Awaken 2012 Epic West Coast Conference

Final Count

GRAND FINALE TOTAL for PSW A TOKYO:
Total Count: 301
Spiritual Conversation: 135
Gospel Presentations: 52
New Brothers and Sisters in Christ: 9

Last Day on Campus

Day 30: Last day on campus and it was good but sad. We met up with the stinters in the morning and got to see the Epic team again! Afterward, had lunch with Maki and it was such as blessing!!!! She has taught me what it means to really love somebody so much that all you want for them is to enter into His kingdom! Her mom made me a homemade bento!!!! And it was just an awesome time of conversing and getting to share the KGP and who God really is! We kinda ran out of time but she hears it all and receives it and is just at a place where she knows our heart and love for her and is just sitting with it and processing through it now. Maki has helped me understand what it means to really love someone so much that all you want is to see them enter into His Kingdom and to experience God's love! There was just a sense of peace and desire for her to enter into this family and I am excited to take that home with me! Continue to pray that God would touch her heart in radical ways even though we are leaving Tokyo tomorrow. She is a lifelong friend and I can't wait to continue our friendship! Then took Suguru to honey toast where it was just a good time of hanging out and connecting one last time before we leave. He was one of the first students I met at Waseda, so getting to end it with him was really special too! Then did some last minute shopping at Waseda and headed back to the apartments to do stats! Yahoooooo! We then had our celebration night and got to encourage each of the 10 students! It has been an amazing summer with each of them and they are all truly walking out of this summer different than how they came in! We enter our retreat tomorrow and will be without internet until I get back to California so look out for that check-in when I get in!!! THANKS SOOOOO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!!! <3

Finishing Well

Day 28 and 29: Well down to our last couple days... super sad... Tuesday we went on campus and I got to finish up and say goodbye to a few girls that Dylan and I had met. It was sooooo good and I wish I had more time with them! In the afternoon, had some really good discipleship time! That afternoon headed back with Gen a little early to finish prep for our team training where we got to look at spiritual gifts. It was really cool! That night, hung out with Debbie and headed out to Ikebukuro where we got some really, really cool Mickey Mouse shirts specific to Japan as well as this stuffed animal I had been looking for for my cousins and soon to be nephew (and Chris). :) Then we headed home and went to the train station to welcome in the Epic Summer Project team!!! It was sooooooo fun and exciting to meet them and to reconnect with some old students!!! So excited for them!!!


Today, it was our last admin day... we finalized everything for our celebration night Thursday as well as mostly everything for our end of project retreat starting on Friday. It really is almost over... :( Had some good coffee time with Lyndsey and then headed back to take a short nap and work on some last minute things. We had our last family night tonight too so the community team planned for us to go to a movie where we watched Pirates of the Caribbean. Then headed back to Koenji where I actually ate some sushi! :) Now, it's back in the apartment and getting ready to hit the sack. Please pray for our last day on campus tomorrow... pray that closing up would go well and just for my two dates, that He would really show up and take me out of everything and that His glory would shine!!! I would love nothing more than to see these two individuals come to know Him and enter into personal relationship with Him!!! Thanks so much for tracking with me!!! Love you guys!!

Last week :(

Day 27: Today is Monday... AHHHHH we are getting on a plane in exactly a week... =( We started our last week on campus and man it was good! I met with Lillian for lunch this afternoon and got to introduce new believer follow up with her and talk to her about discipleship and what that means. She said she is sad we are leaving and wishes that she could find that here in Japan and plug in with student impact, so please please please pray for her as she continues to learn what it means to live in relationship with God and to find a community of other believers who can walk and guide her! I got to give her a He>I bracelet and share what that means and even how to look up John 3:30! Saying bye to her will be really hard... after that, had some dtime with Abi Arakawa and then with Cherise Osaki and just encouraged by both of them and the steps of faith they are taking as they trust the Lord in some hard things. What a privilege to walk with them and to see how God is really working IN and THROUGH them in different ways. I am so proud of them and all the students on our team!!! God is awesome! This afternoon Debbie and Abi got to meet again with Maki and please, please, please keep praying. She has been with us since the first week of campus and has really become a part of our group. We want so bad for her to put her life into His hands before we leave but we trust Him and anticipate seeing someone in our group lead her into His kingdom!!! God has opened up a part of my heart to her and in ways that I don't understand. I really desire and want her to enter into our family and know that if I don't get to share that with her before I leave, I will regret that so pray even for just opportunities for me to share with her the impact she has had on our team and that there are a group of people who want to live and spend eternity with her! Thanks for praying!!! Also, had a great dinner with Steven Artia and just got to hear his heart and what God has been doing in his life as well. It has been awesome to see him step out in faith and trust God! We are keeping our eyes focused on the Lord and seeking Him!!! Excited to see you guys soon!! Love you all!!!

