Please pray for Pastor John's January 2010 South America Trip

Thanks for stopping  by.  In case you missed it, please enjoy my Christmas holiday greeting by clicking HERE.

South America Prayer Updates for January 2010

Rev Rick Chuman and I will be traveling on behalf of JEMS to meet leaders in Brazil and Paraguay. Please pray for our safe travel and overall health during the very warm and humid summer season.

Click directly on the fuzzy calendar to enlarge (and sharpen) the image.
Calendar in Portuguese:  Click

I will make attempts to update this blog during our trip as time and internet access permit.  Please pray especially for our most intense travel dates on January 4-5, January 8-9, 11 and 14.  Thank you.

January 5-8 - Attending Brazil Pastors' Conference in western São Paulo state.



January 9-11 - In Asuncion Paraguay visiting the Nikkei Free Methodist Church and Nikkei community.


January 11-14 - In the city of São Paulo for meetings with various denominational leaders, pastoral and lay groups.  Also planning for JEMS Summer 2010 mission ministries.

Photo of Liberdade, the Japanese Town section of the city of São Paulo

Please check back for further updates.

Merry Christmas 2009!

Wishing all my friends and supporters a joyous Christmas season and a New Year filled with abundance and blessing!

This past year was a delight as I was able to vacation with my children and their spouses in Hawaii back in July.

The year also had its challenges as I traveled to Brazil and Paraguay to share the good news of Jesus, to continue developing contacts with leaders and start setting up programs for summer 2010.

I also had the unique opportunity to meet my father's relatives in Asunción, Paraguay.

Closer to home, the ministry in Camarillo has continued to grow bit by bit. We hope to be meeting in a 140-seat sanctuary by the end of January 2010!

If you have the time, enjoy this video of the Celebration -  JACC summer worship and picnic:  Click.

In all, it's been a wonderful year to spend with my family, to find joy in my career, to experience God's grace and blessing. I hope it has been a good year for you as well!

Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year!

December 16, 2009 Construction Update

We are hoping to be in the new sanctuary by Christmas worship service.  The crews are working very hard to bring the project to completion.  It may be more realistic to project a mid-January dedication and transition to this new facility.

Outside today, they're digging a trench to connect the new fire suppression system to the street water main.  Insulation and dry wall are being installed in the sanctuary.  Forms are being laid out for exterior concrete stoops to be poured tomorrow.  

We are blessed to have as our contractor, the chairman of the board of Trustees of the host church.  He is volunteering all of his time and expertise to the project.  He has assembled various trades and invited them to donate all or part of their work to the project and has had good success - even in this economy!  

Come on in and have a look at the progress:


This is the new entrance to the Celebration sanctuary/multi-purpose room.  

Then as you step inside, you can see the front of  the room.  There will be seating for 140 people.


The interior, looking across from the entryway to the opposite entry.


Looking toward the back of the room.  Includes hope for our future as a infant room is constructed.

Infant area (cry room)


Newly remodeled, and ADA accessible bathroom.  No, it's not done yet! 






Pray with us that this facility will better enable us to welcome our community to experience God's presence and grace.

Back home in Camarillo, the work continues

The challenges of conducting parallel ministries is that there is not a lot of breathing room.  As I return to the Celebration Church office (hopefully today after I figure out why I have no hot water in my house), I will turn my attention to local church matters.

The progress of the construction has been encouraging.  The goal had been to have services in the new addition by Christmas, but I'll need to check in with the foreman to see what, if any revisions are planned.

The new entryway

Interior ducting is in place. One of the new components of the addition is air conditioning! Although Camarillo is known for a very mild climate, we do get a few uncomfortably warm days in the summer. This will be a blessing.

(Click on photo to enlarge the image) 

And it appears that the roofing is done and the window structures are in place.

(Click on photo to enlarge image)

Please continue to pray for our church in Camarillo. As this addition will take us to 140-seat capacity, we trust that this construction will also take us to our next stage of growth and outreach to the community around us.

You know that an empty building doesn't make a church.  To see the people of our congregation, please visit our website, by clicking HERE.
Blessings,

PJ

Safely home

(Click on photo to enlarge)

Kairimashita!

Estou em casa!

I'm home!

Thank you for your faithful prayers over the last three weeks. It has been a blessing to serve.
Additional pictures will be posted on my Facebook account over the next day or so. Please take a look if you have an account.

