Welcome to Senzoku

So the YWAM Tokyo DTS house is located in a neighborhood called Senzoku. It is actually seventeen kilometers southwest of the center of Tokyo, but with the intracate train system here in Tokyo, you can be in downtown Tokyo in thirty to forty minutes. It is a really quiet neighborhood and is nice. Here are a few pictures from the area:

The is the DTS House. It's actually a big house by Japanese standards, including two western toilets and one shower. For seventeen guys. It does not get as crazy as you think though.

This is the backyard. We have a washer but no dryer, so everything is line dried. Also, anything that can be recycled is recycled, and the rest is burned, so we have four trash cans in the kitchen, one for combustibles, plastic, metal, and PET bottles (plastic bottles - different than plastic). All our trash is covered under than tarp.

This is the view to the left of the house (north I think)

This is the corner that we turn at to head towards the station.

This little guy is a statue/alter/idol of some type within the neighborhood. It is very sad that these people do not know the God who not only created them but also loves them so deeply.

This is the street we walk up and down on the way to the train station. It's nice.

Same street.

Same street.

This is one of thousands of hair salons you see in Tokyo. They are like Starbucks in Seattle...

Just a small video store. I have not entered it yet, but I thought with the Japanese movies it was worth taking a picture of.

This a board with ads from political candidates. It's kind of neat.

This is "My Basket." It is a little combini that we make runs to on a regular basis for ice cream, snacks, and other food items.

This is the road to an area called Nishi-Koyama where we go to the 100 Yen stores and other snacks and stuff. The grocery store we shop at is also there as well. It is about a fifteen minute walk from the house.

There are a lot of these vending machines all around the neighborhood.

This is a street on the way to/from My Basket.

There are mirrors like this all around Tokyo so people can see around corners when driving and walking.

A nice Japanese garden

This is the park across from the local station. It's called the Friendship Park. One of the students went one day and returned to say no one spoke to him. Very friendly.

This is the entrance to the local station, Senzoku Station. It is about a 5 minute walk from the house, if that. Also, notice the length of that girl's skirt. This is normal fashion for Japanese girls to wear short shorts and skirts. Because of the lack of Judeo-Christian beliefs in Japan, sex can be easily found. As one of our leaders put it, you could be having a conversation with someone, and it pretty much goes, "I find you interesting. Let's have sex." It might not be that straight forward, but there are individuals who travel to foreign countries just for this reason. It is incredibly disgusting. It also plays into our outreach to the Philippines. Young girls are told promising stories of coming to Japan and finding work as a maid, house cleaner, or some type of work. However, the people who tell them this steal their passports, get them addicted to narcotics, and make them prostitute themselves. We will be making a short trip to the Philippines in relation to this, but I am not sure what we will do.

This is a plaque on the side of probably one of my favorite places in Tokyo, Mister Donut. The donuts are delicious, and the refill your coffee for free! Also, from seven to eleven in the morning, you can get a donut and coffee for 300 yen. Normally, a donut is somewhere between 115 to 136 yen, which is roughly $1.50.

This is just a simple tour of the neighborhood. I had some issues with putting all the pictures in here, so if it's messed up, please let me know. I hope to be posting some deeper stuff soon!

Snap shot(s)

Jay, J-Mo, Ben, and I came by/spent the night for my last night in Starkville. It was such a blessing!

Ben snapped a quick picture of me packing on Thursday. There is no way I could have done it without his and Jay's help!

Last picture in Starkville with Mom and Dad before we left for Georgia.

Eating breakfast with Zach, Leigh, Josh, Mom, and Mike before my send off and flight! It was such a blessing to get to see them all before I left! Mike even took a vacation day to come see me before I left!

Zach, Josh, Mike, and I in front of the Korean Air check-in desk at ATL.

Some of the sakura (cherry blossoms) outside of the Imperial Palace.

This is Hachiko, probably the most loyal dog to ever live. If you do not know the story, check it out on Wikipedia. Or you can watch an Americanized version called Hachi: A Dog's Tale with Richard Gere. It's an excellent movie, especially if you need to cry.

This is a park we visited this past Sunday afternoon. Thousands of people travel to Japan every year to see the sakura in bloom, and this park was no exception to that.

A cat in a tree. There was more than one actually.

The beautiful sakura

Not an update

Hey guys,
This isn't really an update, yet it is. I received an email from the YWAM Tokyo Registrar earlier this evening with this information from a trusted and knowledgeable source (they told us who, which I trust, I'm just not telling you):

Workers are still working around the clock to restore power.

Cabling is now hooked up to the #2 plant and they are performing
critical inspections on the electrical gear prior to turning power on.
They are still running cable to the other plants.  There was a bit of
a scare last night when some unexplained smoke emitted from the #3
plant and workers were temporarily evacuated for their own safety but
they have been able to return.
      

Rad levels both on and off site are consistent with the last
three or four days.  There is no cause for concern outside the 30KM
zone.
      Reactor plants 1-4 remain the concern along with their
respective spent fuel pools.  Reactors 5&6 are effectively safe at
this point.
     

