Ministry in the midst of dirty underwear

This morning I stood in a church's car park digging around in a bag of dirty clothes, trying to stop my husband's underwear from falling onto the ground. My agitated son jiggled about next to me, his shorts in tatters.

Earlier I'd walked across the same car park as I attached my official magnetic name-tag to my blouse. We were at the church to represent our mission at their annual missions Sunday. (Something that I'd like to suggest is not a good way to approach promoting missions in your church, but that topic is for another day.)

Our children have always had a nice levelling effect upon us. Our journey as missionaries began very early in our marriage. We first started speaking at events like this when I was pregnant with our first child. It took us a long time to be able to get clearance to leave and our son was 18 months old when we finally left Australia. I used to pray before events that there would be someone who would volunteer to look after him while we spoke up the front. I remember searching for a private space at the back of a large historical, but unfamiliar church where I could breastfeed. That was just a part of our normal life.

Once in Japan and in language school we studied the Japanese language while our son napped. When he didn't nap, we didn't study. Partway through language school I fell pregnant and needed to nap myself, so my study fell behind.

Our second son attended his first school at only a few weeks of age. He accompanied me to my one-on-one Japanese lessons. The boys indeed kept us from devoting ourselves too much to our studies, but they also had us out in the park meeting other families, and sitting in the cry room at church. They had us grounded in the reality that we were just like any other person on this earth, nothing special.

When we came back the first time from Japan our eldest was five and his nearly two year old younger brother's introduction to the land of his citizenship was via visiting churches. The third boy came along only a couple of months before the end of that year in Australia. His first road trip was to visit churches in Sydney and Canberra, his first airplane trip was to Japan when he was not yet three months old.

As we've gone along in this interesting lifestyle they've been a part of whatever what going on. There's been no clear separation between family life and ministry life. Occasionally we've done "ministry" without them, but more often than not they've been in the vicinity.

So it's no surprise this morning that as we set up our table, like we've done many times before, we had a boy come to us with a problem. He'd shredded his shorts. No idea how.

If we'd been at a church in Brisbane, we'd have had nothing to offer except condolences, but today we had our luggage for the weekend stay. Except that our stay was coming to its conclusion and everything we had was pre-worn.

Hence I was dispatched to dig through the bag of dirty clothes in the boot of our car. 

What religion is Japan?

Today I'm "out in the field". Well actually I'm sitting in the bedroom I slept in last night at a house I've never been to before. People who knew us, but we didn't remember them. 

This morning we spent 2 ½ hours at their church doing a presentation and talking to people. Only 17 people (not including kids), but as a group they get an "A" for enthusiasm for missions. I had a lady almost in tears as she talked to me (I'm still not sure what that

One of the few times we've been to the beach in Japan.
It was early spring and just a bit chilly, but the boys
enjoyed making sandcastles.

was about). It confirmed to us again the value of encouraging churches to set aside time outside of their Sunday morning worship to hear from us. We have more flexibility and time and can be more personal.

It has meant a whole weekend away for us, though, because we're there again tomorrow morning (though not upfront in the service). However, the bonus is that the ocean isn't far away and there are many choices of amazing quality beaches. As Queenslanders we had no idea that the beaches we have here are spectacular, until we moved away. But anyway, we've been in Queensland for five months and haven't taken the boys to the beach here yet (only in WA). So, it's about time to lather up (we're all very fair) and head down to the water.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with an answer to a question we periodically get when we're doing the rounds:

What religion is Japan?

Most Japanese identify themselves both as Buddhists and Shintoists, while surveys have shown that only one-third of the people profess a religious faith. That’s because many Japanese people don’t understand “religion” in the same way that Westerners do. They practise religion for the functions it fulfils in their lives. Many people are dedicated at a Shinto shrine at birth, get married in a Christian-style wedding and have a Buddhist funeral. Each religion provides different benefits at different times. Please pray that many Japanese people will know Christ as the only One who can meet all their needs.* 


* Adapted from 31 Days of Prayer for Japan, 2nd edition, OMF International.

Unexpected Conversations

We spend a lot of time talking with people when we're in Australia. Occasionally we'll hear some unexpected comments about mission.