The more I seek you, the more I find you.
The more I find you, the more I love you
I wanna sit at your feet, drink from the cup in your hand.
Lay back against you and breath, feel your heart beat
This love is so deep, it's more than I can stand.
I melt in your peace, it's overwhelming ♥

One day behind

Day 25 & 26: Yesterday, Saturday, was our last free Saturday on project... TIME IS FLYING BY TOO QUICKLY!!! We spent the day at Tokyo Disneyland and it was sooo fun! The weather stunk and it was crowded but it was an amazing day! Maki, Lillian, Hideo, and Paul (a core student from the UH movement) met us there and honestly, spending the day with them was awesome!! It was cool that it was our day off and yet, we got to invite some really special friends to come with us! My favorites of the day would definitely have to be "One Man's Dream" (a show) and Mickey's Philharmagic (4D show) as well as Winnie the Pooh! Now, I love Disneyland in Cali, but there are some things we should learn from the Japanese! :)

Sunday, this morning, had an awesome meeting with Ryan Ito and Abi Arakawa. They have done a phenomenal job leading the campus team and just seeing that this week is going to be hard not just for them but for the team as we begin to wind down and finish well and bring closure to the amazing people God has crossed our paths with... from there, came back, took a short nap, grabbed lunch, and then headed to church. Maki and Jan as well as another student Steven Arita and Cherise Osaki met came to church too! Praise God! I found myself just praying soooooo hard that His love would touch their hearts someway today in service and that he would meet them wherever they were at. Such an awesome thing that they came today!!! We sang Kari Jobe's You are Good and it was just a reminder of just how good He is and that I want these people to know that on a personal level! Continue to pray for them too and for us as we share Him with them this week. My heart wants so much for them to be a part of this family of God!!!! Afterward, grabbed coffee with Lyndsey and Yurika and just had some good, needed connection time before our team meeting. Been having headaches again so please pray for those... :T Otherwise, team meeting went really well.

Please be praying for our team this week as we finish well. Please pray for team unity! Pray that we would be able to get the closure we need before heading out and that ultimately, we would continue to be compelled by Christ's love in everything we do. Pray for Gen and I as we lead and again, that we would be completely surrendered and dependent on what He has! Today was the first day I really began to get sad about leaving and having to say goodbye to all the new friends we've met... knowing that it will always seem like we need more time. Pray for our team retreat this weekend that it would be restful and a time of celebrating what the Lord has done! Crazy it's coming to an end... thanks for all your prayers!!!

girl stinters! love these girls and a highlight to my summer being able to meet them

maki and jan came to church with us today... continue to pray that they would come to know Him

Productive Admin Day

Day 24: Crazy that we were planning our route back to the airport already to head back to California. We spent the day planning out our last week and our end of project retreat! It's crazy how fast this has all gone by. We got to celebrate our slaying the giants week today after all the students got back and it was soooo cool! As a team, we wanted to trust the Lord for 85 gospel presentations and we got 55! We even saw 5 more people come to Christ this week (4 today)!!!! CHEEEEEE HUUUUUUUUU!!! So much that God is doing!!! Then tonight was a free night so Debbie, Gen, James, and our friend Casper went to the movies to see X-Men which was awesome. Time for bed and an early start tomorrow to Tokyo Disneyland for our last free day!!! Good Night!

Jesus comes before the mission

Day 23: WOW!!! Today was one of those days... for a lot of our team it was just a hard day of fatigue right from the beginning but also just discouragement and spiritual attacks. We started with prayer this morning and then headed into our quiet times. I got to chat with my bestie for a lil while. Chris Leininger, thank you for finally answering my chat....:)  this morning was sooooooooooo needed for me! Afterward, we headed to campus and I had great discipleship times with Cherise Osaki and Bethany N.. In between there, I met up with Gen and at the same time, we both were feeling that our team needed to just stop and really look at what we we've been doing. We felt like a lot of our team, including ourselves, have been finding our highs and lows dependent on how the ministry was going each day. As leaders, we could tell that the doing part of ministry was becoming more important then the finding joy in Jesus which is the first L, Loving the Lord, of what summer projects are all about. We decided to pull everyone off of campus, which was a really hard decision in light of our slaying the giants week, to bring them back to campus and really have them understand that we cannot put the mission and the ministry before our relationship with the Lord. We gave them an hour or so to just go and lay aside all ministry related business and just refocus on why they were here this summer and what God wanted to do IN each of us rather than just through each of us. It was much needed and seemed like our students really got to work through some things. Then tonight was women's time and sad that it was our last but got to do more life maps and just really see how the Lord is using each women here on this team. Praying that they would experience and embrace their own brokenness so that they can experience healing, breakthrough, and greater intimacy with God! Thank you for your prayers!!!

Good Lunch, Great Friends

Day 22: Refreshing Lunch with Tomomi! Today Gen and I had another admin day. We did some work this morning and then had an amazing, blessed lunch with Tomomi. She is a new friend and sister who attends New Hope and has helped us out with getting into Tokyo Sea as well as as Tokyo Disneyland. Gen and I just go to have lunch with her and just talk and hear a little bit more about her life. It was a blessing for us to be able to share in community with her and for her, I think to just be in fellowship with other believers. One thing I've realized about being out here is that as a Christian, it seems like it could be a really lonely place. Tomomi is awesome and please continue to pray for her as she ministers to her workplace and that the Lord would continue to surround her with other believers! Tonight, for family night, we got to go to the Metropolitan Government building where we got to go up and look over all of Tokyo! It was an amazing sight and just to overlook the city was amazing. Gave me perspective on how many people really live her, yet how many really don't know Jesus.

