Japan Mission Trip - January 2008

Catherine and I have been blessed by God to be able to go to Japan to Spread the Gospel. As you know Japan is dominated by two major religions, Shinto and Buddhism. Christians in Japan are in a distinct minority, so mission trips to this country do much to nurture and grow and spread the Message.

Just two nobodies who can share with anybody about somebody that can save anybody.

Thursday, December 20, 2007
It's late around 10:30p and I just finished setting up this blog so that I can communicate with those who supported us on what happens to us in Japan. I pray that this method can work and so that they can read about what God has us doing in this foreign land.

Posted by Catherine & Thomas Fusco at 8:30 PM

19 comments: SUMMARY IS ON PAGE 3 -7
December 20, 2007 9:43 PM Tom's friend Alan said...
I think this is a great idea. We can see in real time (almost)what is going on with your trip

December 21, 2007 9:30 AM Blace said... My aren't we getting techie! This is great: we who are praying can hear how God is answering on the front lines.

January 22, 2008 9:17 PM I'd love to hear more news as the time of your departure is closing fast. Praying for a safe flight, what else can we pray for? Anonymous

January 23, 2008 7:45 AM Catherine & Tom said... Anonymous,one of our concerns is that of Catherine's mom Gloria. We have moved in with her so that she can have constant care. Pray that the Lord watch over her while we are gone. Also that He protects us from any illnes so that we can be on fire for the Lord to those we meet.

January 23, 2008 7:04 PM Dale said... Cath and Tom, Will pray for Gloria & for your good health while over there. But do remember 2 Corinthians 12:9.

January 23, 2008 8:19 PM Catherine & Tom said... Dale, Thanks for the message, and pointing me to the One who saved me & provides me with all that I need. As I continued to the chapters end, 2nd Cor 12:21, it reminded me of those who have not repented and are lost.

January 24, 2008 5:38 PM kim said... Hi Mom and Tom! …I am just checking to see if you have landed. I will be praying for you guys and of course grandma. I love you!

January 25, 2008 11:20 PM Edwin said...Are you in Japan yet?

January 26, 2008 12:56 PM D.Yoder said... Tom hows the fishing in Japan ?
Praying for you !! Psalm 89:1

January 26, 2008 7:19 PM Catherine & tom said... Kim, we arrived safely except I did lose my dinner 10 minuite before landing. This is the first time we have been able to send something. This has been an awesome experience. We have met so many nice people here. 1st on the train, i was able togive awyt a million dollar bill. Then while at StarBucks in the mall, Tom shared the Ten Commandments with a young girl who spoke english. We are at their church now and we gave them our testimonies. I`ll try to send some more when we have a chance

January 26, 2008 11:46 PM Dale said... Wow, you peeps are 16 hours ahead of us! (AZ is GMT-7 & Japan is GMT+9). Let’s see, it's about 12:30 am here, so it must be 4:30 pm there. Hopefully you're getting some good sleep to adjust. So Catherine, you lost your dinner, huh... don't worry about it-maybe you'll find it on the flight back!
Grace to you who love our Lord Jesus Christ

January 28, 2008 1:03 AM catherine & tom said... Dale, nice to hear from you. Your sense of humor is refreshing. We were out today meeting people in the neighborhood by this church which is about 45min from where we are staying. We were at lunch and a women recognized me as the man who was handing out tracts she saw at Starbucks the other day.

January 28, 2008 1:11 AM catheirne & tom said...Edwin, Thanks for your concern. As you can see we have arrived safely. We have lots to tell you when we get back. We can compare stories now that you have already been here and done that

January 28, 2008 1:15 AM catherine & tom said... D.Yoder, The fishing has been great. Today we were busy sharing the bait. Getting to a computer has not been easy. Say hello to the sower`s on mill for me.

January 28, 2008 1:20 AM Today I started to feel the jetlag as I was extremely tired this afternoon. Constantly yawning and eyes trying to close. Please keep us in your prayers that I get the rest I need so that tomorrow I get be fight to do battle.

