FINDING YOUR RHYTHM

Sapporo Feb 2010 (Month 11)

Hello, I would like to share with you with great joy an article by my dear friend Steve Manders also an OMFmissionary helping with his family at a Japanese Church in Omagari, about an hour from Sapporo.

He wrote for a Christian magazine in Japan called Japan Harvest, he wrote about the evangelistic event that I helped at Omagari Church in September, we did a dance workshop and I shared how I became a Christian, please read the article. Thanks for your prayers and support! Mega blessings and Sapporo still very vey cold!

FINDING YOUR RHYTHM

Steve Manders (OMF Japan)

To capture the imagination of a different generation of Japanese, the little church plant in Omagari, in the town ofKitahiroshima, wanted to try something different. The English class, craft class and cooking class outreach events were attracting people and making available an opportunity to hear the gospel of Christ, but these events were only attracting the ‘same’ people. What could be done to ignite interest in the many that lived in the area that were not attracted to these kinds of events? This was the main question. What resources did we have to our disposal? Who did we know? What ‘gifts and talents’ were out there?

Young Brazilian missionary, Joao Pedro de Carvalho, or JP to his friends, has a gift; the gift of dance. More specifically, Hip Hop dance. JP’s testimony itself is amazing. JP spent much of his childhood lonely and without friends until he was invited to join a dance class held at a local church. He was hesitant but went and what he found amazed him. He was amazed at the welcome; welcome to class and welcome as the person that he was. He was amazed at all the new friends that he now had. He was amazed at the ‘new life’ that could be his, and amazed by the fact that it was the living and loving God who wanted to give him these things. God gave young JP’s a new rhythm; new friends, new Life a new gift; the gift of dance.

In early 2010, JP joined OMF International and its ministry in Japan, bringing with him this unique gift.

So in September, 45 people, ranging from ages 1 through 65 gathered in response to a flyer promoting the “Brazilian Rhythm Hip Hop Dance Class”. They were gathered and eager to find their rhythm. JP, as instructor, taught the class some Hip Hop moves, culminating, after about an hour, with the class demonstrating to JP their newly acquired rhythm and skills.

The day of the Omagari Hip Hop event, JP was able to share his testimony two times. The first time was in words, sharing of his coming to Christ and of his desire to be an encouragement to those gathered to seek Christ for themselves. The second time was through dance and an incredible visual testimony of what it means to be a part of the ‘army of the Lord’.

In JP’s own words, “I was encouraged to see that I could also use the gift God had given me, that is dance, to make friends with people, and help those that maybe have experienced the same things I had. The help I received I want to give to others according to the gifts God has given me.”

We might not be all fantastic Hip Hop dancers, but God has given each and every one of us a very special gift or talent. Maybe it is musical like dancing, or singing or an instrument. But maybe it’s not any of these. Maybe it’s in craft, art or cooking. Maybe the gift that you can use is being able to make yourself available to others. I don’t know what your gift is, but I do know is that it is God who has given it to you and for that reason alone, it is not either a gift ‘too out of place’, ‘too small’ or ‘too unique for outreach’ that it cannot be shared with others. It is a gift for His purposes.

What gift has God given to you? How can you use it for His Glory? How can you reach out to those people who might have a similar interest as you but have not heard of the Lord Jesus Christ? Pray about it. Think about it. Then use it, so that others might find their rhythm in Christ.

Steve Manders (OMF Japan)

ハピスパAwesome God音楽付き.mov

Sapporo Japan – January 2011

Crushed but not destroyed

(Month 10)

Hello and blessed 2011 for you and all your family, friends and Church!

Wow this is month 10 and it is 2011 already!

Crushed but not destroyed, 2 Corinthians 4:8, I’ve started this new year thinking about all the big challenges I faced last year and I realized, yes it was hard, challenging and all other difficulties I faced but I still with joy and glad because God took care of me and I am not destroyed.

I hope I don’t need to wait until next year again to realize that God is faithful.

I had a very had time during Christmas and New Year, my sister moved to Italy and she went through a lot, when she arrived there, things that she planned before she moved were completely different from what she really expected, planned and agreed, she was in a bad situation, it was a hard time for me and my family. Finally people from a Brazilian Church helped her and now she is going to church again, she’s been away from God for more than 9 years now she is back, crushed but not destroyed.

Also one of my best friend who lead me to Christ and taught me how to dance, he’s mother died on Christmas eve and during the same time he found out that his wife had a brain tumor, when they found out it was a bit late, they had to operate her quickly and after the surgery she was in comma for nearly 3 weeks fighting for her life. For me it was as if it happened with my own sister, it was hard! But New Years day, by the power of God, she woke up and now she is slowly getting better and better, now she is talking, walking and smiling, praise God, crushed but not destroyed.

2011 started very good, I have new Japanese teachers and is going very well!

For the last 2 months I’ve started to get more comfortable to use and hear Japanese, and I’ve decided stop saying that Japanese is hard, difficult, impossible to learn and bla bla bla…must get on with it and by God’s grace I’m getting there.

I’ve moved to another flat, now living with my friend who is also an OMF missionary and we are getting on very well.

Winter in Sapporo started, now it is extremely cold, I never seen so much snow in my life and after long hours of snow shoveling, I’m almost an expert, interesting experience, loving it! Crushed but not destroyed.

My Japanese friend who I meet every Friday is interested in Christianity and he heard and read once about David now he wants to know more details.

At my Church is going well, after being there for nearly a year I have good relationships and better understanding of churches and culture in Japan.

Please keep praying for my sister, my friend who went through surgery, my Japanese friend who is interested about Christianity; in February I will start study the life of David with him and please pray for my new 2 teachers, both of them are not Christian yet. Thanks for praying for me and all OMF finance situation, God is being providing, crushed but not destroyed!

We are crushed but not destroyed, God is faithful!

From my heart thank you for your prayers, support, and also for replying to my newsletter, it is so encouraging when I hear from you and please let me know how I can pray for you too! Thank you very much!

Be blessed and be a blessing!

João Pedro (JP)

ナイトdeライト まきびとひつじを "The First Noel" in Japanese dancing at Christmas event in Sapporo with "night-de-light" Worship Band Dec 2010