Waseda and Sweet Paradise

Day 21: Full Campus Day!!! We had team prayer this morning at 8am and then headed to Waseda for our campus time. I got to go sharing with Dylan Chung today and we walked into the international lounge and saw three girls playing Uno. I suggested that we asked if we could join them and of course, they said yes. So... we met these three girls (whose names I forgot cuz they're in Dylan's notebook) but it was a good two hours or so with them! Then we met Maki for lunch which was awesome too and I love the time we get with her! Ended the afternoon having an awesome and much needed dtime with Debbie Sanders!!! Then we came back and did some debrief time with Cam from Tohoku. Afterward, Gen and I headed out to Shibuya to meet Danbee and Junko whom we met last week. Kat joined us too and it was just an awesome time to fellowship and hang out! We went to sweet paradise and then Junko took us to take purikura! First time... pretty fun and crazy at the same time! Sidenote: While we were taking pictures, saw four girls walk in, who were somewhere in their late teens, two who were completely wasted. Honestly, I was disgusted at first at the state that they were in.... but more than that, my heart just broke for their stories and their lives that they would need something like getting drunk to that point to fulfill whatever it is they are missing... it just opened my eyes and brought a sense of anger, that their friends would be just gallivanting the city with their friends like that and at the same time sadness, because these young girls had no sense of hope at all... All to say, besides that, it was an awesome night to be able to bless Danbee with some Christian community and then just to be real with Junko and who we are. We invited her to church on Sunday so please keep praying for Junko and her salvation as well as for Danbee and finding a place with other christian college students. Good Night!

Flexibility

Day 20: Well, today we start a new week that we are calling "Slaying the Giants" Week. This is already our last week here so we are wanting to go hard and trust the Lord for great things especially on campus and at Waseda! We started this morning at 9am with our team meeting since we didn't have it last night. It was a great start and Gen got to share a little about trusting God with our own purpose and that being to make the name and love of Jesus known. We realized after our meeting that we had a lot of admin stuff to do especially this being our last full week here.. crazy! So... we ended up staying back from campus today to work on some things... we grabbed lunch again and then headed back to the apartments with James, our Ops Director to just finish some things... Gen ended up going to campus around 3 while I finished catching up and finishing up things til about 4:30. At that point, just relaxed a bit and then had a quick dinner and spent my date night with Jesus continuing in Exodus and journaling... got to reflect again on the weekend as well as just needing to process through some things with understanding more of what God has called me to and trusting Him completely with the mission He has set before me. Thanks for all your prayers and continue to pray especially for this week as we get out and proclaim His name trusting Him for mighty things!!!

Kesennuma Relief Road Trip

Day 16-19:

Thursday: Left Koenji at about 12 and headed to the CRASH center to meet with Cam and Steve who were heading the relief trip this weekend. We got on the road at about 1 to head up to Tohoku where we would be staying. Sunday was more or less driving as it took up about 8 hours to get there with stops. By the time we got to the house we were staying at, it was about 930pm. We pretty much got ready for bed and called it a night.

Friday: Relief work started for us today. We got going at about 8am and headed to the volunteer site where we got our tools and assignment for the day. We then headed over to a small apartment building to basically help shovel out all the sledge that had been sitting there the past 3 months. We worked hard and shoveled and filled up bags and then piled them up with all the others and shoveled and filled up more bags and piled them even higher. It took up pretty much til 3 to finish up. We then headed back to the volunteer center to wash off the tools and then picked up dinner and headed back to the house. Something that hit me today was as we were shoveling, we would find random personal belongings like cell phones, make-up, Wii remotes, just things that I knew at once belonged to someone and pretty much just got washed away, not knowing the story or people behind each of these items. It was a pretty exhausting day so I pretty much went back, showered off, ate dinner, and went to bed while some of the team just hung out at the house, while others went to the onsen (Japanese bath). Felt two more earthquakes that night :)

Saturday: Today marked exactly 3 months since the tsunami. Today for me hit harder as we headed to our assignment area after stopping by the volunteer center again. We were much closer to the water this time and even as we were driving by, we saw just destruction like no other. The crazy thing was seeing massive ships washed up way inland and knowing that 3 months ago, this place was just covered in water, there was and is sooooo much work still to be done. We pulled up to the house we would be working on and the older couple was there working on things on their own. We spent the day helping them shovel up their driveway of mud and sledge. Again, we worked HARD but as we were doing this, watching this old couple work at rebuilding their house broke my heart. It made me thing about their lives and what they were going to do once they finished their home. As I looked all around them, their neighborhood and community completely destroyed... even if they finished their home in the next few years and things started to get cleaned up around them, what were they going to do? It broke my heart to think that this is all they have left. I understand that to rebuild this house is everything to them because of all the memories and life stories that go with it... as an older couple what more could they do with their lives? Even as we were working, to us, it was helping them out, but to them it was having strangers come into their lives, watching us rip apart their driveway, throwing things out that to us, just seemed like trash but to them could mean the world... my eyes were completely opened and my heart broke for them to know Jesus. My prayer is that as we worked, we were able to bless them and bring the hope of Jesus to them... please continue to pray for this city and the people there, that they would encounter so much more and of eternal investment...

That night, we met Tommy Dyo his team and got to grab dinner with them and it was just an awesome time getting to see him and his team! Then we headed home and went to bed!

Sunday: We went to an old church of about 10 people in the morning. We finished at about 12 and then hit the road again to head back into Koenji. We got back late last night, unpacked, showered up, and went to bed!

It was an amazing weekend and my heart definitely broke for this place and the people! Continue to pray that even 3 months after the earthquake and tsunami, it is so easy for us to move forward and forget all that has happened. Having seen everything, it is still SO fresh and there is much work to be done! Check out the pictures that I have posted... this is what I was left with this weekend...

