O Holy Night

O Holy Night remains my favorite Christmas song. Take a listen and read the lyrics:



O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope, our weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine!
O night when Christ was born

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break
For the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chourus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name!

Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine!
O night when Christ was born

Christ is the Lord
O praise His name forever
O night divine!
O night, O night divine!



I read this article last Christmas, and am reminded of it again as I sing this song: 

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/12/23/all-oppression-will-cease-even-in-north-korea/

The article includes this statement: 

"Sin's entrance sent the world careening towards destruction, creating a rift between heaven and earth that required sacrifices, temples, and veils to protect us from the furious heat of God's holiness. The Christ child's entrance into the world set the two on a collision course once again, with the promise that the babe in the straw would reconcile them all, destroying death and sin in the process...There is nothing so liberating as the news that we have a better King and an eternal hope. In spite of their screeching protestations, every tyrant's days are numbered. A King was born in Bethlehem who will one day bring justice and peace."

Read it and join me in prayer this Christmas for North Korea and other nations around the world fighting oppression, war, slavery, natural disasters, poverty, famines, and other forms of unrest. Praise the Lord for the daily blessings we all take for granted, especially our freedom, and let them remind us to pray for the nations. Merry Christmas indeed.

Thankful for His Answer

This Thanksgiving I am thankful. With each passing year, I grow more thankful than the last. This year, I am thankful for the Lord's specific answer to my prayers when I came back from Japan.

I prayed a couple things. First, that He would renew my heart for the women I minister to at Florida State. That one was easy. As soon as I was back with them, I was reminded of what a blessing it is to labor with and for them on campus. Second, I prayed that I would be able to reach the Nations on campus. That one was a little more complicated, but when I met Lusi at the start of the semester and we started reading the book of John together, I saw the faithfulness of the Lord in answering that prayer.

Lusi remains one of the things that I am most thankful for this year! She is a sweet answer to prayer. I look forward to seeing her every week! Keep praying for the Lord to reveal the mystery of the gospel as we read about Jesus together!

Mei and me at my favorite coffee shop in Tallahassee

My final prayer was that I would be able to continue impacting the lives of the Japanese students I came to know and love this summer. I skype with a few of them on a regular basis and we enjoy sharing life together across the world! On a side note, I am also thankful for technology this Thanksgiving!! But would you believe that two of the Japanese women that I became good friends with traveled to America this semester? I've written about Miki's time in Florida in September, and now my friend Mei will be spending a week with me in Tallahassee!! I can't believe it! I serve a faithful God.

Mei will be spending Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years in Florida before going to Toronto for 6 months of English language school. Please pray for opportunities for us as Summer Friends (our Florida SIJ team) to continue to invest in her life eternally. Thank you for your faithful prayers!!

At the Beach and Around the World

I have been to so many beach retreats, both as a student and as staff, with the Navigators. However, this year was my favorite. Why? Because the Lord reminded me of His goodness and His answer to my prayer for impacting the Nations while I'm stateside. 


Miki, one of my dearest friends I met this summer in Japan, came to Florida to visit us!! She was here during our beach retreat and joined the FSU Navs for a weekend of fun in the sun and time reading the Bible. Not only did Miki join us, but so did another friend I met since returning from Japan. Her name is Lusi and she is a grad student from China. Lusi, Kaylee (a sophomore student) and I have started meeting weekly to read the Bible together this semester, and it has been a highlight each week for all three of us!

What was so awesome was to see how Miki and Lusi became friends. China and Japan are not on the best terms, politically speaking, but on an individual level it was an incredible blessing to watch these two young women become friends- in America! The Nations are here!! I was reminded once again of God's heart for the Nations, and what a gift it is to labor for them on an individual basis. I love Miki and Lusi dearly, and have the best time introducing them to the most important person in my life; Jesus, my savior.