January 28, 2008 9:09 AM Edwin said... Tom Good to hear you are fishing like crazy. I can’t wait to hear all about it when you get back. I will keep you both in prayer and remind the team at home to do so as well.

Catherine & Tom said...
Left Phoenix AZ on Thursday at 7:30a & arrived in Tokyo on Friday at 5:30p. Met David Spurdle outside and had to take the 3 separate trains to get to where he parked his van. This took approximately another 2 hours. Then 45 minutes later we arrived at the house where we would stay, this was about 8;30 or 9P Japan time which would mean that we were up for about 27 hours as it was now 5:a Friday Phoenix time. On the first train our prayers were answered as we had been praying that the Lord would bring people to us who spoke English. At the first stop a man got on and sat next to Catherine. He asked her if she would mind if he sat by her. She was surprised how well he spoke English and complimented him on it. She offered him a million and he took it. After reading it, he mentioned that he liked the tract and that he was a Christian and she continued to have a great conversation with him. He gave us the newspaper he had with him as it was written in English and he stated that he buys it so that he would better understand the English language. We praised the Lord for answering our prayers so quickly.

Saturday. January, 26 (which is Friday in Phoenix)
Woke up early Sat, David made great blueberry pancakes. Each day after breakfast we have a Bible study, and are learning about missionaries. After our study David took us for a walk that lead us to the base of a mountain. We climbed that mountain and at the top we could see the city that Satan held captive. We prayed to the Lord above that He would use us to help free those people and bring truth to the city of Tochigi. On our way down David & Jack were able to witness to two people, a mother & son who were cleaning the area.

Afterwards we went to the mall to buy some supplies and to pass out tracks. They had a Starbucks inside the mall & we were privileged to talk a young girl named Kazayo and I walked her through the commandments as she spoke English and was ale to understand what I was saying. She was convicted by the law an Catherine noticed that she had tears in her eyes when we got to the part were she stated that would it concerned her that she could be in Hell. David invited her to his home for that night as his pastor & the pastor's son were coming that night. To my amazement she and her sister showed up.

Afterwards we all went to dinner at a great Japanese restaurant and shared with one another. Jack & I started singing and were having a grand time coming up with all the different songs that we could remember. Even the owners who was the cook & his wife were smiling at us signing.

Sunday, 27th, We attended worship at the chapel in Tochigi and we all shared our testimonies. Afterwards I was able to log on to my website and share the video of the piano player. Everyone was amazed at that man using balls to play music. I also shared with them the pink & blue illusion cards as well as showing the coin that appears out of thin air. They were eager to learn how I did it and I showed them. You should have seen all the men young and old practicing how to do it.

We were invited to a ladies home which was on the outskirts which was like a farm house. She served us an amazing meal which Catherine helped her to prepare. She shared with Catherine all about her two sons and then took Catherine to her bedroom where she showed her pictures of her daughter dressed in beautiful Japanese gowns.

Monday, 28th We drove to the top of another mountain, Ohira, in Tochigi. We had a terrific view of Tokyo in the distance and could even see Mt Fuji. They have a three story platform that you can walk up to get a better view and there we saw padlocks that were engraved and locked into the fence that surrounded the platform. I was told by Jack that couples who want to get married leave them there. As we looked out over the area David had us pray for all of those people who have never heard of the Gospel.

We drove to the area where the church is and dropped off flyers inviting people to come to the church on Saturday.

Tuesday, 29th Today was a damp and rainy day. We dropped off tracts locally and then went to the mall and stopped at Starbucks. David was able to share with a man who stated that he had never heard the Gospel before. David was able, with the Lords help, to show this man the connection from the old Chinese manuscripts and the invention of the computer how God was real.

Wednesday 30th Today we drove to Mt Nikko, where there is a Christian camp. We actually have a bed to sleep on & heat on the floors. We all went to a tiny hut where we prayed for Haruko who is the wife of the Pastor at Tochigi as she has a failing liver. We also prayed over Nakajima, a close friend of theirs who has ovarian cancer and was told she only had a year to live. Then we split up and each went to there own little hut for about an hour to spend some quiet time with the Lord.

