So from the mission house in Kyoto, we’ve been anxiously keeping up with the news and waiting to find out when we can return to Tokyo. Most importantly, we wanted to go to the Tohoku region, where the tsunami hit. When we found out about the tsunami and earthquake on the 11th, our hearts broke and we immediately wanted to rush there to help in whatever way possible. We were told to wait, and let the professionals emergency rescue workers and military do their work first, and then come for the relief and recovery phase. But as we continued to hear updates from the area, we are becoming restless as we want to be on the ground with the hurting.

Currently the first CCC team has already left and are currently serving there, and another team will leave on April 4th for a week long ministry. Under the approval of the crisis management team in Tokyo and our US supervisors, the STINT team here will return to Tokyo on Friday. We will find out if there is any way we can help the situation in Sendai as soon as possible. The reason why we’re not there immediately is because we don’t want to be a burden on them, consuming the food and heat that could be given for the refugees. Also, most of us don’t speak Japanese, so we don’t know yet how we can be a blessing to the area. It’s all a little frustrating, but I still find it a blessing to be able to join together and lift the people up in prayer.

If you are interested in helping Japan, whether it be through donations or even flying over here to help, please look into CRASH Japan. Even if you aren’t, it’s a great website on how you can be praying and supporting the relief effort.

http://crashjapan.com/

It’s the main Christian organization that is bringing relief to the Tohoku region. It’s an inter-church, inter-missions organization that coordinates and mobilizes the Christian body in Japan (and all over the world) to help in the relief effort. I am well aware that there are many different and great organizations that are helping here (Red Cross, etc), but I feel that this is a great opportunity to show Christ’s love to the Japanese people through our actions.

This triple disaster (Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear) has affected Japan in profound ways. It showed that all the things they have worked for can be taken in an instant, and the things they trust can turn on them. The recovery will take months to up to 10 years, so please don’t forget to pray for the people’s hearts here. God is still at work in the Japanese people, wanting to show His love and compassion through His children here in Japan and from all over the world.

Here is a video on the Christians’ response on the day of the earthquake:

Blossom in Japan – English Version

And here’s a video of Japanese people thanking you all for your prayers:

Thank You For Praying

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I could say more about the situation but I feel that this short post is adequate for the time being.

Thank you for being a part of this opportunity to show love to the Japanese people.

This blog post’s order will be
1. Midyear Conference/Thailand
2. Student Conference
3. Prayer Requests
4. Daily blog

The Earthquake Update will be separate and written after this.

.

1. Midyear Conference/Thailand

It was a blessed time to be able to spend a week with other missionaries in Thailand. The purpose of the week was for rest and restoration of our souls for the middle of our stint year and to prepare our hearts for another half of work in the ministry. Many of the missionaries are in closed countries and places where they cannot openly worship and praise, so being in an open country where we can sing aloud our praises is such a blessing. We were also able to meet our coaches who checked up on our wellbeing and on the team’s dynamics.

For me, I went into the conference wanting to rest and learn more about joining fulltime staff. I thought I was convinced and set on joining staff, but during my first meeting with my coach and he was sharing about the timeline for joining staff, I felt tears come up behind my eyes. I was shocked, as I thought I was at peace with the decision, but I guess even though my head was logically going with the decision, my heart complained and felt uneasy. So I spent the rest of the conference in quiet time with God and talking through it with different staff. I realized Satan was trying to discourage me with many different little lies, and I had to reply to each lie with promises I remembered from the Word. I realized I had to make a conscious decision to trust God with my future and put my faith in His care. So now I am applying for fulltime staff and I hope to be back in Japan soon after this year is over.

After the conference, our team went to Chiang Mai for a week. Before we came to Thailand, I was wondering how we would be able to serve in the country. Being in Thailand instead of Japan doesn’t mean we “turn off” being a follower of Christ. From hearing that 10% of all tourist money goes towards sex trafficking, seeing the overt idol worship (It was Chinese New Year when we went), seeing the abject poverty on the streets, getting cat calls by girls on the street, seeing the escort services everywhere, and smelling the odor of trash throughout the city, my heart broke for the people and I wanted to help in some way. I knew I couldn’t speak the language and I couldn’t feed them forever, so it was a blessing to know that I can pray for them and perhaps give them the gospel (David bought 50 Gideon Bibles from the hotel for $2).

One way we wanted to help out with an orphanage and volunteer for some service work, but because half of our team got sick we decided to rest instead. I went out to see how I can share the gospel, but instead of being able to share the gospel, God used me to meet a Christian girl from Thailand CCC! We were able to spend time with Pare and encourage her in her walk with God. After that, I wasn’t able to meet anyone else because Henry and I hit the jackpot and we both came down with dysentery and the same illnesses.

Seeing the brokenness in Thailand really opened my heart for the cause of the gospel in the unreached people groups. Thailand is under 0.7% Christian, and there is much more apparent evil and pain,  and seeing the people made me really want to make a difference in this world. It also made me praise God for allowing me to serve in Japan in another large people group, who even though there aren’t such obvious brokenness, there are still many underlying problems of depression, apathy, loneliness, and oppression. Being in Thailand helped make clear the need for Christ’s hope in the world and I am even more thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the advancement of His kingdom.

.

2. Student Conference

Our national student conference (CHANGE conference) was held from March 14- to March 17th. This is after the earthquake and during the uncertainty of the nuclear plant problems. We seriously discussed whether we should cancel the conference or continue with it. After much prayer, we decided to continue with the conference, but wih a focus on prayer for the Tohoku region and on making love evident to everyone.

The conference was wonderful. Some students and staff were not able to come because their parents were uncomfortable with the situation, but for the rest of the students, they were so encouraged by meeting with other Christians from all over Japan. Every day there was news of problems, but as we met regularly and prayed for Japan together, the students were comforted and encouraged to love Jesus even more. Many of the students expressed that they felt so much love and affection from everyone in the conference and that they truly wanted to share that love outside as they return to their homes and universities.

Many people in the US were wondering why I was still in Japan during such uncertain times with the nuclear danger and everything. But seeing the smiles on the faces of my brothers and sisters in Christ (and YOUR brothers and sisters in Christ) made it all worth it. Being able to encourage and comfort students and send them out is the reason why I stayed, and I would do it again if it meant someone will love Jesus more. God asks us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and not to only love when it’s convenient and “safe.” In fact, God says that when we follow Him, we should expect persecution, suffering, and difficulty.

So I thank God for the opportunity to love my family here in Japan, and seeing them grow in their faith and outward acts of love has been an answer to prayer.

.

3. Prayer Requests:

1. Please pray me as I finish my staff application. May God continue to guide and bring me to Japan
2. For the students to continue to be on fire for God and in making His love evident to their neighbors and friends
3. For the earthquake relief efforts and the nuclear containment process so that the place will be safe again

.

.

.

.

.

4. Daily Blog

I’m going to have a spotty blog as I can’t remember much of what happened due to my sickness and some of the days were just so boringly filled with meetings. ^^;; Please feel free to skip this section if you don’t want to know what I do during the days.

Saturday 1-22-11 : We flew to Thailand and arrived at the hotel for the night. We took a taxi from the airport to our hotel and met many other stinters and staff who just finished a conference there. =)

Sunday 1-23-11 to Thursday 1-27-11: We took a bus to Cha’am, and checked into our hotel for the conference. I already wrote about my impressions from the conference so I’ll talk about the things we did. We had breakfast, then morning meeting/worship, then an hour of quiet time, another message, lunch, free time, dinner with team or with coaches, and then nightly meetings. The free time was a time to spend at the beach, meet other missionaries and hear their stories of God’s providence, and praise and worship together. We got cheap Thai massages, food, and appreciated the good exchange rate we got going from yen to Thai baht. =) Everyone had one or two meetings with the coaches, and we had 2 team times with the coaches during the conference. Before going to Thailand, I helped design our team STINT shirts and it was awesome to wear it as a team. =) During the night, we were able to go into the beach and see the bioluminescient water! It sparkled and glittered as you swam through the water! =D And lastly, on the last day of the conference, the Japan team led a time of prayer and worship in the middle of the beach, and that was an amazing blessing to be able to pray with missionaries sent all over the area. =)

Thursday 1-27-11 : We took the bus to Bangkok and stayed there for a day. We were able to spend time with another team from Cal Poly. =)

Friday 1-28-11 : We checked out and went to visit the Grand Palace, and then went to take a night train to Chiang Mai. We wanted to take the train, but since it was close to Chinese New Year, we weren’t able to so we were stuck in the train station. A nice lady came by and started talking with Kimi, and we were able to give her and her son a Thai Bible. =D We were able to get a night bus to Chiang Mai and arrived in the morning.

Saturday 1-29-11 : People went out to visit the local high schools but I stayed at the hotel. During the middle of the day, I started feeling feverish so I went to sleep to try to get better. I slept the whole day away.

Sunday 1-30-11 : I felt better, so I went to the middle of Chiang Mai with Mike and Michelle. We wandered and found a museum, and I was able to talk with the attendant as we paid for our entrance fee. I asked her if she would be free to show us around the night market that night (because Sunday’s night market is famous in Chiang Mai) and she argreed. =) So that night, we spent time with her and she guided us through the city. Through our conversation with her, we found out that she was part of Thailand CCC! It was so amazing that God allowed us to meet a sister in Christ and encourage her. =) After I got back home to the hotel, I crashed and was sick.

