As you all know, I have been
here in Tokyo, Japan since September of 2013, doing a one-year internship with
Cru. It’s been a roller-coaster of a ride, with some very definitely great
experiences, and then quite a lot of not-so-great times as well (one of them, admittedly, being this blog T.T). Me and my team
of 4 others have made so many friends in the half-year that we’ve been here,
and will continue to get to meet a whole bunch more. We’ve seen God begin to
open up new doors and opportunities, as well as learn what it means to wrestle
with God through the dry season. I’ve learned how to let go of my own fears
(somewhat), and speak with complete strangers, and I’ve learned to share my
faith in Japanese. I’ve learned how to lead a team (and many ways of how not to
lead a team), and have seen God use me to encourage and motivate them, as well
as seeing God use them to bless me time and time again.
Well, with
this one-year comes the option and opportunity to stay here and intern again
for a second year. It’s something that we were challenged to consider during
our mid-year conference. As I spent extra time and prayer over the idea, I
decided that I would, indeed, re-intern, and I trust that it was God who led me to this decision.
Here are the 5 main reasons that
made me feel it best to return:
1) I love Japan, and its people! This
truly is an extremely unique country and culture, and it is such a blessing,
though also a unique challenge, to serve God in this place.
2) Though I have to be apart from my
loving family and friends in Orlando (miss you all so much!), there is really
very little else that would make me feel it important to return this year to
America. I’m still in a unique place where I do have the ability to “give-up”
one more year for the Lord (although, I do not consider it a loss, at all).
3) I have been privileged to have been
able to develop good relationships with many of the Japanese Campus Crusade for
Christ staff, and would love another year to further those.
4) I have seen how much there is still
for me to learn and grow in my walk with Christ, and this is one of the best
environments in which to do so. I have had to learn to trust God exclusively,
for money, for ministry, for patience, for peace, for wisdom, for strength, for
grace, and I want to continue to learn what it means to be fully
Christ-dependent.
5) I have learned a lot as a leader,
and am excited to see God continue to use me and grow these small gifts that He
has blessed me with.
Granted, I
can’t say that I have no doubts about the matter, and there are a lot of things
that I already am dreading about being here in Japan for another year. Yet, I
truly believe this is where God has been leading me, and I know that He will be
with me through it all, whether it goes amazingly well, or even if it becomes
one of the hardest and worst decisions of my life.
Thank you
for reading this, for your friendship, and for your role in my life shaping up
to what it is today. God bless!
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