Do You Hear What I Hear?

A friend of mine is serving as a missionary in North Africa, among Muslim people. She sent me this beautiful reminder to pray for those nations, based on that familiar carol, "Do you hear what I hear?"

"Do you hear what I hear?
The minaret sounding the Muslim call to prayer five times a day, each time representing Satan's very real hold over the entire Arab homeland. Words from the Quran echoing everywhere disgracing our Savior and denying His deity and His payment for their lives.

Do you see what I see?
Women living in bondage, literally cloaked from head to toe, visibly only showing eyes consumed with fear and desperation .Men lined up in the mosque, bowing to appease ritualistic customs and giving praise to the father of lies. Women working 10 hour days for 10 dollars only to support their families who mistreat them as sanctioned by Quranic law. People helping their neighbors attempting to earn their way to heaven because to them it's all about good works. Children instinctively cringing when an adult draws near because the belt, the hand, the foot have all become commonly used weapons of intimidation and punishment .

Do you know what I know?
Each time someone falls on their knees in the west, this part of the world is changed.People here are imprisoned and heavily persecuted because of the growth of the underground church. Still people here are praising His name and sharing His truth. This is an act that results in numerous people carrying their cross at a cost with their lives .

As brothers and sisters around the world join to celebrate the Lamb's birth, I pray that you all may have unashamed love for Jesus Christ, rejoicing and sharing the profound meaning of December 25th, simply because you can. Listen to what He says."


This inspired me to write some thoughts about Japan. It's not as cool as hers, but it's just as heartfelt.

Do you hear what I hear?
Clicking boots as they rush to work, serving the god of materialism and always chasing for more.

Do you see what I see?
Children bowing before Buddha, offering coins and prayers to a god who neither knows them nor loves them.

Do you know what I know?"
JESUS LOVES ME, THIS I KNOW!" But will they hear that message? Will their ears be opened?

Pray, pray, pray for ears to hear and eyes to see the open arms of God,Our Loving Heavenly Father,His Son, Jesus, our Prince of Peace and Friend,His Spirit, our Comforter, Healer and Guide. Pray that they will know what we know.

Visiting a Buddhist Temple

Christmastime is here, and I have safely arrived home to Ontario. My trip went well and I especially enjoyed my 8 hour layover in Tokyo airport. I took the opportunity to visit the city of Narita, outside Tokyo, and do some sightseeing. The main attraction is the Buddhist temple and some shops around it featuring Japanese souvenirs. People flock to this temple on a certain date in winter, because on this date one prayer is worth a thousand in their quest for good works earning a better next life. It was cool to see a different part of Japan, but the most memorable portion of my visit occurred around 1:30 pm, when I was tired and feeling ready to return to the airport. Instead, I paused on my way to the bus stop to watch a worship ceremony in the temple. I didn't understand what was said but I watched people kneeling in honor of Buddha, offering their purses to a priest who held them briefly over a flaming fire, throwing money into an offering, and bowing their heads in prayer. Outwardly, the motions are (somewhat) similar to Christian worship. Inwardly, so little is the same. When I kneel to pray, I honor a God of love who knows me and accepts me as I am. I am not trying to earn His pleasure through good works. When I offer my purse (and no, I don't hold it over a flaming fire, but I do like the symbolism of offering God our wallet, which is sometimes so tough to do), I give because He has first given so much for me. When I bow my head to pray, I am earnest because I know God really hears my prayer and will act on my behalf, doing what, in love, He knows is best for me. And I can listen to Him, and speak with Him as a friend, because His Spirit lives in me. I walked around this temple singing an old kids' song, "God's not dead, NO! He is alive..." and prayed that God would reveal His love and truth to the Japanese people who are bound in worship to a god who, in statue form, is dead, and who, in spiritual reality, is the father of lies that hates them through and through.

I will be thinking of this at Christmas, as I remember how God showed His love for us, coming to earth Himself as a tiny baby, living among us, taking our sin, and dying a death we deserved. He rose and lives as King of Kings forever, and I am called His daughter. Wow!

I have the greatest respect for people who practice this religion. Those who do so with dedication are earnestly trying to do what is right. Their discipline in worship surpasses mine at times. And yet, I long to sit down and talk with them. I want to know if their hearts are satisfied by the teachings of Buddha. I want to know if they live in peace, confident that what they believe is true. I want to know if they trust and love their god, or if they serve him out of fear and duty.

I can only trust what I have heard others say, and what I have learned in own study comparing religions. There is no god like Yahweh, who loves and forgives and accepts, while maintaining His own holiness and perfection. For me, there is no one but Jesus Christ to whom I will kneel, for whom I would hold what is dear to me over the "flames" (symbolic, for me, of giving control of everything to Jesus), and with whom I will converse through prayer. I will offer Him my life, because He has offered me His.

Merry Christmas!

The Nativity

Christmas time is here...snowflakes everywhere...

