Japan Upward Mission Project 08

A team of seven missionaries from Columbia Presbyterian Church in Maryland and four from Christian Layman Church in California traveled to Japan to conduct an Upwards Basketball and Outdoor camp August 19-22 for 25 Japanese youths. JUMP was organized by Martin Yahiro in association with Pastor Taniguchi of the Kobe Youth Church who recruited two translators and three youths from an Osaka church.

Five members of the Maryland team flew to Tokyo a week early to do some sightseeing. Dan did a two day climb of 12,395 foot Mt Fuji during this week. The team rode buses, subways and Shinkansen (bullet trains) on Honshu Island, Japan. The team took a bus and boat tour of Tokyo. While Dan climbed Mt Fuji, the others traveled to ? one day and shopped some of Tokyo's famous markets the other day.

The team traveled to Kyoto, the original imperial city where they encountered their first geishas and fortified royal palaces. After a day of sightseeing in Kyoto we moved to apartments in Kobe where we were joined by Chris and Sam Cole coming from Korea. Taking a bullet train out west to Hiroshima we met Joanne, Kelli and Derek Lin plus Justin Owyoung, the California team. Sunday we attended Kobe Union Church and tried to attend a professional baseball game in Osaka that was sold out.

We enjoyed eating with chopsticks the regional Japanese cuisines like Kaiseki in Kyoto, Oconomiyaki in Hiroshima and curry in Tokyo. The buildings and houses look like any western country without the katakana writing. The only traditional architecture was the occasional Shinto Shrine, Buddhaist Temple, pagodas and castles. Cars drive on the left.

August 9, 2008   Saturday   Fly Baltimore to Minneapolis to Tokyo

I got up at 4:50 to shave and shower. I had my normal breakfast of banana, oatmeal, toast and a glass of milk. Martin and Janet Yahiro arrived at 5:55 with Mike and Becca Newkirk in their Toyota van. We were off to Baltimore Washington International (BWI) Airport arriving about 6:20. With virtually no line I quickly checked in my 32.8 pound bullet bag and was assigned aisle seat 14-E for the 8:30 flight NW777 from Baltimore to Minneapolis. Jesse Strow met us at the airport.

We had a 5 hour layover in Minneapolis so we decided to go to the Great American Mall. We took the Hiawatha Line $1.50 ($0.50 for seniors like me) for the 20 minute ride to the mall. The mall is large with an amusement park in the center. Becca wanted to ride the roller coaster. Everyone joined her except myself who photographed the event. We lunched at Johnny Rockets where I had a hamburger, fries and shake for $13.97.

At 2:10 we boarded Northwest Airlines flight number 19 on a Boeing 747-400 for the 11 hour and 42 minute flight from Minneapolis to Narita Airport near Tokyo. We took off at 3:05 pm CDT on schedule headed northwest across Canada and Alaska then southwest parallel to Asia's west coast to Japan. Due to a strong tailwind we arrived twenty some minutes ahead of schedule. I was served a Bloody Mary Mix and a small bag of pretzels before dinner consisting of chicken, potatoes, salad, fruit salad, bread, light cake and another Bloody Mary mix. It remained light the entire trip.

August 10, 2008   Sunday   Land at Narita, Train to Tokyo

I slept very little but ended up with a sore neck with my seat reclined. About mid-flight we were served a ham sandwich snack. We were served breakfast of an omelet, Danish, sausage and milk shortly before landing. The food is decent and filling. I walked and stretched for over two hours during the flight.

We landed at Narita over 20 minutes ahead of the scheduled 5:05 pm Japan Standard Time arrival time thanks to a strong tailwind. We passed through immigration before collecting our luggage and passing through customs. I exchanged $500 at 106.5 yen (¥) per dollar receiving 53,250 ¥. We picked up our 7 day Japanese Rail (JR) passes 28,300 ¥ ($272) showing our receipt.

We boarded a light rail train using our JR passes for the 45 minute ride from Narita Airport to Shinagawa Station. We walked across the street and checked into the Shinagawa Princess Hotel room 3-1663, $148.80 plus $26.91 taxes and fees per night, in the Main Tower about 7:00 pm. We are hungry so we walked outside the hotel around a corner to a small restaurant where I had a large bowl of noodle shrimp soup for 1200 ¥. After being up for about 40 hours I went to bed early but didn't sleep well.

August 11, 2008   Monday   Bus & Boat Tour Tokyo

We walked to a McDonalds located in our hotel complex for an egg and sausage breakfast sandwich. Last night I bought orange juice, milk and a banana for breakfast at a 7 Eleven store also in our hotel complex.

