主イエスは日本が愛する

Today I was invited by a few of my leaders to share the Gospel with students on campus. I was so excited and nervous, but once I got there, the excitement really took over. I didn't do much sharing today, but watched how my leaders and peers did it, and it really stirred up a passion in my heart for the lost. 


While sharing God's love with students on campus today, I got to sign a poster for Japan, while they are still so deep in crisis, and someone from Japanese Student Association gave me this cute paper crane. I wrote in Japanese "Christ loves Japan", I hope a Japanese person somewhere feels this love, I hope for that more than anything.


My heart still aches for them, I was able to get through these past two weeks by focusing on my studies and telling myself, "I have to work hard to be a better speaker in Japanese and know how to write and interact, that is why I am here, so I can go there when I have learned so much, when I am ready." Yet, deep down, it hurts. I realize that their spiritual deficit is what was hurting me most. I hope I can share the Gospel with them. I want that more than anything in this life. 

  But you, O God, are both tender and kind,
      not easily angered, immense in love...
 

クッキーと涙 Cookies and Tears

Yesterday at SF State one of the first short-term campaigns to raise money for Japan was launched: Cookies for Japan was a wonderful success, bringing in over $150 for earthquake and tsunami relief in Japan! It was a wonderful experience to be able to do something for a country that can be so easily forgotten, but that God cares for nonetheless. This fundraiser was one very close to my heart- I'm so happy people were open to donate. And of course, I took a lot of pictures.

So my roommates were all so supportive when I found out about what had happened in Japan almost a week ago, and one of them brought up my deep motivation to do something for Japan with one of the girls in my housing building's council named Georgina. She was so full of enthusiasm and life for the program, it was more than enough support to put on a whole fundraiser. She and I were able to work together to get a donation event underway on Friday night. I was so glad that there was something I was able to do as soon as possible.

She was wonderful and drew this flyer herself for the fundraiser.

 In a short matter of days we had flyers for the event, and were even able to get together with a bigger charity called SF <SUPPORTS3 JAPAN Charity Fund that is raising money all over the city for earthquake and tsunami relief in Japan.
 

The weekend passed by very quickly, and Tuesday, the day before the fundraiser rolled around very quickly. I headed over to her place to help bake cookies and was greeted in the hallway by the smell of fresh lemon bars, and this magnificent sign. My heart was touched by her call for support to anyone who was willing to help out with the cause, as small of a group as we were. There was a number of people who showed up to support and help bake all across the buildings. We even had time to paint windows for the cause. 

The day of the Fundraiser, I was nervous, but as we started laying out all the different desserts we had prepared, I got very excited about watching them go... 

A very sweet girl in our building baked 40 vegan muffins with fresh bananas!

These are our Japanese Flag cookies, with raspberries. They were a serious hit!

Lemon Bars, classic, delicious.

Very delicious chocolate chip cookies. 

 From 11am to 1pm on Wednesday, we gave away cookies and thanked a countless number of folks who stepped up to donate to the cause. I was honestly blown away by people's generosity and their condolences to Japan. People out there do really care about you, Japan. :)

The best part of this whole fundraiser was meeting a sweet girl named Chako just this afternoon, who works as a representative for the SF Supports JAPAN Fund, and turning in the donation money to her. She sent me a photo via text mail only a short hour later, showing our money had made it to the Fund Account and was headed to the Red Cross as planned.
In her message she wrote that we were the first organization (though we weren't much of an organization at all) to donate to the fund for Japan.

It wasn't being first, or even that we raised more money than we had expected, that brought me joy. Just the fact that from here, from San Francisco, I was able to help Japan. I really do owe it to my roommate for asking Georgina to help me, and to the wonderful people at the SF Supports JAPAN Fund who worked so quickly with me. I felt I was swept off my feet in ways only God could make possible.

For myself, I wasn't able to truly express my heart for Japan through this fundraiser. My actions came from a much deeper place, but it's okay if no one knows that. I am more than grateful for my friends at City Cru, though, who were able to understand where I was coming from, that deeper place in my heart. I sometimes don't know why God would make Japan the consistent thing in my life, or that He would give me such strong emotions and compassion for a nation miles away from here. But the why will soon be figured out, and sometimes I feel like I have figured it out, but other times, I get discouraged. It's hard to explain... Hopefully it won't always be that way.

I was glad to be able to sit around a group of supportive friends and pray for Japan and know that the love and compassion God feels for Japan was nearly tangible in the room. That it wasn't trapped in a bottle in my ribcage, but that it was all around me. I would like to imagine that is how it is in Japan right now - that is the one thing I hope for, of course alongside the physical need of the people in Japan being met, that the love and compassion God feels for them would be like a fog in the air. There isnt' anything I want more than that.

