"Foreigners in a Japanese Church = Happiness"

I'm going to blame this on jet lag, but I made a mistake in the previous entry and said the house we are staying in is called "House of Hope" when in fact it is the "House of Grace." Oops!
As Zach puts it, "Foreigners in a Japanese church = happiness", and that's what we experienced Sunday morning at the church service and lunch at Toyota East Christ Church. It was really encouraging to see Pastor Nozumu speak passionately, even though we only know about half of what he said, and to get to meet a bunch of fellow Christians half-way around the world. It was evident that God is alive in the church in Japan! Afterwards we took a drive out to a different church for a Koto (Japanese harp) concert. Everytime we drive we never cease to be amazed by the vehicles here, including what we like to call a "Super Futuristic Japanese Mr.Bean Car." I think I may sneak one home with me. The musician played beautifully and it was great to experience another bit of culture. That evening we were back at the church for a supper and evening of fellowship with some of the church members and youth. We were able to share testimony, music and a drama, and loved to see the enthusiasm of the Japanese people.
Monday brought much more orientation. In the afternoon we had the opportunity of learning calligraphy from 2 ladies from the church. I don't think we have ever concentrated so hard in our lives. To give our brains a rest afterwards, Phil took us on a walk up to a Shinto shrine and Buddhist temple nearby. Both religions are largely based on nature, so the locations were very beautiful; however, it hit us that so many people here base their lives on an empty religion. It's shocking how many shrines and temples are set up within a small vicinity.
To end off the evening, Wendy Eros, another missionary who we'll be working with later, joined us for a trip to a fruit store and an extremely filling supper of Tempura! This was about the time in the evening when we all seem to lose it a little bit, so I will end this entry here!
Thanks for the prayers and support! Please continue to pray for rest for us, because going to bed between 9-10 is starting to get a little ridiculous!
Day: 4         Rice Count: 4  :)
I hope you like pictures.....

 This is how missionaries and pastors spend time in Japan

 Waiting for Koto concert to start, with our new fans from Wendy

 The end result. And thankfully, no one bumped the table.

Praying over the city of Toyota

And now for something completely different....