amazing 48

7/14/09

Today was such an amazing day and I know this blog is going to be long so I apologize as I start this blog! Usually i have Tuesdays off, so this was a first Tuesday for me to be working with my original teammates! We distributed to the very first houses we did together at the beginning of the summer and had so much fun! We were able to finish and spend some time together having fun at a park! this was our first park time together at the beginning of the summer and now as we head to the end of our summer we got to enjoy it together, us 3 again! So today I had plans to meet with Katrina and our new friend for a fun day together! I joined them at Starbucks and we took off on a bus headed to her university! ICU - International Christian University! :) It was such a beautiful campus and we got to see cheer leading and authentic Japanese culture drum playing! it gave me chills as I watched them, maybe I can see it again sometime! :) So we took a tour or the campus and it was HUGE! the chapel was very large and peaceful and we went in together and read the Lord's prayer in Japanese and English! Amazing experience :) So for lunch we went to the cafeteria and bought some food and sat down to talk to her about the Gospel! It was amazing and god was definitely at work in her heart from when we met the first time to today. When we met her she shared with us she would love to be our friend and teach us Japanese, but was not interested in the bible. Then that night when we went to dinner with another intern Justin, she shared with us that she could not wait for next semesters Christianity class! So just in one day she went from not being interested to being excited about a class! :D So Katrina started asking her questions and basically what was holding her back from God. Sh explained to us that her friends and family had built her up and helped her live the life she is living without God. So on a scale we would say she is about a -20. So then she told us that from being accepted at ICU and her counselors there helping her get through a depression she moved closer to God. here we would say she is now at a -15. Then as we continues talking to her she explained to us that through our 2 meetings and everything she has learned from us she is now only at a -10 and that not much is holding her back from God. She says she knows he is real, but their are still unclear things! Praise the Lord for really working in her heart the last few days! :) So after lunch our friend taught us the Japanese way to use the squatty potty :) Oh how i wont forget these memories :) Good times! After her campus visit we headed by bus to her house and were so excited about it! We arrived and met her sweet little mom who was so nice to us! her mom is a teacher of tea ceremonies and she even taught us today how to make the green tea that they use at the ceremonies!!! :) We enjoyed grapes, Japanese trail mix and regular tea together while engaging in "girl talk" as she called it. She shared with us that her boyfriend caused her to suffer a depression. Katrina and i were able to share so much about God's love and how much greater it is than earthly love! She really understood it and we got to talk so much girl talk and she grasped every bit of it! Later her mom came back and we learned how to make the green tea and we enjoyed bean jello and tiny doughnuts together! before we left our friend shared with us that the day and the hours we had spent with her were so precious to her and she would never forget us. she shared with us how she is waiting for a man to come along so she could get rid of her boyfriend... GOD wants to be that man! Today in her home for 4 hours, God was just really moving in her heart and we could feel his presence! Eventually Katrina and i left her home and went to eat dinner at the sushi bar together and to talk about how amazing God worked through us today! HE is so amazing! :) We went and had fun at a photo booth together and later I ran with Jasmin! She thinks I am crazy for sprinting on Tokyo streets! lol It is a great time though we have working out :) God blessed us so much today!

Requests!
-Our contact that we were so blessed to spend the entire day today with
-Pray that she continue to want to know more and ask us more questions!
-her mom is so precious! Pray that even though she didn't understand much English that she saw Christ's love in us today!
-Mitaka distribution and its progress

haley