The Trip that Changes Lives, Part 3: The BIG Day

Finally, after three and a half days in Haiti, we were able to meet our sponsor children!  Before I went to Peru when I read the schedule I thought, "Why do they make us wait until the end of the week to meet our children!?!"  As one of the men on our trip said at the evening debriefing on the day we met our children, "Thank you for having this be the last thing in the week.  I am emotionally drained and would be of little use tomorrow!"  Obviously, there is wisdom and experience in the schedule making!

The morning we were to meet our children found us finished with breakfast and ready for the day much faster than any other day of the trip.  Even the people who were always the last ones to arrive for anything were ready early!

We were to spend the day at our hotel, enjoying the grounds and pool as we played and chatted together with our children.  So, we all gathered in the area around the pool to wait to meet our children.  We were called one by one to meet our children.  Our beloved Jim and Rita were the first to meet their girl.  (A long and fun story behind the reason we elected for them to be first.  Maybe another time!)

Just Nikki and me left!

As each person/couple was called I felt like the participant on one of those reality shows where someone is voted off the show or chosen as the winner.  Nikki and I were the last two.  Then she was called and there I was waiting while I watched everyone playing with and talking with their children already!

I kinda wanted to hold her hand all day!

But, oh, what a joy awaited me!  I finally got to meet Shnaida.  She is now a beautiful 17 year old.  I started supporting her when she was 6 years old!  There she was in her lovely red t-shirt and denim skirt with her hair braided and piled on her head in an amazing arrangement and gorgeous freckles on her nose.  Her smile melted my heart.

Isn't she lovely?!

She is as shy as I imagined her to be, but friendly and open.  A project worker who knows Shnaida well came with her.  She was also friendly and had a great smile and spirit.

Doing origami together

We sat and chatted for a while, exchanged presents and did some origami.  I had wanted to give her a nice Japanese fan, however, they are very hard to find in the winter, even at the hundred yen store!  But, I did have a bamboo fan kit which could be decorated, so we decorated that together.  I made one side of the big fan for her and she decorated the small one for me.

Our decorated fans

As we played and chatted we talked about many different things, school, family, life.  I encouraged her to be sure to find a husband who loves Jesus.  Because her heart is so kind and beautiful, I know she will be able to do this!  She said that she'd like to find a job where she can help others.

We spent a little time in the pool playing with a beach ball.  It was her first time in a pool.  We didn't swim, just walked in the shallow end and played with some others who were in the pool, too.

Lunch was a little quiet.  We were all focused on eating, processing what had been happening all morning, and maybe our translator was a little tired, too.  After lunch I brought out a few more gifts, including some things others had given me to give to Shnaida.  We tried out the chopsticks without a lot of success!

Quilt from the ladies at West Center!  Don't know if she will
ever need to use it for sleeping...

We finished the day together in prayer.  Shnaida wanted prayer for her family and the project worker for the children at the project.  It was a sweet, holy moment filled with love and joy.

One last selfie

What precious memories!

In the car on the way home.  Wonderful day!

The Trip that Changes Lives, Part 1

In 2004 I started my relationship with Compassion International.  In 2011 I participated in my first sponsor tour to visit my sponsor child in Peru.  It was the trip that changed my life.  (If you go back in the history of this blog to October 2011 you can find my thoughts from that trip.)  The experience was more amazing than I could have imagined-I had NO idea what to expect when I signed up for the trip.

Kids are kids!

Last month I participated in my second sponsor tour, another life-changing trip.  This time I went to Haiti, a small island country just south of the US.  I thought I knew what to expect since I had participated in a tour before.  Yes, some things were similar, however, Haiti is different from any country I have ever visited.

This time there were only 18 people on the trip, half the number of my Peru trip.  This provided an intimacy that joined our hearts and souls together quickly.  I am so grateful to have gotten to spend time with these lovely people and to now call them friends.

My family group visiting this family's house

The poverty level of Haiti was astounding to me.  I thought if I waited long enough and tried to form thoughts for a few weeks that I would be able to put into words what I experienced, but I am still having a hard time coming up with words.

Love!

When I got back from Peru I had severe wealth guilt.  I don't know if that is a term, but that is how I felt.  For months I couldn't go shopping and took super short showers.  I couldn't justify my 'wealthy' life knowing how the people in Peru were living.

When I got back from Haiti, however, I didn't have that same feeling.  I still can't justify the imbalance in the distribution of wealth in this world.  But, I think the poverty was so deep that I just could not/ cannot even think of comparing the wealth/poverty levels of there and here.