Monday 1-31-11 : I was sick in bed all day, drinking water and sleeping. We took the night bus (horrible experience for some of us) and got to Bangkok.

Tuesday 2-1-11  : I slept in all day again, and only went out to try to get some food or Gatorade.

Wednesday 2-2-11 : I felt SOOOOOO bad when I woke up. After going to the bathroom several times, I started having horrendous back spasms and pains, and I couldn’t feel my hands. I was nauseous and I really felt I was going to die. I didn’t know if I could make the van ride to Pattaya, but somehow God kept me from throwing up and I was able to make it there. The room was super nice, and it was a comfortable place to be horribly sick. The teammates went out to see the island, and me and Henry stayed inside all day.

Thursday 2-3-11 : I was sick so I couldn’t go with the team to the zipline trip. I was tired of drinking so much Gatorade so I got filet mignon with Henry for lunch. They came back and we checked out, and took the van back to Bangkok airport. We then waited in the airport from 7pm to 5am to board our plane.

Friday 2-4-11 : At 5am, we took our plane back home to Japan. We took the NEX express train to Shinjuku, but on the way, Kat got lost and cut off from our team. We were so afraid since she didn’t have her phone, wallet, or jacket, and we hurried to the train help station to ask them to find Kat. But praise God! He kept her safe and through the help of generous old Japanese people, Kat was able to go to Shinjuku and meet us. We got back to Mitaka safely, ate at Gustos, and I went to sleep.

Saturday 2-5-11 : Henry and I went with Jiko to the hospital to ask for a doctor to check us. We went to several clinics, getting turned aside and realizing that it may cost us about $250 since we didn’t have Japanese health insurance and a wait about 2 hours to get checked by the doctor. We realized that the doctor may just tell us to rest and maybe get some medicine, and we decided it wasn’t worth the money, so we left the hospital and treated Jiko out to a nice lunch. =D

Sunday 2-6-11 : Stayed in instead of going to church since I was sick. I did go to the going away party for the Koreans and Ayumi that night, and then practiced with HS and went home.

The Koreans who were going home =( I miss them!

Monday 2-7-11 to Monday 2-28-11: This is where my memory for the time starts getting hazy, as I was still pretty sick and mostly staying at home trying to keep others from getting sick (also, my horrible cough kept me from being able to hold conversations). I still went to the weekly Thursday meetings, daily prayer meetings, Holy Spirit practice, weekly prayer on Wednesday but other things are less clear. So I’ll write about the things I remember:

Wendesday 2-9-11 : There was a Waseda Unity and Prayer night in Nishi Waseda church. YWAM, CCC, KGK, IHOP, and other groups came to praise and pray for the campus, and it was a great time of fellowship. I couldn’t do much except silently pray as my cough was keeping me from being able to do anything.

Saturday 2-12-11 : I skyped in the morning with Cal Poly SLO’s CCF missions night. They rotated different groups, and Ryan and I were able to share about Japan’s situation with many of the students and invite them to consider missions. =D I was trying my best to get well so I can talk with them, and during the skype time, I was given 2 hours of an OK voice and was able to share even through the difficulty. =)

Sunday 2-13-11 : I went for lunch with Asahi and was able to share the gospel with her and then bring her to New Hope Church. =) It was good to be able to catch up and encourage her to think more about seeking God. =)

Monday 2-14-11 : After the meeting, the guys surprised the girls and we cooked them pancakes for Valentines day. =) Then they had to prepare for their girls night, so we went home, got dinner with students, and then had our “Valiant Day” with the guys in the student center. We played tons of video games, watched a manly movie (Gladiator), and slept over the student center. It snowed, so it was romantic but I had no one to share it with. =P

Tuesday 2-15-11 : I spent my day with the Lord at home and finished “Let the Nations Be Glad” by John Piper. It is an awesome book, and it really encouraged me to spend this life for the cause of the gospel.

Tuesday 2-22-11 : We went to the YWAM house and had dinner with them. =) I loved hearing how God called them to Japan and seeing their heart to see God work in Japan. =)

Monday 2-28-11 : We went again to the YWAM house with the rest of our team, since many of the YWAM people are leaving Tokyo. Their commitment was only 6 months, so we wanted to say goodbye to them before they left.

Saying good bye to some missionaries who are going back

Tuesday 3-1-11 : I was finally well enough to talk, so I started planning and inviting students to my home! =D

Thursday 3-3-11 : We started doing our taxes since Japanese taxes are due March 15th, and it took the whole day working with Cam, and at the end, we weren’t sure if we finished it right. =( So we had to wait for Cam to get more clarification on some of the paperwork.

Friday 3-4-11 : I had a potluck with Henry and we invited Yusuke and Arisa and Rina to join us for dinner. It was so fun to have students at my home again, and I pray that they were encouraged. =)

Saturday 3-5-11 : We had our Senior Graduation Party, so I brought dessert (coke ice cream floats). We had a fun time thanking the seniors and graduates, and we had so much good food for dinner. After dinner, each of the seniors went up to share about their experience with Student Impact and some advice to give to the underclassmen. I was sad to see so many of my good friends graduate, but it was such a praise to see how they have grown in their walk and how God used SI to bless them.

Our graduating class

The dance ministry team =)

Sunday 3-6-11 : After practice at HS, I shared my lifestory with them. =D

Monday 3-7-11 : I cooked for Chihiro, Haruka, and Emma at my home. I also was able to share my lifestory and calling testimony with them, and I’m glad I was able to encourage them. =D

Tuesday 3-8-11 : I went for lunch with Nonno in Takadanobaba and we had some awesome ramen. =) It’s been a long time since I was able to hang out with Nonno, and I was able to encourage him and ask to help out with Paddy. =)

Wednesday 3-9-11 : We had our going away party for Jiko that night, and each stinter cooked a dish. =D It was such a good potluck! After eating, Jiko gave us presents that represented us, and then we sang tons of worship songs together. I loved the sound of worship that we make in the center when Jiko leads us. =D

Thursday 3-10-11 : We spent the day working on our taxes again, and finished them! YAY! It’s such a hassle to have to pay taxes in Japan, because it makes our paperwork in America even more complicated. =( That night for SI, we had a prayer time for CHANGE conference.

Friday 3-11-11 : March Eleventh, Twenty-Eleven. The day the world shook. It started like a normal day, with us having our shinkan (start of the school year) planning and then going out for lunch. I was in Inokashira Park with Mike when the earthquake hit, so we didn’t feel much of a shake (although it was a little difficult to stay up). After the earthquake, we were wandering around Kichijoji and everyone seemed to be in shock. There were sirens, people looking lost, and children crying. We had no idea what just happened, as we didn’t get to a computer until later in the afternoon and realized what a tragedy had occurred. I’m glad I was in Kichijoji, as I was able to bike back home to Mitaka, but as we all gathered in the student center and felt aftershocks after aftershocks, it was so surreal. We stayed in the building even though there were so many aftershocks, because after going out every 20 minutes, we decided just to stay put. I was overwhelmed by the emails and messages asking how I was doing, and as of today (3-30) I am still catching up on them. We were supposed to have our HS dance retreat that night, but because every train line was cancelled, we weren’t able to practice (another surreal feeling, knowing that we still need to practice for CHANGE conference but our only chance was gone).

Saturday 3-12-11 : Awakening to the aftershocks wasn’t pleasant, but a reminder of the scope of the event that just happened. I went out to buy baking material for White Day, and then went to the student center to practice with Kimiyo and David for CHANGE conference.

Sunday 3-13-11 : New Hope’s service was good. It was solemn and prayerful as we lifted our requests to God. One of our Pastors, Pastor Peter, shared his testimony on how God saved him from being caught in the tsunami in Sendai. That was a powerful reminder of God’s protection, and it encouraged the congregation in their faith in God. =) During HS that night, we had our last practice and even though I couldn’t dance pretty much until the day before, God again showed His faithfulness to me and David and blessed me with the ability the day before CHANGE conference.

I spent the whole night writing my update on the earthquake, skyping with my parents, and packing, so I only had an hour of sleep the night before the conference.

Monday 3-14-11 : CHANGE conference! I woke up early for the conference since we were going to have rolling blackouts throughout the city. But once I arrived at the Mitaka station, it was so crazy as there were limited train lines and I had to wait 1.5 hours to even get on to the station. It was super packed, and I arrived at the Yoyogi Olympic Center later than expected. But everyone was late, so we had to shift our schedule a bit to accommodate the students.