Or so the song playing at the local grocery store claims. However, this is definitely the greenest Christmas season ever for me! I'm adjusting to the lack of white stuff...not just that it's not on the ground, but that I haven't SEEN it yet. The leaves are still vibrant red, orange and yellow on the trees. Pansies bloom in flower boxes. But Christmas isn't about any of that.

I went to see the movie "Maria" or "The Nativity Story" (or whatever it's called in English) yesterday. I love movies that make me look at something I've taken for granted in a whole new way. Yes, yes, I know it's not completely Biblical. I know the Wise Men didn't come to the stable. And there were several other "poetic licences" taken. Still, what struck me was how these great "giants" of faith like Mary, Elizabeth, Joseph, and Zechariah, still had opportunity to doubt. I've always thought Zechariah was just stupid for not believing the angel when he talked to him. It had never occurred to me that, even in the Bible when it says "the word of the Lord came," that He came in a still small voice. He spoke through an angel to Mary, to Zechariah, and to Joseph in a dream. How often I have said, "If there was an angel talking to me, I'd believe it was God! Until then, I'm not so sure..." But now I think it's more about having eyes to see and ears to hear -- eyes that see with faith. Mary responded in faith to the angel, saying, "Let it be done to me according to your word." Zechariah responded with doubt to the SAME angel. Zechariah's "sign" that it was really God was that he couldn't speak for months! I'm not so sure I'd want a sign like that.

I am challenged to trust God and His Word. I am challenged by the fact that even though Mary and Joseph were completely in the will of God and she even had GOD in her stomach...things still went so wrong for her. Why did God have the baby come as they were arriving in Bethlehem? Couldn't he have waited until a more convenient time? (And if the baby was born in the stable that night, she logically would have been in labor for the last leg of the journey!) This challenges my idea that when I'm walking with God "things will work out." They will "work out" for His glory, but they will not always "work out" for my ease and comfort. Will I trust Him even in those times? This is the message of Christmas for me this year -- that on the night of Christ's birth everything had seemed to go so wrong, and yet God was working to make it all come out right, for His glory! When my life doesn't seem to make sense (and everyone's lacks sense from time to time), this truth makes sense of it all.

If only I have eyes of faith to see His glory be revealed.

Hong Kong

Isn't it great to be able to celebrate American Thanksgiving? I think so because it meant a 4 day weekend where I got to travel to the amazing city of Hong Kong! I loved the atmosphere of the city right away - very much Asian but a lot more relaxed than Japan. The area where I was staying also had a TON of international people, so it was refreshing to hear so much English again. Hong Kong was not at all what I expected for one of the largest cities in the world. Instead of building upon buildings with no green in sight, the city skyline had a beautiful hill/mountain backdrop. And then, of course, there was the ocean. I loved being so near the water, listening to the waves, watching the city lights sparkle off it, and walking along the beaches along some of the outlying islands.

There were so many highlights, like viewing the city from "The Peak" (a mountain/hill), bargaining at the night market, eating delicios dim sum for lunch, seeing old friends and making new ones. On the first we went to a fishing village called Tai O, where families live in houses built on stilts just above the ocean. This was a huge contrast to the upscale, modern downtown Hong Kong, and I was once again struck by the inequality in the distribution of wealth in our world's cities. I SO want to see God's Kingdom come, when the poor and the rich stand equal before King Jesus, who supplies all our needs. Of course, there is also the difference between those who are poor and those who are poor in spirit, but my prayer is that God will teach me how to show the right sort of compassion for each one.

You can see pictures of my trip at this website:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=21104&l=8c0d7&id=501141145. I'd upload them here but facebook is so much more efficient. Let me know if the link doesn't work, but you should be able to see them. Enjoy!

A New Season

The season is changing in Japan. After months of intense heat and humidity, yesterday I shivered in my sweater while working to prepare for report cards. The leaves are changing colour; the air is getting chillier and easier to breathe.

God is bringing me into a new season, too. Maybe it's passing the two-month mark and being over the first stages of culture adjustment, or maybe it's that I'm finally ready to listen to Him and apply His Word to my heart. I have lived a roller coaster of stress-relax-stress-stress-relax-stress. There've been some great moments just to chill out, but I have felt overwhelmed by many things in the last several weeks. This week, report cards, parent conferences, and planning for a new quarter loom on the horizon, but I have experienced a breakthrough in peace! I'm able to do what I could do in college: present my list of things to do to God in prayer, trust that He won't give me more than I can handle, and work through the tasks without panicking because Jesus and I are tackling them together. I don't know what's different in my heart this week, but that's happening again and I am SO thankful! Actually, maybe I do. As I write, I remember the change occurred on Friday night, after reading a friend's email telling her story of victory over how the enemy stole her joy. I realized that I had been allowing the enemy to steal my peace, and I didn't need to let him have me in a bad mood all the time! I chose the joy of the Lord and the peace of God in that moment, and although the list is longer than ever, I haven't experienced a panic attack asking how on earth I will ever get it all done.

