MEGA update!

¹⁴This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

1 John 5:14-15

[Last Week's Recap]

Monday, November 16th was a very eventful day. I got to go to the CCC staff meeting and I was sooo blessed. There was corporate praise, message, and fellowship. I got to meet 4 sisters from Korea CCC doing ministry in Japan. They were so cute and encouraging! :) Please keep praying for JCCC and all the STINTERS to continue their ministry here faithfully.

That same day, it was my friend's bday party! She's the same age and she just turned 23! It was amazing that we could all celebrate with her. :) I was happy that she even invited me! HAHA but now, we're all really close. In American tradition, the friends take the birthday girl out but in Korean tradition, the birthday girl buys/makes food for the guests! I love Korean tradition! HAHA. She's a really good cook so she made us some homemade Korean food... from scratch! IT WAS GOOOOOOD.

*my friends God has provided me with (left to right): Jihae, Sohyeon unni, Nayoung (birthday girl), Junhyung, Seungkyun oppa

MORE PICTURES FROM OUR FUN CELEBRATION ON FACEBOOK! :)

Fast forward to Wednesday... I got to meet up with a friend of a friend who's in Japan! My friend from GLDI, Eunmi, messaged me saying that her friend, Sophia, was studying in Japan and that we should meet up. We met up in Koreatown (Shin-Okubo) and we ate at a Korean buffet for 1,000yen ($10). There was so much ban-chan (Korean side dishes), kimchi jjigae, gom tang, mandoo, jun, and other yummy korean food I missed. -_-; We had a good lunch and an even better time of fellowship and sharing. It's so crazy how God has been giving me such divine appointments to continue encouraging me! We were both so amazed at how God's hand was in EVERY EVENT that led us to Japan. :) I'm so excited to see how God will use both of us in the remainder of our time here. We are planning to meet up at least once a week!!! :D Praise God for sisters in Christ and accountability!

*Japanese desserts are ALL good... you just can't go wrong. :) Not too sweet & not too heavy.

The weather has been pretty cold here. -_- So now in order to do laundry, I must first put it through the washer at home, put it all in a trash bag, ride my bike to the laundro-mat, leave it in two dryers for 30 minutes each, fold it there, and bring it home. It's been quite the experience... I love/hate winter.

Saturday was another early start but I was rewarded with a spectacular view of Mt. Fuji. WOW... I was so in awe at the sight of this! WE WILL CONQUER IT THIS SUMMER! It's HUGE! Kinda scared but mostly super excited. :)

*That's not a cloud in the sky... it's snow-covered Mt. Fuji.

This weekend was HOMESTAY at Fumie-san's house. I think I really enjoy homestay because I get to interact with the family and eat yummy and authentic Japanese food. I got to eat "roll-kebitsu" (cabbage stuffed with beef)! :D At night after dinner, I got to talk with Fumie-san and share prayer requests with her. It was such a precious moment because she spoke mostly in Japanese and I spoke mostly in English but we understood each other. I feel like I had breakthrough with her already! Her testimony is truly one that testifies of God's grace, love, and power and I'm so humbled by how dependent she is on God! She has so much joy in spite of all the trials and tribulations. Praise God for her and please pray for her non-believing children.

PRAISE REPORT #1!

When we pray, God listens. He doesn't just listen, He answers. I have been able to witness the fruit of our prayers in the short month that I've been here. God has been opening the doors of opportunity to witness to people around me. One of the most recent examples has been two friends from my language school. They were very closed off to hearing about Christianity and they just didn't see Christians in a good way because of the hypocrisy. However, we were studying on a Thursday afternoon and they both starting talking about God. They had many questions: "Why did God create us?" "How was the Bible written?" They couldn't grasp many concepts such as the miracle of the 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. I mean, I guess I can understand because from a non-believer's standpoint, it does sound pretty ridiculous. Regardless, we were able to answer most of their questions and it might not make sense to them right now, but as long as it gets them thinking, praise God! I'm praying the seed has been planted! The biggest reason they do not believe, however, is because of people. In Korea, they see "Christians" and how they go to church on Sundays but their lifestyle doesn't reflect Christ AT ALL. They were saying how they are so turned off by Korean Christians. -______- That got me really sad... but it's a reality. The oppa proceeded to answer with a very good point: "Let's say there are 1,000 Christians- 200 are bad, 800 are good. What you are doing right now is looking at the 200 and saying all 1,000 are bad. Is that fair? There are 800 people who are not perfect by any means but they are truly trying to live a life for Christ. Church is not for the perfect saints, it's for the people who need the most help and is willing to admit it."