Hannah, who spent the summer with me in Japan, Miki, Lusi and I had an opportunity to read the Bible together at the beach retreat. We read from the gospel of John, discussed who Jesus is, why He came to us, and how we can know Him. These women are hungry for God's word, learning about the life and love of Christ. Would you continue to pray for my time reading the Bible with them? I skype frequently with Miki and we discuss the Bible together, and Lusi, Kaylee and I meet on campus on Wednesdays to read together. It is so exciting to invite you all into what God is doing at Florida State, in the lives of these women, and around the world!!!

Brace for Impact: Summer Impact Japan 2012

I'll be honest, I still really miss Japan. I will be forever changed by the summer I spent in Utsunomiya, and hope to return again one day. One of my prayers since returning to America has been for unique opportunities to continue investing in my Japanese friends, to equip and send others to Japan, and to serve in any way I am able while in the States. One such opportunity presented itself when I was asked to write a short article for the Japan Navigator staff to send out in a newsletter. 

One of the Japanese staff wrote back to me,

"Thank you for writing article about your SIJ story for our Japan Navigators newsletter. I am so glad that you and Utsu students had a wonderful summer. I too had many good memories with SIJers when I was a student. Thank you for your investment to young Japanese lives."

It was an investment I'll never forget and never regret. I thought I would share what I wrote:

When I knew I would be spending my summer in Japan as a part of SIJ, I began researching the history, culture and customs of this country. No amount of research could prepare me for my experience, because it was the people I met and the friendships that were formed that made this the most incredible summer of my life.

I was overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness, the mutual respect and service I encountered in Japan; no one made me feel like a foreigner or treated me like I didn’t belong. I had been looking forward to sharing the Gospel and my testimony with these new Japanese friends, hoping to share with them who God is. One friend wrote to me at the end of SIJ: “Thank you for teaching me a lot about the Bible and Jesus.” Another, “This summer was so good for me. I learned God’s love is great and I understand that friends are so wonderful!”

On top of this, I was also able to learn new qualities of God through the Japanese people; they are organized, creative, relational, selfless and detailed.  God revealed to me new depths of His character through the people I came to love and serve; I had no idea that Summer Impact Japan meant that I was the one who would be impacted.

You too can impact Japanese lives, and you will most certainly be impacted in the process. Pray about being a part of SIJ 2013!!! Message me if you have any questions!

The Four Holy Gospels

I was introduced to Makoto Fujimura, a Japanese artist living in New York, earlier this year, and want to share his work with you! Watch the video below to learn more about him and how he is impacting artists in New York and around the world by painting and interpreting the Gospels in his work.

Here is a look at the Four Holy Gospels

 

Matthew - Consider the Lilies

Mineral Pigments, Gold, Platinum and Sumi on Kumohada, 48 x 60 inches

Consider the Lilies is done with over sixty layers of finely pulverizes precious minerals (azurite and malachite), oyster shell white, and painted with sumi ink that has been cured for over a century, as well as gold and platinum powders, mixed with Hide glue (Japanese Sanzenbon, which is no longer being made), to adhere the minerals onto a hand-pulled Japanese paper.  The painting depicts Easter lilies, with triumvirate flowers opening up, but with the suggestion that even these common lilies are transformed into a post-Resurrection, generative reality.

 

Mark - Water Flames

Mineral Pigments, Gold, Cochineal on Kumohada, 48 x 60 inches

Water Flames series depict the way in which flames not only consumes, but ultimately sanctify.  These works recall the visual language of the apocalyptic, moody paintings of the American artist Mark Rothko (1903-1970) - using Japanese vermillion, gold, platinum powders and cochineal (made from India's dye made from an cochineal insect).  The work moves our gaze upward, even as we stand in the ever-expanding Ground Zero conditions of the world.

Luke - Prodigal God

Mineral Pigments, Gold, Platinum on Kumohada,48 x 60 inches

The title of this work, based on a well known tale of the lost son in Luke 15, is taken's from my pastor Timothy Keller's book, Prodigal God.  The visual complexity of the work depicts my own inner struggle between legalism of religion (the elder brother) and the "recklessly spendthrift" nature of the Father's love in the story.  In the art world and culture in which we celebrate the wayward, but not having the language to bring the lost (myself included at times) back home, these series of works probe deeply into the tension that exist within my heart to love deeply - in spite of the legalism and the waywardness that prevails in the wider culture.

