Blessed Are All Those Who Wait

It's amazing what the Lord can do in 3 months. When last I wrote a blog post, I believe I was at 18% of my needed budget. I am now at 29%! Praise the Lord! However, this past January, I was talking to my team in Chiba, and we discovered – through some confusion – that my original budget was set far too high. (It's always nice to hear that!) The team has been adjusting my budget since then, and I am waiting to hear the final number.

It has not been easy to wait through this process. I have felt discouragement, impatience, and anxiety. For a long while, I wouldn't admit to myself that I was feeling that way, and it really started to take an affect on me. The main reason that I have been antsy about this falls on going to Belgium. I have said this before, but as a reminder, I need to be at 50% of my budget by April 15^th, or I will not be able to go to training in Belgium come July. This means that I would need to wait until January for the next training session. That would hold me back from going to Japan until after January, but the team is very much hoping to have me in Japan by September 1^st. Based on conversations I have had with the team, it sounds as though I may already be at 50% (or more) with my adjusted budget. I still need to wait for it to be sent in and approved by MTW, though.

I am not by nature an anxious person, so when I start having foreign emotions, it really messes with me. I couldn't process how I was feeling, all the while not admitting that I was nervous in waiting to hear from the team. Earlier this week, I finally realized that something was wrong, and cried out to the Lord. I have been reading through Isaiah in my morning devotions, and yesterday I was reading through chapter 30. As I was about to read verse 18, there was something about it that seemed to stand out to me on the page. I felt like that Lord was saying, “This is for you, Melanie. Listen.” So I listened:

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” - Isaiah 30:18

I read this verse over and over, and felt God's peace pouring into me, quieting my emotions and making me be still in His presence. I realized that I am not okay, and that I have been trying to shoulder everything on my own. So I am casting all my anxieties on Him, because He cares for me.

You know when Jesus is trying to teach you something and that theme recurs throughout your daily life in strange ways? Well, another lesson He has put on my heart is the power and necessity of prayer. I am not a gifted prayer warrior, but I've been struggling a bit more than usual recently. I am so thankful that I have been reminded of the most important weapon in my arsenal. I was listening to a sermon on the theme of prayer by John Piper this morning. Here are a couple of quotes that stood out to me:

“Prayer moves God to change people's wills.... Do not neglect the world-shaping influence that you have through prayer.”

That is my prayer right now – that I would not neglect the influence I have through prayer. I would like to ask you to join me in crying out to the Lord. Please pray that my budget would be finalized quickly, and that I would be able to make it to Belgium this summer! Thank you, brothers and sisters. You are a constant blessing to me, and I am thanking the Lord for you!

New Year, New Creation

Every year, my mom buys me an ornament at Christmastime. This year, I wanted to make sure I chose something that reflected this past year. As a kid, I'm not sure why I thought reindeer, oddly shaped objects, and SpongeBob ornaments were excellent representations of years past. (Okay, let's be honest, I do understand the SpongeBob ornament.) Over the past few years, I'd like to say that I've been getting better at choosing sentimental ones. So as I was talking with my mom and thinking back on 2015, I searched for what stood out most to me about the year.

This year, I have been incredibly blessed to have met and made so many new and wonderful friends. A lot of my new friends are going to be or currently are serving on the mission field all over the world. As I met these people earlier this year, I was overwhelmed at the beauty there is in the Call placed on their lives, and mine as well. To hear about the extreme need for the gospel in so many different lands was heartbreaking, but I was ecstatic as I came to see "how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

So I decided on an ornament I found that says, "Friends make the world beautiful." But they are not only my friends, they are the body of Christ. That's what makes this world beautiful. We are called the aroma, body, light, new creations, chosen race, royal priesthood, workmanship, friends, ambassadors, and so much more of and for Christ! We are His!

Do friends make the world beautiful? We need to do our best to make the world beautiful, because we have been called to reflect the Creator of all beauty!

We have each been given a Call, and may we follow that call with joy and gladness. I wish you all a happy and blessed new year. May you be encouraged as you move forward into another year of His beauty and grace.

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." - 1 Peter 2:9

Fall for Japan

A few weekends ago, I had the absolute pleasure of attending an event called Fall for Japan. It was put on by the MTW Japan Partnership, which I didn't know existed prior to the event! Apparently this was the first event to be put on by them, and due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback received, they are hoping to do more in the future.

To sum up the event in one sentence, it was a chance for people to meet missionaries to Japan and to learn about the ministries and need there. I was incredibly encouraged by the time I was able to spend meeting other missionaries to Japan, reconnecting with friends, connecting with those I'd only ever heard about from my friends in Japan, and sharing with others about what I will be doing in Chiba. I had some wonderful conversations as I met prayer warriors and supporters of the work being done. (I'm beginning to realize that attending events like this will mean meeting many friends-of-friends, as so often I was asked, “Oh, do you know so-and-so?!”)

I can't begin to explain the joy I had in that room, surrounded by brothers and sisters, each with a desire to talk about the needy land that makes my heart sing and break at the same moment. I was blessed and moved to tears by the prayers said for those of us there who were in the process of support raising. I laughed as we swapped stories about Japan, funny foreigner moments and general Japanese oddities. It was refreshing to talk to those support raising, as we are sharing in the same struggles and lessons learned, but also to encourage one another.

