This letter is to thank each one of you who played an instrumental roll in helping CMA's company get to Japan this year. Whether you lifted us up in prayer, sacrificed for us financially, (or both!) each of you were an answer to our prayers. Through your support, we were able to reach people thousands of miles away with the message of Christ. Thank you for being his vessel! You are more precious to us than you will ever know!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

"Holy dance of praisesoaring graceful like heronsin the sanctuary"

"Holy dance of praisesoaring graceful like heronsin the sanctuary"

“During the tour, Naomi and Crystal gave a testimony and dance at, Tomino Baptist Church. There was a lady in her mid 50's who composes Haiku, and she was so impressed by their dance. After the service, she came up to us and told us that she made a Haiku while watching the dance. She is not saved, but God touched her heart through the dance. Please pray for her salvation. She just started to come to church recently.” - Kiko Murray

Haiku composed by, Ms. Nahoko Kai

“To watch you dance, pierces through the heart

to one’s soul with the Love of Jesus.”

- Barb Dishmon

Celebration Ministry of ArtsSeptember 2006

In Kitakyushu, Japan, we worked with Rocky and Marla Ayatsuka and their ministry, Afureru (meaning, to bubble up or overflow). Our ministries fit together so well because of each member’s similar heart. One thing that is dear to CMA's heart is teaching worship as a lifestyle, not only worshiping when you sing or dance, but worshiping with every breath, every action. The Afureru team also has a heart to worship our Lord and King with everything that is in us, worshiping as a way of life.

Shinobu, who was one of the main team members who took care of us, talked about the night she first saw us dance to "As the Deer" (one of their songs, from their CD, sung in Japanese). She was amazed thinking about their talents, instruments and singing, being combined with our talent of dance, all being used as one unit, one heart to worship and bring glory to God. All of us were really struck with that thought, the combination of talents (despite language differences or the ocean that separates us) lifted together to our holy Lord. Amazing and wonderful to see the body of Christ work together in that way!

We had the privilege of speaking to Japanese girls about purity, physically and emotionally. We held two different seminars encouraging young girls to save themselves for the one that God has for them. We talked about guarding your heart and letting the Lord capture your eyes and heart as you run

far away from temptations. Through our personal testimonies, we shared about giving this time of your life to the Lord, for His service. There was a Korean woman at our first seminar who was a missionary to Japan. She said to us, "I never thought that Americans would come all the way to Japan to talk about purity." She said that we really need to come back and do this again next year.

“Once there was a little girl who had a very special treasure. It was a present that had been given to her by her father when she was born - it was a beautiful glass box. Her father told her to take very good care of it, to protect it and to guard it, to hold it very close and always carry it with her. He also told her that as much as she loved her beautiful little box, there would come a day when she may love someone enough to want to give it to them...”

Takako was another Afureru team member who served us so faithfully and became a wonderful friend to us. She told us how the pastor from the 'Purity Seminar' had talked to her and said that many girls did not get to come to our seminar because there were other events going on that same night. He talked about how they really need to hear the message of purity. Takako started thinking and praying about it and thought, "we don't have to wait until CMA comes next year, WE can talk to Japanese girls about purity". She and a couple others are praying about this, and they feel that God may be leading them to talk to girls about this issue. He ar in g h er sa y t hi s w as so encouraging to us. That alone made all our work completely worth it! That God would use us to inspire others to tell the message of this life changing subject. And furthermore, Japanese ministering to Japanese is something that is much needed in Japan, a subject that needs intense prayer.

“...she looked at her precious box, it was covered in spots, no longer shiny. It was cracked, with missing pieces. The girl started to cry...”

“...she looked up into the face of a young man. As she gazed into his eyes, she knew he was the one - the one she should have saved her box for - the one she wished she had saved her box for. She held her hands

out to him and put the shattered pieces of her box into his hands. She wished it were new, she wished it were whole, but she couldn't fix it.”

“The story does not have to be this way. I won't let mine be. Will you? You are the little girl. You have a precious treasure that your heavenly Father, God, has given to you. It is beautiful, it holds your hopes, your dreams, your love - it is your heart. It is yours to give, but it is also yours to keep”

- Story by Alyssa Weiss

We worked with a Vacation Bible School while we were there, working with Karla Rae and Paul Gateley. They have been missionaries to Japan for 15 years. They work with a missions organization called TEAM. This organization is the 2nd longest

running missions group in Japan, having been founded in 1891 as an off shoot of the missions group OMF. They currently have over 200 churches in Japan with a goal to raise up Japanese people to take over the leadership within the churches. We felt privileged to work with the children that week, some of whom have never heard of God's love for them. The theme of the camp was teaching the children that God was the true treasure. There was a performance for the parents, this is a great way to get parents into a church that they my have never stepped into otherwise. The children sang songs, shared things they learned, we performed a dance with them about God's love and then CMA company did a dance in Japanese to “As the Deer”. We are praying for each of those hearts, each pair of eyes looking up at you, silently crying to know the truth.

