東北！！！！！！

There is simply too much to say, and even after writing it all it won’t do justice to what God allowed me to experience, see, hear, and more in 東北 (Northern Japan). Alas, I will try my best to convey those 5, very short yet very long, days. (My pictures were taken with my iPhone.. so they’re not the best quality.)

New Hope, the church that I attend in Tokyo, partnered up with several other churches in Japan to form a group called Hope Japan. They’ve been sending teams to Miyagi Prefecture where the damage from the earthquake and tsunami are the greatest. I had the privilege of staying in the city of 気仙沼 (Kesennuma), where I, along with 19 other people, stayed in a house that belonged to a church member of the Pastor we were collaborating with and helping. Pastor Minegishi greeted us as soon as my New Hope team (9 members) got to the house with an energetic and heartfelt “Hallelujah!” I believe that simple word set the tone for the next 5 days (at least, for me), and he was unfaltering in his joy. Pastor Minegishi lost his house and his church, was staying at an evacuation center with 700 other people, yet his strength and unchanging hope in the Lord would have led anyone to believe he was the happiest, most blessed man on earth.

We spent 2 days at different evacuation centers, one in 山田町 (Yamada-Chou) and the other in 大船渡 (Oufunato), serving lunch to the survivors. The first day was slightly hectic because our truck with all the food and supplies came a bit later than expected, but we made the udon as quickly as possible! I think we served about 300 people?
The evacuation center in Yamada-Chou was in this elementary school.
We gave away 2 bikes: one was given to the person who needed it the most by vote of the evacuees while the other was one in a simple game of ジャンケンポン (rock, papers, scissors).

The sea looked so still and serene, which made it extremely difficult to imagine the torrential power of the tsunami.

At Yamada-Chou, I didn’t have much of a chance to talk to any of the evacuees. I was under the impression that we were going to have much more interaction with the survivors and chances to really love and serve them directly. The other half of our team stayed at an evacuation center 4 hours away in 石巻 (Ishinomaki), and as a result, got to build relationships with the evacuees. I felt limited and almost suffocated by my inability to speak to the locals and wished there was more that I could do. One of my STINTer sisters asked another teammate and myself what the difference was between volunteers and us as Christian workers. That made me re-think and re-focus my intentions in coming to 東北. I thought going in as a servant would be enough to prepare my heart, but I realized there was really nothing I could do without God just doing it through me.

Lo and behold, the second day we went to serve food at 大船渡, and I had a chance to play with a bunch of middle school kids! We expected to feed about 350 people, but not that many came. That gave me ample time to take a break from cooking/prepping, and with my limited Japanese I tried to talk to a group of middle schoolers. It turned out that one of the kids was pretty good at English, and we ended up playing a game of sharks & minnows. I’m usually not the best with kids, but God gave me a huge heart to just love them by playing with them. Although we weren’t able to talk about much besides their names, ages, favorite sports, etc., I hope they felt the presence and hope of God’s love. They made it hard to leave 大船渡 that day. May God bless them wherever they are.

The evacuees were excited to eat meat because they hadn’t had any for a long time!
I love these guys!!!!

Another unexpected blessing came in the form of my family/team. There were a total of 20 people in the house we stayed in 気仙沼! Nine of us were from New Hope Tokyo, 5 from Living Water Church in Shizuoka, and 6 from Yokohama Grace Bible Church. We were such a diverse group of brothers and sisters, coming from places like Peru, Argentina, U.S., and obviously Japan. Our levels of Japanese and English were all different, which proved interesting, to say the least. However, despite the language barrier, man, that was such a special time of fellowship. I’ve never experienced family like that before in the body of Christ. It gave me such a beautiful vision of what heaven would be like. I realized that this is a glimpse of what God wants His family, Christ’s body, the church, to look like. We loved each other, encouraged one another, laughed, sang praise in both Japanese and English, danced, played UNO (lol), and caught frogs and bugs. I felt like I was in a story. The only regret I have is not taking the time to get to know my brothers and sisters better, hearing their stories. A sobering yet joyful thought is that I might not see some of these people until we get to heaven. Soon and very soon.

Our quaint and cozy house that was filled with 20 people from around the world, together in Japan, provided by an unknown but gracious member Pastor Minegishi’s church.

