26 March 2017

26 March 2017

Things haven't slowed down at all... Last transfer feels like it didn't exist at all but when I remember it it feels like it was SO long. It's been really weird... haha.

And then this transfer suddenly some kind of magical change happened. The ward members are super excited and involved, everyone keeps finding miracle people, one of our investigators came to church again, we were able to meet with another investigator, we have another investigator to meet with today, our dendō shūnin (I can't remember the name In English. The person who works with missionaries) is getting us some great lists and stuff to work in the area better. Yeah.

The only that definitely has not improved is the weather. In fact, it's pretty bad. It's super SUPER cold again and has been raining for two days. So that's not super exciting, but whatever. 

Finally seeing someone with real interest and beginning to progress is relieving and fun to see after so long of not having any investigators and such. Let's hope he can stay progressing! 

Today we are going to Costco again. My wallet is in great peril... Haha!

Some super rare flowers we were lucky to see in a park.

It sure would be nice to have a car today

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奇跡の力(kiseki no chikara, power of miracles)！

So now Costco is the place of miracles. Also a place of spending lots
of money..

We met a family from Utah. He was suuuper tall and of course a
basketball player from Orem playing for a team here. Really cool
people that have been here for about a month. They recognized us as
missionaries and came over to say hello. They also said the name of
the place where they are living here in Japan.

Then, we were looking for a place to sit and a kid around our age
comes over and says "brother, you can sit by me". He was wearing a
Utah sweatshirt. Turns out that he lived in Utah as a homestay student
and went to school with Nelson Chōrō and De Andrade Chōrō. He is soon
going to Hokkaido for school. Our wonderful brother in arms from our
ward that takes us to Costco, spoke to him for a while and did all the
missionary work necessary. It was awesome and hilarious to watch
unfold. He's still got that dendō power!

He said he's going to go to the visitors center for the Sapporo
temple. Really cool kid.

Anyways, fun stuff! Bye bye.

What cool parking!  Ingenious! But only for people with a lot of patience. ;)

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The Structure of the Japanese Shinto Shrine is the Same As God's Tabernacle of Ancient Israel.

The inside of God's tabernacle in ancient Israel was divided into two parts. One is the Holy Place, and another the Holy of Holies. So is the Japanese Shinto shrine. It is divided into two parts.

The functions prepared in the Japanese shrine are similar to the ones of the Israeli tabernacle. Japanese people pray in front of its Holy Place. They cannot enter inside. Only Shinto priests can enter. Shinto priest enters the Holy of Holies only at special times. This is the same as the Israeli tabernacle.

The Holy of Holies of Japanese Shinto shrine is located in far west as in the Israeli tabernacle. Shinto's Holy of Holies is also located on a higher level than the Holy Place, and between them there are steps. Scholars say that, in the Israeli temple built by Solomon, the Holy of Holies was on an elevated level as well, and between them there were steps of about 2.7 meters (9 feet) wide.

In front of a Japanese shrine, there are two statues of lions called "komainu" that sit on both sides of the approach. They are not idols, but guards for the shrine. This is also a custom of ancient Israel. In God's temple in Israel and in the palace of Solomon, there were statues or relieves of lions (1 Kings 7:36, 10:19).

In the early history of Japan, there were absolutely no lions. But the statues of lions have been placed in Japanese shrines since ancient times. It has been proven by scholars that statues of lions located in front of Japanese shrines originated from the Middle East.

Located near the entrance of a Japanese shrine, there is "temizuya" which is a place for worshipers to wash their hands and mouth. This is the same custom as found in Jewish synagogues. The ancient tabernacle and temple of Israel also had a laver for washing and sanctification near the entrances well.

In front of a Japanese shrine, there is a gate called the "torii." The gate of this style does not exist in China or in Korea, it is peculiar to Japan. The "torii" gate consists of two vertical pillars and a bar connecting the upper parts. But the oldest form consists of only two vertical pillars and a rope connecting the upper parts. When a Shinto priest bows to the gate, he bows to the two pillars separately. It is assumed that the "torii" gate was originally constructed of only two pillars.

In the Israeli temple, there were two pillars used as a gate (1 Kings 7:21). And in Aramaic language which ancient Israelites used, the word for gate was "taraa." This word might have changed slightly and become the Japanese "torii". Some "torii"s, especially of old shrines, are painted red. I can't help but think this is a picture of the two door posts and the lintel on which the blood of the lamb was put the night before the exodus from Egypt.

In the Japanese Shinto religion, there is a custom to surround a holy place with a rope called the "shimenawa" which has slips of white papers inserted along the bottom edge of the rope. The "simenawa" rope is set as the boundary. The Bible says that when Moses was given God's Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, he "set bounds" (Exodus 19:12) around it for the Israelites not to approach. Although I don't know what kind of things these "bounds" were, ropes or something else must have been set as the boundary. The Japanese "shimenawa" rope might then be a custom that originates from the time of Moses.

The only big difference between a Japanese shrine and the ancient Israeli temple is that a Shinto shrine does not have the burning altar for animal sacrifices. I used to wonder why Shinto religion does not have the custom of animal sacrifices if Shinto originates from the religion of ancient Israel. But then I found the answer in Deuteronomy chapter 12. Moses commanded people not to offer any animal sacrifices at any other locations except at specific places in Canaan (12:10-14). So, if the Israelites came to ancient Japan, they would not be permitted to offer animal sacrifices