You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are

You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City

Disney Sea

Today we got to spend our mid-project day off at Disney Sea and Tomomi (an amazing friend and sister from New Hope Tokyo) was able to help us get discounted tickets because she works there! Honestly, the Lord gave us SOOOOO much favor today because what could have been an exhausting day, turned out to be so restful and refreshing! Not only was the weather PERFECT, but there was seriously no one at the park today! We walked on to almost every ride which was awesome!! Seriously, Disney Sea is amazing!

Tomorrow we leave for Tohoku to do relief work for the weekend!!! Please, please, please pray for safety as well as the unity of our team, that we would be able to bless the people there, and for opportunities for us to share Jesus!!! Really looking forward to this trip and being able to serve in this way! The Lord really worked things out for us this weekend as well!!! Praise God!!!

I won't have my computer until we get back Sunday and will definitely post when I get back! Thanks sooooo much for your prayers!!!

Tired but Overjoyed!!!

Waseda Day!!!! Today got to spend the day with Gen at Waseda and just got into amazing conversation with Junko and Danbee over lunch. Danbee is actually a Christian and it was so encouraging to meet her and hear how she wants to find more of a Christian community at Waseda. Junko is non-religious but was open to hearing about our faith and hope is Jesus. Gen was even able to give her CCC's new manga called Search, which is pretty legit! Keep praying for them and just that we would continue to share the love of Jesus with both of them. We set appointments with them next Tuesday to go to an all you can eat dessert place... why, oh why does ministry so often revolve around food?!? Then we met back here and oh guess what, Ryan Ito led another person to Christ at Gakushin and so now we have a new brother!!! That's 4 in just a little over a week... WOW! God is good!!!!! Then Gen and I just headed out to Shibuya to just get away for a little bit and explore. We're pretty tired so calling it a night at juts about 9:20pm! =) Tomorrow is our mid-project day off so our team is actually going to go to Disney Sea!!! Good Night!

Planning/Admin Day

A picture is worth a thousands words!!! Can you tell we're a little excited about today's planning sesh!

Set Plans = Happy Heart

Admin day today because Wednesday is our mid-project day off since we aren't having the typical mid-project retreat due to saving money on our housing. Anyway, we ran to the bank this morning to do some exchanging of money and boy does the yen stink right now... =( Then Gen and I met at 12 for lunch at one of the restaurants he went to growing up as a kid called Saizeriya... deliciousness! After full tummies, we cracked down and got some major planning done! Good news is we got everything figured out logistically in order for us to take our team to Tohoku this weekend to do some earthquake/tsunami disaster relief! Praise the Lord!!!! Hey, we even got the next two weeks planned out! Imagine that! :P We then met up with the students and had dinner to celebrate Dylan Chung's birhday!!! Yahoooooooooooo!!! Our students had a not-so-shabby day either, getting into 30 conversations with different students at Waseda!!! God is majorly at work!!! Then, typically Monday nights are our 2 hour blocks called Date Night with Jesus and it was some sweet, sweet time for me and much needed time to just reflect and process! Another great, productive day!!!

Our Identity is in Christ

Day 12: Woke up and prepped my devotional for tonight's team meeting and then met with Gen, Abi, and Ryan as campus team leaders to just hear how our first full week of ministry went and it was really, really encouraging and awesome!!! Afterward, we met and headed to church again at New Hope Tokyo. From there, Gen and I met with their New Hope United leaders, which is basically their college ministry to try and help them with outreach ideas. Then we rushed back so I could eat a quick dinner and finish my devotional for tonight and then we headed to the Mitaka student center for our team meeting. Tonight's team meeting went well, I would say. Got to worship, do some clearing the air, and then gave my devotional on our identity in Christ. It is such a big thing and my hope and prayer is that each student on this team would take a good look at their own brokenness and see that Jesus came to restore us and heal us! That they would be able to see who they are doesn't depend on the things we do, the way we live our lives, or how we or other people see us.... but that who we are is solely based on who we are in Christ. We are sons and daughters, ambassadors, beloved children, heirs to the throne, we are His!!! "Our significance depends upon understanding who I am in Christ." (Effective Biblical Counseling, Crabb) Then Gen and I just spent some time at the student center hanging out with some of the STINTers (Michelle, Ariel, and Kat)!

Shout out to my sis Tiffany Ibale today who ran in the Miss Hawaii pageant. Sorry I couldn't be there but I heard you did incredible! I am sooooo proud of the journey you have taken to get there and am excited to see where this will take you next!!! Can't wait to talk to you!!!! Love you much!!! ♥

Free Day

Day 11: (one day late)
- went to Harajuku and met Maki for lunch
- then went to Shibuya to walk around
- dinner with the some of team
- skyped with Tiffany Ibale :)
- movie night: Never Say Never

Friends, Friends, and more Friends

Exhausted... Team prayer today and just got to really, I mean really, pray for one another. Just from what I got to hear from my group today, please for rest - pray against the enemy at night when we're tired and when we're sleeping especially in our dreams, pray for physical healing and strength, pray for excitement - again apathy, and just pray for new friendships that have been made and that spiritual conversations would continue to happen amongst our new friends.