The last day of work was spent at a printing shop/home owned by a man named Abe-san, which is also where Pastor Minegishi’s church service took place after the tsunami. The water, mud, and debris had filled many homes and work places, leaving thousands and thousands of people displaced. A lot of survivors have been staying at the evacuation centers while going back and forth to their homes to clean out the mud and debris. Abe-san is a grandfather, and many other people in the area are generally of older age. Thus, it’s extremely difficult for them to clean out their homes on their own, sometimes leaving them with no choice but to wait for volunteers. I don’t have any pictures as of now of the place we cleaned, but Abe-san said that he had given up at one point. He didn’t think he could go on, but after we cleaned the place up by God’s strength he said he had much more hope for the future. Half of the printing shop would be used for the chapel of the church while the other half would be for his printing shop purposes!

This is the remains of Pastor Minegishi’s church, and his house was connected but also wiped away.
This gate is RIGHT by Pastor Minegishi’s church and house, and is the only division between the sea and the rest of the town. An amazing story I have to share involves this gate right here. After the earthquake, Pastor Minegishi ran to this gate to check the water for oncoming tsunamis (which must be common if you live right by the shore and when earthquakes happen all the time). The earthquake was so bad that it broke the gate, which was nonexistent from what I saw, and he saw the ocean receding very far back. He knew this meant that there’d probably be a big tsunami coming, so he warned everyone in the area. They all fled to the mountains where it’d be safer, all because of Pastor Minegishi. God appointed this man to be the salt and light to the people of 気仙沼, to share the truth and love of Christ. Not only that, God used him in this critical time to bring many people to safety. Praise the Lord!!!! May many many people come to Christ because of God and His favor upon Pastor Minegishi and the survivors in this area.
Although there’s so much more I want to share, the most important thing I want to say in this entry is that God is good and ALIVE in Japan. He is certainly working whether in the hearts of the people in 東北 or through the workers and volunteers that go up for relief efforts. One thing I couldn’t get away from was the joy of the Lord, although with my eyes I could only see destruction. I don’t know why I was so joyful in that place, but God’s supernatural love just covered every piece of rubble or field of trash. I am an optimistic person, but this was not optimism. It couldn’t be. In the face of hundreds of miles of damage and ruins of homes and buildings, how could one’s optimism be enough to have hope? To see the light? I know it was God’s presence telling me that He intensely loved the people of Northern Japan and that only His love and truth could bring complete restoration and joy to a place that was once filled with homes, cars, shops, businesses… STUFF. Things are easily wiped away but eternal things, the things of the Lord, are not. He will bring this foundation of truth and joy so that no tsunami can wipe it away, no earthquake can cause it to shake and crumble. God loves fiercely, and we can’t understand everything that happened. We can’t give a reason for all the terrible things that had to occur, but I can still only see God’s love. It will only be a matter of God’s timing before many in Japan can as well. Praise the Lord whether the earth is calm or raging because He is still, always the Great I AM.

Mayjuh mayjuh update

These updates seem to be getting more sparse. I don’t even know where to begin this entry because it seems like a lot has happened, and it proves difficult to summarize my past month in a manner that is short and sweet. That’s not my style, hehe.. but I will try.

After the earthquake, tsunami, and the events that soon followed, I was moved to Korea for 2 weeks. It was a confusing time, especially because I was at Change Conference, an annual JCCC conference similar to NYKCCC’s Vision Conference. Despite everything that was going on, the staff and students decided it would be best to continue as planned and hold the conference. What a blessing it was. I feel like it was so long ago, but I can still vividly remember the heavy presence of the Lord upon us during our times of prayer and praise. There were many students and staff that didn’t end up coming to the conference, which was held in Tokyo, because of safety reasons and such. I’m sure it was a bit discouraging at first, especially for those who have prayed and planned for months. However, God didn’t let any of that stop the heart of compassion He placed upon so many people. I’ve never seen or heard Japanese students praise the way they did at the conference. It was a blessing to just be with them. If something like March 11th happened in New Jersey, I wonder how I would have felt. Could I still attend a conference to seek the Lord without distraction and hurt in my heart? Would I stand firm in my faith and passionately, desperately desire to meet with God? I’m not sure, but when I looked at the Japanese students all I could see was the light of the Lord. It made me at peace even though it was a turbulent time with my family calling and worrying amidst rumors of possibly being moved out of Tokyo.