日本のために祈りなさい。

For the past three days, my mind has been fogged in with news reports, photos and videos of destruction, and sheer, utter, disbelief of the horror that befell Japan on March 11, 2011. With prayers, getting involved in donation events, and doing a lot of talking to my friends, I have emerged from the dark tunnel, with a Twitter account. Why??

Since Friday morning I've been keeping in contact with my pen pal, Hitoshi, whose birthday I just recently mentioned. I was so relieved when he emailed me to tell me that he was okay, Yokohama was okay, and that means Chiba is also okay, where another good friend of mine lives. "But" he said, "Northern Japan has undergone severe damages."

My friends are alright, my host family, my church, they are alright. But there are so many numbers. When I think on the thousands of people who are displaced, or the millions without power or water, or the countless missing or dead, even if everything close to me is alright, the country closest to my heart is not, and that hurts more than anything else.

Having taken days to process this catastrophe, I feel that I can write clearly, with deep emotion, but with less anger and frustration that I expressed at 8am on March 11th in front of the television, with tears I was even shocked at how many tears I cried throughout that day.

The physical devastation of Japan is heart breaking to me. Ever since I visited that country, my heart felt at home there, and no where else could do. I have made friends in the country, and have bonded through sharing my limited knowledge of the language with those willing to do so much as to communicate with me. I have exhausted the patience of my Japanese instructors, my pen pals, even my language exchange friends. I never thought I'd be preparing myself to go to a country that is now facing something unlike anything they have faced in over 100 years. From the deepest part of my heart that loves in a way that I don't understand, Japan, my prayers are for you.

The spiritual devastation of Japan has always been around, which makes this so much more difficult for me to sit by and listen to people say, "Oh it's just so sad, what happened in Japan." or coin the empty phrase, "Please pray for Japan." then go on to the next subject. It hurts.

Japan, for many years has been less than 1% Christian, and with countless lives lost, I do not even want to imagine the ratio of believers who died to those who never heard the gospel. Just because a country is economically advanced doesn't mean they've heard of the love of God. In America, where the church has been a fundamental part of our particular generation, for many of us while we were children, it is not the same in other countries, such as Japan. A religious indifference has caused prayer requests for the nation of Japan for many years, and now, coupled with earthquakes and tsunamis, nuclear radiation, and thousands suffering, it just makes the for the worst possible picture I could ever imagine. From the deepest part of my heart that loves in a way that I don't understand, Japan, my prayers are for you.

I'm not going to say that all that I've said makes me better than anyone else, I'm humbly stating my feelings, and saying that their extent reaches far beyond what I can handle some times. I'll admit this keeps me up at night, but giving it to God has worked for me, because He cares more than I am capable to, for me, and for Japan. It is my deepest desire that this situation would bring many to Jesus, that people would experience miraculous rescues, and that those suffering in displacement, without power, or without water, would be helped. I want that more than anything else.

Hitoshi, my pen pal, and I, would write at the end of our emails to each other back and forth over this weekend - Nihon wa tsuyoi des, meaning Japan is Strong! The nation is pulling together in unity to help as many people as possible, and I pray for God's grace to be with them, because His grace is enough, and in their weakness, they will be strong.

(2Corinthians 12:1-9) 

歩く友達

I woke up this morning with a text from a friend, Sarah, whom I met at Bible Study, we decided to go for a long walk in downtown San Francisco. We went to many places, and I took many pictures. We visited China Town, Little Italy, the Embarcadero, Pier 39, and Union Square, piddled around on Market Street, it was a great time.

Here are some of the fun photos I took.

Before we set out I took a photo of some daisies. I've been meaning to get a good shot of them, with my cellular camera, to send a very special card to someone in the near future. You know, mushy stuff. 

First stop was China town. I absolutely loved the area. It's busy and full of countless markets selling a variety of different things. My sense of smell was tickled, from the scent of fresh herbs on one block, to the waft of warm cinnamon on the next. The sidewalks and half the street was filled with people trying to get by. There were shops selling fine coins and jewelry of jade and gold, DVDs and CD stores, clothing, everything. I felt displaced in a way, but it was a nice feeling, as though I'd stepped into China itself, for a short moment in time.

Out of the many sights and sounds, smells and feelings of China town that I encountered, this stood out to me as the most beautiful. It's a mural dedicated to a particular young person and the many Chinese who strived to make America their home. The mural, as you can see, is painted on the outside of an apartment building, it's so inspiring.

We found Little Italy just in time, as the weather was starting to cool and a fog was rolling in. Across the streets are countless little cafes and trattorias, each having own special and unique atmosphere that draws you in from the sidewalks. 

I think I've seen this place on TV or something...

It's hard to see, but this cathedral is pink and white, it was so darling, like a little girl's castle.

From there, we walked through a lovely suburban area and hit the waterfront. I've never been to Pier 39, so it just seemed natural to explore a little bit of the tourist-y sides of San Francisco. 

  All in all, it was a very fun trip. I hope to get out and explore more of San Francisco soon. :)