Hearts Enlightened

Last year, I was able to lead a women's bible study at an English school every Tuesday. They would come to the bible study and it would end just as their children's school would end. There were about 5 consistent women who went every week. Well, the M here asked me before I came this summer if I wanted to pick up that bible study again every Tuesday and I was really excited because that grew to be my favorite part of the week. I have been meeting with these women and 2 were the same from last year and then 3 new women. Every week is the same 5 women, so I have been able to grow really close with them and has been such a blessing to see their growing hearts for Father. None of them are believers but they are all very, very interested. This is the most consistent bible study. It is so rare to have 5 consistent women attending a weekly bible study who are not believers. This has truly been a blessing from Father. This Tuesday was my last one for the summer. It was really hard to leave this time because I am pretty sure that Father is calling me to stay in the states next summer. Although, I had the best conversation with one of the women even before the class started. We both got there about 15 minutes early and she mentions something about her daughter going to a Christian school in America last year. Her daughter is 4 and her family has been in American for the last 7 years until this last summer. I asked her why she chose for her daughter to go to a Christian school and she said, "I love the Bible and I know that it is truth, and I want my daughter to learn more about Jesus and have the choice of becoming a Christian. I am not a Christian because my family is Buddhist and I have to keep tradition." My heart was filled with joy and sadness all at the same time. I then asked if she had ever talked to her parents about Jesus, and she said that she hasn't because she wouldn't be able to bare it if her parents were upset with her. By that, she means that she thinks that her parents will shun her from their family which is very common if Japanese choose Christianity instead of their family traditions and beliefs of Shinto or Buddhism. I then encouraged her that if she puts her faith in Christ then He will give her the boldness to tell her family and He will transform their hearts to accept and have peace with it, maybe not right away but over time. I then told her that if we ask then we will receive. The Japanese Christian sub- Takako at Honeybee, the Christian school where this Bible study takes place, helps me by translating for me sometimes during the Bible study. Takako explained how she became a Christian and her father was upset at first, but now he had Christian friends and goes to church. The woman was very encouraged! I was so touched by this! It was the perfect way to end the summer at Honeybee. Father has done SO MUCH ancient work in these women's lives. Every week, they ask really great questions that also challenge me to dig deeper in the word for answers. They are now understanding that this is not just a story because they are applying what they learn to their own lives. So much fruit has come from this. LIVES ARE BEING CHANGED! I have seen so much work and love through these women. This is why I am here. This is what our Father does if we ask- He truly is the king of kings and Savior! I have peace with leaving because I know that He has been working and will continue to work and eventually these 5 women will become Christians. I have received so much joy from this. Words can't describe all that I have seen and heard. Our Father is so much bigger then these 8 million useless gods in Tokyo. These women one day will no longer worship them and soon they will mean nothing to them. Father is the only who who can heal.

PR that these women see that He is the lasting and living water and that they will never thirst again if they choose Him. PR that they would see that they NEED Him right now and have a strong sense of urgency. PR that He would give them peace and boldness.

Jesus come!!