 

John - In the Beginning

48x60" Mineral Pigments, Gold on Belgium Linen

This work visually echoes the "Charis-Kairos" cover piece in the same way that the beginning of the Gospel of John echoes the beginning of Genesis.  The first chapter of the Gospel of John speaks not only about the origin of all creation in Jesus, but also about the mystery behind creation.  Art needs to inhabit such mysteries - to open us up to the generative reality of the deeper questions that lie behind our questions.
The portion of John - In the Beginning was done as a live performance, as part of an ongoing collaboration with Jazz percussionist/composer Susie Ibarra (see portion of Plywood documentary here)

Check out more on his site: http://www.makotofujimura.com/

A Holy Ambition

I discovered this sermon today and need to share it with you all. 

Disclaimer: you will be convicted.

Asking for Continents

While listening to music on shuffle, this song played and made my heart yearn for the nations! Listen closely to the heart behind the words.

Naturally my mind goes to two places: my own country and Japan. These lands need healing. Are we praying for that? I know I need to pray more frequently, daily, for healing. I saw this summer just how plentiful the harvest is, and more importantly, the faithfulness of God.

This has become the cry of my heart. Lord! Please, give us the nations! I want the nations to know Him, my own people to acknowledge that He is God. The islands will see His light as it rises on them. Japan, an island, known as being the Land of the Rising Sun. Lord, I ask for Japan! I plead for the friends I made this summer.

The most beautiful thing about this song is that the words were not written recently by a musician, but thousands of years ago by God himself:

For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:8

For the earth will be filled
    with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14

Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. John 4:35

Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
    and the ends of the earth your possession. Psalm 2:8

The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;
    let the distant shores rejoice. Psalm 97:1

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Isaiah 60:1

Upon reflecting, a well known quote from Dawson Trotman came to mind:

"Do you know why I often ask Christians, 'What's the biggest thing you've asked God for this week?' I remind them that they are going to God, the Father, and the Maker of the universe. The One who holds the world in His hands. What did you ask God for? Did you ask for peanuts, toys, trinkets, or did you ask for continents?

I want to tell you… it's tragic!

The little itsy-bitsy things we ask of our Almighty God. Sure, nothing is too small--but also nothing is too big. Let's learn to ask from our big God some of those big things He talks about." 

~Dawson Trotman 

Let's ask for continents. Will you join me in praying, in pleading for the nations?

Check out Operation World to learn more about praying for the nations!

http://www.operationworld.org/

The Soil Beneath

   As we rode away from Utsunomiya last week, hearts breaking, Bryan explained to us our work this summer. We were wondering how effective 6 weeks of investing in lives can be if we have to leave our new friends in tears as we drive away. He shared with us,

"The spiritual soil in Japan is like asphalt. Having 10 summer workers come, like this year, is like taking a jackhammer and breaking up the asphalt so that seeds can get to the rich soil beneath. For some students, especially freshmen, having relationships like this is completely new to them; most have never been prayed for by name, until now."

   At our good-bye party the night before we left, I was surprised at how many of the students were crying- some couldn't even get through speaking without bursting into tears. Bryan is right. Japan has a culture that does not show negative emotions, so crying in public is rare for most Japanese. Those tears are proof that the friendships we are building are helping to break up the concrete covering so many of these hearts, making way for the seeds of the gospel to be sown into the rich soil underneath. 

   Praise the Lord indeed, and pray for these friendships to continue across the world!

God of This City

   This song is playing in my heart today as I think about how we must leave Utsunomiya this week. It hurts to realize I must leave behind so many people I have come to love, but there is a God of this city who will never leave. Greater things are still to be done here; I hope I can return and be a part of it. For now, I will leave behind a piece of my heart, one which will always remind me to wrestle in prayer for these friends.

Tatami Talks

   Most Japanese homes have a traditional-style room with tatami mats, which is a flooring material made from rice straw. Brittany and I are using the tatami room at Joyful House as our bedroom this summer and I love it! 

