Switching things up & a new poem

Hello!

I want to apologize first, before I write anything else, because I've decided to switch up the content of my posts here. I had been intending to use this to keep track of day to day events, keeping people up to date with my journey to Japan. I'm sorry that I haven't been doing so well with that. However, I've found that I really don't enjoy writing about the nitty-gritty of what I do—it doesn't seem very significant to me. I will probably post some things about the day to day from time to time, however, it will be less often than I had planned at first and much less than what some of you may have expected.

So, I have decided to just write what I want. This will include more poetry, thoughts about God, and, in general, more creative writing. I think this will be better in two ways:

1) I enjoy it more, so I will probably post more

2) Though you won't get as many details about my trip, you may read more about what God has been teaching me/what I've been thinking, and so learn quite a bit about what I am experiencing anyways.

To start it off, here's a poem that I wrote a while back. One of the great things of being on missions with Cru is that they allow for us to take one day each month to spend all day with the Lord. I spent 5 hours of that day last month walking along a river close to our apartment, listening to worship music. When I made it back home, I wrote this poem, out of pure thankfulness in God, and all that He has done in my life. I hope you read it and can say that you can identify with the joy in the poem!

In Wonder

This feeling welling up within me
Is it real or simply momentary
When my heart twists up inside
I can’t stand it, I can’t take it
But let me stand here in wonder
Let me drift away this time

You are the one I need
You are the one who frees
Me from all of me
To let me believe

It is finished
You won life for me
It is written
Victory guaranteed
Hallelujah
May I always sing

In complete adoration I stand
Amazed by the strength in your hand
Then you sweep my off my feet
I can’t stand it, I can’t take it
But let me stand here in wonder
As forever washes over me

You are all I need
You are the one who frees
Me from all of me
To let me believe

It is finished
You won life for me
It is written
Victory Guaranteed
Hallelujah
May I always sing

You have done this
You have made this true
You have done this
You have made me new
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
May I always sing

2nd Update from Tokyo!

  Sorry for the delay in posting! Still working on getting into a routine—I think I’m getting closer now. (No promises though! =D )

  It’s been a little over two weeks here already! It’s only been two weeks?? Time feels like its flying, but it probably has more to do with the fact that I am way busier than I have been in a while. I think there’s been one day so far where I actually haven’t gone anywhere or done much of anything!

  We've finally gotten a schedule figured out, though it won’t really start until next week (one of the colleges we will be going to doesn't actually start classes until next week!). Still, it's nice to have some kind of idea as to what we can plan for each week.

Though there's so many things I could write about from the past two weeks, let me just touch quickly on two. 

  Over the first weekend we wanted to do something tourist-y, and attempted to go to Sky Tree, a fairly new tower built in Japan--one of the tallest in the world. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. We wandered around the nearby shops and ate at a nice restaurant, but didn't go up the tower. Hopefully we will get a chance to go back later!

Sky Tree covered in clouds
Taken during one of the few times the clouds weren't so low. Still can't see the top at all!

  One of my favorite things we've gotten to do so far has been to go to the weekly meeting for Japan Cru (or Student Impact—SI from here on) the past two Fridays. It’s a time when Christian students around Tokyo gather together to have a time of worship and fellowship. They also spend time learning how to help build God’s Kingdom here in Tokyo. It's been a lot of fun meeting with them and hearing their stories. Even if the scale is smaller than some places in the world, God is definitely working here!

Here's a great pic of us with the students who were at the 1st week's meeting!

Students taking notes about SI's vision and plan to reach more students

  It's definitely a great encouragement to me to see Japanese students worshiping God and learning how to reach out to their peers with the gospel. Sometimes, when trying to share with people here in Japan it can feel like the Japanese people don't want or even need God, but seeing them so passionate about Him really motivates me to keep doing what we're doing. Even though in places like Japan (or America) we can easily begin to think that wealth, comfort, and good times are all we need, when we really meet the Lord we quickly realize how shallow and hollow all the things of this world are compared to being in His presence and experiencing His love.

Well, I will leave it at that for now. Please continue to pray that more Japanese people would come to know Jesus. Pray also for the Christian students here to be filled with a passion and desire to share the gospel boldly with their friends and classmates!