Thank you again. It's laundry and nap time.

Iron sharpening

"Dude, all of your posts have food on them! Is that what missions is all about?"

So wrote a friend of mine last night on my Facebook account, where I've been posting the more social side of the work that I do here.

In actuality, food can prove to be a very significant part of how ministry is done. A review of the gospels finds Jesus often in the company of others taking a meal and using the opportunity to share some spiritual insight.

In Brazil (as in many other countries), relationships are built around meals together. And for Brazil especially, relationships will determine how effective you find your ministry.

As I prepare to leave later tonight, I am grateful for many people with whom I've shared a meal, a car ride, a conversation over coffee. Because it is in these contexts where I am able to learn more about South America ministry.

Yesterday, for example was a national holiday. Because of the timing, I wasn't able to schedule any meetings beforehand. But I was invited out to lunch with longtime friend, Tadashi Suzaki. Tadashi is the reason I wrote "iron sharpening" as the heading for this post. Tadashi is pictured in white on the right, below. We are pictured together here with his wife, Claudia and some of their very best friends.

(Click photo to enlarge)

Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

Tadashi blessed me with the opportunity to not only share memories from the past, but to also see the current situation in Brazil, socially, economically and spiritually. As this holiday Monday lunch was followed by coffee and coffee followed by dessert, and dessert followed by hanging out at a new shopping center, followed then by dinner, we spoke together about vision, about restoration, about leadership, about boundaries, transitions, partnership, JEMS' future, as well as the future of the Holiness Church.

This wasn't what Brazilians often call "batendo papo" or shooting the breeze. These were thoughtful and informed conversations that will enable me to better develop how JEMS SA may best work in collaboration with our ministry partners here.

And the reason the time with Tadashi was different was because it wasn't a superficial 15 minute conversation. It was - let's see - he picked me up for lunch at 1pm and dropped me off at my homestay at 11pm - 10 hours of conversation. Not all directly one-to-one, but shared with others in our group.

What a blessing to be able to be sharpened by a person I respect and whose friendship I value.

This morning (Tuesday) I am packing my bags, getting ready to come home. Thank you for your prayers over the past few weeks. I suspect that I will arrive home and sleep for 24 hours! But I will be preaching this coming Sunday, so there is yet much to do.

I leave tonight at 11:55pm and arrive at LAX (via Miami) at 10:55am on Wednesday!

God bless you!

Ready?

2 Timothy 4:2 came to mind as I planned to rest a bit after the worship service at Santo Andre Holiness Church this morning. Someone sidled up to me and said, "I know this is last minute, but can you share some things at the youth and professionals Sunday School class?"

In case you might not know 2 Timothy 4:2 offhand, it says, "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season."

"Absolutely," I answered, knowing that the prayers of many are accompanying me. Here was this morning's SS class.

(Click to enlarge)

During lunch, I was able to meet with William and Wellington Tsutsumida about a possible JEMS Sports Ministry project to send a basketball team to Brazil in July 2010. They explored with me some of the challenges, but also the possibilities of bringing a tournament to pass in the city of São Paulo. This planning will be ongoing with our JEMS Director of Sports Ministry, Marc Takamine.


(L-R: Patricia, Wellington, PJ and William)

After a brief lunch, the meeting of the board was about to begin and I was also invited to meet with them. They expressed their great pleasure in receiving the Okada family to their church. Many hands were involved in making this possible. Most of those hands are connected to the people in this picture!



Tomorrow morning early, I will be traveling with Pr Maki Suzuki (seated, white shirt) to visit Acampamento Shalom where about 75 collegians are meeting for retreat during this 3-day weekend.

Hmm

I guess Photobucket decided to be uncooperative today. Or else I forgot how to post.

Be back later. Meeting in a few minutes.

* * * * * *

Here´s something that´s bound to make you stop and scratch your head.



Yeah, I know. Weird, huh?

The last couple of days have included productive meetings with leadership from the São Paulo Pastor´s Federation (known locally as the Renmei).



With friends and colleagues



L-R: Longtime friend, Fred Utsunomiya, whose long-term plan is to serve together with his family in Asia. PJ. Liana and Pastor Eduardo Goya. Pr Eduardo is the current president of the Evangelical Holiness Church in Brazil.