   Every Tuesday, our team and the staff here will meet for a short message and prayer. Because we meet in the tatami room at Full House (the guys' house), these meetings have been called "Tatami Talks." One of these talks helped to cast vision for those who labor here in Utsunomiya, including us as summer workers. There are three things we must do and value:

1. Abide in Christ

        John 15:5 says,

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

   We are given a promise in this verse, that if we remain in Christ, we will bear much fruit. God is in relentless pursuit of fruit in our lives, but that requires us to abide in Him. Apart from Him there is no point because there is no fruit. An apple tree that does not produce apples is cut down; likewise, fruit is what gives our lives value.

2. Love

       John 13:34-35:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

   Sometimes it seems easier to love those who do not yet know Jesus than our own brothers and sisters. But how important a witness this is to others! We are commanded to love one another as Christ has set for us an example. Why is it so important? Because people can tell that we are His disciples by how we love one another.

3.  Work hard

         1 Corinthians 15:58 says,

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 

   No work done in the Lord is ever in vain; it is always valuable. We may not see a lot of spiritual progress in many students this summer, but every conversation, every act of love, every sacrifice is so important in impacting these lives.

   So what are the marks of a laborer? Bryan shared these 5 traits with us during another Tatami Talk:

Laborers,

• get launched into God's work for the kingdom by an encounter with Him and an experience of His grace.
• are focused on people, on individuals; they have a special heart on which God can write the names of people.
• find satisfaction in doing God's will. 
• recognize a great spiritual harvest everywhere they see a great spiritual need.
• have a vision for the spiritual growth of others and struggle for them in prayer.

   An example I love is given by Epaphras in Colossians 4:12. Paul writes that he is "always wrestling in prayer for you." I want to be a laborer like him; I want to wrestle in prayer for these students. Especially when I return to the States; I cannot be with them in body, but I can certainly be with them in spirit as I pray. 

   Please join me in praying- many of the friends I have made this summer are so close to believing Jesus! I sincerely plead for your prayers!!

Be A Man!

Just for fun!

Bowing

   I love that bowing is a part of Japanese culture. There are so many things I wish I could bring back with me to America for everyone to experience, and bowing is one of them. 

   In Japan, men and women bow for many reasons. It is a common gesture for greeting one another. I will bow my head to older men and women I pass on the streets because it is a sign of respect. Honor is a huge part of Japanese culture, and bowing is one way to show this to others.

   We also bow when we give thanks. Every time I receive food or my change, or anything else for that matter, I bow my head in gratitude for the other person's service to me.

   You will also see a person bowing in humility. Last week I was hit twice by a ball during sports by the same person. He apologized the first time, but after the second time it happened, he came over to me and literally bowed on his knees with his face to the floor. It signifies that he humbly asks for my forgiveness; not only his words pleaded for mercy, so did his posture.

   If you think about it, bowing places you lower than another, in a place of vulnerability. It says "I respect you," or "I trust you," or even "I submit to your authority or power." I love seeing this culture mutually respect one another. It is so beautiful.

A Plentiful Harvest

   There is a snapshot in the gospel of Matthew of Jesus' heart for people and their need for Him:

"And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'"

Matthew 9:35-38 

   Much of Jesus' ministry involved hands-on work. He was with the people in their joys and sorrows. He taught where there was a need for understanding. He proclaimed the gospel of hope to the hopeless. He healed every disease and affliction. When He saw the crowds of people reaching out for help of various kinds, He was moved with compassion.

   Can you imagine moving through a crowd of people, every one of them in need and calling out to you for help? Watch from 3:00-4:45 of this clip:

   This is the image I get- an emergency, a disaster, people frantic with pain and fear. How overwhelmed I would be. These people were harassed and helpless, like sheep among wolves.

   Jesus chooses to use this as a teachable moment for his disciples. What does He tell them? 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'

   He doesn't say "Solve all their problems," or "Meet every need of theirs." He simply paints a picture of the reality we all face: a plentiful harvest, but not enough workers to accomplish the labor it requires.

