We had a wonderful time October 10-11 at the 25th annual Keisen Vision Festa, at the base of Mt. Bandai in Fukushima Prefecture, overlooking the beautiful lake, Inawashiro-ko. We had a wonderful time of fellowship with fellow believers, both from Shonan as well from other chapels across the Keisen network. We were also able to gain a better grasp of the Keisen Vision of church growth and multiplication, two driving texts being Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8.
Waiting for the bullet train at Tokyo Station on our trip to KVFThe National Bandai Youth Center (Fukushima Prefecture), where we stayed for the KVF event, is a very economical place to lodge as it is government subsidized. However, one of the conditions for staying there is that all lodging guests perform certain assigned chores as well as attend the traditional flag lowering and raising ceremonies in the evening and morning, respectively.
Flag Lowering Ceremony
Flag Raising Ceremony
KVF - Main SessionLate October and much of November was a busy time for us. Micah, Jonah, and Karin enjoyed participating in the home school spelling celebration at CAJ on 10/22; Ellen participated in a story time activity for preschoolers. Then on 10/25 we had our annual field conference at JBF's headquarters next door to CAJ. We enjoyed the time of fellowship, worship, and a challenge from the Word from WorldVenture's Asia director, Marty Shaw. Prior to that event it was our pleasure to host Marty & his wife to connect about our life & ministry in Japan.
On 11/3 we participated in the annual Kanto region CB Family Festa at Midorino Chapel (which also happens to be part of the Keisen Network) in Ibaraki Prefecture. This was a joint celebration of CB churches in the Kanto region; Greg helped lead the worship time with guitar & vocals during the main sessions.
November 7th was a significant day in the church life of Shonan Grace Chapel as Tatsuki Toshida was formally installed as pastor there after completing three years of church based seminary training Keisen Christ Church 
(the "mother church" of the Keisen Network in Yonezawa, Yamagata Pref.). It was Tatsuki's parents, Teiichi & Akiko, who started Shonan Grace fifteen years ago as lay ministers when a job transfer brought Mr. (Teiichi) Toshida from a five-year job assignment in Yonezawa back to their hometown of Chigasaki. Tatsuki was still in junior high school at the time. So this was indeed an auspicious occasion.
Group photo at Shonan after Tatsuki's installation serviceWe had a wonderful time at the 3-day / 2-night CHEA Japan Christian home schooling seminar Nov. 18-20 with some 400+ attendees (including children) at a beautiful hotel nestled in the northern Japan Alps in Hakuba (Nagano Pref.). The main sessions and workshops were both encouraging and thought provoking. The keynote speakers were a couple from Maryland connected with Sovereign Grace Ministries, an attorney and his wife, along with their daughter, one of six children, all of whom were home schooled. Their presentations were very compelling, both through the stories of their journey and through their explanation and application of biblical truth, and we were challenged to rethink some of our assumptions regarding children's education. CHEA had a fantastic program of organized activities for kids from preschool through the teen years while the parents attended the sessions, including an indoor "field day" event. Of course, we also enjoyed the onsen (hot spring) baths, the 100+ choice buffet, not to mention the breathtaking view of the surrounding snowcapped mountains. We thank God for the many blessings great and small of this experience.
Snowcapped peaks of the northern Japan Alps in the distanceCHEA Kids Activities
Micah & Jonah engaged in an intense game of four square
Jonah engaged in an intense pillow fight contest
Karin & friend Manaka
Ellen enjoying herself
The shot below is of us (or half our family anyway) with the Onjoji family whom we have gotten to know in no small measure through Karin's friends with their daughter, Manaka. We got to know Manaka and her mother through the home school camp we attended up at Kinshuko back in August. This time, Karin & Manaka were like two peas in a pod. Greg's connection with the husband/father, Tetsuo, goes back some twenty years when he was still single and living in Tachikawa (western Tokyo) on a job assignment as an engineer. Greg met Tetsuo (who was also still single at the time) through a young adult group at a SEND church nearby where Greg was living. Since Tetsuo wasn't able to make it to the summer home school camp, this was their first meeting after all those years!
Since November 23rd was a Japanese holiday (the equivalent of Labor Day in the U.S. -- the American Thanksgiving Day is not a holiday here), we celebrated Thanksgiving a couple of days early
with some of our fellow JBF missionaries at one of their homes on the other (northeast) side of Tokyo. Besides the traditional turkey dinner, we enjoyed singing hymns of thanks, playing some indoor games, a walk, keep-away soccer in the park, and reconnecting with each other.Thank you for your continued prayers on our behalf regarding our future post-internship ministry assignment. It seems that things are beginning to crystallize on this front. On 10/27, we met with our Church Multiplication Team leader, Paul Sadler, and our internship mentor & supervisor, Pastor Okita, and had a good discussion that was helpful in narrowing our focus regarding our future ministry. One of the potential ministry partners that seems to be consistently bubbling to the top is Shonan Grace Chapel, which has already been serving as our primary ministry venue for our internship. More recently, this past Saturday (11/27), we met with Mr. & Mrs. Toshida and son, Pastor Tatsuki, to discuss the possibility of an ongoing partnering with Shonan. We believe this pivotal meeting was both encouraging and beneficial for all parties involved. There are a number of issues and details that have to be worked out, but we are beginning to sense that this might be the direction in which God is leading.
December is probably one of the busiest times for those involved in ministry in Japan, and it will prove to be no exception for us in the coming weeks. You can refer to the complete list of events below, but just to highlight a couple of events, we plan to host a Christmas Tea event at Shonan Grace on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 18. Several neighborhood families are being invited to this event. Besides the tea time, we hope to do some fun activities, caroling, and Greg will share a brief message about the significance of Christmas. Pray for the planning & preparation for this event as well as for the event itself, including an anointing on the message. Pray also that those invited will be able and willing to attend.
The other Christmas event we wish to highlight is a dinner party we plan to host on Christmas Day to which we are inviting Japanese "returnees" who have lived in the U.S. (mainly MN). Most of those being invited are believers, but some are not; some seem to have strayed away from the faith. Pray that this will not only be a enjoyable time of sweet fellowship, but also an occasion when hearts will be drawn to the Savior.
Swenson Calendar of Events:
Sat. 12/4, 6-9pm - TAC Christmas party: Greg plans to attend this event sponsored by his Japanese language school, and there may be opportunity for witness through song at this event.
Sun. 12/5, 3-4:30pm - Grace C.A.F.E. @ Denen Grace (Greg leading worship)
Thur. 12/9, 3-5pm - Preschool Christmas party @ Shonan Grace Chapel (Asa & Ellen attending)
Fri. 12/17, 6-8pm - Youth Christmas party @ Shonan (Micah attending)
Sat. 12/18, 1:30-3:30pm - Family Christmas Tea @ Shonan (Greg & Asa hosting)
Sun. 12/19
10:30am - 12 noon: Christmas worship service @ Shonan
Noon - 2pm: Christmas celebration @ Shonan
Wed. 12/22, 4-6pm - Kids' Christmas party @ Shonan
Fri. 12/24, 8-9pm - Candlelight service @ Shonan
Sat. 12/25 Christmas dinner @ Swenson home
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