We met with M-san and K-san on Tuesday for our Bible study. Two words- holy cow!!! We met for at least 3 hours in Starbucks. We asked K-san what he thought about the first 5 chapters of John and he had some great questions. You could tell that he intently read it and was really searching. He then told us that in his religion class that they watched a movie earlier this same day about the Crucifixion of Jesus.
Okay- what the freak?! Father set up for him to not only read about it in John, but watch a movie over it the day that we were supposed to meet to talk about it! Divine appointments everywhere!
Hunter began to explain the gospel and K-san couldn't understand all of it so M-san translated. If you don't remember, M-san has perfect English and K-san is learning. They are both coming to American in September until March for study abroad. M-san was translating the gospel even though she is not a Christian. How beautiful is that? The most amazing this is that she just kept on speaking Japanese. She talked with K-san for a good 7 minutes and then leaned over to us and said that she had just explained the trinity and creation of the earth.
Ummm excuse me?! We never mentioned anything about the trinity or the creation of the earth. She has soooo much Bible knowledge from going to a Christian middle and high school. At this point, we were all shocked and in awe of what Father had just done. Hunter can speak the most Japanese out of all of us and he said that when M-san was explaining things, she would say "we Christians." When she talks to us, she says that she is not a Christian. We think that she wants to be but hasn't admitted that to herself.
While the boys are talking with K-san and explaining more, Kelley shows me Ephesians 1:17-18 That the God of out Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.
M-san sees that I flipped to it in my Bible and was reading it, so she flips through her Bible to Ephesians. I told her where to read and then explained that, that was our prayer for her- that her heart would be enlightened to what He has called her which is His glorious inheritance. We then told her that we came to Japan to share Jesus with them but since she has become to dear to us, and we love her so much, that we want so badly for her to experience the joy and new life in Christ that we have. Hunter then chimed in to explain that the way we met with her on the train one night was not a coincidence but a divine appointment from God. It was also in His plan to have her bring her friends like K-san so he could hear more about Jesus, and was also in His plan that she went to a Christian high school. She paused and said, "Yes I see that this is all in God's plan that I met you and have my friends at school who are Christians."
My heart did not know what to do! It was about to beat out of my chest.
Thank you, Father! Thank you!!
M-san knows everything she needs to. She just needs to accept. She showed me her Bible and there are notes and things highlighted everywhere!
Father, you have never stopped loving and seeking after her. I praise you for that!!

PR for our next meeting with M-san and K-san. We are going to see Toy Story 3 with them this Saturday. PR that conversations start up again about the gospel. PR that they would come in contact with strong Christians at their universities in America. M-san is going to Arizona and K-san is going to Seattle. PR that they accept Christ into their lives before the end of this summer. PR big requests for these two! I love them so much and I know that they are so so close.

We talked with them about them spending the Christmas break with us in Texas. Hunter will have K-san with him and M-san will travel between Sarah, Kelley and I. Amanda's wedding is during Christmas break and they are going to go with us to that. They are very excited about this. PR that airline tickets become available and that this Father would use this opportunity for His glory!

Thank you all so much! Father is doing so much work! PR is working!
-Cara

"Go On Speaking and Do Not Be Silent" Acts 18:9

One month from today we will be leaving Japan. Yikes.

This week has been so great! All of us got back from our retreat on Friday and it was exactly what we needed. We went to a bible camp in the mountains and it was so beautiful! It was really great to get away from the busy city for a while and just relax and rest in His creations. This was a smaller camp right on the river in the middle of green hills and mountains and words cannot describe how beautiful and peaceful it was. I was really excited to finally see some of Japan's country side.

I feel that Japan is so so close to changing for the Lord. It is so evident in all our contacts and conversations this summer. There are still many people who have never even heard Father's name, but I feel that it is dramatically different than last summer. I know I'm not the only who thinks this either. Every contact that we have this summer has a story of Christians in their lives, went to a Christian school, or something along those lines. The Japanese see that there is a savior, the only thing is that they don't understand why they personally need Him. Traditions are still very, very strong here, but a lot more Japanese are having boldness in standing up for their faith and sharing the gospel. The Japanese churches are now understanding the importance for them, the Japanese, to share with other Japanese. Father wants to use them to reach their own people and I love that! We, the M's, have planted seeds, but Father is using the Japanese to be a part of the growth.

So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily! Acts 19:20

Please be PRing that the Japanese Christians will rise up and boldly proclaim the Truth with urgency and love. My heart yearns for this change!

Father encouraged me today with this amazing passage- Acts 19:25-27 saying that people are seeing that "gods made by hands are not gods" and those idols and beliefs are "counted as nothing" by the people who used to worship them. I PR that this will be Japan very, very soon!

Tonight we met with M-san again and her friend K-san again. We all met up at Starbucks and were there for about 3 hours. Amanda, Sarah, Kelley, Hunter, David and I knew that this would be the day that we would share more about our Father. We got together to PR before our meeting with them that doors would be wide open to lead to the gospel. Wonderfully enough, they did. We talked about it for a good 2 hours. The conversation couldn't have gone any smoother. K-san, to our surprise, shared that he knows the whole story of our Father and went to church as a kid with his friend from America. He said he knew why Father died on the cross and he responded. "He died for all of us." He and M-san already know the full gospel! To them it seems like it is just a story. I don't think they understand that being a Christian means having a new life and a personal relationship with Father. PR that this will change. M-san loves to sing and she told me that Psalms is her favorite and she used to sing them in her Christian high school. We started to talk more about His word and then asked them if they wanted to study more and have a bible study over John. When we gave K-san the gospel of John he said, "Can I borrow this?!" He was so excited to read it! We then explained that it was his to keep. He wanted to know more even without us really offering it to him. We are meeting with them next Tuesday for a bible study over the first 5 chapters of John. They both seemed really excited! K-san said that he would read it tonight.

