We headed out early this morning with John Mehn for the trip to Tokyo.  A slight detour gave us the opportunity to once again experience the spiritual challenges of Japan as we visited the Shinto Shrine in Ise.  A casual stop may give the impression that it was simply another in a long list of tourist sites people might visit.  But watching a man follow a priest into the outer courtyard of the Shinto sanctuary and fall prostrate before a false god put an end to any thoughts that this was anything but idolatry and spiritual darkness.

Our friends John and Elaine hosted us for our final night in Japan and shared story after story of the earthquake which followed three days after our last visit.  John has made some nine trips to affected areas with over 60 Converge Worldwide relief teams to make an impact in the name of Jesus by digging out mud, walls and debris, sanitizing walls and floors, and, preparing to rebuild the interiors of homes so that the process of starting life over could begin for many families.  ”Open doors” seems to be the theme of their work as people they are serving seem open to the Gospel as never before in their experience.  Their vision?  That seeds planted now will blossom into communities of faith in the month and years to come.

Saturday morning we enjoyed a pleasant walk in a park near their home before heading to the airport.  Our plane departed on time at 4:00 for Minneapolis, where we went through customs and then caught a flight back to Milwaukee where we arrived at 4:15!  There is so much more to say, but for now we are rejoicing in God’s goodness as we try to absorb all that we experienced.

Thanks for your prayers!

Pastor Koide and Uji Baptist Church served as hosts for nine Rengo pastors and CWW missionary John Mehn for a 2-day Retool Kit Pathway training conference.  The focus was on taking the presentations at the Rengo Pastor’s Conference earlier this year to a deeper level in the ministries of Kansai Region pastors.  The sessions represented the first of several over the next two years under the direction of Pastor Fukui, Rengo Missions director, whose passion has resulted in the materials translation into Japanese.

Gary and Ray had the privilege of teaching as pastor Nakahashi provided patient and precision translation for all the sessions.  The interaction and sharing provided deeper insight to the challenges of leading a church in a land which believers have very little influence but overwhelming possibilities.

The earthquake and tsunami on March 11^th of this year has also opened doors for showing the love of Jesus to people who had previously never met a Christian.  Rengo churches continue to provide a stream of volunteers and supplies to affected areas, even as some efforts are now being shifted to the Kansai region stricken just weeks ago by a typhoon.

A combination of internet based video training and gatherings of pastors will form the basis of ongoing training and pilot church experiences.

Tomorrow will be a time of enjoying the region north of Kyoto as we travel back to Tokyo in preparation for the flight home on Saturday.

Our final morning in Manila found us meeting with the pastors of the Hope Christian network of churches.  Bishop Nonon refers to them as his, “Mighty Men of the Philippines”.  These are men (and their families) who have dedicated their lives to serving the people of their churches.  Many have ministries “in the margins” of society, extending the love of Christ to people with great needs.  It was a privilege to break bread with them and to hear their hopes and dreams. The Anglo pastor in the middle is Pastor Jon, a “Mighty Man of Mosinee”, who’s church is a co-sponsor of Hope Pinnacle.  The little one is our “Mini Mighty Man” Domino, Pastor Lem’s son.

 Barely has one church started than another is being launched.  We had the joy of praying God’s protection over the pastor who will be starting a church in the Angeles area (the former Clark Airbase) October 9^th. The goal of starting 60 churches in ten years is a bit behind schedule, but the work proceeds.  God is clearly at work here.

We know that also because we have never experienced so much spiritual oppression as we have on this trip.  From key launch team members having personal tragedies or severe illnesses just before to the launch, to one of our own teammates being hospitalized for heart irregularities, this has been one of the toughest trips we have made. Yet God has been honored and Jesus’ name has been lifted high.  We are all eagerly watching to see how the victory will be won.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me ,and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”  How do we touch the hearts of children and show them the love of Jesus?  For the poor of Antipolo it came by washing their feet, giving them new footwear and a beanie baby.  A long with a smile and often a hug, the launch team of Hope Pinnacle, many adults and young people from Hope Christian and our team from the US touched the hearts of over 200 children.