Overall, the event left me feeling blessed and encouraged beyond measure. As I drove home, I reflected on all I had heard and learned, and was eager to continue support raising with new excitement. Please join me in praying that I would remain with this attitude!

Now, on to support raising updates: 

• I recently got over a nasty sickness that knocked my energy out for 4 weeks, so I am praising God for my current health and ability to get back in the swing of support raising!

• Praise the Lord for providing 3 new supporters just within the past few days!! (I just hit 16% of my needed monthly support!)

• Some of you may know that there is a month of training I will need to complete in Belgium some time next year. The training is offered twice a year, in January and July. Unfortunately I will not be able to make it in January, but I can see many positive reasons for going in July. Please pray that I will be able to make it in July!

As always, I am grateful for the support and encouragement I've received! The Lord has blessed me greatly. 

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”- Philippians 4:19-20

Suffer for the Name

“And when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” - Acts 5:40-42

I'm pretty sure we're all familiar with the image of a team of athletes after winning an important game, running into a huddle, jumping on top of one another, slapping each other's backs and chest bumping, cheering and whooping, dumping a tub of Gatorade on the coach, celebrating their victory. As I read this passage in Acts today, I had this mental image of the disciples acting similarly, only by society's standards, they hadn't experienced a great victory. They had each been lashed close to forty times, were threatened, and sent on their way. Where was the victory? Here is a group of men, not jumping on one another but probably leaning on each other for support, lacking the strength to run, bleeding together, groaning through the pain, tending one another's wounds – and they're rejoicing?

Yes. They're rejoicing. Jesus told them this was to come, that they would be hated, that they would be beaten, that they would be cast out. But He also told them how precious each of them were, how valuable they were, that by acknowledging Him before men, He would acknowledge them before His Father in Heaven! Think of that!! Immediately after being told not to speak the name of Jesus, this is the first thing they do! Covered in blood, bruises, and forming scars, they go from door to door saying, “Look at our Jesus! Hallelujah, what a Savior!” and Jesus comes before the Father saying, “Look at Your disciples, your faithful servants. How beautiful.”

How beautiful. I think of the disciples as they stumble away from the council, in such great pain. But then they look into each other's eyes, and they smile together, tears mixing with sweat, knowing they were fulfilling God's calling in their lives. How beautiful! I think of them exiting the presence of the council, standing together looking over the city, taking a deep breath and saying, “Now, where were we?” They grasp the fists of their brothers, ready to go, and they pick up where they left off.

The Lord has given each of us a call. It's difficult, it's challenging, it requires stepping out of one's self and following where He leads. He has called me to Japan. It can be so easy for me to get discouraged, to beat myself up for not doing well, to groan inwardly as I struggle to support raise. But what a reminder that I have been given a Call, that I am to power my way through difficulty, through adversity, that it is not by my strength that the money will come in, that He will provide in His timing, and I am to carry on! I want to wake up each morning and say, “Now, where was I?” I want to continue to follow His leading and rejoice through this process! Praise the Lord for His promises! Praise the Lord for His perfect plan!

Please pray for:

• Boldness in support raising (currently at 12% of needed monthly pledges)
• Encouragement
• Patience as I wait to hear back from potential supporters and churches
• My ability to balance between work, support raising, and ministry here in the States

 "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." - James 1:2-4 
 

Whatcha Gonna Do?

"A man's steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way?" - Proverbs 20:24

Last weekend I was able to spend time catching up with Dan and Carol Iverson, missionaries to Japan and my host family both times I served in Japan. I was so thankful for the time we had together, and to hear of all the exciting things happening in Japan and how God is at work.

I also had time to sit down with the two of them to brainstorm how my time in Japan will be spent. Of course all plans are liable to change at some point in time or another - such is missionary life - but it was so encouraging to get on the same page and join our thoughts together to map out a basic idea of what I will be doing.

My main ministry will be serving at Covenant Community School International, the school where I have worked twice before. (Elementary - high school.) The school is supported heavily by interns coming to Japan to teach for a school year at a time. (I was an intern my two previous trips to Japan.) These interns are a tremendous blessing, but one of the issues in having this constant flow of teachers coming and going is how it weighs on the students, especially the younger ones, as they transition to a new teacher each year, and the lack of consistency and unpredictability in teaching styles. Each intern that comes through is blessed with wonderful gifts, but each gift is different, so there is a constant game of Jenga as the school tries to find the fit for each teacher.

Because I will be in Japan for 3 years, this commitment will allow me to keep up with my students and track their progress over these three years. My focus within the school will be with the Japanese ESL students, most of whom are elementary age. I am so excited to be working with the ESL students! It is something familiar for me, and I am excited that the younger students will have the same teacher for a few years at least. I'm sure there will be other classes I will teach within the school, and I will also help with church ministries and may end up teaching some additional ESL classes outside of the school.

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is, "where will you live?" I am very excited to say that I have been invited to live with the Iverson's yet again! This will make transitioning back to living in Japan that much easier as I am already accustomed to this family, house, and city. 