Mike and daughter Becca Newkirk, Jesse Strow and Dan McQueen were picked up in our hotel lobby at 8:05 for the Hato Bus Panoramic Tokyo Sunrise Tour 9,800 ¥ ($92.02). Driving by many Tokyo sights we stopped at the Meiji Jingu Shinto Shrine and gardens. Shintoism is a set of values such as harmony with nature or a virtue like a sincere heart or Kami (devine spirit). There are an unlimited number of Kami and this shrine is dedicated to Emporer Meiji and Empress Shoken. Shintoism only deals with this life and not after life. Eighty percent of Japanese are Shinto.

We toured the impressive moted Imperial Palace Chiyodo-ku where the emporer resides. We stopped at the Senso-ji Buddhist Temple dedicated to Kannon (goddess of mercy) whose 2.5 inch image was fished from a nearby river by two fishermen in AD 628. Smoke from a large incense cauldron supposedly bestows health. The Nakamise-dori open air market leads into the temple. The temple and it's pagoda were of large traditional Japanese architecture.

We bused to lunch on the top floor of a hotel on the waterfront. The walls were glass affording great views of the river and harbor. We were served a delectable lunch of fish, shrimp, potatoes, potato soup, salad, ice cream, and tea.

We bused across Rainbow Bridge (so named by a young girl) to an man made harbor island. There is a Statue of Liberty, one of three in the world. We walked through a mall before returning by bus over the bridge to our boat tour of Tokyo harbor. We were returned to our hotel about 5:00 pm.

We used our JR passes to take a subway to Shinjuku Station and walked to the nearby Sibayu district a hot night spot for young people. I had Japanese curry and rice with tea for 480 ¥ ($4.51). We walked through a 9 story music store to find a particular CD to no avail. We stopped in a grocery store where I bought 16 ounce cartons of milk, orange juice and a banana. We returned to our rooms and went to bed early.

August 12, 2008   Tuesday   Bus to Mt Fuji 5th Station Hike to 8th Station

I got up at 6:01 and showered. We walked to the McDonalds for another breakfast sandwich 230 ¥ ($2.16) which I consumed with my milk, OJ and banana.

At 7:12 Martin and I walked to the Shinagawa rail station and using our JR passes rode five stops to the huge Shinjuku station. We walked through the maze to the west exit. We walked up to street level and 1 block to the left and the Shinjuku Chuo Kosoku (highway) Bus Station. Martin had to return quickly to catch a train to Kamakura with the others. I had time to kill so I returned to the train station and found my subway track so I would have no trouble returning tomorrow. I stopped in a grocery for a soft ice cream 300 ¥ ($2.82) and two liters of water at 178 ¥ ($1.67) each.

I finally board the bus 2600 ¥ ($24.41) each way in seat 2C and we are off at 10:55 am on the one hour and 25 minute ride to Mt Fjui's 5th Station. We travel on the Japanese equivalent of our interstate highways. The highway speed limit is 80 kilometers per hour (49.6 miles per hour)as we travel through cities and towns with in town rice patties or tunnels through mountains. The lowest gas price I saw was 167 ¥ ($1.57) per liter which translates into 628 ¥ ($5.89) per gallon. After climbing several miles on the Subaru Line road we arrive at the 5th Station at 7562 feet of elevation.

The 5th Station is like a very busy village around a large circular stone courtyard. I decide I must eat before climbing, I choose a small restaurant for a 6-8 inch Japanese pizza with everything on it for 1,00 ¥ ($9.39). I then shopped for a 54 inch hiking stick 1,000 ¥ ($9.39) with a 5th Station stamp burned on it which I will need as the designated shepherd during devotions at Upwards Basketball Camp. My next task was to get my name written on the stick in Katakana (Japanese phonetic writing). This was very difficult as I went through 3 people taking about 20 minutes before it was understood what I wanted. I had my name in Katakana and my lodging reservation in an email I received from Martin.

About 2:00 pm I hiked from the 5th Station traversing the mountain on a wide undulating trail. After a mile or so I arrived at the Mt Fuji Safety Guidance Center at the 6th Station 7841' (2390m) elevation. A young Japanese man in uniform (Park Ranger?) approached me and in broken English presented me with a map showing all 14 huts on the route to the summit. As I left he said: "Good ruck".

The trail turned up sharply to a 25-30% grade and remained contant and became totally barren. The trail is crowded with people, many in groups of 20-30 with guides, as 600,000 Japanese climb Fuji every year during July and August. The trail is wide and covered with 2-3 inches of loose dirt and small stones. There are several long stretches of rough steep volcanic rock which create bottlenecks. I by-pass the bottlenecks by climbing beside the trail where the rough rocks afford adequate hand and toe holds. It is cool and breezy but I am comfortable climbing in my shorts and shirt.