WOW. This was the first time I heard him sharing. The whole time, I thought he was a Christian but one that thought religion was a private thing... but boy, was I wrong. God used both of us to witness to two of them that day. One even said she wanted to go to church and praise God, she did this past Sunday!!! The other girl said that she didn't want to go out but she was grateful that we got her thinking about life. HALLELUJAH! Evangelism isn't always directly asking them, "do you believe in Jesus?" These two girls were people who were hurt by the church and those who claimed they were Christian. However, by God's grace they were able to see through the Christians in our group that not everyone is like that- there are some people who are really trying to live for God. I was so humbled by this opportunity and so amazed at how fast God answered this specific prayer. Through this, a couple of us were able to share our testimony of how we came to faith and we are continuing to pray for our friends. HOW AMAZING!!! Even if I had to leave tomorrow, God forbid, I would know why I came- for these people. I know God is not finished with me yet... but I was so blown away by how God was even moving in my school! It is not by accident that I was placed in that school, particular class, with those specific people- God has a plan and He will use us to reach out to them! PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR US... that we would be BOLD and not ashamed of what we believe in. Pray for more opportunities to share more about Christ!

Praise Report #2!

Short and sweet: one year missionary visa has been granted! What does this mean? I don't have to go out to Korea!!! I came in with tourist visa and now I can just change my status without having to leave and come back in. Saves money & time! Praise GOD! I had so much peace about this and I'm so grateful for the outcome. THANK YOU FRIDAY PRAYER WARRIORS!!! I know that it is because of your prayers that this was even possible! :) (Friday missionary prayer meeting --> ask Joe Song for more info!)

Praise Report #3!

Long story short: I was trying to get to the Worship Generation Japan concert because my friend from church is the drummer. The problem was I was going alone and with no map in hand- all memory. It was my first time in this city and I was pretty much set up for disaster. However, I had my own personal navigator = God! The most I knew was to get off the Nishi-Kokubunji station and go out the South exit. I did that and started walking hoping to find a church on my right hand side. After walking like 4 blocks, there was nothing. -_- I asked people on the street if they knew where a church was and all of them said they didn't know. :( I was feeling kinda anxious but I prayed that God would give me peace. I really had FULL CONFIDENCE that He would lead me there. So finally, I got to the end of the road and there was only a major street in front of me with no church in sight and I was contemplating going into the Family Mart (convenient store) but there were so many people. I passed it and asked this lady who was very nice but didn't have any idea where the church was. She told me to ask the convenient store so I decided to just go in and ask. The older man there was very nice and he asked me if I was in the right city and right exit. Praise God that my listening isn't too bad and I was able to understand him. To my surprise, he said that if I am in the right place, there is one church that is close to this area. He told me go 4 stops down, cross the street, and it should be on my right hand side. So I said thank you and started walking in that direction. I walked for like 10 minutes and I was beginning to get kinda scared thinking, "I'm so far from the station. What if I get lost?" At that moment, some young guy was waving his arm in my direction. I knew he wasn't talking to me because he seemed to be on the phone but when I turned around and looked back, no one was there. -_- I was so confused but I thought, "This guy is young; this concert is for younger people; maybe this is a sign from God." So I waited at the crosswalk thinking I should make a right. However at that moment, his friend (the one he was waving to I'm assuming) came up right next to me. He crossed the street and they started walking straight. I decided to follow them and if they disappeared into a building then they were going to the same place but if they kept walking and I could see them until the next block, then they were going somewhere else. They were like 20 steps ahead of me and there was a curve in the road. As soon as I got out of the curve, they were gone! Right then, I saw posters for WGJ concert. THERE IT WAS! I smiled because I knew that everything that happened was because of God and He led me to that exact church- using those random people to guide me! God is so faithful even in the smallest of things as long as we're fully dependent on Him. I enjoyed the concert so much- so many young people were gathered and they were singing aloud and lifting their hands. I forgot I was in Japan for an hour. But praise God for leading me there to show me that there is HOPE for JAPAN! We even sang Hosanna (by Hillsong) in Japanese! :) God is working in Japan so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep praying! Without prayer, none of this would be happening! Prayer fuels ministry & revival!