It wasn’t turbulent for long because God really filled our hearts with a peace that can only come from Him. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). My parents were really worried, understandably, but God made me calm to the point where I thought I was weird for not freaking out. After the conference we were moved to Kyoto (my STINT team, 10 in total), and soon after, Esther, Dave, and I were moved to Korea. During this time, because there was a lot of uncertainty, it was almost exciting to have to just depend solely on the Lord and His plans. There was literally nothing that I could control really.. and, again, the calmness that God placed in my heart was just beyond me. I didn’t get it.

Korea was an unexpected blessing altogether. I had no idea what to do for 2 weeks, and I was afraid that I’d be idle and lazy. However, I got to spend a lot of time with family and friends that I usually never get to see. I stayed with my aunt, and I’m amazed at her hospitality to me. I felt bad coming on such last minute notice, but she enjoyed cooking me a home-made meal every day and just talking with me. Her company was such a delight and made me realize the small, sweet blessings of every day. I also got to meet my grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s, and is currently staying at an elderly care center at a hospital. Man, I can’t convey to you the sorrow I had meeting my grandmother in a hospital. If the incidents in distant Northeastern Japan helped me realize how short life is, then this was a more visual and close-to-home confirmation of that. I was thankful, however, to be with her, and I felt like I learned more in that short hour about life than any other experience. The first couple of days in Seoul made my heart heavy.

I also got to meet some precious friends from back in my middle/early high school days. It’s crazy that a decade has passed since I moved to Korea. I feel like God was just taking me on a life trip, bringing me back to reminisce, but more importantly, to reflect with a grateful heart and press on towards the future. I got to spend a concentrated amount of time with one of my girlfriends who’s been an O.G. friend since the old days ;) Y’all know what I’m talking about, those times when you were really dumb but thought you owned the world. And one bad event made you feel like life was over, but some small approval brought the world back on your side. Everything was good. So up and down. Middle school, yay. Anyway, this chingoo was a friend since those times, and to see how God has led her throughout everything is just more glory to Him. She is someone I look up to, and to be able to praise God with her as a sister in Christ and look on our past and laugh and smile about it is more than I can ask for.

Lastly, Esther, Dave, and I were blessed to have come upon New Philadelphia Church and attend their 3-day retreat. It was a great way to spend our last couple of days in Seoul, but even better to just sit in the presence of the Lord. Man, I learned a lot there. I don’t even think half of what I heard through the messages has begun to hit me. As I re-listen to the sermons, I’m letting the truth just sink in and take hold. God, do your thing.

And Lord, may we continue to trust You and expect amazing things for the future of Japan. We don’t want our hearts to become numb to what has happened here more than a month ago. I want to see change and Your kingdom expand, but I know You want that so much more. May we continually renew and refresh ourselves in You, God.

These pictures are a bit out of order.

March 11, 2011

As many of you know, there was a tragic earthquake and tsunami on March 11 that destroyed Sendai and many other areas in Japan. I’m sure many of you are, but please continue to pray for Japan. There was also a blast from a nuclear plant in Fukushima, and some have been affected by radiation. The number of people injured, missing, or dead continue to rise, and there is so much more that I am unaware of.

I am currently in Tokyo, untouched and uninjured. All the other Tokyo JCCC staff, stinters, and Christian students are safe and unharmed as well. There is no doubt in my mind that we are here in Japan at THIS time for a special reason. Yes, it may be dangerous, and I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next couple of days in terms of future earthquakes/tsunamis/etc. However, our Lord God is sovereign. There is a reason for everything. Some things are and always will be a mystery to us, but we do know that He is in control. All we can do is pray, ask for God’s wisdom, and act upon it. There is a part of me that wants to run to Sendai and help in any way that I can. No one is allowed in Sendai right now, so that is definitely not a possibility. However, before doing anything rash or panicking from all the different news reports and tragic images/video clips I see, I must simply come before the Lord. We are always at His mercy, and He is merciful.

