Language missteps

As I prepare for the Spanish language intensive to be undertaken in Asunción, Paraguay this August, my mind goes back to my early years with JEMS trying to learn Portuguese.  Several of the more humorous events are detailed in my latest submission to Discover Nikkei. (Link to story) 

Sitting in LA's 36 degree angles

Now for something completely different.  

One of my hobbies is the study of old Los Angeles.  Its buildings, its transportation systems, its way of life.  I'm not exactly sure how this interest arose, but it has been pretty engaging.  

An example is the presence of the JEMS building on a site just doors away from the old La Grande Station of the Santa Fe Railroad.  It serves as an answer to the question, why is the street around the corner from us called, "Santa Fe Avenue?"  In the photo below, the asterisk marks the current location of the JEMS building.  

(Note:  All photos in this post may be enlarged by clicking on the image).

Source: http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics23/00031419.jpg

Anyone who has spent any time in downtown perceives the peculiar layout of the streets.  Downtown Los Angeles is different from the rest of the city by virtue of its divergence from the norm of north and south running streets.  In an LA Times article by D.J. Waldie, entitled "LA's Crooked Heart," Waldie pulls from different sources to explain the strange floorplan of the downtown sector.

A look at a closeup of a 1932 map shows this floorplan very clearly. (Please click on map to view an enlarged version).

Source: http://www.bigmapblog.com/2011/los-angeles-the-wonder-city-of-america-1934/

Why is that section of the city canted in that direction?  

According to Waldie and others before him, the tilt in the downtown area is an imprint of our Spanish colonial heritage.  Long before the Americans "won the west," the area was founded by indigenous and later Spanish settlers.  The layout of the city was based upon a 16th century organizational plan called the Laws of the Indies.  

According to Waldie's article, the Laws of the Indies required that "the streets and house lots in the cities of New Spain have a 45-degree disorientation from true north and south to provide, it was said, equal light to every side of a small house throughout the day. Given the way Spanish and then Mexican Los Angeles extended along the bank of its uncertain river, only 36 degrees of compliance was possible."

So while the city's heart was laid out by the old Spanish colonial plan, the rest of the city would come under the cartographic plan outlined by Thomas Jefferson. The Jeffersonian plan was intended to lay out a nationwide street orientation with north on top, south on the bottom and east and west sitting at right angles, except in cases of coastlines or mountains.

So although America conquered the west, it didn't conquer the heart of LA. The Jeffersonian plan begins west of Hoover and south of Santa Barbara (now MLK). North and east are a hodge-podge of mountains and neighboring cities, with no topographic ties to Los Angeles, per se.

The downtown area has changed significantly.  As a kid I can remember the Brew 102 building just off the 101 Freeway in the downtown slot.  In fact, my dad got a ticket there once.  When he told me that he "got pinched," I took him literally.  I wanted him to show me where the cop pinched him.  

The image below is taken of Aliso Street from the vantage point of City Hall.  Aliso follows the route of the soon-to-be-built 101 freeway as it passes the Brew 102 building.  Year: 1952.

From USC Digital Archive, but housed here: 
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/3543/la0521fromc1vbrewery.jpg

Another photo of downtown faces the Civic Center with Brew 102 and the iconic gasholders that were featured as background in many old motion pictures.  Early 1950s.

Source: USC Digital Archives. 
Housed here:   http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/4351/alisostreetviaductearly.jpg

Just below, a nighttime image shows part of the panorama of downtown, including City Hall and the gasholders.  

Source:  http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...M-N-9439-014~1

Bringing this post back to South America, one of my favorite photos of early Los Angeles is one of Carmen Miranda in Pershing Square, selling war bonds for the US in 1943. 

Credit:  http://vickielester.com/2013/07/16/carmen-miranda-sells-war-bonds-photographed-by-ralph-morris/

That's just nuts!

The news out of São Paulo is disturbing as a video released by the newspaper, Folha de São Paulo, shows overcrowding in a Metrô station due to a recent bus strike.  The link to the article in English is posted below the video.




