Minami Aso

We are looking into purchasing a property in Minami Aso. There are currently three families we are working with on a weekly basis. Two of them often drive the hour plus to join us at the Bible study in Kikuchi.

We are having a Bible study with two of the families at one of the homes in Minami Aso. They are interested in reaching out more to neighbors and to others in the greater community. As this small group has been talking up the idea of a church in the area, a total of 14 people (not including unsaved family members) have said they will come if something is started.

To our knowledge there is not a solid church in the Minami Aso area. We are looking at purchasing due to the high prices for rentals. Minami Aso is a popular resort area. We found rental prices for suitable buildings to be in the $1000/ month range. We have so far found nothing that would be available for rent on a weekly basis. Community centers, etc. have so far yielded no leads.

We have located a property for sale on Highway 325, the major artery through the Minami Aso valley. It runs through the towns of Minami Aso, Kugino and Takamori. The property is approximately one half acre — 2,078.06 sq.meters to be exact. The main room is 1770 sq ft. It has an industrial kitchen. Behind the main room there is a small suite of offices as well as a separate kitchen, full bath and a place for a washing machine. There is also a walk in fridge and a walk in freezer! We would need to dispose of a number of steel tables and perhaps the industrial dish-washing machine.

Pardon the lousy images!

There are also two storage rooms attached to the main building. The parking lot easily holds 20+ cars and there is an additional grassy field covering approximately half of the property.

The building is in good shape. It was built in October 1997. It is a simple wood building on a concrete slab. It has been well maintained. It was open as a business until sometime in 2016. The owner moved the business closer to Kumamoto City according to the realtor.　We would be able to begin activity in the building with little to no remodeling.

The asking price is $198,000 (2,200 man yen). Two separate realtors mentioned that the price could go as low as $180,000 (2,000 man yen) but no lower. Comparable properties are not easy to find. Many of the properties in Minami Aso require a well; this one is on city water. We were warned that water is often an issue in Minami Aso. The property is in the shape of a rectangle with the long side along the main road. In looking at other properties the prices seem to be in the $3-500 per Tsubo range (Tsubo = 3.3sq.meters). That would put this land value at somewhere between $186,000-310,000.

We would need to take a loan of $120-150,000 from the Japan Loan Fund. The actual amount would be determined by closing costs, realtor fees, etc. We have many thoughts on how to repay the loan. Just to name a few of them:

The Smiths will contribute $300/month.
Michishirube has been run intentionally as a money losing cafe for the past year but with minor changes can contribute $3-500/ month.
Sue Hahn’s English classes bring in $3-400/month that can go to the loan. We have several people who can take over once she retires.

The above three options put us in the neighborhood of paying off the loan in 10 years. Depending on the religious incorporation restrictions, we would like to start a second cafe similar to Michishirube for outreach and contributing to the loan. I wouldn’t put it in the payback plan, but there are already tithes and offerings coming from the group in Minami Aso. They are excited and ready to contribute time and money to anything that will help get a church started. We have other ideas as well but these are the no-brainers.

From our standpoint this property checks all of our boxes and then some. It would be impossible for anyone in Minami Aso to NOT know about a church at that location. It is on the major road though the valley. The main room is large enough to hold 80+ people without difficulty. There is plenty of parking and room to expand if either the building or parking lot should prove insufficient in the future. The largest storage room could be remodeled and would allow the existing offices to become a small apartment for a pastor down the road. There are no neighbors to be bothered by music or events day or night. There are fields and greenhouses to the immediate rear and sides. A car dealer is across the road.

What do you think? If someone has 100 sheep, and 1 of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over that sheep more than over the 99 that did not go astray (Matthew 18:12-13, slightly changed from CSB).

I’ve been considering this story lately. Sometimes in our churches, we have people who attend for a while, then drift away. Some may even be members, and then suddenly they aren’t there anymore. How do we respond to these? Do we even notice their absence? Do we shrug and think, “Oh, well. It’s their choice.” The larger the church, the easier for the “strays” to be lost through the cracks. Is it the pastor’s job to follow up on all these? Or should people in the church be equipped and challenged to follow up on those lingering around the exit gate?

As I think on this parable of Jesus, I see His concern for each individual “sheep” in His flock. We may scoff, “What’s one sheep?” But what if it were one of your children? You wouldn’t say, “I’ve got 7 of the 8 of our kids. Who cares if that last one isn’t found. We’ve got the ones who want to be here.” Right. It’s interesting to note that right before this parable, Jesus talks of becoming like little children, humbling oneself like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven. Immediately after this parable is a lesson on how to deal with a brother who has sinned against you. This is followed by another parable dealing on the necessity of forgiving each other.

John 10 has a lot more to say about sheep. The Good Shepherd is willing to lay down His life for the sheep, but hired hands will run at the first sign of difficulty.

What about me? Do I notice who is attending Sunday services and who has missed one recently? Am I willing to pursue a sister in Christ who has maybe been offended over something done to her? Should I feel responsible to give her a call, asking if she’s okay or needs something? Having smaller groups within our church body can help us keep on top of these things. I don’t always notice if one person is missing from our group in a good-sized church, but when one lady is missing from our Bible study, if I haven’t heard why, I can always follow up on her.

Why don’t we follow up? Maybe we’re scared that people will feel judged. As if we’re telling them, “Hey! Why were you absent, you slacker!” Hopefully, our attitude will be better than that! Recently, the small group of a friend missed an opportunity along these lines. My friend CJ was very sick and could have used some help (getting groceries, being checked on, being noticed). Unfortunately, no one reached out to him. Though God used other people in his life to meet his needs, the small group could have pursued him even a little.

So, the next time you notice someone isn’t in your midst, give them a call. Shoot them a text. Pray for them and tell them you did. Ask if they’re okay. See if they want to get together for coffee. Think of how God pursues you when you’re down, when you’re straying or growing indifferent, when you’re bogged down with irritations and frustrations, when you’re feeling unloved. How does God reach down to comfort and encourage you? Find a way to do that to someone else. Go after that 1 on the run. There will be great rejoicing when you catch up to them and they return to the sheepfold with your arm around them.

SmithLife

The Adventures of Norman and Susan Smith, Missionaries in Japan.

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