I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I definitely did, I love getting to spend time with family and eat a ton of good food.
I am very glad to inform y'all that Father has provided $1400 for my trip so far! Father is so faithful, enough keeps coming in time for my next payment and then some. It has been incredible to see His faithfulness thus far. While that is completely good news, I do have to inform y'all of a little hitch in the road. I received a letter from iGo earlier this week informing me that due to things getting more expensive across the board, I need to raise $5000 instead of $4000. I'm not worried, not one bit, that I won't be able to raise another $1000, it just means I have to trust Father for me. So far it hasn't been that hard, but as things really start picking up and that final April deadline gets closer, I know the enemy will do his worst to make me worried.
Please pray that my teammates and I will trust Father to provided everything we need, financially and spiritually. Pray that He would begin to prepare our hearts for the work and for living and working with one another. Pray for the M's as they are apart from their families in the holiday season. Most importantly, pray that Father would begin to work in the hearts of those He will put in our paths once we finally get to Japan. Pray that He would bind the enemies lies and give them hope enough to hold on. Thank you for all your prayers, by praying you are just as much a part of this as I am.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
God's Provision
I told y'all that my first payment is sent off, but I didn't say how God provided for it. Sit back, it's a good one.
A couple of weeks ago, the main missionaries I interned for, who are home on furlough, hosted a Friends of Tokyo weekend, and I attended. I felt like Father was going to do something big, and I thought it would be providing the money I needed for my first payment; God had other plans. I got there and got to share stories from the summer and was reminded how God really has given me a heart for Japan. I also got to see dear friends from the summer as well as meet men and women who had served in Japan before me, the people who worked to plow the soil for years. It was a true honor to hear their stories and wisdom. Sunday morning a few of us who had gone to Japan before got to share in the Sunday School classes of the church that was hosting the event. On of my friends and I got to share with the youth group. I am pretty sure it was the most scatterbrained talk I have ever given, but God is bigger than rambling. They listened very intently to both my friend and I. She and I mostly talked about the fellowship with other interns and how dark and hard of a place Japan is. Neither of us felt like we had said anything that would leave a lasting impression, but Father did and as of right now that youth group is working on organizing a trip to come to Tokyo this summer. I drove home from the weekend without any money for my trip, but I did have a renewed love of Japan and a real sense of duty of what being on the intern leadership team (ILT) is going to be like.
I got back to College Station and went to work. We ended up getting out an hour early so I was able to make it to my church small group for a little bit. I get to sit in on the last part of the discussion and prayer requests. I said that my first payment was due Thursday and needed to trust that God was going to provide it. As soon as the prayer was over, a couple who I have really been encouraged by this semester came up and handed me a check. I was so thankful, it was such a great gift. I didn't look at it then, I knew that God was reminding me to trust. When I got back to my car I finally opened it. It was enough for my first payment and half of my second. I could not believe it. I'm not going to lie, I screamed a little bit. In His typical unpredictable ways, Father provided in a way I had never expected. He gives us what we need when we need it. I am so blessed to be on this wonderful, crazy adventure. I cannot say enough about His immeasurable love and grace. He is so good friends, beyond words.
Thank you for praying. :)
A couple of weeks ago, the main missionaries I interned for, who are home on furlough, hosted a Friends of Tokyo weekend, and I attended. I felt like Father was going to do something big, and I thought it would be providing the money I needed for my first payment; God had other plans. I got there and got to share stories from the summer and was reminded how God really has given me a heart for Japan. I also got to see dear friends from the summer as well as meet men and women who had served in Japan before me, the people who worked to plow the soil for years. It was a true honor to hear their stories and wisdom. Sunday morning a few of us who had gone to Japan before got to share in the Sunday School classes of the church that was hosting the event. On of my friends and I got to share with the youth group. I am pretty sure it was the most scatterbrained talk I have ever given, but God is bigger than rambling. They listened very intently to both my friend and I. She and I mostly talked about the fellowship with other interns and how dark and hard of a place Japan is. Neither of us felt like we had said anything that would leave a lasting impression, but Father did and as of right now that youth group is working on organizing a trip to come to Tokyo this summer. I drove home from the weekend without any money for my trip, but I did have a renewed love of Japan and a real sense of duty of what being on the intern leadership team (ILT) is going to be like.
I got back to College Station and went to work. We ended up getting out an hour early so I was able to make it to my church small group for a little bit. I get to sit in on the last part of the discussion and prayer requests. I said that my first payment was due Thursday and needed to trust that God was going to provide it. As soon as the prayer was over, a couple who I have really been encouraged by this semester came up and handed me a check. I was so thankful, it was such a great gift. I didn't look at it then, I knew that God was reminding me to trust. When I got back to my car I finally opened it. It was enough for my first payment and half of my second. I could not believe it. I'm not going to lie, I screamed a little bit. In His typical unpredictable ways, Father provided in a way I had never expected. He gives us what we need when we need it. I am so blessed to be on this wonderful, crazy adventure. I cannot say enough about His immeasurable love and grace. He is so good friends, beyond words.
Thank you for praying. :)
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The Beginning...Again
Well friends, it's that time of year again. My first payment and forms are sent off. Father has already been teaching me so much in the few weeks since I was reaccepted. Father has rebroken my heart for the city of Tokyo and the people of Japan. My heart just longs and aches to be back. But at the same time, there is a lot I need to learn in the mean time. As the lead girls intern as well as the lead iGo intern, I will have a lot more responsibilities than I did last summer. But the Father has already been giving me glimpses of how He's breaking me now will help me in Tokyo. Keep praying dear friends, for money for my teammates and I, for a finalized team, and mostly for the people of Japan. I'm excited to be on the journey again, and I can't wait to see how Father blows my mind all over again. Stay tuned.
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