LINK to article.

Pray for Brazil!!

Chamado por Deus

Como o Pastor John foi chamado para servir no Brasil?  Várias pessoas tem feito esta pergunta.  O outro dia, pensei que seria bom responder . . .

No domingo passado numa igreja em Los Angeles, California, durante o tempo de louvor, nós cantámos uma música chamado "Great is the Lord."  Pensei na primeira vez que ouvi esta música.  Foi no ano 1990 durante uma viagem de pesquisa da JEMS.  Eu era um pastor servindo na igreja local, mas ajudando a JEMS como uma parte de uma comissão missionária.  Fui para o Brasil para conhecer o campo missionário, mas não tive nenhum desejo nem disposição para servir em missões.  Fui como um pastor que queria ganhar uma experiência diferente. 

Encontro com missionária da JEMS, Tamie Kawashima, no retiro pastoral
no acampamento Tabor, 1990

Não sabia nada do Brasil.  Nada.  Nadissima.  Mas eu cheguei aberto para o que Deus queria me ensinar.  

No primeiro domingo, fui com Pastor Key para o culto da noite na igreja de Casa Verde.  Era uma igreja pequena, com mais ou menos 60 pessoas.  Durante o culto nós cantámos em português.  Eu não sabia nada das letras, mas gostei muito de ouvir o povo de Deus louvando o  nome do Senhor.  Durante este tempo de louvor, começámos cantando "Grande é o Senhor e mui digno de louvor."  

Deve conhecer esta música porque é muito antiga.  Mas durante este tempo de louvor, cantando esta música, eu senti fortamente a presença de Deus.  Ele tocou meu coração e eu ouvi uma voz sussurrando em meus ouvidos, um convite para servir no Brasil.  Não foi uma voz audível, mas um toque de Deus em minha cabeça e coração.  

"Que isso, Deus?"  eu perguntei!!  "Eu estou te servindo como pastor nos EUA.  Por que tu queras que eu sirva no Brasil??"  

Eu lutei contra este toque do Senhor e lógo esqueci este momento.  Não falei nada com ninguém sobre esta experiência em Casa Verde.  Mas durante aquela viagem, eu vi Deus operando em maneiras maravilhosas.  Em Campo Grande durante um tempo de oração por uma moça, eu recebi uma palavra de sabedoria do Senhor que foi confirmado pela esposa do pastor.  Mesmo que não queria ouvir sua voz, Deus estava operando em meu coração.  

Na saída de Campo Grande, uma pessoa que eu conheci durante aquele final de semana me deu uma fita de música.  Eu a coloquei em meu Walkman e escutei quando o avião estava decolando.  Uma das primeiras músicas que eu ouvi foi "Grande é o Senhor."  Deus quebrou meu coração.  Durante uma meia hora eu fiquei chorando em meu assento.  Deus estava falando mais alto e com mais claridade.  

Eu ainda tive que conversar com minha família, com outros pastores mais sábios.  Mas depois de uma ano e meio eu decidi deixar o ministério pastoral e aceitar o convite de Deus para servir as igrejas e a comunidade Nikkei no Brasil.  Para a gloria de Deus.  

Tenho experimentado muitos dias bons e ruins.  Até eu tive que passar um tempo fora do ministério por causa da perda de meu casamento.  Mas Deus tem sido fiel e cheio de graça.  Depois de seis anos de aconselhamento e disciplina pastoral, a igreja batista onde eu estava frequentando deu sua permissão e bênção para minha volta ao ministério.  A igreja Nikkei brasileira também tem mostrado uma aceitação e graça a respeito minha situação.  

Fico muito contente estar de volta neste ministério na América do Sul.  E Deus tem aberto mais portas para que JEMS possa servir em outras países em América Latina.  Deus realmente tem um coração para alcançar o mundo perdido.

