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.