Last week someone said, "I've never met "young" missionaries before. You're the same age as me!" Wow. That was quite a revelation, but also confirmation that putting our faces in front of people on home assignment as "real live missionaries" is a worthwhile endevour.

A lady we met after a church service who has a soft spot for Japan said, "I"ve never thought of Japan as a mission field." She's no stranger to Japan, she studied the language for six years and even went there on a school trip as a teenager.

The question that flabbergasted us last weekend was posed just after we'd spoken in a church service. At the time we had so many people who wanted our attention that they were almost competing for our attention. He said, "What do you do when you're in Australia for a whole year?"

David and I gestured widely said, "This!" 

I guess it is a bit like people wondering what pastors do, they only work one day a week, don't they?

We spent about six hours visiting this church on Sunday. That included more than an hour's travel each way. I suppose he was wondering what we do with the rest of our week?

Let's see, here's some of the things I've been doing this week:

• writing two prayer letters (one for adults, one for kids)

  

  This was a meeting we did in Perth. We had many
  conversations this night.

• preparing for upcoming deputation appointments
• contacting people to organise appointments for next year
• arranging to meet with friends to catch up after not seeing them for years
• editing a couple of articles of mine for magazines
• writing a greeting to go with our prayer card mail out in December
• helping a new friend who's a bit overwhelmed with life
• writing here
• reading about writing
• reading articles and blog posts about mission and other things
• pondering taking up a new hobby (and reading about it in a book and online)
• planning Christmas presents
• looking into purchasing a guitar for my son
• Facebook (yes, I admit it)
• editing for the magazine I work with in Japan (they needed some help)
• attending a Bible study at our home church
• taking my kids to school
• grocery shopping
• cooking for the family
• shopping for Christmas presents, and for some clothes for myself
• arranging for pest controller to deal with a wasp problem
• and yes, investigating a new hobby

Yep, a combination of a stay-at-home mum, writer, and missionary-on-home assignment. I appreciate it that this fellow had a genuine interest, he spoke to us for some time. But the thought that some people may think we are lazing around for a year in Australia is a little disturbing.

Thinking about a new hobby

I'm thinking about taking up a new hobby*: weaving and maybe spinning. During our holidays in September we spent several days at my sister-in-law's place. She owns Alpacas. While we were there I had a go at carding (untangling) and spinning. It was fun, but challenging too. I'm interested in having another go when we go back in December. But I'm also wondering if this might be a new hobby that I could take up. I've been cross-stitching for almost as long as I've been married and perhaps it is time for a change. So I'm investigating. 

Spinning on my sister-in-law's
electric spinner.

The big challenge of a hobby for a missionary is that it needs to be something that is portable and not too expensive. For a missionary in Japan it needs to be something that doesn't take up too much room. I don't have a crafting room, or a sewing table that I can just have everything laid out all the time. All I have is a corner, a corner of a not-large lounge room.

I've tried various hobbies like knitting and crochet. Paper craft (quilling, making cards, origami and other similar things). Sewing (clothes, bags) and considered (but never seriously tried) quilting and patchwork.  But nothing has really captured my interest. I'm not good at things that require precision. Sewing I can do, but it isn't very relaxing, actually I get quite stressed at getting it exactly right and usually make big mistakes. 

As a child I wore out the craft volume of our Childcraft encyclopaedias. I loved craft. Now as a woman with lots of responsibilities and a busy home life, I need something that will relax and fit my lifestyle. Cross-stitch does but I'm getting a little weary of it. I'm wondering it's time to try something new and if spinning or weaving would work too?

So, I've been surfing the web and investigating different options. Equipment is expensive! But the other thing I looked for was spinning and weaving groups. I found one only 15 minutes from our house. They meet on Thursday mornings every week. I've been working up the courage to go one day and join them and today was the day.

The ladies were very welcoming and I'll probably join them next year and learn what I can. I'm thinking about buying a simple loom, perhaps a Knitter's Loom, but as you can tell if you follow that link, it isn't cheap. So I'm still thinking. Another possibility is a Inkle Loom, but as a smaller loom, what you can create on it is limited.

If I join the group I'll be able to ask them to teach me things. Much better than learning from a Youtube video (although that's quite a helpful tool too).

