Road to EARC 2008

Hi! This is Yoshiki Tsukamoto, member of Program Committee.
I also belong to Central Committee of KGK Kanto Region.

Yesterday, I went to the Makiko(KGK staff)’s house with committee members. We could have wonderful time.

The picture above is what we ate. (Makiko made them)
Before we ate lunch, we did Bible Study about Nehemiah chapter 2.

That was really good time for me.
This year, I read and though about Nehemiah many times. I learned about Nehemiah at Bible Study, and in spring camp. But each time, God teach me new things.
I am looking forward to learn about Nehemiah, in EARC, with brothers and sisters in East Asia!

Please pray for the preparation!
May God bless all of your ministries on campus!

Love in Christ,
Yoshiki Tsukamoto, Senior at International Christian University, Tokyo

안녕하세요~한국어판 두번째 입니다^^ 어김없이 전 김유진 입니다 하하하

EARC가 4개월도 안남았네요. 한국IVF여러분은 EARC준비를 어떻게 하고 계신지 궁금합니다.

일본KGK에선 짧지만 굵은 배움의 자리를 마련하기도 하고, 기도회도 열고… 하나하나가 하나님께서 귀하게 준비해주시고 계신다는 것을 감사하며 또 기대하며 다들 열심히 준비하고 있습니다^^ 이자리 빌어서 기도해주셔서 감사하다는 말씀도 전하고 싶구요..

일본은 새학기가 4월에 시작되어서 지금 한창 새학기에 새 시간표를 짜느라 정신이 없을 때입니다. 물론 저도 그렇구요..그래서 여름방학이 한국보다 한달 늦어서 8월초부터 시작됩니다. 그래서 EARC가 시작될때쯔음되서 일본은 여름방학이 들어간답니다. 참고로 전 EARC가 시작하는 8월4일에 시험이 끝나는데, 제가 수강하는 과목이 8월4일 이전에 끝날것을 기도하구 있구요..ㅎㅎ^^

동아시아 각국에서 찾아올 그날을, 그중에서 일본이외에 가장 많이 참가하는 한국IVF여러분들을 제일 기다리는건 제가 아닐까 싶습니다! 어떤 글을 써야하는지 자연스럽게 쓰고 싶은데 읽고 계신 입장에서도 누구보다 기대하고 계실거라 생각이 듭니다.

 참!!이 블로그 들어오기 전에 있는 EARC설명하는 영어 버전에, 새롭게 영상이 업데이트 되었으니까 잠깐 가서 구경해보세요~그 화면에 쑥스럽지만 제가 쪼꼼 인사하는 장면이 있으니까 말이죠^^ 또 한국말 하는 일본친구들의 조금은 썰렁하지만 웃을수 있는 콩트가 있으니까 그것도 봐보세요..히히

일본친구들이 영어로 쓴 글은 해석해서 읽을수 있는데 이 한국말 버전은 도통 모르겠다고 하면서 번역사이트에 번역해서 저한테 한마디씩 하거든요~^0^ 그런 재밌는 친구들이 일본에 많이 있으니까 기대 많이하시고 오세요~ 여기서도 더욱더 기도하면서 기다리겠습니다!! 

Greetings from Japan!

Thank you for all your prayers and support for KGK’s preparation for EARC. It’s only 4 month left until EARC comes, and I am so excited! Looking back the past 2 years of prepration, it was a special time to thank again that KGK has been blessed by the warm fellowship of East Asia Region. Thanks again for your concern and prayers.

There are about 30 members in EARC preparation committee , serving in 5 sections as program/registration/transportation/fundrasing/publicity.

It is a good chance for KGK students and graduates,staffs to work as one team. It is true that we are getting busier,but are having blessed time to serve our Lord.

We had a monthly meeting today, and prayed for Mongolia FCS. We want to be a partner in prayer as going on this preparation process. Please keep on praying for KGK and please know that your movement is in our prayer,too.

Makiko Matsumoto,KGK staff

Wild small flowers are also so cute!

In Japan, it is common to go to picnic to see cherry blossom.  It is called “Ohanami” in Japanese.

I went to Ohanami near my house but there were more people than cherry blossoms!!Ohanami is like a spring festival in Japan. 

I hope Japanese people will notice that it is God who creates this beautiful season and praise his name while they look cherry blossoms.

EARC 2008 web site has been updated.
You can read articles about theme verse, messenger, workshops at following links.

in Christ,
Administrator

• Theme Verse
• Messenger
• Workshops

On my way to the company, I can find the cherry blossom is now blooming.

I like Japanese spring because I can find the beauty of God’s creation and all these creation declare God’s glory!

I will update the beauty of Japanese spring through this week!

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

I am so glad to see you in Tokyo in this summer!

I graduated the university in Tokyo in 2004 and now I am working in the law firm as the assistant to the lawyers. 
Today, I want to share about my blessing news.
Sorry, it is long but I hope it will help you to imagine the difficulty of Japanese society and what tension we have in daily life. 

