Christmas, studying, artwork...

So Christmas was fun. I got sooo much that i didn't ask for, didn't deserve, and am completely blessed by it all (and also overwhelmed!! i have too much!!)

(it snowed a lot again!)

I now own six bibles, two bible cases, and multiple notepads to fill with notes. Thank you everyone, i think i will be good on bibles for now (unltil these six fall apart ahahaa)

It was really good to see all my relatives and friends this year for Christmas. we had lots of good food, and good times laughing about our lives and things we do. I got to hear some pretty sweet stories about my grandpa's time in the navy when he was younger. He got to live on bermuda! (i think that's how you spell it).

lately, i've been trying to get back into drawing and painting. I used to be so brushed up on it, i feel so out of practice. But i don't want to lose it. As Amber was pointing out, i've come so far with it, it would be a shame to just lose it. And i know God can definelty use it, even though it's in ways i can't imagine or think up. (He used it in korea!)

I've also started studying kanji, my brother has shown me some of the ways he used to learn them (he knows over 2,000 kanji). It's a really cool way, i think it will work. i really want to learn the language, i know it's hard (i've already studied it for three years, though it's gone down to remembering hardly anything), but i also know i can do it. God gave me a brain, He gave me the ability to learn these things, and I know He will give me the capability to learn it all the way through if i just try my hardest and give my best. He's pretty darn cool like that.

anyways, i don't have a lot of photos at the moment (isn't too much i have done that is really that interesting to take a photo of), but i did get a camera as a graduation present from my parents (thank you guys, it's something that definetly blesses me) so i will have photos of whatever does happen in the future.

(here's one of me and my family though)

God bless you all, stay safe this new year's and last bit of Christmas parties and such. Praise the Lord, we made it another year huh! don't forget to look back and see what He has done this past year in your lives, im pretty sure you will be amazed, even if there were hard things.

peace in Jesus,

-'manda

snowing, winter, coldness, snowing...

So, Michigan is a lot colder than i remember it being.


I've sort of adjusted to it (sort of meaning that i can bear the coldness on my face and eyeballs now), but it's rather dry here too. Less dry than California was (and should be expected because its winter), but harsher on the skin than Okinawa teehe

Anyways, i've not been doing too much. just visiting people, eating, helping with some shopping, trying to recreate okinawa-dishes of food, walking the dogs in the snow.



i took some photos, and some videos (we'll see if those work).




(the front of our home)


(it snowed a lot that night)





(when they picked me up from the airport)


(cooking Taco-Rice with my little sister)


(the jello my grandma gave me)


(the path we walk the dogs on, before it snowed alot)




This wednesday, i got blessed with being able to fill in at my aunt's company as the receptionist ('manda gets to answer phones!) while they attend their company christmas party. then it's christmas eve at my other aunts house with our grandparents, and then christmas morning with the family, and dinner at my first-mentioned-aunt and uncle's home. We normally go to a chinese buffet on Christmas day for lunch, but this year my aunt wanted to cook and eat at their home (which will taste super good, though it's a little sad not to eat with the vietnamese at the chinese buffet...).




^_^ God bless you all, thanks for reading and following along with me in prayer.

Merry Christmas (stay warm wherever you are!)



-'manda

Graduation!

Well everybody-


I GRADUATED!!!!! I made it! やった!!!



This past wednesday night, we have a Bible study/graduation night. We had worship and a short message from pastor Tommy, because all of the graduates (four of us) all shared from the word.





Me, Christina, Tom Cotton, and Bu-chan (ahaha) all graduated together.








It was a really blessed night, it was a really cool thing to graduate here in Okinawa. I am so blessed by the people out here, and the things that the Lord showed me and did in me here. It is a place of wonderful memories and amazing works of God happening everyday.




(Bryce rockin' out)



(he graduated too ^_^)


(we started together, we ended together)



("oh, what a hunky man! he's graduated!")


Also, the update on my circumstance is this: I am back in Michigan!
I was going to update sooner, but i was keeping my coming back a secret to suprise a friend (yay surprise!).


It is snowy, and cold. VERY cold (though i don't get much sympathy from people here because i came from an island). it is good to see everyone again, my little brother isn't little anymore! everyone has grown and looks different!

