Patricia Danielle

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 went to the grocery store last night after school. beisie, the cheaper grocery store. the stater brothers of grocery stores in moka. i saw cantalopes for what i thought was 980 yen. (with an exchange rate of 112 yen per $1, that makes it about $9 a cantalope). then i saw that it was 1980 yen. while still not the most expensive cantalope i have seen, last month i saw one for 6800 yen, i personally think $20 is ridiculous. and i think $60 is pure insanity. i checked on the vons website to see what prices are for produce are these days in the states. its been a long time. ive gotten so used to the high produce prices in japan, that the $9 for a cantalope seems like a normal price. this, i see is wrong! cantalope at home are $1 a piece! so, though im going to be paying months and months worth of wages on gas, ill be saving loads of money by buying american produce. i have to admit, it isnt as good as it is in japan, but i think it is great in season, and awesome to buy at bulk prices.

Just to prove my point, i walked around taking pictures to post:

(more than $3 a peach.)

($18 for a cantalope)

(more than $5 for a small bunch of grapes)

(about a dollar per ear of corn)

($2.25 per apple. GEEZ~)

last night i had dinner with the other American English Teachers and a few of the city’s finest.

-the mayor.

-midori. the CRAZY-bizarre-wild-looney-colorful-offbeat…..and every other word listed next to “unique” in the thesaurus, interpreter for the city.

-the superintendent of the moka board of education.

-the picture taker/van driver and one other guy who apparently had no voicebox.

two years of this place. this was my second good-bye dinner with the mayor. last year i sat on the other end of the table as marin said her good-bye. this year it was my turn. all four lines of my speech went like this:

“I would like to say thank you to the city of Moka for the opportunity to live in Japan and work at Yamazaki Junior High School. I have been truly blessed to have had this experience. I’d like to close with this quote by George Bernard Shaw, a Nobel Prize winner. ‘Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.’ Thank you.”

This quote is a perfect way to sum up my overall feelings about my teaching experience in Japan. Everyone who has really lived and worked in Japan, knows excatly why this quote is appropriate.

I leave my junior high school with a realization that I have made no real difference/impact and that I, as an English teacher, am so replaceable. It is only with those few students who I have established a connection and one of the Japanese English teachers, that I know some bit of the memory will remain. This is not me being dramatic.This is me being realistic. And Im okay about it all. 

There have been too many kids and too many experiences for me to have a place in my heart/mind/memory for each and everyone of them. It’s not possible. What is possible is keeping this experience as a collection. A collection of temperatures, bike accidents, and students. Of traveling in Moka, in Tokyo, and Kyoto. To far off places like Egypt, India, and Europe. Of people like Shannon, Etsu, and Ms. Shimowada. These are the people, places, and things I will keep on the front pages of the “2 years in Japan” memory book in my mind.  Just like the first few pages of many other things, Im sure they will be the ones most revisited. That’s just the way I want to remember this place. Just the way.

“Tanabata, also known as the “star festival”, takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year, when, according to a Chinese legend, the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the milky way, are able to meet.

My wish is the orange circle at the top-right. In not so many words it says: “I wish to spend my last 3 weeks in Japan having a good attitude and to fit into my Paul Frank jeans by Christmas.”

today the air con was on in the teachers room but i was still sweaty and hot. thank goodness ms shimowada was in the teachers room so i could tell someone how HOT it was.

“i know the air is on, but it is still so hot in here.”

“that’s because the temperature is set to 28 degrees celcius.”

“isnt that kind of high! thats almost 85 degrees farenheit. its too hot in here.”

“cocho sensei says we need to conserve energy.”

“ok. well, how much could it be to drop it a couple degrees? ill pay for it.”

“you know the kyoto treaty?”

“yeah.”

“america is one of the only countries that doesnt agree to it.”

“yeah, because we like to spend money. and we’re all about hats best for us.”

“so, youre a true american in the teachers room. you are not in agreement with the temperature and conserving energy.”

“yep. thats me. proud to be an american.”

