I Don't Know What the Title Should Be

I am in the mood to blog, but I am not sure what... well how to say it all. I am also procrastinating. I should be studying ASL, but nope. Not feeling it.

This week, well last couple of weeks, have been pretty challenging. I am not all that upset about it though because I have found so much comfort in His Word. He has given me so much joy in the midst of all of these worldly troubles. I am so so amazed, blessed, in awe, and thankful that the Word is living and moving! I am reading through Romans again, and it has been truly fantastic! Well, duh. It's Romans.
*Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:26-28

I have so many favorite parts in those verses:
"and he who searched hearts"- Amen! Our Father is so good and unbelievable. I am so not worthy of his grace and love, yet he searches MY heart. I know all of these things are like, duh, but they are also so profound!
"The Spirit himself intercedes for us with GROANINGS TOO DEEP FOR WORDS"- Love, love, love that!

Okay, well here is some big news: I am still $2000 short. I was not able to make my final deadline, but iGO is so awesome, that they let me move that back. So yep. Wow.
I am so blessed to have made all of my deadlines up until this one. Thank you guys so much for all of your support! It is truly a blessing! Now, I am really trying to put ALL of my trust in Father that He will bring in the rest. I know that He has called me and is just, so He is not about to just be like, "well I have taken her this far, and now she's done." To be honest, that is my biggest fear even though I know that's not what He is doing. Japan is on my mind and heart just about every minute of every day. I want to be there so badly! I so badly want to be there serving and growing with my team. I know that I am so not worthy of this call, but I know that He has called. I just have to trust and know completely that He will provide. I am nervous though. Please pray with me about that! Pray that He puts that on people's hearts to give. Please pray for the rest of my team and their financial goals and their preparation for this summer. It is coming up fast!! Only about a month left. Wow!

I have found a lot of comfort in this verse that Father showed to me the other day.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer! Romans 12:12

I love you all! Thank you for your support.
-Cara

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I hope. Psalm 130:5

I have been putting this off for the longest time, but I am now finally posting something! I do realize that I told y'all that I would keep you updated on my journey leading up to Japan... so here it is about a month and a half before I leave. I'm sorry it has taken me so long.

Here I go...

First off, I want to thank everyone who has helped me financially and with prayer for my trip to Japan this summer! I can't say that enough. It is truly a blessing! This year leading up to this summer has been crazy. School has been hectic and a lot of things have been going on, but at the same time, it has been so good! Most importantly, Father has been so wonderful!! I have been able to make all of my payment deadlines on time. I am coming up on my FINAL payment deadline in about 2 weeks and it's a biggin! Satan has really been attacking me the last monthish which has lead me to a lot of doubt. I hate that. I don't know why I do because our Father is so faithful and He has made it known that He will provide all of it.

I then realized a few days ago that I only have 2 weeks left until the final deadline and I am pretty sure that I am really behind. I have an account with my church, so I try not to look at it too often so I don't freak out haha.

Last night was the first day back from spring break and I was filling Kat in about everything and I mentioned that and asked for her to pray for me. Today, I was chatting with Father and asked for confirmation about me going back to Japan. He then said to me, "Cara! I got this! Trust me!" Right when I got back from class, there was an envelope on my door that said, "Cara Scott Japan." I opened it and there was money in it for Japan and no name. Ah!! Thank you Lord! He basically said in that moment that I need to be patient because the money will continue to come in, but on His time.

I rejoiced. It was awesome!

My good friend Kelley, who will be going back with me again to Tokyo this summer, shared this with me just a bit ago and I thought I would share it with you... because it's awesome!

Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has no rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!!

Psalm 66:16-20

My heart hasn't ever ached for a place like this before! It is unreal. Oh how I love and long to be in Tokyo again! Thank goodness I won't have to wait too much longer.

Please continue to pray for

• team unity!
• the hearts of the Japanese that we will be in contact with
• the spiritual strongholds to be broken
• payment deadlines for me and my team members
• growth and focus leading up to our arrival in Tokyo

This was a lot of information to fit in to a small space, so I am sorry if it doesn't all make sense. I tried not to make it too wordy haha.

1 Timothy 1:12-16

Super Summer Global is coming this Tuesday which is very exciting! There are about 103 high school students. They will be an encouragement because our time here is winding down, and I know that everyone is getting a little tired.

Hachioji has been great recently! I have talked to so many people during 5ME who are very interested in the news that we are bringing them!


Friday was our last campus ministry day at Soka and it was so great! Kat and I got to eat lunch with the 3 girls that we have been meeting with since the beginning of the summer, and it was so much fun!