The first day was super busy. After registration and check in, the students went to class while the staff got together to practice our surprise dance. We practiced for an hour, then I practiced with HS for our sign dance, then I practiced again with the staff for their dance, then I practiced with HS together for the sign dance, and then I went backstage with the staff for our surprise….that was a lot of rehearsals and practice. hahaha ^^;; But the students loved our Soran Bushi dance, and it was fun being able to sign to “Amazing Love” after the first message! =D

Tuesday 3-15-11 : Breakfast, then during the class time the stinters spent time with the staff. We started getting news that we might have to pull out of Japan, so everyone was a little stressed (also getting the news about the reactor wasn’t assuring either). So we prayed during the break for all the uncertainties that surrounded us. After lunch, we practiced with HS during free time for our dance that night, and even then it wasn’t sure if we would be able to perform. We had our meeting that night, and after the message, we had a time of prayer for Japan. It was so solemn and deep as we cried out for the Lord to heal our land. After the prayer, we changed the theme a bit and instead of the talent show, FREE and HS went up and we wanted to encourage the students with our songs. HS dance to Joyful Joyful, and I look and am amazed at how God helped us choose such a perfect song for this time. I loved being able to dance there and lift the spirits of the students! =)

Wednesday 3-16-11 : We had more news about radiation, so after breakfast, the stinters stayed together in the cafe during most of the class time. After lunch, we were supposed to have our outreach day, but because of the radiation warning in effect, we decided that we would stay inside and have small group sharing (We wanted to go out for sharing, but because there might not be anyone out, that’s why we decided to stay). I joined a Japanese small group and it was so awesome! I helped encourage them to share their testimonies, and then I was able to share my testimony and how God called me to Japan! When I shared, people started crying and praising God for remembering Japan and calling people to serve here. I am glad I was able to have someone translate for me and help me share my God story. =D

My small group at conference! I <3 these brothers and sisters

We had dinner, then Yoshitaka shared a message on loving radically with our actions. Then we had a talent show and 2 students went up to praise God with dance and song. It wasn’t as much a talent show as it was a time to praise God and give Him honor, so that was cool. =) After the performances, we had a time of testimony and several students went up to share how God has changed them during this conference and what steps they are going to take after this to focus on loving others.

Thursday 3-17-11 : We had breakfast, checked out, and then went home to Mitaka. We had a meeting and found out that we were required to go to Kyoto, so it was weird packing in 2 hours to evacuate. o_O We took the shinkansen to Kyoto and arrived at night. That was such a surreal day, waking up in Tokyo and being evacuated on short notice to Kyoto the same day. O_O

The Lee Family =D

Friday 3-18-11 : Stayed inside, had curry as a team before the Koreans went left the next day to Korea.

Saturday 3-19-11 : I took the train to Nagoya to visit friends, Keiko, Emi, Satomi, and Ibuki. We went to Ichira[sp], walked around Sakae’s shops, and then to Komoda’s for ice cream danish and choco ice cream floats, then Kahori joined us for dinner at a Korean place. =D I met with them because most of them were unable to go to CHANGE conference, so I was able to talk with them and share what happened and encourage them.

Sunday 3-20-11 : The stinters went to Osaka Suita Bible Church, and we had lunch with some of the Osaka stinters. =) Then we went to Umeda for fun, and went home before it started raining hard. It was Jessica Campbell’s last day in Japan, so we were able to have some fun before she had to return to the states.

Monday 3-21-11 : Most of the day spent inside. I found it truly difficult to do work at home, since there are no chairs and I can’t type comfortably because my shoulders and arms and back hurts so badly. =(

Tuesday 3-22-11 : We went to Kyoto University with Euikyum and met students in the co-op cafeteria. =) Then we went to Doshisha University to pray and share about our time in Kyodai.

Wednesday 3-23-11 : We had our Day with the Lord. I went to Kyoto station and walked along Kamogawa river for most of the day, listening to worship music and prayer walking the city. I then went to Nijo station and spent time in the cafe reading the Bible and praying.

Thursday 3-24-11 : Stayed inside from the rain.

Friday 3-25-11 : We wanted to help the Gideons pass Bibles out at Kyoto Prefectural University, but due to a misunderstanding about the bus schedules, we were unable to make it so we were stuck in the middle of Kyoto. ^^;;; So the girls went to meet their friends in Kyodai and the guys went to Doshisha to see if anyone was available to talk. We didn’t have much luck, so we took a nap and then went home. =)

Saturday 3-26-11 : I missed meeting with friends, so I went to Nagoya again because I didn’t know if it would be my last time able to see them. I met up with the Australian stinters and we had lunch at JUSCO’s basement shops. Then we window shopped until the stinters had to leave, so we then went to meet Cecilia and hang out with her. =) We went to take purikura, and then eat Akakara nabe for dinner. That was soooooo good! I love Akakara!

Sunday 3-27-11 : We went to the church in Kyoto that Eukyom introduced us to, but we were late (we thought it started at 5:30, but it started at 5). We were able to spend dinner with the members of the church and that was encouraging to be blessed by people we met for the first time!

Monday 3-28-11 : Prayed in the morning and planned for Shinkan, then ate Coco’s curry, and then had food coma for the rest of the day. ^^;;

Tuesday 3-29-11 : Team Fun day at Toei Kyoto Studio Park! It is a replica fuedal town with ninjas and samurai, and we had fun seeing the shows and being as a team. They were selling awesome katanas, and I really wanted one, but I didn’t know what I would do with one. Henry bought one though, and it was so fun to take pictures with him slaying everything in sight. There was a Superhero land, and they had so many exhibits of Power Rangers and Kamen Rider. I felt nostalgic seeing all the Power Rangers, and I’m amazed at how many Power Ranger seasons there were (it’s still going on, and the current generation is the Pirate Power Rangers). After the park, we went to Gustos, had lunch/dinner, and came home.

Wednesday 3-30-11 : Today we planned for our shinkan welcome party, and then I went out with Michelle, Mike, and AJ for lunch. We found an awesome tomato ramen place, and after lunch I went to this cafe and started writing this blog update. As of this sentence, I have spent 4 hours straight writing this long post, and then after this I will be going to eat sushi and then have our prayer meeting tonight. YAY! I caught up!

I have been mentioning that God has been impressing on my heart the need for more prayer. So in December, I acted on those promptings and invited people to pray with me every Wednesday night for an hour of prayer. =) We come together and simply pray; there isn’t much scheduling, much pomp, but just a humble group falling on our face asking for God’s face to be shown on us. I am no expert in prayer, nor do I necessarily know how a revival prayer meeting should look like, but one thing I do know: God calls us to pray, fast, and cry out to Him if we desire revival.

.

Blog

Saturday 12-11-10 : I woke up early to go to the student center to help Saya cook for the HS/FREE concert. I made salad for 40 people and then we started practicing from 11am. We practiced and worked hard until we performed at 6, and God really blessed the concert we had. About 65 people were at the concert, and so many people were blessed by the concert. Kohei shared his testimony, and Jiko and 4 students performed a really powerful skit about Jesus’s forgiveness of our sins. Many students commented on the skit/message and asked if some of the things mentioned were true. I loved observing the concert and seeing so many small little groups forming and students experiencing God’s love through the dance and choir students. A student commented and said “I can notice that you all have true joy, and I have never seen this before in any other clubs.” =)

Sunday 12-12-10 : Quiet Sunday, since there wasn’t HS that night. So that night we celebrated Michelle’s birthday by a surprise party at her home. =D

Monday 12-13-10 : LONG LONG meeting day, STINT meeting in the morning and then Christmas party planning all afternoon.

Long meetings are part of STINT life

Tuesday 12-14-10 : AJ and I had lunch with Yuta, and it was fun. =) Yuta keeps showing us good places to eat, and we have good conversations with them. AJ had a meeting afterwards, so I went with Lyndsey, but I got rejected 8 times (apparently a new record). I stayed later and hung out with Paddy afterwards too. =)

Wednesday 12-15-10 : That night, all the stinter guys went and bought a McDonald’s iCon Christmas chicken box. O_O It was 2 shaka shaka chickens, 10 chicken nuggets, 4 chicken selects, and a mega size fries. =d We really wanted the Shaka Shaka food strap, but it was only sold in the set, so the 4 of us bought one set each and ate it. ^^;;;

After Bible study, we had our first revival prayer meeting. This is the meeting that God has put on my heart to start. We just meet and pray together for an hour. It is a time to desperately call on the Lord. =)

Thursday 12-16-10 : Mike and I had lunch with Nonno at Ore no Sola in Takadanobaba. It’s consistently rated one of the top 3 ramen places, and it was truly an awesome bowl of ramen. =)

That night, the west impact had their Christmas party, and a student came to Christ! =)

West Imapct's Christmas Party

Friday 12-17-10 : There was no campus as we wanted to prepare for the Christmas party the next day. So we worked in the student center and decorated and got our skits ready. =)

Midtown Impact also had a Christmas night, but it was for Christian students to pray and reflect on the Lord’s gift. It was a good time of worship, and then I went out for dinner with the students. =)

Saturday 12-18-10 : Woke up early to go to the student center and practice our skit/dances. We prepared and rehearsed until 5, and then the students started coming. My friends from Paddy, Keisuke, Yutaka, Genta, and Koichiro came, as also Tao and Jane. =D It was such a good party, and many people also enjoyed the skit and dance we performed. Henry also had a good performance explaining the meaning of Christmas, and Haruka shared her testimony for us. =) I cooked salad for 50 people, and the students loved the food the stinters cooked. xD I loved the night, I could see so many of my friends loving the guests and sharing God’s love with them. =) And my best memory of the night was seeing Jiko lead some worship songs with students; even though they didn’t know the songs, they learned and we also helped out. =)

My friends from Waseda University (Jane, the girl on the left came to Christ in Jan9th)

Having fun praising God at the Christmas party =)

Sunday 12-19-10 : After New Hope, we were invited to the Low’s home for dinner. They bought us Dominoes pizza!!! It was a long time since we had pizza, and they really blessed us by having us over for dinner. =)

Monday 12-20-10 : We had a staff meeting, and it was the last one of the year until March. Yuni and Una and some other staff said their goodbyes, since they won’t be here in March. =( We prayed together, and it was sort of sad seeing friends and teammates leave. =(

Tuesday 12-21-10 : AJ and I had lunch with Yuta, and then we went to meet new students. We were able to talk with these 2 students in building 11, and gave them Christmas CDs as presents after a good conversation. =D Then I met up with the Yale students and led them on a prayer walk around Waseda. =)

That night, we went to the girls apartment and celebrated Christmas as a team before the NYKCCC stinters went home. We had secret Santas, and it was so fun seeing the gifts we bought each other. =)

Wednesday 12-22-10 : Last day of campus, the Yale students were there, but as I went with Mike, we saw the Man club in girls school uniforms dancing to AKB48….hahahaha… We weren’t able to do anything with the Yale students though. =( Later that day, we had Bible study and prayer meeting. =)

Thursday 12-23-10 : There was no campus today, so after resting, I went to New Hope’s Christmas service in the afternoon. =D They were really good! I wish my friends that told me they would come had come. =( But it was a refreshing time to enjoy a service without worrying what other people were thinking. =) I actually went to both services, because I wanted to hang out with the Yale team and students, so after the second service, we went out for dinner as a group.

