Patricia Danielle

i know im american. and i didnt feel that being in japan for 2 years was SOOOOO removed from the states. i still spent hours every week on the phone with friends and famliy at home. i spent hours every day on the internet reading the news and buying american goods. i dont feel like i was THAT out of it in terms of american culture.

but apparently i was wrong….

to quote kelly clarkson, “since u been gone”…..halloween is now a HUGE thing. to quote a guy at work “it’s become as big as christmas.” its true. at work, there is that fake spider web stuff EVERYWHERE, orange and black lining the walls, and pumpkin lights strung up all over. halloween just happens to be my favorite holiday, so all of this is ok with me, but it does seem that halloween is starting to take over the whole WORLD!!

i used to want to be an astronaut….i even went to space camp twice.

i used to want a convertible VW rabbit….and if i couldnt have it painted glow-in the dark lime-green i would have settled for wrapping it in itti-bitti christmas lights.

i used to want to have 7 children….i had decided that their names would be the days of the week.

i used to want nothing more than to leave La Verne, CA…….in my mind, happiness was “LaVerne in my rear-view mirror.”

the life of used to’s. now-a-days….i want to be involved in business and paperwork and desks and clients and managers. i drive a honda accord, the same exact (color, year, manual transmission) car (only 4 dr. instead of 2 dr.) i had before i left for japan. i love driving it. love it. im passed the idea of having 7 kids, but 4 sounds good. that partly comes from being 1 of four kids in my family. and part comes from just wanting to have an ongoing family around forever. kids, grandkids, friends of the family. as much as i wanted to get out of small homely LaVerne, i cant seem to get away from the place. ive gone back there after every chapter of my life closes, as the next chapter begins.

all these used to’s make me realize how much im living in the now do’s.

Dear Pastor Bayless,

A few weeks ago, I sat in the
9:45 service and listened while you announced the upcoming launch of your ministry on television in Japan. As you went on to talk about your previous years of interest and focused passion for the country of Japan, tears began to roll down my cheeks.

            Two months ago, I returned from Japan after living and working as an English teacher in Moka, a small country town located about 120 km north-east of Tokyo. When I first decided to go to Japan, the spiritual state of the country and its inhabitants was, sadly, not even something I thought about. I was happy knowing that I had access to Cottonwood Christian Center and other great ministries all on-line.

            Within the first couple of months, in the fall of 2003, I met another American English teacher who was Christian and we began meeting for a weekly Bible study. We got all of our resources from the states and from my parents who are missionaries in Scotland.

            As time went on, I had the opportunity to visit a few churches within my area. The first was a Presbyterian church in my city. There were about 10 members, all over the age of 70, and no way for the Japanese message to be translated into English for me, since I don’t know Japanese. I also visited the Catholic Church one time, for the Good Friday service. The priest was from Belgium and translated the message into three languages for the four people in attendance; Japanese, English, and Portuguese.

            Sometime later, I learned of a church connected to The Navigators, mid-west missions based Christian organization that met in a city about an hour away from me. The first time I attended the church, which was held in a Japanese house with a congregation of about 40 people, I sat in absolute amazement the whole service. The fact that there were Japanese people, mixed with a few Americans, in a city in the middle of Japan, worshipping my same God, with Hillsong music and studying God’s Word with a native Japanese pastor, was something I would have never believed existed without witnessing it for myself.

            In the spring of 2004, I found out through a friend at Cottonwood that there was going to be a mission trip to Japan. Cottonwood would be hooked up with Jesus Lifehouse Church, located in Tokyo. Once I found out where and when the church met, I started attending as often as possible. From where I lived, the church was about 120 kms away, but with use of transportation in Japan, (walking, bicycle, bus, train, subway) it was nearly a four hour trip each way. It was at this time that my heart really started to burn with love and recognized the need for Jesus that the country had.

            From my observation, the Japanese people for the most part, have no knowledge of Jesus Christ. The culture as a whole recognizes no admission to sin. Why the need for the Glory of God, if one doesn’t feel that they have “sinned” or ”fallen short?”

