I haven't posted in a while because honestly I've not felt that there was anything exciting enough to post... until today when I realized that while I've done next to nothing this last week, God has been at work all around me doing things I could scarcely do myself. Let's recap, shall we?
Monday, I went to the Ghibli museum in Mitaka, which is an awesome place to go, especially if you love Miyazaki's films as much as I do! I got to see the giant Totoro at the entrance and sit inside the cat bus! I wish I had pictures to share, but photos weren't allowed inside the museum. It was a great time, though and I'd encourage anyone to go if they're in Tokyo.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were spent mostly at the Mission House doing homework, office work, and generally recovering from the CA team's trip. While it was amazing and tons of fun, it sure was exhausting!
Then came Saturday and Sunday, in which God got ahold of me yet again and really spoke words of life into my heart. Let me break it down by saying this: I was really in a bad mood all week due to compounding stress and me moving into the second phase of culture shock in which you start feeling irritation and frustration towards your host culture. I had gotten lost on the trains yet again going to the Ghibli museum on Monday and by that time, the train game had stopped being so much fun. I just wanted to get around by myself without getting lost every time. The language wasn't coming as easily as I thought it would and I was generally depressed about not knowing what my true purpose was in coming to Japan (such as, why do you want me here, God?). That was my attitude for much of the previous week in which I sat at home and did next to nothing while God quietly worked on my heart and in my life (most of which without me knowing.)
Saturday night, the Brazilian church that meets at our ICA building on Thursday nights hosted a special Pentecost celebration together with another IHOPU (International House of Prayer University) team. It was a true Pentecostal meeting that last over 5 hours! Through it all, I felt the Lord was speaking to me and so during one of the worship times and He truly confirmed a lot of what I had been praying about for a long time. Sunday night came with more of the same. One of the things I prayed about that night was working with youth in Japan. I've always wanted to work with youth and have a dream of seeing places like Harajuku come to Christ.
Monday came along with the 4th of July party at Yokota ICA near the US military base in Yokota. The new missionary family currently living upstairs (the Williams) and Pastor Shelley and I piled in the van and drove an hour up there to fellowship with other missionaries and Japanese believers. I haven't eaten such good American food since coming to Japan! I don't think I've eaten so much since coming to Japan, either! It was really good food and good fellowship. I got to meet the pastors of Yokota ICA, pastor Dan and Linda Alvarez. Coincidentally, they were looking for a youth leader for this month since their only youth leader took a leave for a month this summer. I happened to be sitting at the table with the Alvarezes when Pastors Bill and Carol (who know of my desire to work with youth) pointed straight at me and said "she'd do it!"
I cannot believe God answered my prayer so fast. But then, I almost think He was just waiting for me to pray it so it could be answered. :) He knows the desires of our heart and wants to give good gifts to His children. Apparently, I'm going to be leading the Yokota youth group for the next two Wednesdays and possibly one more week after that. God sure does work miracles, ne? I can't believe I'll be doing what I've always dreamed about - tomorrow. Wow.
Despite all of my shortfalls, God is always at work. Pastor Chad's favorite verse is Ephesians 2:10 which says "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do." I also like the Message version of that verse and the surrounding verses which say: "Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing." (Eph. 2:7-10)
As usual, it's not about me. I am not the subject of the sentence. God has merely invited me to participate in the wonderful works He is already doing. My ministry is not really mine - it's God's. It's not really my time - it's God's. And it's not really my life - it's God's. If I remember that, the pride that so easily entangles me falls away pretty quickly. I can't believe that a God so big would choose a small person like me to do His work. How awesome is that?
I'll try my best to keep posting more often from now on. Please excuse my moment of weakness and humanity. I'd like to share with you more of what God is putting in my heart and doing in my life and the lives of others around me next time. I'll let you know how tomorrow goes! Ja ne! Matta ne!