Friday 12-24-10 : I went out for dinner with Jonghun. We were supposed to eat all you can eat yakiniku in koenji, but we weren’t hungry so we just had tendonya (one of my favorite restaurants). Then we wandered around, got home, watched Nausica, and then slept early so we can go to the homeless church the next day.

Saturday 12-25-10 : We woke up at 530 so we could walk to the station (the bus doesn’t come until 6). Jonghun and I met the other stinters at 6 at the station, and we took the train to Harajuku and met Saya, Arisa, Jean, and Una. We went to the homeless church in the morning, and served them by packing food, sharing testimonies, and talking/praying with them. After the church, we went to Jonathans for breakfast, then Omotesando hills for ice skating. The ice wasn’t real; it was plastic so we were disappointed. =( We then went back to Mitaka, got lunch, and stayed at the student center the whole day. We made a 1000 piece Totoro puzzle, played games, and I cooked beef stew for them. =D Saya also gave us a gift by buying us cakes so we can decorate them. We split to two teams : one team made a normal looking decoration cake, but my team made a gladiator koala deathmatch cake. xD Overall, I really enjoyed this Christmas, as it was spent with my best friends and just in a relaxed way. =D

Sunday 12-26-10 : New Hope Church, then rested at night.

Monday 12-27-10 : After our stint meeting, AJ, Mike, and I went to Kichijoji and had awesome omurice. =D Then I went home, worked on the stint shirt, and then later in the night, the other stinters came by to watch a movie at my home.

Tuesday 12-28-10 : Worked on the stint video script and the stint t shirt. Hung out with the guys, and went to the Mitaka onsen later that night. =D

Wednesday 12-29-10 : I went to the student center early to work with AJ and Lyndsey to work on our STINT recruiting video. It went quickly, and then I joined the HS team in Koenji for Karaoke. =D The room was so fun! It was my first time going Karaoke with the team, but I really enjoyed the time with them . They were crazy good singers. =D After singing, we wandered around Koenji, and then I went back to Mitaka for Bible study. We had a good Bible study, prayer, and then waited for the Yale students to come back. We wanted to hang out with them before they left, so it was fun just sharing and encouraging each other. We stayed with them until 1am. ^^;;;

Thursday 12-30-10 : The Kurihara’s invited us for dinner at their home. =D Kazu used to be the Japan director of JCCC, and now he is finding where God wants him to be. The family was so wonderful! They cooked so many awesome dishes, and they really went out of their way to make us feel loved. They also gave us some money as “Yokohama fun budget money.” O_O We were so blessed by their hospitality!

With the Kurihara Family

Friday 12-31-10 : We went to Kichijoji for dinner, and then to Yokohama for ice skating, enjoying the night view, and celebrating the New Year with fireworks near Cosmoworld’s amusement park. =) This time, we were able to get a rapid train back to Tokyo, so we took 2 hours to get back home instead of 3. ^^;;

New Years with the team

Saturday 1-1-11 : Slept in until 2pm, since we came home so late the previous night. All the guys went for Gustos for lunch, and then I spent the day working on the STINT t-shirts.

Sunday 1-2-11 : I went to church, and I was able to get some ozoni (Japanese traditional new years food) XD Then I went and had dinner with some of the students (Kay, Yukina, Chihiro, Miwako, Aya, and Seiko).

Monday 1-3-11 : STINT meeting, and planning on what to do during our break. We knew the students would be sort of free, so we prayed and went over our materials. That night, we watched Fellowship of the Ring, since Michelle hasn’t watched it before.

Tuesday 1-4-11 : We met up for another day of prayer in the student center. We wrote a board with all the things that happened in December and it was such a blessing to see how many ways God has answered prayers and gave us so many opportunities to share His love. =D

Wednesday 1-5-11 : We had Bible study and prayer that night. It was good and I really enjoyed setting these times for praying wholeheartedly to the Lord. =D

Thursday 1-6-11 : First day of campus! I had lunch with Tao and Lyndsey, and it was really good to talk with Tao. =D After our lunch, Lyndsey and I went out to try to meet new people, but everyone was busy. After campus, I met up with Jonghun and we shared and encouraged each other.

Friday 1-7-11 :Lyndsey and I went out for campus again, but it was hard. =( After some rejections, I talked with this guy, and he was part of the manga club. We couldn’t speak much English with him, but he was friendly and wanted to introduce us to the other club members. =)

Saturday 1-8-11: I prepped the home for dinner, as I invited Jane, Tao, Kimiyo, Lyndsey, and Emma over for a Chinese dinner night. I cooked some Lee family style food (realizing the fact that I haven’t cooked in a while so I was a bit rusty). Emma couldn’t come, but we added Mike to our mix  so the food wasn’t wasted. =D

Sunday 1-9-11 : Church was good, and I got to meet Chihiro’s friends Saori and Tomoyo. But the praise of the day was getting an email from Jane saying that she accepted Christ that day. =D Wow, Praise God! =D

Monday 1-10-11 : Even though it was a holiday (Coming of Age Day), we had worship and STINT meeting at the student center. I had lunch with AJ at a new restaurant north of the station, and then we went home to watch Liar Game’s movie. After the movie, I went for dinner with Jonghun at Ootoya’s. We met two sisters who were eating at the table next to us and we found out they were Christian. =) We invited them to the CHANGE conference and then walked home and watched Inception with the stinters + Suguru. =)

Tuesday 1-11-11 : I took the bus + train because I lent my bike to Jonghun, so I was early to the campus. It’s sooo cold. =( I led the prayer time on Isaiah 58, which is about true fasting and the blessings that God has in store for His people who come to Him with a right heart. The YWAM people joined us for prayer, and it was so good to be partnering with other likeminded individuals in prayer. After praying, I had lunch with Yumi and AJ at Mama Kimchi, and then met Jonghun’s friend Sungjin at building 11. Then I went with Henry to meet new students in Toyama campus and we met Kato in the Media and Arts lounge. After debriefing, we ate at Indra’s and I came home to work on the blog posts.

Wednesday 1-12-11: Went to campus, went sharing with AJ and Henry, but everyone was gone, so it was difficult to meet people since everyone was busy or gone. =(We had our Bible study at night then Yukiko joined us for our prayer time. =D

Thursday 1-13-11: I woke up and went to campus too early since I thought it was at 10 (not 11) oops! I spent some time praying, and then we had all the team come and pray before going to campus. I went again with Henry and AJ, but there weren’t many free people again. So we started talking about Shinkan, and then decided to visit the KGK people. =) We found their clubroom, and then introduced ourselves with them. =D

After campus, Lyndsey and I hung out before having dinner with Yuri-chan from Sophia. =D It was soo good to see her again and hear how she has grown in her walk with the Lord. We met up with her last year in Sophia, and during the summer while I was in the states, she came to Christ. =D She has such a pure and beautiful heart, and her observations of the Lord in nature are so astute. I hope she can continue growing with God this coming year. =D

Also, we got to Kichijoji and celebrated Mike’s finishing of his GREs. =D

Friday 1-14-11 : After praying together, I went alone and prayed for a while. I needed time to focus back on God and my reason for being in Japan, and then after resting in the presence of Him, I went out to the clubrooms to find WESA people. They weren’t there, but I ran into the manga club and I was able to talk with them for a few hours…in Japanese. ^^;; It was hard, but it was also humbling realizing I really wanted to share God’s love with them but I was limited by my language. =(

That night, we had our last mitsuyori with the students. =) It was fun hanging out with East and West side students, and I stayed around til 330am. ^^;;;

Saturday 1-15-11 : Slept in since the previous night was so long, and then spent the day reading and cleaning the home. ^^;; Made fried rice for the first time ever. =D

Sunday 1-16-11 : Lyndsey and I had a skype appointment with Epic conferences in California and Texas! It was so fun, and even though there were some initial connection problems, we were able to be interviewed and share about Japan with them. =D I pray that people would grow to have a heart for the lost here. =D

I went to church but all of my friends who were coming didn’t come. =( Later that night, I went to HS and we planned what we wanted our vision for this new year to be. Again, it was mostly in Japanese, but I love this dance team and they translated some of the important parts for me. =D