I am so excited that the vision of my time in Japan is becoming a bit clearer with each bit of new information. I'm still unaware of when I will be able to leave, since my leave date relies on my monthly financial support being raised 100%.

Please pray that:

• My support would come in quickly, Lord willing (I'm at about 8%)
• I would be patient in this waiting process
• I would balance my time wisely between work and support raising
• I would not be discouraged in this slow process 

Dan, Carol, Melanie, Andrew, Megan - Iverson's with the interns from GPC

Living In Grace

"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to His beloved sleep." (‭Psalm‬ ‭127‬:‭1-2‬)

What if I don't raise my support quickly? What if I'm ill-equipped for the mission field? What if I "mess up" in sharing the gospel? What if I'm not as helpful as I wish to be? What if, what if, what if! It can be so easy for me to ask these questions of myself. It can be easy for me to ask these questions of God. "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere." (‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬) Yes!! Thanks be to Him! It is only because of Him that I am able to do anything! Without Him, I am laboring in vain! It is only because He is leading me "in triumphal procession"! He is leading the way, not me! Oh, thank the Lord I'm not leading the way! Be still my anxious heart. The Sovereign Creator is guiding me, using me as His instrument.

Last week I was yet again blessed to meet and befriend those going into all the world to spread the good news. My heart was so full of joy as we talked, prayed, cried, and shared together. Christ was so evident to me in those people. "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬)  God has certainly begun a good work in the people I met this week, and I am so excited to hear how He continues to use these people to further His kingdom in the coming years.

Some of the highlights of my week included: getting to know and spending time with my small group for the week, many rounds played of Settlers of Catan, hiking to a waterfall in the rain, the abundance of adorable babies, praying together, being able to speak with someone in Japanese, thought-provoking lectures, and enjoying the beautiful scenery all around us. 

My small group at Living in Grace

Thank you so much to those of you who were praying for me and the specific prayer requests I had in my last blog! My car and I both came out in one piece after the drive to and from North Carolina, and God was definitely showing himself to me in new ways throughout the week!

As for support raising, I am excited to say that I am at 4% of my needed $4,500 a month for the three years I will be serving in Japan! (For those who are unaware, I need to have 100% of my budget pledged before I can buy my ticket to Japan.) Now that I have finished all the busy activities of the month of May, I'm excited to be able to focus on support raising! I would greatly appreciate your prayers, especially as I balance between support raising and work. May He be glorified!

The Busy Month of May

May has been quite the month! Since last I wrote, I have attended my church's annual retreat, written and sent out support letters galore, visited friends giving a presentation to their church on the missions work they will be doing in the Czech Republic, visited and caught up with many more friends, was invited to be involved in a photography/videography project for a retreat center our church youth and young adults visit each year, co-planned/led a high school girls' weekend retreat to that same center in the mountains of Pennsylvania, then two weeks later was again at this retreat center for our church's Young Adult's Retreat.

In short, there was a lot of driving involved in May! And I'm not done just yet. This coming Sunday, I will be driving down to Ridge Haven - a camp in Brevard, North Carolina - for an MTW* seminar on "Living in Grace." While this will be quite an exhausting drive (7+ hours), I am very much looking forward to this trip. If it is anything similar to Launch, the training I attended in Atlanta back in March, I will be meeting many more people with hearts for global missions. My favorite part of Launch was hearing from new friends about the needs in the countries where they were preparing to serve. I came away from that week blessed with a vision for how God is using His body all around the world. I look forward to the people I will meet, the talks and exercises planned for the week, and whatever God has in store for me.

As for support raising, I am so thankful for the people God is already raising up in joining my financial support team! What a blessing! There is still quite a long way to go, though. To get to Japan, I will need to have $4,500 pledged each month for the 3 years I will be serving there. So far, a total of $150 has been pledged a month. (PRAISE THE LORD!!)

The needed pledges remaining would look something like this:
24 giving $100 a month
27 giving $50 a month
24 giving $25 a month

Would you please pray that God would give me boldness in reaching out and inviting people to join my support team, and prayerfully consider if He may be calling you to join the ministry in Japan in this way? (Click HERE for information on how to donate online.)

Again, I want to thank the many who have been praying for me and encouraging me. God has done some pretty awesome things this past month, and has shown Himself to me in so many unexpected ways!

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another." - John 15:16-17

Prayer summary:

• Safe travels to and from NC, that my car would handle the trip well
• That God would continue to show me His power and grace during the LIG** seminar
• Peace and patience through support raising

 *Mission To the World
**Living In Grace

Launch Recap

Last week I had the extreme pleasure of joining 24 other missionaries for a week-long conference in Atlanta. The conference (“Launch”) was held at the home office of Mission to the World, the organization I will be serving alongside while in Japan. I cannot say enough how much of a blessing the whole week was. Thank you so much to those of you who prayed ever so faithfully for me – your prayers were felt throughout the week!