A medical missions team provided physical and dental care for adults and children throughout the day, with a steady stream of people experiencing the love of God in a very real way.

A Bible story and a cup of warm pasta complimented the experience for the children and allowed them to hear as well as experience Jesus’ love.

The day was threatened by the impending typhoon Nalgae, and people from literally all over the world prayed for the storm to be stayed. God answered the prayers by redirecting the storm north of Manila.  (Pray for those in the path of the storm, as much flooding and loss of life resulted from its impact.)

The experiences left the US team very tired but deeply moved.  For people who had so little, the gift of a touch and a simple pair of flip-flops was joyfully received with gratitude, reminding us of how blessed we really are.

SUNDAY, ANTIPOLO CITY

It’s not often you get to be the “midwife” at the birth of a church.  This afternoon we had that privilege.

Our day began with worship at Hope Christian, the church we assisted in ministry on Saturday.  Although somewhat last minute, all of us were involved in the service, with Gary, Bob and Jon each preaching one point of the message (life transformation, loving interdependence and spiritual reproduction – sound familiar?).  Ray batted “clean up” with a summation and prayer and Jessica added her touch with singing a very last minute solo.  The fellowship was warm, the prayers fervent, and the praise uplifting.

This afternoon we joined in the launch of Hope Pinnacle.  A Decade of Change church, Pinnacle Ministries joined with Good News of Mosinee, WI, and Bethany Baptist of Schofield, WI, to sponsor the plant. Despite heavy rains for much of the day, nearly150 came to the community center pavilion for the family fair (food, face painting and balloon twisting), and worship.  Several other churches lent their support in music and childcare, and Pastor Lemuel Doguiles did a powerful job preaching the message of hope. Many responded to the invitation to follow Christ. The capstone of the evening was the baptism of 11 young men and women in the pool.

Hope Pinnacle has a vision to be the cornerstone of a group of churches touching all strata of society in the Antipolo City area.  It is truly a blessing to be a part of this movement.

What does a movement look like?  While it can take many forms, we were privileged to see it happen in Cebu.  From the first meeting in San Diego in January 2007 when we were presenting Retool to leaders from various people groups (Japanese, Vietnamese, Haitian and Filipino) till this past Friday, it’s been an amazing trip.  In that meeting, Pastor Joe Ascalon (third from left), pastor of Itkthus Bacolod, who just “happened” to be visiting the US and was invited to attend, asked, “We think this will work for us; can we try it?”  We said absolutely, and the journey began.

 Fast forward through two trainings in the Philippines (2008 and 2009), a whole lot of learning, rewriting, adapting and testing, and we arrived at our meeting in the Missionary Guest House in Cebu.  At that meeting, movement leaders met to share stories, impact and learning.  Space does not allow for a full report here, but suffice it to say that Pastor Joe was right, it DID work.  As a result of just his work alone, seven churches plus his have experienced retool.  What was the result? Not only have the churches personally been refocused to a renewed commitment on discipleship, to the implementation of strategic vision, but also to a multiplication of congregations.  The results?  Four new fellowship have been created with a combined attendance of over 600 people, and over 200 small groups with trained leaders have been deployed.  Not only have these churches permeated the Bacolod area, but are have an impact on other congregations as well.

(The picture captures the movement leaders for Retool in the Philippines.  Pastor Nigel, Pastor Jay, Pastor Joe, (Gary), Pastor Boy, the general secretary for the Baptist Conference of the Philippines, (Ray) and Pastor Ep are committed to the vision of health pastors, healthy leaders leading healthy churches.  In addition, Pastor Ep and his wife Lulu, along with Pastor Boy, have now conducted 8 Revivus Summits, helping pastoral couples renew their enthusiasm, spirituality and commitment.  These men, the churches they represent, and others, are having Kingdom impact, and it was our privilege to have a small part in their work.)