At Waseda again today, and got to do discipleship with Abi Arakawa first... awesome time meeting two Japanese students Ayako and Haruna over lunch... super duper cute! And then got to just spend some time with Abi taking her to get some nom nom honey toast and some legit convo and really setting limits and boundaries.. :) Afterwards, saw Suguru again and hung out with him and Shunya and then met 4 other international students.. crazy and then ran into Maki... It was just nuts for a while... but in a great way like we had TOO many people to talk to at once! Then, stole Shanae Nae and had discipleship time with her... took her back to honey toast (the guy thought I was crazy) and had again some awesome conversation! Proud of the steps of faith these women have taken to get here!

Finally, we made dinner for Women's time tonight and had kimchi, rice, gyoza, and beef curry. Amazing!!! We did life maps tonight and I shared along with Debbie Sanders and Shanae. WOW! God is soooo amazing and just hearing their stories of redemption just never ceases to amaze me how He has our lives so well orchestrated! Looking forward to Bethany N., Abi, and Cherise Osaki to go next week! Love that I get to walk alongside each of these beautiful women and be a part of ALL that the Lord is going to do in them this summer!

Now.. it's off to bed!!! Good Night!!!

Haruna, Ayako, Abi, and me at Waseda

My new friend Maki!!!! Love this girl!

Welcome Lillian to our family!!!!

Wow! Today was a FULL day! We had team breakfast this morning in our apartment where we fit 12 people in our little kitchen to feast on Mister Donut, which by the way, are amazing but SO expensive! We also bought apples, bananas, and OJ. Talk about a complete, well-rounded breakfast!

After that, we had our normal quiet times and as I continued in Exodus chapter 24 today, I stopped and reflected on the people's response of being obedient to what the Lord has spoken and how I pray that that is the prayer of my heart as I stop and listen to what He has to say. Sadly, it's really what I desire but how often do I really think and do otherwise thinking that my ways or thoughts are better... lovin' my devo times and much needed at that!

Wednesdays are generally the days that Gen and I take off and don't go to campus in order to take some personal care time as well time for planning and admin stuff. We legitimately worked the entire afternoon and it was productive in terms of just planning and working out some logistics. Needless to say, our first week here, we were adjusting A LOT not just to being here, but also to working with the JCCC staff and what our time here was going to look like in order to best help them. So it was nice to plan and get things planned out. It's the Myers Briggs J in me.... ;)

Afterward, we had dinner and then met back up with the students and found out that today, Steven Arita and Bethany LED SOMEONE TO CHRIST!!!! What!!!!!! :) God is sooooooo good and I get to meet with them tomorrow to start taking her through follow-up (thank you Vivian Mabuni for all those lessons) if things work out and then can schedule another time. So please, please, please continue to pray for Lillian and her new found relationship with Jesus!!!

Ended tonight with some family night where our community team planned for us to go karaoke! It was a blast and Ryan Ito's rendition of Justin Bieber's Baby I think was my favorite.... =P

What can I say, another amazing day of walking and experiencing just God's LOVE and remembering that we are ambassadors and want to do nothing more than to be compelled by His love! Amen!

LILLIAN AND STEVEN -- A new sister in Christ!!!

Day of Familiarities :)

Today, we started this morning with an amazing time of team prayer led by our students! They took us through Ephesians and the full armor of God and how to really be praying through each piece as we enter into the spiritual battle each and everyday on campus. It was a good reminder of how much we need to be in prayer not just for ourselves but for each other as well. After that, we had our devo time and I actually spent a good amount of that time skyping with Chris Leininger, which actually was much needed. A little touch of familiarity and someone who just gets me in my entirety. It was really refreshing!

From there, half of our group headed to Waseda, while the other group checked out a new campus today called Gakushuin. At Waseda, Bethany and I had our first discipleship time and during lunch we met a guy named Hiroshi. We got to just talk with him and really just get to know him. Although we didn't get into anything super spiritual, remembering to pray for every person we come across and that God would work in their lives. After meeting with Bethany, I got to do dtime with Debbie... we ended up in this little cafe and I found HONEY TOAST!!! It was amazing and again, brought back something familiar, like being at Shokudo! :) After we met and talked through life, we went back to the International Student Lounge and ran into my rubix cube friend Suguru. Boy, he is definitely a person of peace and just knows SOOOO many people. Through him, today we met two other guys, Shunya and Shin. Crazy thing is Shunya ran into Ryan Ito earlier today and we found out they went to jr. high together! God never ceases to amaze us with His plan! After campus, we headed back and had some down time before our team training "soul care" time. In the midst of all of this, still making plans with Jan and Maki and supposed to hang out with them this weekend! SOOOOOOO excited!! :)

All in all, today was an amazing day. Honestly, it was probably the first day since being here I can really say I've enjoyed myself and enjoyed being here. In it though, I know this is where I'm supposed to be and what I'm supposed to be doing in leading this team. Continually to pray for renewal and refreshment from the Lord each and everyday and to make the most of my time here and the relationships He is bringing! Seriously, God is good and I can't help but be thankful and rejoice at His faithfulness each and everyday we debrief our campus times! His favor is surely resting on us!

I.am.tired. ♥

Bethany, Hiroshi, and me at lunch :)

First offical day at Waseda

Today, I woke up and had an extended time in the Word, which was much needed! We then headed out to campus for our first full day at Waseda and it was awesome! I had lunch with Debbie and Abi and a girl they had met named Maki. We just had awesome conversation and are hoping to connect with her and hang out with her again this weekend. Afterwards, we had a team debrief and just encouraged one another and talked through how our first day of campus went. God is good! Then it was dinner time and then we had our team meeting where we just got to talk through an overview of the next few weeks, especially through 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 and our identity, our purpose, and our mission. We landed at how it is only because of how the gospel has transformed each of our own lives that we can experience these things.