I mentioned briefly in my last update how excited I was that I would be meeting new people with hearts to spread the gospel in so many different parts of the world. Little did I know just how wonderful of an experience meeting these people would be. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'” (Isaiah 52:7) I want you all to know, it isn't just the feet of these people that makes them so beautiful. To see these hearts with a passion for the nations to call on the name of our Savior; the love they have for those they have yet to meet, for those who have yet to know our King; their desire and earnestness to GO – how beautiful! From day one, friendships were established and stories after stories were told. (A majority of those at this event had previously been involved in overseas missions.)

Out to dinner at a Greek restaurant with new friends!

The purpose of Launch was orientation for preparing to go on the mission field. The talks, strategies, and exercises were challenging in the best ways possible, and I am beyond thankful for the MTW staff that dedicated so much time to bless us. I enjoyed getting to talk with the staff over meals and break times and building relationships with those who will be helping me specifically as I head to Japan. It was really neat to see the gifts God has given each of these individuals and how they use them in assisting missionaries far and near.

During Launch, a Vision conference was taking place in the same building. This was for those who felt called to missions, but weren't particularly sure where God was calling them. Team leaders from mission fields all over the world came together to give a better vision of the work being done in the countries they are serving. Thanks to these overlapping conferences, I was able to reconnect with Dan Iverson, the team leader of Japan, who also happened to be my host dad both times I served in Chiba, the city to which I will be returning. It was such a blessing to catch up, laugh, and speak Japanese together. It was encouraging to be so involved with Launch and have someone there to remind me of the place and people I will be serving. 

Catching up with Dan

Thanks to the Vision conference, I also got to meet a couple that is seriously considering becoming missionaries in Japan, maybe even in Chiba! It was such a blast to talk with them and answer their questions about Japan. (I'm all about getting people excited for anything Japan related!) It would be neat to meet them in Chiba. Here's praying!!

The whole experience was truly remarkable, and I am thankful for the abundance of friends and information I gained. (It's amazing all the connections I made with friends of mutual friends. I long to see the day when we all meet in the throne room and rejoice together in the presence of the Ultimate Connection!) I am excited to share with you all how you can be involved in my ministry to Japan, and how important of a role you hold! For now, I continue to ask for your prayers as God continues to lead me down this road. There are many unforeseen struggles ahead, but I believe in a big God who will carry me through and guide me in His steps! I pray I will continue to look to Him for guidance, and that I would honor and glorify Him with my life.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

Last day of Launch - Introducing 25 newly approved MTW missionaries!

Here We Go Again!

Over the past few months, I have been in the application process with Mission to the World to return to Japan as a two-year short-term missionary. It has been a long, thorough journey so far, but I am very excited to tell you all that this week I was approved by MTW to return to Japan!

A week from today, I will be flying down to MTW's main office in Atlanta for a week to meet with the staff and be involved in discussions on support raising and other topics. I will be down there with other missionaries in the same stage I am. (I am very much looking forward to meeting new people who will be going all over the world with a heart to spread God's good news!)

I do not currently have a set date nor timeframe for returning to Japan, but I will most likely have more information to share with you all when I return from Atlanta. I can tell you that I am looking to go back for at least 2 years, and I will more than likely be serving as a teacher in the school where I worked previously, along with helping the team wherever there is a need.

I am incredibly excited, and am beyond blessed that God is calling me back to the land I love so dearly. I can't wait to see how He works, and when it is that He wants me to return. I would greatly appreciate your prayers, as there is lots to be done before I can go back. Please pray that I would patiently await His timing, and that I would further seek Him and ways I can glorify Him.

In Him,

Melanie

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” - 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Going and Coming ~ 行ってきます！

Last week, I surprised quite a lot of people by coming back to America. Yup! I'm back! It was a lot of fun showing up at my old job, a wedding, and at church to the surprise of my friends and coworkers. The reactions were priceless, and surprisingly they were almost exactly the same. First, my friends would see I was someone they knew, generating recognition in their eyes, but once they processed who I actually was, the reactions were too great. Some of the more common remarks were, “Why/How are you here?” “You're on the other side of the world!” “How did you get here?” But the most frequently asked question - asked by literally every person I've talked to - has been, “How long are you back?”

This has been a very surprising reaction for me, one that I never even thought would occur. The frequency of this question is even more surprising! It is so touching to think that everyone can tell that Japan is of such importance in my life, that they can tell that that is the place God has called me to be. It's one thing to feel myself that God is calling me to Japan, but when that feeling is confirmed by the sweet remarks of my friends and family here in America, my heart is overwhelmed with blessing.

Before coming back to America, I was preparing myself in so many ways for a very difficult adjustment back to American culture. Reverse culture shock was a big problem for me two years ago when I returned to America from Japan the first time, so I anticipated the same difficulties this time. But by God's grace, this time has been so much easier! I didn't know if it was because I knew what to expect this time, or because I was gone for a longer period of time making it exciting to come back and see everyone again, or because I truly believed I would be going back someday, or something else. But it is so obvious to me now that it is only because of God, not because of anything I've done, and I am so thankful to God for giving me peace about being back. I am ever learning to trust in Him and lean on Him in the difficult times and in the times of joy.