The team (Gary Harrison, Ray Swatkowski, Bob Beecher, Pastor Jon Payne and his daughter Jessica)  enjoyed breakfast at the outdoor pavilion in lush tropical surroundings and then toured the training center where we are staying.  Lem took us to Manila where we lunched with Bishop Cesar Puntzalan and discussed progress and challenges within the Baptist Conference of the Philippines in planting and mobilizing churches.  God is at work and it is exciting to know that the future is in His hands!

We then returned to Antipolo and walked through the town center to get a feel for this community where Hope Pinnacle will be launched.  It is an area that has been transitioning from rural community to a formal city over the past decade.  Lem and Rosalie’s vision for planting a church is coupled with a passion for the children of this area, many of whom are illiterate and suffering in many ways from resources that are not available to them.

Tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon Gary and Ray will fly to Cebu to meet with key BCP leaders to discuss progress and opportunities for mobilizing churches.  Bob, John and Jessica will be interacting with students at a local school.  Gary and Ray will return on Friday afternoon and join the rest of the team for a dinner with city officials.  Bob, John and Jessica will be interacting with students at a local school.

Pray for safe travel and meaningful interaction in Cebu; for opportunities to interact in the local school in Antipolo City; and, that the new storm churning in the Pacific will not interfere with outdoor pre-launch activities this weekend.

Pastor Jon Payne, his daughter Jessica (Good News Church, Mosinee, WI) and Bob Beecher join Gary and Ray for the Philippines leg of the trip. The team will arrive late Tuesday (Manila time) and stay in Antipolo City, just outside of Manila to participate in pre-launch events for Hope Pinnacle Church’s launch on October 2nd (more on that later this week).  Gary and Ray will fly to Cebu on Thursday evening to meet with leaders of the BCP on Friday to discuss progress and next steps for mobilizing churches, then back to Antipolo Friday night.

Please follow the schedule and pray for:

• Safety and good health for the team
• A successful launch for Hope Pinnacle Church and their pastor, Lemuel Doguiles
• Impact through our meetings with key leaders and pastors

Pastor Boy Alfafara, General Secretary for the Baptist Conference of the Philippines, will be hosting the event in Cebu.  The Summit will focus on developing a regional approach to church mobilization, assessing the mobilization movement over the last two years and planning next steps for the future.

Pastor Koide, Uji Baptist Church, and Pastor Fukui, director of Missions for the Rengo, will be hosting the event in Japan.  The training will build upon the foundation laid at the Pastors Conference in Hamamatsu earlier this year, with an emphasis on Renewing Leaders and Renewing Community (Retreats 1 and 2).

We are encouraged by the enthusiasm and partnership of key leaders in both countries and their commitment to making a difference in their churches for the cause of the Gospel in their local communities.

We covet your prayers and will keep you posted during the trip!

• It was a real encouragement to hear that all the pastors and churches of the Rengo escaped harm and damage from the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan.  There is still concern about the nuclear plants, but they are encouraged that, overall, recovery efforts are proceeding very well.
• They are very appreciative of all the prayers of people and churches in the US as well as the flood of donations to share in the relief efforts.
• Pastor Fukui reported that the response of the pastors to our presentations at the Pastors’ Conference was very positive.  We are talking together on what the next stage of our journey looks like, and they have some excellent ideas for the future.  We’ll be using video technology as well as a return visit this fall to assist as best we can.
• Retooling churches in Japan will look very different than the format used here in the US, but the core content will be the same and will be integrated in ways that are appropriate to the church size and sensitive to the cultural realities of the church in Japan.
• Their vision for mobilizing churches in Japan goes beyond the 60+ churches in the Rengo, across denominational lines.

Pray for:

• Continued recovery in Japan, including control of the power plant dangers.
• Restoration of full power, availability of water, gasoline and other supplies in Tokyo and regions north.
• Wisdom for the Rengo directors as they continue to plan ministries for the future.
• Wisdom for Gary and Ray to know how to best assist in the process of further contextualizing of the materials of the Retool Kit Pathway.