Sunday, May 29 (Day 5)

So today was officially my birthday and it started off super well! We got to sleep in today because for us, church here doesn't start til 2pm. In any case, I woke up and got to skype with Tiffany Bourgeois and Tiffany Ibale and not really knowing how to explain it, it was just something that was much needed. <3 It started my day off with a big smile on my face! Then, just worked on some things for project as well as read a little bit more of Exodus and then got ready for our day. Right as I was about to head out, a couple of the guys came up and brought me a cute little bouquet of flowers for my "real" birthday which just added to the already awesome start! Thank you Steven Arita, James, Dylan, Ryan, and Eugene! Afterward, met with Abi Arakawa and Ryan for our campus team meeting over lunch and it went well! Really excited to see these two step up in their leadership and unique giftings!

Headed to church after that and we went to New Hope Tokyo today which just refreshed me and gave me a little bit of being back in Hawai'i. Pastor Talo was awesome and I think my highlight for today was just being able to see how great of a God we serve! As we were worshipping, I found myself marveling at just how BIG our God is and how He can be seen in every language and culture. I found myself holding back tears in awe of His love and His heart for the Japanese people as they would worship in Japanese. I couldn't help but pray for each and every follower of Jesus in that room. I prayed that the Lord would bless them from the tops of their heads to the souls of their feet as they are shining lights in this place. That He would use each and every one of them to bring more and more Japanese into relationship with the one and only true Living God. That revival would start out of this place and the name of Jesus would be proclaimed here! I LOVE that we serve a God of every tongue, tribe, and nation! Continue to pray for the Christians here: pray for boldness, protection from the enemy, and divine appointments to keep living as ministers of the gospel!

I am turning, turned 30!

Day 4: My birfday today in Tokyo, Japan. I denied it as much as I could because "technically" I wasn't born until it turns the 28th in California. I woke up feeling like it was any other normal day and in some way, was missing home a little bit. I think I was bummed a lil' bit realizing that I was celebrating my 30th in a foreign country without a lot of the people who have been there with me in this past year... :( In any case, my team surprised me with a breakfast this morning which was super nice and then we headed to the Ueno Zoo. Saturdays are typically our 'free days' so students can go explore and do whatever else it is they normally can't during the week. It was raining most of the day so after a couple hours at the zoo, we all headed to Ikebukuro for some yummy ramen and gyoza. The students continued their adventure with shopping (for a looooong time) while a few of us headed back for some nappy nap time! That's going to mess me up for the rest of the night but it was much needed! :) Other than that, spending the rest of tonight just winding down and getting some me and Jesus time. Really looking forward to church tomorrow at New Hope in Tokyo! Thanks everyone for celebrating with me!!! ♥

First Team Time

Rewrote Psalm 67 tonight.

May God be with our team. Be gracious to us. Give us favor while we are
here in Japan. Would you bless us. Make your face shine upon us, so
that as we walk campus and these streets, we would radiate Christ's
love.
So that, your ways and truths may be known on earth, but specifically here
in Japan and at Waseda. That your salvation would be brought among
the nations through people here.
May the Japanese people praise you, O God. May all the people from the
children, to college students, to families, and elderly. May they all praise
you.
May this nation be glad and sing for joy. Would YOUR joy take over the
shame, the depression, the hurt. Let these people walk in the freedom
and joy that can come only through you. You rule the people justly and
walk with them. You will guide Japan because YOU love them.
May they praise you, O God. May the Japanese people praise you.
Then this land will give forth and produce its harvest. You will redeem it
and bring these people to yourself. Take the temples and the idols the
people here worship and turn them into dust. Produce fruit for your
kingdom. Use us to sow seeds and God, OUR God will bless us. We want
to be used by you, to take the initiative to share Christ in the power of
the Holy Spirit and leave the results to you!
God will bless us and all the ends of the earth, including Japan will fear
you.
Amen

Day 3: Asakusa

Today we gave the students the morning off to just rest and man, jet lag stinks! :) Waking up at 4am and wanting to sleep by 8pm just isn't helping. We started the day by taking care of some logistics with bank stuff and then emails. Officially, we met as a team at 1pm and today, in light of learning a new culture, we wanted to take the team to one of the biggest shrine and temples in Tokyo and expose them to just a little bit more of the spiritual climate here. It was kinda crazy. We took a few trains and ended up in Asakusa where we headed towards the shrine and temple.

It was crazy to see the number of people going to pray and give money to their gods. As soon as we walked in, on the sides there were different stations where you could buy fortunes and then hang them up for whatever reason. In the middle as you got closer, there was a well-like thing where incense would burn and people would surround it fanning the smoke on themselves for good luck or protection from the spirits. Then up the stairs, people would walk and throw their money and stop to pray. I stopped and couldn't help myself from just starring for a while at each of these people wondering who are they praying to, what are they expecting, and what are they praying for... they need Jesus. I wanted to stop them and ask If I could pray for them to a God who loves them and wants to hear from them without their money. The One and Living God who stoops down and calls each of them His children. My heart broke.

God is opening my eyes each and everyday to the people here in Japan and just how much this is His place. He loves it and His heart breaks for it that much more. Continue to pray that every time we step outside these four small walls of our apartment, He would open doors for us to share Him with these people in whatever way that means.