I'm going to put up a post of our new home (They moved while i was gone), and of all the snow in my next post.


Thank you for all your prayers, i really appreciate them. I need them a lot.
stay warm, and stay in Christ's deep, great love.




(Oki semester fall 2009)



-'manda
(pictures curtousy of Tamiko Murakami :] )

cold weather, changing circumstances...

It's getting colder here in Okinawa, which has also brought a lot of random spurts of rain.

(Take note of our hats and coats)

Like today, in the morning it was raining super hard! But then mid day it was bright and sunny and hot!

But now, it's raining again and cold again. Praise the Lord then, ね?

We also headed down to Kokusai dori a couple weeks ago (sorry, haven't updated consistently).

All of the students got to see the cool shops and had sea salt ice cream (i passed, it didn't look great, but i'm also lactose intolerant ahaha).

(the students are stoaked!)

(this little tiny Okinawan lady helped me try on a Kimono)

(gotta have one of my infamouse "dorky" posed pictures)

So, there is an update in my life to post on here.

I had applied for my missionary visa a long while ago, and have been waiting for it to come in.

The visa I was staying here on only lasts for 90 days, and that 90 days ran out today (Nov. 24).

So, the office amazingly granted me (and Dean, another student out here) an extention on our passports to have time to buy tickets out of the country.

Well, here is a prayer request: I have two options, one is to head back to the states, to Michigan and stay with my family there, and the other is to head back out to Korea and help at the church there again.

So I would like to ask prayer for God's guidance; that I would be senesative to the Holy Spirit and go where He wants me at this time. Both places are good places, I just want to be where He wants me to be. (and this is not a long term stay either way, but the first step of many on this next continuing adventure of my life with Jesus).

Thank you for all of your previous prayers, and your future ones. Prayer is one of the most precious gifts we have here in our lives. Thank you God.

-'manda

skype calls

Sometimes, i get to talk with my family on skype, and i really get blessed by it.
My family is growing up a lot (my little sister and brother are all big now and looking older and older...). It's sad not to be there with them as they grow up, but i know they have will grow, and sometimes grow better with an absence there.



Being away really makes me love my family, shows me what i have. I really enjoy talking with my little sister. She keeps getting more and more pretty. If you think too, please pray for her, she is making life choices, and i want her to make one's that please the Lord.



He has blessed her with a talent to dance, and i know she can use it for His glory, that it would please Him. I really want to see her do good with it.

God has given us such a gift ot have a family down here while we wait to come Home. Even if it's hard and difficult at times, it also comes with many blessings which we all too often look past. This life is not promised to be easy (in ministry, in our families, in everything in life). But it is promised to be a blessed life as we follow Jesus Christ. He is amazing.

That's all for now. There is not too much ministry that i am joining in, but a lot of school. There are only 4 more weeks left of the semester, and then graduation. This time has really been a lot of growing and learning, which i know is going to be put into use and action/application in the coming days after graduation. Pray for the students here, as they go back home and variouse places during the break. We want to live for Christ, and a life that counts for Him.







ありがとう


-'manda

John 13:1-38 (i encourage you to read this)

"Jesus left us such an amazing example of love and serving one another. He said “hey, look at these people around you. Your not above them, you are not too big to serve them. Go, love them like I have shown you.” There is no excuse that we can give to say we don’t know how to serve them or love them. Yes, it will be hard, but Jesus has shown us how to, He even loves us with that same love He wants us to show. This is an amazing love He is calling us to give and to show, but it should be displayed in our lives, despite our circumstances and the people it needs to be towards. You’ve got to show love, its part of you now since Christ saved you.
I keep having moments when God just whispers that He is love. “I am love.” I remember something that I love that I learned first semester of Bible college and partly from church back home. The grammar in the text when God says to the children of Israel “I AM” is an un finished sentence, there is no period at the end of it. It’s a sentence left unfinished, that we might fill in the blank of whatever our need is. He is our strength, our courage, our wisdom, our righteousness, and our love. He is all of it.
He’s going to be what we need, and He won’t call us to do something we can’t do. He will give us what we need to show this kind of love."

