one month (and counting) + Our church family

We've been here in Sapporo for 1 month and 2 days. Since touching down, we have been super busy with all the things that are involved in setting up a life in a different country. (I seriously didn't realize how many things needed to be done, and I am discovering new things everyday.) That coupled with lack of internet in our home has meant that this blog has been sorely laking updates. For that, I apologize.

But now, even though the to-do list is only getting longer, we have internet in our home, which means I can blog! (I also apologize, especially to Tim, for that horrible run-on sentence, and for this one too. :P )

But as is usually the case, since we have been away from the blogging world for so long, there are too many things to share. So, rather than write one loooooooooong post; I'l write a few short ones.

So here is the first of a few installments: Our Church Family

As you know, if you have read this post, we are serving with Sapporo EV Free Church. Before we got here we only knew that they had a vision to reach college students in the area. I didn't realize they already were a congregation of primarily college students. Looking around on a sunday, you would be hard pressed to find a person over 30 (other than the pastors.) Another fun surprise was that a good portion of this church is international students from places like Ch*n*, and Korea.

We are having a great time getting to know these students each Sunday. We have especially liked the meal and hang out time between morning and evening services. I have never been at a church where people hang out for hours after church has gotten out. Those of you in American churches know what I mean right? After grabbing some goodies from the snack table, everyone jets out to do their own thing on Sunday mornings. It was a big surprise to learn that most sundays students hang out in the sanctuary; playing games and chatting.

Stephen asked one of the students why they hang out each Sunday. This student said, "There are not many places we can be ourselves." It's great to hear that we are at a church where people come, not only to worship, but because it is a place where they feel free to be who they really are; without pretense or facade.