Sorry for the lack of updates! Things have been busy here, but also i have been neglectant of this blog..ごめん。
So, here are some things we have done these past few weeks:
First off, we took the students to the south side of the island (opposite direction of Nago), to the Peace Memorial Park. This is the area where some of the "suicide cliffs" reside, where the wealthier, or more educated took their lives during the war. Most of the medical doctors or higher ups in the army did so in this area.
It is always a sobering place to visit, very beautiful, but very sad. The stories and pictures inside the museum are hard to process as real most of the time. (it's a bit more graphic than the pictures and things shown in american museums, at least from what i remember).
Then, the next event, was my BIRTHDAY!!!
On the 5th, i turned 20! はったち！
I got some really great gifts from people, my stomach was greatly filled with delicious little goodies. here are some pictures of the blessings i got: ありがとう みんあさん！
Anna Hebel (my german friend) gave me this cute frog hair tie!
Emiko cooked breakfast that morning, and cut my tofu into heart shapes.
This, my friends, is Taiyaki. It's the best and cutest thing EVER. (fish-shaped bread, with あんこ paste inside, aka red bean paste). This is prolly one of my favorite things here.
Okinawan power rangers. melon drink /no.1
Jewelry Natsuki gave me. :]
This came straight from mainland, tokyo. It was the cutest packaging i've ever seen.
And this is what was inside: from Amber! thank you!!! I love it! (see how happy i look!)
It was such a beautiful day too, the sun was out, and the clouds were really big and white. ^_^
That saterday, we went to Yakiniku (meat buffet!) and karaoke to celebrate all the march birthdays this month (There are alot!). It was a lot of fun and good times.
outside Bombohe (pronounced "Bombosh" for some reason) after chubbing some yakiniku.
The Nihonjin rockin' it out at karaoke!
Kentaro looks confused.
Joanna, michal, and Ryuko breaking it down.
Something new God has allowed me to be a part of, is an English class up in Naha. It's an evening class on Tuesday nights, and i get to help teach English to really cool Japanese people. Most of them are older, middle-aged and above. They are totally great though, they are funny, and willing to try and learn. There is a precious older woman there, named Sachiko-san, and i had an awesome time talking with her this past week.
(Sachiko-san is on the right here)
This is not everyone, there are some more that come but they were not here for this picture.
Now, for the most recent update. We went for a one day, one night camping trip to Tonaki Jima (a small island, a 2 hour ferry ride away). This trip ended up being a 4 day, freezing cold trip, stuck on the island! The waves got to 12 feet high, all the boats were canceled, and the weather turned stormy, rainy, and very cold and windy.
But, despite all this, it was in God's hands. He kept us on that island to show us some amazing things. Every step of the way we were provided for, too. God stretched 3 meals into 9, provided two houses for us to stay in instead of tents on the beach, and as there was no translator to help the Japanese students communicate with the american students (and one German), He completely took that barrier away and we were all able to communicate and fellowship fine.
(this is the house the girls stayed in; it's actually Brevick's Grandma's house!)
The things He showed us are so sweet. Hearing each person after that trip, they each needed to hear God, and were shown something amazing by Him. One friend said, they had told God "You didn't have to trap me on an island to teach me this, You could have taught it to me at the cafe." But they realized, that God really DID have to make them stuck on an island of only 400 people that don't speak our language at all, to speak to us. He had to remove those distractions of our daily lives and even the comfort of nice weather and normal meals. He made it so that all we had was Him, and each other. It forced us to make friendships and to really spend time with Him. we had nothing else to do, hardly any of the students brought homework to do with them! (we only planned for one day!).
I wish i could better explain what everyone shared from that experience, but just know that we were blessed. Maybe God wants to do something similar in your life right now. He always wants to teach you something, but sometimes we aren't looking for Him too and we miss it.
Don't be afraid to let go of your time and spend it with Him. He knows you have lots of things to do, and He knows how much time is needed for them all. Let that be in His hands and do what you were created to do: fellowship with the Father.
John 15:4-9
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
"I am the vine, you [are] the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw [them] into the fire, and they are burned.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
Jesus wants us to abide in Him, and in His love. we were created to be in a relationship with God. So we need to make the time to spend with Him, He deserves it. If you "can't" make the time to spend with God, then maybe there is too much in your life and you need to let go of it and make that time for God. We really need to pray for discernment in what to drop out of our lives, but we need to not be slack in making those decisions because so many time too often we let our "Christian life" style, duties, responsibilities, ministries; we let those things we do for God, get in the way of God. And God didn't send His Son to die on the cross for us to serve Him. He sent His Son to restore our fellowship with Him.
God bless whoever reads this,
-'manda
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