FIREWORKS!

Yesterday was the big fireworks show at Showa Park. Let me tell you....it was the best fireworks show I've ever seen! It was an hour or so long! The only problem was there was a huge tree that covered like half of the fireworks so we only saw the really tall ones but it was still pretty sweet!
I got to wear my Yukata which was a pain because it kept coming undone in certain areas and Hitomi kept having to adjust it. I was probably thought scandalous compared to the other Japanese girls. (Don't worry, nothing showed but still....uggh!) So here are some pics!


OOOOOOOOOOOO
AHHHHHHHHHHH!!

Us sporting our Yukatas! Mrs. Hosokawa, Hitomi and Yuri

Yukiko!

Ayumi and I

Sweet!

Yuri!!

We had an awesome time! Showa park is gorgeous! I can't wait to go back....I saw pictures of it in December and it was amazing!

I'll be home soon and then you can see the rest of my pics!

I can't think of a title....i guess "REALLY LONG" works

So I finished Isaiah and now I'm going through Jeremiah. Good book...only its a little hard to understand.

I have set some goals for this next (school) year and I found some verses for a little incentive.
Here are a few of them: (You can just read whats in bold if you don't have time...which I'm pretty sure you don't) Enjoy!

1. Time management:

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest-
and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.
Proverbs 6:3-11


Lazy hands make a man poor,
but diligent hands bring wealth.
Proverbs 10:4


Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for it is light that makes everything visible.
This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,
making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5: 11-16


Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. (except Jesus of course)
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Sorry, this is a long one

"In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching[a] you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.
If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother."
2 Thessalonians 3:6-15


.....Ouch

2. Health....especially when it comes to my food choices:

"Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
Haggai 1:5-6 (maybe not the best verse for this but I thought it fit)

3. Be discerning and responsible

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
Galatians 6:9-10

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14

"I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart..."
1 Kings 3:12a

My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,
do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble;
when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being snared.
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
when it is in your power to act.
Proverbs 3:21-27

4. Stay in the Word daily:
Psalm 119
(You can go read it....its LOOOOONG)

And this passage is great for motivation to complete all my goals:

You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.
As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the LORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You give me your shield of victory,
and your right hand sustains me;
you stoop down to make me great.
You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.
Psalm 18:28-36
Again....sorry its so long. Thanks to all of you who actually read through it.

A few prayer requests

Hey everyone,

This weekend we are going to the Oktama Bible Challet (the english camp) for four days. Bruce and Laura said that this session is one of the most difficult sessions because the majority of the kids have never heard about Jesus and none of them speak english. We are faced with a little bit of difficulty however God will use it! Please keep them in your prayers. Also, Yoshie is going to speak 6 times while we're there and yesterday she wasn't exactly prepared. She has been really busy with work and being our interpreter etc...so she's a little stressed and worn out (all the time keeping a smile on her face!!) We love her!.

VBS is next week from tuesday to saturday and so far we have two kids signed up. Sensei says that usually a bunch of kids sign up at the last minute...please pray that they do! and for our team that we would keep up our energy level as this will be our busiest week with English lessons and VBS everyday. We're excited and a bit nervous. Starting tuesday it will be our last week of ministry. Please pray that we would keep strong until the end. Us girls are getting a little homesick (again) but we know we'll be home very soon! I can't wait to see you guys!!!

My students Mr. and Mrs. Sato are finished with the classes. I talked to Mrs. Sato about getting them a Bible but she said they had one and she was going to read it...She sounded really excited. I had a chance to talk to both of them about this weekend and our purpose for going to the camp and they asked many questions about Christianity. Please keep them in your prayers... that they really would read the Bible they have and that God would bring someone into their lives to help them with their questions. They were so fun to talk to!!!

God has provided so much over the past 4 weeks and has worked in the hearts of our students. To Him be the glory!

"but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."

Some good verses....

Isaiah 30:18

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!"

Isaiah 33:2, 6

"O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the FEAR of the Lord is the KEY to this treasure."

I like the book of Isaiah...

Thoughts for the Day

Isaiah 29:13 says, "The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men."

Am I like these people when I come before God? Do I mindlessly "worship" Him? When I pray, do I remember that I'm before the Most High God? or are my prayers empty routine? At church do I come to fellowship and learn or do I sit through the service, bored and waiting until its over so I can go have fun afterwards?