Now, to catch you up on all the activity of my last month in Japan. It was non-stop to my last day, for which I was very thankful. I was thankful for the normalcy of keeping busy. My friend Tara and I had a combined goodbye party at school, and the students and parents all said very sweet things and gave so many gifts. As I looked around the room, my eyes filled with tears as I had so many memories with each person and I thanked God for the blessing they had all been in my life.

Tara left two weeks before I did, during our last full week of classes at school. The last day of school was a mixture of emotions for me, but more than anything I felt incredibly proud of all of the students for working so hard and doing incredibly well all year. It was such a blessing to have been able to teach so many wonderful students and make tons of memories together.

That weekend, we had the school talent show, of which I was in charge. The day of was a bit stressful for me, but the show itself was loads of fun! It was such a blast to watch all of the students show their God-given talents in various ways.

That Monday, I had the opportunity to go to Tokyo with a large group of people. The fun part for me was that I didn't have to play tour-guide for once, and I had no clue where we were going. It was awesome! We ended up going to Tsukiji for lunch. Tsukiji is a very famous fish market, known for its tuna auctions. I was so excited to be there because that was one place in Tokyo I had always wanted to go but had never been. We went to a very nice restaurant for lunch that felt so incredibly Japanese. I loved it! We sat at a low table, but there was a deep space under the table for our feet to hang down. We were served a variety of things to eat, including delicious, fresh, raw fish and tempura.

After eating, we wandered around the market, got coffee, walked around a small garden on a balcony, then went to Asakusa for some sightseeing and shopping. After that we went to Tokyo Sky Tree and spent the rest of our day there. A couple of the summer intern girls and I spent a while jumping around in a fountain, getting super wet, then we got to watch Sky Tree light up as it got dark outside. It was a very fun last outing to Tokyo for me.

That week, the summer interns planned our school's Spirit Week – three days of fun Bible-based activities for the students. This was such a blessing, because it allowed all of us teachers to spend the whole week doing final grades and student assessments, which always takes quite a bit of time.

That weekend we had parent/teacher meetings, school cleaning day, and I took my 7^th grade class out for ice cream. It was a lot of fun getting to hangout with these kids one last time with all of us together. Teaching that group was always the highlight of my day. We had so much fun, and I loved seeing how God was working in each of their lives. I already miss them so much. That evening I had a nice low-key goodbye party at home with the teachers from school. It was a very sweet time together.

My last Sunday in Japan was bittersweet. It was a whole lot of fun, but at the same time it was full of goodbyes, which was very saddening. After worship, a group of my Japanese friends took me out for lunch. It was so much fun getting to spend time with only Japanese people, practicing my Japanese, and eating Japanese food. I saw it as a huge gift from God. I always cherished the times I got to spend with these friends.

After lunch, I was taken home, and then I went back to the church building to gather up my things from that building and the school next door. While I was there, the worship team was practicing for a praise day happening the following Sunday. This made me ecstatic, because I was so incredibly disappointed to be missing this praise day because I loved listening to and singing Japanese praise music. I saw this as another huge gift from the Lord that I was able to listen to them practice. (In my mind, I saw it as my own personal concert present from God.)

That Monday, I went to lunch at a friend's house, then went to school to finish grading some papers and things. After that I went to my favorite ramen shop for the last time with a large group of people. That was loads of fun! Afterwards, some of us went to karaoke together – the perfect way to end such a fun day.

On Tuesday, I got to say goodbye to almost all of the students from school, who were doing summer studying together at Oyumino Chapel (one of the church locations.) I went to the school building to tidy up some classrooms, then some Japanese friends of mine took me out for coffee as a last goodbye. They gave me very sweet goodbye gifts, then took me home. One of my students, Anne Mie, came over and helped me pack a little bit, then we went to dinner at a sushi restaurant with the summer interns and the Iversons. This ended up being my last meal in Japan, and it was perfect. Anne Mie and I walked home afterwards, and I finished packing up all of my things.

I got about two hours of sleep, then I was taken to the airport by Carol and Anne Mie early in the morning. It was a sweet goodbye, then I headed through security. When I got to immigration, I was pulled to the side to fill out a form saying I agreed that I was ending my religious activities visa. The man helping me was very kind, and I was able to speak to him in Japanese the whole time, which was a lot of fun for me. I was sad to sign the paper saying I agreed to the canceling of my visa, because I knew that meant I would have to turn in my Japanese residency card. A silly thing to be sad about, but it really was a cool looking card! I gave the man my card, and he smiled at me, turned away, punched a small hole in it, then handed it back to me and said in Japanese, “This is a souvenir for you.” I almost started crying as I thanked him ecstatically. I didn't even tell him I wanted to keep the card! I saw that as yet another gift from God.