With new contacts



Breakfast meeting with the leadership of the Nikkei Christian Businessman´s Association (Adhonep). L-R: Jun Takamura, David Yu, PJ, Sr Sergio Oyama and Shin Nagumo. (These names are here for my benefit. It´s easy in this series of meetings to forget who I met and what their names were).

And sometimes God saves little surprises for us



So nice to see my friend William after many years. It was one of those moments when you look across the restaurant and see that someone is also looking at you with a glimmer of recognition. Great to see his wife, Elieth and their family as well!

As I mentioned earlier, Brazil is about relationships, new and long-term. Thank God for these friendships that enable JEMS to build bridges into the community. A few more meetings to come, but it appears that almost everyone is taking advantage of the long weekend. A few more days and I can look forward to speaking English with a bit more regularity!

Thank you for praying!

Oh, and in case you are geeky enough to wonder how I was able to post my photos, I was able to gain access to a computer. Still not sure why Photobucket has been unhelpful from my mobile.

Long day. Early morning tomorrow. This will be short.

Today was a very full day as the clock strikes midnight here in Sao Paulo. The morning started off with rain, which then turned into a series of delays as traffic was severely impacted.

Combined with a national holiday on Monday, I think that every car in Sao Paulo was out today. The holiday is called "Finados." Kind of like Dia de Los Muertos, but really a chance to get away to the beach or mountains.

I met with the Nikkei Pastor's Federation this morning, and with the president of the largest Nikkei denomination in Brazil this afternoon. Both meetings went well. Tomorrow morning early, I meet with the Nikkei chapter of the Christian Businessman's Association.

Underline early. I'm gonna stop for now and get to sleep. I'll write more at another time.

Thank you for taking the time to check back on the progress of ministry here!

Thank you for praying today!

Your prayers for a good meeting are much appreciated. My meeting with the denominational superintendent went very well. I had only met him once before at a distance and have never had an extended conversation with him. But I found our time sprinkled with grace and openness.

He felt at ease to share his perceptions of JEMS, both positive and challenging. But he also did so with much kindness and humility. This looks to be a great partnership.

My meeting with the superintendent was followed by meeting and dinner with the pastor of the Jordanopolis Church where Lee Ann Yabuki and Ken Fong (NorCal Ken) once served. I have always been blessed by my conversations with Pastor Shigueru.

When I spoke of my own journey of restoration and how I had been encouraged and supported by Pr Jairton, Shigueru said "Pastor Jairton's wife's family lives around the corner!"

What a small world! And of course, we went to visit. Unfortunately no one was home.

I still remember Pr Jairton saying to me on the day we met, "God's grace isn't for perfect people, it's for us in the times we most deeply fail." It's so true. How often as God's people have forgotten that.

I expect that as a result of our conversation tonight that we will receive a request for a JEMS worker from this church in Jordanopolis. I pray that the message of God's love and grace can be shared with this community.

Mundane? Yes, occasionally.

Sometimes a day in the life of a traveling missions pastor seems mundane.

Waiting in lines for immigration




Standing while grabbing a quick bite to eat before the next flight.



Looking out of the bus window as the countryside passes by.



Watching for signs that your city might be coming up soon.



Amidst all of this, I am very honored and blessed to serve in this capacity at JEMS. It is both a pleasure and a gifting from God that permits me to do this ministry. The moment I open my mouth and see that my words are making sense to my listener (and vice versa) is another affirmation of God´s provision.

In addition, these conversations are the basis of open doors for JEMS´ ministry in South America. Brazil is a very relational culture. The face-to-face communication over a cup of coffee or a shared laugh over a warm memory, all work to build trust and friendship. It is one of the things that makes ministry here possible. This was affirmed this morning as I shared breakfast with Pr Guto Umeki in the city of Pompeia. The impact of JEMS has rested with the efforts and gifting of its mission volunteers and the friendships that have been developed over the years.

So thank you so much for entrusting me with this ministry. Thank you for your financial support and prayers. Though many have read that Brazil is one of the most evangelical (and evangelized) nations in the world, it is still a great challenge to reach the Nikkei community here. There is much work to be done.

Please pray as I leave Londrina tonight and head into Sao Paulo for a weeklong whirlwind of meetings. I´m again grateful that a number of pastors have agreed to meet with me to discuss vision, partnership and planning for 2010 and beyond.

