Osaka Day 4

After our English lesson with the kids yesterday, we felt that the lesson felt a little draggy and some of them lost interest or attention at some point. So we pivoted and came up with a new lesson plan last night!

Today, they were more engaged with drawing, dancing, and writing. And it seemed like they had fun with the toys we brought from SG too!  

2 of the boys in the class really captured my heart. They are Shuntaro and Hiroto. I kind of see my younger self in both of them because they are polite but also secretly cheeky.

Shuntaro was so proud that he managed to blow the biggest balloon, and he wanted to write his name on it to bring it home. Hiroto was so happy when we gave them the balls and he was laughing so happily.

My interactions with them showed me their simple and childlike joy - something that most Japanese seems to just lose once they grow up. And I find it relatable to my personal experience.

What would it be like if they (or we) could grow up preserving this simple joy? How can we help them to grow up differently from the societal norm?

These are questions that only God can answer. But we can obey. We can act. And we can love.

I was also having a convo with Joses tonight and we were sharing how Pastor Kathy has been such an inspiration for us.

She really has a heart for the Japanese people, from the homeless elderly to the kids wanting to learn English. And she has really planted herself in their culture and communities, sharing the Gospel to her dentist, to the volunteers she meets at the community centre, or the parents of the kids etc.

She is single-minded on what God has called her to do, and she gives her best to obey, to serve and to love.

Pray with me as I ask God where He is leading me with all these new revelations.