Monday 1-17-11 : STINT meeting with the NY KCCC teammates! YAY! It was awesome finally seeing them again, so we caught up during the meeting to hear how they spent the break and how Vision conference was. We went to Ippudo for lunch, and then I prepped the home for dinner. Yuni, Una, Jonghun, and David came over for Korean food, and we hung out at my home, making Mii’s and just having fun. =D

Tuesday 1-18-11 : I led the prayer time on Joshua 1:1-9, and then went out. I didn’t have any appointments, but I prayed that God would allow me to meet some people. So then I was able to talk with Suzu for 20 minutes, then Arata and Genta, then had lunch with Minami, talked with Jean in building 11, and then as I couldn’t find anyone free to talk to, I prayed for a while there. Then I met AJ and Henry and Ryohei dropped by. So I wasn’t able to meet any new students, but met many old friends. After debrief, AJ and I went to the cafeteria to meet Tao and go to the ICC tea ceremony. I met Rapee there, and hopefully we can meet up before she goes back to Thailand. After the tea ceremony/lesson, we went to Koenji and had all-you-can-eat yakiniku with Jonghun, Mike, and David. =D It was so good! We probably ate over a pound of meat each, along with other food. =D Oh, and on the way home, the guys got on the wrong train and I was the only one who noticed it was wrong so I got off….haha

Wednesday 1-19-11 : I had lunch with Henry, AJ, Koich, Takahiro, Wataru, and Kei. After lunch, Henry and AJ went to Sweets Pearls with Koich, so I went back to campus and prayed. I couldn’t meet anyone to talk with, and then Henry and AJ and Koich came back, so I talked with them for a while. Then we went to the roof to pray for the campus.

After debriefing, I went to the post office to figure out how to pay for CHANGE conference registration so I can teach the other stinters. Then I went back to Mitaka for Bible study and prayer.

Thursday 1-20-11 : We shared and prayed for friends, and then I was asking God to give me someone to talk with, and Susumu came up right at that moment. So I ate with him, Lily, Jimmy, and Amy. It was good, since I normally don’t get to spend time with them, and they asked me questions on what I do in Japan, why I care for students, how I talk with students, etc. I was even able to share my testimony with them on how God called me to Japan. =) After walking them to their class, I prayed around Waseda and then joined up with Mike. We got rejected a few times, but then we were able to talk with this guy named Jae. =)

We went to the post office as a team to pay for our conference (good thing I did it before so I could teach them). Then I went back home to Mitaka and got a haircut again from AshMake. I was just thinking of getting one, but the price wasn’t cheap. But as I was walking home, I ran into the hair stylist and we recognized each other, and she gave me a coupon for a cheaper haircut. o_O So once again, I tried a Japanese haircut (I feel it’s too short again. ^^;;) After the haircut, I went to West Impact’s last meeting.

I’ve been really busy recently, which keeps me from doing the blog since it’s on my lowest priority. I only have Mondays free, and almost every day I come home late. I still needed to spend some time praying and resting, so I would sleep instead of using my mental energy for blogging. =(

Blog:

Monday 11/8/10 : Stinter meeting and then life stories later that night. =D

Tuesday 11/9/10 : I met Koichi and Keigo with Michelle in building 15 over lunch, and then we went out and met Kazuya and Takkeshi. =D Later, we were able to share with Yuuki, and then at night during Paddy, I was able to talk with Toshiyuki about God. I love Paddy!

Wednesday 11/10/10 : We met Jun and Naoki at building 4, and then I met some of the teammates in building 11 and we got to meet Atsushi and Ami. They are so interesting! Atsushi had a pet project that he would go around with a sketch pad and ask people their favorite color and why, and then ask them to draw it on the pad. He would take a picture of them with the pad, and then upload the picture onto a website. His goal is to have 1000 pictures from people all over the world. =)

Stint Bible study that night was good. We’re going over Acts, and it is really encouraging to see the early church and how God worked mightily to bring people into a knowledge of His saving love.

Thursday 11/11/10 : I went with Henry and AJ for sharing, and we meet Ryuuki, Gaki, and Natsumi in building 4. Then there was a student named Coke who wanted to talk with us, and then I went sharing with Jonghun. =D We were able to talk about God with Inaba and it was really good since he was so friendly and easy to talk to. It went in Japanese, so Jonghun led, but I was doing my best to track with them. =D After a day on campus, I went to Park’s home and we had Korean dinner. =D It was fun to be invited to a student’s home, since it’s really rare to be able to go.

Friday 11/12/10 : I met Toshi for lunch with Ayumi, and after lunch, I invited him to go sharing with me and he said he was interested. So I shared the gospel first to show him how, and then I asked him to share. He chose an old lady, and to my surprise, he motioned and said I would be sharing the gospel in Japanese! O_O I was shocked, but I tried my best and Toshi helped a lot. ^^;; But it was really cool to see how he was willing to share the gospel even though it was the first time for us to meet. =D Later that night, I went to Midtown Impact since I haven’t gone in a while, and it was good to go over Ephesians. =D

Saturday 11/13/10 : I went bungee jumping with some friends in Paddy, and Mike also went with us. It was fun to hang out with Aya, Chihiro, Aiki, Shun, Oguri, and Susumu. =D

Sunday 11/14/10 : After church and HS, we celebrated Kanako, Nana, and Kei’s birthday. =D The HS boys dressed as Disney characters and the STINTers sang the Whole New World song. =D It was so fun to be able to celebrate their birthdays!

Monday 11/15/10 : We had a stinter meeting and then joined the JCCC staff meeting. It was good to be able to share how God was working in our lives with the staff. =D

Tuesday 11/16/10 : I went with Henry and we had lunch with Atsushi at an Indian restaurant. We had a good conversation, and Afterwards we prayed tried to meet people, but no luck. I stayed and went to Paddy that night.

Wednesday 11/17/10 : We prayed as normally at 11, but during this prayer, I felt God telling me I should lead a discussion during the Paddy Fall camp. It was out of the blue, and I was struggling with the idea, so I asked Jonghun and Henry to pray for me. I prayer walked with Henry later, and then we dropped into a conversation with Takahiro, Takeshi, Ken, and Koichiro. I then got an email from Nonno that I couldn’t go to the camp since I wasn’t a student, so I was confused about what God was asking me to do, but I felt I should continue so I asked Nonno if there was any way I could go and he said he would check into it.

Thursday 11/18/10 : We met at the SC at 7am to leave for Kyoto. It was a long drive, and we arrived in the afternoon. We were able to check out the Gold temple for 20 minutes, and then went to Ritsumeikan University to prayer walk there. The Kyoto staff took us to the mission house and cooked curry for our dinner. =D Then he shared about the situation in Kyoto, with only him as staff and one stinter, and how we could be praying for him. It pulled my heartstrings hearing such the great need there in Kyoto, and I pray that God will sent workers there in the future.

Friday 11/19/10 : We woke up early and went to Arashiyama for pictures and omiyage. =D Then we drove to Osaka and met Philip. He took us to Kansai University and we had lunch with some of the students there. After lunch, I went sharing with Philip and we were able to share the gospel with Isaka, a new student we met.

Later that night, we went to the Osaka Student Impact’s meeting, ACTS, and it was fun to be able to worship and hang out with the students there. =DDD

Saturday 11/20/10 : We rushed to Osaka castle, took a few pictures, and then rushed and got to the Osaka Expo. There was a SUPER WEIRD statue there, but at the park, we hung out with the Osaka stinters and staff, playing ultimate and other games. =D Then we went to Doutonbori dori and had good ramen for dinner. I bought some omiyage, then found a Yogurtland!!! It made me SOOOOO happy. =D I love yogurtland!!! We then got home really late at night to our home.

Sunday 11/21/10 : We went to Suita Bible Church in the morning and after lunch and saying goodbyes, we started the long drive home. We left at 2pm and got home in Mitaka at 12:20am. =( The car ride home was fun though, as we were able to talk and bond more during the trip home. I really enjoyed the time in Osaka and Kyoto, and it grew my heart for the students here in Japan. It’s amazing to see how different I was compared to when I came in Jan 2008, and how last time I didn’t really care for the Japanese. Now God has continued to impress on me the hurts and needs of the Japanese, and I cannot imagine a life without serving them.

Monday 11/22/10 : We had a stint team meeting in the morning and then more life stories at night. =D Life stories are awesome!

Tuesday 11/23/10 : We had a holiday, so some of the stinters went out, but I cleaned the house and had a Korean dinner night. =D Jonghun, Park, Esther, Kat, and David came over for dinner, and I made kimchi chige for them. =D Apparently I cook better than Korean moms’ chiges. xD

Wednesday 11/24/10 : I shared my heart with the team during prayer time, and they prayed for me for two hours while I went to my lunch appointment. I had a great lunch with Nonno at Shakey’s Pizza, and we had an all you can eat for $14. xD I love Nonno! He’s super nice and he worked so hard to get me into the Paddy Fall Camp, so I wanted to really be of help to him as much as possible. We had a great conversation and lunch, and then I went home to the stint Bible study that night.

Thursday 11/25/10 : After the training in the morning, Ayumi and I had lunch with Tomi. She’s a friend from WESA and she’s super nice and enjoys talking with us about life. After the long conversation, Ayumi had to go to her appointment, and I went to building 11′s lounge and talked with Zume and his friend Shusato.