If you can or want to, please donate to the Red Cross (or other international organizations aiding Japan). Most importantly, continue to pray for Japan. I’ll be attending Change Conference, which is a huge JCCC conference with staff/stinters/students attending from all over the country. Please pray for our safety, and that we will all intimately meet with the Lord despite the many distractions and distress upon our hearts. We absolutely need His guidance, peace, and presence. We also need UNITY. One of Satan’s strongholds at this moment will be FEAR. The last thing we need is division — we need love in the body of Christ and for and among the people of Japan. In times of fear, people tend to think of themselves first. I hope that the Christian community in Japan, and ultimately the world, would come together. We need each other as well.

I won’t have computer access for a couple of days, so I won’t be able to communicate with many of you for a while. However, your prayers are so important.

May there be revival in this nation. May the hearts of the people be opened, awoken. Thank you, and praise be to God forevermore.

The story of February 4, 2011

I will never forget you, February 4th.

Before I write a massive update about the past 2 weeks in Thailand, I have to share a story with you all. I hope you are encouraged by it. Today we returned home to Tokyo from Bangkok, Thailand, and, because some people on our team are still recovering from some kind of stomach infection/virus thingamajiggy, we decided to take the NEX train to Shinjuku. The NEX train is a lot faster than taking the local train home.

We were in the 7th of 12 cars in the train. There was a bathroom in the car behind us, but apparently the bathroom in the car in front of us was totally amazing. It was a big, spacious room with a heated toilet and cool wood interior, and I had to go pee again before we got off on our stop. Hence, I decided to check it out!

I went to the 6th car and had to walk through the very wobbly area in between train cars, and it was kind of scary. But hey – gotta go to the cool bathroom, right?! I got to the bathroom, and yes, it was very spacious. “Wonderful, now I must head back,” I thought to myself. I went back the same way I got there, but the door to the next car was locked. I was kind of confused and just kept trying to open the door. Then, I knocked, hoping the conductor of the train would help me out. He too looked confused as I said to him that I needed to get back to my seat and didn’t know how. His English wasn’t that bad, but I had trouble understanding what he was saying at first. He kept saying to me that the train had cars 1-6, and 7-12, and I was like ok…..but I need to get to the SEVENTH car. That’s where my seat is! I was just there with my friends! I thought he didn’t believe that I was in the 7th car or something, so I showed him my ticket. He then asked me if I was going to the Shinjuku/Tokyo area or Shinagawa, and I said Shinjuku. He had some trouble further explaining my situation, so he asked an elderly couple who were getting up from their seats to get off if they could speak English. Their level of English was a little worse, but nonetheless they helped explain to me a very shocking fact. Cars 1-6 go to Shinagawa while cars 7-12 go to Shinjuku. The train SPLITS to go to two different destinations.

I was stuck in car 6 without money, without my jacket, without my phone – I had nothing but my ticket. I was in car 7 like five minutes ago laughing away, ready to go home. The shock made my mind kind of mini-explode and tears came to my eyes. The elderly couple and the train conductor looked at me with sympathetic eyes, and it didn’t take that high a level of English to see that I was screwed and very scared. My whole STINT team was on the train en route to Shinjuku with no idea where I was. The train conductor told me to just get off at Shinagawa and transfer to Shinjuku where I could find my friends on track 5 or 6. Breathe. Then, out of nowhere, the elderly couple hands me 2,000 yen, which is a bit more than $20. I can’t accept it, but the ojiisan makes me take it. They tell me to hurry and find my friends, and the shock in my mind is lessened. “God, You are here,” I thought to myself.

I run in my dinky pajama-looking clothes to transfer to Shinjuku, surrounded by the same Japanese people I see every day on the train. I’m obviously a bit disheveled looking from the 10-hour wait in the airport and 5-hour plane ride, wearing nothing but a sweater, sweatpants, and flats while everyone else is wearing their winter coats. These are the same busy people I see every day on the train, but today is different. Tokyo seems completely new to me. Fresh, but sharp. Not because of the cold, but because I am in an utterly desperate situation. I see the same old businessmen, fashionable young adults, and school children, but I feel so much on the outside. I see them much more distinctly in that moment, as if I am looking at each person through the focused lens of a camera. I just keep talking to God, reciting the Lord’s prayer, asking Him to please let me meet my STINT team at Shinjuku without too many complications. I am a bit shaky, and also freak out because my suitcase is locked in the train with my backpack and other bag filled with important things like my laptop, favorite clothes, passport, money, etc. All I have is the ticket in my hands, 2,000 yen, and the clothes on my back. And then I realize, no. I don’t need those things. I don’t care about my items right now. What’s most important is my life, no? God wants my life, not my things. I was thrown in a situation where I literally didn’t have anything until God provided instruction and compassion in the hearts of strangers to give me money and a bit of encouragement (which I didn’t even end up using or needing).

