Final Week in Japan!!
Hi everyone!!
Thank you truly for following along with me and my summer! I have been so blessed to have people consistently praying for the Japanese people! As I reflect on my time there, there truly has been so much I have learned from God through the people here and the culture:
+ There is something so much greater happening in the world, and it has been sweet to slow down and witness all that God is doing here and everywhere else in the world!
+ Living on mission is not tiring; it is actually fulfilling because when I recognize the gift of being a part of God's global mission, it truly makes me see life and mission as a privilege and less of a task or duty (which it still is, but that is not all it is)
+ Learning to thirst and hunger for righteousness is hard amid the "pretty and beautiful" things the world has to offer. I often get distracted and lose sight of who God is and who He designed me to be because I don't take the time to actually sit down, be quiet inwardly and outwardly, and fix my gaze on Jesus. That is something I have done here, and it has allowed me to see all that God is doing in my life and in the lives of others in this world.
+ God will continue to work, regardless of whether I want to acknowledge Him or partner with Him in it. As children of God, each of us is called to be partners with Him in loving and sharing who Jesus is and what He did for us on the cross, and being here has felt like such a joy and gift because I have been able to see God more clearly at work than I ever have in the hearts of individuals.
As I go back, I am praying that I take all that I have learned from God to America because it is all applicable. Ultimately, when we search for God, He is there, and He is so in love and obsessed with His children that no matter what we do, right or wrong, He just wants a relationship with us, and I pray that my life will be dedicated to Him alone because He deserves it.
Here are a few final prayer points from this past week:
+ That God would raise up laborers in Japan.
+ That God would draw the Japanese people's hearts towards Him
+ That there would be a revival in Japan and that all people here would come to know Jesus intimately and deeply
+ Wakana, Nigisa, Hana, and Anzu's hearts to mourn for Jesus and the freedom He has to offer
+ For Daeun and Mako to make disciples here in Japan and stand firm in their faith
+ For safe travels back to America and for the kids on the team to have safe and healthy travels
+ One of the little boys on the team has COVID and an ear infection, so I'm just praying for his well-being.
+ As I am writing this, search and rescue are in Texas looking for girls my age and younger who are missing; just praying for their families and that this would draw people closer to God and trusting in His plan through the pain and heartache; also praying that God would give the search and rescue workers signs to find them and that they would all be safe.
Some other fun updates from this past week:
+ We did a full-on hip-hop dance class that was with professionals, and it was so bad we had no idea what we were doing.
+ We went to DisneySea, and it was so much fun, but everything was sang and spoken in Japanese---> I am never doing tower of terror again
+ We have been playing a lot of card games, so when I get back to the states, it will definitely be a card game kind of summer
+ Elly and I got our nails done, and it was so fun but so different—they used Gel-X!!!
+ We went to the beach for the Fourth of July yesterday, and it was super fun but felt very different here because nobody is loud, and obviously nobody cares about America, lol.
+ We went to a gospel choir of over 300 Japanese people who aren't even Christian, but they love to sing. It was really sweet seeing them sing Black gospel music and not being Christian; they also fly in a Black gospel star from LA every year to do a class and teach them how to sing and sway in the choir!!
+ Currently packing to go to debrief, which is where we will stay in an Airbnb on the beach and process all we have learned and felt this summer—my suitcase is well over 50 lbs and could be an issue on the way back...
Anyway, thank you for following along and caring for me and the team with your prayers!!
Signing off for one last time :)
With love,
Mia <3
Mia, I am SO proud of you and so impressed with and your entire team. It sounded like such an amazing experience and your passion for God and discipleship is truly a gift. I love you and could not have wished or prayed for a more impactful and life experience!!
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