This is something i studied for my homework, and it gave me an amazing, preciouse, golden "nugget" to hold onto and really learn and understand.

I really encourage you to read this chapter and see what God shows you. This is something too many of us take forgranted, i know i did. I brushed over the verse where Jesus tells us to love as He has also (verse 34). We should not do so, don't follow my example, follow His.

Don't forget: God so loved us, He Sent His Son.

^_^

-'manda

Semester Girls

So we've been missing our girl's this semester as they have been in Korea this past week.

We have 5 girl students this semester (if you don't count me), which is smaller than last semester, but still very big for what they normally have for girl students at this campus.

We are SO blessed by them this semester (God's hand is seriously in our lives and on our D' House, we really have no problems living together.

After class one day, Tamiko took us up on the roof to take some group photos, and here they are! Everyone is so beautiful (God blesses us with beautiful young women, in face, but more so in heart and in spirit).

(It was rather bright that day...hard to keep your eyes open)

(Ina was excited to be out of class teehee)

^_^

(me with Anna and Emi, our two international students)




And this one's for Tamiko, because she got cut out of the other photos that we took by accident!
We love you Tamiko, thank you for being faithful to teach us in our class each week ^_^

Praise the Lord, He is so good to us and for us. He provides all things, and gives us the strength to do all things He has prepared and called us to do. :] who is a God like our God?

God bless

-'manda

Swine Flu, Typhoons~

So, the Swine Flu has died down, which is a blessing (considering that right before i came back to the island, the whole bible college had it almost). I have only had a bad cold/stomach flu being here so far, and that passed in two days. Praise God, i think He is strengthening my immune system!

(something my brother drew while we were chatting)

While that has died down, a storm is brewing as i type this. A typhoon is hittign the island! But, it is supposed to be moving in a different direction, so we areo nly getting the tip of it, if not even that, but just the winds. We typhoon-proofed the cafe and our girl's house to protect againts the winds (which are harsh enough to blow me around while i am standing).

It's sort of exciting (partly because we have chub parties here if there is a bad storm), just to see a different kind of a storm. In Michigan, we have tornados, and in california they had earth quakes. It's sort of strange how it's not the same wherever you go (Ana and Christina were complaining nothing exciting happens where the come from haha).

Everything is going awesomely, the Lord is doing so much in our lives. Each student is being changed, and stretched. I didn't expect it to be such a stretch with the things i am beign stretched with (thought it would be in different areas of my life). But it is all soo good, no matter how hard my flesh wants to make it, Jesus makes it easy if i just yield and submit to Him (i have already felt that relief several times).

This friday, the students are leaving for the mission trip to South Korea. I am sad that i am not going, but i know the other students are going to have their socks blessed off completely. The people there are so impacted by a life lived for the Lord at such a young age, its amazing what God does through just that. Please keep them in prayer, that they would be led, grown, see God's love and Spirit working, and to have the most amazing life changing time ever.

I wish i had more pictures to put up and show you all the little things i get to be a part of everyday. If you get the time and think of it, please pray God would provide me a camera so that I could share the wonderful things He is doing out here and in my life. Thank you greatly.

A cool thing i read, "to shine Your love; even in the least of things."

God bless.

-'manda

MORE!

So, updates have been absent!

We have been pretty busy here at the college, school is about 4 weeks in, and there is lots of homework (atleast for me).

I am a student/intern this semester (Sort of? if you want to call it intern). So I have a bit more on my plate than last semester, but it is so, so good. I have been blessed by it and growing already.

All the students here are great (i wish i could take photos for you! maybe i will steal some off facebook). We have a few that are actually from mainland, and one from Germany! It is very exciting, i love getting to know them all.

(up at the house in Nago, spending the night in the Tatami room)

(our semesterly trip to Pineapple Park!)

Life is pretty chill here, though it does get exciting and busy at moments during the day. It is starting to cool off from the killer heat (it feels like fall today!). I think i am going to wear pants tomorrow!

Thank you for all your prayers, I know I have people out there praying for me. I can feel them, i know i need them. Thank you so much.

God is so good, and so strong. Trust in Him for everything, He loves us dearly.

More soon,

-'manda

An Update!!