I'm reading a book right now called Streams of Living Water by Richard Foster. He tells the story of a man named Frank Laubach. Missionary to the Phillippines and lover of God, he became a man of prayer out of necessity for companionship. Foster writes, "One of the most stunning lessons Laubach learned was how prayer and work blend into one. On 11 March 1937, while working on a literacy plan for the Urdu Dihate Indian dilaect, he wrote, 'Of all today's miracles, the greatest is this: To know that I find Thee best when I work listening, not when I am still or medtative or even on my knees in prayer, but when I work listening and co-operating."

I'm finding the same joy - to work listening and co-operating with Jesus. I don't think this is a season that should end.

Christianity in Japan

Check out this website - it includes a short video explaining the spiritual climate in Japan today. Hope you enjoy and inspired to pray!

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/73217.aspx

I Love Northstar!

Wednesday to Friday of last week are quite possible the best days that I have enjoyed in Japan so far. My class, along with the 7/8 graders from our school, went on a 3 day trip to Northstar, a Christian retreat centre. Located in the mountains near Nagano, they specialize in sports like mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, snowboarding, and skiing. It was an AMAZING time of outdoor fun, team building activities, and spiritual growth. I loved the opportunity to get to know my students on a more personal level, outside of an academic setting. I relished the opportunity to see a million stars again, breathe fresh air again, sit by water to pray again. And I got paid to go! :) God is so good...

Here are some pictures of the beautiful place and the fun we had:

Me being the flag in a modified version of Capture the Flag

A highlight for me, but less so for the city-kid girls I was with, was hiking to this waterfall

The nice view from outside the lodge

One of the first mountains I've seen that's higher than the tree line!

(I think - unless I saw one when I was little)

Learning to work together and communicate on the low ropes course

Inside the lodge

Two of my students climbing the walls!
Outside the Lodge

The Church Chapter

One of the most urgent matters of prayer when I first moved here was that God would lead me to the right community of believers where I could join in worship, fellowship, and being fed by the Word of God. After several weeks of searching, trying different churches, and praying for direction, God has led me to a place that I can call "home." And He did it in a most amazing way...
For the first few weeks, I went to a local church along with my roommate and some other teachers. It is a good church with solid teaching, and an English group that meets afterward to discuss the sermon. Still, it somehow didn't seem to fit what I was looking for. I wanted to be someplace that felt more "Japanese." At this church, the community of foreigners seemed to stick together (rather natural), but I wanted more opportunities to interact with Japanese believers. I also just didn't feel 'at home' in this place - for one thing, it felt awkward to raise my hands in worship because so few people were doing it. I prayed about whether this was the church where God wanted me to stay or not, and I didn't feel peace about remaining there. The next church I tried was an international church that my principal, his wife, and two other teachers attend. I enjoyed the service there and it was nice to actually hear the message in English, but there I felt even MORE isolated from Japanese believers. I really wanted something more "Japanese," I thought.
I continued to pray about church, and one weekend, every time I prayed a certain family that attends our school came to mind. I know they are missionaries but, unlike some others, not pastoring a church. I didn't know what that impression meant, but I continued to pray and seek God for the right place to be. I was SO surprised when Monday morning, the father of that family entered my classroom with his son. It was the first time he'd come to the class, and after usual greetings his first question to me was, "Have you found a church?" I was slightly taken aback, but felt open to say that I was still looking, especially for something more Japanese than an international church. I really do want to learn the language and culture here. He told me about his church and it sounded like a great mix of Japanese & international people. The sermons are often visiting speakers who preach in English and it's translated into Japanese. The only issue was, it is outside of biking or walking distance from my house, and it's outside the city so public transit doesn't go there. I might have left it at that except for the fact that I had continually thought of this family when I prayed about a church. Maybe there will be a way...
I expressed interest in coming, and he said he would ask a friend if she could drive me. It was left at that...
That Wednesday evening at our teacher's Bible study, I started a conversation with Ibuki, a Japanese believer who has joined us. We started talking about church, and I asked her where she attended. "Parkside Chapel - Jody Kubo's church."
"Really?" I was excited because this was the same church I had been invited to on Monday. I told her that I was hoping to visit sometime.
"Really?!" (she was excited this time) "You should come with me! I love my church. And I can give you a ride. I live close to you...very close!"
Wow -- God brought the right person to Bible study! :) She has a car, lives less than a 10 minute walk from my house, and...to top it all off...I later learned that this was the EXACT friend that the parent had been talking about. God placed her in my path as a double confirmation that this is the right place for me. Ibuki is a wonderful sister in the Lord and a great Japanese teacher! She had also been praying for someone to accompany her on the 20-minute drive to church, so I was an answer to her prayers, as well. God is so good!

