RobertasBlog

A 8.9 magnitude earthquake occurred Friday afternoon in Japan off the coast of Sendai. Roberta is okay, as she’s in Tokyo, a few hundred kilometers Southeast of Sendai.

We’ll post more information at a later time.

God bless,

Joshua Kelley
RobertaStephens.com Webmaster

I was absolutely thrilled to have the kindergarten teachers over for Christmas dinner.  I guess what I’m thrilled about most of all is to be “thrown together” with such a fine bunch of people who seem to accept me quickly.  At the Christmas party they wanted to sing using the keyboard they brought with them.  I thought I’d prepare the pie while they sang, but they said I had to be there.  They dedicated a song to me, and I wanted to share it with you.  After hearing it once I decided to try recording it on the simple video setting on my camera.  Hope it works.  Apologies for the cup on the nativity!  The video may need to load while watching the first time, but will work more smoothly the second time.
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Now I’m so far behind on my blogging.  Forgive me!  I know that a lot of you have been praying for me.  I got through November without getting a cold, although I was headed in that direction several times.

November 13-15 – It was a big weekend for me because I flew to Hiroshima.  It was an hour by air.  I left home at 4:55 am and boarded the plane at 6:55.  The purpose of the trip was to attend the ordination service of Tuang Khan Khup, a Burmese evangelist with whom I became acquainted when we attended the same church in Tokyo.  He was called as pastor of our Baptist church in Mukaishima in the Inland Sea.

I was asked to give the morning message, too, before the ordination took place in the afternoon.

I arrived early because (Rev.) Khup wanted to show me around the island.  Well, that didn’t happen.  After he picked me up at the airport we drove for about 20 minutes while I ate my “breakfast.”  He is a new driver and knows nothing about cars!  We pulled over so I could finish eating before we got on the toll road.  But when we started up again, the car would not start.  I could tell that it was a problem of a dead battery, but he was sure that if he could push the car and hop in, it would start up.  That’s what they do in Burma!  After telling him that it won’t work here, we sat and talked while he thought of what to do next.  It was then that I realized that he truly didn’t know!  So after some phone calls, I heard him say “J-A-F?”  It suddenly dawned on me that he had not towing insurance.  It’s the equivelent to AAA.  However, I did, so we called the tow truck.  They got the car started.  By then 2 hours had lapsed, we’d had a great time to catch up on news but no time to view the island.  

We picked up his wife and went out for Oko-no-mi-yaki (veggie-filled pancake).  Then on a whim, we decided to go fishing!  I love fishing.  He had wanted to go, and now “Roberta” made his desire legitimate.  We borrowed equipment from a church member.  The thing that got me was that these tiny hooks had no eyes!  They were flanged at the end where the eye ought to be.  Khup didn’t know how to tie the line on and was hoping that I did.  I somehow figured out how to tie it on based on previous experience I’ve had with fishing knots.  OK, so for 2 hours we fished. 

Khup caught 4 tiny guys including a baby fugu (poisonous fish) but I caught none.  We threw the “guys” back to their mommies and headed back in time to go out for sushi with the couple that lent us the fishing equipment.

I was housed in a new B & B where I met a Japanese woman who had lived in the US for 28 years. We became good friends in the short two nights we stayed there and went to the airport together Monday morning.

Sunday morning, after preaching on Luke 4: 1-12, I was approached by a number of people who needed a listening ear.  It always feels good to minister in this way.

The ordination service came off without a hitch and we were able to welcome in the first Burmese pastor who has a passion to reach Japanese for Christ.  I gave the right-hand of fellowship representing Rev. Khup’s church in Tokyo.

November 15:  We left from Hiroshima Airport at 7:30 am arriving in Tokyo one hour later.  While Rev. Khup and several other pastors headed for a 3 day retreat, I needed to take care of the needs of our volunteer, Ashley before I went to the retreat.  We were looking for a doctor to examine her injured knee.  One place turned us down because they already had their quota of patients for the day.  We walked and walked again to another place which was closed until 2 pm.  We ate lunch and then got the attention Ashley needed.  I saw her to her room about 3:30. 

I was so tired by the time I got to Yokohama, and my ankles were so swollen that I decided to go home to put my feet up and get a good night’s rest.

November 16-17 I commuted each day to the pastor’s retreat which was on the theme of power and sexual harassment, and related problems.  It was a very informative session led a female pastor in the Baptist Renmei denomination.  Many of our older pastors who are still in ministry came to the realization that they’d spent years unknowingly offending people by misuse of their power, which in this era is seen as a crime against our humanity.  One after another, they admitted their guilt and expressed their desire to know more about how to minister without using the power of status that their society allows them to use.