-i chatted online with marin, amanda, brian, mom, and dad.

-i ran 30.05 minutes.

-i drank a big glass of green tea.

-i got ready for school.

-i ate a can of tuna and some seaweed.

oh, AND….

i got hit riding my bike on the way to school this morning. im fine. i screamed, my front tire ended up under a medium sized car tire. the lady backed up, bowed and had her hands in prayer form and kept saying “gomen” (sorry). i smiled…nodded…and said “dijobu” (it’s fine)…and then rode right along…then i prayed the whole way to school…thanking god for protection…and praying that i make it out of here alive!

in a way, i wish i would have written this when i got home last night from irish guy john’s goodbye party. well, technically, i got home around 2:30 in the morning, but you know what i mean.

(doug and i while we were still enjoying saying goodbye!)

there are times in life when i MAKE myself do things because i know that after its done, ill say “i know i really didnt want to do that, but im glad i did. i had a good time.” i made myself go to johns party because i remember johns christmas party that i didnt want to go to, but did, and then really ended up having a great time. last night was not one of those times. i was happy that the 2 of us finally decided to take a taxi home, even though it cost $70 for a 40 minute ride, of which i paid $40. it was money well spent!

dinner talk was school and plans for next year, past trip talk and music. people and students, teachers and books. dvd’s and southpark. china and languages. egypt and going home. japanese people and the polish. storms and weather, friends and parents.  citizenship and EU status. we even got to my number one topic of the week, Pa.ris HiIton.

my granny-self was tired and ready for bed around 910, just 2 hours after being at the party. but at least when i left at 145 i was still awake! unlike this guy….

the taxi ride home was interesting as well. i think it had something to do with the 3 of us being tired, then mixed in bitterness from being stuck at this party for 6 hours. conversation was really…..intense, to say the least. it made me really realize how much age and experience plays into thoughts and beliefs and ideas. how great that it leads me to be excited for age and more experiences in the future. now, if only i can get my head and heart to figure out exactly which of the experiences will be the “im glad i went” and which of those will be like last night. oh, and if i could figure it all out BEFORE i have to spend $40 to get myself home, that would be even better.

tonight when i got off the phone with marin, in a conversation that ended with marin adding “just think, after tomorrow, youll only have 7 more mondays left.” “um, yeah.” “you know, i thought about that today. its still a long time.” “i know”…..at the end of this conversation, i went to the grocery store to pick up 45$ worth of groceries and im thinking, with as many cans of tuna i got and packaes of soup, it may just last me all week long. i think i just may MAKE it last all week long.

when i rode past the “happy inn” arcade, i saw a black lowered car, and heard the bumping music come from the speakers. i looked away immediately. in my head, i imagined a mexican gang-banger inside. that is, until i saw a japanese a couple walking. then i remembered that i am in moka, japan. we dont have gang-bangers here. and we dont have mexicans here. we have some south americans, 8 white american english teachers, maybe 5 indians (yum, indian food) and no black people. i spent so much time away from everything other than my front yard and my house this weekend, that i didnt even see any japanese people. all weekend. living in my own little moka world, i must have really forgotten where i was.

on the corner across from the grocery store, there is a new brazillian meat/market. the place is drawin’ people out like ants on a summer’s day. where have all of the south american people been hiding? in my mind im thinking that as all of the people are coming out of the “wood-work” the japanese are probably having secret meetings about how they are being taken over. im serious, they are everywhere! suddenly i dont feel so “foreign.” suddenly im not the only one getting all the stares. suddenly, my little moka is becoming….dare i say it “diverse.”

im at home. moka, japan.

i called out from work and took the day off. i am lacking about hmmmm…..maybe 20 hours of sleep from the last week.

traveling in japan wears me out!

i had such a great time within the last 9 days with gina, and brian, and ryan. it was the perfect thing to hold me over until i am back on american soil at the end of july.

god is so good and i am so blessed to have friends who took the time to come and experience my life with me.

its back to school tomorrow and back to running and swimming and hopefully, back to warm spring weather too.