Ibuki, Emily (another teacher), and me

Parkside Chapel
Fun at the 100 Yen store on the way home :)

Weekend Adventures Part 2 - Crazy Crowds

My roommate and I decided to go downtown to enjoy a day at the mall (yes, I did say enjoy it. She loves shopping. It's growing on me). The mall was fine, but we weren't prepared for the deluge of PEOPLE that swarmed the sidewalks as we were leaving in the evening! I have never walked past so many people in my entire life! The crowds marching toward us here continued with this intensity as we walked an entire 15 minutes towards the subway station! I felt so overwhelmed by the crowds! I think we were the only people in Nagoya going the opposite direction! We're still not sure what all the excitement was about, but rumour has it there was a baseball game starting at the stadium near the mall. Whatever the reason, this experience will remain etched in my memory of life in urban Japan! (Disclaimer: this is the only time in a whole year that my roommate saw crowds like this, so it's not 'normal' for Japan - maybe in Tokyo, but not in Nagoya - but it was CRAZY!)

Getting there -- nice and quiet...

The madness begins...

and goes on, and on, and on...

But just think - Jesus loves every one of those people,
and He knows their every thought!

I was SO happy to get back to home-sweet-suburbian-home!

Weekend Adventures Part 1 - Nagoya Port

I was uploading some pictures from my camera to my computer and I realized how many different places I've been and things I have experienced already, in my first two months in Japan. Here are some photos to share those experiences with you!

A visit to the Italian village (a small version of Venice) at Nagoya Port

Exploring the Aquarium at Nagoya Port

Reflections on the First Month

The month has been full--of joys, of treasured times with students, of laughter, of excitement and nervousness and exhaustion and (almost) tears. I don't think I've cried yet, and that surprises me. I'm usually quite emotional in times of transition. Perhaps I'm being emotional in other ways--quieter ways, like needing to take this Friday night to do nothing but be home. Laundry, cooking, baking, tidying, and writing. Writing friends I've wanted to write to for ages. Friends like you. It's been a joyful month. I remember leaving school on the first day, competely drained of energy but absolutely looking forward to the year. There was so much I didn't know, and yet I felt so much had gone well on that day. In some ways, far better than expected. There have been some fun times of exploring the city with fellow teachers, enjoying worship, prayer & fellowship with fellow believers, moves and talks and laughter with new-found friends. I'm so thankful for Erin, who teaches grades 7/8, and Tim (ESL teacher and Erin's husband), who are ull of advice and ideas, share a building with me (our school has 3 different buildings), share Friday night movies and dinner with me, and share a rueful sense of humor with me. There have definitely been times to laugh! Sometimes I have to laugh at my own mistakes, like starting school 15 minutes late on the first day of school--but usually it's more amusing than that. :) It's been a learning month. The first test showed my students had learned something, after all, and I've learned 5x's more along the way. Who knew that there was so much involved in being a teacher. It's been a tiring month, and I'm always thankful for the weekend. Still, at the end of the weekend I'm tired of the weekend and missing my students. That's an awesome thing! I've been so thankful for all the little ways that I have seen God working in my life here, and how His love and mercy is always there watching over me. I know that He has picked me for this job, right here, right now, and every time I pray I'm reminded that He will give me the strength to be and do all He wants for me. Pray for me, that I will continually rely on His strength when I am weary, on His joy when I am tired, and on His peace when I am anxious. I want to be a great teacher, but I don't want to burn myself out striving in my own strength--especially when His strength is more than enough.

Thank you to everyone who is praying for me, and please know that I miss you and think of you often, even though I can't always be in contact with each of you individually.

Garbage, Gunk, and Unlimited Government

No hablo espanol! But I'm trying to learn...two languages at once! My roommate is from Uraguay so I try to speak in Spanish with her sometimes, but it usually ends up with French. Haha! At the very least, she laughs at my r's that sound French, not English. And definitely not Spanish! She just asked me to talk to her mother on the phone in Spanish, but I froze when she said "Nice to meet you," in English and I didn't understand! I was expecting Spanish words and trying to find a meaning for them. :) I still only know a few words in Japanese, too, but I learn something new every day.

My second week of school went well. I'm really enjoying my class - and especially enjoying the fact that there's 9 of them instead of 900! It's been satisfying & exciting to get to share the day-by-day moments together, since I know that is how relationships are built. A highlight for this week was working on a Social Studies project, where students had to find pictures to represent concepts involved in Geography, Economics, Culture, History & Government. One student chose to paste a picture of Jesus as "Unlimited Government" (a government with no checks & balances built in, there are no rules to limit the rulers actions) This was unexpected since I usually think of unlimited government as a very negative thing, with leaders such as Hitler. However, it suddenly dawned on me to discuss that unlimited power is not dangerous in God's hands because He is perfectly good. That same power in our hands, as humans with a sinful nature, results in heinous evil. I love how Social studies, the study of humanity, can lead to a discussion of humanity's Creator. And I am SOO thankful to have the freedom to speak!