November 18^th was a preparation day for the next day’s Thanksgiving service with 4 and 5 year olds!  I worked on that 7 minute message until midnight.

November 19^th at 11 am after the children of Kanto Gakuin Kindergarten brought their fruit to the front of the worship hall, I led them in thinking about what it means to give thanks.  All 100 children listened fairly well to my talk about how God causes these big pieces of fruit to grow from these tiny seeds (showed many kinds of seeds, then the resultant fruit).  The children were dived up into their classes again, each helping to take fruit to the school guard, custodians and others who help them out each day without them giving it a thought.  I received my basketfull of oranges, kiwi, apples and pears. 

I do hope you enjoyed following along in this long week even if it was belated.  I certainly enjoyed sharing about it.

For those of you who are praying, today’s experience preaching at the worship service at the Seminary Chapel went in a direction I didn’t expect.

Briefly….I set out for Totsuka Station from where I would walk about 25 minutes up steep hills to the seminary.  Buses don’t go near it because of the narrow streets.  Taxis have turned me down previously because I only had the address and couldn’t give them directions since I follow footpaths for part of the “hike.”  So, hoofing it is the easiest…at least in past years.

I was tired when I left home and full of unsurety (sp) at not having my language checked and not being fully prepared.  It was a sure set-up for failure in some way.  Before returning to Japan in Sept. Totsuka Town had totally redone their station and downtown area.  It’s huge now and encompassed the tiny narrow shopping streets.  Last month I visited the seminary for lunch.  But I could not find my way out of the station easily.  It either led to the wrong side of the tracks or into the adjacent department stores.  Today I left with plenty of time and had a vision as to the direction I needed to go.  I got lost again and it took 20 minutes to find something familiar, as I tried numerous exits.  It really was like a maze.  When I finally recognized something, I had exited on the wrong side of the tracks again.  Now I’m feeling so angry at myself for not remembering the way out of the station, accompanied with feelings of frustration because I could not ask for help.  I wasn’t sure how to describe the direction I wanted to go in since all the landmarks, department stores etc. had changed.

As I walked along the correct road I began to hear a voice that said, “Why do you put yourself through this?  Why don’t you refuse the assignment?  You’re unprepared and are going to walk in late.  Nothing would be more humiliating. Just call and say you’re feeling sick (that was almost true).  When I came to the railroad crossing, it literally took 10 minutes before the gates opened.  I walked a little further, refusing to look at my watch, knowing how much pressure it would put on me to know that I would not make the 11:00 am deadline. “This is the last time I’m coming to the seminary.  I still don’t know how to exit the station.” 

At the next small road I crossed, a visually handicapped man was standing in the middle of the street with his cane in hand, obviously not knowing where he was.  Cars were attempting to go around him.  Everyone was walking by.  I barely knew where I was going.  How could I help him?  But, I asked “this is the middle of the road, where do you want to go?”  He replied that he wanted to go up the street but could not find the sidewalk.  Well, that was easy enough.  I showed him where the narrow sidewalk was and went on my way.  I got to the 90 stairs that would take me up the steep hill where the seminary was but had to rest mid-way….another delay. “There is no temptation that has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful and will not allow you to experience more temptation than you can stand, and will make a way of escape…”  I was at my limit.

I stepped inside the seminary.  Everything was as quiet as a cemetery (Oh pardon the pun).  Usually it’s bustling with activity and people are practicing unfamiliar hymns.  ”See, their waiting in there for you!” came the last words of the Deceiver.  I was so exhausted and on the verge of tears.  I looked at my watch finally to confirm my fears.  Lo and behold, I was 15 minutes early!

My sermon title was “How Jesus Overcame Temptation.”  I’d lacked a good personal experience, but I had one now.  But how to relate it without crying in frustration, but praise that I’d been rescued.  I had heard that little voice that whispers in your ear “You deserve a break.  You don’t have to do this….Just say ‘No.’”  But the worst occurred when I began my list of ways that Satan tries to sabotage a pastor or missionary, and I lost it! .  Then I asked them.  What is your calling?  Is it Biblically based?  Then, Satan will not leave you alone. You need to memorize I Corinthians 10:13 because it will be your constant companion.  But you also need to keep Hebrews 4:15-16 “We don’t have a high priest who is out of touch with reality.  He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all- -all but the sin.  So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give.  Take the mercy, accept the help.” The Message