As I was waiting at my gate to board my plane, I asked God if He could please seat me next to someone on the plane who could speak Japanese. A silly request, but I didn't want my purchasing something at a small shop in the airport to be the last time I would be able to speak in Japanese with a Japanese person. Well, when I got to my seat on the plane, I found that I was sitting next to an older Japanese couple! I was awestruck. “Thank you, God!!!” I said a few little things to them in Japanese, apologizing as I would get up and have to move past them, thanking them for things, whatever. Later on, when the husband stood up to walk around for a bit, the wife leaned over and started speaking to me excitedly in Japanese. She said she was surprised at how good my Japanese was, and asked why I had been in Japan and where I had studied Japanese. I got to tell her I had been teaching at an international school in Chiba and about studying Japanese in America. We talked a little bit more, then we went back to watching movies and things. When her husband came back, the woman started trying to get my attention, so I took my headphones off and she started ranting to her husband saying, “This girl was living in Chiba and speaks Japanese and she sounds like a Japanese person when she speaks because her pronunciation is perfect! She was teaching at an international school! Etc.” The two of them were super cute and it was a whole lot of fun to talk to them. Another gift from God!

I had a layover in Frankfurt, Germany, then had an 8 hour flight back to the States. Overall I had safe travels, and made it back to America on only two hours of sleep. My family was waiting for me at the airport, we went to dinner, and I went to bed around midnight that night. I haven't had any jet lag, which is normal for me. As I said in the beginning, it's been so much fun seeing my friends and family and catching up with so many people.

This blog concludes my logs of my second trip to Japan. I can't begin to express the blessings I've received from my Heavenly Father in countless ways, through so many people and situations. I have met so many people over the passed year, taught many different subjects to many different students, learned more about Japanese culture, the language, the people, and about my King. So many things have taken place, and only a fraction of them have made it into my blogs. To give a very simple summary: I believe God used His steward in the best way she could have been used, and I pray that I will have been a blessing and witness of my Father's love. I know I failed in many ways, because I am a sinner, but I praise God for my weaknesses, for He has shown me how His power is perfected in weakness, and how I am frail and can do nothing without Him.

I cannot thank you enough, those who have supported me prayerfully, financially, relationally. Thank you for your friendship, your love for me. Thank you for your interest in the work I was called to do, your interest in my life, your interest in Japan. I hope you are encouraged as I am to see Christ's church growing worldwide, His name being proclaimed to all nations! Please keep Japan in your prayers! It is such a spiritually dry, needy land. I like to believe that this was not my last time serving in Japan. It gives me joy and excitement to think about how God may use me in this country in the future.

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” - 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Melanie

メラニー

芽来新

Hello, Goodbye

Recently I've come to appreciate the people around me a lot more than usual. It can be so easy to take relationships for granted, and I'm made more aware of that as so many friends of mine have left Japan recently. Within the passed month alone, I've said "hello" and "goodbye" to so many faces. People are flowing into Japan with the arrival of summer, and at the same time dear friends are leaving the country. For a while it was a bit overwhelming and confusing for me, as I was trying to adjust to so many things happening at once. What a whirlwind of emotions! On one hand, new people were coming and I wanted to make them feel as welcome as possible and be happy at their arrival; on the other hand, some of my close friends were leaving, making me very sad to see them go.

While it is incredibly sad to see so many people leave, it's given me so much joy to look back on the time we've had together and see how God has truly blessed my life because of them. What a blessing is the gift of fellowship!! With every departure, there is always a "bye bye party." I really enjoy these, because there is always a time for people to share how they have been blessed by so-and-so  in their time here. It is so incredible for me to see how God can use a single person to affect so many! Praise God for the beauty and love of our Savior seen through these saints!

Along with the joy of Christian fellowship, I am also thankful to God for the close friendships I have here with Japanese non-believers. I was talking to a couple of my Christian friends yesterday about how different it is for me to have close friends who are non-Christians. All growing up, I had the same group of close friends, all of whom were from my church where we knew each other from the diaper days. I really didn't have non-Christian friends until I entered the world of workers when I was 15. It was such a different environment for me, and I didn't really know how to respond to non-Christian coworkers. Because of this, I never got very close to anyone at work. Now, here I am on the other side of the world with close friends who are non-Christians and I'm realizing how different it is! With my Christian friends, there is something - someOne - who connects us, creating this bond between us that is very difficult to break. Is it easy to have these relationships? Of course not! Every relationship is going to have its hardships at some point or another, but thanks be to Jesus Christ for His grace and mercy bestowed upon us! I may say things or do things that hurt those around me, and vice versa, but I am thankful for my grace-based friendships. Yes it can be hard, yes we can become impatient with one another, yes we can hurt each other - but if my God can forgive my dirty, rotten, sinful heart, surely we can forgive one another!

It is so easy for me to have a conversation with my Christian friends. It almost seems like these conversations require no effort at all. Now, as I converse with my non-Christian friends, I realize how important every word, every action is! I don't want to say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, because these relationships are so important! Oh, how badly I want to see these people in the kingdom, rejoicing around the throne! It is heartbreaking to be close to these people and know that they don't yet believe in the most important person in my life. But I also praise the Lord that they have an interest in the Bible and are attending worship every Sunday!! I pray that God would give me wisdom in what to say, and what not to say, that He would use me as a witness. "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." - 2 Corinthians 5:20 Please join me in praying for these friends, and for Japan as a whole - a country where only a fraction of 1% of the population professes to being Christian.