I'm not sure this is exactly what the passage meant but that's what it made me think about.

....next thought...

I bet most of life's problems could be boiled down to a lack of trust and contentment. If we would stop and enjoy the moment we're in right now and remember that this is where God has us, we could have so much more. Instead we're just waiting for the next big thing to happen, living life from event to event.

I know from when I was a kid I couldn't wait until my next birthday. When I turned 13 I would start planning my 14th birthday party.....that day. I couldn't wait until I got into high school; then the end of my freshman year I couldn't wait until I graduated. Then I couldn't wait to get to Romania and when I got there I couldn't wait to get home and start college. Now I'm going into my sophomore year and I can't wait to get to IBEX...and then graduate...and then move on to whatever God has for me. I need to stop and trust God that this is what He has for me right now and be content...not settle...but be content and enjoy this moment. He never promised another.

James 4:13-15

Child Of God

Today at the prayer meeting there were Koreans, Japanese, and Americans. It was really cool to hear prayer in all three languages. Even though I didn't understand...God did.

Anyway,
One of the missionaries shared a song with us called "Child of God" and as he read the words I really felt like crying...then he played the song on his computer...that didn't help lol but I didn't cry...

I just wanted share these words...it is such a beautiful song.

"With every breath, with every thought
From what is seen to the deepest part
I offer all that I've come to be
To know Your love fathering me

Father You're all I need
My soul's sufficiancy
My strength when I am weak
The love that carries me
Your arms enfold me
Till I am only a child of God

With every step on this journey's walk
And wisdom's songs that the soul has sought
I give myself unreservedly
To know Your love fathering me"

So far on this trip the one thing that keeps coming back to me is that God is all I need. That's so easy to say but SO hard to actually believe. When its so easy to find comfort in other things whether it be music, food, friends, the internet...I can find comfort in so many things other than Him but when it comes down to only being able to truly put my trust in Him I fail most everytime.

Lots to learn....

MOSHI MOSHI!!! (said in a high voice when answering the phone)

Hehe...I like how they say that.
All is well here in Japan! Three weeks are almost up and we have so much going on for the rest of our time here. Tomorrow we're teaching a ladies group how to make tacos, saturday we have an ice cream party and Gospel Night (Hitomi and I are singing as well as the rest of the youth group and Team Japan is going to do Be Thou My Vision in Japanese....prayer is needed! lol we don't have the best voices). Then on Monday we have a sport day...i think we're gonna play kickball. Next friday through monday we go to OBC. I just met Mrs. Harris and her husband (they work at the camp) and they are so sweet! I can't wait. Then the last full week we have VBS, English Lessons and a Farewell lunch on Sunday. Monday (the 31st) through Wednesday the 2nd of August is our debrief period and then we come home. I'm thinking these last three weeks are gonna go pretty fast. Hope we can keep up with it all. Thanks for all your prayers! God has been working here.

Check it out!

Hey all,
Go check out our Team site...Mark has been updating.

teamjapan06.blogspot.com

some pics are there too!

A little encouragement....

"Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always."
Psalm 105:4

"You are my strength when I am weak, You are the treasure that I seek, You are my all in all.
Seeking you as a precious jewel, Lord to give up I'd be a fool, You are my all in all.
Jesus, Lamb of God, Worthy is Your name.
Jesus, Lamb of God, Worthy is Your name.
Taking my sin, my cross, my shame, rising again I bless Your name, You are my all in all,
When I fall down you pick me up, when I am dry You fill my cup, You are my all in all.
Jesus, Lamb of God, Worthy is Your name.
Jesus, Lamb of God, Worhty is Your name."

"Hungry, I come to you for I know, You satisfy.
I am empty but I know your love, does not run dry.
So I wait, for you; So I wait, for you.
I'm falling on my knees, offering all of me, Jesus you're all this heart is living for.
Broken I run to you for your arms, are open wide; I am weary but I know your touch, restores my life. So I wait, for you; So I wait, for you."

"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forgot all His benefits." Psalm 103:2

How Great Is our God???

So as I mentioned before, last monday we went to Karaoke and I took some pictures so I thought I'd share them!