The previous week, Kat and I shared the whole gospel with them and both of our testimonies! They were very very interested, and it helped so much more because we had spent so much time with them building a friendship. The next time we went, they even brought Father up into our conversation. Incredible! While we were PR walking the campus, Father really laid this on our hearts: 2 Corinthians 4:4-10 and 2 Corinthians 6:3-13
That explains the stuff that goes on here in Japan and in Soka exactly!! Incredible stuff right there!
The two that we are really close with, R-san and N-san, skipped class so they could spend more time with us since it was our last day on campus. I started to help R-san with her English homework and then it transitioned to slag words. This pretty much made my summer. Kat and I taught them words like, "legit", "Girl shut yo big head up!", "I got your back", "tight"... the list goes on haha! The funniest one was when they asked me if I knew what "Break the window" meant... I had no idea. Then R-san said, "You know, poo." I started to hysterically laugh and responded, "POOP?!" Both of the girls turned to red and started to laugh in embarrassment. R-san was like, "No! Air... poof" and did a little flick/poof hand gesture. Then it clicked. "Oh! You mean toot?" They looked clueless. "Poot?" Then Kat says, "Fart!" and all of us crack up!! I felt like I was 8 haha... it was great! The girls then told us that their teacher from Ireland told them that "break the window" means to toot (I hate the word fart). Later that night, kat and I realized that they meant break the wind hahahah! I love those girls!

My women's B Study on Tuesdays gets more and more amazing each week. Last Tuesday, I was able to present the whole gospel the whole time of B Study, and by Father's grace, they understood every word. The language barrier has been a problem in the beginning, but today it totally clicked with all of them because they were asking me all kinds of questions left and right. Normally during the B study, I just pick out simple scripture and explain it, and then just talk with them to build that friendship and trust. Father's timing is so perfect!

PR requests:

• Hachioji area
• Super Summer Global volunteers (they will be here July 21-29)
• Japanese strongholds
• Hearts of our contacts- that they will continue to spend time with us and open their hearts to Father.
• Divine appointments!
  

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9

Romans 8:26-27

I am so sorry that it has almost been a month since the last time I have posted something on here! Father has been doing crazy amazing things, so I am sorry if I seem short because it has been really hard to put everything that He has done into words. Here I go...

The high school interns are now here (GT's) and 2 of them are put on each team. Hachioji (my team) has 6 people now! The more the merrier! Our 2 GT's are Hannah and Shannon. They were such a light to the group too. I know that all of the GT's are. They are all so excited and ready to do Dad's work... it was just what we all needed. Last week before they got here, us college interns went on a retreat to one of the 5 lakes around Mt. Fuji. It was so beautiful and peaceful! Father moved through us and rejuvenated all of us during that time. We are now half way done with this summer. So weird.

Ministry at Hachioji is getting better and better as the days go on. It is definitely apparent that Hachioji hasn't ever been PRed over because the ground was very tough when we first started. As we PR and seek Father, we are able to share and see His work more. One thing that has been really apparent is that no matter how weak and useless I am, Father still does His work anyways. He is so good because I know that I am those things a lot of the time if not always. One thing that my team has discovered, and yes it took us a while to figure this out because we are ridiculous haha, is when 2 people PR while the other 4 are doing 5 Minute English, people come flooding in to talk with us which leads to sharing the Good News bookoos of times! Praise Him!! PR is so powerful!! If you ask, he will deliver. BAM! haha.

GREAT NEWS!! O-San was baptized and we also have around 35 new believers! Speechless...

Since the 5 weeks are up, Kat and I are now in the apartment with the other college interns. The homestay was the best experience! I will remember that for the rest of my life. S-San, our host mom, is the most gracious and giving person I have ever met. Father taught me so much through her and how she perseveres with her faith through this dark country. She is for sure a beacon of light. I was on skype with my mom one night at the house and I brought S-San in the room so she could also talk with my mom. S-San thought that was the coolest thing haha. I love her so much!! Words can't describe how thankful and blessed I am so have stayed with that family. Wow.

Dad has really been teaching me to not be mediocre anymore. That might sound really simple and elementary but it He has presented it so profoundly. I am just sitting in awe of Him and His greatness. I am so excited to see what He has planned because His hints sound ridiculously good. He is moving here without a doubt and... I just can't say enough. I am in awe.

PR requests:

• Send people who are searching for Him our direction.
• Interns' strength
• Strongholds that Satan has on the Japanese
• Soka University (our campus that we go to, to find friends and share) This campus is 99% Buddhist and those 99% are very devout. Satan thinks that he has won these students over, but PR for that to change.
• 1 and 2 week volunteer teams that come

I will update next week :)

News of Praise!

Funny of the day:
Kat and I were at the park making flower necklaces for little girls, so that way we could give the Gospel of John to the parents as a "presento." Anyways... Kelley (our other team member) came up and asked us what we were doing. We showed her our necklaces and then Kat says, "Watch this" all smug and everything. She walks over to this adorable 2ish year old Japanese baby and says, "Presento" and puts the necklace over the little girls head. The little girl then starts hysterically crying!! hahaha! Oh, it was priceless.

