Encouragement

This past week, I have come into contact with about twelve Christians who live here in Japan. Some are not Japanese, but Chinless and Korean. It is so encouraging that we are in the country that is considered the most unreached place, we can meet and fellowship with fellow believers. Last Friday, I met a guy who became a Christian in 2007 by meeting an intern that summer. He asked me what my favorite verse was and then another Japanese University student, who came to the party to meet with some of our volunteers saw it. He asked if what I had was a Bible, I said yes and was able to share 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

"Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Saturday July, 10

For my off day, I met up with some of the other interns in Shibuya. We wanted to do something fun, but could not decide what to do. We looked on google for something fun to do, but we weren't interested in what came up. Another intern started giving us ideas from what she had done in Tokyo. One idea was Beignets, a restaurant in New Orleans has about five locations in the world and one was in Tokyo. So we went on an adventure to find it! We did find it, and was able to meet a Japanese couple and gave them a Hope tract for the Hope DVD. Hopefully they will be interested in the Gospel and send it in. No matter what, even when we have our free days, we are still on the job. As Christians, we do not get days off. Father has divine appointments set up all the time, not just when it is convenient for us. We found the beignets, they were delicious, a taste of New Orleans in Tokyo!

New Orleans in Tokyo?

We went to see the Tokyo Tower that night, it is Japan's version of the Eiffel tower.


Sunday July 11

We had our normal worship in the park, I look forward to it every week. This time, as we were getting ready to play capture the flag, another M called and said there were some Japanese students who wanted to meet American students. I was one of the ones who got to go. We ended up visiting a families apartment. There is ten Japanese Christian families who all live in the same apartment complex. Their kids have grown up in Christian homes, which is super rare here. They also do not know many Christians their age. The parents wanted their kids to meet Christians who were their kids age and at the same stage of life. The night was amazing! It was so encouraging! There were about 15 students there. It was great to talk about our struggles and share advice on situations. I ended up being asked how I became a believer and about how Father has worked in my life. I was also asked about the role my parents have played in my walk with Father. These kids have an awesome foundation, parents who love Father. I have been blessed with being raised in a Christian home. We were supposed to only spend the afternoon with them, but then they asked us to stay for dinner. They told us they were going to make spaghetti for us. I was expecting the normal meat and tomatoe sauce spaghetti. However, they wanted to make something really nice for us, Spam spaghetti. In Japan, spam is considered something really special. The students we met want to continue to spend time with us as we are here in Tokyo. It is awesome to see Fathers church all over the world, we are one body.

Spam Spaghetti!

Our new friends!

Monday July 12

I mentioned Divine appointments earlier, an awesome opportunity opened up Monday morning while we were waiting for our train. I was sitting on a bench with two other intern girls. An older woman approached us and asked if she could speak English to us. Of course we said yes. She asked us where we were from and why we we are here. Our train came, so we said goodbye to her and gave her a hope tract. We got on the train, Father had it planned that we ended up in the same car. She approached us again and showed us the tract we had given her. She told us that the translation was very good. We were able to talk to her about what we believed in during our three minute train ride. She seems interested in the Hope DVD and the Japanese Bible. Please be praying for her.

For the past week, me along with five other intern girls have been working at a Christian English school preparing for our VBS that starts next week. This entire VBS is a complete God thing. He has provided in so many ways. We do not know yet how many kids will come. Please be praying for children to come.

The website for the English school and our VBS. We are halfway down the page.

http://www.honeybee1.com/

Tuesday July 13

Today, we worked once again at the English school. The people there have just blown me away. The kids are super sweet and it is just so awesome to see these little children learning about our Father. I have got to know their Mom's and share Christ with them. Parents who are not Christians are sending their kids! This is so awesome! Parents are being reached by their kids coming home and singing songs about Jesus!

Tokyo Knowledge

• Stand to the left
• Be quiet
• Don't stab your food with your chopsticks, that is really rude.
  
• Don't stick your chopsticks up in your rice, this is part of Buddhist funerals.
• Take your shoes off when you enter most buildings.
• Sort the trash, because we are on an island, most trash is burned or recycled.
• When you say someones name, you say Joe son. Most of the people I meet think my name is Ali son or Alice son.
• Japanese fans are not just for looks, they are necessary.
• 99.5% of people don't know Jesus.

Prayer Requests

• For kids to come to our VBS.
• Contacts that are being made.
• Japanese Christians.
• Texas Super Summer, they will be here next week.
• Endurance for all of us here