This is me: (bet you wouldn't have guessed!)This is Albert....really concentrating on his song...whatever it was:


This is Mark...he was singing........a true Japanese song:We also sang some disney favorites...like Hakuna Matata:

This is Tomo...she and I sang Part of That World from "The Little Mermaid":We had such a fun day that day.....we might go again tomorrow....we have a "free" day every Monday. SO...the English Lessons are going really well. Every student is giving good reparts.

Two of my students give me gifts each class period..I was so surprised:

YUMMY!! So we're going to lunch now...they really want to go so I gotta scoot....I'll post again soon!

A Woman Who is A Christian

I've been reading this book called "Designing A Lifestyle That Pleases God" by Pat Ennis and Lisa Tatlock. Its pretty convicting and I wanted to share a little part out of it. (this is just a summary)

This refers to a Wise Woman

The first thing was "an acrostic for the word Christian to look at day-to-day living:
Christ: The significance of the question is, does she just know about Christ, or does she know Him as her Lord and Savior?
Holy: Do we fill our minds with thoughts that will challenge us to live a holy lifestyle?
Reputation: Do I purpose to cultivate a reputation that invites others to imitate me as I imitate Christ?
Integrity: Am I a person of integrity?
Scriptures: Do I live like I believe them?
Theme of Titus 2:4-5: Am I willing to learn these skills and then teach others?
Inquire (or ask): Do I ask with a humble heart that is truly desirous of my heavenly Father's will?
Abstain: Do I abstain from every form of evil?
Nothing: Nothing is impossible with God; Do I trust God or lean on my own understanding?

When I read over these I found that my answer to most of the questions was no. This challenged me to start living in a way so that I could answer these questions with yes.

The other thing I wanted to share was "The Character of A Woman Who is A Christian"

If I speak to other woman about their scriptural roles and responsibilities but lack the motivation to integrate the teaching into my life, I am arrogant (James 2:22-25)

And though I know about the woman of the Bible and believe myself to be a devoted Christian but fail to emulate their model, I am nothing (1 Corinthians 10:11)

If I pursue Christian ministry and stay up all night preparing a theologically correct Bible Study but fail to develop the gentle and quiet spirit that is precious to my heavenly Father, my efforts are in vain (1 Peter 3:4)

A woman who is a Christian is gracious (Proverbs 11:16) even when others are not

She believes that the verbal picture of God's ideal woman painted in Proverbs 31:10-31 is as relevant today as the day it was written and seeks to emulate her qualities

A woman who is a Christian gleans insight from the knowledge of God's Word and seeks to become a Wise Woman (Proverbs 2:17-21)

She takes seriously the mandate of Titus 2:3-5 and intentionally acquires godly Christian role models and seeks to be one to those younger in the faith.

As for professional contacts, ultimately they will diminish in importance; as for speaking opportunities, they will be presented and the content eventually forgotten; as for strategic social events, they will occur and the memories will fade; but the woman who is a Christian prepares to face God's plan for her future WITH CONFIDENCE (Proverbs 31:25)

So, both the Christian Woman and the woman is a Christian abide in the Christian community; however, the woman who is a Christian cultivates a lifestyle that clearly displays that her values and character align with the Word of God.

I've got a lot to live up to. I challenge you (reader) to do the same! Hope this was encouraging :)

Fun times!

So yesterday was our "day off" so we went to Shibuya. We had lunch (I wasn't hungry so I had a really good mango/vanilla/chocolate thing...sooo good) and then we went to purikura (print club). Basically it was a bunch of piture booths. For those of you who have been here before you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, it was SO fun...we're gonna do it again here in Tachikawa. We also did Karaoke. Yesterday was a great day. I can't wait to show ya'll the pictures! Today we are doing lessons again and so far so good. We have 17 students alone today. Tomorrow we don't have many but the weeks are pretty filled. I'm kinda sad that I'm missing the 4th of July. But we're having a big thing on July 29. Should be fun! Well....I have a lesson in 10 minutes so I'll post a little more later. Oh I taught my host family how to play Egyptian War or whatever you want to call it: the game with many names. We had so much fun. I also played speed with Hitomi. So fun. Hitomi and I are going to do "Lord I Lift Your Name On High" on Gospel night. She'll play guitar and I'll play piano and we'll both sing. We're really excited about that. Well....until later.....God Bless and have a great 4th of July!

