school cafeteria

20081010 classica 001

natura 1600 @ hokkaido university, japan

Afternoon tea on the Hokudai Lawn

View more photos at flickr.

Final Wednesday Night English for the term

Tonight was also the last Wednesday Night English Class for the Durham team. Afterwards, people went to chill out at Sapporo Station Mister Donut.

Visiting SIC

The Durham team decided to make a huge pot of hot chocolate and serve it after Wednesday Night English Class.

I usually attend the ESS circle activity at Hokudai and head out for a meal with students afterwards. This evening though, I invited my friends to meet the Durham team and drink hot chocolate at Sapporo International Church.

Praise God for an encouraging evening! Some of my ESS friends have expressed interest in visiting Wednesday Night English when ESS takes a break.

Language Exchange

One of the most effective and natural ways to make friends with Japanese students has been through language exchange.

This morning, my housemate Jun-san joined me to meet with Ryo-san, Mio-san and Annie for language over some tasty beverages at Starbucks.

Dinner after ESS

Alaric and Annie came along to ESS tonight.




The ESS members decided to take Annie to eat her first Japanese meal tonight. She also got some tips on how to use chopsticks!

Tanabata Party

Several students who attended Friday's lunch were going to a tanabata party, so they invited the Durham team along!

Upon hearing that people often wear traditional Japanese summer dress (yukata for girls, jinbei for guys) to a tanabata party, the girls enlisted the help of Yurika to go shopping and to find something for the party! Here's what they were able to procure:

The guys were able to borrow their clothes from Richard. Tom looked like he was in his pyjamas.

Each of the Durham team were encouraged that they were able to make lots of new friends through the evening.

Matt's Final Wednesday Night English Class

For Matt's final Wednesday Night English class, an invitation was given to his contacts through English teaching, language exchange and international lunch.

For those who were able to come, they heard a testimony (証) of how Matt came to know Jesus as his Lord and Saviour.


Japanese evangelistic resources:

Four Spiritual Laws - an easy explanation of Christianity
Link

God's story - video of key Bible stories
Link

International Lunch

Really thankful for the opportunities over the last three months in which Matt and I have made friends with Japanese students on campus.

Recently, I was reminded by a friend that in evangelism, especially in non-Western cultures, the character speaks louder than the words. It's through how you live that points people to the message of the cross. And people gradually "journey" into the faith rather than to make a once-off decision.

Hokudai Orchestra

Toshiki and Megumi both play the cello and are members of the Hokkaido University Symphony Orchestra. On Sunday afternoon they performed in a concert in Sapporo city.

Megumi wrote this about Tchaikovsky's Symphony no.1

It has a story of winter. 1st movement is a story of traveling in winter. Imagine you are a traveler and be in Russia in winter! 1st movement expresses snowing, warp slipping and so on.
2nd movement is a story of a lake. I imagine that the traveler went to a beautiful lake. 2nd movement expresses the misty and dismal lake from morning to night.

It's amazing how music can evoke imagery and different emotions. But what's even more amazing is when one ponders about the One who graciously provides us the faculties and senses to appreciate music in the first place...

Jingisukan party

Jingisukan (ja:ジンギスカン, Japanese transliteration of Genghis Khan), is a style of grilling mutton, which is also referred to as a type of yakiniku. It was first conceived 1931 in Hokkaidō, where it has ever since been a popular blue-collar dish, but has only recently gained nationwide popularity.

While the fmZERO team members held their Singapore Evening, I attended the English Speaking Society Jingisukan party (or Jinpa).

Having a meal together is always a good way to get to know people better.

Hokudai Festival

w/ guy in a chicken costume and Junko.

visiting the ESS stall

Sarah, Matt, Naoki and Alaric with their purchases from the food stalls.

Junko is an ESS member who is interested in Christianity. She is currently studying the bible with members of Kirisutosha Gakusei Kai (KGK), the evangelical Christian student group at Hokudai.

boys, be ambitious!

Dr. William Smith Clark (July 31, 1825 - March 9, 1886) was one of the founders of Sapporo Agricultural College, the prdeccessor of Hokkaido University. Although his stay was short, he led many of his students to Christ. Just before he left Japan, Clark is supposed to have said to ten or so students who came to send him off, "Boys, be ambitious!"

One of the students was apparently so moved that he remembered the phrase and later recited it in a lecture, making it the famous phrase it is in Japan today.


A bronze statue of Dr. Clark stands at the Hitsujigaoka Observation
Hill. A bust of Dr. Clark is situated on the campus of Hokkaido University.