You see, my heart has been growing very far from the nation of Japan. Yes, I’ve been living here day in and day out for several months. Yes, I am here to serve the students of Tokyo because God placed in me a heart for Japan. Yes, that is my purpose, I tell myself. But my heart has been gradually drifting to a place where I don’t even know what I feel, where I can’t place the first motivations of my heart in coming to Japan for a year. I was scared, but thought if I continued to just live each day with a bit of effort, optimism, sprinkled with a bit of belief in the Lord that I would eventually come to love Japan again. But that didn’t really work…until today, when God stripped away all the physical resources for a moment and showed me an urgency, a dependency on Him that I had been missing. He renewed, refined my image of Tokyo. Those people I see on the train every day are not a group of unsaved people that I can just pass by and think, “Aw, too bad for you.” Those are unique individuals that God created in His image that all need to know that they are loved and can be saved, free.

As I sat there in my seat on the train rushing to Shinjuku by myself, I realized that I felt very vulnerable, very scared. I felt disconnected, that was the word that popped into my head. Disconnected from Tokyo, from the world. Just for a moment. And I thought.. that’s precisely what Jesus had to experience in order that we might be saved and enjoy a life of eternity with God. He experienced ultimate disconnection from the Father while mine was only for half an hour from my team and my physical comforts. I realized instantly – hey. It’s going to be okay. God is with me. I literally could have died (not to sound dramatic) in the train while I was passing from car 7 to car 6 to go to that BATHROOM (I will never go to that bathroom again). The train could have split while I was walking in between the cars and that would have been pretty insane.

God could take my life and I was okay with it – this sounds much more dramatic than what I mean to convey. I just meant that I felt peace. I knew I would see my team. I knew that God would bring me home safely. I knew it would be okay.

I got to Shinjuku, squeezing onto my ticket so hard that it got pretty wrinkled, and ran to track 5/6. It was a long way to the track, but I kept walk-running with hope (and a very full bladder). I was thinking in my head, “God, PLEASE let me meet my team. PLEASE. Please let them be here. Please let them not worry too much and be okay. I don’t even care about my suitcase stuff anymore.” I run onto track 5/6 and I don’t see anyone. I walk a little faster and YES I see the NEX train. Is it THIS NEX train? I see a familiar backpack and silhouettes. I run into my team’s arms and I cry a OMG happy-to-see-you tear (sorry, this sounds so theatrical). Oh man, was I happy to see them. Praise God, I keep saying in my head. That’s all I can think of. That’s all I want to say. Praise God. Praise God.

As usual, I’ve taken too much time and words to talk about myself and describe the scenes instead of focusing on the true hero of this story. God. Thank you. You were there with me the whole time. Even in that stupidly spacious bathroom. Even when I heard that the train split and that I had gone the wrong direction and had nothing on me, no money, phone, nothing. You are not disconnected from me. Even in that moment when I felt so alone and aware of my nothingness, you were there. You were in the elderly couple that gave me money, you were in the train conductor that helped me find a way to my awesome STINT team. You put compassion in those people’s hearts. You were right there, and I forgot. I’m sorry. I’m sorry that my heart is so forgetful and numb. I forget that I have a heart at all, sometimes. But God, You don’t forget me. I’m home now. I’m safe. And I have my suitcase and laptop and all the “necessities.” But all I need is You, and I thank You for opening my spiritual eyes to Tokyo and its people. My physical eyes and resources are useless in the end. I need You. God you are too good to me. I am so grateful to be loved by You.

Praise God. Praise Your name. All glory to You.

Before I go back..

just a quick update on my past 3 weeks at home!

