The last few days.

I feel like it's time for me to give a quickie update on a few of the highlights from this week. :)

Saturday was awesome. We got to spend some time with our new GTI's. ("Go Tokyo Interns"). They are three wonderful seniors & graduates of high school. Since it was a furiously humid & rainy day, our scheduled park ministry time was cancelled. The boys decided to be boys-venturing off doing their own restless & active thing, while us girls blithely did coffee shop ministry at Starbucks. We each ordered different flavored frap's, mine being the green tea frap. Mmmmm, nom nom. We got to know each other a little bit better, played some SPEED UNO (the best), and prayed fervently for things that the Lord placed on our hearts. It was really good to just be sisters together, & enjoy the companionship of one another within a tiny little coffee shop full of Japanese bustle and scramble. Amanda and I walked over to Krispy Kreme, for a free donut & some more coffee. (Ooooops coffee addiction, guilty). We ended up sitting next to a girl who was practicing her english. Perfect. Her name was Yuka, and she was 15 years old. No other words to describe her except sweet, with a kind and sensitive voice. We ended up exchanging numbers after telling her our reasons for visiting Tokyo. She knew the gospel; she had heard of it before. She accepted the "hope track," and gospel of John, and we told her we wanted to meet up with her this week to give her a "presento," called a Monga. (It's kind of like Japanese comic-books...Most of them LOVE to read them; this one is just gospel driven). She was SO excited!

Today...we went to church in the park. We were sooooo sad it was our last day with the awesome CBU girls student team! :( We had church with Jeff, sang some songs with David, ate our delectable peanut butter & jellies...

Then, we had the most amazing time renting bikes for an hour. 200 yen. CHEAP. We rode through the park gracefully, noticing the Japanese flower gardens, & taking our time to observe the families who were enjoying their father's for a meager one day a week. (Japanese men typically only have this one day a week off of work). It was really great to ride bikes-despite the stickiness of stewing in our vile sweat for hours. We didn't care!

Tonight was extra special. We joined the CBU student team (Kushi's team) for dinner and dessert. We dined at an exquisite Japanese restaurant. We took our shoes off, and sat around a family table, on soft brown cushions with dimmed lighting-creating a relaxing and enjoyable ambiance, perfect for some good CBU family fellowship! I can't even begin to describe to you how delicious the food was. I will forever have the images and sensations of these choice dishes imprinted on my heart & soul. My belly will also never lose sight of this grand evening. BUT, most of all, laughter, debriefing, maybe a few tears, and prayer with the CBU girls tonight was something we all needed. Tonight was a gift, and a special blessing...

A Day of Rest.

Today...has been wonderful. Restful. Thought provoking? Probably not. Even my mind has resigned for the day & capitulated to my body's request for relaxation. (It's a sweet thing-I cherish Friday's more than I do Chai Tea Latte's, which is significant).

Today's schedule:

8am: Wake up and read. Eat breakfast.

9am: Lay in bed, under the covers, while watching Aladdin, on my laptop. Remarkable.

9:30: Oops, fell asleep during the film.

10:30: Get myself together, head out to coffee for more reading pleasure.

1:00: Some Toy Story with friends.

2:00: A nap? A snack? Perhaps both.

3:00: Okay, finally a shower.

Followed by.........?

5:00: Head out to Musashi-Sakai for a "friendship party," with some Japanese people. Also CBU girls.

Hooray! How I cherish this single day out of the week-for reflection, personal liberty, time alone...essentially, REST! :)

Kuni's Cafe

Friday nights, there is a cafe ministry in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo. It's a time for us to introduce our Japanese "contacts" that we've met throughout the week through various activities (such as 5-minute english, distribution, meeting on the train, etc.).

The owner of Kuni's Cafe, Kuni, is a Japanese Christian & friend of Jeff, our lead missionary here in Tokyo. Kuni opens up his cafe for us IMB interns, so that we can connect our Japanese contacts with one another, and develop our friendships & relationships with them further. He offers all kinds of treats, & refreshments. Between bites of his delectable snacks, we played multiple card games. (The desire to compete runs thick through American and Japanese blood). Friday night was a sweet concoction of smiles, laughter, stories, and fellowship.

This is a photograph of my friend Satowa, who I met in Kitchijoji Park. Her husband is a pastor in Kitchijoji, Tokyo. They have a one year old daughter together. Her broken english was no barrier to us having a special connection with each other. She is a warm woman full of gentle compassion. I knew that within sixty seconds of meeting her!