Hanging out with like-minded people who also sponsor children and encountering life in a completely different country are definitely life-changing experiences.  However, the biggest life-changer for me was, again, experiencing Compassion's ministry.

Our group with the office staff at one of the centers we visited

Every person I met who serves at the churches, child development centers, and in the offices has a love for Jesus and children like few others I have met.  These staff and volunteers believe loving children and their families, teaching them, and sharing Jesus' love with them is the most effective way to end the cycle of poverty.

And, walking through the villages, there is an obvious difference that child sponsorship makes in the life of a child and family.  Playing with and sharing time with the children at the centers was an incredible experience.  These faces are imprinted on my heart.

Family who benefits from Compassion sponsorship

Somehow I thought I was going to be able to write one blogpost about this trip.  I just had to add "Part 1" to the title of this post because it is getting too long.  Thank you for sticking around this long.  Please come back for the next parts soon.  I am sure there will be at least two more posts!

Silly selfies

Another quote

I am often inspired by words.  My words are not usually overwhelmingly amazing.  However, there are times when I read the words of others and I feel an instant connection.  THAT is just what I wanted to say but couldn't find the right words.

One person I admire and whose words I appreciate is Fredrick Buechner.  He was a German pastor and theologian during world war two.  If you recall what the atmosphere of Germany was like during that time you can imagine how well his zeal for God went over.  Yep, like a lead balloon.

He was arrested and eventually executed at a concentration camp, just days before it was liberated.

But his words and testimony live on.  They continue to inspire and instruct.  His love for God and being a witness to that love in a dangerous situation challenge and encourage me.

I was reminded last week by a friend that Fredrick Buechner was executed on April 10, 1945.  On April 11, my flip calendar had a quote from him!  (I have had this calendar for many years and never realized this coincidence!)

The quote reads...

"What we need to know, of course, is not just that God exists, not just that beyond the steely brightness of the start there is a cosmic intelligence... but that there is a God right here in the thick of our day-by-day lives who may not be writing messages about Himself in the starts but in one way or another is trying to get messages through our blindness."

God is trying to get our attention.  He is personal and will speak to us in ways that only we personally can understand.  He is trying to get our attention to let us know that He loves us, that He wants to have a relationship with us, that we are precious to Him.

Not only is He the creator of the universe and more than we can see or imagine, but He is also the lover of our souls, pursuing us as His beloved.

Believe

Today's word for my lent photo challenge is believe.

Today I was asked by an English student if I believe the stories in the Bible are true.  I replied with a resounding "yes!" and that I would not be a missionary if I did not believe the Bible is true.

In our Bible class this morning we were studying the death and resurrection of Jesus.  We talked about the people around the cross as Jesus was dying and their various reactions.

Mark notes the women who were there, however, he doesn't say much about what they were doing or thinking or saying.  As we discussed the women and their possible reaction, one student mentioned that they must have been very sad and crying and even felt hopeless.  (Luke writes that they were mourning and wailing.)

Then we read the beginning of the next chapter of Mark which includes, in my opinion, one of the most hope-filled statements in the Bible... "He has risen!  He is not here."  Of course, once the shock wore off and Jesus was actually seen alive, hope was restored.

I can barely read those two little sentences without shouting and without a tear of joy appearing in my eye.  I think my heart may even skip a beat when I read them.

He has risen!  He is not here!

When I read those words in my head, they are read loudly and with gusto!

Hope.

Joy.

Indescribable love.

Yes, I do believe the stories in the Bible are true.  The Bible is what my life and faith are built upon.

Still Praying?

Four years ago today an earthquake shook below the sea just off Japan's northeast coast.  The moving earth caused the ocean to react in an enormous tsunami.  That tsunami flooded a nuclear power plant.

We call it a triple disaster.

I am not sure we can label the disasters of that day with a number.  If we did, it would be much larger than three.

I am not going to list the statistics here.  Anyone reading this has google and can find the numbers for themselves.

Those numbers are not just statistics.  They are important.
Number of terrifying seconds the earthquake lasted.
Number of horrifying meters high the tsunami towered.
Number of awful kilometers inland the tsunami rolled.
Number of cozy homes swallowed whole.
Number of beloved mothers, grandfathers, teachers, brothers, babies, neighbors who will never take another breath.
Number of beautiful children living with giant scars where parents used to be.
Number of loved spouses living with enormous holes in their hearts.
Number of gorgeous people continuing to live in temporary housing.