I arrive at the Honhachigome-Tomoekan Hut, the 13th hut, above 3360 meters (11,023 feet) elevation at 4:55. Verifying that I am at the correct hut I try to figure out where to enter and how to remove my boots. A man emerges and waves me off. I insist and point to my name on my stick. He re-enters and soon returns with house shoes and welcomes me inside. I pay him 7,500 ¥ ($70.42). He escorts me to the back room filled with two levels of shelves on both sides of the room with a narrow aisle down the middle. Each shelf is for 15-20 people. He shows me my slot and the hooks to hang my daypack and bag with my boots in it. Back in the front room he indicates I am to sit on the floor at the low table to eat a beef patty, rice and a tasty sauce with tea. I haven't slept well since arriving in Japan so I passed out at 7:00 and slept soundly until 12:00 am. I had to go to the bathroom so I silently extracted myself from the tight row of sleeping climbers and slipped outside on the narrow, dark, windy and cold path for 20 yards to the toilet.

August 13, 2008   Wednesday   Summit Mt Fuji, Bus to Tokyo

I can't get back to sleep. People start stirring about 1:00 am. I wait until 1:21 and decide it is time to go. I step outside and see a long serpentine stream of headlamps about 4 wide creeping up the mountain. Looking up it is the same. I am ready to go but then decide to put on my jacket and zip my leg bottoms on my shorts.

I join the line of climbers about 1:30 am that travels in fits and starts. The trail is steeper now, about 35-40% grade and there are more steep rocky sections. I take my time going with the flow whenever it flows. I stop at the Goraiko-kan Hut at the 9th Station for the stamp to be branded 200 ¥ ($1,88) on my stick. At 3:30 I reach the crater rim and the 10th Station. It is crowded so I continue up the undulating crater rim looking for a vantage point to see the sun rise.

I find a good vantage point near the edge with a flat rock. I sit and eat my box breakfast of rice and a sauce packet with maybe some chicken in it. It is a real test eating rice in the dark with chopsticks. I persevere. It is about 40° and calm since the wind died down during the climb. The sun starts to rise about 4:45 and I put on my Upwards Basketball shirt over my coat for pictures. As it gets lighter I photograph the crater with a bit of snow remaining in it. I go down to the 10th Station and have my stick branded with the stamp for 300 ¥ ($2.82).

At 5:30 I start down on a different trail in a loping gait sliding/skiing a lot. I meet a young Canadian couple and descend with them. Soon we run into Bill and his sister Sarah who I met yesterday. We stay together all the way back to the 5th Station. At the safety station I see the young park ranger again. I show him the summit stamp on my stick and we laugh and high five each other.

Arrived at the 5th Station at 7:55. My bus to Tokyo is at 12:00. I try to change my bus to 11:00 to no avail. With four hours to kill I enjoy a soft ice cream for 300 ¥ ($2.82). There are several street vendors with hibachis going selling various foods. I chose a sobe noodle, chicken and vegetables dish for 600 ¥ ($5.63) that is very good. I board the 12:00 pm bus in seat 2B for the return trip to Tokyo. There is an accident in one of the long tunnels that delays us for 15-20 minutes. I arrive at the Tokyo bus station at 2:20 pm and walk to the Shinjuku Station. Using my JR Pass I enter and walk to track 14 for the train to Shinagawa Station. As I get on the train a Japanese woman says "I'll take that" and pretends to grab my Mt Fuji stick.

I got to my room at 2:50 dusty, dirty, sweaty and stinking. I packed and sealed my smelly clothes then showered. I walked to the grocery store in the hotel complex and bought milk, orange juice and bananas for tomorrows breakfast. I also bought some potato chips (salt) and a Kirin Lager beer for immediate consumption. Everything came to 606 ¥ ($5.69). Martin and the rest of the Maryland team returned from shopping in Electric City a little after 5:00 pm. At 6:30 we walked to a restaurant in the hotel complex where I had octopus Tokoyaki 400 ¥ ($3.76), scallion noodles 700 ¥ ($6.57) and soft ice cream cone 300 ¥ ($2.82). We explored the hotel complex's shops, cinemas and aquarium with a dolphin show.

August 14, 2008   Thursday   Bullet Train to Kyoto, Nijo-jo Castle

We splurged on a hotel breakfast. I had an omelet, sausage, fruit salad, milk, orange juice and muslix. We checked out of the hotel and walked to the Shinagawa Station with our luggage. Using our JR passes we took the subway to the Shinjuku Station. I bought in the station a very good eel, rice snd vegies box lunch 950 ¥ ($8.92) and a bottle of water for the train ride. We boarded the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) in car 7 (reserved seats and no smoking), I in seat 1D, and departed precisely at 11:40 am for Kyoto. The conductor and the vendor lady always bow to the passengers before exiting the car. The train reaches speeds of about 300 km/h or 186 miles per hour. The average delay for the Shinkansen is 6 seconds so everything is very punctual.