It was a great blessing to be home. At first, I was excited to just receive a lot of encouragement for myself, but realized that this was a time that God had set aside so that I could share His blessings unto others. Vision Conference was great as usual, but for the first time, I was there as a non-college student. I realized that Vision is awesome every year, not because of the event itself, but because God never fails to be with His children. I remember how much of an impact Vision Conference had on me ever since freshman year, and God placed in my heart such a joy and love for His children. It’s not just about me and getting my prayers answered, which was what I expected beforehand.. I didn’t get to pray for myself as much as I wanted to, but instead, I got to pray for others. What a great opportunity, and one that I had taken for granted.

Reflection update soon.

Tonight’s devotional/Quick update

There are days when I’m too lazy to write my devotional response in my journal.. so thanks to technology, I can type it out. I also haven’t been able to update my blog in such a long time! As life gets busier here in Japan, I allow my daily tasks to take over and consume my time and energy. Moreover, I find that tasks, as spiritual as they may be, become a replacement for spending time with the Lord. This, in turn, tires me out even more because I am not feeding my soul with the living water and bread of God’s Word and time with Him. Yes, sleep and food are important (obvi), but if I’m just living off of my own strength, wisdom, and little motivation, how is that glorifying God? I need Him, and it’s very clear that my work is in vain when it is not by and for Him. Tonight’s devotional was on Ecclesiastes 1:14 (“Behold, all is vanity.”), and I’ve actually been reading Ecclesiastes on my own time. The great and prosperous King David writes about how he has tasted and experienced all the pleasures and luxuries of the world, but all his work, all his possessions were vanity. Chapter 6, verse 7 says: “All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.” If you are a king and have everything a human could ever want, but still feel that it is not enough… shoot, I don’t know what is! It is God who gives us meaning, purpose, and fulfillment day by day. Yea, there are times like now when I forget or am not sure what my purpose is, but He shows me that living for tasks, accomplishment, my own happiness, etc.. it’s just not enough. I can be comfortable but still not be at peace. I know that God places this discomfort in me because only HE can be my peace, rest, joy, everything I could ever really want. Sure, I can eat a lot of snacks, go on the computer until 3 AM, buy some more cute striped shirts, but how long is that going to keep me satisfied? Is that going to really make me happy? Until when? And when I need to buy, eat, consume more… isn’t that an indication that my hunger for more cannot be satiated by things? even things that I really really really like/love? Thus, all these temporary pleasures are consumed in vain if they are not for the glory of my loving, patient, and just Father. He watches over me, and I’m sure it pains Him to see me value my comfort and little pleasures above the greatest and eternal comfort/pleasure/everything I need: God Himself. But I am bound by His love and promises. His truth. There is no other truth that has presented itself to me. There is no other happiness or meaning that I have found like that of the Lord’s. Thank God that He won’t let me go. Thank God that I feel His presence with me everywhere. Praise Him forever. How blessed I am.

Just a quick photo update of what’s been going on recently:

YUMM THANKSGIVING DINNERR

Another Thanksgiving party!! Our high school ministry :)

One of our stinter brothers made the sisters a BOMB DINNERRRR

PAD CEE YOU (I know this is the wrong spelling), twas SO good

heck YEA those are dark chocolate covered oranges

me and Harry Potter, he gave me his glasses!!!!

I would like to update more in detail, but it is late! I will definitely try and be more consistent with my updates, but it is getting BIZZAY. Thank you everyone for your prayers :) A newsletter (aka email update) will be going out soon as well. Preparations for Christmas are underway!

Matthew 10:25

“It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master.”

“No one will dispute this statement, for it would be unseemly for the servant to be exalted above his Master. When our Lord was on earth, what was the treatment he received? Were his claims acknowledged, his instructions followed, his perfections worshipped, by those whom he came to bless? No; “He was despised and rejected of men.” Outside the camp was his place: cross-bearing was his occupation. Did the world yield him solace and rest? “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” This inhospitable country afforded him no shelter: it cast him out and crucified him. Such—if you are a follower of Jesus, and maintain a consistent, Christ-like walk and conversation—you must expect to be the lot of that part of your spiritual life which, in its outward development, comes under the observation of men. They will treat it as they treated the Saviour—they will despise it. Dream not that worldlings will admire you, or that the more holy and the more Christ-like you are, the more peaceably people will act towards you. They prized not the polished gem, how should they value the jewel in the rough? “If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” If we were more like Christ, we should be more hated by his enemies. It were a sad dishonour to a child of God to be the world’s favourite. It is a very ill omen to hear a wicked world clap its hands and shout “Well done” to the Christian man. He may begin to look to his character, and wonder whether he has not been doing wrong, when the unrighteous give him their approbation. Let us be true to our Master, and have no friendship with a blind and base world which scorns and rejects him. Far be it from us to seek a crown of honour where our Lord found a coronet of thorns.“