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Yesterday was the first time I missed class since I got here. -_- I know, I need to be better next time. Please continue praying for me. I've just been so tired lately and I think it's finally catching up with my body. -_- I've been having some back/neck pains so please pray that it will be healed. I think I'm just not used to the beds here. Praise God that I have not gotten sick yet! He is really giving me good health but I need to take care of my body better in terms of sleeping. This weekend was very long but very rewarding. There is just so much to do sometimes; I don't feel like there's enough time to do all of God's work in a day's time!

Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts! Haein and Sarah Kim USC sent me these lovely handwritten letter & card. :) I was so happy when I saw it waiting for me in my room! Truly a DELIGHTFUL SURPRISE!

Home is Where You Make It

God is always speaking to us... it's us who aren't listening. God was probably showing me back at home the things I'm learning here. However, back in the States, there is so much prohibiting me from drowning out the unnecessary noise and really listening to His voice. In Japan, God is still talking to me as He has always been, but I'm in a place where I have no choice but to listen. It's amazing... God doesn't talk to me more simply because I'm on missions- He's BEEN talking the whole time. It was me who wasn't listening...

GOD EXCEEDS OUR EXPECTATIONS!

The start of last week was good because I started studying with the Korean students from my class. I have been praying for my Korean friends (there are 6 of us: 1 oppa, 1 unni, 2 peers, 1 dongseng, and me)- that God would give me an opportunity to be a witness. I didn't think He would answer it right away, but He did. That day I went to study with them, one girl started opening up to me. I JUST MET HER and yet she was sharing about her past pain, scars, and hurt. I couldn't help but think that God was giving me the opportunity to pray for her. So many people need prayer... we ALL need prayer and God was showing me that I had to continue praying for her. Even though the content was sad, I thanked God for opening up her heart to share with me... it said so much! It's her birthday this Monday and we're throwing her a party. :) I plan on writing her a card and writing a verse of encouragement on it. I hope God will continue preparing her heart and whether she finds God when I'm here or days/months/years down the line, please pray that God will surround her with more witnesses. I'm realizing that I was not placed in that school and that class as an accident/coincidence... there is a SPECIFIC REASON/PURPOSE I am there. PREACH THE GOSPEL AND IF NECESSARY... USE WORDS.

Friday was a busy but SUCH AN ENCOURAGING DAY. First off, I didn't have to go to school because I had to go to Tsudajuku College for their festival. :) However, I woke up the same time as I would for school. -_- It was a rainy day but these days, I'm beginning to enjoy rain. It's so refreshing. Anyhow, I got to Tsudajuku and went to work right away. I helped decorate the room and my given task was to cover cardboard boxes with pink tissue paper. Let me just say, pink is my favorite color but I don't want to see pink for like 3 months. -_- Japanese people are so cute and the room was decorated really nicely. Tsuda Christian Fellowship (TCF) was selling scarves, trinkets, jewelry, snacks, and chai --> Indian theme. An NGO from India called PHENTOC provided all the goods. TCF was basically selling the products and the money would be sent back to them. It was a big hit and people were really interested in the products. We handed out Christmas CDs, flyers for Christmas concerts, and bookmarks that had a Bible verse on it. The best part: they had a Bible stand that gave out free Bibles wrapped in cute book covering. :) By the end of the day, almost all the Bibles were gone. PRAISE GOD! I had to leave early because I had to go to my next event, but God really gave me so much encouragement as I just watched the girls preparing for this event. They prepared so much in terms of decorations and ideas but they prepared even more in prayer. I heard that so many people stopped by their room and in so many ways, it was a success. Please pray that those who were there will be touched by the Holy Spirit in some way so that their spiritual eyes will be opened!

