Konnichiwa!!! (^_^)V
This is Deborah. I shall be talking about our visit to the orphanage on Monday and our first visit to Osaka Prefecture University on Tuesday!
Monday:
After a morning of taping the walls of the HBC sanctuary in preparation for painting, our team, along with some HBC members, went to serve at an orphanage called Aiikushya. This was very exciting for me, since it was my first time seeing this part of HBC’s ministry even though this is my third time coming on this STM trip. We arrived to a very clean, well-kept building and entered a classroom of adorable, squirmy children around 2-4 years old. HBC members led in the singing of a few children’s worship songs, and our team sang our well-rehearsed version of “Son of God.” Shinsuke shared a gospel presentation using a book with colored pages and also pictures of Adam and Eve’s fall. We then played a few games: 1) a relay race in which we pushed a ball along the ground with our noses and 2) hot potato. Our hearts were so warmed by the innocence of the children! They swarmed Dan when we had to leave because they wanted to play with his guitar. However, as cute as they were, it was a sobering reminder of their need for true salvation.
Tuesday:
After a morning of covering the sanctuary walls with sealant, our team headed off to Osaka Prefecture University (OPU) to spend time with the English Speaking Society (ESS) club students. For the five of us who have come on previous trips, we were excited to see familiar faces and follow up on previous conversations. We also met many new students, particularly avid freshmen. It was a very relaxed environment, more so than the first visits we’ve made in previous years, probably because of the fact that relationships have been already established. We basically just sat around and talked and ate snacks for a few hours and then headed over to their cafeteria to have dinner. Okada Sensei came along with us, and he was able to arrange for 2 of us to join the ESS club for lunch on Thursday. This will be a great opportunity to further develop relationships and also understand better what they do as a club!
Prayer requests:
-HBC’s ministry to the orphanage. They go about twice a month and do similar activities, so you can pray that God will allow these children to grow up with a knowledge of Him and His saving power!
-For our team to develop relationships with the OPU students that enable them to establish long-term relationships with HBC members.
-For the salvation of the OPU students!
Monday:
After a morning of taping the walls of the HBC sanctuary in preparation for painting, our team, along with some HBC members, went to serve at an orphanage called Aiikushya. This was very exciting for me, since it was my first time seeing this part of HBC’s ministry even though this is my third time coming on this STM trip. We arrived to a very clean, well-kept building and entered a classroom of adorable, squirmy children around 2-4 years old. HBC members led in the singing of a few children’s worship songs, and our team sang our well-rehearsed version of “Son of God.” Shinsuke shared a gospel presentation using a book with colored pages and also pictures of Adam and Eve’s fall. We then played a few games: 1) a relay race in which we pushed a ball along the ground with our noses and 2) hot potato. Our hearts were so warmed by the innocence of the children! They swarmed Dan when we had to leave because they wanted to play with his guitar. However, as cute as they were, it was a sobering reminder of their need for true salvation.
Tuesday:
After a morning of covering the sanctuary walls with sealant, our team headed off to Osaka Prefecture University (OPU) to spend time with the English Speaking Society (ESS) club students. For the five of us who have come on previous trips, we were excited to see familiar faces and follow up on previous conversations. We also met many new students, particularly avid freshmen. It was a very relaxed environment, more so than the first visits we’ve made in previous years, probably because of the fact that relationships have been already established. We basically just sat around and talked and ate snacks for a few hours and then headed over to their cafeteria to have dinner. Okada Sensei came along with us, and he was able to arrange for 2 of us to join the ESS club for lunch on Thursday. This will be a great opportunity to further develop relationships and also understand better what they do as a club!
Prayer requests:
-HBC’s ministry to the orphanage. They go about twice a month and do similar activities, so you can pray that God will allow these children to grow up with a knowledge of Him and His saving power!
-For our team to develop relationships with the OPU students that enable them to establish long-term relationships with HBC members.
-For the salvation of the OPU students!