A Good Verse:

"...acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work." 1 Chronicles 28:9-10

A couple random things....

So i was listening to my iPod today and a song came on called "One Day at a Time" by Jeremy Camp and I thought it was very applicable to me this summer; not all of it but most of it. So i wanted to share it: Whats in bold is what I liked a lot.

One day at a time I will walk this road I've traveled so far
One day at a time well I know I will carry on
One day at a time I can see you took my life this far
One day at a time I will take this faith along
All this hope I breathe is given by the hand that carries me
Until I'm complete and I'll take all I will
To understand this plan you have for me, for me
I've been shut up shut down held out held down
In ways I never knew I would
But I can feel your fullness in my life
Well I've been burned out broken torn out torn down
In ways I never knew I would
But I can feel your fullness in my life
One day at a time I will take these words you've given me
One day at a time I will rest in knowing you
One day at a time I will share this gift you've given me
One day at a time I will walk these valleys through
All I know is that I see how much my heart
Is longing to be cradled by your side
And I'll give all I can to one day soon
Be held by your hand, by your hand
In all these things I will press on
I'll be with you I know it wont be long

And then here are a couple verses that I really liked today:

Its kind of long so here's the reference for the first one:
2 Corinthians 1:3-11

Psalm 37:23-24:
"If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand."

James 1:2-4:
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverence. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Psalm 8:
"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with honor. You made him ruler over the works of YOUR hands; you put EVERYTHING under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is yo ur name in all the earth."

I didn't realize that time was such a blessing until I came here. I've read more in the past week than I ever have in one year; and I don't think I'm exaggerating much.

Good News

Today Yoshie told us that this year has been the best year for English Lessons that she can remember. We put out between 500 and 700 flyers and so far we've received 6 replies. She said that a long time ago (to tell would be to show her age so I won't say how long) she put out 1,000 flyers and only got one reply so this was pretty good news :). The lessons are going well so far. We have only gotten good replies from the students. God is really working here.

Random thoughts:

Yesterday I was listening to a song called Even When by Seven Places (really good song) and part of it really stuck out to me so I thought I'd share it:

"Its not about how I feel, Lord I am here for you cause you are here for me, this is what I was made to do. I exist for you."

Today I finished a book by Francine Rivers called "Unshaken" a story of Ruth and Boaz. (Its now my favorite book.) Anyway, at the end there's a little bible study and one question was "What life changing events have you experienced? As I pondered the question...yes I do ponder sometimes :)....I thought about all the things in the past that have brought me to this point in my life....here in Japan. The one thing that I can think of that brought me to a transition in my life was my view on missions. Up until that point I had my mind set on being a wife and mother and that was it. I didn't what other plans could come up, if that wasn't part of my plans then I wouldn't do them, especially missions. (Most of you have heard this before but what's better than being able to read it? :-p) So in 2003 the opportunity to go on a missions trip came. I was in a new bible study at church for teens (not "youth group" but Teen Bible Study) and the leader had a big emphasis on living your life for God no matter what He had you do. I was scared to death of the thought of giving over control of my life (as if I had any to begin with right?). This trip was in the following December and I prayed a lot about it. I figured it was only a week and I could just see what would happen. So I went, and my life changed. One week. Sometimes it doesn't take very long for God to show you things...so after I got home I decided I wanted to go to Romania. (I was kind of exaggerating...I mean Romania? Come on..lets be serious) So a couple years go by and I had been in this "Teen Bible Study" (now called Youth Group....go figure) and an opportunity came up to go to Romania....I was surprised and half scared that I would have to go since I had made a big deal about it years before and up until it came...i'm a big talker. So....summer of 2005 came and I went to Romania....God has slowly worked on me and changed my heart for missions over the years. Now I still am a little scared at the idea but so much more open to it than I used to be thanks to my mom, youth leader, and of course God. So....all that to say...in a very round about way I guess I was just trying to say thank you to everyone who has supported me in my life....you all know who you are :)...it would take an hour or more to name all of you....(i don't have that kind of time and I'm sure neither do you.) My mom especially. You have never let me down! I love you! So....yeah.....hope this made sense...i need to help someone so i'll post some more later. God Bless!