachikawa one floor below where we are staying.  There were about fifteen of us crowded in the library around a table as well as one member who lives in Chiba Prefecture via Skype (two way voice and video connection).  The class this day was hymn practice in preparation for a baptism.

Being together in a small room made the acoustics great.  Plus there were some good singers.  We began with a reading of Psalm 16 which begins: “Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.  I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.‘”  Following this we went around the room offering individual prayers.

Before singing each song, we read the words to the song and talked a bit about its meaning.  Japanese poems, like poems in any language, use words and word images which are difficult for non-native speakers to understand.  This was very helpful in understanding the sounds we produced as we sang each syllable.

Here is a video clip of the third stanza of one of the songs we practiced.  The English title given is “Return, O Wanderer, Return” written by William Bengo Collyer, 1812.  For those who know Japanese:  賛美歌239 – 「さまよう人々」.  It is a mix of the Prodigal Son parable and Isaiah 44:22 – “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist.  Return to me, for I have redeemed you.“  Listen to the song.

Miyasaka-san's Baptism

Following class we witnessed the baptism of Mrs. Miyasaka.  How she came to the decision to be born from above and become God’s child is very touching.  She was educated in a “mission school.”  These are schools which were started by missionaries working to improve education in Japan following the war.  During her time in school she was introduced to many Christian hymns.  One was written by a Japanese lady, Eiko Nagai (永井ゑい子), in 1884.  賛美歌217

The words for the song were inspired by Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well from John 4.  “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.” (verses 13-14).  The beginning phrase for each stanza is 「あまつましみず」 – “Amatsu mashimizu.”  Roughly translated it means “pure water from heaven.”

Miyasaka-san sang this song as a student not knowing what it meant or where this water was found.  Now in her mid-50′s she passed the bulletin board for the church where the words of this song were displayed.  Reading the words again brought back many memories of her childhood and she determined to learn more about their meaning.

Welcome to God's Family

That was three years ago.  She began attending the church’s assemblies and had personal Bible studies with the minister and others.  She began participating in the church’s family life and grew to love the friendships she made as well as the Source of that water.  Like the “wanderer” in the hymn above, she came to the Lord, was washed clean through the redemptive power of Jesus Christ, and is now enjoying this “pure water from heaven.”

Following her baptism and the great welcome she received from the Tachikawa church family, we settled around a table for curry rice and a wonderful time of fellowship.  We never know how the seeds of the gospel we plant will grow and blossom, even decades after being planted.

“So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.“  Isaiah 55:11, NIV