Please PR that they open their hearts to His word and that Father would give them lots of questions for us. His word is so powerful. I have no doubt that those 5 chapters will do amazing work in their hearts. PR that they see His love and their desperate need for it.

Thank you all so much for your PRs! I cannot wait to see how next Tuesday goes.

Prayer Requests and Updates

I can't believe how fast this summer has gone by! The high school interns got here about 5 days ago and it has already been so great to have them. All of us college interns have come to this point where we are pretty tired and in need of rest, but thankfully we have our 3 day retreat tomorrow! It will be a great time of fellowship, rest, and a chance for all of us to get to know all of the high school interns. Even though we are growing a little tired, Father has not. Everyday there are new stories about His faithfulness and grace.

Here is some great news and PR requests:

Sarah and I think we might have found our Cadence (the person we have been pring to meet who plays the ukulele)!! Saturday was park ministry day and Sarah and I both took our teams to Yoyogi park. That morning, we both PRed that today would be the day we meet Cadence. It was a pretty slow morning and was raining off and on all day, so there weren't too too many people in the park. Sure enough, just as we were rounding our groups up to leave, I saw 2 Japanese women hula dancing and someone playing the guitar. Sarah and I thought that maybe they would have a ukulele. We walked up to them and there were like 6 ukuleles laying around and about 2 people playing them. They asked us to join in with their song and gave us each a ukulele to play. It was so much fun!! They were so inviting and so sweet and obviously obsessed with Hawaiian culture. One of the women playing the ukulele gave us her card because we told her that we wanted to learn more and it so happens to be that she is a teacher and member of the Japanese Ukulele Association. I was silently freaking out. She really wants Sarah and I to contact her.

Please please be PRing that this is Cadence and that many doors and opportunities would open up!

Us ILT (intern leadership team) had dinner at our M's house our first week here and on our way back we met a girl named M-san who has perfect English and went to a Christian mission high school. We have been hanging out with her and her friends a few times now. I feel like I have known this girl for years- she is so sweet. Her friend S-san is not like other Japanese guys. He is very very sweet and caring. My heart breaks for him every time I am with him. They know that we are M's in Japan and we have shared with them a little, M-san already knows a lot. We are going to meet with them very soon, like in the next couple of weeks or so. Please be PRing that we would have a great open door to share with all of them. Please PR that their hearts will be open to what we have to share with them and allow them to see the urgency and their need for our Father.

I feel like this is very brief, so I am sorry for that. I know I have said this before, but I will be updating more often. Thank you all so much for your support!

Yuki is Here

So here is a quick update: I found my ukulele!
Last Wednesday, Kelsea and I went to pick up the iGo Kansas Nebraska team at Tokyo station. It takes us about 40ish minutes to get there and we were so pumped to pick up an iGo one week team. We finally got a seat on the train and I heard over the speaker, "Next stop is Ochanomizu". I had no idea that Ochanomizu was on the same train line at Tokyo station. Right then, I had this feeling that I had to stop at this station. I turned to Kelsea, "Kelsea! We have to get off! My ukulele is here." She looked at me like I was crazy haha. We then got off at Ochanomizu (this is the station where Sarah got her ukulele) and we started off down the street with the 12 million guitar shops. I was on a mission. I just knew that my ukulele was here. The 3rd place that I went to was the home of my precious ukulele, Yuki. It was the first one that I saw and the place was having a huge sale! My ukulele ended up being more than half off! It was even under the price that I had prayed for. The really cool thing is that I was not even supposed to be picking up the iGo team that day. My teammate Jill was put on the schedule to do that, but she wanted to be with the CBU team that day so I told her that I would switch with her. Father really does have his hand on every moment! Each step of this ukulele journey has been a blessing and so incredible. It has only been a little over a week and I have learned so much about our Father and His work.
Saturday, two days after I got Yuki, Sarah and I were put on the schedule to lead the Kansas Nebraska team to do park ministry. Of course, Sarah and I took our ukuleles. We met a girl who also played the ukulele but it was not Cadence. It was a good encouragment though. We were asked to share our ukulele story with the Kansas Nebraska team earlier that morning during their orientation time and we got some really encouraging responses and we have the whole team praying with us to find Cadence. This student team has been so amazing and ready to do Father's work every step of the way. I am so blessed that we could share our story with the group and have them be a part of His story with the ukuleles. Even if it is not Father's will for us to find Cadence, I know that this story has done great things through the teams hearts and my own. It has really shown Father's faithfulness and love.
Thank you for all of the prayers! I know that Father has put together this story for a purpose and I cannot wait to see how it unfolds.
Love you all!