We arrived in Kyoto at 2:20 after a 2 hour 30 minute ride. Martin, Jesse and I shared a taxi 1210 ¥ ($11.36) to the ANA Hotel where Martin and I checked into room 519. The driver wore white gloves and the seats were covered with white lace covers. We passed an elaborate shrine with traditional architecture. Kyoto is the original imperial city so everything is clean, neat and traditional. Our hotel is first class with a waterfall outside a glass wall off the hotel lobby. Our luggage is handled by little women in kimonos with a cumberbun in front and a small roll in back. They have to go to school for 4 months to learn how to wear a kimono properly. Jesse and I have our pictures taken with two of the women. Tipping is insulting in Japan.

We walk across the street to the Nijo-jo (Nijo Castle, Ni=2 or 2nd, Jo=district or castle) in the hot humid air and pay 600 ¥ ($5.63) entry fee. The castle is well fortified and surrounded by a mote. It is divided into two parts, one a residence and the other for government business. Japan has had an emporer for 1600 years ruling in a louse confederation but around the year AD 1600 the original Shogun (war lord) conquered Japan and united them as a nation. Shoguns ruled Japan until 1860 when the current Shogun abdicated his power to the emporer.

At 6:00 pm Kumi, Martin's first Japanese instructor, arrived at our hotel. We took two subways costing 210 ¥ ($1.97) and 150 ¥ ($1.41) each way then walked a few blocks to the Kassai (moon or bright light) Restaurant. We sat on a deck over the Kamo River. Kumi ordered a Kaiseki Cuisine set menu of 10 small dishes 6550 ¥ ($61.50) each served over 2-3 hours. I don't know what most of the dishes were but they were different, intersting and good.

August 15, 2008   Friday   Kyoto Imperial Palace, Bullet Train to Kobe

I got up at 5:50 and ran around Nijo-jo twice, probably about 3 miles based on my time. At 8:30 we took a bus to the Buddhist Rokoun-ji Temple (Golden Pavilion) for 220 ¥ ($2.07). Getting on the bus at the back door you get a ticket. You get off the bus up front and drop the ticket and correct money in a box beside the driver. The box also changes large coins or bills if needed. We stopped in a convenience store at the bus stop for orange juice, milk and a Danish. We walked about a block to the temple entrance. We could see to our right the large symbol (big letter) on the mountainside. Jesse stood in front mimicing the symbol with the symbol on the mountain as background. In the temple you could buy a prayer stick for 200 ¥ ($1.88) which would be carried up the mountain and burned at night lighting the mountainside in the shape of the symbol. There are six such mountains around Kyoto with different symbols on them. We entered the temple grounds and it is beautiful. The multi-storied temple is all gold set next to a small lake in a Japanese garden setting.

We return to our hotel by bus and check-out at 10:45 am then check our bags with the geisha porters. Mike and Becca Newkirk want to do some shopping at the train station. Martin, Jesse and I walk 6-8 blocks to the Kyoto Imperial Palace. The palace is huge and set in a very large park and garden. We can't enter the palace so we walk around it and the park staying in the shade as it is hot. We walk back to our hotel, reclaim our bags and take the hotel shuttle to the train station at 12:30. I eat a Japanese curry, pork and rice 760 ¥ ($7.14) for lunch. Using our JR Pass again we board the Shinkansen car 13 seat 9E for the 29 minute ride to Kobe departing at 1:49. We take a subway 330 ¥ ($3.10) to a local station. We are met by Pastor Taniguchi in his Toyota van. After a 10 minute ride Pastor Taniguchi dropped Martin, Jesse and I at an apartment used as an English school for kids. Mike and Becca are staying in a vacant missionary's apartment in a church.

We walk a few blocks to the Co-op grocery store for drinks, snacks and breakfast stuff 1249 ¥ ($11.73). Chris and his son Sam arrive from Korea at 6:00 and settle in the apartment. Pastor Taniguchi picked us up and drove us to a restaurant where he is treating the team. We are met by his family, Mari his wife who speaks English and sons Yushi, Kirai and Keito. My meal was 680 ¥ ($6.38). Back at the apartment I showered and went to bed. We sleep on the floor on a 2 inch thick mat with another mat in a cloth case (our sheet) and a small light blanket (almost like a towel). Martin and I are in the back room. Chris and Jesse are in the room next to us. The young guys, Sam, Justin and Derek are in the room by the door on the other side of the kitchen from us.

