 |
 |
|
|
|
part-1 aprt-2 part-3
Chapter 3: Coming to Japan
In the August of 1991, the Garza family came to Sapporo. Their original plan was to stay for two years.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Two weeks after their arrival, Rumiko arrived in Sapporo. She couldn't meet the Garzas immediately but one Sunday afternoon, knowing that they were going to visit the pioneer village for sight seeing, they decided to meet there. It was like a prophetic appointment of their future pioneering of Sapporo Christian Group.
In September 1991 Pastor Garza started to teach at CFA and Rumiko started interpreting for him there.
Since her return from the U.S. Rumiko had been wondering which church to attend. When she had asked her pastor in the U.S. for advice concerning which church to go to, he had just encouraged her to start something new but, she did not know how to go about starting something new.
In October in 1991, sensing the guidance of the Lord to start a church, the Garzas started a home meeting in their house. Rumiko joined them as the first member. This is how Sapporo Christian Group started in the Garza's house, with Rodolfo, Adriana, Rumiko, Rudy, Judy, and David attending. David did not know much English then so, Rodolfo preached in English with some Spanish.
The first person that got saved in this mission work in Sapporo was a Russian Jew. Rodolfo had believed for some time that blessing Israel would bless the church. It was a prophetic event. Several years after that, he became director of CFA and started to bless the Jews in Russia through the work of the Ebenezer Emergency Fund.
 | |
|
|
In November in 1991, Yoshihiro started to attend a church in Osaka after having read a Christian book that he had found at a bookstore. He received Jesus Christ as his Savior the following month. The day following his salvation, he received a word form God from Genesis 12:1-3. where God told Abraham to leave his land and his father's home and go where God would lead him.
In the spring of 1992, Yoshihiro visited Sapporo because he was interested in both Hokkaido and this pastor who spoke Spanish. He was welcomed in the Garza's home for eleven days. He was impressed by their hospitality.
 |
 |
|
|
|
In the summer of 1992, Yoshihiro visited Sapporo again. At that time, he started to feel the Lord leading him to move to Sapporo. On the way back to Osaka, on the ferry, he prayed, " If it is your will, God, for me to go to Sapporo, please give me by way of confirmation the salvation of my family." After that, his sister-in-law, his mother, and his grandfather received Jesus; all within 5 months! In April of 1993, Yoshihiro came to live to Sapporo.
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
After several meetings , the name of the church had not yet been decided but when the first church camp was being planned a form, stating the name of the organization, had to be completed. The name as, " A group of Christians in Sapporo" was decided. So, it was at that point that Sapporo Christian Group got its name.
 |
 |
|
|
|
Chapter 4: Growth
By May of 1994 more than 20 people had started to attend Sapporo Christian Group on Sundays. Therefore, the living room of Garza's was becoming too small for meetings. We had had some meetings at Hokkaido International School and we had been thinking of using the facilities for our church meetings but it was really difficult to ask such a favor from the director of the school even though he was a Christian.
One day, Rodolfo was listening to a message tape. The preacher was Leonard Ravenhill and he was saying this: "We have giants that we need to fight against." That giant, for Rodolfo, was a new place for the church meetings and the lack of funds. As Rodolfo was listening to that message the situation he was in became apparent. Ravenhill continued by saying, "If you
need a building you can also beat that giant, run and knock it down!" When Rodolfo heard this he realized that the Lord was speaking to him and he decided to talk to the director of HIS, Dr. McClain that same day. When he arrived at the school not having yet said anything, Dr. McClain, first asked Rodolfo how the church was going. Rodolfo said that the church was being
blessed and that it had grown and so the space had become a little tight. Dr. McClain then told him that the church could use the school for the meetings, showing him around the gym, classrooms, the piano, chairs and a big parking lot , every thing they had been praying for had now come true!.
The meeting in Hokkaido International School
 |
 |
|
|
|
In February 1994, Maribel, the pianist in the praise & worship ministry of Amistad de Puebla, came to help our church for six months. Until then, the church had only had guitars and tambourines but at this point the piano was added to the praise & worship ministry. Maribel taught piano to several people in the church. She also taught on praise & worship and helped with the recording of praise & worship tapes 3 to 7, organizing the O.H.P. sheets etc. She helped establish our praise & worship ministry. During this time, we bought our first key board, amplifier and speakers, the church was moving ahead!
 |
 |
|
|
|
In the spring of 1994, Wednesday and Saturday meetings started at HIS.
In the summer of 1994 Rumiko visited Mexico with the Garza family. During this trip the door for the Japanese version of the Latin American praise & worship CD opened.
 |
 |
|
|
|
In the August of 1994 a group of 10 missionaries including Sergio Trevino and his family came from Amistad de Puebla to visit our church.
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
saturday meeting in Garza's house
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
In the spring of 1995 Yoshihiro and Rumiko were married. This was the first wedding in Sapporo Christian Group.
 |
 |
|
|
|
In the summer of 1995 HIS moved from Fukuzumi to Sumikawa. The church was gradually growing and HIS was also growing. Receiving funds from Sapporo City the new HIS building was built in Sumikawa. Sapporo Christian Group's meetings moved also to the new building. It was a brand new, beautiful building!.
 |
 |
|
|
|
In December 1995 Javier Michel came with his family. He was an excellent teacher and was a guest speaker for the first Youth Camp in May 1996. He shared about chastity and the message was such a blessing that we had many orders of his cassette. He was also very familiar with computers and helped setting up the church's finances, e-mail, and many other areas too. They were also a great help when the Okada family were in Mexico in 1999.
 |
 |
|
|
|
In the January of 1996 the Garza family decided to stay in Mexico for 8 months due to the health of Rodolfo's parents. During their absence, Javier Michel and his family stayed to help the church.. Javier with his wife, Charito, encouraged the church and were a great help.
 |
 |
|
|
|
In June 1996 the producer from "CanZion producciones" came from Houston to help with the live recording in Japanese, of the CD that was one of the greatest hits in America "Tu y Yo".
 |
 |
|
|
Our church produced its own tract, in Japanese in a very simple way, using a word processor. Then little by little, it improved and started to be made by computer. By 2000 everything was done by digital DTP. The history of this little tract is simply the history of the church's technology. Our church tract called, "The gift of love", has been used in many different ways in evangelism not only in Japan but also in Russia, Peru, Mexico, Spain, Thailand, Korea, and Cambodia. This tract is simple but effective in evangelism. Several versions were made because of the demand from different churches.
In the Autumn of 1996 Rodolfo was appointed as director of CFA and the Garza family came back to Japan after their 8 month furlough in Mexico. They came back with a new anointing.
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
