Click on the link below, and then click on the video on the left of the page. Underneath it should appear many videos - one titled "Excitement Builds in Osaka". Click on it, and you'll see one of our teachers, Simon! It's random, but yeah. His lovely wife Machiko is part of the film crew for the Franklin Graham Festival - which is happening right now!- and they needed a driver, which ended up being Simon. Machiko's shy, so they chose him to be the spokesperson, haha. Well done, my friend. :P

http://www.billygraham.org/articlepage.asp?articleid=6346

Love is On the Move

Love is on the move

Revealing Heaven’s truth 

Love is on its way,

And it will find you.

“Oh, let’s go let’s go let’s go!” 

All it took was a little invitation, and this lovely little woman was brimming with excitement. 

Her name is Noriko, and she is one of my students from Kyoto. You should meet her, she’s just wonderful.

Another of my lovely students, Ryoko, seemed to be fighting back the tears at having been invited. We talk a lot about real-life issues and hurts and excitements, and I feel like God’s giving us both a chance to build a meaningful and needed friendship with one another. She’s such a blessing to me.

And then in one of my other classes, my four students invited me to go with them. And you’d better believe I felt a “little” excitement of my own. ;)

-You see, Franklin Graham is coming to town (and by town I mean Osaka City), and he’s bringing with him an incredible, unbelievable opportunity to let these wonderful Japanese students, and friends, of mine in on the love of Christ.

On another note: As I’ve been here for just about two months, I feel like I’ve been thrown into the biggest rat race known to man. Everyone around me seems to be the hardest-working person I’ve ever met, and it’s pretty much useless for me to try and keep up. 

And as I travel around and teach in homes, churches, and schools, I watch people. I watch their faces and their interactions, just looking for a glimpse of what it is that drives them. 

And then I think to myself, “Why am I even here?” 

Everything around me seems so backward, so contrary to the way that I think and the way that I do things - and honestly, sometimes I feel like maybe I got the wrong memo, got on the wrong plane, and flew to someone else’s destination. 

If you know me at all, maybe you know that I’m often the late-comer. The “Far-too-casual” or maybe even the naive country girl. Maybe you know me as someone who isn’t exactly...organized, or self-motivated. Sometimes I’m too easy-going for my own good, and I am TERRible at follow-through. 

Basically, I’m the complete opposite of every Japanese woman I know. Awesome.

But as we sat in the dorm having Bible study last night, Alma brought up some things that I really needed to be reminded of. 

In the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)we’re called to go into all the world, baptizing, making disciples, and teaching everything that Jesus has commanded us to do (I know, that’s a pretty big package deal..and if you’re not “religious” and you’re reading this, I know..maybe this sounds like a crazy cult. But maybe if you read on, you’ll see a little better where I’m going with this). - But, one thing we are NOT called to do, is change people. I am not called to make converts or change an angry person into a friendly one. I’m not supposed to fix someone’s family problems or make an alcoholic give up the bottle. 

So I may not be very good at being Japanese or changing lives in the Japanese community, but God never said I had to be. I was called to go, so here I am. 

But you know, I’m not really a great english teacher, either. 

So then; “I made it to Japan, God. Now what?”

Well, it seems that even though I’m not the most culturally tactful person, and I can’t see that changing anytime soon (although I DID buy a life-organizer-book thing...I can’t think of the name? It’s got a calandar and you write important dates and memos in it, to keep your life organized...whatever those are called.) God still brought me here - so He must have a pretty good reason, right? Right. 

In the last part of the Great Commission, Jesus said to “Teach them everything I have commanded you”. And those words have really been eating at me, as I figure if I’m to teach everything Jesus has commanded, I’d better start learning that better myself. 

But then I remembered, that when one of the Pharisees asked Jesus what would be the greatest commandment, He said to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind", and to "love your neighbour as yourself.” (Mt. 22:37-39)

So why am I here? Because God told me to go.

What am I supposed to be doing now that I’m here? 

Love. 

Oh. Right. I’m remembering this now. 

So as I’ve been building friendships and learning about my student’s and co-worker’s lives and I’m truly learning to love them, I am doing exactly what God has asked me to do. I’m showing His love. His deep, unfathomable, unending, unreserved love - and in return, He’s changing hearts. He’s bringing people to the place where they can trust Him, a place where they can want Him to be their Father, Savior, and Friend. (Even when we can’t see it.)

I may not fit the bill of your average Japanese woman, or even your average Canadian woman. I don’t know all the right words or cultural cues, but I do know the One who breaks down cultural barriers and touches lives through the most unlikely of candidates.  So here I am in Japan, and there you are in...wherever you are... and it seems we’ve all got the same job description. So don’t feel discouraged, “...always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that the labour of the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15: 38b)

So if ever you think to yourself “Why am I even here?” The answer, my dear friend, is simple: Love. 

Love is on the move

Revealing Heaven’s truth 

Love is on its way,

And it will find you.

Anyone can run

Into the arms of God

Love is on its way

And it will find you.

  

The festival will be taking place on October 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. There are going to be thousands of people attending, and I can’t believe I get to be a part of it. God’s been working in the hearts of these students (and all who will attend) for many years, and I truly believe that He has been drawing each one specifically to come to this event. They will hear the Gospel - some of them for the first time - in their own language. I and many others would love for you to pray along with us for this event and for all who will be involved. 

Love

Is on

the Move.

<3

[Lyrics from “Love is on the Move” by Leeland http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq7A46-WIhI ]

I don't know why, but my photo quality is really terrible now, when I try and upload. Can anyone tell me why? But, regradless, this is the class whom asked me to go with them to the crusade. :) I love this class, a lot. Beginner ladies - we laugh a lot, to say the least...