A Sunny Day in the Neighborhood

Today was a nice and sunny day. And it was a good day for sowing seeds. I was able to share a whole lot with one girl, and also ministered to a homeless man.

I was meeting my friend Y-san, who is a believer, and E-san, her friend who is not a believer. E-san wanted to go to a shrine today to get 'power', where some celebrity shared that there was power in a pond there that would give you good luck for your work. I had mixed feelings about going to witness this, but I decided to go because 1. I was curious, 2. I wanted to support Y-san, 3. share with you all about the spiritual battle going on here, and 4. see if God would provide a chance for me to share the good news to E-san. So I found my way to a Starbucks because I had some time in order to prepare by reading God's Word and praying. I found a quiet nook where the sun shone in and it overlooked the road. It was a good time and I was better equipped to go out and meet the girls.

Well, remember my mixed feelings? Well God dealt with that right away. The tickets to enter the pond was out when we arrived, so we couldn't enter. Now this place has become really popular recently due to that celebrity. The average wait in line to get in the pond is 4 hours. They had started passing out the tickets at 8:30 am and they ran out at 11 am, but people were still in line at 2 pm, waiting for their time to enter.

I spent the rest of the day with the girls. And BOY did God give me opportunities to share! haha I shared so much that my mouth and the rest of me was physically pooped by sayonara time. E-san shared a little about her work situation; she is actually not Japanese although you could never tell, and she shared a little about feeling like an outsider amongst her coworkers because of that. I was able to share with her that I'm thankful for Jesus because He made it a point over and over again how the good news is for everyone, for all nations, for all backgrounds, for the rich and the poor, even those who have been rejected by family, friends, society, etc. She asked me good questions, and even brought up something I had mentioned the last time I met her (this was my 2nd time meeting her). I was also able to share multiple passages from Scripture too. So I can see that God is working in her heart, in her life.

Prayer R: Keep E-san in mind and pray for her work situation. It must be bad enough that she would repeatedly (this was her 2nd failed time at the shrine, and she plans to go again next mont) try to go to this pond for its 'power'. I told her I'd be praying for her work situation, and that if God decides to answer, to know that it was the One and Only God of the Bible who answered it. Please pray that God would move clearly in her life that she would know He is real and loves her.

Thank you so much for your prayers. I really do know that you are praying hard from all the ways I am able to see God working, and I am so thankful. Hontoni. Thank you so much for your sacrifices of prayer. Without it, I wonder where I'd be now.

My little nook inside Starbucks :)

The remainder of the line at ~2 pm. These people had been in line for at LEAST 3 hours.

Harajuku murals

Please continue to pray for the people in Tokyo. They are lost and looking for help. Not just for this pond at this shrine I went to today, but at many other shrines and temples, people spend a lot of money and time praying to gods who don't have ears to hear or a heart to care. Let's pray that the Japanese here will discover the God of the Bible who is alive and almighty, who answers prayers, who loves them so much that precious Jesus came to die on the cross and pay the ultimate price for their sins. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Random: Tokyo is supposed to be one big, fat, fashion metropolis. But now I'm just confused :)

Lately...

Lately, I've been good overall :) Yesterday January 26, 2010, was my 1 year since I started working with the IMB. Yay hehe. So, basically, unless things change and who knows, it was my halfway mark for this part of my life. I don't know if I can say that I have something concrete to show you that this is what all my time and efforts have produced, but that's ok because really, it's not about my time and efforts but about what God is doing through me. As long as I'm faithful to Him and His calling for me, then I know I can be satisfied and content. Of course, remembering that all the time can be a challenge... ;)

Weeellll! I'll tell you something crazy and amazing!!! I was just starting to type out a prayer request when my prayers were answered!!!!!! That can't be just a coincidence!! H-san, who had been so faithful, all of a sudden stopped contacting me and I couldn't get a hold of her for about 2 weeks! It really concerned me because it was very unlike her! So I literally typed, "I've lost contact with H-san!!" when BOOM my phone next to me started ringing and guess who it was?!? H-san!!!!!! That is too crazy it was almost creepy haha. Wowzers. Amazing. I still do have a prayer request regarding her though: H-san will be going to Korea for 2 months because her school is now on a break session. Please pray for her that during this time, God will continue to draw her close to Himself, and that she will grow in Him and His Word!!!

