Update on the TSC Team

It's been a great five days with the Thompson Station Church mission team so far!! The first day started with a bang by meeting them at 6:45 am (by far, my earliest morning in Japan yet), and speaking to four university English classes at Kansai University. Since then the team has hosted a luncheon for the lady missionaries in the area, spent a day in Kyoto, prayer "rode" Osaka on the train loop line that goes around the city, prayerwalked Shinsaibashi, spent the day in the country at a Japanese home, eaten various Japanese foods including tonkatsu, okonomiyaki, and tempura, as well as eaten Korean food, Egyptian food, and McDonalds, learned to play the koto, participated in a tea ceremony, and on and on. And God has been answering prayers by providing so many divine opportunities to meet Japanese. Here's a quick look at our first five days... Here's Morgan and Lisa with some English university students. The English professor who invited us to come speak to the classes is a Christian. It was a great day to meet so many students, especially for Liz and me. Hannah with some university girls. Hannah has impressed all of us with how comfortable she is with Japanese. She is only ten years old, but look how tall she looks in this picture. Ahh, tiny Japanese girls. When we went to Kyoto, there were lots of schools on field trips also visiting. While in Kyoto, some students were required to interview any foreigners they met for their English class. Here's Kaleigh answering questions for some high schoolers. Emily, Morgan, me, Hannah, Kaleigh, and Molly in front of the Golden Temple. At the temple, the girls saw people buying prayers, burning incense, ringing bells to wake gods, throwing money at statues, lighting candles...doing anything so the gods would hear their prayers. The girls' brokenness, sadness, and frustration as they saw these things taken place is a reminder to me of the urgency to share that Christ is all we need, no bought prayers or loud bells. Hannah, Molly, and Kaleigh on top of Umeda Sky Building in Osaka. Behind them, the city of Osaka. The team spent the day at the Harada Family's home out in the country. Mrs. Harada prepared a Japanese tea ceremony for the team. Love this picture...Ms. Leighann, after she took a sip of the green tea. It's a little bitter. Janee preparing green tea the traditional way. Mrs. Harada also did a little Koto concert for us, and then let each of us play the koto. And check out all the food Mrs. Harada made for the team! It was a feast! That's Mr. and Mrs. Harada is the back.