To give you all a very brief update - I've been keeping busy as usual! This passed weekend we had our school's annual bazaar to raise money for the Japanese track. It was a lot of fun with a flea market, craft corner, and lots of international foods! My job was to help with the craft corner, which was a whole lot of fun! It required talking to a lot of little kids in Japanese, which I absolutely love doing. The day after the bazaar, we had graduation for the high school seniors and one boy graduating from elementary school. It was a whole lot of fun, but definitely a tiring weekend! This Saturday, we will be having our school's talent show, which I have been put in charge of. I'm really excited, and it's been so much fun hearing about all the acts the students will be doing and watching them practice at school. This week is the last week of school, and next week we have three days of "Spirit Week" where the teachers and students dress up in costumes, and we have fun Bible-based events scheduled. It should be a lot of fun! I can't wait!

As always, thank you for your love, support, prayers, and interest in my life here in Japan. I am blessed every day beyond belief, and still find it hard to believe that God has called me to be here in this land my heart sings about. May His name be proclaimed to ALL nations!

Melanie

P.S. I recently had the pleasure of doing a home-stay with a dear Japanese family from the church I attend here, and while I was with them they helped me come up with kanji (Japanese form of Chinese characters) for my name! Normally, foreign names are written in the Japanese form of writing called "katakana" which is designated specifically for foreign words. (In katakana, my name looks like this: メラニー and doesn't translate to anything buy "Melanie.") However, this family decided to give my friends and me Japanese kanji characters! I absolutely love this, and have wanted my own kanji for so long! So, here it is: 芽来新, which translates to "new coming bud."

My housemates/sisters, all of whom I've had to say "goodbye" to over the passed month! :(

Spending time with friends at Chiba Zoo on our day off!

Disney Sea!

The Japanese teachers at CCSI invited Tara and me over to try on beautiful kimono!

So thankful for the opportunity to try on kimono and have a traditional Japanese tea ceremony!

It doesn't get more Japanese than this.

Eating DELICIOUS food (boupan) with friends at our school's bazaar

Busy, Busy, Blessings

Why yes, it has been two months since I've written an update! I am truly sorry about that! But hopefully after reading a bit further in this post, you'll understand why I haven't been able to write in so long. Saying, "I've been busy" just doesn't seem to cut it. :)

Over the passed two months, I've been able to experience so many new and exciting things, meet tons of new people, and even though it's been exhausting and unbelievably busy, I've been so blessed by everything and continue to see God working in the circumstances around me. So, here I go giving a very condensed account of my life over the past two months! (As always, pictures and videos are at the bottom of this post.)

On March 9th, I had my first opportunity to go north to an area of Japan that was affected by the March 11th, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The team I went with was there to help with a 2nd anniversary memorial service concert. I was so blessed by the short time we had there, meeting people and seeing both the destruction and the things that were rebuilt. The thing that stood out to me most was seeing some buildings completely run-down and destroyed, but right next to them there could be a building that looked like it had just been built the week before. The contrast between the destroyed and the freshly built was incredible. I'd never seen anything like that before. I thank God for the opportunity I had to serve up there for that short amount of time and have a bit more of a vision for the work being done there.

Adding to my regular teaching schedule, I have begun teaching a kids' English class in the city once a week after school. It is an hour-long class, 45 minutes of which are teaching, and the last 15 minutes are Bible time. I currently have 4 students, but that number has fluctuated many times since I took over the class. No matter the number of students, I've really enjoyed teaching this class. Understandably, it's made me a bit more exhausted during the week, but I'm so blessed after every class. I truly enjoy working with children, and it gives me such joy to see the interest the students have had in the Bible time, some of them hearing scripture for the first time in their life. Please pray that God would work in their hearts as these seeds are planted, and that He would give me wisdom in what to say and what not to say!

Interns just seem to keep rolling in and out! In March we welcomed Tara to the team. She is working at the school as well, which seems to be the norm for interns. :) In April we said good-bye to Mary Beth, who returned home to Virginia after having been in Japan since September. This past week we said good-bye to Joseph, who was going back to South Carolina and was here since January. Next Sunday we say good-bye to Emily, who is going back to Missouri and has also been here since September. As difficult as it is to say good-bye to many people, I am incredibly grateful to God for blessing me with so many wonderful friendships this time around! I've enjoyed getting to know these interns so much, and I've learned so much about myself and Christ from their friendship.

Over spring break, I was able to spend four days in a south-western part of Japan called Kyoto. Mary Beth, Emily, and I found unbelievably cheap plane tickets and decided to take a mini vacation to this very old and cultural place and visit with friends of Mary Beth and of Emily. I absolutely loved our time there! It was such an exciting adventure, and I really saw God working in our trip. Our first day there, while we were riding a train, a Japanese girl named Miki came up and started a conversation with us. Apparently she had studied in Canada for a while. After talking, she said she really wanted to spend time with us sometime during our stay. Our final day in Kyoto, we were actually able to spend the whole day with her until we had to leave for the airport, and we were able to share the gospel with her! She had so many questions about our beliefs and was so interested in other religions because she wanted to know "what makes religious people so happy?" She talked about how she would love to have a Bible, so when we got home to Chiba, Emily was able to mail her one. Please pray that God would open Miki's eyes to the true Word, and that she would come to understand what joy is!