Yay! everyone, Praise the Lord! i have a converter for my laptop cord!

(me praising the Lord with an instrument)

my new roommate Ana (She is from Germany!) let me have one of her european converters and it works with my korean plug! I'm so happy!

So, it feels weird to update without any pictures to share, but i will update anyways.
(actually, i found some other people took so i added them)

We just started our second week of classes, and it's going pretty well.

I have five classes, and i will be leading a group out to a base each sunday to minister there.

It's a step up with responsability and things i have to get done, but it's really good. Growing hurts a lot, but it's so, so good for us.

This past weekend we went up to Nago for our frequent Pineapple Park trip, and a visit to the beautiful beach there.

Me and three other students headed up there a couple days early than the rest of the group, to help with the first service for the church Tim started in his home there, and to pass out fliers for it. It was very fun, and amazing to see another part of beautiful Okinawa. It's more woodsy up there, with tons of green and more mountainy trees rather than tropical. We went to the beach Saterday evening, and stayed until dark. Got to see the stars and a beautiful moon coming out of the foggy clouds. Very beautiful, God is great at His creation.

I'd like to ask you to pray for us here. There are four of us here that need to get missionary visas to stay this semester, and it might be difficult for one person particularly. Please pray, God can do ANYTHING. We know He will provide them when we need them, His timing is wonderful we just have to wait for it.

We need God's guidance, we want to live to please Him and to be with Him. We really want to stay strong in our quiet time with Him each morning, please pray that the students would learn how important an appointmant that is each day. It's so beautiful to meet our Savior each day.

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers, we appreciate them beyond what you could know. we see them, and we feel them.

trust God with all you've got, He is amazing and faithful always.

-'manda

(this one's for amber ahaha) miss you :]

Arrived!

I'm there!!! Praise the Lord!!

So, this is two days late (i haven't bought an outlet converter for my laptop cord yet). But, i made it to the island, and all is well! we had a little trouble with immigration, but it's all fine now.

Thank you for your prayers and love, it helped. Please pray for me and Dean again though, we need to apply for our missionary visa's to stay here now. Pray we get the applications in fast, and that it gets processed and we get approved soon! Thank you, watch God work ^_^

So, the island is hot and humid, but its lovely. The humidity feels soo great on my skin! it's all moist ahaha
Getting ready to welcome students coming, and the semester starting September 1st!

More updates soon, and pictures soon!

God bless
-'manda

Heading to Island

It's 12:50 AM, and i just finished packing. I think it's over weight...





I head to Okinawa tomorrow at 4:30 AM, take a 2 hour bus ride to the airport in Incheon, then a two hour flight to Okinawa Island (Naha airport). Should be in at about 11:45 or so.





*sigh* it's sad leaving, i kind of have an ache in my heart.


But i also have an ache in my heart to see Amber again, and other loved ones on the Island. I'm excited to see the Japanese people too, get to know them more and share Christ's love.





So, prayers are SO welcome. Safe travel (i don't like airplane rides...) and prepared for whats to come, and just to live with my God. And prayer for those staying back here (Iza and Jesse), and for the people we are leaving. They miss us a lot already.





We had a great night of hanging out after english MELT, eating Baskin Robbins 31, hugs, talking a LOT, taking pictures. We ended the night with some Korean toast, and then headed off to pack. It was a very, very good night.





Here's a picture Jesse snapped.






God bless.

-'manda

Preparing

Well, it's almost time to head back to Okinawa, Japan, for another semester of Bible College. This will be my last semester, i will be graduating this December.
It's hard to believe that this will be my fourth semester, it only feels like i've done two. But praise the Lord, He has done so much in that time, and will still do so much in this last one, and after.

So, me (and Dean, he's going back for his third semester) are getting ready to go, winding down some of the things that we are doing here in at the Daejeon church. It's not quite like when Daniel and Sosimo left, but people are starting to get sad already remembering we are leaving.

I know i am going to miss the girls here the most.
I did not have a very big heart for Korea when i first came here (i will be honest, i really didn't know anything about Korea, and had a hard time pushing my desire for the japanese people to the back part of my minda nd focusing on the korean people).
But God has completely changed me. I LOVE these people, i have a concern for them. There is so much do be done in Korea, the heart of these people are searching, they are being opened.