The end to the evening was the most precious moment for me, when Satowa said, "Goodbye. Please come to my house." (The cutest part was that it sounded more like a command than an invitation).

Prosperity & Success.

As we are transformed more into the person of Jesus, success should be redefined. Checklists of personal accomplishments should probably be burned & shredded. (Guilty).

Dear Melanie, no one cares that you read, did your laundry, loaded the dishwasher, ran errands, & caught up with your friends in two hours. Checklists don't mean anything. Accomplishments are a waste if they are done for the glory of ourselves. I heard this in a podcast sermon this morning: "The American dream is a cheap substitute compared to the rich treasure of knowing Christ."

How true do we really think that is? I find myself chasing idols like success, & even the approval of others & what they account as "successful." It's like I'm just waiting for someone to give me their stamp of approval. What would we look like if we completely abandoned the notions that are attached to the American Dream? If we were a people desperately chasing after Jesus, centering our mind's attention & our heart's affections on him? Desperate to share this rich treasure with others? Well, I do wonder.

Flexible attitudes are most glorifying to Him.

Today, with no plans set before me, I decided to head out to Starbucks for some time in the good WORD (and just some "me" time to intellectually regroup & replenish, really). In other words, I was very passively & distantly praying for maybe, just maybe one person to talk to on my personal ministry day. I can't say I was feeling eager, or even slightly interested in pursuing a full-scheduled day. (The last 6 days have been WILDLY hectic, with leading four volunteer teams around Tokyo each day).

So anyway, with the rain falling zealously outside the coffee-shop window, umbrellas contentedly resting against the transparent glass door, and an aroma of Chai Tea steam filling my lungs...

I sat there and selfishly pondered what a wonderfully restful day I could be having. But...that didn't stir well with my intuition, deep down. Holy spirit, is that you?

My teammate, Dan sends me a text message asking me where I am. I inform him, and he declares he'll be heading my way. Moments later, he enters the coffee shop, and bursts my bubble. (Bless him). "Would you like to join me today at Seikei University?" (He had been planning on attending one of the professor's lectures, with the intention of meet college students). I replied before I could even process what he had asked me, and hastily said, "Sure." For a brief moment I was secretly remorseful of that reply, imagining the solitude and introversion to be enjoyed on a sweet, rainy Monday afternoon. (Ya know, thinking about me, me, me).

We started to walk hastily, realizing we only had about 25 minutes to arrive to our 30 minute destination. We entered the university, with many Japanese eyes on us. (A very white person, and a very brown person-clearly not a Japanese person). We walked into the lecture room, and approached Professor Ron. We introduced ourselves & shook his hand, full of warmth and kindness. He asked us to have a seat, and asked us if we'd be interested in introducing ourselves. We politely nodded and engaged in small conversation, not expecting his next few words. "Do you have a presentation?" We glanced at each other. Gasp. He wanted us to speak in front of his class, not just introduce ourselves. Disheveled, & a little nervous, we mustered up some confidence. A 3-slide powerpoint. Yes, that will do. (Again, thanks Dan). It consisted of a picture of CBU, a picture of California, and three reasons for why we were spending our time in Japan. Simple.

The students entered the classroom, noticing two strange people sitting in the back of the class. Everyone settled in, finding their seats, and Professor Ron introduced us. (Who is, by the way, a Christian professor). It was time. We headed to the front of the class, and said hello. Little did we know, we would be up there for much longer than a presentation of three slides. We shared briefly about our lives-where we were from, what we were studying, and more. Then: We straight up SHARED THE GOSPEL. We expressed our love for the Lord, and how He first loved us. We tried to use simple and elementary language, as they were all just barely learning english, and beginning to practice speaking it. Afterwards, we asked if there were any questions. The first few were basic, spoken with shy hearts. "What do you like about Japan?" And, "Do you like Japanese food?" And also, "How old are you?" Then, we decided to share our facebook profiles, so that we could show pictures of our experiences in other countries. We explained God's heart for the nations. We showed them pictures of Israel, & Russia-where Dan had traveled for ministry. And then, pictures of Ukraine, where I have traveled. They were intrigued, awestruck at other regions of the world. Then, another question: "What do you think it would take for the world to be happy?" (How do you tell a classroom full of college students, where not even ONE person has ever heard of the bible, that Jesus brings joy & peace incomprehensible to human knowledge)?