I went to Keio Evangelical Christian Fellowship that same night. Right before I left, I had a major headache. I had a feeling that it was spiritual warfare. I said a prayer and went out the door. It was my first time going to the campus but God safely guided me there. :) My friend from church, Miyuki, met me at the station (she invited me to join). We walked to the YMCA chapel on campus- I was surprised there was even a chapel! KECF was sooooo amazing. There were English speaking students (thank you Jesus) and so many were from abroad. I got to meet some wonderful Christians and it gave me so much hope knowing that there were young Christian students like them in Japan. :) Bible study was on Ephesians 3: 1-13...

¹For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

²Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, ³that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. ⁶This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

⁷I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. ⁸Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.¹⁰His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. ¹³I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

I was seriously SOOO blessed... beyond measure. I was able to sing English songs in a community setting. I forgot how blessed I was at Sarang (corporate worship is often taken for granted)... and I truly longed for a group to sing English worship songs with and God provided. How amazing is He. Our group was the English speaking group (very international - one Filipino sister, one Indonesian brother, one Japanese sister) and the Holy Spirit enabled us to open up and share so much! We all concluded that God had it in His divine plan for all of us to be exactly where we are. It's so funny because they all didn't want to come to Japan but they ended up here somehow. God's plan for us is flawless. I was so encouraged!!! God is working in Japan and it was so evident that God has great things in store for KECF. Please pray for the group members who attend- some are not Christian but they come out because they are curious about Christ and the Bible; others are the only Christian in their group of friends and family. Pray that God will give them overflowing joy, hope, and courage! :D

*Midori-chan. She's a rarity b/c her mom is a missionary! :) Also, she is very spiritually mature and has a lot of depth. We were able to share so much while eating dinner together!

Saturday was my first English class. Only three people came... BUT GOD IS STILL GOOD. I realized, it is not my efforts that will bring people to Christ but it is only God, himself, who can do the work. Even with only three people, we were able to have good interaction and they learned something new so I was glad. :0) My second class will be on November 28, 2009 (2 weeks later) so please pray that more people will be led to the church. Interesting fact: The class costs 500 yen (about $5) so I asked Kazuki sensei why that was and he said that in Japan if you do things for free, people get suspicious so they don't attend. Money shows that it's legit. HAHA.

This weekend, I got to homestay at Miyuki's house and it was a good time of true fellowship. I already feel that she is becoming one of my closest friends here. We are close in age and we share a lot about our testimonies and hope for the future! It was such an amazing time of sharing and I truly feel that the Holy Spirit enabled us to go deep! We stayed up until 2AM talking about all the things God has been doing in our lives. I was so inspired by her testimony and it reminded me that God did not forget about Japan!!! He is at work! I was so happy that she invited me to stay with her and her family! Her mother is so nice, funny, and such a great cook! The dad and younger sister do not believe completely, but I believe God will be working in their family soon. I am praying for her younger sister's salvation! Please pray for the Kon family that God will use them to do His great and mighty work in Japan.

I witnessed a miracle. I'm sure you all will be SO SHOCKED when you hear about this next one. :) Before coming to Japan, I prayed to God that I would no longer be scared of dogs. I am scared of animals- I don't know what it is... people always ask if I was traumatized but I don't think so. I just didn't like it when they jumped or licked me. -_- This week's homestay had a dog- Regurasu or Regu-chan. I prayed to God that I could be okay around a dog... before I would be so tense and couldn't have a dog jump on me/lick me or I would start crying. :*( I got inside the house and for the first day, the dog was always being held or carried by Miyuki or her mother. However, on the second day at her house I told her it would be okay if she let him down. I was perfectly fine. The dog freakin loved me- he was like jumping on me all the time but I was okay. I didn't cry or panic and get scared. God answers prayers. I kept thinking how some people who know about my fear of animals (not dislike but fear) would react. It's crazy but yeah, it happened. Just incase you don't believe me, here's proof:

I'm getting blessed+encouraged more and more each week... Happy One Month!