That night, we went over to the girls apartment and had a Thanksgiving dinner with some stinters and students. It was really cool to be able to celebrate with the team. =D

Friday 11/26/10 : We prayed in the morning and I asked people to pray for my discussion topic for the retreat the next day. After prayer, I spent 2 hours working on the discussion topics, and then went with Mike sharing and we met Shigenori. We had a good conversation with him and hopefully we can meet up again. =) We got back to Mitaka and the students were having their sleepover, and there was a Waseda alum who shared about how to follow the will of God. I couldn’t stay for too long since I had to work on my discussion topic though.

Saturday 11/27/10 : I went to Takadanobaba and prayed with Jean over lunch for the retreat. Then we met up with Paddy friends and I was in Nonno’s car to the place. We had Lisa, Nonno, Momi, Zane, and Yuri in our car, and it was really fun talking with them all the way to the place. I had a deep conversation with Lisa and I was able to apologize to her for all the hurt she felt from Christians in her past. I was able to be such a great help to them and we arrived to the Waseda Seminar House at 6. We got settled into our rooms, had dinner then a bath, and then we had our 1 hour discussion times. Jean helped colead my time, and my discussion topic was “Who is God? Spiritual Topics Forum” and it was really good being able to discuss our beliefs and share about our relationship with God. Then We played and hung out all night until 3am…

Sunday 11/28/10 : After breakfast, we cleaned up, had discussion and games. (I won a Christmas tree and was named the genius of the day) After the games, we had lunch and got ready to leave. I was able to talk with Yuri and Yumi and hear what they believed about life, and was able to share my thoughts with them too. Then we took the car back, took a break at Tokyo German Village (an awesome Christmas lighted park), talked with Jane in the car a lot about her background and told her God loves her, and then I got home to baba at 8 and went to Holy Supi at 9. =D Praise God for such a fun and blessed trip!

Monday 11/29/10 : After our team meeting in the morning, I went shopping for Christmas gifts for students. Cayla was coming that night so we didn’t have life stories.

Tuesday 11/30/10 : We had a meeting with Cayla at the SC for 2 hours, then I went to Koenji to check out the dinner place for Wednesday. After trying to meet students and getting rejected, I went home and prepared my home for dinner. The Holy Supi team (A-chan, E-chan, Kanako, Yukina, Ryou, and Yusuke) came over for my home for dinner and I really enjoyed being able to encourage them. =D

Wednesday 12/1/10 : I went to Mitaka’s Starbucks and had a meeting with Cayla for an hour for coaching and seeing how I was doing. Then I went for my half day with the Lord in Shinjuku. I went to the Tokyo Metropolitan Office and prayed for 30 minutes there, taking in the view and really seeing the immense sprawl of the city. Then I went down to the Chuo park and prayed and listened to worship music for 3 hours, and then went to Koenji to have Yakiniku buffet with the team + Cayla. =D After the dinner and coming home, I went to Ayumi’s place for dessert and had fun with the students and staff.

Thursday 12/2/10 : I shared my 3 minute testimony during training, and then we learned more about responses to the gospel. Then I had lunch with Henry and we we tried to meet some new students but they didn’t want to talk with us. So then we prayed, went to building 4, didn’t see anyone, and then went to the WESA clubroom and met Airai, Shuntaro, Kasumi, and Marino. It was fun meeting with them and seeing old faces again. Then Henry had to meet Cayla so I met Jonghun and we shared the gospel with Aoi. Then I debriefed and went to west impact.

Friday 12/3/10 : I had lunch with Jane at Tenya, and it was a good conversation. =) Then I went home early so I can open the doors for the Holy Supi retreat in the student center. We had practice for most of the night. During this time, I was very discouraged as I kept making mistakes and unable to learn the dances.

Saturday 12/4/10 : I woke up late so I went to the student center a bit late. 11:40 instead of 10am. ^^;;; Practiced “Rejoice,” “本当の愛、” and Merry Christmas. =) After practicing for 3 hours, I did some errands, then celebrated Michelle’s and Kat’s birthday in the student center + Korea town karaoke.

Sunday 12/5/10 : I went to church and then practiced our 3 dances into the night. Three days of dancing made me really tired, but I feel more comfortable with our upcoming performance.

Monday 12/6/10 : We met at 9:30 at the student center for worship, training, and preparations for our Christmas party. We finished at about 3, but when I tried to go home, I found out that I lost my house key so I backtracked through my whole day to try to find it. No luck. =( So I went back to the student center, asked Mike for his house key, and got back home for dinner. Then during lifestories, Kimiyo and Mike shared with us. =)

Tuesday 12/7/10 : Before the prayer time, my heart has been wrestling over the idea of the lack of movement in Japan. God has been teaching me recently about the importance of prayer in starting movements and revivals. I was reminded that no movement of God has started without desperate and faithful prayer that perseveres for months or years. So I was able to lead a time with my team to pray for a spirit of prayer. Then after lunch with the team, I had an hour catching up with AJ. Later, I prayed for an hour, since I realized that many times prayer because a “backup” or something to do when I have nothing to do. I wanted to make prayer a priority and I enjoyed the time in prayer. On the way to debrief, I saw and met Ken and Takashi and invited them to our Christmas concert and parties. =)

After debriefing, I decided not to go to Paddy so I can catch up with all the paperwork I had backlogged. =(

Wednesday 12/8/10 : Prayed together in the morning, then went to Toyama campus to try to meet students. We saw a table with students, but when Henry and I went to sit down with them, they left immediately. =( So we finished our meal, went to pray at the student activities building, and then went to the WESA clubroom to hang out with friends. We were able to talk with Dimos and Ayumi for most of the day, and then we went back to debrief at 3. We debriefed on the way home because we wanted to see the presentation by the Jesus Film team at the student center and also hear a presentation from a guy who memorized the book of John and other books. We got to see the anime version of the Jesus Film as it was in beta stage, and give our input on the presentations. Then I got home and we had STINT guys Bible study and some sign dance practice with David.

Thursday 12/9/10 : Esther was the last stinter to finish her 3 minute testimony, and then we had more training by Peggy. After eating a quick lunch, Henry dashed out to see the sumo outside in the garden, and I followed. I met Arata and his friend on the way, and invited them to the Christmas concert and party. Then at the garden, I found out it was mochi making ceremony with the sumo making the mochi. I ran into Claudine, Yoko, and Lisa, and got to meet Zume’s friend Yuya and met Lisa’s friend Tao. We had a really good conversation together and she said she wanted to join our Christmas party too. =D

Then Henry and I went to pray for a while, and after praying, we walked over to building 14 and explored. We ran into Yuuki, and it was so good to be able to catch up with him. After Yuuki had to leave for class, Henry and I continued praying and then went to building 15 and met Takahiro for about 30 minutes. Then we debriefed, came home, and went to west impact’s meeting and I planned our concert dinner plans with Saya.

Friday 12/10/10 : I met Yuta with AJ and we had lunch at this awesome katsudon place. =D We talked for 2 hours, and then AJ had to leave and I sent some emails, prayed for a while, and then went to the student center (since I couldn’t go home) and waited for Mike to go home.

Anyways, I hope to be able to start catching up tomorrow or something.

During my time with God during these few weeks, I have been meditating on my relationship with God. This is my favorite youtube video that I have been listening to during this time:

It’s sooo good! If you have time, please watch this video.

Anyways, I have been meditating on this and the idea of how Jesus showed the importance of prayer and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Even Jesus as a man needed to spend time in prayer and do things in the power of the Holy Spirit. He showed an example of a man fully dependent on the HS and devoted to the Father. Ministry, healing, and preaching all took second place to His time spent with the Father. And if He spent so much time in prayer, I would need to spend even more time since Jesus didn’t have to repent or confess in His prayers. So many times daily activities seem so important and prayer gets put to the side in place of “more important” things. That is so wrong. In the midst of the more difficult times and when more is expected of us, more time should be spend refreshing ourselves in the presence of God.

.

Prayer Requests:

1. Please pray for strength and health so we don’t get sick

2. Please pray for good friendships to be formed within the team and with students =D

.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, I will update this post later with pics.

Tuesday 10/26/10 : Had lunch with Ryohei and Charlie with AJ, then met Kotaro and Masahiro in building 4′s lounge, and then AJ had to have a meeting with Michelle so I went with Henry and we met Takahiro, Kei, and Takkashi in building 14. I went home and cooked Korean food for Jonghun and Rie, and Henry came by to watch Sherlock Holmes with us. =)

Wednesday 10/27/10 : We had our day with the Lord. I spent it at home listening to sermons and reading “Let the Nations Be Glad.” Some of what I learned I wrote up on the beginning, but I really enjoyed spending a day with Him. =)

Thursday 10/28/10 : We went to New Hope Church’s office in the morning to do training, and after training Lyndsey and I spent the day with Carita and Dennis, our coaches from Epic. They asked how we were doing, how ministry was, what we have been learning about God and ourselves. We also were able to share our calling to Japan and some of our future plans. It was fun being able to share with them and give feedback to Epic, and afterwards I ended my day with West Impact’s meeting. =D

Friday 10/29/10 : Mike and I had lunch with Iphie and Ronnie at a pasta place. (I had a good dish while everyone else didn’t like their food ^^;;) Then we went to boba and talked for 3 more hours, sharing our life stories and our views on life and education. It was fun, and being able to listen to Cantonese was a bonus.