"Ask Whatever You Wish"... Ukulele?

It has almost been 2 weeks here in Tokyo which sounds so crazy to me. I want it to go by as slow as possible but it has been speeding by. Wow guys... our Father is just incredible!! I cannot get over how amazing it is that our maker is so big, loving, sovereign, I could go on forever. I want to explode with praise! iGo Global teaches us some core values and one is our Father's ancient work. That is something that I have seen everyday through some of my own stories here in Tokyo and through the other interns and missionaries' stories. He hasn't ever left any of His people here in Tokyo. He has always been doing work here. He is doing HUGE things this summer! This is a part of our Father's word that He has been showing me every morning which has been so encouraging:
For you are all children of the light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So let us not sleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober... but since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 1 Thess. 5:4-8
Okay so story time!
This is going to sound so crazy, so I am just warning you.
On Sunday mornings, the missionaries and intern team get together for church in the park. Well on the train to the park, my teammate Sarah and I got to talking. Long story short, we both shared that we both have been wanting to play the ukulele for a really long time. For some reason recently I have been thinking that I wish that I would have bought a ukulele and brought it to Tokyo. I dont even know how to really play haha. I told her this and then basically we got the same thought at the same exact time. Two words: Holy Spirit. I know, sounds crazy right? Well Father told us both to buy a ukulele. We then started to PR walk to the park and then He told us both to pray for a specific girl to teach us ukulele and in return we would teach her His word. All day we PRed for this girl, we call her Cadence, and some amazing opportunities to use the ukulele for His glory. Little did we know that ukuleles are apparently a huge deal here because they are obsessed with Hawaii. We also PRed that Father would take us to a place where they sell cheaper ukuleles.
The journey for the ukuleles began after the park around 3. We stopped at this station called Kichijoji because we heard from the Journeymen that they have a guitar shop there. One of the journeymen also told us the wrong exit to the station so we were both standing there not knowing where to go. We saw these 2 guys and went up to them and asked them where this shop was. They took us there, that's what these wonderful Japanese people do when you're lost. We got to the store and we stood outside of it to chat with them for a little bit. We ended up inviting them to play games with us at the park where we have church every Sunday. We also added that we were Christians and the guy points to his cross necklace, "Christian". I asked, "are you a Christian?" and he responded, "oh no, just for fashion." The fact that he knew that the cross meant Christian is huge! That means that he has been shown the gospel and knows a little about Jesus! That's like a miracle. Crosses are just a huge fashion trend here, but people have no idea what it means.
We looked around and all of the ukuleles were way too expensive. We then went to another station about 4 stops down our train line where Sarah and I knew that they had a whole street full of shops. It was about 7 when we got there. We knew that the chances of places being open would be slim, but we just felt like we HAD to go. We were totally walking by the Holy Spirit's guidance. We had no idea where we were going or what we were going to be doing, we just knew that we had to follow where our Father was leading.
We arrived and basically all of the stores were closed because its Sunday night at 7. We begin to turn away to go back to the station for home when Sarah looks down this dark alley and sees this guitar place all lit up. We walk in there and sure enough, the first thing I see is a ukulele for $30! Totally Father! We were floored! I kept thinking, "okay, is this all really happening?" So of course we bought it. One down, one more to go.
We ended up finding another guitar shop walking on our way back home but it was closed. We picked up a flyer from the previous shop and it has a list of all of these ukulele cafes in our area! Every place that we went to that night had a purpose.
This all happened last night in about 4 hours. We know that our Father has huge plans, so right now we are just following and waiting for Him to give us opportunities and one last ukulele for me.