The weekend has been a good break from thinking about school things. Our staff took the school bus (air conditioned with comfortable seats!) on a road trip to Costco in Osaka. I never knew Costco was worth a 5 hour drive, but there were lots of things there that aren't so easy to find in regular stores. I also GREATLY appreciated the English labels, which was an IMMENSE help in knowing whether I was buying yogurt, sour cream or something else! :)

Today my roommate (Yisel) and I ended up giggling as we tackled the disgusting depository of algae, muck and garbage on our balcony. Water from the air conditioning unit has been nearly sitting stationary on our balcony, collecting germs and black gunk, but today as we discovered a DRAIN -- which had been buried by our garbage bags. Oh, the wonders of modern technology. We'll just have to find a new home for our garbage!

First Week of School

Wow - I just taught my first week of school! It was a very busy week, but as I look back I am so happy with how it went. I am very thankful for the class that God has given me. They are (so far) very quick to listen and easy to work with, so it's been fun to spend so much time with them. My favourite memories are laughing together as a class, seeing faces light up when I talk to them about the possibilities for their writing assignments, or watching the team-building games on the first day of school. For the games, we had students stand on chairs and try to organize themselves by birthdate without talking or touching the ground. There were some pretty interesting faces! Then, they headed outside and they had to carry water from a bucket to a pop bottle on the other side of the parking lot using a strainer. Haha! They came up with some pretty creative ways to do it -- sometimes without using the strainer at all. One girl soaked her hair at one end and then wrang it out at the other end - not very effective, but amusing.

Of course, we learned stuff and did "real school", too. All in all, I just feel very contented to be teaching, to be living in Japan, and to be working with my fellow staff here. Thank you to EVERYONE who was praying for me throughout this week. I know that God was giving me wisdom and inspiration about what to do and how to do it. Please continue to pray, especially that my class becomes united as "one body with different gifts," and that they all grow in (or begin) their individual walks with Christ. One student balked at writing a letter to God in Bible class because "Jesus has been dead for a long time," but I know that God is able to work in his heart and open his eyes to the resurrected, living Jesus!

A verse that God has shown me for this week and year is Psalm 119:32 "I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart." I was kind of wondering what the "enlarging" was about, and when I looked it up it was referring to "making room for, opening wide." My prayer is that God will "enlarge" student's hearts, making room for Himself. I want to see them running with Jesus!

Another special verse this week is Psalm 119:130, "The entrance of My Word gives light." I have lots of opportunity to speak, teach, and live God's Word with my students. I believe God is saying that as I commit myself to sharing the truth of His Word, as they allow God's Word to enter their hearts, the Light will come to their lives.

School, Sushi, and Slight Adjustments

I've now had a week to settle in, and I am still having a very good time in Japan. In some ways, it seems like I have been here much longer than a week just because so much has happened. There are lots of adjustments to make - learning to bow instead of wave, say "arigato gozeimas" instead of "thank you" or "merci," and depending on pictures for everything from choosing the yogurt I want to deciphering the microwave. I know they speak Japanese here, but it didn't really occur to me that EVERYTHING would be in Japanese, with no translation. Not even on the microwave. :) I'm hoping to learn some of the basic alphabet so that I can decipher some things, but it will be a long process since there are three alphabets to learn! Apparently there are Japanese classes offered at a community centre nearby each Saturday morning, so I want to sign up for those in a couple of weeks.

The last week has been very focused on preparations for school. I still have a little bit left to do, but I am feeling excited and fairly prepared for the coming year. It's amazing to think that the lesson plans I'm working on today are not just "for practice" - they're really going to be taught, to real students, VERY soon. Please pray for me, as school starts on Monday and I want to start strong. Although I've sometimes been near panicking about everything that needs to be done, in answer to prayer, God has given me the peace of mind to focus on each thing one at a time. It's a matter of trust - and I'm practicing.

I've had some pretty interesting cultural experiences this week, too! Our staff went out for lunch at a sushi bar, which was pretty cool. The different kinds of food goes around on a conveyor-belt type thing around a section of the restaurant, and drops off when it's gone around too many times. If you see something you like, you take it! You can also order stuff on a special computer - but that's way easier if you can speak/read Japanese, too. Otherwise, it's just a lot of guessing! Haha! I tried the squid, but I didn't really like it - OK, the texture made me want to gag. But I swallowed it. I just didn't take a second bite. The tuna sushi was much better - probably just way more familiar - but I think I'll have to work my way up to squid before I leave! I tried it cooked the other day and it was much better. Trying new foods is all part of the adventure!

Pictures of Japan

Outside the airport, thankful for fresh air after 13 hours on an airplane!

But wow...that fresh air was HOT!

My apartment building - my window is the top floor on the far right

Yisel, me, and Becky (Becky and I are the newest addition so the staff)

Me at the yummy restaurant

Here I am!