I was convicted and glad to read this paragraph yesterday evening. Especially as someone who finds joy in receiving approval and favor from people, I learned more about Christ’s life through Spurgeon’s words. He was not accepted by the world, nor did he, the perfect and righteous King of everything, have a home or place to rest his head. Jesus didn’t come to earth to be loved by all. He lived his life on earth to die and rise again for us and our Heavenly Father. Christ lived with an eternal perspective, but I realized that I fail to have this mindset. Something I still struggle with is living to be admired. The focus tends to be on me and my comfort instead of Christ, and that is not what God calls us to do. I pray that I will strive to live with an eternal perspective and not for the world as I am wont to do.

PACKED

is how I would describe this past week. Lots of events, lots of fun, but also leaving me pretty tired. Busy is a dangerous word for me because I start to forget why I’m doing something or who I’m doing it for. I got caught up in the activities, but forgot all the meanwhile the purpose behind it all. Today I read Colossians 2:6, which reads: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him; rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” I have not been walking in him, more like crawling on the floor.. by myself, but thinking it was fine. I think I’m finally beginning to realize that I’m here in Japan, and that living like Christ is not as easy as I thought it would be. I thought making the decision to come to Japan would be the hardest part, but I realize that, just like in New York, walking with him daily in my “normal” life is actually more difficult. I also realize it is because I don’t walk perpetually with Christ and with good habits. Here are some more wise words from Spurgeon:

“If we have received Christ himself in our inmost hearts, our new life will manifest its intimate acquaintance with him by a walk of faith in him. Walking implies action. Our religion is not to be confined to our closet; we must carry out into practical effect that which we believe. If a man walks in Christ, then he so acts as Christ would act; for Christ being in him, his hope, his love, his joy, his life, he is the reflex of the image of Jesus; and men say of that man, “He is like his Master; he lives like Jesus Christ.” Walking signifies progress. “So walk ye in him”; proceed from grace to grace, run forward until you reach the uttermost degree of knowledge that a man can attain concerning our Beloved. Walking implies continuance. There must be a perpetual abiding in Christ. How many Christians think that in the morning and evening they ought to come into the company of Jesus, and may then give their hearts to the world all the day: but this is poor living; we should always be with him, treading in his steps and doing his will. Walking also implies habit. When we speak of a man’s walk and conversation, we mean his habits, the constant tenor of his life. Now, if we sometimes enjoy Christ, and then forget him; sometimes call him ours, and anon lose our hold, that is not a habit; we do not walk in him. We must keep to him, cling to him, never let him go, but live and have our being in him. “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him”; persevere in the same way in which ye have begun, and, as at the first Christ Jesus was the trust of your faith, the source of your life, the principle of your action, and the joy of your spirit, so let him be the same till life’s end; the same when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and enter into the joy and the rest which remain for the people of God. O Holy Spirit, enable us to obey this heavenly precept.”

The parts that are bolded especially spoke to me because I am the “Christian” that seeks Christ only in the morning and the evening while serving the world in between. I also have horrible habits, but the greatest habit that I could ever develop would be to live in Christ. I am still learning what that means as I live here in Tokyo, but it’s a progress; more importantly, progress with the Lord as my guide.

Some pictures from the week:

YES! Finally got to be pink ranger!!! I was always yellow ranger.. no idea why. @ Tokyo Dome, an amusement park within a walkable distance from our apartment with our new friends :)

We got to experience the madness that is a Japanese school festival at Sophia University. ALSO, got to experience sadou, a traditional Japanese tea ceremony! So beautiful. Actually, it was based on communion!!! Did not know that, and was extremely happy to find that out. Unlike traditional communion we experience in the church, you have to sit on your knees for like.. a really long time until your legs go numb. I broke at least 25 Japanese customs during the ceremony. Sumimasen. Sumimasen. Sumimasen.