A nation that has moved on, that looks back, that is stuck in time, that grieves, that learns to hope.

This is the tension which is now reality.

Four years ago I wrote these words...

Overwhelmed
I am sure others here in Japan not in the earthquake/tsunami affected areas would say the same thing. I am feeling overwhelmed. Watching the news, hearing the stories, seeing the devastation, etc, brings tears, feelings of guilt, feelings of helplessness.

Tonight we heard about a hospital that is running on a generator that will not last much longer. They have 200 patients on dialysis. They have enough supplies for 2 more days. Phones and cell phones are not working. The only way this info got out is because the TV crew happened to be there. Nurses and doctors have been there since the disasters on Friday.

What do I do with all of this? How do I respond? 
Here is a quote from a friend's blog...
"What can I do for suffering people? I know that prayer is the answer and my mind knows that this is so much more powerful than anything else I could ever offer, but why does it feel so futile? Perhaps because it doesn't feel like I am really doing something and I like nothing if not to feel active and to see the results of my activity. With that in mind, I will continue to talk to God, knowing that He is bigger than all of this."

So, this is how I respond, for now.

Today, four years later, am I still praying?  Or am I like Peter, James, and John in the garden, sleeping when asked to keep watch?

Back and Forward

Sunrise from my apartment, December 31, 2014

Let the past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ. Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him. ~Oswald Chambers. 

This quote struck me as I read it while brushing my teeth yesterday morning, December 31.  What a comforting thought and beautiful image, leaving our past in the sweet embrace of Christ.

Irreversible past.  This is a hard thought sometimes.  But when I think that I can leave that brokenness in the sweet embrace of Christ, I am encouraged.  Because, I know my Jesus is kind and loving and forgiving.

This gives me the courage to step out into the invincible future with Him.  2015 looks hopeful and bright when I think of stepping out with my loving Jesus.

Thankful for the experiences of 2014, the good, the bad and the ugly, which are resting in the sweet embrace of Jesus.  And, looking forward to the invincible future walking side by side with my Savior.

Thank you, Jesus!

A Hundred Times

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life."  Matthew 19:29

When Jesus said this He was talking about the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne.  However, I would say that I have also experienced this in the here and now.

Yesterday was one of those times.

The gospel choir I joined six years ago, Anointed Gospel Choir (AGC), is preparing for a concert next week.  Yesterday during our rehearsal we didn't have time to go through all of the songs, so our director was taking requests.

There is a song in Japanese that I have not quite memorized so I requested it.  About halfway through the song, as the lyrics really started to sink in, my eyes started to overflow.  I did my best to mouth the words of it and the final two songs.

I thought I had pulled myself together.

At the end of rehearsal, I am usually asked to pray.  I thought I would be fine.  But, again, the tears started and I had a hard time speaking.

After choir there were lots of encouraging words and hugs, yes, hugs from my Japanese friends.  These ladies who have become dear friends, not to replace the friends I had in the US before coming, but to be added, shared my worry and hope.

Friday my dad started chemotherapy.  The song we were singing is: 希望の光 (The light of hope)
Being far away at a time like this is a challenge to the heart!  But, I was filled with hope as I sang the song and was reminded of the light of hope God has placed in my heart, and in my dad's heart.

My AGC friends stepped up and filled in the gaps.  Thank you, my dear friends.

希望の光
心も体も疲れて生きる力さえも失った
でも今私の心には確かな希望の光

神様、あなたは耐えられないほどの
試練に合わせることはしない
耐えられるように試練とともに
新たな道も備えてくださるから

神様、私には負いきれないほどの
疲れと重荷があるとしても
あなたは「私を休ませてあげる」と
救いの道を備えてくださるから

Taken from 1 Corinthians 11:13 and Matthew 11:28

A Word and A Song

 I love when we get to host ladies' lunches at our church.  Trying to break into conversations to start the testimony part of the program is always a challenge.  Even having the big blonde girl standing up front does not always get everyone's attention!

Today our friend, Kyoko, shared her testimony.  It was neat to hear how God put pieces of the puzzle together for her as she traveled through the ups and downs of life, leading her, ultimately, to Himself. So amazing how He does that!  She also sang a song for us, "You Raise Me Up."  She sang the first verse in English and then sang in Japanese.  I had never heard it in Japanese before and was really moved by the lyrics.



This afternoon was a blessed time of fellowship.  I loved hearing the chatter, watching the shared tears fall, and witnessing encouragement between friends.