Now, here are some pictures from my surroundings here:

This is a residential shrine, in an area called Musashi-Koganei where I work. We were doing distribution in this area, putting an offer for a free dvd called The Hope that shares the Gospel in a very non-cheesy and pretty well made video all in Japanese into every mailbox we saw. There were many shrines and temples in this small area to my surprise actually. Please pray that people living here would be open to the Gospel! Two other areas where I work are called Nishi-Kokubunji and Kokubunji, so please keep these places in mind too as you pray!

It was one of my teammate's birthday and we had sukiyaki for her birthday!! Yummy yummy! It is kind of like shabu shabu for those of you who know, except you cook everything in sauce.

The same night we had sukiyaki, the teammate's neighbor came over to share this beautiful cherry blossom with us. It is a rare kind because as most others bloom in the spring (late March/early April), this kind blooms in the winter in December/January. It smelled wonderful, like Yuzu cha (Japanese)/Yuja cha (Korean)!

A view of Shibuya crossing around noon on a weekday. Very empty compared to the other times!

Personal prayer request: My right foot has been in an almost constant pain for maybe around 2 months. I don't need this here, especially since I use my feet to carry me almost everywhere (I have no car!). Please pray for my foot that the pain will go away and it will be a nice and healthy foot so I can go out to do His work! Thank you! :)

Your Name is Jesus

I love this song. It's been on repeat today. I'd Need a Savior by Among the Thirsty.

Pray for Sa-san

Dear prayer partners,
This is my dear friend Sa-san. She has been meeting with me recently
again but sadly she is moving out of Tokyo at the end of this month.
The past two weeks we met three times to study the bible together
before she leaves. Today we finished our bible study plan. She is so
close to accepting Christ into her life. She even wants so badly too
but she is also scared. She asked that I pray for her to have courage
to make that leap of faith. So I am passing that along. Please pray
for her that whatever binds her would be released and that she may
have courage to believe. Thanks :)

Also, please be praying that SK-san would email me. She is Sa-san's friend, who has mentioned to Sa-san that she would be emailing me. SK-san asks Sa-san questions about the Bible. So please pray that we would get connected so that more seeds could be planted in her heart! :D Thank you!

Funny

What's odd about this picture?

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in
the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Psalm 27:13-14

Sent from my iPhone

Prayer Request

Thank you for your encouragement :)

I don't know why I've been updating so much lately hehe but I guess it's a good thing. I have a new prayer request :)

My friend Sa-san, whom I met through this past summer's interns, has been really interested in learning more about the Bible and what it says for her. I met her off and on the past couple of months, but this month is her last month in Tokyo before she moves back to where her family is. (It's not too far and she plans to visit at least once a month and I think also means to meet with me some of those times!) She quit her job as well at the end of December, so that means that all of January, she is free! So I met her earlier tonight, and we have already made plans to meet 2 more times during the next 2 weeks!

Today she brought her friend SK-san who is interested in the Bible as well. SK-san is so sweet and cute, and she has studied the Bible in the past for college. SK-san had many good questions and I think that regular Bible study meetings in the future might be possible.

Sa-san has come so far. She says that sometimes she prays to God when she is troubled. She also told me that recently she has been reading in Acts, about 3 times a week. Praise the Lord! She's not even a believer and I know she's reading the Bible some more than some of you believers out there ;) SK-san isn't as fluent in English as Sa-san, so Sa-san spent a good amount of time explaining the Gospel to SK-san, it was amazing.

Please pray that...

- the holy spirit would convict her and work in her life in the next couple of days so that the next two times we meet will really be meaningful

- Sa-san would continue to search God and continue to read the Bible for herself, even after she moves

- SK-san would also continue to be curious about Jesus and will join us the next times we meet

Thank you all very much :)

After a Retreat

So I was in a place called Karuizawa from the 7-9 meeting with other Tokyo Ms and regional leadership. It was a really good time for me. Away from the busy city, near the mountains, surrounded by snow, and retreating to be with God. My mind was crystal clear, I was eager to tackle the challenge of sharing the good news. I didn't realize how much of a good time it was to be away from Tokyo like this, in the midst of many Christians. Even the retreat center was a Japanese Christian place.