Friday Aug 17
Ahh – here at last! The bed is made, the air conditioner is working, and life is good. I had an overwhelmingly wonderful last night at the airport, being greeted by five members of the ICAN staff family. After a 70 minute, air-conditioned coach bus ride, we went to the grocery store and then hopped on the Limino, the magnetic train, for two stops before walking 10 minutes to our apartment. Two strong men hefted my 70 pound suitcases up 4 flights of stairs, and then I phoned home, drank lots of water, and lay down in my sweltering room, thankful for the fan but wishing the air conditioner would stop blowing hot air. Still, I slept soundly in 3 hour intervals, waking up for a refreshingly cool shower (why heat water with gas when it's so hot anyway?), a few moments to unpack, and then my roommate took us (me and Becky, the 4th grade who also arrived yesterday) out for brunch at a local restaurant. Cathy, the first grade teacher, joined us and helped us know what we were ordering. The food was VERY good – not traditionally Japanese but apparently a very popular restaurant here. The waiters kept coming by to offer us new flavours of buns – basil, chocolate, croissants, green tea, and more – freshly heated (possibly freshly baked) and delicious! I also had some really good pumpkin soup, a salad with lots of mushrooms, and a scrumptious macaroni, cheese, and ham concoction. Welcome to Japan—I'm lovin' it!
I feel so much at peace here—I know that many people are praying for me and I'm sure that is helping. It's also a huge sense of reassurance just knowing that I am covered by the blood of Christ, shed on Calvary, and He is protecting me, guiding me, and providing for me wherever I go.

Sun. Aug 19

Konnichi-wa! (Hello) It's 2 days later and I now have internet in my apartment, so I can post what I wrote on Friday night. The last few days have been great, too. I went to see my classroom at the school, bought a brand new bike so I can get to school, went to a Japanese church, visited a temple, and have gotten together with other staff members for food, movies, and fun times. I am really thankful for the people that God has placed here. They've been so amazing at helping me to adjust, showing me around the city, answering my questions and telling me important things even before I think to ask! I'm learning so much about Japanese customs, the language, the food, what's polite and what's impolite - it's a lot of information but it's WONDERFUL all at the same time. Pictures will be coming soon!

All my bags are packed

It's true - all my bags are packed, but I'm not quite ready to go. I still have to UNPACK - take out all the things I've thrown in that I don't really need. (Sigh) Yes, I know all of you are surprised that I have packed things that I don't really need, but it's true. The difference is that this time, I'm going to take some of those things out BEFORE I get to my destination and wonder why in the world I decided to bring 11 T-shirts and 8 pairs of pants, plus skirts, dresses, sweaters, and everything else! Yesterday was my designated "packing day," and I'm very thankful for Lisa, who came over to help and started asking a very important question: "Do you really need that?" If it had been my mom asking, I definitely would have become annoyed and asked her to leave me alone, but I had to be more polite to Lisa! She kept me laughing about it, searched for hidden places to stuff everything in (victoriously!!!), and helped me make the first decisions about what would come out. Friends are great!

Going through the "leaving" process has made me very thankful for all of my friends and family -- everyone who has come to say goodbye, offer encouragement, promise to pray, or help to pack! I realize how blessed I am to have such a great support network standing behind me. I thank God for all of you!

I have another thing to thank God for, too: a pair of black shoes. It might sound silly, but it's really shown me how God is able to provide EVERYTHING I need. The story goes like this:
In June, I had to throw away my favourite pair of black dress shoes. I've held onto them since high school or first year of college, and I loved them!!! Alas, the day came when the insides starting falling out and I knew these shoes were seeing their last days. I tossed them when moving home from Quebec - you can always find another pair of black dress shoes! Or so I thought......I've been looking for another pair all summer, and I went shopping again on Wednesday in a final attempt to find the perfect shoes. There was only one pair that I could find that fit me, and I almost bought them. Unfortunately, when I went to pay for them the salesclerk told me they weren't actually half-price as he had orignally thought - they were still full price. Disappointed, I decided just to wait and see if I could find something better at another store. The shopping trip ended with no shoes, and I headed off to prayer meeting that night. As they prayed for me, one of the things they asked for was that God would provide me with everything I needed before I left. I thought about the shoes, but decided that there would be lots in Japan and I could find some there if not here. There was no time for another shopping trip. But God had a better idea - and He'd already been working on it.

A friend, who was also at prayer meeting that night, came to me afterwards and asked me about my day. I told her about my unsuccessful quest for shoes and she started smiling - "Really? That's so cool because this morning I woke up and I felt like God was telling you to give you my shoes. You know the black ones that you tried on and said you really liked? I've never given shoes that I really like away before, but I think I'm supposed to give these to you. Do you want them?"

"WANT them? I'd LOVE them!" I thought. These shoes were just what I'd wanted: beautiful, comfortable, black, small & light enough to pack. Now, FREE!

"If you really want to give them away, I would love them!" I said. And so I went home that night, knowing God had provided me with everything I needed - even a black pair of shoes.

Yippee!

I am blessed. In case anyone was wondering, I just thought I'd share that. :) The good news is, you can be, too.