We were able to work with wonderful students as we held a two day worship dance camp for ages 6 to Adult. We offered different styles of dance workshops and in the main class time we had devotions, teaching students about worshiping with your whole life. Each day started and ended with Rocky leading us in worship, raising praises to our maker with our family in Christ. The second evening ended with a concert, where the students and our company lifted up dances in worship to the Lord. After the concert one of the mothers told me how they had traveled 1½ hours each day to come to the camp, she said that it had exceeded her expectations and that we were great role models for her daughters. May people see Christ and His life, shining through us.

“Please come back to Japan”

“Please come back to Japan”

“Please come back to Japan”

“Tonight I have a great time. I'm

never forget you for your messages.

Thank you so much. I'm glad to

talk to you.”

~ from Ai

(True Hope)

" Thank you for your messages. I don't forget it." ~ from Sayuri " Thank you for your messages. I don't forget it." ~ from Sayuri

When I got home, someone's first question was, “How many people got saved?” Unlike some mission trips, I can not tell you how many people gave their lives to Christ while we were there. I can tell you that many seeds were planted, many people in the body of Christ encouraged and spurred on in their walk with the Lord, people desiring to use their talents for God in a new way. Girls started to think differently about giving their hearts and bodies away, being encouraged to give their life to the Lord for His guiding. We know that even when we can't see an outward immediate change, God is still working. We commit to serve Him faithfully, where ever, what ever He asks of us, even if we never see outward evidence of His amazing power. Our prayer is that more people would begin to have a burden for the people of Japan. A country of beautiful people, the kindest I have ever met, open to the gospel, yet few want to tell them that there is a hope. An island brimming with faces, who's eyes are turning to deaf gods, less then 1% clinging to Jesus Christ. A place where the spiritual ground is hard, and endurance is needed to reach into their souls with the light of Christ. Lord, send your people, let us hear, remind our hearts, and may we follow where you lead.

“I had Jesus bumps the whole time!”

"Thank you for coming to Japan. You are very good

at dance. I want to be dancer and I will go to

your team. So I will be 20 or 19 years old. But I

want you to come to Japan and make a school for

dance. I will pray for you.”

"Thank you for coming to Japan. You are very good

at dance. I want to be dancer and I will go to

your team. So I will be 20 or 19 years old. But I

want you to come to Japan and make a school for

dance. I will pray for you.”

"Thank you for coming to Japan. You are very good

at dance. I want to be dancer and I will go to

your team. So I will be 20 or 19 years old. But I

want you to come to Japan and make a school for

dance. I will pray for you.”

"Thank you for coming to Japan. You are very good

at dance. I want to be dancer and I will go to

your team. So I will be 20 or 19 years old. But I

want you to come to Japan and make a school for

dance. I will pray for you.”

"Thank you for coming to Japan. You are very good

at dance. I want to be dancer and I will go to

your team. So I will be 20 or 19 years old. But I

want you to come to Japan and make a school for

dance. I will pray for you.”- A note from a little girl at our concert

We also had the opportunity to worship and dance at different churches, again meeting wonderful people and sharing our personal

testimonies of our walk with Christ.

To read more about the trip or to see more pictures go to:

www.magnifythelord.org - click on the Japan linkwww.magnifythelord.org - click on the Japan link

Mission Log, Japan Profile, History of Christianity in Japan, CMA Japanese Website, Photos & more...

On July 28th we held a 75 minute concert, lifting up the Lord’s name through dance and our testimonies. We shared through translators and then towards the end of the night Rocky got up and shared a salvation message. Our dances consisted of company pieces from over the last year, we also used songs off of Rocky and Marla’s CD, to create new dances in Japanese. Every person at the concert received the translation for each of the English songs because we wanted the strong messages in our songs to be clearly understood. It was incredible to be dancing to songs in Japanese, personally not being able to understand every word, but then looking out into the upturned faces and knowing that the words were full and meaningful and penetrating straight into the listeners hearts. It is a moment when you just stop and think...God you are so amazing! After our first performance, Rocky thought it was awesome, his exact words were that he "had Jesus bumps the whole time!" He said, "It's hard to explain, it's like you've been struck by lightning!"