Retreat and So Forth

Sorry it has taken me a while to update y'all. We got back from our retreat and just hit the ground running again.

Speaking of retreat, it was awesome. It was exactly what we needed. We traveled out of the city into the mountains to Okutama Bible Chalet. It felt just like camp. It was awesome. There was a river, a pool, hiking trails, American Dr. Pepper, and so much good fellowship. We left here Tuesday morning and got back Thursday evening. Wednesday was probably one of the greatest days ever, minus a hour or so of attack from Satan. He's such a jerk. That morning I read through James, something I hadn't done in a really long time. God just opened it to me so beautifully. Especially verses 4:7-8 which say "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded." That was everything I wasn't doing. Instead of embracing accusation or letting God's truth fill me where the lies were taking things away, I accepting everything Satan told me. I wasn't walking in the freedom I had been given. I was silly. I had a huge God moment earlier in the summer, then didn't prepare myself for the aftershocks. At the retreat the Lord really reminded me of the freedom I have in Him. I am free. Free from all the things Satan was using to keep me down. I need nothing more than my Creator and Savior. He is all powerful, all knowing, and He is completely at work in this world. His world.That reminder just set me up for a fantastic day. Jeff, our M, preached and we had worship, just like camp. The OBC even cooked for us. It was pretty much the greatest food ever. It was American, home cooked food. That in and of itself is retreat enough. We played a lot of team building games which were really fun. We also had a huge chunk of free time. We played in the river, swam in the pool, hiked, napped, pretty much did whatever we wanted. It was glorious. That night after we had worship we had a share time around a camp fire, then we had smores. It was so great to hear what God is doing in the lives of a few of my teammates. Smores were great too. I mentioned a attack that day as well. It was hard, but it was short lived. I had a great talk with God and my friend Sarah. God really hit me at that point that of course Satan was coming hard, if we fully understand our freedom in our Heavenly Father then we start to really live for Him. The devil wants none of that. Too bad he loses. Our God is greater, He is stronger, He is higher. Nothing can stop us because He is with us.

Tonight I have really been struggling with fear, fear of the future and what praying that this summer would change Japan would really mean. Am I really ready to count it all as lose in the name of the Gospel? I want to be. Last night I finished Through the Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot. It is about 5 missionaries who were killed but a South American tribe they were called to reach and the story leading up to that and what happened afterward. I think all 5 of their wives and families stayed in Ecuador to continue the work their husbands were doing. Elisabeth even moved into the village of the men who killed her husband and lived there for 2 years with her young daughter sharing the Gospel, and seeing the whole tribe changed but God. Reading that challenged me so much. They all knew that they belonged to God long before, after, and much more than they ever did to their husbands. Their calling was to serve Him, not men. They really got it. I think that will be a book I read over and over. I want the Gospel to impact my life like that. God has really been showing me that when we really get the Gospel, when we really let it hit our hearts, minds, souls, and lives, we are completely transformed and nothing but Him and His glory matter. How I long to be at that point! Hopefully this summer, and the continually breaking down of everything I hold dear, will help me reach that point. I am so thankful for His everlasting love and patience with us. I feel that I am prone to wander, even though the very thing I would be leaving is the very thing that I need more of than I will ever comprehend. I am blown away by His goodness, mercy, and bigness. We will never reach the end of Him, we will never stop learning. I am reminded of a conversation Aslan and Lucy have in Prince Caspian. The second time Lucy is in Narnia she keeps seeing Aslan but no one else is. The first time the two are really reunited Lucy tells Aslan that he has grown since the last time they met. He tells her that it's not him that has grown but her. She asks how than can be. He says, "Every year you grow, you will find me bigger." Isn't that so true? Every time we grow, everything we begin to see more of God's character, He gets bigger and more complex, not smaller and more simple. Japan is called the "Land of 8 million gods". Not one of those "gods" can do a single thing our Living God can. Let that sink in. Our God is able. He will accomplish His purpose. Not maybe but WILL. We are so unworthy of such a magnificent Holy Father. But still, we can come to Him and He will save us, restore us, love on us. I can't stop thinking about how wonderful He is. There really is NOTHING that really comes close to even thinking about comparing to our God.

Thank you for all your prayers. They are working more than you know. We have about 4 weeks left. That's not very long in the scheme of things. Pray that we would continue to pray big things, that Satan wouldn't hinder us with fear but that God would remind us that we have been given a Spirit of power, love, and self control. Pray that we would live in a manner worthy of our calling, and that we would do everything possible to maintain the unity. Pray for healing of sicknesses and wounds, as well as safety for the rest of the trip. Pray for the volunteers that are here or will be here within a few weeks. Pray we would focus on God and His goal, not us or our homes.

I love y'all all. Thanks for everything.