I'm in love...

It's so exciting. new. fun. makes me smile. I'm truly happy. It was worth the wait!

I fell in love with... Japan- the food, culture, language, public transportation system, and most of all, the people. :) It's almost been a full month since I've been here and to be honest, it's going by quite fast! -_-; For the first week, each day seemed so long but the week itself went by so fast! Although I feel like I adjusted pretty quickly to life in Japan, I am feeling more comfortable... a home away from home. Truly.

This past weekend, I was so encouraged by so many reminders and revelations. I thought I'd share a few. It might get long but please bear with me.

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON... nothing is by mere coincidence or accident: God has a plan.

On Saturday morning, the Shonan-Shinjuku line was closed due to construction and so I had to go another route which would take me another 20 minutes. I know, you're probably thinking 20 minutes is nothing. Well, technically it is, but the problem is that Japanese people are never late and they hate being late/dealing with people who are late... it's just very rude, you know? So my normal route would get me to Hiratsuka (after transferring once) by 8:30AM. HOWEVER, this detour meant that I would arrive at 8:50AM... but we need to be at Shonan Daira by 9AM. UGH. So I was kinda stressing out because I didn't want to be late... and I did tell Takahashi sensei that I would be arriving later due to X and Y reasons, but still, I felt bad. I prayed to God asking Him to give me a peaceful heart and after a couple of minutes, I felt more relaxed. I turned on my Princess Iris iPod and had Brenton Brown calm me down. :) As I was 5 stops away from Hiratsuka, three Caucasian people walked in and started speaking in English... I listened for an accent, but there was none. For some reason, I really felt this desire to talk to them so I bravely spoke up and asked, "Where in the States are you from?" They looked surprised and then after a moment of hesitation answered, "Seattle. How about you?" We made small talk and they asked me why I was out here and I told them that it was for missions. As soon as I said that, their eyes got really big and the lady said, "I came here for missions, too, many years ago." At that moment, two thoughts ran through my mind: 1) missions with CCC or 2) Mormon. The latter proved true as she told me that she was from LDS (Latter Day Saints). She asked me many questions about what my ministry was (English and church edification), where I was staying, how I was learning the language, and a few other things. I found out they were here for the husband's work (shipyard + Navy but he's a civilian) and they were on their way to Hakone to see the mountains. In my heart as I was speaking to them, I said a prayer for them. I don't know these people and of all the cars on the 15 car train, they stepped into the one that I was in. I took interest and cared enough to strike conversation and realized so much about them in that short 15-20 minute conversation. It then hit me... God was showing me that I am in spiritual battle- straight up in the front lines! I am not the only one here! There are other religious groups fighting for the same souls we were fighting/praying for! I realized, there are a lot of fakes in the world... why? Fakes show that there has to be something REAL. It dawned on me that sometimes, the fakes try harder than the ones who have the TRUTH (why is that?); and we, as witnesses of the truth, need to do a better job of putting Christ & the GOSPEL first in our lives. Of course I would love to see more people go on missions, but I don't think that's the issue. If more Christians would seek to glorify and worship God in EVERYTHING that we do, I believe we will see drastic changes in our lives and the lives of those around us. Easier said than done, I know- but don't just leave it at that, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Even though I had a rough start to the morning, the simple yet destined encounter changed my entire mood for the weekend. I then thought, "Wow, if the line was never broken, then I wouldn't have had to be redirected to this line to meet these people to discover these things." I thanked God and my heart was so joyful! Two lessons: God is so faithful and always think positively (which brings me to my second point)!

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING: You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself!

I realized that POSITIVITY is something I lacked (and still do but I'm working on it). My mentality has always been that you have to assess a situation and address the negatives so that you can try to be practical and realistic. I thought that being practical and a realist (which are just nice words for being negative) was being smart. Boy, was I wrong. I realized that if you want to work for God, you have to get out of that mindset! I realized that as humans, it's so easy to see the negatives first... the glass is half empty. We think that we're being foolish if we just say something positive and leave it at that so we always add something negative to the beginning or end of everything we do/say/think/feel. However, when we try to do God's work and look at the bad before the good, then we are, in a way, limiting God and saying that it's not possible for Him. Our attitude and hearts, from the get-go, are in a wrong place. With men, many things are impossible but with God, all things are possible. BELIEVE IT!