Today I was blessed by two great ladies from my church, Jen and Jess, whom I don't/didn't even know that well. We met and chatted during a young adults BBQ event, and when they heard that I was moving to Japan but had never eaten Japanese food, they decided to do something about it! Jess' favourite restaurant is a place that actually serves authentic Japanese food, so off we went to sample Japanese cuisine. I was a little nervous, because I realized that if I hated it I would still have to eat it for most of the coming year, but thankfully, I liked it (well, most of it. Apparently tempura is an acquired taste). It was a blessing to be treated to an authentically Japanese dinner, but there's more.


Jess also gave me a going-away present: a beautiful, pink, small Bible for travelling. I've really wanted one (and had mentioned that during the BBQ on Sunday), but was NOT expecting to get it, especially not from someone that I've only really talked to twice. But, God is GOOD and I know that "every good and perfect gift comes from God." He motivated Jess to bless me with this gift, and I am SO thankful.


And along with these two blessings comes a third - our conversation. Jen & Jess shared things that I needed to hear. I (apparently) shared things that they needed to hear. Things that we have thought about or prayed about were confirmed and understood by one another. This is what I call a "divine appointment," or when my "string" (the red one ...haha... see "My Life as a Red String" if you're confused) crosses some other "strings" in God's tapestry. He puts us all together to make something beautiful - in His time.


"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." - Ecc. 3:11

Japan???

In the past few entries I tried to share some important stories and insights from my year in Quebec. God was working in my life then, but He hasn't stopped! In January 2007, I was researching opportunities for the coming fall. What would I do? Where would I go? I really wanted to be teaching in a Christian school, as I had been trained to do. God has given me a passion for discipling children in this context. While I was looking around at different organizations, a good friend from college phoned me from Japan. Yisel told me that there was a grade 6 teaching position available at her Christian school in Japan. Would I apply?

I had never really thought about Japan, but I did want to go to Asia. I even had a vision while praying, two weeks before this phone call, in which Jesus helped me organize my "dreams" for life. Every dream was written on a piece of paper, and we had some sorting to do. Some were placed in a filing box for later. Some were placed in His hands, and I don't know if/when I'll see them again. He gave one paper back to me at the end of this vision, with one phrase written on it: "Teach in China." I believe this referred to my dream of teaching in an Asian country. I'd always imagined it would be China, because that was the first country I thought of, but I knew it would be very unusual to teach in a Christian school in China!

On top of that, I'd always joked with Yisel about coming to Japan -- but only if there was a grade 6 position. Too many things lined up for this to be just a coincidence - I know that God was at work.

I applied, and two weeks later I was hired to be the grade six teacher at an international school located in Japan. (If you want specifics, email me. I'm not posting anymore information on a public website) While I was reading the Bible, God spoke to me from Isaiah 55:12 --

"You will go out with joy and be led forth with peace, the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. This will be for the LORD's renown..."

A couple of weeks later (in early March), a woman who was praying for me found and shared this exact verse, confirming what God had already said to me. I was walking in peace and confidence, preparing for a move to Japan.

Getting on with Life

God had placed me in this same region, where one man's life had been a seed. He planted the word of God in people hearts. Over time, God had made it grow. Krystal's grandfather had no idea of the fruit his life would bear. It would be the same with me. I would be obedient, content to be where God had led me and taking advantage of every opportunity He gave me to demonstrate His love or speak of His grace. My seeds would be planted, and I would trust God to make them grow.
Once these things had been settled with God and my attitude changed, I started having a wonderful time in Quebec. Things got better at school: I went on a hiking trip with some of the classes, and I made more connections with both students and teachers. Things got better at church. Although God had provided a couple good and very welcoming friends at church, I hadn't felt like I belonged. A week before Krystal arrived I decided to switch churches, to be in a place where I could be involved in the ministries I was already passionate about. I was excited to see children worshipping at this church. I could teach a group of English-speaking Native children each week. I was asked to play keyboard for worship. I started to build some wonderful relationships with here, and this church became my home. Hiking trip - crossing a really high, narrow bridge

Enjoying outdoor beauty with Genvieve, my first friend :)

A beautiful, welcoming couple - Emily & Louis

I've never seen anyone so competitive at Monopoly!

Melanie - who knew such a great friendship would start by going out for "coffee"...especially when neither of us drink it!

Maude, another great friend, and Allison (aka Lysol) - Two beautiful brown-eyed girls!

The cute kids from church

Hiking with school - crossing the high bridge at Parc Aiguebelle...

...over trees, rocks & water

My church - during a special event, partnering with Native believers

So beautiful!

I thank God for the many blessings He gave me and lessons He taught me. Looking back, I see how this whole year in Quebec really laid the foundation for what comes next for me -- teaching in Japan.

The Other Strings

In September 2006, I arrived in Val-d'Or, Abitibi-Temiscamingue, Quebec, with great expectations. And September was the best of times; it was the worst of times.

I was fulfilling a dream: learning French, living in Quebec, positioned to “make a difference” in the world.

I had one overwhelming problem: I didn't know what difference to make, or how I could make that difference.

