神様の愛は

San Francisco finally became a less lonley place last night. After many weeks of moving around and work, I was able to drop everything and go to a prayer meeting at church. I was excited to go, to read MUNI again and see the tunnels that lead to Church Station. I was met with the familiar scent of the brick underground as I headed up the steps. And then I found myself staring up into Twin Peaks, covered by a layer of clouds, the spire reaching up into the sunset, my feet on Market Street again for the first time in a far too long time. The wind blew, I thought, "This moment is perfect."

Walking into the Swedish American Hall, I was met with familiar, but not in a dormant or stagnant kind of way. But homey familiarity that filled my heart with utter joy. There were many friends I got to see again, many hugs, lots of words exchanged, and encouragement in this big family. Then we prayed together. This summer, I have to confess I've felt jaded, lost, and as though I have been scrambling to find God in my life. What does it mean for me to be a Christian? I was asking myself that question constantly, and couldn't get past the guilt of not knowing, or not measuring up to my own theories. But last night, my heart strings loosened, and the world was put back into perspective for me. The very thing I had learned that had changed my life immensely when I first arrived in San Francisco resurfaced, showing me what was true in a short hour. Jesus is everything.

We sang songs and the words were like the beats of my heart. They were like the beats of our hearts, and we prayed fervently. It was beautiful in a way that I won't even try to explain. As the evening wound down, we sang the heart-wrenching "How He Loves". I had a flashback to Japan almost immediately.  There I was, restored in this building among my brothers and sisters, and how quickly God moves to open our hearts outwards to the others whom He loves. When I was in Japan, "How He Loves" was the only song we sang that I knew, next to a few beautiful Japanese hymns. Singing that song here in the United States is a living statement of how the phrase, "Pray for Japan" has changed for me, in that I am excited to see the day when Japanese people hear the Gospel, and experience the love and joy described in that song that can only come from Jesus. That is what I pray for Japan.

The night ended and yet there was so much on my mind. I am glad to be at this place, but not content, amazing things are ahead, and that is something I praise God for. The world has regained it's beauty in my eyes, not because of anything I've done, not because of where my two feet took me yesterday, but be cause God is at work in this city, and in this world.

I haven't written much about my school experiences lately. I am so glad I got into International Housing here on campus in the Village! I absolutely love my roommates. One is a senior named Sara, this is her last semester. She's very kind and fun to be around, she's witty and just a great person. My roommate whom I share a room with is a foreign exchange student from Taiwan named Echo. Echo is the sweetest person in the whole world, though she tends to be nocturnal because of her jet lag, poor thing. Hilariously enough last night she didn't sleep at all! I'm hoping her sleeping pattern gets better, I'm sure her body clock must be so confused. Echo and I have been shopping for her apartment necessities, and she's very fun to shop with. She has already begun sharing with Sara and I traditional foods from Taiwan that she cooks herself. She's got a great heart, I already know it. I am so excited to see how this year turns out for all of us.

Club Tabling here at State is almost done, I think, and I'm excited for City Cru's first meeting to arrive. I remember last semester coming to D-Lab for the first time, and just being so excited that there was a group on campus like Cru that facilitated discussions of the Bible in a very open and loving environment, but encouraged discovering what the Bible said for ourselves, and not just taking someone else's word for it. I know that for me, that it was grew my faith the most, in a short matter of 6 months. Tomorrow we are going to get ice cream together in the Mission. I'm excited to travel with everyone and hear more about their summers and what they are expecting of this year.

Many of my friends are living off campus this year too, which has been hard to deal with. I miss my good friends like Sarah G! (Yes that is a shout-out. :D) I am excited for girls' Bible Study to start up again as well, so I can be able to see everyone more often. I miss our fellowship and the strong bond that we have formed over the past semester.

All in all, this year is looking great so far. I have hit some bumps in the road, but nothing ever that is too big for God to handle. 

お帰り

Yesterday was my first day of classes back at SFSFU. It has been a crazy couple of days getting moved in, and I even went on a short vacation up to Seattle this weekend to help shoot a wedding with Curtis. It was a great time, I miss him a lot now that he's gone and school has started here. Yesterday I had my first three classes, English, Piano, and Dance.

My schedule has changed up a little bit since my first  semester, now I am getting up for an 8am class every day. It's hard to do right now, but I'm looking forward to my early mornings. The fog is heavier around 8am and the air is cool and crisp walking to each class. My English class doesn't seem like it will be very fun, but it's only been the first day of going over the syllabus and getting to know the students and the teacher. I'm hoping that I haven't lost my touch in writing, but I'm not too worried.

Piano is probably my favorite class so far. The Creative Arts building was one I had never set foot in last semester, and I could hardly contain my excitement walking through the doors. In Creative Arts there are classrooms for theater, music, and even some dance classes, and many lockers, some are really big for instruments and props. Flyers for auditions and supplemental classes line the walls, and the people are all full of life and energy. My class is toward the back of the building, and walking along the hallways of endless hallways of practice rooms, you can hear students practicing their piano and oboe, violin and viola, cello and guitar, groups singing together. It's like a movie. I wanted to change my major to Theater almost immediately just walking through the Creative Arts building.
My piano lab instructor is wonderful, and rather hilarious. She is a Latvian woman name Inara with a bright disposition, a dramatic sense of humor, and she plays the piano beautifully. In our classroom there are rows and rows of electric pianos, they are gorgeous. I think I am going to enjoy the class very much.

Dance was also very fun to go to. The studio we dance in is dark, and much smaller than the gym studio where I took Ballet 1. As usual with dance, I feel a tad intimidated, I'm trusting this will subside as I practice.