One Shot

Love love love... Happy Valentines Day to you!

Well, nothing particularly super special has happened on this day of love... I overslept, but still made it on time to school, went to work, and walked home in the heavily falling snow.  Exciting, right?

Yesterday was a pretty cool day though!  Sunday is FUSE day, and a lot of cool things took place.  First, we had the last time that Lizzie led worship.  She is moving back to the states in March with her family, and we are really sad to see her go!  Beside being an awesome girl, she is a very talented worship leader.  The music was pretty awesome yesterday... not just that the quality of the music was awesome, but God was really moving during the music. 

Afterward, I gave the message at FUSE about... of course-- love.  But instead of a Valentines Day message, I gave a message about living a life of love.  We looked at the media's messages of love and what God, who is love, has to say about it.  I thought it went pretty ok, but there was a good response to the message.  I remembered Mark saying that some of the messages that he was not happy about were some of them that he got some of the best responses about people being touched by it... I guess it's the same.

Also awesome yesterday was that two girls that we met a couple of weeks ago at McDonalds came to FUSE!  We were having a meeting and Yuiko gave the 2 girls flyers as we were leaving and we all said bye.  None of us recognized them by face on Sunday, but Yuiko said that when she saw them coming up, she felt like God said that those were the two girls from McDonalds.  So, she asked them, "Are you from McDonalds?"  They were surprised and answered yeah. 

Afterward, they joined Yuiko's lifegroup and one of them really seemed like she wanted to come back.  She said that she was really happy to have received the flyer and the opportunity to come to a group meeting like ours.  She said that if she hadn't received it, she didn't know if she'd ever have another opportunity for the rest of her life to attend a meeting.

It was really cool to hear that.  We really see God moving in people's lives.  And we never know when the opportunity will present itself-- out on the streets, at McDonalds or wherever you may be-- God can use you to be the unique opportunity in that person's life to lead them to Jesus.

So, awesome! (Here with my the new trainee from WIM... she's doing great!!  Looking forward to seeing what God's going to do with her in the next few months!)

Kimono Day!

Wow, what times.  How it flies! (We did kimono day at school!  Wow, those things are tight around you and take time to put on!  But they are so pretty!)

Even though I had two days off school last week, it's Monday and I feel as if I need a day off.  :)  So, this last week has involved everything from signing papers and paying for my new apartment, welcoming in 2 new girls from America and helping them get settled in and see the area, preparing for a message, practicing bass and doing an extra large lifegroup last night!

So, usually we don't do this but, last night my lifegroup was 11 girls.  I know. We like to keep it to about 6 maximum, but I have about 3 or 4 regulars and then another 4 or so girls who come once or twice a month.  Well, last night, one of my girls invited 3 friends, and then the 2 American girls and another English speaker and a straggler came as well. 

But, it actually came out to be a good idea.  At one table, we ended up splitting into 2 groups-- English speakers and Japanese speakers... and of course, I led the English group and then Saki led the Japanese group.  It was a good opportunity for training, since she will lead the group while I am in America next month.  It turned out really well!

Apart from that, things seem to be going pretty well!  I'm busy getting things set up for the move in 3 weeks weeks (wow!) and set up in America for my visit home to do some visiting and support raising and then also just in general, I feel like God is blessing many areas. 

Well, I have homework and stuff to get to before another long day of tomorrow!

Catch ya'll later!!