As someone with an unusual lifestyle, it is interesting to drop into a group like this. I didn't tell them much about myself, I didn't use the M word. At the end two of the ladies were probing for what I might choose to do, especially joining the group. I explained to them that we usually live in Japan ("my husband works at an international school" is a useful generic line) and that I'd be looking for a craft that's portable and small. They had lots of ideas, including the above looms.

So, I'm pondering.


*Back here I wrote about why I choose to do craft. And it isn't because I've got too much free time, there is a deeper reason related to staying mentally and physically healthy.

Avoid a camping-out mentality

I love camping, as you might have guessed if you've been following my blog for a while. But I try to avoid a camping-out mentality in daily life.

By this I mean just living temporarily, "making do". This blog post succinctly describes how missionaries can tend to do that (it's a series, and the previous post is good too). 

It's easy for us to act like that when we're in Australia. We're only here for a year, so it's easy to have a temporary mindset. Getting a balance between that and investing too much isn't easy. In general we're investing ourselves in people, not in stuff. But we haven't skimped on getting a decent fridge and freezer, for example. We have suitable accommodation (even if I long for an extra bathroom somedays). But I'm not buying pot plants or doing any renovations.

I wonder if people think that we live like we're camping-out in Japan? I don't mean literally, rather with an attitude like that. Actually now we've been there 12 years, we haven't heard Australians express the idea that this is a temporary journey as often as in the past.

Most people, if they take the time to think, will realise that our most settled place is Japan. That's where we have most of our "earthly treasures". But it is also where we've invested more time. Next year we'll be moving back to the same house we've been living in for the last four years. That's going to feel even more settled, not at all camping-out.

Have you ever had a time in your life that you had an unhealthy camping-out mentality?

Encouraging Friends of Missionaries

I want to encourage those of you who are in mission-minded to be advocates in your church. In our situation we have a number of churches who've tracked with us over the last 15 years. Then there are other churches that we've visited only once or perhaps twice, but had very limited relationship with. 

Being friends with a missionary is a somewhat self-less
activity, given that they'll be absent most of the time.
But it is of great encouragement to the missionaries.
It's hard to express the full depth of encouragement
the above friends have given us.

There are two things that we've noticed that usually makes a difference as to whether a church will maintain an interest in what we're doing.

1. Missions-minded pastor/minister. Without someone in leadership who has this mindset, it is unlikely that a church will maintain much missions interest.

2. Advocate with whom we have a relationship. Do not underestimate your influence as someone who knows a missionary. I know that this doesn't always work, but it can, and it can work very well. 

Just today I approached (via email) a pastor of a large church we'd previously been supported by, but their focus changed a few years ago and we'd lost contact with them. A family friend on his own volition recently talked the senior pastor about the church supporting us in prayer and it looks like we've re-established contact. This probably wouldn't have happened except for the influence of that friend.

Do not underestimate the power of relationship. We missionaries depend on local contacts. People who have relationships we don't have, and can be our advocates in the local church.

For this reason, when we're in Australia, we place a high value on catching up with friends socially. We also pray that God will give us new relationships. The need for this is especially evident after 14 years away. The older folk who were our advocates in the beginning are starting to be called Home.

This could sound like we're using our friends. That's not the case at all. We have friends who, for various reasons, are unable to connect us with their local church. But we're still their friends. We value their prayers and their friendship. Being able to come back to Australia and have people who'll still call us their friends and who'll work patiently with our busy schedule to have us over for a BBQ is a large encouragement.

So, don't undervalue your friendship with a missionary (if you have one).
1. You're friendship is an encouragement to them.
2. You might be able to be their advocate in your local church.

Gambling is illegal in Japan but many are addicted

Nearly 5% of Japanese [people] are addicted to gambling...9% of men, despite it being illegal to gamble for money (from here).

This is a statistic I haven't heard before about Japan. But I believe it, because pachinko parlours (a cross between a pinball and a slot machine) are everywhere. We have one near us in Tokyo that we pass on the way to church.

The worry is that the Prime Minister has announced a plan to lift the ban on gambling so that casinos can be built. It could be a bid to raise more money, but at what cost to society? (See the above article for more information.)

* Photo from: "Electric City Akihabara Pachinko" by Tischbeinahe - Own work.

Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Electric_City_Akihabara_Pachinko.

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