August 16, 2008   Saturday   Bullet Train to Hiroshima and Back

We are up early and I have breakfast of orange juice, banana, cheese, tofu and milk. At 7:00 Pastor Taniguchi picked us up and drove us to the train station. Using the JR Pass we boarded the 8:31 am Shinkansen Hikari 393 car 12 seat 11B for the 1 hour 30 minute ride to Hiroshima. We took a bus 210 ¥ ($1.97) from the station to the Peace Park. We met Justin Owyoung and Joanne, daughter Kelli and son Derek Lin from Christian Layman Church near San Francisco, California. We enterd the museum 50 ¥ ($0.47) with it's sobering displays, pictures and films. After a couple of hours we emerged to rain. The original A-bomb "Little Boy" weighed 4 tons and was 27 feet long. We returned to the station by bus.

We ate Oconomiyaki a Hiroshima specialty at a counter restaurant. I had two servings 1350 ¥ ($12.68) but the specialty of the house started with a crepe, pork, sauteed bean sprouts and cabbage, an egg then topped with Oconomiyaki sauce and a Wiebe draft beer 380 ¥ ($3.57). Delicious! We stopped in a grocery and I treated myself to some Walker's Scottish shortbread 744 ¥ ($6.99).

We returned to Kobe on the crowded Shinkansen without reservations so we stood all the way. We took a subway 330 ¥ ($3.10) to the local station and then split a taxi 3 ways at 200 ¥ ($1.88) each. We walked to the Co-op gracery and bought a half gallon of milk, a quart of orange juice, cheese and a Danish for 1268 ¥ ($11.91).

August 17, 2008   Sunday   Kobe Union Church, Osaka Castle

I got up at 5:21 and showered. I had orange juice, tofu, Danish, a peach and milk for breakfast. Pastor Taniguchi picked us up at 7:45 am and drove us to the train station. Our JR Passes have expired so we took a train 300 ¥ ($2.82) to Shin (Station) Kobe and then a subway 580 ¥ ($5.45). We then caught a church shuttle up the mountain to Kobe Union Church arriving just as the service was beginning. The congregation is about half Caucasian people working in Japan and half local Japanese. The service was very similar to home. I contributed 1,000 ¥ ($9.39).

Driven back to the station by a parishner, Mike, Becca, Chris and Sam opted for western food while Martin, Jesse and I opted for Japanese. We found a little corner counter restaurant with six seats run by an older gentleman Japanese man. He prepared a very good fried pork, curry and rice lunch with tea for 780 ¥ ($7.32). We took a subway 600 ¥ ($5.63) to Osaka Castle and rented a locker 300 ¥ ($2.82) in the station for the clothes we wore to church. We walked from the station through a park to Osaka Castle. It is an imposing multi-storied structure on a hill surrounded by a wide moat and layers of fortification. Currently a museum 600 ¥ ($5.82) it tells the story of the first Shogun's rise to power around 1600 AD in pictures, videos and displays. The top floor affords grand 360° views of Osaka and a cooling breeze giving relief from the heat. After a soft ice cream 300 ¥ ($2.82) we returned to the station passing four side by side local bands competing for attention. It looked like the band with the tall blonde woman guitarist won.

We took a subway 170 ¥ ($1.60) to Osaka Stadium for a critical professional baseball game between two most popular teams in Japan, the local Tigers and Giants. It is like the Boston Redsox versus the New York Yankees. The stadium is huge and modern. Unfortunately the game was sold out and we couldn't get tickets. We did walk around inside the stadium with it's many shops and restaurants.

We took subways 580 ¥ ($5.45) back to Kobe Station. We walked around an open air market next to the station. Chris, Sam, Martin, Jesse, and I stopped in a restaurant for Oconomiyaki 680 ¥ ($6.38). Our table had a grill in the middle but our waiter placed our cooked meals on it to keep them hot. Each time I have had Oconomiyaki it has been a little different except for the sauce. ATM machines would not accept our cards but we found one that did so I withdrew 20,000 ¥ ($184.07 including fees or 110 yen per dollar).

August 18, 2008   Monday   Play Basketball, Dinner at Tanaguchi's

Got up at 6:40 and showered. Had orange juice, cheese, tofu and milk for breakfast. Some observations about the 127 million Japanese. Japanese bow 50 times a day on average. There are 15°, 30° and 45° bows indicating the amount of respect for the person. Listeners periodically bob their head and say: "hai" (yes).

Martin, Jesse and I walked a few bolcks to a laundry and washed our clothes for 300 ¥ ($2.82) each. on the way back Jesse and I stopped at the Co-op and I bought fish, potatoes (I thought they were egg plant) and rice for lunch plus two Danish, milk and cheese for breakfast totaling 1765 ¥ ($16.57).