BE PRAYERFUL & FAITHFUL IN EVERYTHING/ANYTHING: English classes start this Saturday!

On Saturday, I went around the neighborhood near church passing out flyers to advertise my English conversational classes. I got really excited because it took me back to 2006 when our J1 team literally would pass out tracts for hours on end (like from 8AM-5PM) for a week straight. I had some good times with my partner, Soon oppa. :) I forgot how much I missed Japanese mailboxes... they're so nice and big. Anyway, my flyers were inside tracts that explained what the Gospel was and what Shonan Grace Chapel was all about (most of it was in Kanji -_-). At first, I held those tracts in my hand and I got a little nervous/scared/anxious. I went by myself to first the apartment complexes (the mailboxes are all together). On my way there, I noticed some people staring at me and I got a little more scared. I thought, "Oh no, what if some of these people stop me and tell me that I can't put it in?" However, I said a little prayer and asked for boldness and strength. At that moment, it hit me: I am giving these people THE BEST NEWS EVER (not my English class but the Gospel). This tract can potentially save their life! Why do I have to feel afraid or hide? As I started putting each one in the mailbox, I prayed for each apartment. I don't know who lives in each one and if they'll even open up the flyer to read the information inside, but that part really isn't up to me. I am called to be faithful in delivering the tracts and praying for these people in hopes that God would somehow open up their hearts to receive the Word. I got so happy thinking that even something as small and trivial as a tract can bring someone to Christ! I prayed that God will bring a lot of little children (interested in rolling their tongues) to come out... please pray with me that God will bring people out to these classes not to learn English, but to learn the most valuable lesson of their life!

FOCUS ON THE GOAL: When you STOP thinking about God and start thinking about yourself, you will get lonely.

To be honest, I haven't experienced loneliness yet and I'm not even really that homesick. I don't miss my car that I traded for a squeaky bike. I don't miss the wide roads of CA. I don't miss Mexican food too much. I mean, of course these things are so trivial. I do miss family, friends, bed, English, Sarang... BUT it's not to the point where I dwell on the past and think about how much I'm missing out on life back at home. One of my greatest fears was that I would look back and see all that I'm NOT a part of. I thought I'd get really lonely and want to pack up and go home. Of course I didn't reach that infamous 3 month mark that everyone keeps talking about... things are still fresh and new and exciting- like someone who just fell in love. But this weekend, God reminded me about the root of loneliness. As humans, I'm sure we all have that desire to be close to people and feel loved/appreciated/recognized. We all want to belong somewhere and matter to someone. However, as normal as these feelings are, I realized that in the mission field, this kind of mindset can get somewhat dangerous. If we start thinking about ourselves, then we start to forget about God. When things start becoming about me, myself, and I, we forget about God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. I'm not saying that feelings these things in itself are bad... OF COURSE there'll be a time where I get kinda sad/lonely- it might during Christmas or my birthday or my favorite, Valentine's Day/Sister's Appreciation. However, we start treading in dangerous waters when we start acting upon that loneliness. You let one thought slip in and soon enough it overtakes your entire mind/mood/body. Everyday, I am trying to make it a priority to remind myself why I am here. I am not here for a mini vaca or to study abroad or to learn Japanese... I am here to bring glory to God! If at any point I start forgetting this, someone please GENTLY remind me. :) It will be greatly appreciated.

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Time for pictures!

*My mom and dad read my blog and they distribute the link to their friends and others at church. Thus, he told me to stop putting so many pictures of food and put more pictures of people. -_-; That's the cultural/generational/age divide... young people want to see food and older people want to see people/scenery. I will try to be more balanced. :]

*Miyuki, Eiko, and me praying together at the top of the tower in Shonan Daira

*Sushi at the market for 500 yen... it's so fresh & yummy

*Homestay at Takahashi sensei and Naomi-san's house!