When I graduated the university and started to work in the law firm, I realized that Japanese Christians need to encourage each other with prayer because we are a minority in the society (Christians are less than 1% in Japan), and it is easy to be discouraged by earthly thought.
So we started to have a Bible study every Thursday at KGK office after work with Christian friends who are working in the law firm in Tokyo. This bible study has been blessed, and it has continued for over three years now.
This year, God gave us the challenge to open this group to friends who do not know the Bible.

I have worked in the same law firm for 4 years and have many friends, but I have been afraid to share about my faith in God and the true purpose of our lives. In Japan, we separate our true self and our public self (Honne-to-Tatemae), so it is easy for me not to tell my coworkers about what is on the inside and keep good relationship in surface.
But God showed me this attitude comes from my lack of faith in him and lack of love for friends.He showed me the reasons are (1) I am afraid of being seen as a strange or religious person, (2) I do not trust that God will make a way and work through me but only rely on what I can do, and (3) I do not see my friends like God does, who loves each of them and died for them on the cross.
When I realized these unfaithful reasons, I confessed to God and asked him for forgiveness, and to change me to work for him because he really loves us and wants us to have a true relationship like a father and child.

When I was changed through the deep relationship with God, everything around me has been seen so different. My co-workers become such precious people, and my work is not only for making money but to introduce who God is to others. My purpose of life is not just living comfortable in this world but seeking and working for eternal things. 

My Christian co-workers in the law firm also realized that God wants our friends to know him, and we should take risks to ask them to know God and the Bible. We decided to have a Bible study after we prayed for over one month. I asked one of my best friends in the firm, who sits next to me and she came and studied who God is through Acts 17.
It was the first time for her to read the Bible and think about God personally.After the bible study, the Holy Spirit has worked in her and her eyes have been opened to know God. She started to read the bible and pray personally and ask God to know him much deeper.
God answered to her prayer and she believed that God created her and he also gave Jesus as the savior for her sins. She will be baptized on next Sunday!

Praise the Lord!! 

I know that we have many tensions when we share about our faith with non-believers.
We sometimes take risks though the level depends on the countries, for example, some Christians are persecuted in their countries. In Japan, we can read the Bible freely and we can have worship service on every Sunday but still we have struggles to live like Jesus. 

This summer, at EARC, I really hope that we will encourage each other as brothers and sisters in Christ who take up the cross and follow Jesus. 

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.” Matthew 16:24-27

한국 IVF여러분 안녕하세요~! 저는 일본에서 유학중인 김유진(츄오대학3학년) 이라고 합니다^^일본에 온지는 올해 4년째를 맞이하면서 이렇게 글을 쓰게 허락하신 하나님께 진심으로 감사드립니다.

저는 지금 일본KGK에서 2008년도 세계선교위원회 위원장으로 봉사하고 있습니다. 일본인들 가운데서 절 쓰시는 하나님께 감사영광을 올려드리며~그 덕분에 2008년 EARC를 맞이해서 이렇게 한글로 여러분께 글을 쓰게 되서 상당히 기쁩니다 ^0^ EARC에 직접 준비하는 입장은 아니지만, 제가 하고 있는 세계선교위원회에서는 EARC를 준비하는 차원에서 기도회나 1박의 캠프 등을 준비하고 있습니다. EARC에 가장 많이 참가하는 한국 IVF 여러분들을 맞이할 준비도 개인적으로(^^?)하고 있구요.

한국에서 IVF를 해본적이 없지만, 일본에 와서 1학년때부터 KGK활동을 하면서 세계를 다루시는 하나님의 은혜를 느끼면서 감사하면서 지내고 있습니다. 가깝지만 먼나라 같은 일본에서, 하나하나 하나님의 뜻을 이뤄나아가는 한 종으로써… 또 이가운데 EARC라는 귀한 캠프를 맞이할 수 있다는게… 진심으로 가슴이 벅차오릅니다. 여러분들도, 기대 많이 하시고 오세요~

일본이란 물가 비싸고 깔끔하기로 소문난 이 나라에, 동아시아에서 모여드는 여러분들에 대한 하나님의 사랑이 가득찰 그 날을 기대하고 기대하며 기도합니다. 이 땅을 사랑하시고, 이 국민을 사랑하시는 하나님의 귀한 섭리를 느낄 그날을 위해, 또한 준비하는 일본KGK의 EARC준비위원회를 위해, 기도로 후원해주세요. 여러분들의 기도가 하나님의 마음을 울려, 이 일본까지 울릴테니까 말입니다…*^_^*

Hello, my name is Yoshiki Tsukamoto, 4th year student at International Christian University, Tokyo.
I am part of EARC Program Committee.

I joined World Assembly in Toronto last summer, and I met some of you guys.
That was great time for me.
I met many people who have different background. And shared what I experienced in Japan, and prayed together. We sang worship together, and I learned many things there.
I thank God that he planned to send me to World Assembly, and I thank KGKers that they also sent me there.

In 2008, EARC is coming.
I thank God that I am a student now. I thank God that I can meet brothers and sisters from East Asia.
I thank God that he has great plan for us.

From March 11 to 15, we KGK Kanto region will have retreat. There, we will learn Nehemiah. Theme is “All ways ~The Setting Sun after Rebuilding~”.
Please pray for our retreat.
We are looking forward you to come!

In Chirst,
Yoshiki Tsukamoto