Tale of Two Cities

Earlier this year while we were on Home Assignment in the US, I made a quick trip to Japan on business for a few weeks.  Two days after I left Chicago the International Olympic Committee was visiting Chicago so the airport and everything was spruced up.  A few days after I returned from Japan they were to visit Tokyo.  And in a similar fashion they had the city decked out. Later this week the IOC…

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A Girl Waiting for a Bus

Thoughts Along the Way© Elaine Mehn  “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16:7b              Riding a city bus can be boring or entertaining depending on my mood and the people who come and go. The other day we were stopped by the bus stop where there was a girl waiting for a bus. She was…

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A Matter of Perspective

Thoughts Along the Way© Elaine Mehn   Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9b-10              We bought a new microwave to replace our old microwave that was dying. I measured the space available and looked at the measurements for the new high tech combination unit. Once we got it home we discovered that it needed additional airspace around it…

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The Straight and Narrow Way

Thoughts Along the Way© Elaine Mehn I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. Proverbs 4:11 We take a week of vacation each summer and go tent camping on the shore of Lake Saiko (West Lake). One of our activities is to ride bicycles the 10 kilometers (6 miles) around the lake. It has one hill on the opposite side from the campground but other than that it is…

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REACHING Japanese FOR CHRIST IN THE US

Japanese are one of the largest and hardest people groups to reach in the world.  While they are out of Japan, they are more open to hear the gospel and respond.  The Reaching Japanese for Christ (RJC) Network and their conferences are very helpful in equipping and encouraging US Christians to reach the 500,000 Japanese who are living in Japan.  As many of you are committed to missions in Japan, I would encourage you to…

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Giant Robot Visits Tokyo

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the first Gundam animation series, Bandai made a “life-sized” replica of a real Gundam Mobile Suit.  This towering mechanoid was 59 feet tall, almost 6 stories, towering over a park on Tokyo Bay.  It could move its head and shoot rocket jets.  With Japan the world’s leader in robots maybe real one is next.  If you into Japanese pop culture, this is right in the middle…

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Haagen-Dazs goes bonkers in Japan

Back in July Haagen-Dazs opened the largest ice cream parlor in the world in the famous Ginza district in Tokyo.  There are six fours in the building each floor with a unique deco.  Each one has a concierge to serve customers.  It is being described as the “ice cream mansion.”  They even serve ice cream Japanese style with vegetables, fruit and cheese.  Haagen-Dazs has been in Japan longer than we have (just barely) with 25…

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