Tokyo, Japan

Day 1: We spent the first full day we had pretty much settling in and resting. Part of our team is staying at Rain Palace in Koenji while a group of guys are at another apt close by. We woke up and had orientation with the Japan Campus Crusade for Christ (JCCC) staff for about 2 hours and met the 10 stinters (1-2 year CCC staff). Afterwards, we grabbed lunch together and then gave the students the afternoon to settle in, recover from jetlag, nap, explore, whatever they wanted while Gen, James, and I met to plan and work on stuff. I took a nice nap that afternoon after and then we had our first family night. We took them to a shabu shabu/sukiyaki all you can eat dinner which was just a fun time of connection! Then we headed home and crashed!

Day 2: Today, we woke up and headed to Waseda University which is the major campus we will be working on. Again, we met up with the Stint team and they took our students out for a tour of campus while Gen and I met with AJ and Michelle (the campus liaisons) to do some more planning. Afterwards, we went into the cafeteria to have lunch and basically just sit and talk with students. It was sooooo neat to hear all the different conversations students got into. Cherise, Ariel, and I went to the International Lounge and met Suguru, who basically spent an hour or so teaching us about the algorithms in solving the Rubix cube! It was a lot of fun! =) Afterwards, we split the team up and sent them on a scavenger hunt to Shibuya. We spent a few hours there and then headed back to Koenji to debrief and have our first date night with Jesus. We're all feeling pretty exhausted but it's almost 10pm so hopefully adjusting better to the time difference.

Thank you for all your prayers!!! Realizing more and more each and everyday as we meet with the JCCC staff as well as the stinters that what this place, as well as our team, needs most is PRAYER. Looking forward to keeping you updated!!!

1 more day...

Ahhhh... briefing starts tomorrow!!! Amazing day today spending it at my old elementary school seeing my old kiddies and friends! We head into our first day tomorrow at Vanguard University with just the project directors and our coaches. I'll update tomorrow night more on exactly what we've talked about. But for now, wanted to let those of you around the Newport area that our commissioning ceremony is Sunday from 6-8pm. I would love, love, love if you could come and be a part of our sending!! Message me for more info or if you can make it! More to come...

2 Days til Briefing...

Back in California and headed to briefing in 2 days! I can't believe we leave for Tokyo so soon! Met with my discipler today and feeling refreshed and refocused and more than ready to step out in faith and dependence on the Lord. Talked with a good friend and sister back home and was also reminded that I have been called to be set apart and to live not of this world! I want to bring this with me as we prepare to enter into a place that so desperately needs to know Jesus. I am excited, nervous, anxious, scared, and everything in between BUT in all of it, I am sooooo stoked to see what the Lord has for our team! Please continue to pray for our team as we enter into 3 days of briefing, pray for safe travels, as well as team unity, and that He would continue to work and prepare the hearts of those we will be meeting in Tokyo. Our hearts desire is to see people come to know Him and the fullness of His love! We want to be compelled by love this summer and do everything for His glory!

California, California, and more California

Two weekends ago, I got to fly back to California to celebrate my sister's wedding! It was such a short trip, but exceeded all my expectations! I arrived at 11pm and we headed over to the house where all the girls stayed. Ended up sleeping around 3am and woke up around 4am to get ready for the day. The ceremony was amazing and PTL that I didn't faint after standing up there for what seemed like forever! :) We then had a reception at church, tea pouring ceremony, and then banquet. We finished up around 10pm and were exhausted but really, it was just a huge family reunion with people coming back from DC, Dubai, Minnesota, Canada, and more! Had a great time with my family and friends and being able to celebrate in my little sister begin this new chapter of her life. Dave and Jenn, I love you both and am praying that as you embark on this new journey together, you would continue to grow in your love for Jesus and that He would guide you and lead you in your marriage! Thanks for letting me a part of your big day and celebrating with you both!!! <3

This weekend, I flew back to California again for our Staff Regional Retreat. Again, I had an amazing time and was something that ended up to be so good and so refreshing! JP Jones was our speaker this weekend and in every session, I was reminded of just who God is! Our theme verse came out of 1 Corinthians 15;58 "Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your work is not in vain in the Lord." Here are just a few of my takeaways:
   1) Knowing Christ personally - there is so much power in us knowing God and our relationship
      with Christ needs to be seen as a daily pursuit, I need to just get up and keep pursuing God
      even when I continue to fall short and fail
   2) Seeing Christ Theologically - the truest thing about me is what God says about me
   3) Abide in Jesus Exclusively - abiding in Jesus involves a dependence on and commitment in the
     Word and prayer, the GREATEST spiritual habit is being in the Word everyday (reading,
     studying, and memorizing)
It was also just an amazing time connecting with other staff friends and family! Meeting new people and seeing their hearts to reach the world with the gospel for Christ! So needed as we finish up this school year and a refreshing reminder of what I am doing what I do even when it gets tiring or hard...

Finally, the third California comes in about 3 weeks when I fly back for our briefing before heading over to Japan for 5 weeks. Thank you for your continual support and prayers thus far. It hadn't really hit me until last week that I am leaving for Tokyo soon... my heart is filled with mixed emotions of fear, anxiety, and excitement. I believe that this is where the Lord is calling me this summer and to be co-leading a team of 10 definitely puts me in a place of total dependence on God. I so desire to be used by Him this summer and want nothing from myself or others to take away from that. I want Him to lead and all I want to do is fully rely and trust in and on Him!