Odd Feeling

Today I am going to be speaking to the youth of our Japanese denomination.  Over the years I have been in Japan I have had several opportunities to hang out with these wonderful young people.  Of course, it has been a while, and now there is a whole new group of young people.

I like to be very prepared for such events.  I have been preparing for this event.  However, I have this odd feeling that I have not prepared enough or in the right way or missed something.  I can't quite put my finger on it.

So, I pray.  I ask my friends and family to pray.

And I walk forward today in God's confidence, knowing He is with me, He has called me, He is faithful.

It is all I can do.

折り紙は祈り紙...

When I was in the US last year I folded a large number of origami cranes.  I gave most of them away to people to remind them to pray for me.  On some I had people sign their names and I brought them back to Japan with me.  I finally got around to hanging them up around my apartment.

As I folded the cranes I was praying for Japan, for the ministry in which I am involved here, for friends, and for the people who would receive them.  As I gave them to friends and family, I asked them to pray for me.  I even left some 'flying' around my home church.  I hope when people see them around the church or wherever they were placed around homes that people will remember to pray for me.



When I am sitting in my living/dining room, bedroom, tatami room, or office and I see the cranes hanging there, I pray for the people who signed their names and gave the cranes back to me.

What a blessing to be able to pray for each other.  Even when we are not in the same city, state, or country, we can still join in ministry together by praying for each other.  And, having a visual reminder is helpful for me!  In that way, these origami cranes become prayer reminders.  (The Japanese title of this post is a play on words which basically means that.)

Thank you to those of you who are praying for me and all of us here in Japan.  Please continue.  I cannot put into words how much your prayers mean to us!

In the background is the prayer quilt the ladies from West Center made for me!

An Introduction

Yesterday I attended the English Bible study at Komyo Christian Church for the first time since I returned to Japan.  While Yuri is on home assignment I will have the privilege of being the leader of the study.

We started our time with introductions, which were fun and entertaining.  Then we sang a hymn which is a favorite of one of the students.  It is an English hymn she learned from a missionary when she was in university.  I had never heard it before, but love the lyrics!  What peace we have in Him!

Constantly Abiding by Anne S Murphy

There's a peace in my heart that the world never gave,
a peace it cannot take away;
Though the trials of life may surround like a cloud,
I've a peace that has come there to stay!

Constantly abiding, Jesus is mine;
Constantly abiding, rapture divine;
He never leaves me lonely, whispers O so kind:
"I will never leave thee."  Jesus is mine.

All the world seemed to sing of a Savior and King,
when peace sweetly came to my heart;
Troubles all fled away and my night turned to day,
blessed Jesus, how glorious Thou art!

This treasure I have in a temple of clay,
while here on His footstool I roam;
But He's coming to take me, some glorious day,
over there to my heavenly home!

Dad's Check-up

After flying all over the country, I arrived back in South Dakota just in time to hop in the car with my parents to go to Minnesota.  Dad's 12 week study had come to an end and the doctors needed to do some tests to see how his body had responded to the treatments.  All of the tests went well.  His doctor called him the star student because his body was responding so well to the treatment.  Praise God!
アメリカのあちら、こちらへ飛行機で移動した後、SDに戻りました。そして、帰ってすぐに両親とミネソタ州に行った。父のチェックのためだった。その結果はよかったです！お医者さんはすごく嬉しかったです。私たちも嬉しかったです！神様に感謝しています！

We had some fun with the statues in front of the clinic.

The Mayo brothers

Mom sat on the cat bench to share the good news!

Sushi and a Retreat

My first trip to Colorado in May included visiting my aunt and cousins (my uncle was away on business) and attending a retreat for missionaries.  I have attended the retreat before and really appreciated it.  I was glad to have the opportunity of attending a second time!






I introduced my aunt and cousins to sushi and other yummy Japanese foods!

Lobster sushi

Tempura and sushi obento

Yakitori obento

Rice with a fork is faster for this girl!

 Of course, we had ice cream, too!

 

 From Colorado Springs I headed up to Palmer Lake for a week of rest and debriefing.

Transitions can be like that sometimes

Ready for the week

The view out my window

This tree fascinated me.

Train in the middle of America, not for passengers!

Great reminder as I walked!

Evenings included games, ice cream, and fun!

Coco helped me with Bananagrams

She LOVED my shoes!

Game night included updates from the Rangers game by Rhonda

It's cold, but we'll eat frozen yogurt any time!

An amazing group committed to loving Jesus

Encouraging authenticity

Sharing a meal

Fun with Coco!

Sunset from the plane-heading back to SD!