Break Is Over

Wow, this past week has been great! Though I had a great time, it just made me more tired. Hahaha… but I definitely feel a bit more refreshed. This past week, as most of you might have not known (or maybe you did), it was the Jesus Soldier’s break. Much needed break for all of us.  We (Jia, Jenny, Kyle, Cana-san and her son Luke) were invited by Ryo (one of the old J-House members and the 2^nd person I’ve ever met in Japan since 2006) to go to Ehime/Matsuyama (countryside area, also Ryo’s hometown). At first, I was thinking what we could do in the countryside, but after going there, I realized that I don’t have to do much besides enjoy God’s beautiful creation. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been too! I have never seen SOO much green lush plants and trees in my life. Hahaha…compared to California where everything is either dead, newly planted (and soon will be dead because it’s so hot) or was burnt from brush fires. I also went to Mie/Nara with Sasaki on Friday. We went hiking up to the top of this mountain and then went to an onsen (hot springs) which was really nice!

I felt like this break was a good reminder for me to care and love Japan and the Japanese people. The heart that I had for Japan has been revitalized when I was just looking at nature. ‘Nature?’ you might be thinking, but yes, nature. ‘Why?’ well, because I was just pondering on how beautiful God made Japan while I was sitting on top of a mountain looking all around me. God loves Japan; he made this beautiful country, yet there are still so many people that don’t know that…That is why I want to go strong these next…4 and a half months I have left here and not look back on this time and say “I should have done this or that” but to leave here knowing that they are in good hands and that the seeds that I have planted will someday grow to be fruitful.

(Ryo's Mom and sister made dinner! SOOO good!!)

(haha Sarang-chan was doing this face for like an hour on the ride back home)

Now just recovering from all the hiking, driving around, walking around, etc. before we start off the new week! 

(the start of our hike)

(made it to the top! An hour and 15 minutes hike to this spot, then we went up those mountains behind us!)

So many pictures... I didn't want to put them all up! Hope you enjoyed it!

EXTRAordinary

Hello! This week is over and it has been a long and tiring week. It wasn’t bad; I was just so tired from camp (which I only got 4 hours total and a lot of things I had to help out with) and to have Samil Church from Korea come the next day after camp for a week just added to my exhaustion. They weren’t bad, they were actually a real blessing and it was good to see some of the old members that came in January come back again and reconnect with J-House members. I just felt bad that I couldn’t, or more like didn’t, participate to all the events that they held.

There were many times I made an appointment or set a day where I would meet up with some students but they would cancel on me or say they were busy/something came up. However, I have been able to discipline myself into thinking that in ordinary things or routines, God can make those things and times extraordinary! It’s certainly hard to always try to see things that way, but I want to just be open to what God sees daily. I don’t want to miss an opportunity right before my eyes, but to train myself to able to notice these divine moments whenever I can. This is something that I will be learning to do the rest of my life. Haha…

There was also an event called “Summer Night” on Saturday and that seemed to go all right. Ice cream and fireworks, what more could you ask for? During the fireworks time, Heeju (one of the Korean Jesus Soldiers) was told to hold a rocket and to point it up, but she started freaking out and pointed the rocket horizontally! Justin then pushed her hand up a little bit, but when it launched all the sparks flew towards me, and burned a couple of holes on my shirt (which I kind of liked, but I guess it’s too late now o.O). Sunday was also just a very busy day; I played all three instruments in two different services (drums 1^st service, bass and guitar 2^nd service for gospel and then for worship), a PA meeting after that, I ate dinner with the two birthday boys (Shintaro and LL) and others. It was a good time, but I was just so tired.

Now I am in Ehime(えひめ) with Ryo’s family, Cana and her son Luke, Kyle, Jenny and Jia. Ryo invited us to come to his hometown for a couple of days. It’s in the countryside and it is a very peaceful place. I am enjoying my stay here so far! We went to the beach, had yakiniku(焼き肉), and now we are enjoying this really really nice Japanese version of a hotel place. Seriously, this place is so~ nice! It kind of looking run down from the outside, but don’t judge a book by it’s cover, right? These rooms are amazing! Here are some pictures inside Kyle and my room!

Anyway, this will probably be posted later because I don’t have Internet at the moment, but yeah, I will update next week more on the trip after I get back from Ehime and Jesus Soldier break is over! (Internet at Ryo's house! Haha, I'll be back on Thursday :P Has truly been nice so far :D

Deserves More Credit

You might be thinking, “who deserves more credit,” well, it is not me, but definitely God! “So what awesome thing happened?” you say, well nothing really, I just think I should give more credit and have greater anticipation/expectation of what God can do. Whether it's a retreat or just having a conversation with someone, God can do things and convict people at any time or any place. I find myself assuming and judging before I even try things out lately, which is strange because I hate when people do that to me.

I guess the biggest thing that happened to make me think this way is the Summer Camp that J-House just had this past weekend. Looking at the schedule, it just seemed way too relaxed(?) I was expecting more worship/prayer time, but it was just a lot of games, different kinds of activities, and unexpected plan changes; however, just because things weren’t going the way I expected it, doesn’t mean that it didn’t meet God’s expectations. (did that make sense?) I didn’t really notice much during the actual camp, I thought people were just really tired and wanted to go home, but afterwards I heard many people enjoyed the time they spent and had good times with other members from J-House. It was definitely not by our own ability, power, knowledge, etc. that this Summer Camp was successful, it was all God; he deserves much more credit than what I gave him. Even still, I am kind of doubting if everything that has happened this past week was even worth mentioning, but God is beyond me and my assumptions/expectations, so I will continue to learn to trust God can work through anything! “…Lean not on your own understanding…” right? Right.

I am actually still tired from the craziness of camp, but the team from Samil Church in Korea just came like 30 minutes ago, and I hope that we can work well together and they can be a blessing to the people in Japan!

God deserves more credit than what we give him, that is what I learned, and that is something I must work on. 

I am starting to get lazy with my pictures and updates... D: 

His Fingerprints

Hallelujah! 

God has been moving in this place and in my life! I’ve been very encouraged recently by so many people and so many things that have been happening that I can’t help but notice God’s fingerprints within all of it. KCM left this past week and they have been such a big blessing and help to J-House, I was able to do Life Book and the “Bridge” with some people, had a さよなら party for Takuya and just encouraged him before he leaves to Indiana for school, and even though I got food poisoned on Friday it was really nice of people to see if I was ok or get me medicine/drinks/food. I am definitely loved by God and by the people around me. It makes me happy to know that I have made some kind of connection with people here and that they would care for me too. I guess God has really been using me and I haven't even taken the time to notice.

There are so many things I would like to say, but can’t really express in words, even if I did, it would take way too long. I have been learning and noticing that God has really left his fingerprints on almost every relationship I have made here in Japan, and even back home.

(I didn't get to go this year, but this was Flood LA and I heard that God did some amazing things! I wish I could have helped out this year D:)

There’s so much that happened this past week that I wish I could have started writing the day it happened. I am almost completely over the food poisoning, so I want to rest a bit today. I hope to either write more next week or later today possibly. So instead, I will add more pictures! Enjoy~

(Proud Papa, little Motoi-kun)

(waiting in line to some shady looking restaurant for Takuya's sayonara dinner)

(One of the 7 people that got baptized this past Sunday! Praise God!!)

(Fukushima-san's testimony! So funny!)

(Starting to cool down a bit! Beautiful clouds!)

(Last moments before Takuya leaves J-House for 2 years!)

I don't want to put up any of my pictures because all the cool and nice looking ones were taken with a DSLR... I want one, but I don't need one.... bahh! haha