We had our first salvation in Hachioji today!!! Praise Him!! The guy's name is O-San. The coolest thing is that Michael called me to tell me to meet our new brother when me and a group were praying over a shrine in Hachioji. When Michael told me, I was able to yell, "O-San became a believer!!" in the Shinto shrine!! Take that Satan :)
Please be PRing for O-San while he shares what happened with his parents. He might possibly be shunned from his family, so please PR that his family will be accepting and want to learn more as well. Also PR that he joins us in 5ME and becomes a strong leader. He is also without a job right now. Michael and Joel taught him how to pray, and his first prayer was that Father would give him a job. PR that he does, and when he does, make sure that O-San knows that is was Father who did all of that.

Father told us to PR unceasingly. Please be doing this for O-San and our area, Hachioji, so we can see more people accept our amazing Father!

Listening to:

"I'm Singing" -Kari Jobe

Oh Tokyo...

Here are a few funnies...

• Since Kat and I are at the homestay, you have to eat everything that is in front of you or else they think that you hate it. On that note... S-San made us try some Japanese dessert. Harmless right? FALSE! We had to force down this clear, jelly ball with fake chocolate syrup on top. I tried to hide that I didn't like it but she figured it out and handed me some water to wash it down haha. She called them rice cakes. So not accurate!


• S-San also gave us some grape soda. Again, harmless right? FALSE FALSE FALSE!!! She started to pour the soda into our two glasses, and instead of it running/dripping out of the can... it plops! Yes, it plops! There was clear gew coming out of it. Right as I saw this, I looked at Kat and she had the funniest/most horrified look on her face! We started to giggle and then it turned into uncontrollable laughing... all while S-San was pouring out the goopy grape soda. We told S-San that we loved it. We fibbed.


• Today, while doing 5ME, Kat and I experienced a drunken Japanese man... at 4 in the afternoon. He came up to us... long story short... he tried to pay us because he thought we were prostitutes. I have never felt to violated but now it's just really humorous. Come on, Kat and I? Really? Way too innocent looking I think.


• Kat saw S-San's cat while we were eating and gagged. Yes, a legit gag. She loves cats.
• Riding the train, a man fell asleep on Kat's shoulder. A normal occurrence.
• While walking down the streets of Tokyo, it randomly smells like rotten eggs. At this moment you must say, "Tokyo threw up" or "Tokyo tooted."

Okay so Father has been so faithful! Michael, Kat and I met with two Japanese girls our age tonight for B-study and they were so responsive to His word. I can't even begin to tell you how amazing that conversation was. At the end, you could really tell that they understood and wanted to know more. We are going to meet with them again. I was so overjoyed that I was on the verge of weeping. I have only known these girls for about an hour and I had a love for them and only God can give. Imagine, Father loves us like that but a billion times more. I can't even begin to fathom that. If I were him, I would be weeping ALL of the time. haha. Those 2 girls, M-San and S-San, will unfortunately be leaving for school in Washington. PR that they encounter a strong disciple that will pour into them when they get there. Also PR that they become our sisters before they leave... Lord willing. That would be amazing! Please be PRing for these girls. They are so close!!! PR that he makes himself known in a powerful way!

Goodnight all!

Finally Here!

Hey y'all! Well... it is my 5th day to be in Tokyo and it has been great! It seemed like I had never left. Through these past 5 days, my JSI team has been doing orientation everyday with our head "M" Buddy. He has been walking us through and preparing us for what we will be doing through out the next 10 weeks. Father has really opened my eyes to see that this has NOTHING to do with me and must surrender myself completely to Him for His glory. Please continue to PR for my team and the people of Japan. We are starting to fast daily and continue to be in PR so that the strongholds of Japan will be broken. I really hope that you would join us in a weekly fast on Tuesdays and PR for Japan. If anything works... it is this! Father has really put that on our hearts.
The homestay family is great! I have never met such a kind hearted woman as S-San (we can't put full names on the Internet). We are staying with a family of three: mom, dad, and daughter J-San who is my age. Please PR for this family! They have become really dear to my heart already and S-San (the mother) is the only one who has Father in her heart. I know that the mother and father are having marital problems so please be PRing for that also. I can see that Kat and I are here in this house for a reason, and I am PRing that this will bring praise and glory to his name!
Exciting news! Michael, Kat, and I are all in the same focus group! That means that we will be with each other everyday in a specific spot in Tokyo. Father has something amazing planned for that!
Kat and I met 3 girls and we PR that they will accept Dad's Word and become our sisters!!

Please be focusing on those few things that our Father has presented to us! I will be on here in a few days to update some more. Remember to fast on Tuesdays!!! :)