We are PRing for Cadence, a second ukulele, and the locations to put all of this together.
This is by far the craziest yet the most amazing thing ever. Our Father is so amazing. I love how He uses His children!! Please join with us in PR for these specific things. These are the things that Father has laid on our hearts.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. John 15:7-8

Love you guys :)

Yay Tokyo!!

Well, I got to the wonderful place of Tokyo 2 nights ago! It has been so great to be back. I feel so at home here. I love love the intern team. I think that this is going to be an amazing summer. Please be PRing for team unity!! I am so excited to see how Father uses us this summer. I will be meeting with my friend R-san sometime soon. I met her last summer through some of my team members and they already shared the gospel, so I am super super excited to follow up with her and build on that. Please be PRing that her heart will be open and desperately wanting something more!! She is so much fun and I can't wait to meet with her.
Okay I am still suffering from some jet lag, so it is a little difficult to form sentences at this hour. Its only 6:56pm right now. Yikes. This post is going to have to be short.
Thank you so much for your PRs!! I will update more later.

-Cara

Thank You, Thank You!!

The time is coming up! Base Camp (iGo training) is in 2 days on Saturday which also means that I FINALLY met my payment deadline! The wonderful place of iGo let me extend it until Base Camp.
This last week has been crazy amazing! I think I have the most intense fundraising testimony in the history of fundraising. Here it is:
This time last week on Thursday I called iGo to see how much I had left to raise. Somehow I thought that I had $1100 left to raise. Well, I was wrong. Crystal from iGo told me that I still had $2400 left to raise. I think Crystal could hear the subtle freaking out in my tone and she said to me, "It's okay. We can do this! Don't worry." It was something like that. Of course, I got off the phone and started worrying. I cried. Yes, I do that when I am stressed. I kept going through my head all of the things that I could possibly do to make this money. Yep, I had nothing. In my head there was absolutely nothing I personally could do. I was finally at a point where I had no control. I asked God to amaze me! Do something to blow my mind like You always do! Right then, in that very minute, I had the strangest feeling. I was at peace. A peace that I have never felt before. I just knew without a doubt that Father was going to do it. I can't explain this amazing feeling. It was then that I let everything go and let Him do what He has been wanting to do from the get go. He wanted me to be completely useless so He could show me how glorious and mighty He truly is and take full control.
The next day, I got an email from Crystal saying that I only had $977 left to raise. I then cried again. This time it was out of pure joy. Father is so so so good! Just like that, in one day, He was able to put together all of that. In the next 5 days, the rest came in from my wonderful, wonderful church family and friends. Father put some people on my heart to call, and sure enough it was on their heart also. I was so afraid to make those phone calls, but they ended up to be so amazing and encouraging. I not only was able to get my final balance, but I was able to have some great conversations with those who gave before I leave for Japan. So here I am, 2 days before I leave, and I now officially have my total balance. PTL!!!

Thank you iGo Global for being so faithful! They not once gave up on Father or me. They knew that He was going to provide even when I didn't. I love you so much!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! The staff at iGo is so wonderful. I love each and every one of them!

Thank you family and friends for being a part of this trip with me. Father has used y'all in amazing ways and He will continue to use that this summer in Tokyo. I don't think y'all know how much you truly mean to me. I am so blessed!!!

Lastly, Father has really given me a passion for prayer. I noticed it especially today when all I can think about it arriving in Japan and praying for the Japanese and my team. It is really cool how that works out because my position on leadership this summer is prayer coordinator. I was really nervous about it and still am, but I know that He will direct me and show me what to pray for and how to be available in areas and those who need it. I am so ready to be there! Thank you for all of your prayers! We will be in Tokyo on the 26th! Just a few days...

Love y'all so much!
-Cara