We walked to Yushi Taniguchi's school where Yushi is on the school's basketball team. The Upwards team made up two teams as did the school team. We played each other 20 minute halfs. We then combined the Upwards and school teams making three combined teams playing each other round robbin. We played for three hours or more. I am surprised at the skill and quickness of the Japanese kids. This is the first time I played basketball in over 20 years. Two weeks later my feet, ankles, knees and leg muscles are still sore from the jumping, sudden stops, turns and accelerations. I played in somewhat of a time delay mode but did okay.

We walked back to the apartment, showered and then to the Taniguchi's house for a Upwards Basketball Camp meeting. We were served snacks and drinks. We gave gifts to the Taniguchi's. The three boys share everything so I gave them an Orioles baseball cap. Jesse gave them a football which was a big hit because it glowed in the dark. The football was a big hit at camp after we showed the kids how to pass and kick the ball. We ordered take out dinners which we ate during the meeting.

August 19, 2008   Tuesday   Bus to Basketball Camp

Everyone slept in today as we are in no hurry. I had orange juice, two Danish, cheese and milk for breakfast. We walk to the Co-op grocery and I buy Oconomiyaki sauce 498 ¥ ($4.68), 0.5 liter of milk 120 ¥ ($1.13 or $4.27 per gallon) and a packaged lunch of 3 meatballs, 4 shrimp and 3 sushi rolls 428 ¥ ($4.02) all totaling 1046 ¥ ($9.82).

We unpacked things we didn't need for camp and left them in the apartment. Partor Taniguchi came with his van and we loaded our luggage in it. Four of us rode in the van to a park near Yushi's school while the rest walked. The kids with their mothers were gathering there. A bus arrived and we loaded everyone's luggage on the back seat and boarded the bus. Departing at 1:30 we drove about 45 minutes through the city and up the mountain on a winding road to Rokko Shizen Camp. Mike, Chris, Martin. Jesse and Dan checked into room 208 at the top of the steps near the end of the hall. The room is surprisingly large with space for our bags and to lounge plus bright with a large window. It has air conditioning and three single bunk shelves with matts similar to our apartment on the floor and three above.

We have 21 or 22 kids ranging in age from 6 to 12 or 13. Four teams are formed and I have team C later named Toras






































(Tigers) with Sam and Justin as my assistants. The team consists of Keita (5th grade), Hiroyuki (4), Taisuke (6), Mikuni (4) and Yushi(7). The kids are great, very respectful, teachable, enthusiastic, quick to learn and pleasant.

We start with a demonstration and explanation of ball handling and dribbling. We then separate by teams and practice drills to develop those skills in them. With everyone together again Mike led a skit about Isaiah 53:6 and lost sheep. We then broke up by team and rehearsed the verse. Every member of my team was quick to memorize the verse and individually repeat it back in about 10 minutes. Together again, Joanne and I explained and demonstrated passing before breaking up by team and practicing passing. Together again, we played several games of sharks and minnows which is very popular with the kids. Everyone (minnows) lines up on one side of the court with a ball. One kid (shark) with no ball is at mid court. At a whistle all minnows try to dribble across court to the other sideline. The shark tries to steal a ball and if successful that minnow becomes a shark for the return trip across court. This continues until there is one minnow left.

At 5:00 pm we broke up to shower. There are men and women shower rooms, separate toilet rooms with sinks and mirrors plus a common wash room for both. The toilet seats are programmable with temperature controls for the heated seats, wash and bidet. We had these toilet seats everywhere in Japan except for the composting toilet on Mt Fuji. I understand that some homes have very expensive toilets that analyse your stools giving you a report on your health and automatically forwarding a report to your doctor when any abnormality is found. The shower rooms have bins for your clothes before entering the walled shower area. Here there are rows of flexible shower heads and 6 inch stools to sit on. You wet down, soap up and rinse off. Behind you is a stainless steel tub 5 feet by 10 feet and 2 feet deep with hot water in it. After showering you soak in it. The wash room has two rows of sinks and mirrors which is for brushing you teeth, combing and I guess shaving.

Supper was served at 6:00 in the cafeteria. We served the food to the kids and other staff. A model plate was set out for us to follow and we put each item on the plates exactly the way it was positioned on the model plate. One of us was selected to say grace which was then translated into Japanese. We sat with each team at its own table. We had watermelon, pork, rice, soup, potato salad, egg roll and tea for supper. When we finished, the kids without a word collected all the dishes, trays, chopsticks and tea pots emptying uneaten food and placing each item in it's proper place to be washed. Each kid knew what his responsibility was and did it correctly without a word.

At 7:30 everyone gathered in a large room for songs, duck and goose games and Pastor Taniguchi's animated kids mini sermon quietly translated in English for us by his wife Mari, Kumiko Shimamura (runs English school in Osaka and brought kids with her) and college student daughter Yuka. We were distrubuting the loads of candy we brought with us so the kids were quite active during the evening activities and beyond.