            At a life-group meeting with Jesus Lifehouse, I began what they call “The Power of Three.” Basically, it encompasses a focus on praying for the salvation of three people. With “The Power of Three” the idea is that any thoughts about one of the people will spark thought of the others, and what time was previously spent focused on praying for one person, turns into prayer for three people. One of my three was a 60 year old Japanese man to whom I taught private English lessons. Though I was never able to pray the prayer of salvation with him, doors for me to share a Bible, scripture, beliefs, prophesies, and an explanation of the movie “Passion of the Christ were all opened.

            I spent many lunch-times walking and praying for the country, the Japanese people, and friends who I have made while living in Japan. I was happy to be part of a church in Japan that was committed to the Japanese people and where I knew my tithes and offering were being put into use to share Jesus with them.

            When my contract ended the end of July this year, I spent my last month in Japan in realization that I was leaving a country and people who had hardly any opportunity to even hear the message. The only thing I could do was pray for laborers to be sent into the harvest and that the ears, eyes, and hearts of the people would be opened and ready for the gospel when they finally did have an opportunity to hear it.

            One day when my Bible study friend and I were meeting, I told her, “You know, so many people are always talking about how Jesus is so ‘soon to appear.’ From what I’ve seen in Japan, knowing that the gospel has to be presented to every person before He returns, we’re nowhere close! There are so many people in this economical powerhouse of a country that have little to absolutely no knowledge of who Christ is and what he has done for them. In order for Jesus to be ‘coming soon’ he’d have to take the country by storm” (oh me of little faith!).

            Your announcement encouraged me and at the same time showed me where my level of faith was for what I had been praying. In my mind, I thought that a real movement in Japan was years and years away, when in fact, God was already in action with plans to put a Christian ministry on television the within the coming months.

            I once read a ministry letter that stated, “Sometimes God will place you somewhere at a specific time, so you can see specific things, because he knows he can trust you to pray about it.” When I first made the decision to go to Japan, I had family and friends all questioning what it was that I was doing, and yet I always felt at peace about the decision. I even had friends from church insinuate that it couldn’t be God calling me to a place where no church was established nor a way to be connected with other fellow believers. Still, I felt at peace. When I heard your announcement of the future broadcast of the ministry on TV in Japan, I realized that because I was obedient in going and obedient in praying, I get to be a part of witnessing my prayers being answered. Could it be that I was lead to go to Japan all for the reason that God could trust me to see the need the country had for the message of Christ, and to pray for it?

            I am so excited about the future of the country of Japan and the Japanese people. I continue to pray for doors to be opened and for every seed of the gospel to fall upon good ground. I believe God is so good and such a time is this. The day of salvation is here. It’s now. Thank you for being obedient to your call for the nations, including Japan. I’m honored to be part of a church that is missions focused and reaching out to bring a living Jesus to a dying world.

In Him,

Through Him,

With Him,

For Him,

            Patricia O’Neal

i received this email from Miss Shimowada, one of the japanese english teachers I used to work with in japan:

i stood in the “10 items or less” line tonight at Target. the 3 people in front of me (they were there together. an older couple and a 20-something year old) bought a sponge-bob square-pants place-mat. total? 2 bucks 16 cents.

#1. Men in sports cars- i am seeing more and more men in sports cars. i dont get it. i know men are into “driving fast” and all, but aren’t they more into being men. men who like big trucks with big tires and loud motors?

well, I’m more into men being men. though nowi do look at guys with big HUGE SUV’s and think about how much they spend on gas. especially diesel. its more than $3.50 a gallon right now. actually, when i see guys my age in trucks i just pray that my future husband hasnt bought into the “needing a huge truck” thing…because gas is just outrageous!

#2. Men in Turtleneck Sweaters- again, not very manly. not very attractive.

#3. Men in Tank Tops- Tank tops should be reserved for those involved with sports or when participating in a sport. other than that, meaning, in public, they are always a “no.”

not only did i lose the “fire drill time” bet, it was at 2:15, but i also somehow got suckered into joining the “safety team.”

along with this important position comes a really cool title. i am now a “floor wardant.”

and, in the spirit of safety, i also get a really nifty neon yellow vest to wear during future drills and any emergencies. 

what would liife be without safety teams and nifty vests?