There is a girl, Salley, who i do a discipleship bible study with. She has not been a Christian very long, but its so beautiful to see her heart. She comes and says "teach me about God. i want to know the Bible, i want to know God". so pretty...

There are so many of them here, and their so precious to God. i am sad that i am leaving, that i won't have the opportunity to speak into their lives, to help them anymore. I just pray, i ask God to work through Iza, to bring other people to disciple these girls. i love them so much, it kinda really hurts to leave.
But God showed me it's not me thats doing the work, it's not me thats keeping them close to God. He is the one doing the work, and it won't stop when i leave. I have to put them in His hands, just like i did when i left home. The people i care about, should always be put in His hands, they are safest there.

*whew*
So, doing last time things here in ministry, getting to teach! scary but so, so sweet. i get to share my testimony with the church this sunday night, tomorrow we are doing two tourist things (Pastor Mike wanted to take us somewhere since we didn't really go anywhere all summer).
Monday i'm having a last discipleship class, and then hitting the batting cages one last time, and pump-it-up at the arcade with the guys before we go.

All of this time here has been a complete blessing. I am changed, and so blessed. Thank you Mike and Hye-Young (and Jeena!) for being a real blessing, for taking care of me while i was here. I'm very blessed having had the opportunity to work along side you both, and to share in your fellowship. I'm sorry your gonna "hate me for the rest of your life" for leaving Hye-Young, I still love you!

(this turned out to start to be a sappy goodbye ahaha!)

anyways, more soon.

God bless you reading this,

-'manda

songs

this is what i say to You God:


"that i will sing to You as long as i have breath
i will praise You with all that i am
i will lift Your name on high all through my life
then i will praise You forevermore."




and this, this song asks God to renew the love inside us, to renew that first love again:



"bring back the light that burns deep inside
Lord i need You now, Lord i need You now
renew my strength, breathe Your life for me
i will rise again, i wil rise again


come like the wind, move me again
catch me off guard, unveil this heart
fall like the rain, fill me again
my Savior and friend, move me again."

just some cool song lyrics i found while playing today (i dont remember who wrote them tho..from worship songs tho)

and some photos of God's beauitful creation:

(Dean took this one, thanks dude)

I like what the Spearmans posted at the end of their blog post "let God bless you". sometimes, we have to let Him. We can't stop Him, we shouldn't try. He is God, He will bless us if He wants too. whether we deserve it or not.

-'manda

Second Breakfast? No, Second Supper!

So last week, our roomate, Monica (Korean name hard to say and spell) took us to her parents home, about an hour away from Daejeon. It was in the country. KOREAN COUNTRY!!!

How cool is that? Thank You Lord, it was a blessing.

(this was actually there, it's not a postcard to send home ahaha God is just that great a Creator)

We had dinner (actually, two dinners!), and appetizers!

(being full, but still heading to second dinner)

(second dinner! and Monica's Omma!)

She showed us around the area, it was VERY beautiful. Korea has amazingly beautiful mountains and trees. its amazing to see what God has created in other countries. All of it makes you think of how much there HAS to be a Creator of it its just so perfectly and uniquely beautiful.

(the rice fields they lived by)

(their home between their church and the kids ministry building)


(just beautiful, the view from all around at every angle was spectacular and gorgeous)

We headed over to the local mountain, and had some traditional Korean treats and saw the great sights of God's beautiful creation.

(the park had a wooden walkway going up part of the mountain for viewing spots)

(we all look great in this picture)



(we were eating fried "Dauk", which is rice cake, it was really really good, despite the fear you see on my face)



(pose-by-sign picture!)

(i present, the squatty potty outhouse!)

(resturant/convience store for visitors overlooking the lake. Praise God for reflections in the water! so pretty)

(iza snapping some shots)

(South Korea, 2009)

We stayed until dark, and then drove back to get some shut eye before another day serving and living for our King!

(Korean's like american photos when we all jump, they do it a lot)

Thank you Monica!! Your a blessing to have as a sister, i'm glad i got to have you as my roomate!!!

-'manda