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