Uni and Yuna soonjang made us a WONDERFUL Korean meal. Man, I have been waiting for this meal a long time. This gives glorifying God even in our eating a whole new meaning. I ate gloriously!!!! heheh

Spending time as a team at the lovely Shinjuku Gyoen (park) on the most beautiful day I’ve seen yet in Tokyo! God has created such a beautiful country, and even amidst all the buildings, lights, and cars, there’s still space for this serene and awesome park. That’s okay that we were being loud Americans in the park and playing games and doing handstands and flips and such. Japanese parks need some noise too :)

Before I go to sleep..

Some great words from Charles Spurgeon (tonight’s verse was 2 Chronicles 30:27 – “Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven.”)

“Prayer is the never-failing resort of the Christian in any case, in every plight. When you cannot use your sword you may take to the weapon of all-prayer. Your powder may be damp, your bow-string may be relaxed, but the weapon of all-prayer need never be out of order. Leviathan laughs at the javelin, but he trembles at prayer. Sword and spear need furbishing, but prayer never rusts, and when we think it most blunt it cuts the best. Prayer is an open door which none can shut. Devils may surround you on all sides, but the way upward is always open, and as long as that road is unobstructed, you will not fall into the enemy’s hand. We can never be taken by blockade, escalade, mine, or storm, so long as heavenly succours can come down to us by Jacob’s ladder to relieve us in the time of our necessities. Prayer is never out of season: in summer and in winter its merchandize is precious. Prayer gains audience with heaven in the dead of night, in the midst of business, in the heat of noonday, in the shades of evening. In every condition, whether of poverty, or sickness, or obscurity, or slander, or doubt, your covenant God will welcome your prayer and answer it from His holy place. Nor is prayer ever futile. True prayer is evermore true power. You may not always get what you ask, but you shall always have your real wants supplied. When God does not answer His children according to the letter, He does so according to the spirit. If thou askest for coarse meal, wilt thou be angered because He gives thee the finest flour? If thou seekest bodily health, shouldst thou complain if instead thereof He makes thy sickness turn to the healing of spiritual maladies? Is it not better to have the cross sanctified than removed? This evening, my soul, forget not to offer thy petition and request, for the Lord is ready to grant thee thy desires.”

May this give you hope in all times. Know that prayer never fails because God never fails to listen. My favorite part is: “You may not always get what you ask, but you shall always have your real wants supplied.” How will we know what God supplies if we do not ask? furthermore, if we do not ask in faith? God has been answering all my prayers, and I may not necessarily get what I ask for per se.. but to expect that I will get what I want every time is selfish and foolish. God supplies me with my real wants, which is what I truly need. Why give something that lasts only temporarily? That is not true love. That’s like giving a toy that you know will break in 2 days to your child. You want to give something that will last forever and give that person real joy or make them a stronger, better person. Prayer always wins. Prayer is our strongest weapon. God, please help me see how important prayer is, and thank you for being you. Thank you for listening, and taking the time to give us what we truly want. I pray that we would not just ask for THINGS, but more of you in our lives. We don’t really want things from this world. The essence of everything that we are asking you for comes from you and IS you. Amen.

もう１１月？！

Lots of things have happened this week! There was the Paddy Halloween party, ICU Festival, and lots of ice cream eating.

just a glimpse of the nerdiness!

Magical Mint Night from Baskin Robbins 31, #1 fan

ICU Festival! The students kept it going through the typhoon – dedication right thurr

One of my favorites, traditional Japanese dancing! Determined to learn.

Although there was a typhoon in Tokyo, the students at International Christian University tried their best to keep up school spirit and enjoy the day. It was awesome seeing the dedication that the students put into their individual circles (clubs) or sections, and there was so much delicious fooooood. Yakitori, yakisoba, chocolate bananas, hodduk, shumai, ATE IT ALL. Also went to the KGK presentation, which is a Christian circle at ICU. It was great to sing praise songs with Japanese students; it gave me a lot of hope for the work that God will be doing in Tokyo. Then we attended the worship night, which was a time of praise all coordinated by more Christian students at ICU. It’s so encouraging to see students put together a night of praise and worship, and it’s completely student-run! It’s been a really eventful week, and I can’t wait to see what else God has planned for me and my team. More updates to come, ね〜