"O Senhor não demora em cumprir a sua promessa, como julgam alguns. Ao contrário, ele é paciente com vocês, não querendo que ninguém pereça, mas que todos cheguem ao arrependimento." (2 Pedro 3:9)

Putting faces on the ministry

One aspect of my ministry involves outreach to groups in cities throughout South America to share from God's Word, and to build bridges to communities by cultivating relationships and ministry partnerships. 

Pictured here sharing with the Congregação Holiness in Dracena (top) and Oriente, both in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. January 2013

This particular trip in January 2013 involved a multi-city swing through the Brazilian state of São Paulo, which is the most populous in terms of Nikkei inhabitants. These types of contacts would not be possible without the open doors provided by local pastors and leaders.

Evangelistic opportunities:

Sharing about Jesus at the judo dojo (academy) in the city of Bastos.

Conducting home visitations:

Ministering to all ages and ethnicities, being responsive to doors that God is opening for us in key regions in Brazil and South America:

Adamantina

Bastos

Marília

A large part of my ministry in South America involves waiting on God's timing.  We move forward as the Spirit gives direction and opportunities to cultivate key relationships to reaching the larger community for Christ.

Please pray for workers to respond to those open doors and open hearts.

Nothing is wasted

More often than not, we find it difficult to imagine that God can re-purpose the broken and jagged pieces of our lives. In the shame- and perfection-based Asian culture there are those who, through their own failings or through ordinary and extraordinary circumstances, find themselves marginalized by the church. And there are always those people within our own communities and families who may remind us again and again of the insurmountable nature of our failings.



Some decades ago an article appeared in the now-defunct Tozai Times in which the writer who, acknowledging her non-church involvement, had visited several prominent Asian American churches.

Her conclusion? That these churches were nothing more than "well-baby clinics." The idea being that as long as you are a normal, functional, socialized, well-rounded individual, that you would be assured of welcome in the church. But if you were somehow touched by divorce, drugs, single-parenthood, spectrum disorders, gender confusion or any of a plethora of struggles, including just being "different," that the church was not where you might find a place for yourself.

The mandate for the church is to base its vision, not on cultural norms, but upon biblical foundations. We need the reminder again that men and women are blessed with great and wonderful potential. At the same time, we often suffer the brokenness of sorrow, guilt and rejection. 

Our calling as the church is to take part in the mending of broken relationships, whether to God, to ourselves, or to others. We understand that this is what Jesus Christ has called us as his people to do.  I am called back to Romans 8:28 which says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

All things God works for the good. All things. We often use this verse to speak of tragic circumstances like illness, job loss or death.  But do you suppose that "all things" can include the shards of a life broken by our failings, our shame, our unbelief, our sorrow, our indecision, our sin?

As one whom God has redeemed from divorce and disgrace, and who has been restored to ministry, I think of God somehow weaving the flotsam and jetsam of our lives, our talents, our experiences, and re-creating something of remarkable worth and value. People - even Christians - are quick to point out where we have failed, where we cannot attain to some imagined level of righteousness.  Whereas God is about repentance, restoration and pointing out our possibilities, pushing us in the right direction. As the Apostle Paul wrote the church in Philippi, "it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." (Phil 2:13)

It is such a blessing to be reminded that God is at work in my life.  That nothing is going to be wasted in God's economy.  Nothing is wasted.  Let that sink in for a moment.  In the worship song of the same name, there is a lyric that says,

"You are loving, You are wise

There is nothing in my life You cannot revive

You are loving, You are wise

There is nothing too hard for our God."

Do we believe that?  Do we live that out?  Nothing is wasted.  

No matter where you may be in your journey, broken or unbroken, we need so much to hear the message of repentance and grace.  To share that message with others.  To allow it to take root in our own hearts.  There is nothing in my life, God cannot revive!  Amen!



* I understand that there is a controversy regarding the Elevation Church pastor, Steven Furtick.  Nonetheless, the song speaks to the redemptive work of Christ is our lives.  

Falling into place

Thank you for your prayers!  My housing has been arranged in Asunción, Paraguay for my upcoming Spanish language intensive in August!!!  It's been amazing to see the pieces fitting into place after they were completely scattered around.