Saturday 10/30/10 : Rested at home. =D

Sunday 10/31/10 : Kimi and I went to Jesus Lifehouse again for the 4pm service, and at HS that night, Ryou and AJ joined us. =D

Monday 11/1/10 : We studied about the idea of walking rightly before God. It was sobering to read the quote on how many people know a lot about God but don’t really know Him in a relational way.

Tuesday 11/2/10 : I led the prayer in the morning with the idea of praying in the right mindset about God. After prayer, Michelle and I went to the Toyama campus and had lunch with Ken and Shizuka, then ran into Rie and Ryou. =) Michelle had to leave for a meeting, so I met up with Kimi and Mike and we went to get boba with Iphie and Cindy. =D I love boba! =D After debriefing, I rested and read “Let the Nations Be Glad,” and then went to Paddy that night. I finished the day with dinner with Kat, Esther, Iphie, and Jane in the omurice place, Cafe Retro.

Wednesday 11/3/10 : As a national holiday of “Culture day,” I spent it sleeping and resting.

Thursday 11/4/10 : We had training again in the morning, and then I had lunch with Patrick. Then we went to building 4 and met Nao-kun and Masataka from the soccer circle and then Kotaro, Arato, Chika, Yutaka, Ana, and other people from the tennis circle. It’s really cool how we can meet so many friendly students and they will always be in the same place. =)

Patrick had to leave, so I joined up with Mike and Henry and we weren’t able to meet anyone new. So we got back together at 4 and waited in the quad, and then randomly met people from WIF, Waseda International Festival, and got to know some students from that circle. Then one of them found out we were Christians and said “I’m Christian too!” =D It was such a blessing to be able to meet a new student, and hopefully I am meet him and his friend soon. =D

At impact meeting that night, I practiced and learned more Japanese. =D

Friday 11/5/10 : Since Waseda had a day off, the stinters got together in Mitaka and planned a Christmas event. =) Then after a bento lunch, we went to Shinjukugyoen (Shinjuku park) and spent some quality time as a team. It was good being able to spend time together, since we’ve been mostly working and doing things separately.

On the way to our dinner, we walked by an open electronics store and stopped as we heard “How Great Is Our God” playing. It was such a great surprise to see Chris Tomlin’s songs in an iPod at an electronics store in Shinjuku. =D

Saturday 11/6/10 : Rested, errands, and haircut. I was nervous going to get a haircut, as I knew I would have to order in Japanese, but it went well and I was able to have a simple conversation with the stylist. =D

Sunday 11/7/10 : I went to Wasedasai for the 2nd time, and it was fun being able to enjoy the school festival. Tapioca drinks have become super popular (last year, there was only 1 tapioca booth, this year, 10+). After helping Paddy out with their booth, seeing Toshi perform traditional Japanese soran dance, and going to see Rie’s photography exhibit, I went to New Hope’s 4pm service and then HS afterwards. We practiced our sign dance and hip hop dance, and then planned when we would have our joint concert with FREE.

Then why do I dance? Well, when I got back to Japan in September, I was thinking hard about if I should stay or not for another year. As I just mentioned, I really don’t have an aptitude for dancing. But when I came back to the team in September, they were sharing their experiences being part of the team and serving on missions trips. A team went to Taiwan, and they shared how even though they didn’t know how to speak Chinese, they were amazed at how God was able to use their dance to touch the hearts of students and how people came to Christ through their concert. I immediately connected with that sentiment; I knew that if by my being in HS, that people would be able to be encouraged and perhaps know God, it would be worth the work and sacrifice. And since I can’t speak Japanese, I can use this as a way to praise God and help out my brothers and sisters here. =) So that’s why I dance.

.

Prayer Requests:

1. For physical strength and energy. These past 2 weeks have been really tiring and my lack of blogging has reflected it. =(

2. For people for me to be able to love with His love =)

.

Blog

Tuesday 10/5/10 : Stayed at home, then went to Waseda for Paddy’s meeting since I was chairing a topic. I chose “What is the most significant event in human history and why?”

Wednesday 10/6/10 : I went to ICU High School for the first time. =) It was the first time they were meeting on Wednesday, so not many students knew that we were here. =(

Thursday 10/7/10 : We went to Waseda to pray for the day and then I went to West Impact’s meeting that night. =D

Friday 10/8/10 : First day for most of the team in Waseda! We went out and tried to meet new people. I was with AJ, and after getting no one for lunch to eat with us, we went and met several people, Ryouhei on the benches,  and Koichi and his friend on in building 15. =) I decided to stay and go to Paddy, but the stint girls wanted to watch the Waseda boys cheerleading team first. So David and I joined them and watched (they were pretty good! as expected from national champions). Then Paddy that night was fun, and I was able to hang out at a student’s home after the meeting. xD

Saturday 10/9/10 : Stayed at home as I waited to hang out with the team, but it started pouring hard so I was glad I wasn’t out in the typhoon. =D

Sunday 10/10/10 : Church and Holy Spirit was fun. =) It was mostly a talking meeting as we planned for what to do as a team. =)

Monday 10/11/10: It was a holiday so I went with the dance team to Chiba to Tokyo Christian University. It is the only university in Japan where all the students are Christian. =D We also went to the ocean and overall it was a pleasant time spending it with my team. I didn’t understand much since it was almost all in Japanese though. ^^;;;

Me and my dance team =D

Tuesday 10/12/10 : I met Takuma for the first time (he’s Jean’s friend in Waseda); he is from Delaware and wants to be a light in the campus. =D So we went and did outreach and met some of his friends. =D Afterwards, I hung out with David and Mike as we went to Paddy that night.

Wednesday 10/13/10 : We went to ICU High School, but not many people joined our lunch time. Then we prayed and went out to play football and frisbee. By the time I had to leave, no students were around (but I heard more came after I left). I came home to prepare for Saya’s surprise birthday party. Jonghun, Saya, Natsuki, and Yukiko joined us to celebrate Saya’s birthday. =) It was fun and I loved hosting them at my home. =D

Thursday 10/14/10 : We had to leave early to get on the train to Okutama, while some of the stinters biked there. o_O It’s 40 km one way, so major props for Mike and David for biking there. When we all got there, we had a small prayer/worship session, settled in, and then had a several hour session on working on our 3 minute testimony. After dinner, we had a team building session to get to know each other’s 5 most important memories such as “Proud Moment,” “Painful Memory,” “Influential Persons,” “Joyful Memory,” and “Failures.” We had s’mores and worship later in the night. =)

Friday 10/15/10 : After breakfast, we worked on our testimony a bit more and then had a lesson on LAMP. =) LAMP is Language Acquisition Made Practical and it’s a way for us to learn Japanese easier. We finished after lunch, and took the train back home. I found a butterfly on the road, so I picked it up and brought it all the way back to Mitaka on my head. =) The people on the train were startled when they noticed, but the old ladies LOVED it. Hahhaa…. I also scared several kids in Mitaka as I was trying to give it as a gift to kids. ^^;;

Saturday 10/16/10 : We biked to Omar’s home to celebrate Canada’s Thanksgiving with him. We made cheese and pasta for our ravoli for lunch (with Omar’s awesome minestrone soup), played games, and enjoyed talking with Omar’s ninja friends. XD We had turkey, sweet potato, mashed potatoes, and stuffing for dinner. Dessert was homemade yogurt and rice pudding. =) It was worth the 15 mile round trip bike ride, even though it was kind of crazy some times biking through Tokyo. ^^;;

Making pasta at Omar's home

Sunday 10/17/10 : David, Kimi, and I visited Jesus Lifehouse for the first time. It is a Hillsong church plant, and I really enjoyed the friendly hospitality from the church. The worship/message was ok, but I’ll go and visit at least one more time in the future. =) Jonghun was there, so we were able to have lunch together then go to Inokashira park. Dance was difficult at night, as we were practicing for Christmas’ concerts already. =)

Monday 10/18/10 : The stinters had our training time in the student center, and when we finished, I took a nap and then went to Ikebukuro to have a birthday dinner for Jean. We had Taiwanese food, and then went to a parfait place for dinner. =)

Tuesday 10/19/10 : I led our team for 1.5 hours of prayer before we went to campus. =) Then when we went to Waseda, Michelle and I had lunch with Wakaki, Rie, and Ryou. We had a fun conversation and Rie invited Michelle to check out her photography circle. =) I shared why I was in Japan with them, and then I met up with Henry and we visited building 4 and 15′s lounges. Kat, Mike, and Kimi wanted to go to Paddy that night, so we rested while I met up with Jong and read the Bible together. Paddy was good, and Jong, Nonno, Satoki, Iphie, and Jean went for dinner at the udon place. =D

Wednesday 10/20/10 : We went to Waseda at 11 to pray for an hour, and then I had lunch with Kimi, Yumi, and Yumi’s friend. We chatted all the way until 4 and the conversation was really good. =) After meeting back up at 4, we prayed and shared how our day went. And then I came home and rested.

Thursday 10/21/10 : Waseda had classes off, so we met in the student center and had training with Cam and Ayumi and Patrick. Learned about LAMP, a way to learn Japanese, and then went to Sukiya for lunch and then to Shinjuku’s Tokyo Metropolitan Building to pray. Some students joined us to pray, and after praying for 2 hours, we went to Krispy Kreme, then I went to West Impact’s meeting that night. =)

Stinters at the Tokyo Metropolitan Building

Friday 10/22/10 : Someone mentioned that I might not be doing well at letting people know me, so I tried to be even more friendly during my conversation with my friend Iphie for lunch and the afternoon (and found a nice sushi place near Waseda). XD Midtown Impact was good at night, but I am wondering if I should continue going to MI since it’s more Japanese oriented.

