Hello Cornerstone!
This morning included sightseeing in Gunma. Shari and Sam went with Shari’s host family to an African Safari while the rest of us with Josiah and Kat (the pastry chef for Little Light Coffee) drove into the mountains.
Along the way, we passed a huge white statue far away on the top of a range of hills, and Josiah told us the statue was a Buddhist statue called the protector of the city, and people would go there to pray for fertility or other things they wanted. For the Japanese people, Buddhism or Shintoism is all about the benefits they can receive and many only go to pray when they need something specific like help passing a test.
While passing numerous other statutes and shrines along the way, the conversation turned to Japanese churches. Josiah told us that the most of the few Christian churches in Japan are very shallow or have strange doctrines. Others are very controlling and don’t allow associations with any other churches or small groups.
We also discussed the education system in Japan and how it, and the security it brings, are some of the biggest idols in Japanese culture. There is great pressure for children to do well in school and pass the exam to get into university so they can eventually get a job. Some parents even plan out the full track from preschool for their children so that they can get into university. It’s considered very shameful to be jobless and this results in many people even committing suicide.
We then arrived at another shrine. Before you get to the actual shrine there is a torri, (we’d also seen several of these along the way) which is a red gate that symbolizes entering into the spirit realm. Josiah explained it was said that demons used to inhabit those mountains and that was why they built the shrine. After this shrine there was a series of other statues and shrines as well as the regular shops where you could buy fortunes and good luck charms.
After this we went to Mount Haruna, a beautiful mountain covered in trees surrounded by other mountains and a lake in the middle. After a lot of sweat we hiked to the top of the mountain where there was a gorgeous view that made all the effort worth it. But sadly at the very top of this mountain was another shrine amidst all the beauty of Gods creation. We then took the gondola back down the mountain and had a perfect view of the beautiful blue lake. After this we ate lunch nearby which included soba, udon, and tempura, different cold noodles dipped in sauce and served alongside fried fish and vegetables which were all very good.
We then drove back to Takasaki to the community center by Little Light Coffee where we will be hosting the VBS summer camp. For a few hours we did some prep like organizing posters, learning songs, and talking through the logistics. Tomorrow we plan to do much more prep as we prepare for the VBS on Wednesday. After this most of the team went out to eat sushi for dinner while I ate with my host family and another church friend.
Please pray for the Japanese people that they would see the only one who can provide true satisfaction and set them truly free. Also that God would strengthen the churches in Japan and would bless the faithful efforts of the Little Light Church members and other Christians in Japan as they seek to spread the gospel.
-Charis Lauer