   I look around Utsunomiya and the same scene the disciples witnessed in this moment is what I see. There is a plentiful harvest here! My Japanese friends have deep hurts and needs like I do; they need Jesus. And what's more, we spend time every week reading the Bible together! I get to help lead them toward Jesus, even if it is only one tiny step. Our discussions are deep and meaningful, full of questions and thoughtful responses. The Lord of the harvest is at work here.

   What exactly does Jesus tell us to do when we are faced with a huge harvest and not enough laborers? Pray. Ask God, the Lord of the harvest, to send out workers into the field to accomplish the work of meeting the needs these people have. 

   Would you join me in prayer for this? We are here for 2 more weeks and none of us want to leave. The day will come when we must say good bye to these dear friends, board a plane and return to America. We will have to trust these friends to the Lord and to the laborers who live here. Pray that some us may return to Japan. Pray that God would send laborers here to sow, to water, to reap a spiritual harvest. He will answer; after all, this is His harvest.

   This is a picture I took of a wheat field in Utsunomiya... days later it was harvested. Pray earnestly for a spiritual harvest as well.

An Empty Way of Life

   A couple weeks ago, I was able to share my story with the students at Joyful Night. I come from a broken home, two generations of divorce and alcohol abuse. My dad wasn't around and my mom was working overtime to compensate for his absence. I was left alone much of the time and learned early on how to take care of myself. I shared with the Japanese students a verse I would use to describe this part of my life before I knew Jesus:

Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

             1 Peter 1:17-19

   I inherited an empty way of life from my forefathers, and I felt the effects of it for years; I was often sad, lonely and empty. But it was at the end of high school that I was introduced to Jesus and understood for the first time that He was offering me a full life. I reached out that summer and took it. 

   I got to explain to the students how God has transformed my life from empty to abundantly full. In our discussions that night, I was able to hear from them what an "empty way of life" means to them and how they have experienced it. They all have. 

   One student described this type of life as, "You are doing everything, but you feel nothing inside." Others shared that they have experienced this through not being loved by someone or the loss of a relationship or the feeling of loneliness.

   As they shared, I felt my heart breaking because I know the solution to this desperate problem they have all experienced. Praise God we get to spend time exploring the Bible with these students every week! Pray that God would reveal Himself to these students. Pray that His word would not return void (Isaiah 55:11).

  A freshman girl in my group that night shared, "Yours was the first Christian story I've ever heard." Wow. I am so humbled by that. Can you imagine that many of these students have never been prayed for before coming to college? That has changed now. Would you join me in prayer for them? Praise God for the work He is doing here in Japan!

On the Same Level

   One thing I'm enjoying about Japan is the fact that I am the average size of a woman. I've never been able to look so many people in the eyes before. I like it. I'm on the same level, and in so many ways more than this.

   The more I get to know my Japanese friends and learn about how unique they are, the more I also learn how much we have in common. We all

1. have a need for the Gospel,

2. were created in the image of God, and

3. are dearly loved by God.

   We are no different in our need for Christ and His great work on the cross, no matter where we stand in faith. Much of this summer is praying for opportunities to share with these friends the reason for the hope that I have. Please join me in praying for this! God is always at work.

   I love Japan and its culture!!! I can't express how much I feel at home here. This has given me a glimpse at a whole new side of God's character. The Japanese are different than Americans in many ways, but they too were created in His image. What an awesome way to discover more about who God is through my Japanese friends! They are kind, organized, creative, relational, selfless, and detailed, and so is our Father.

   His heart is for the nations. This is the thread that is woven throughout the entire Bible from beginning to end! Because God's heart is for the nations, so should ours be. Not only is His heart for the nations, it is for Japan! The longer I stay here, the more my heart grows for this nation. I think I'm falling in love with 127 million people. 

BEST for the Group

   Japan is a group-oriented culture. People spend most of their time together as a group: eating, working, playing. If we make plans with one student, it is guaranteed that he or she will bring friends. Japan is a small country; it is approximately the size of California, but 80% of its land is uninhabitable because of mountains and volcanoes. So there are 127 million people in a very limited space. Not to mention that Japan is a series of islands, so the country is separated from much of the outside world on a regular basis. This reinforces the people to be dependent on one another.