August 20, 2008   Wednesday   Basketball Camp

Martin. Mike and I were up at 6:00. We walked down to the canoeing lake while checking out the trails, start of the Adventure Course, the archery range and a campfire site. We gathered bamboo cuttings for roasting marshmellows. Everyone was awakened at 7:00 am. At 8:00 we had breakfast of eggs, sausage, toast and jam, a green salad and cold tea (served every meal).

Upwards Basketball Camp started at 9:00 am with shooting, blocking out and rebounding taught by 6 foot 4 inch Jesse. Chris lead devotions on Romans 6:23 with Sam in chains and a wicked heart until Jesus broke the chains and gave him a new clean heart. We then played some more sharks and minnows games before working on picks and screens.

We broke for lunch of Oconomiyaki, soup and cold tea at 12:00. Camp continued from 1:00 to 5:00 pm as we started with defense. At mid-afternoon Joanne presented and explained John 3:16 how God gave His Son to save the world. We had free time for shooting and then worked on offense.

At 5:00 pm we had shower and cleanup time. At 6:00 we had supper of yaki beef, cabbage, mushrooms, squash, egg drop soup, cantalope and cold tea. Martin and Pastor Taniguchi joined our team table with the pastor cooking the raw beef on the small grill (propane fired). We had so much beef we couldn't eat it all.

Martin, Mike and I slipped away to the campfire site and started the fire and tiki torches. Mike trimmed the bamboo cuttings with a small dull knife until his hand bled. Everyone else showed up at 7:30 and we started a round of very animated songs orchestrated by maestro Martin and aided by an aboundant supply of candy. A series of campfire games followed. Pastor Taniguchi delivered a very strong but simple message contrasting the one true God with the confusion and inadequacy of many gods found in the Shinto and Buddhist beliefs. Most of the kids were introduced to smors as Joanne the expert deftly assembled them including the kids roasted marshmellows in the half light. We returned to the dormitory at 9:00 for the kids to go to bed but they stayed up long after that still wound up.

August 21, 2008   Thursday   Basketball & Outdoor Camp Canoeing

Got up to rain. Ate fish and cold tea for breakfast at 8:00. Camp started at 9:00 with a review of all the skills we taught them. The Jump Team split into two teams and played a demonstration game for the kids. Jesse led devotions based on Romans 10:9 our theme verse. Jesse had four people come up to get into heaven, a basketball player, a rich and famous movie star, a good person doing good deeds and a person who confesses Jesus as Lord. As each person came up Jesse asked the kids if they should get into heaven. They all responded enthusiasticly and correctly "no" to the first three and "yes" to the last one. I realized then that we were communicating with the kids even the 6 years olds.

Teams A and B consisting of the young kids and girls played a basketball game. I was pleased to see Na a girl 7 years old and the 6 year old boy that I helped the first day playing scrappy ball and mixing it up. Mike and Joanne did a great job getting them involved. The Toras play Chris' D team next. We played wildly in the first half racing up and down the floor, trying to dribble the length of the floor and throwing long passes. Down 12-4, I talked to them making sure Yushi understood me and he made sure the team understood me. The kids executed perfectly in the 2nd half playing a more structured and contolled game to tie the score at 18 before Chris' team scored a hoop just before time expired.

We had awards with each player coming up and the coaches saying something positive about each one. They received a signed team picture, a signed Upwards basketball, a pin, a bracelet with a star on it for each memory verse and skill and other memorbilia. Na had a Lightening McQueen shirt on so we had our pictures taken together. Later as Na was leaving she told her mother that my name is McQueen so her mother photographed us again.

At 12:00 we had lunch of rice, curry sauce with meat and cold tea. The weather had cleared and the sun was shining brightly. Mothers arrived for their kids and about 12 of the basketball camp kids went home. Three new kids arrived for the Outdoor camp. We took a group picture then walked down to the lake for canoeing.

Martin and I didn't participate in the canoeing. I kayak at home every week and didn't want to go through the hassle for such a small canoeing area. The canoeing instructor covered everything thoroughly and we had close to 20 canoes in the water at one time. I saw only one small water fight. We walked to the campfire site for devotions on Isaiah 53:6 and Romans 6:23. We changed them a bit and linked them so that one verse led to the next verse because some kids had already been through the verses in basketball camp. We played many games of toss the water balloon in a dirt field by the dorm. I won a game with Sam as a partner and later with Derek. The kids played a basketnall game.

6:00 supper was spaghetti, chicken, hamburger, rice and cold tea. Martin, Mike and I picked up the torches and kerosene and walked up the hill to another campfire site to light the fire and torches. It is very dark so we took torches down to lead everyone up the the dark rough steep stepped path to the campfire. We sang active songs, played games and ate more candy. Pastor gave another lively mini-sermon to which thte kids responded enthusiasticly. We finished with smors and socializing.

