KyleYates.com

Last week it seemed the weekend plans to go momiji viewing were sure to be doomed by rain. Yet, Friday night, the Japanese Meteorological Agency began reporting that the rain would stop by midday Saturday.

A few people planning to join us on the trek through the north eastern part of Kyoto called to see if we were still planning to go. I assured them we would still go and that the weather was most likely going to be fine by noon.

All of my information was based on the agency’s report.

Most weather reports are not reliable. However, my experience with the JMA is they are almost always correct in their predictions.

I ususally use their six-day forecast and then check out the radar map. From there I can discern what the weather will be like in the next few hours.

Saturday turned out to a picture-perfect day. The weather began clearing up right around noon and by the time we all met up at Gion-Shijo station at 1pm, the weather was perfect. The temperature was cool and there was a nice breeze. Most of us had light jackets and didn’t really need them. I walked around most of the day in just my short-sleeved shirt.

The only thing that would have made it a better day would have been for Denise to have been there. She had to go to singing practice for worship service on Sunday. So she couldn’t make it.

God blessed us with the fortunate opportunity to do another homestay program this summer in California. It was a HUGE blessing for us, the students and host families, and anyone else who participated in the program.

We took 5 boys and 1 mother to California this summer. We went to Hollywood to see the famous sign on the mountainside and downtown Hollywood where Star’s stars line the sidewalk in front of the Mann Chinese Theater, Beverly Hills homes and the beaches along the PCH on our way back to the Ventura-Oxnard-Camarillo area. We went to a Dodger game against the Florida Marlins, where the Dodgers unfortunately lost. Yet, it was a good game and lots of fun for everyone. Mia got a baseball given to her by one of the Marlin outfielders, just minutes after arriving at pre-game batting practice. We went to Disneyland and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor.

All of that said, the most valuable and important part of our trip was Vacation Bible School at Calvary Chapel of Oxnard. The students and mother joined the program and participated in the stories, songs, dance, snack-time, games and crafts along with over 500 other kids to learn about the love God has for all who want to listen and learn about Jesus Christ.

The 5 days at VBS are the highlight of the homestay program and the main reason behind it all. None of the students accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, but they are all reading their Japanese Bibles given to them by Calvary Chapel of Oxnard and open to learning more about Jesus Christ.

Tatsuya said he had a hard time sleeping one night. He said he believes in Jesus and prayed asking him to help him sleep. He said he fell asleep shortly after and woke up feeling great. He was very excited to tell us and all the other students. None of the other students expressed anything like his story, but they did say that they were all reading their Bibles.

Yuki, up to that point and to the end of the homestay program, was reading his Bible everyday. Several others were also reading their Bibles.

All of the boys showed great ambassadorship to Japan. They had a few quarrels along the way, but nothing that didn’t get worked out.

It was an amazing homestay program this summer. Before the program started, because of an all-boy group, we were a little curious how it might pan out. It turned out to be one of the best homestay programs. The students participated well in the VBS program doing the dances and songs with more overall effort than any other year so far. Even the shiest boy, Keigo, ended up dancing and singing by day 5, the last day of the program.

All the boys did well practicing and building their English. Some of the boys arrived with hardly any English, but left with a much larger English vocabulary and better ears for listening and grasping the language.

Seeds are planted and these students need prayer and nourishment. Pray we can continue our relationships with these students and answer any questions they have about Jesus Christ. Pray they will have a desire to join us at Suita Bible Gospel Church in Suita, Osaka or another church closer to their homes that can water the seeds planted in their lives. Pray they all grow to know Jesus and grow into fine young men. Pray also for the mother, who really worked hard on her English and learned a great deal about America, Americans and traveling abroad. It was her first time outside the country.

I want to personally thank Calvary Chapel of Oxnard and Suzanne Still and her husband, John, who help make this program possible each year holding VBS each summer and welcome us and the students with open arms and hearts. Also, I would like to thank all the host families for opening up their homes to the students and shared their lives and love. Without them, we could not do this homestay program. On a personal note, I would like to thank my family for putting us up the entire time and for praying for us and sharing the house. Sorry the house is so quiet now!

Please pray we can continue doing this homestay program for years to come and that God will pour out his blessings on all who participate and Calvary Chapel of Oxnard.

Summer has officially come to Japan and the humid heat has finally arrived! Luckily, it’s not as hot as it normally is here. Still, the really hot weather will come. It usually does.

[ad#ad-3]

For about two weeks during the summer, it’s almost unbearable. The air is still at night and hot and humid. A few times, I have tried to go through the night with just the windows opened and no air conditioner running. But I can usually only do that one or two nights just to try and say I did it. But after the second night, there’s no I’m going three nights without the air on. It would mean I’d have gone three nights without sleep!

The other two nights, I toss and turn in my bed, on my futon really. I never really sleep because I’m sweating so much. Denise and the kids are usually in America, in Hawaii or California, where it’s not soo hot. But this year, because we’re not doing the homestay program this summer, they’ll be here and get a taste of a really hot and humid summer like they’ve probably never felt before. I can’t remember if they’ve actually ever experienced an Osaka-Kyoto summer.

No worries! They will soon, and so will I. Wish us luck and please pray for us because luck really doesn’t happen and we’ll definitely need God to help us through this summer!