    These reasons explain much of why the Japanese are so kind and helpful, valuing harmony, respect and service. I've seen this take many forms since I've lived here. People will wear masks to cover their mouth when they are sick so that they will not infect others. When we get together as a group, someone always provides food or snacks. Everyone will contribute yen for community meals. I've also observed that when we open a bag of chips at one of these events, unlike Americans who dig out a handful, Japanese will politely take one at a time.

   As you ride down the street, you notice that it is so clean in Japan! I have seen several people sweeping the sidewalks already and no one litters here. Japanese take pride in their nation, in their culture. They also take very good care of children, elders, and disabled. On most sidewalks, there is a raised yellow line so that the blind can follow. We had a scare last weekend when one of our students was severely sick. We thought she might have appendicitis, so we rushed her to the hospital. I was amazed at how kind the doctor and nurses were and how efficient the service was.

   This week, our team experienced just how helpful and kind the Japanese really are. We traveled to downtown Utsunomiya for our team day, searching for the Shinto Shrine and a place to have dinner. Not surprisingly, we got lost and had to ask for help from passersby. We asked one man for help and he was unsure, but instead of blowing us off, he asked an older woman if she could help. Not only could she help, she offered to lead us there herself! We followed her (and picked up another guide on the way) for another mile through downtown to the shrine. She continued to bring us to the shopping and restaurant area of town and introduced us to some of her friends who worked there. All this, without speaking any English! We were able to figure out she lives just down the street from us and gave me her phone number!

   I love these people. I love how they care for one another, and for us as gaijin (foreigners) this summer. All of our student friends are eager to help us learn how to do things around here. I am so thankful for them! They are the BEST :)

Joyful House

   This summer I live in a home called Joyful House. This is the perfect name for many reasons. The obvious being that this house is full of joy. I walk in and my heart feels at rest. The women on our team are living and sharing the house with the permanent roommates Kanako, Miki, and Usa. They are wonderful and have been so loving, generous and helpful to us since we arrived. 

 

   The other morning I woke up listening to the sound of the rain falling outside and Kanako singing worship songs on her guitar. This is the home of joy.

   This is also a place where many of the Japanese students gather together for Bible discussions. Tonight is Joyful Night; we serve dinner, play games, share stories, and discuss the Bible all night long with about 15-20 freshman students involved in the BEST club. The house is not very big, so with that many people inside it gets very crowded, but it doesn't matter because this is a house full of joy when people gather here.

 

   Our house has a sort of open door policy. People are constantly coming and going. At the beginning, I wasn't even sure who lived here! When the door opens, we never know who is walking in, but all are welcome. I simply hear a joyful "Kon'nichiwa!" from the doorway. Students will often come here between classes and work on their assignments because we live close to campus. There have been several nights I've gone to bed with students still studying, and when I wake up the next morning, they're asleep on our couch!

   Joyful House is also a perfect name for my home this summer because of what God has been doing in my heart recently. It's no secret the past four years of my life have been painful and full of sorrow. I have pleaded with God to bring joy into my life again. Two verses that I have been specifically praying are Job 8:21,

"He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
    and your lips with shouts of joy." 

and Psalm 103:5,

"Bless the Lord, O my soul...who satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

   I long for His restoration in my life, in my soul. I have found joy over the past four years and have understood what true joy is apart from circumstances. God has answered these prayers. But His grace abounds, and I have begun to experience new blessings. For so long, I have felt like my youth was stolen out from under me. I have had to grow up so quickly, missing out on the adventures of my early 20s like so many of my friends. 

   This summer is a turning point in God's restoration of my youth. I'm starting to feel young again. I laugh a lot more, I find joy in so many small things. Japan has been a sign of God's goodness; I have been satisfied deep in my soul. I love it here. It has been full of peace, rest, love, joy and hope. So many of the things I felt lacking for so long. This summer is God's good gift. I get to love people all summer long out of the overflow of my heart! My Japanese friends bring so much joy into my life, and I love that I get to share the reason for the hope that I have with them. Not only is the house I live in a Joyful House, so is my heart.