Final words for this entry: 
"There's NO PLACE I'd rather be : there's NO PLACE I'd rather be : there's NO PLACE I'd rather be : Than here in your love, here in your love : set a fire down in my soul : that I can't contain that I can't control : I want more of you God, I want more of you God" ~ Set a Fire by United Pursuit Band

India 2011: Our God

Our God is greater, our God is stronger,

God you are higher than any other.

Our God is healer, awesome in power,

Our God, our God.

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?

And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?

Wow... where to begin.... India is amazing! God's hand and love is so evident in this place! He is so BIG and my eyes and heart have been completely transformed by how people of different ages, color, and languages can come together as one family in such a short amount of time. It is only by His blood that we are brought together as brothers and sisters and He loves His children with an extravagant love. Watching these kids worship with such a pure heart brings me to tears as I fall to my knees in awe of the Lord's power and greatness. 

I can't believe how fast time is flying... I. Love. It. Here.

"Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be His treasured possession." Deuteronomy 14:2

Something that I've been continually learning and reflecting on is that the Creator of this world, even in His power and greatness, has chosen each one of us as His treasured possessions. He calls us His sons and daughters and loves us each in His own ways. There is nothing that can separate His love from us!  I have been struck by His unconditional love and seeing His heart for me, but even more so, these boys and girls, and this place has opened my eyes to so much more. He LOVES them and is 110% for them and because of that, nothing can stop us or stand against us. I believe in the deepest part of my heart that He is going to use these children to bring glory to His name and to further the gospel in whatever way He calls them -- I am proof of their impact and encouragement! 

Sandeep and I 

God's Story

I love hearing how two people can grow up and walk through life in such completely different ways and yet come together and understand one another. It makes no sense other than simply realizing at some point that our lives are ultimately God's story of redemption. It's amazing when He brings those people into your life to tell you that you're not in it alone and no matter what role you play in each others' lives, you're in it together! He does it to show His love towards us in a tangible way and that He is the essential in that relationship! Blessed tonight in so many ways and many more to come!

 

"Letting somebody help you doesn't mean you've failed, it just means you're not in it alone." ♥

Strength & Courage

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Praying for strength and courage as we begin to plan for our 6 weeks in Tokyo, Japan this summer. Please join us as we trust Him to be with us EVERY step of the way!!! <3

BrrRRrrrrR.....

SNOW... in Texas!!! :) It's been freezing here!! Today was filled with meetings galore but sooooooo worth it. As I think about the opportunity I have been given to lead this summer, I am overwhelmed, yet excited! Japan is such hard soil but the Lord still works and I look forward to the many stories that Jesus is writing even now of all that will be happening this summer for His glory.

During one of our breakout seminars today, I went to one called "The Gospel in Action: Good News, Good Deeds." My heart quickly grew for those in need and really the Lord's heart for the many around us who need Him, specifically orphans. We watched this short video and my heart broke and it challenged me to live a life to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those around me.

I pray as you watch this, you would be touched and also challenged to do something little for someone in need as you share Him this week!

Project DIrector... Me???

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Thankful He chooses to use the weak and not the strong! <3 Looking forward to this summer in TOKYO, JAPAN and the many other ways that He will choose to use me!

2011: Living Boldly for Jesus

So, I decided that I want to be more intentional about my blogging this next year even if it is a quick paragraph to just keep updated on life and what 2011 is going to hold. I'm a few days behind so I've updated them on this one blog entry. I've also started a 3-6-5 project where on my Facebook page, I'm posting 1 picture a day for 365 days to capture a little bit of each day of this new year! I am excited and look forward to this next year knowing that it will be a new season for me and especially in my journey with the Lord.

01.01.11 - Spent the day at the San Diego Zoo with my Hawai'i students for most of them their first time in California. It was a fun filled day getting to walk around and just really get to know them and share life with them. It was even more fun seeing their excitement for all the "first times" they got to experience! The zoo definitely reminded me of God's creativity when I looked at all the different animals and how unique they all are!

01.02.11 - Went to church and got to share in Emerge (our college/post-college group) about what God has been doing in Hawai'i. Realized that it's good to share the good things about ministry but also the hard things knowing that I have a support team here that will rally around me in prayer! Highlight would be spending lunch with Chris and Debbie. Thankful for amazing friends that God has blessed me with who I know will be there for me no matter what. Really wanting this year to challenge my friendships at their core, to LOVE but to also speak truth when needed. To see these relationships grow together but to also spur each other on individually with God as #1.

01.03.11 - Monday was spent at Disneyland again with the Hawai'i crew. Highlight was getting to share something that I absolutely love and what I call my "happy place". I got to watch World of Colors and Fantasmic! It was a grand day!!!

01.04.11 - Today spent the afternoon with Tricia. Had some serious homemade lunch and got to catch up on life and ministry. Tricia and I have dreamt together for the past 8 years about serving alongside each other on staff with Crusade and specifically our shared heart and passion for Hawai'i so it's always good to live that out in some way. I would say one of the greatest blessings of our friendship is the privilege of continuing what Tricia has started in Hawai'i 6 years ago. I love what I do and a big part of that is because of a dear friend!

So... that's the quick update. From now on, they will be posted everyday hopefully!! Thanks for following this and walking this next year with me and looking forward to what 2011 holds! My heart is that this next year, I would live boldly for Jesus - to be more like Him, love more like Him, serve more like Him, & make the most of my opportunities to share more of Him.


Song of the Week: