Times flies!!
Well, here are some updates on what has happened since i last posted:
(Pictures will be in the following post)
Me and Eder have started planning our wedding, making preperations to head back to the states, making phone calls with families, deciding what things are needed and have to get done Japan-side. God has really blessed us, He has given us so much favor, and a lot of the work and planning is being done for us. We really are excited and so blessed.
My sister flew in for this semester, along with a surprise gift: my Mom!!!
It worked out that my mom could fly to Okinawa cheaply, and so she hopped on the plane with my sister and stayed for a week. It was a shock! I was completely surprised!
Me and Eder have started planning our wedding, making preperations to head back to the states, making phone calls with families, deciding what things are needed and have to get done Japan-side. God has really blessed us, He has given us so much favor, and a lot of the work and planning is being done for us. We really are excited and so blessed.
My sister flew in for this semester, along with a surprise gift: my Mom!!!
It worked out that my mom could fly to Okinawa cheaply, and so she hopped on the plane with my sister and stayed for a week. It was a shock! I was completely surprised!
We had a blast, showing her around the island, introducing her to all the people we know out here, showing her how we have been living for the past 2 years. It was amazing.
It was a complete blessing, it was really good to see her again.
Then semester started, and we are full with students once again! We have a really awesome crew this semester (like every semester!), everyone is so unique and interesting, a lot of different stories and backgrounds.
I haven't gotten a lot of pictures of everyone yet, but i hope to soon. They are so cool to watch and listen to.
It was a complete blessing, it was really good to see her again.
Then semester started, and we are full with students once again! We have a really awesome crew this semester (like every semester!), everyone is so unique and interesting, a lot of different stories and backgrounds.
I haven't gotten a lot of pictures of everyone yet, but i hope to soon. They are so cool to watch and listen to.
I am only teaching one class this semester, ESL 2, with my two students from last semester: Chala and Aya! I LOVE teaching them, they are the most precious women ever. God really blesses me through them.
I tag-team the women's Discipleship study/class with Tamiko (she teaches the Japanese students), but it doesn't really feel like a class. It's been really good studying for this class though, God has really been speaking (to me for sure) to us a lot about prayer through it.
We go through a book written by Chuck Smith on prayer, called "Effective Prayer Life", and i really see it coming true.
Other than that, the rest is pretty much the normal thing; ministries around the island, English/Japanese classes, cooking, grading.
But, by only the second week in, and I had already seen God do an amazing thing. He completely hears prayers, He hears MY prayers, and answers them. He acts.
I was praying for God to act, for God to provide and come through. And He did. God never lets us down, He's good on His word.
We always know God can do things, but we don't often trust Him to do it. I find myself re-evaluating my relationship with God a lot more recently. I see that there are a lot of things that i believe, but i don't trust in, there are a lot of things that i know are true, but i don't really step out and test it.
Not talking about testing God, but proving His promises sure and true.
God has been challenging me in my prayer time. He really encouraged me with James 5, it talks about Elijah praying for the rain to stop, and it did for 3 years or so.
Just a normal man like Elijah prayed fervently/earnestly and the rain stopped.
What about me? If i pray will God really do something so crazy like stop the weather?
God showed me He does. And He will.
But, by only the second week in, and I had already seen God do an amazing thing. He completely hears prayers, He hears MY prayers, and answers them. He acts.
I was praying for God to act, for God to provide and come through. And He did. God never lets us down, He's good on His word.
We always know God can do things, but we don't often trust Him to do it. I find myself re-evaluating my relationship with God a lot more recently. I see that there are a lot of things that i believe, but i don't trust in, there are a lot of things that i know are true, but i don't really step out and test it.
Not talking about testing God, but proving His promises sure and true.
God has been challenging me in my prayer time. He really encouraged me with James 5, it talks about Elijah praying for the rain to stop, and it did for 3 years or so.
Just a normal man like Elijah prayed fervently/earnestly and the rain stopped.
What about me? If i pray will God really do something so crazy like stop the weather?
God showed me He does. And He will.
We recently got blessed heading out to King Kong Yakiniku, after helping out CCOkinawa with their belated Valentines couple dinner. We did kids for them, VBS style! There were so many kids, that it needed to be split up into groups and different rooms and activities. The night went really smooth, the Lord blessed us as we helped.
We also headed to the beach for the first time this year, the students loved it. A lot of them even go into the water ! (it was really warm that day, some of the students from colder climates couldn't believe how warm it was, and it wasn't even summer heat yet - pray for them!).
This weekend, i got asked to sing at a couple from our church's wedding. Me and Pastor Tim (up in Nago) are providing background music for their reception.
The songs we have been practicing have really been speaking to my heart recently.
One of the songs talks about all the great things we have in Jesus, how He made us holy and chosen by His grace and love, and that He gave our life purpose when it had none, and filled us with a treasure that never fades. It's really refreshing in the heart and soul to remember what Jesus did for us.
"Come Jesus come".
Keep us in your prayers, we want to serve God faithfully, we want to live pleasing to Him, and to live like Jesus: loving others. "Walk in love towards others."
-'Manda