August 22, 2008   Friday   Outdoor Camp Adventure Course & Archery

We got up and stripped our beds, packed up, cleaned the room, halls, bathrooms and gym floor. We ate breakfast of eggs, rice ad cold tea at 8:00 am. At 9:00 am we walked down past the lake to the Adventure (obstacle) Course. The course had 16 varied obstacles to traverse. It was more challenging than I anticipated and the kids seemed to enjoy it. We held devotions based on John 3:16 and Romans 10:9 in a large flat dirt circle at the beginning of the Adventure Course. We walked half way back up the hill to the archery range. We had a very thorough instructor who explained everything. Yushi fired the very first arrow for a bullseye. Little brother Keito 6 years old also had a bullseye. Towards the end there was a competition and Sam emerged as the top marksman with the bow. I tried 6 arrows hitting 3 red, a blue and a wild duck white.

The 12:00 pm lunch was a medly of rice, vegetables and hot dogs with cold tea. We held a brief awards ceremony before loading on the bus at 1:30 for the ride back to Kobe.

At 5:00 we took a bus 200 ¥ ($1.82) to the Kobe waterfront.The JUMP team is treating the Taniguchi family to dinner at the all you can eat Canary Warf seafood restaurant. The restauant is big with two walls of glass affording great views of the city lights glistening off the water. The buffet is huge with every kind of food imaginable, drinks and dessert. We paid 3515 ¥ ($31.96) each. After walking around the shops on the waterfront we took the subway 330 ¥ ($3.00) back to the station where Pastor Taniguchi picked us up driving us to the apartment.

August 23, 2008   Saturday   Fly Osaka to Detroit to Baltimore

We got up early, showered, ate breakfast and cleaned the apartment. Our airport shuttle 3,000 ¥ each arrived for our 9:00 departure. The ride was 1 hour 40 minutes to the Osaka-Kansai (KIX) Airport stopping once to pick up a man. Chris and Sam were dropped off first as they were flying back through Korea.

We checked in but Martin, Jesse and I didn't get seat assignments because our Northwest flight number 70 was over booked. After going through security where they confiscated my overlooked sunscreen, I had some shrimp tenpura and ice tea for 600 ¥ ($5.91). As they started boarding a woman came up to Martin, Jesse and I standing near the loading gate. She asked what we were doing and we replied we had no seats. She asked for our boarding passes and returned shortly with seat assignments. My seat is 26C an aisle seat. We took off on time at 12:55 with a tail wind all the way cutting our flight time to exactly 11 hours. We were served drinks and two meals. Three lousy movies were shown but I didn't watch much as I listened to classical music and walked around about 2 hours.

In Detroit we passed through immigration before picking up our checked bags. After passing through customs where the officer asked me about the Mt Fuji climb I was routed to a service desk to change my flight for $25 to Baltimore to the earlier flight 256 aisle seat 31D with the rest of the JUMP team. We took off at 1:55 CDST and landed in Baltimore ahead of schedule. Janet Yahiro picked us up and dropped me off at home at 3:45 EDST. The entire trip was seamless.

TRIP COSTS

Plane TicketsLodging		$1,501.53
Flight change		$25.00
Hotels, tour and rail pass		$798.07
Cash		$500.00
ATM cash	Camp Fees 10,000 ¥	$138.44
US Spending	Food,candy,O's hat	$48.68
Total		$3,011,72

PACKING LIST

Wear		Daypack		Bullet Bag	31.8 lbs
	Sandals		Passport	Kit
	Bike socks		Plane tickets		Battery razor
	Shorts		JR Pass		Brush & comb
	Boxer shorts		Fuji bus ticket		Deodorant
	Golf shirt		Fuji lodge voucher		Scissors
	Money		Camp papers		Nail clips
	Drivers License		Pens		Shampoo
	Mastercard		Battery Charger		Toothbrush
	ATM/Debit Card		3 to 2 prong plug		Toothpaste
	JapAm pin		Alarm clock		Sink stopper
			Wash cloth		Laundry soap
Climbing			Magnifying card		Rope
	Jacket		Calculater		Clothes pins
	Shirt		Magic marker
	Zip leg pants		Bible	Clothes	(7 days)
	Boots		Tums		Shoes
	Socks		Lanyard & whistle		Socks (7)
	Sock liners				Boxer shorts (7)
	Light	Running			T-shirts (7)
	Sunscreen		Shoes		Golf shirt
	Underwear		Socks		Shorts (2)
	T-shirt		Shorts		Shower shoes
	Daypack		T-shirts (3)		Pants
	Camera
	Spare batteries
	SD card
	Multi-tool