Green Tea, the Gospel & Goodbyes

The Kids’ Club room at church buzzed with talking and laughter as the students waited to begin.

“Where’s Mrs. Jacobs?” Jessie wondered as she searched the room for their teacher.

“Yeah, she’s usually here first,” said her friend Justin.

“Guess what?” Jessie’s cousin Emily chirped as she bounced into a seat next to Jessie and Justin. “There’s a surprise up there.” She pointed to a table at the front with some odd-shaped objects hidden under a sheet.

“I wonder what’s under there,” said Justin curiously.

“Mrs. Jacobs said she had a special announcement today,” Jessie reminded them.

“Maybe we’re going to take a trip!” Emily guessed excitedly. “See? There’s a map on the wall.”

Just then, Miss Christy gave the signal for the group to quiet down. “Welcome, everyone!” she said. “Let’s start with prayer then we’ll sing.” After the group finished their last song, Miss Christy pointed to the memory verse poster. “Let’s see how we’re doing on Matthew 28:19–20. Who remembers what we call these verses?”

Justin’s hand shot up. “The great commission!”

“That’s right! These verses are the ‘mission,’ not just for the disciples back in Jesus’ time, but also for every follower of Jesus, including us today!” The group read the verses together. Then Miss Christy pointed to the back of the room. “It looks like we have a visitor!”

The kids turned to see a woman shuffling slowly toward them. Her hair was pulled back in a bun. She wore sandals on her feet and took small steps. Her dress reminded Justin of his grandma’s nighttime robe. It had flowers and a large sash tied around the middle. As the lady got closer, she opened a large umbrella and held it behind her head.

“It’s Mrs. Jacobs!” Jessie blurted.

When she finally reached the front of the room, Mrs. Jacobs gave a small bow toward the class and said, “Kon’nichiwa (ko-neechee-wha).”

The class giggled nervously; they didn’t know what to say.

Their teacher smiled. “I just said ‘hello’ to you in Japanese. I’m wearing a dress called a kimono that women wear in the country of Japan. You may be wondering why I’m dressed like this. It’s because God has called me and my husband to be missionaries in Japan.”

“You mean you’re leaving?” Justin asked in surprise.

Mrs. Jacobs nodded. “My time here has been so special, getting to be with you kids every week. But God has been showing me that he has something new and exciting for me and my husband to do. I received a call from a dear friend, inviting me to come and teach children in Japan. And while we’re there, we plan to help start a new church.” Mrs. Jacobs turned to the large map taped to the wall. “This is a map of Japan. The country is made up of over 6,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean! Mr. Jacobs and I will be moving to the city of Toyama. Can you say that name?”

“Toyama,” the kids repeated.

“We are studying hard to learn the Japanese language. Do any of you know some Japanese words?”

Brian raised his hand. “I can count to 10 in Japanese!” he said.

“Wow! Where did you learn that?”

“My karate class counts in Japanese,” Brian explained proudly.

“It’s great to learn about other countries, especially when it helps us share Jesus with the people.” Mrs. Jacobs carefully lifted the sheet from the table, and the kids could see a teapot, a cup, and a bowl with chopsticks. “Drinking hot tea is very popular in Japan.” Mrs. Jacobs took the teapot and poured a steaming, green liquid into a cup. “This is a kind of green tea called matcha.”

“Does it taste like sweet iced tea?” Robbie asked.

“This tea isn’t very sweet, but you could put honey in it.” Mrs. Jacobs set down the cup then picked up the bowl and the chopsticks. “If you’ve ever eaten at a Chinese or Japanese restaurant, I bet you’ve had the popular food in this bowl. Any guesses?”

“I know! Rice!” Jessie answered excitedly.

“Very good, Jessie! Have any of you ever tried eating with chopsticks?” A few kids raised their hands. Mrs. Jacobs used the chopsticks to pick up a clump of rice. “I’ve been practicing, but I’m not as good as Mr. Jacobs yet.” She grinned and put down the bowl and chopsticks.

“I’m excited to start this adventure in Japan, but I’m also a bit nervous. It will be very different living in Japan. I want to make new friends and share the gospel of Jesus with them. Mr. Jacobs and I will need all of you praying for us. Will you do that?”

“We will!”

“We’re gonna miss you, Mrs. Jacobs!” said Emily.

“I will miss all of you, too! But I’m excited to see what you will learn and do with your new teacher—Miss Christy! When I come back to visit, you can tell me what you’ve learned and how you’ve been sharing the gospel here while Mr. Jacobs and I share the gospel in Japan.”

Miss Christy sniffled and hugged Mrs. Jacobs. “I feel happy and sad at the same time!”

“Me, too,” Mrs. Jacobs replied, wiping a tear from her cheek. Then she took a deep breath and smiled. “Now, who wants to try a Japanese treat?”

“We do!” everyone shouted.

Download Coloring Page