Newsletter 7
18 October 2006
Warmest greetings from Kitami City,
Hokkaido!
Some leaves are fading,
some leaves are going to fall, some leaves are falling and some
leaves have fallen. This autumn seems to be colder than last year's.
Last Saturday, the temperature fell below zero, and the morning dew
on the grasses and leaves turned icy.
Having
stayed here for more than 18 months, I have become quite well
adjusted to the cold temperatures here. Living in Hokkaido needs
lots of preparation spiced with a few spoonfuls of spontaneity.
Daily, I am faithful in watching the weather forecasts because that
will determine what I should wear the next day - more clothes or
less, shoes or boots.
Preparation is of utmost importance. Before the cold weather
arrives, we have to ensure that our bodies has built up the basic
defence mechanisms to fight any attacks from the outside. Regular
intakes of orange juices, grapefruits, bananas, grapes and
vegetables are better than any supply of medicine or pills.
Prevention is always better than cure.
Preparation can also be a matter of life and death. Before driving
up the mountains, we need to check our fuel level because there may
not be any refills along the way. I was once travelling in a
friend's car, and she was running below the E level. And we were
going up the mountains. The nearest fuel stand was about 40 miles
away. Obviously, switching the gear and running on neutral would not
do much good. So, I prayed earnestly at full volume. Interceding
uphill, and praising and worshipping God all the way downhill. And
amazingly, we made it to the nearest fuel stand. I will never forget
that day when my faith was strengthened enormously! Nothing is
impossible with God!
Preparation allows for spontaneity. Serving God here in Japan needs
lots of groundwork and planning. Some knowledge of the Japanese
language, traditions and cultures are necessary to ensure effective
communication and interaction. A bilingual dictionary at hand is
indispensable, and so is a heart that is willing to learn. My best
Japanese lessons are those precious moments I interact with my
students when I fetch them to school and back home. What do you do
today? What do you eat for breakfast/ lunch/dinner? How's school?
What do you do during the weekends? These youngsters always give
different answers each time. New dishes, phrases, words and
expressions. And learning from them is more interesting than just
reading the tedious language books. The language of the heart is
easily understood when all vocabularies and ways of expression fail.
Waking
up early each morning has become an intense struggle. It is making a
choice to either enjoy a few more minutes of the warmness of the
blankets or arise immediately, and get ready to face the cold and
start a brand new day. A new day of loving others and be loved, and
also a new day when occasionally we hurt others through
misunderstanding or miscommunication, and getting ourselves hurt.
Life is a bed of roses with many thorns. There are happy moments,
and there are sad moments too. There are victorious times, and there
are also times when we feel defeated. But somehow and somewhere in
the depths of our hearts is a strength that lingers on and brings
forth faith and hope to carry on! Love never fails!
An
earnest desire to save souls is upon me, and prayer is essential.
Japan is now facing a nuclear threat from her neighbouring country,
North Korea. I am praying for peace in the Asian region, but I am
also preparing to meet my Maker if war ever breaks out! Someone once
asked me, "Are you pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation or
post-tribulation?" I replied, "I pray for pre, but I am preparing
for post. If mid comes along, it would be bonus for me!"
Life
needs lots of preparation. So is our spiritual walk with Christ! We
must be ready to preach the Word, in season and out of season. But
like Paul, we must also be ready to be poured out as a drink
offering when the time of our departure arrives. We must fight the
good fight, we must finish the race, and we must keep the faith (2
Timothy 4:2-7).
In
doing so, every new day becomes a precious gift and present from
God. We begin to celebrate life. We will celebrate Jesus Who is the
Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)! We will rejoice and be glad
and say that this is the day that the LORD has made! We will go
forth with gladness and joy! His joy will continue to be our
strength! Our lives will be renewed daily, our faith will be
refreshed, and we will sing a new song unto the LORD spontaneously!
And we will live the life that God has abundantly given us!
With a joyful and thankful heart,
Joshua Ong