We then drove to a place called Nikko Wonderland, but the attraction was closed from 1/25-2-7, we just missed it. While we wondering around at this empty location some college students from Tokyo showed. We were able to witness to them for quite a while. When they left to get on there bus they we very thankful that we shared with them.

The Gospel Tract of the million dollar bill with JFK on the front and the Japanese language on the back is being very well received.

When we came back to the camp we were able to use the hot water bath. First everyone goes inside to shower and then steps into a large bath and from there you go outside to another large hot bath which is located on the edge of the small canyon. From this spot you could see a water fall which falls into the river below. AWESOME!

After dinner we had prayer time and Bibl study. This was an unplanned part of our trip as we asked by Haga San if we would accompany them so that we could pray for the two women.

Thursday, 31st Then next morning we went to the Nikko Tokugawa Shrine. This place is amazing! The buildings and their artistic sculptures are truly works of art. The only problem is that they are art works for Satan. I was told that millions of people come form all over the world to worship here. They even have what looks like the Ark of the Convenient as described in the Old Testament in one of the temples.

The five of us were able to hand out 100's of tracts each to all the tourists who came.

Jack who I have to say is the oldest was able to walk up three hundred & fifty two stairs to and it was only through the Lords power that he was able to do it. The rest of us didn't even try. Oh Jack usually wears a knee brace but he did this without it.

Friday, Feb 1st Got more flyers came back and cut them up. Headed for the Chapel and put them in their mailboxes. We then met up with the kids at the park from the last time and played some games with them. Even Jack tried to hit the ball but to no avail. About a dozen more school kids on bikes came to the park and we able to pass out million dollar bills to all of them. They were very excited to have the money and we explained to them that they had to read the back and have their parents so the same.

Saturday Feb 2nd We went to Starbucks again for some more fishing and they had a live band in the mall. As they were performing I mingled with the crowd and offered them the million dollar bill. I'm sure they thought it had something to do with the entertainment that was going on because no one refused them. I was able to hand out almost a whole pack. Jack came over and helped out as he gave a bunch away and then the security stopped him. By then it was to late as our task of handing out God's word in Satan's domain was complete.

Evening came quickly and we had to get back to our base as we were entertaining some people from his church as well as neighbors that were invited. David and Catherine prepared a wonderful American meal, burrito's. They loved it as many had two helpings. As the evening went on Shin the son of the Pastor Haga Son asked if I would show his fried the magic. While doing the tricks one of the neighbors asked me to do more and then I showed the pink & blue illusion and then with the help of David, translating it into Japanese, I took him through the question about selling our eyes. We were able to go through the process of how God would have to judge a sinner, which we know is someone who lies, steals or has lustful thoughts for others. His response to it was that he hadn't given it much thought.

Now comes the amazing part, remember the friend that Shin brought, his name is Isikawa, I noticed that his eyes were wet and he started to speak about how he understood what I was saying and how he is a Buddhist & so is his whole family. He related to us about his grandfather's funeral that when he looked at him lying dead, his face seemed peaceful. Since then he had been trying to live his life by doing good things just like his grandfather taught him but after hearing what I spoke of he understood my message and was very thankful for me sharing with them.

He is still a Buddhist but know wants to search out other religions. I asked if he had every read the Bible and he said no. I then offered him a Bible written in Japanese and he thanked me and said he would read it. His tearful story brought me to ask if I could give him a hug and he responded by leaning over towards me. I was hugging him he said that he has great respect for me & then I told him that this moment was the best thing that happened to me in Japan and I think that God wanted me here so that he could hear my message. I then told him I would be praying for him so that God would open his heart and he would truly understand what it meant for Jesus to die on the cross for him. After that I could hardly speak as I realized that God had answered my prayers, and allowed me to hear the heart of someone in Japan