 Lots of talk in the news media about the contaminated food.
Shipment of food from the affected area has been put on hold so their
is no need for alarm.  The World Heath Organization made a statement
this morning stating that they are monitoring the situation and the
rad levels, and Japan has made the right decisions in halting affected
shipments, but that in any event, nothing found thus far is of
immediate danger to anyone even if they did eat it.
      

We're all keeping our fingers crossed for those electricians as
they race to connect power which will not only restore normal cooling
but it will restore the vital instrumentation that will let us have a
much better picture of the status of each reactor plant.

As usual I will continue to send updates as I get information.

It was crazy for me to think about the lives of those individuals who are working on reconnecting and correcting the issues at the plant. What toll will this take on them? Will it even have one? If so, what courage to continue to work at the sacrifice of themselves for the greater good! Praise God for them and their bravery.

So this is a simple non-update, but it is definitely some good news. Less than two weeks now!

Isaiah 24:15

So I think many (probably like 4 people) have been waiting for my response to the events of Friday in Tokyo, to hear not what I thought but of what I would do, and i hope to answer this question with this post (which should be easy except for the fact it is two in the morning, so prepare for some rambling). When I first heard about the earthquake and tsunami, my heart was not worried or saddened that my trip would be canceled. No, it was more confirmed in my mind that I needed to go. I have no intention on allowing this tragedy to prevent me from going and serving the people of Japan, for there is no greater need than now.Not that my goal is to take advantage of people in a weakened state to share the gospel with them, but I pray that God would use such an event to soften the hearts of the Japanese people to the fact that life is fleeting. It might be insensitive to say such a thing, but if any of us do not understand this universal truth, we MUST face it. Each of us, at some point, is going to die. Everyday we move closer and closer to this point. We can spend our time worshiping ourselves and our time, we can try to mask it with Botox, we can fight it with exercise, but sooner or later, our heart will stop beating.

So, what does this have to do with Japan? With such a reality striking on their doorsteps, no, on their hearts, they need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ: God descended from Heaven to take the form of man, live a life without sin and was consequently murdered, sacrificed, for it, then rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven so that ALL who believe in Him would not perish but would have eternal life! So while I reside inside this earthly tent, I pray to God that I would spend all that I am to share the love of the One who has saved me even though I am totally unworthy of it. I have nothing to offer God, yet He still wants me and longs for me to be a part of His ministry. I have nothing to offer this world except to tell them about the Savior who has saved me. And if God has called me to go to Japan, to share this message with those who are hurting, who are lost, who are perishing, then I am going to go. This was how it was before the earthquake and tsunami, and it has not changed anything on that front. What I do pray is that these people will be more receptive to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

So for those who are worried, do not. Fear not. I pray that you will not fear for me, worry for me, but will instead rebuke your fear in the name of Jesus Christ! He calls us to not worry! If you do not believe me, then read Luke 12. I do not fear death. No, I fear the one who I will judge me after death. What would I tell Him if I did not go to Japan now? I was scared? That I was afraid to die? That I did not have enough faith? Do I not believe as Paul said in Philippians 1:21: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." In fact, I say that if I do die that you should not mourn. No, you should be mad! That I beat all of you home! That I had the opportunity to step into the heavenly home that is being prepared for me before you! So do not fear for me, do not worry for me. If the Lord wills it, I will go to Japan. I pray that you all would turn your fear to the Lord and ask, am I in your will? Am I being the servant you call me to be?

As for some practical details beyond my personal stance and feelings, the DTS is still on schedule to be taking place on April 4th; Korean Air has removed the warning message it was displaying on Friday about flights to the two major airports in Tokyo being delayed/rescheduled/canceled; and the US State Department's travel warning for Japan is stated to end on April 1st, the day my flight is scheduled to leave.

I know that it may seem I am being naive or ignorant to some major details in all of this, but just as I am confident that the Lord will provide all of the support I need for my trip, He will also provide the means to get to where He wants me. If I can trust Him with my life, I am sure I can trust Him with not my trip, but His ministry that He has allowed me to be a part of that Isaiah 24:15 may come to life:

"Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord; exalt the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea."

Amen.

Here is my W-4...

So I have felt convicted about what I have told people about my trip to Japan. For the past two months, when it has come to telling people about my trip, I have usually only said that I am going to Japan to attend a Discipleship Training School, never expounding on what this means for me and my future. Yet while I am "withholding" information, I am getting upset every time someone says, "It is going to be a great experience." Yeah, it is. There is no doubt it will be. But it is so much more than an experience! So much more!
The need for Christ in Japan is overwhelming, and I hope that God plans to use me in a way to make a difference. My time will not be spent going to museums, landmarks, and locations to see Japan in a new light; this trip is about me spending time in unity, scripture, prayer, and outreach to see my Lord and Savior in a new way (how can light itself be seen in a new light?), and glory in Him. This trip is not for me to avoid my career, to do something before settling down, or to have fun, it is for God to be glorified. If I ever think otherwise, God strike me down.
However, the great part about it is while following after God, I DO get to have fun, see things different, visit landmarks and locations, all the while living life for Christ. There is no doubt that living for Christ is an adventure in and of itself!