It was when on the ride home we entered the big city's premises, that I was so surprised to find that I had really let my guard down the past couple of days. And I was even more surprised to realize that while in Tokyo I usually had my guard up! As we drove to get deeper into the city, I felt like I had momentarily lost my balance, and I was scrambling to get my gear and put my game face on. For what you wonder? Yea for spiritual warfare. I was personally reminded of how real it is on the drive back and today, the first day since I've returned back. I've been a mess. There is no reason for it, but my mind has been foggy all day until after meeting for church earlier tonight, and I've been really dragging and accosted with temptations right after my return. I don't understand it. I was SO good in Karuizawa. But then I lost my balance and I've been having a hard time trying to regain it. It's great to be in my bed, but being here is real heavy, hard to get up and do all those things I was so eager to do only a couple of days ago.

So prayer requests:

- please keep this in mind and pray for all the Ms here in Tokyo that they will be diligent and eager to face the challenge, to fix their eyes on Jesus

- please also keep H-san in mind. She came out to church today for the 2nd time. I am so thankful for her, but I challenged her to read her Bible on her own time starting from Matthew. So please pray for her that she would read her Bible and that she would seek God every day :)

Funny Picture

Haha. This picture is talking about the closing doors on the trains and if you get caught in them. Yes this is definitely Tokyo. And yes, people are serious about this!

Happy 2010 from Tokyo!

It's that time of year! A new year, full of new hopes and new resolutions and etc etc hehe :) I'm just looking forward to spring where it will be warmer and friends will visit! :D I got very sick for the first time since I've been here right after returning from my travels. Probably from the exhaustion, and the drastic change in the weather going from stinking hot to unbearably cold. I'm great now! Just runny noses especially with the going in and out of the cold, and big sneezes.

I've been trying to post a video blog on this thing, but of course probably due to my limited abilities, I cannot get it to LOAD. One try lasted for 6 hours as I tried to get it to load. Yes, I really did wait 6 hours for it to load successfully.

Well, New Years here is SUCH a big deal. I had no idea. Stores and restaurants have been closed for several days. Everyone has gone back to their hometowns and their families. For me, I spent New Years in my apt here with my roommate and a friend (H-san) who is not from Japan. She is a believer, and we had a great time reading God's Word together, eating chili Amanda made :), watching a bad choice of a movie (The Talented Mister Ripley - a TERRIBLE last thing to do right before the year ended!!), and watching Japanese television for the countdown! Then the next day, we all went to Shin-Okubo for Korean food. It was nice. Haven't had good kimchi in a long time. I've been having cravings for everything spicy, which is very unlike me since I generally avoid spicy foods! haha It makes me miss home of course, where I was surrounded by spicy choices and therefore didn't feel anything special in rejecting them.

Our first church of the year was great! H-san came out for the first time and brought a friend who is not a believer. It was very hard because of the limited Japanese communication abilities, but it was a good time together :) giving God the honor and praise He's due.

Prayer Request: Please pray for H-san, as she is making a conscious effort to be committed to God. I feel that Satan will be stirring up trouble. Please pray for protection over H-san, and for her continued growth in Christ. Please pray that she will stay faithful to Him and to coming out to church, which is what she desires to do.

Well, I'll post some photos now that I've been meaning to do :) Some of my parents who visited and some from Singapore!

(mind you these photos are chronologically backwards)

My dad finally found Japanese noodles to eat. He wanted to try real Japanese noodles he said. This is called soba noodles.

Looking at the city view with my parents :)

Touring Meiji Shrine.

My goofy parents at Starbucks. I love to laugh with them :)

These are pictures from Singapore (also chronologically backwards hehe).

This is in line at the Night Safari. So cool. But hard to see in the dark...wish I had had night vision goggles!!

Amanda and I got henna done in Little India!

Yes. Read the flavors. I kind of wonder now what they actually tasted like...Probably should've tried them lol.

Orchard Place on Christmas Day. Packed with people! This was nothing compared to the crowds that we saw later in the day!

Jump for joy!

Our group on a little boat tour with our hostel owner. Sugoi ne?

Leaving the island after a grueling night of fending off rats and monkeys...

The morning sunshine overlooking our campsite on Christmas Day.

Our camp.

The thieving monkeys stole our marshmallows! I think I will try to post a video that shows how scary they actually are.

The view.

The trees. The tropics are an incredible place to be. Just go somewhere where there is AC!

the video of them crazy monkeys!!