(OK, I also had other problems – like I'd never gone grocery shopping before and I didn't realize that bags get REALLY heavy when you have to walk home with them brimming full of meat and cans and frozen pizza. I knew how to cook but I didn't know how to cook a meal so everything was ready at the same time. I knew how to do laundry but I didn't know how to get grass stains out. So there were some things to learn...cough cough...understatement!)

But for all of these “problems,” God had solutions.

For the life problems, He answered me before I asked, by inspiring Gail Musselman to give me a book called “Help! Where's Mom Now That I Need Her?” as a going-away present. This answered about 97% of my questions. :) The rest, I learned by experience or by actually phoning mom.

For the deeper question of how to make my life matter, He had some deeper answers.

First, I spent some serious time in prayer, and every day God seemed to bring me back to John 15. “I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me, and I in you, the relationship intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Apart from me, you can't do a thing.” There it was. If I wanted my life to have an abundant harvest, if I wanted to make a difference, I had one thing to do: remain in Him, keeping the relationship intimate and organic. This was not the ground-breaking, world-changing task I dreamed of, but I knew it was the truth. "Jesus, You are My “raison d'etre” - my reason for being," I prayed. "If you brought me here to pray and worship You, that's enough."

September and October passed, with small glimpses of how I could be an encouragement to others here, but no earth-shattering revelations and much homesickness. When Krystal phoned me to say that she and her parents were coming to visit, I told her she was mean to lie to me and get my hopes up like that. But she wasn't lying.

Krystal and her parents came to search for her grandparent's old houses, churches, and friends. I tagged along and heard some incredible stories of her grandfather's work in the region. He had begun three churches, constructing the buildings himself. He had preached on street corners, telling others about the love of Jesus and God's plan of salvation. Although some turned to God, others turned on the preacher. He was beaten by angry crowds, subjected to insults, and even thrown in jail. Still, he persevered and God used him to establish His church in the region.

This is the jail where he was held

Krystal & me

The more stories I heard, the more I realized that my life and my passion was not the beginning of God's work in Quebec. He had been at work, years before I was born, calling people to Himself. Krsytal's grandfather had paid a high price to plant seeds of the gospel, but those seeds bore fruit that can still be seen today, in the fellowship of believers that exist in those towns. Pastors and evangelists have come from those churches, and God is bringing light to dark places.

God had called me to Quebec, but I was not the whole story. I was one string in a huge tapestry of a Master Weaver. Krystal is another string. Her grandfather is another string. I could see other threads beginning to come together: people I had worked with at camp, people I had met at church, people I had met at work. He has plans for something beautiful, and He had been working for a long time. His plan involves people, and it's bigger than I can imagine. His plan involves the whole world.

My Life as a (Red) String

My story is one of a million, yet fits into one grand story. I often picture my life as one tiny string in a beautiful tapestry, woven together by a Master Weaver. He sees all the colours, lines and shadows in the pattern, and I am willing to let Him guide me through His tapestry as He lovingly chooses. He has created me a certain “colour,” and He knows when and where my colour should be used. At times, I may be a key colour in the grand design. At others, I may be hidden in the background, so other colours may be accentuated. I do not know His final picture, but I trust the Weaver – my Maker, my Hero, my Friend: Jesus Christ.

I kind of hope I'm a red string. I like red. Red gets noticed.

Let me share a story of how I began to understand this tapestry and gain a glimpse of the part I play.
My “string” crossed another “string” in my grade twelve year. I met a girl named Krystal at church. She was new and around my age, so I invited her over to my place for the afternoon. I sprawled on my bed and Krystal lounged on a chair as she shared her story. “I just moved here from Smiths Falls, but my grandparents have lived here for several years. They moved here after my grandpa retired from his ministry as a pastor and church-planter in Quebec. We'll be here for a while...probably for good.”
I didn't know her grandparents, but I loved Quebec. After two summers of working at a Christian camp in the Eastern Townships, the spiritual needs of this province weighed heavily on my heart. Quebec's suicide rates were the highest in the nation, spiritual hunger revealed itself in curiosity about the occult, and less than 1% of the population claimed to be evangelical Christians. In Quebec, there is one church for every 50 000 people. In the rest of Canada, there is one church for every 2 000 people. I wanted to see more churches in Quebec filled with passionate disciples of Christ. This girls's grandfather, more than thirty years ago, had laboured for the same cause. Coincidence? Maybe. If you believe in those.
I didn't recognize this as a God-incidence until five years later, when I applied to a government-funded French immersion program, my heart still burning for Quebec. The “Odyssey” program involved moving to Quebec for nine months to work as a Language Assistant for English teachers in public schools. With my passion for Quebec, teaching, and learning French combined, I am convinced God God led me very specifically to this program. I opted to be placed in a rural community but had no further control over where in the expansive province I would be asked to go. But the Weaver was holding tightly to my string—He (partnering with the Odyssey program) placed me in Abitibi-Temiscamingue, the same region where Krystal's grandfather had worked years before. Coincidence? Maybe. If you believe in those.

I don't. I believe the Master Weaver was at work.