*Mikito & Miyuka are soooooo cute... makes me want to have babies NOW

*like father like son... he likes wearing ties. awww so precious! whole new meaning to sunday's best.

*Our group (Ma-san, So young-san, me) won first place in a game so we got chocolate :)

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As I conclude this entry and think about how I will regret staying up until 11:30PM tomorrow morning, the rain has started to make its way down to meet the ground.

11/11 is Peppero Day => Send some love to someone you love. :0)

Save the Best for Last

I thought I'd start off this blog with something light and move to a topic heavier on my heart.

EXCITING NEWS FOR THOSE WHO ARE COMING TO JAPAN FOR STEM 2010! :)

We (might) climb Mt. Fuji! Don't get scared... be excited! I heard about this and I really wanted to do it so I told Cho sensei and he said that he's been trying to get STEM to do it for a while. THIS SUMMER WILL BE THE YEAR WE WILL CONQUER MT. FUJI!!!

10 hours of climbing uphill. shortness of breath. cold temperatures. no sleep. wanting to give up. extreme pain the next day. it'll all be worth it for this...

seeing the sunrise from the top of Mt. Fuji with clouds hovering below you = breathtaking.

praying for Japan at the highest point in Japan = priceless.

experiencing the beauty of God's creation with brothers and sisters by your side = indescribable.

so once you find out you're coming... get your most comfortable and best hiking shoes ready. practice walking at least 5 hours a day. cars are overrated. -_-

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Japanese pancake: Okonomiyaki

It's pretty healthy for the most part (and easy to make)... mostly made up of bean sprouts, cabbage, bell peppers, flour, egg on the inside & slices of meat on top drizzled with mayo & donkatsu sauce. mmm.

For dessert we had sweet potato apple pie from Rapoppo (inside the train station). I remember I had this for the first time in 2006 when Stella bought it for us. Heat it up + put a scoop of vanilla ice cream = satisfies any girl's monthly cravings.

I am independent. I do my own laundry now. I was so much more appreciative of my parents and (wasteful but convenient) America after having to line dry and wait 3 hours for it to be done. In Japan, it is too expensive to use gas dryers so all the dryers inside the house are electric --> which pretty much means it sucks. So the only option is to do laundry on a nice, sunny day with some wind- all before 3PM or else the humidity sets in and I have to do it all over again. :*( During the winter, I have to put my clothes through the washer and then ride my bike to the coin dryers and pay like 800-1200 yen ($9-13) for 2 loads. -_-

Positive: I'm one step closer to being a good wife... NOT. My husband's going to do the laundry :)

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I just finished "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper and all I can say is... it changed/is changing my perspective, desires, and life. I forgot just how much books can affect/impact you (especially in this visually stimulating world, we tend to get bored/impatient with reading words on a page because it requires too much brain power... people, we're getting dumber. I understand now why my mom calls the TV a fool box. oh mother). I got more emotional and touched through this book than most movies, songs, or korean dramas. -_- However, I don't give credit to John Piper and his style of writing (although I'm sure it helped). The Holy Spirit was really stirring my heart and I truly felt that so many parts of this book was written for me. There is still much I have to process and continue praying about, but at the end of my life I pray that I will not say that I've wasted it all. But if it may be that I utter those words, it is my deepest desire that it will have been wasted for the sake of Christ and Him alone.

This story in particular got me- maybe it's because it has something to do with love. After reading this part, my heart was so moved and I started tearing up in the train.

Background: This story was about Adoniram Judson, the missionary who served in Burma. Before marrying his wife, Ann, this is what he wrote to Ann's father in order to ask for her partnership in missions:

"'I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean, to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death. Can you consent to all this, for the sake of Him who left His heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the Glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righteousness, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?'

Her father let her decide. She said yes.

God does not call us to ease, but to faithful joy. He is closing in on some of you, smiling and with tears in His eyes, knowing how much of Himself He is going to show you- and how much it will cost. As I write, I pray that you will not turn away.

... Don't run from the call. Pursue it."

I feel my heart slowly changing... and this is just the end of week 3.

Break my heart for what breaks yours. Everything I am for your Kingdom's cause.