Saturday 10/23/10 : Rest at home, watched Arrested Development a bit, and then dressed up to go to Fumi’s birthday party. We had potluck and watched “Annie” afterwards. It was really good! I thought I watched it before, but I couldn’t remember anything other than the main song “Tomorrow” and “It’s a Hard Knock Life.”

All dressed up fro Fumi's birthday

Sunday 10/24/10 : I went to New Hope and then helped Midori buy the cake for A-chan’s birthday. Sonny and Mana joined us for HS, and we worked hard on learning the dance for Christmas. =D

Monday 10/25/10 : Stint meeting (learned about team building and we worked on our team covenant). After eating udon for lunch, I came home to prep for dinner and the stinter movie night. We watched Anchorman (and I can’t understand why it’s such a favorite, as I only mildly enjoyed it). But most of my free time was spent cleaning and writing this blog so I can finally be caught up. xD

…And he said “Come, and follow me
I’m calling you I want you to be
A fisherman to fish for those
Who are drowning in a scowling sea
A sea of lonliness and pain
Confusion, hurt, worry, shame
I’m holding out my hand
And yet they don’t hear me call their name

I want you to be the one
To tell them that the Kingdom’s come
And give them all the truth and joy
You’ve been given by the Son

Will you go
Wherever I lead
Be light in the dark
And be salt in the street
Will you go
No matter the cost
Will you live for the lost
So they’ll know of the cross
Will you go

I said Oh no, Lord not me
I’m not good enough to go you see
I mean what if they laugh or worse
Start throwing things and I get hurt
Besides that, what would I say
I think there’s been a big mistake
Lord, please ask this of someone else
I can’t go I’m too afraid

I want you to be the one
To tell them that the Kingdom’s come
And give them all the truth and joy
You’ve been given by the Son

Will you go
Wherever I lead
Be light in the dark
And be salt in the street
Will you go
No matter the cost
Will you live for the lost
So they’ll know of the cross
Will you go

He said yes, some will cover their ears
And they will not want to hear
You must stand and say it still
Be brave my child and do not fear
For it is my words you’ll speak
And I promise I will keep
You safe and sound within my will
I’m your strength when you’re weak

I want you to be the one
To tell then that the Kingdom’s come
And give them all the truth and joy
You’ve been given by the Son

I will go
Wherever You lead
Be light inthe dark
And be salt in the street
I will go
No matter the cost
I will live for the lost
So they’ll know of the cross

I will go
Wherever you lead
Be light in the dark
And be salt in the street
I will go
No matter the cost
I will live for the lost
So they’ll know of the cross
I will go

I will go
Here I am
Send me
oh yeah

And man, it’s such a great book to read! I loved getting my perspective back onto what is required for this year: For God to work. Without Him, there is nothing I can accomplish. Without His blessing and will, all the efforts and strategies and plans are for naught. I loved how the early church asked God for almost everything in prayer, knowing that they had to completely rely on God for health, more workers, for open doors, for protection, for wisdom, and for unity in the body. It was good to get back to my foundation and know that I am not responsible for the work of God (which, by definition alone, its already just His work). And the knowledge of Jesus as the good shepherd looking for His sheep is so encouraging and gives hope in all situations. I am still reading the book, but from what I’ve read, I highly recommend this book for all missionaries or people who want to know the heart of God. =)

.

Prayer Requests:

1. One more teammate is raising support to come. Please pray for perseverance and faith. =)

2. For wisdom as we decide next year’s schedule

.

Blog:

Tuesday 9/28/10 : I went to Waseda and had lunch with Wakaki, Rie, and Ryou. =) It was good to see Wakaki again and chat with him about God.  After lunch, I rested before meeting up with Jonghun, who came and visited my home. =) We had dinner and caught up with what God is teaching us recently, and then we went to the student center to meet the NY stinters! =D David and Esther arrived, and their teammate Kat is coming in 2 weeks.

Wednesday 9/29/10 : All the stinters went to Waseda to pray in the morning, and then after lunch, I took them on a tour around Waseda. After our tour, some of the stinters went home due to jet lag. Mike, Jong, and I went for outreach, and then later Mike and I met up with Misa, Tomi, and Mariko for dinner.

Thursday 9/30/10 : I had lunch with Genta, Arata, and Yuuto. They are really cool people, and they are doing their best to practice English with me. =) I was also able to see Jean for a little bit, and gave her omiyage before she had to leave. I couldn’t meet anyone else, so I then went to Kichijoji’s Starbucks and read “Let the Nations Be Glad.” =) What a blessed book to read to lift up my spirits. =) I went to the West Impact meeting that night, and we shared and prayed together as a fellowship.

their first impact meeting!

Friday 10/1/10 : I was going to visit Gaidai with AJ, but he called me and said there wasn’t much to do. So I did laundry and then went to Paddy’s first meeting of the semester. I brought AJ, David, and Mike for their first Paddy meeting. =) I wasn’t able to meet many new people, but I was able to talk with Yuta and Jean during dinner afterwards.

Saturday 10/2/10 : The stinters went to Harajuku for sightseeing and hanging out. We had Tenya for lunch (Tempura donburi) and wandered around until we got to Shibuya. Between Yoyogi and Shibuya, there was a Hokkaido food festival, so we were able to get some awesome seafood there. =) We got back to the student center, and were able to welcome our last PSW stinters, Henry, Kimi, and Michelle!!! Praise God for bringing our whole team here! =D

Hokkaido seafood is awesome =D

Sunday 10/3/10 : All the stinters went to New Hope for church, and afterwards went to a Hawaiian burger place. I invited and got David and Esther to join Holy Spi with me for the night. =D We didn’t practice anything, but just warmed up for an hour. o_O I hope the stinters can join this year again!

Monday 10/4/10 : We did some more errands, going to the Mitaka government office and getting the ARCs for the new stinters, and going to Tachikawa and getting our visas renewed for the restinters. I then went to Kichijoji to hang out and do some shopping before coming back to meet them for dinner at Kappa sushi. =D Jiko joined us for dinner, and it was a fun group of 10 of us having fun. =D They dropped by my place afterwards to play Signs and then after they went home, Jiko stayed as we played some SSBB. =D

¹⁸ Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.

Ps. 136:3-4

³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

⁴ to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.

.

What sweet assurance we have when we rest in the knowledge of Him, who is the only one who is capable of great wonders. So many Christians don’t realize it, but once you start a relationship with God, you enter into a journey with a ingenious, marvel creating, breathtaking Master of reality. I love just reflecting on the Old Testament history of His works, reading biographies of missionaries, and seeing modern day results of His hand in human lives. Only He is capable of doing marvelous and wonderful things, things that we cannot even dare to dream to accomplish. And by His grace and mercy, He has allowed us to be a part of His work in the tapestry of human history.

And as I have been meditating on Ephesians, that same power resides in us! O_O That limitless, rule breaking, sovereign power is at work in us and throughout our lives. He isn’t finished with His work, or complacent, or unable to make anything change in this world, but He is completely sufficient in producing fruit and change in our lives.

I started thinking about this attribute of God when I was looking at the miracles that happened this week. =) There are 7 new brothers and sisters in Christ this week. =) Praise God! =D

.

Prayer Requests:

1. We will be starting to be on campus this week. However, there is no leadership in place yet, so everyone is going to be doing their own things. Please pray as we step up and lead/pioneer our own work.

.

Blog

Thursday 9/23/10 : We went to Gustos in the morning and prayed as a team for CoEs, visas, our team’s support, JCCC’s leadership. After that brunch, we cleaned up the place and Masayoshi came by at night and we went to Kappa sushi for dinner. After dinner, we watched the Godfather (1972).

Friday 9/24/10 : I went to the student center and helped prep the food for the student retreat/sleepover (Mitsuyori). We had bibimbap for dinner, and about 40 students came to worship together. After a message from Jonghun, the students slept over in the student center. =) And PRAISE God! We had a new sister in Christ that night. =D (In addition to the sister who accepted Christ on Wednesday)

Students having a retreat for the weekend =)

Saturday 9/25/10  : I went to Inokashira park to rest and read “Let the Nations Be Glad” by John Piper. Then I hung out in Kichijoji with Mike and AJ before coming back home late. =)

Sunday 9/26/10 : I was listening to Resolved sermons before going to New Hope for church. During service, 5 people accepted Christ after the message. =D After church, we went geocaching for treasure around Ochanomizu/Akihabara. XD Then I went to HS’s meeting. It was so good as the meeting was for us to catch up and share about the Taiwan mission trip. It was many of the student’s first time on a mission trip, and they were so changed after seeing God work in Taiwan. I was praying if I should continue going to HS for this second year, and after their sharing, I think I should continue going to HS, because I will be able to help people know God even without knowing the language. =D

Also watched a movie with the guy stinters when I got back. =D

Going geocaching in Tokyo!

Monday 9/27/10 : Hung out with Mike at Gusto’s for most of the afternoon. Have been listening to DesiringGod’s youtube channel today, and listening to WoW hits 2001 to 2008. =) Sent out lots of emails trying to set up this week’s appointments.