Back to Brazil

I'm leaving Asuncion in a few hours (I have to be at the Silvio Pettirossi International airport 2 hours ahead of my 5am departure time).

It was a wonderful weekend of ministry and relationship building that included a meeting with Paraguayan Nikkei relatives, who are related through my late father. "Yoku niteru" (looks alike) was a common expression during that emotional time.

It is a blessing to know that connections were made that will perhaps enable my relatives to come to know the Lord through the ministry of the Asuncion Nikkei church. I am not ashamed to admit that I needed a walk in the garden of the family home in order to wipe tears away. God is not only concerned to reach nameless (to us) people in South America, he also has a heart to reach my unsaved family members as well!

Please pray as I head to Sao Paulo this early Monday morning to catch a connecting flight to Londrina. I will take a bus from Londrina on Tuesday to the city of Pompeia to begin discussions about a basketball team ministry to Brazil next July. I return to Londrina on Wednesday to catch another flight to Sao Paulo on Wednesday early evening.

Plane bus car in the next two days. Please pray for safe travel.

Thank you!

Something a little different

Breakfast this morning was at God's Pan, a local neighborhood bakery. Interesting name for a bakery, yes?



Say it with me: Desayuno paraguayo (dehz ah zhoo noh pah rah gwah zhoh) Translation: Paraguayan breakfast. (the y´s are pronounced as j´s)

Also had the chance to do laundry today. Old school.



In addition to ministry with the church, Mari sensei works with children from the community, teaching origami.







Now they are getting prepared for choir practice. Koki and Mari are a very dedicated couple, serving the Lord in Asuncion.

Tereguahe poraite

"Tereguahe poraite" is the indigenous Guarani word for Welcome!

Thank you for praying for this day of travel which began at 6am in Manaus, connected in Sao Paulo and ended at 6pm in Asuncion, Paraguay. Whew! It was a long day!




With my arrival in Asuncion, Paraguay, I am happy to be fellowshipping with Pr Koki and Mari Nowada for the next several days.



We will continue to evaluate the just-completed 2009 Paraguay Project and discuss possible plans for a 2010 ministry.

The Paraguay Project team will be happy to hear that I had dinner with Paty, Victor, Yoko, Sadato, Michie, Yosoke, Lumi and Etsuko. Also attending were Nobu, Aya and the children.

These families and individuals were very happy to have received the JEMS team this past July. We pray that seeds planted will continue to be nourished and grow!

Friday - traveling north to south; then east to west

Please pray as I zig-zag South America on Friday. I leave Manaus at 6am, fly to Sao Paulo (5 hrs), catch a connecting flight from SP to Asuncion, Paraguay. I arrive close to 6pm Asuncion time.

Prayer request is for a full night's sleep one of these days. These early and daylong flights are tiring in their own right.

Thanks to God for good contacts and communication in Portuguese here in Manaus. Now I go to a ministry that is conducted in Japanese or Spanish (I speak neither). Thank God for Pr Koki and his wife, Mari who speak English and will help me immensely. Evaluation of past July ministry and possible planning for 2010 will take place.

Manaus - Day 2

Note: Please check the main blog at: http://prayer4pj.blogspot.com/ for the most recent updates! (just click Prayer4PJ above the pink line)

Day 2 began with a meeting with Pr Suzuki of the Portuguese department of the Manaus Holiness Church. I'll admit to being taken aback when he said, "Pastor John, you got old!" Ah yes, the open frankness of the Brazilian culture. Just what I need! haha

Discussions included possible participation in a weeklong Japanese language camp next July. I was able to spend some time with the pastor and his family, though he was just getting over the flu.



Before much time passed, I was asked to go downstairs to the church's pre-school program and teach them a song in English. What to do? Well, I taught them "head and shoulders knees and toes" as well as the ever popular "eyes and ears, mouth and nose." Not sure they were impressed.


After my meeting with Pr Suzuki concluded, I went back to the Josephina de Mello school, carved out of the jungle. I met with some students and their English teacher



As I was detected nodding off this afternoon, the pastor insisted that I rest. It's easily 100 today with full-on Amazonian humidity. Speaking of the Amazon, the pastor took me by the river for a view.



Now for a few moments to rest before tonight's activities and meetings.