It all began with discouraging news on April 23. I received this email from our ministry partner in Asunción, Pastor Koki Nowada:

I am very sorry that today Hamanasu Center's administrator called me that the reservation for this August has been canceled because of changing the rules for travelers staying there. So I have just checked out some apart-hotels here in Asuncion. The cost is normally 80-90US$ per day. Expensive or not so much?

Wha-at????  It felt like the plans for August had fallen apart like a jigsaw puzzle dropping to the floor.  Housing costs of US$90 per day for one month would have made this impossible (and really unwise stewardship!)

About now, I started asking you as my friends and supporters to pray again for my housing situation in Asunción.
On April 25 - I received this email from Pastor Koki:

I have just heard from Pastor Tim Kunkel that there is a guest apartment of German Mission here in Asuncion, where you can rent one room in low cost. I did not know of such a guest apartment, so I would like to see it there and check out the condition to rent in August, for 24 days. I hope you can wait for more information about this option.



April 27 - After exchanging emails, Pastor Koki sent me this news:

Today I talked with Pastor Tim and he said there are one more option of another guest apartment of SIM Mission with a clean room, shower, and kitchen including water and electricity cost. He will check out the more detailed condition and send e-mail to you directly up to this weekend. Is it OK with you that he helps you to look for and make sure the guest apartment? 



May 2 - More emails between us and Pastor Koki, and then just before this past weekend, he sent me this update:

Today Pastor Tim and I went to German Mission (Senador Long 771, Asuncion) and checked out the guest apartment. 

The location is a very good place near to the Carmelitas shopping (you know there are the spaghetti restaurant Bellini and ice cream shop Freddo). It is a small apartment room on the third floor, has a nice bedroom with a study desk and one living room with a sofa and a table, a little kitchen with tableware, a refrigerator and a gas stove, and a bathroom with a electric shower, having wifi. 

This August it is completely available for you and next to the guest apartment, one Argentinian missionary's family is living, the missionary Walter Pelegrina, who is from Buenos Aires and can speak English very well, told me that he will welcome you there to German Mission. So strongly I can recommend you that place for your stay on this August.
If you need more information, I will ask Walter anything you want to know. If you would like to stay there, I can make a reservation for one month stay in August before you fix the dates.

My response to him was immediate! :

Such wonderful news, Koki sensei! Thanks to you and Tim sensei for looking at the guest apartment for me. It sounds like it will be a good arrangement for me. I have asked several people to be praying about this, and God has been so faithful. Thank you for the extra effort that you made for me. I am still waiting for confirmation for the Spanish class. I should be able to confirm the housing at the German Mission by this weekend (I hope).

Also, did you see if there was a common living area on the first floor of the mission? My Spanish lessons will be at the Mission. I want to make sure that there is a public area for us to meet that is open.
Thank you!!
John

May 3
Yes, pastor John, there is a nice conference room and a devotion room (every morning Walter is leading a devotion time for German Mission's people) with a small lounge as a waiting room on the first floor, I think of that conference room is open and best for your Spanish private lessons.

Sure, I will make a reservation for one month in this August there!

May 3
Pastor John, you have already a reservation of guest apartment for one month this August. Walter Pelegrina and the administrator of German Mission confirmed this reservation, and they told me that you do not need to pay the cost at all, but you can give a offering to the German Mission if you feel led. They are very pleased to receive you on this August!
Blessings, Koki   

May 3
To: Koki Nowada
Wow!  What a wonderful blessing!  My plan will be to give an offering to the mission.  Thank you also for the report about the rooms that are available to use on the first floor.   

In the next two weeks or so, I will be finalizing the schedule for any JEMS teams that might serve in Brazil this summer.  I will let you know what my itinerary and flight schedule will be.

Thanks so much again,
John

So this is where I'll be living in August.  The street is named, surprisingly, after a United States Senator (and Louisiana Governor) Huey Long.  It is not at all common to have a street named after an American in Asunción.  I'll have to find out what that's all about.