The First Week

We’ve hit the Aomori soil running and God has used us in many great ways. The days have been filled with preparation, practice, traveling, and performing. During this first week, we’ve had the opportunity to minister in church services and schools to parents, teachers, and of course, students.
On Sundays, our responsibilities are at Tsugaru church, mainly teaching English and leading worship in service. After service last weekend, we traveled up to the Kanagi township, put on a concert at a community hall and then led worship at a small church plant. In that region we’ve been working with Armin Messer and his family; German missionaries with OMF. Yesterday, they organized a short assembly at a preschool where we got to interact with and play worship music for hundreds of kids. Their hope is that these concerts will be able to connect families with the church and the programs they run.
Last Tuesday, the team played before approximately 400 elementary students and today we were at a Jr. High school. One of the ways we are wishing to bless the students here is not only to represent the joy in our hearts while we worship, but also to invite them to evangelistic events and to get them in contact with the missionaries and church planters here in the area. In the evening, we bake many batches of cookies to take with us to hand out to the children as well. Since we’re representing Canada, all the cookies we’ve made so far have either been maple leaf-shaped or moose-shaped maple-pecan!
We’ve been working hard to use many different forms of art in our presentations. There are action songs led by Jessica and Abby; a contemporary dance to the song ‘Before The Throne of God Above’ done by Joanna and Abby; a hip hop dance to the Mary Mary song ‘Shackles’ involving Joanna, Abby and myself; and a skit done by the whole group to the Lifehouse song ‘Everything’. We also have self-introductions and a brief blurb about Canada, normally done enthusiastically by Jono. If anyone is wondering, the worship songs we lead and play are mostly modern contemporary ones, including some of the popular ones from the last decade.
As I write this, there is an English class that half the team will be helping out with this evening, many cookies to be made for tomorrow’s preschool event, and a concert we are prepping for tomorrow evening in Kanagi. Please pray for continual strength, a renewal of spirit, and as always, a committed focus on God and His purposes. Every little bit goes toward advancing His Kingdom!
Check the blog in a couple days for some personal blurbs from the team an our prayer requests.


Sayonora,

Jon