I'm thankful that the Lord is our confidence. He spoke through us this afternoon. All of the boldness, courage, & attitudes of fearlessness we've been praying for, has not been in vain. He shows up when He wills. He shines through the broken. Do you think Dan & I had anything to do with it? Do you think today was based upon our efforts, our talents, our abilities? Nope. Today was none other than a picture painted-of a sovereign God working mightily through His children. THANK YOU.

(Now just pray that the college students will actually contact us)!! :)

He finds those forgotten.

Saturday, June 12th: An uplifting, refreshing, joyful & purposeful day. A day my heart also grew for the Japanese people. A day in Tokyo, Japan, that I will absolutely never forget. We spent the afternoon in Showa Park. My team was fearless as they approached Japanese strangers, quickly immersing themselves in conversation & developing friendships. I was so proud, and truly inspired of the way they allowed their day to be shaped by a single-minded passion for loving Japanese people. An encouraging, stimulating, enriching, life-giving day.

At the end of our stay at Showa Park, we decided to go our separate ways, except for myself, Dan, & Sonya with our eyes on a delectable, tasty prize. INDIAN CURRY!! Mmmm, nom nom nom. We enjoyed our feast, & each other's companionship & conversation. We headed back to the train station, to go back to our apartment in Shibuya. We entered the train, & each found our own seats (a rarity in itself, as the trains are usually overly-crowded at this hour). I decided to put on my i-pod, for the 30 minute train ride. As I glanced up, I was startled. Appalled. I noticed the symbol in Kanji (Japanese characters) that represent a train accident. A train accident involving a human being. Not only did I see this symbol once, but I saw it three separate times. On the evening of Saturday, June 12th, three Japanese people decided to end their lives by jumping in front of a subway. They saw no other option, no other hope. Can you imagine the weight of pressure they felt from all sides? From Japanese culture-to be successful, beautiful, prosperous? From their families? From themselves? Standards that are obviously too high to attain. As I pondered the reality of what had happened, feelings of heaviness & sorrow overcame me- tears fell as I heard the lyrics, "He heals the broken hearted; He binds their wounds. He is love. He finds those forgotten, those who have been abused; He is love. He knows your name." While this is all true, three people had no idea they were cherished, loved, & intimately known beyond all human imagination. Because they have never heard; no one has ever told them. This breaks me. This breaks Him. Tonight taught me never to underestimate the urgency in displaying love to the broken, the lost.

Out of the 33 million people in Tokyo, Japan . . .

Roughly 30,000 people commit suicide per year by jumping in front of a train. Those Kanji symbols displayed on the digital screens of trains represent mothers, fathers, daughters, & sons. I don't want to waste my life on myself when there are people all around me perishing without hope.

Lord, please continue to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things through Your power...

The Gift of GRACE: Receive it; don't earn it.

So, here is the start to my new blog. Short, simple, and maybe even an elementary concept for you to read about. But still a concept that needs to be blogged about, nonetheless. :)

I have been meditating on the word GRACE for about three days now. It is unfortunately an over-used, cliche, weakened & stale phrase among Christian culture today. I am so sad that we ourselves have sabotaged a word that contains so much power, significance & virtue. Grace is a tool that can be easily accessed, if we weren't such complicated beings, always allowing ourselves to be our own stumbling block to enjoying relationships with one another. It's not until life brings you an experience where grace is truly needed, that you understand its' function and purpose. The Lord grants us grace so that we can receive it as a gift. But with that gift, comes responsibility. We receive grace from Him so that we can extend it to others. This is not merely a suggestion.

...so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast... (Ephesians 2:7-9).

Do not work to earn what God is already eager to pour out upon you as a gift. But also, do not be mistaken. There is absolutely nothing we have done to deserve or become entitled to this gift. We must simply & humbly receive it, and give endless & sincere thanks for it.

NOW, my friends, I will close with this awesome quote that I read today by Brennan Manning:

"Whatever our failings may be, we need not lower our eyes in the presence of Jesus. Unlike Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame, we need not hide all that is ugly and repulsive in us. Jesus comes not for the super-spiritual but for the wobbly and the weak-kneed who know they don't have it all together, and who are not too proud to accept the handout of amazing grace. As we glance up, we are astonished to find the eyes of Jesus open with wonder, deep with understanding, and gentle with compassion..."

It's all because of the gift of his grace.

-Melanie.