As soon as we got back from Kyoto, we hit the ground running in preparation for our friends' wedding. I was asked to sing in the wedding, which was something I had never done before (especially not in Japanese), and was such an honor to be a part of! The wedding was absolutely beautiful and such a wonderful witness of Christ's love for us. It was so encouraging for many people, and very exciting to think of all the non-believers there who heard the scripture and so many other things that echoed the gospel!

After spring break, we started back at school, which was actually the beginning of the school year for the Japanese students, meaning we had new students! It's been so much fun having new faces and personalities in the school!

The biggest, most intense project since I've been here was all the preparations for our school play: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It was an insanely busy, stressful, time-consuming experience, but good nonetheless. We had two performances, which were last weekend. There was so much work that went into the sets and costumes (all of which were made from scratch) and memorizing lines and blocking. It's hard for me to believe we pulled everything off on time for the performance! (Some of us were at the school until 3 in the morning still making costumes the night before the first performance.) Praise the LORD, everything came together so well, and the performances were wonderful!

With the busyness of life here, I can't tell you how much I look forward to Sundays. Every Sunday I am so refreshed and uplifted by the friendships I have here. Sundays are usually full of some kind of crazy adventure with a bunch of us scallywags from church. ;) I always go home on Sunday night feeling encouraged and blessed to the max by the wonderful friends God has put in my life, and feel ready to tackle the week with that encouragement, which if such a gift from my heavenly Father! I can do nothing without His strength.

I thank God for the opportunities my friends and I have had to have wonderful, deep conversations with our non-Christian Japanese friends who are full of curiosity about who God is. Please pray for wisdom and guidance as we love them and share our faith with them, and that they would come to accept Christ as their LORD and Savior!

In regards to my Japanese language skills, I am so excited to say that things recently have just seemed to click, and I understand a whole lot more of Japanese conversation. It's still a little difficult for me to communicate myself, but I certainly have a new confidence in using the Japanese I know! I thank God for the blessing of being able to communicate, something that shouldn't be taken for granted. I am also thankful for the many "non-official" Japanese teachers I have here, who are so incredibly patient with the other interns and myself as we seem to ask them never-ending questions about this language! What a blessing they are!

Like I said in the beginning, this is a very condensed version of the things that have happened over the past two months, and even these are just the highlights.

In conclusion, please pray that I would be a blessing, not a burden; a help, not a hindrance; an encouragement, not a discouragement; a joy, not an Eeyore; a witness, not a hermit; a friend, not a thorn; an example, not a bad influence; and most of all, a light for all to see, not a flame hidden under a bushel.

As always, I can't thank you all enough for your love and support in my being here and working to further God's kingdom! I am reminded daily of how much I am loved in that there are people praying for me, supporting me financially, and taking the time to send me encouraging emails. I am truly sorry for not keeping you all updated like I should. I can't believe how blessed I am to have such a wonderful family, and to see that family stretched all across the world. Praise Him from whom all blessings flow!

-Melanie

Oh, and to answer one question that I am asked literally every day by someone-or-another, whether Japanese, American, or otherwise: I honestly have no idea when I'm going back to America. All I know is that I am here now, and that's where God wants me and is using me. My passion for this country - its people especially - grows every moment of every day, burning inside me with such intensity, and I thank God - who sparked this fire in me long ago - that He has put me here at this point in time. I may not know when I'm going back to the States, but I trust in Him to use me however He may up to the last minute I have on the soil of this country. I also trust in His timing to send me back when it is absolutely right to do so. Thank you to those who so sweetly tell me how much I'm missed - you are certainly missed in return! How beautiful it will be one day in Eternity where we will be together forever, dancing around the throne, shouting praises to our King of Kings! Hallelujah!!

Of course, I have to wrap things up with silly conversations I've had.
#1
ME: Okay, new word of the day! "Weekend!" What does "weekend" mean?
STUDENT: WEEKEND DO IT!!!!
ME: *pause* YEAH WE CAN!

#2
While ordering at Starbucks, the super friendly employee girl asked (in Japanese) if she could have my name. I told her, and she then asked me to write it on a piece of paper for her to spell. I wrote it in Japanese, which seemed to surprise her, and she asked in Japanese, "Oh, is it okay for me to write it like that?" I told her of course, and she very excitedly said, "OK!" in English. She then proceeded to write me a note on my cup, and draw an adorable bear on the bottom. Her enthusiasm definitely made my day. :)

Note from Starbucks employee

Spending time in Tokyo with interns

School field trip to Tokyo

 

CCSI teachers (my coworkers!)

Cherry blossom season came early this year!

My drink of choice - milk tea!

Interns in "Cherry Blossom Park"

With Mary Beth's friend Whitney in Kobe

Trying all sorts of delicious food in Kyoto

Om nom!

Our new friend Miki, and Emily's friend Hisami took us to the famous Golden Temple

Mary Beth, Emily, and I at kiyomizudera

My first experience in Japanese summer kimono (yukata)

One of my students graduated from middle school!

Congrats, AnneMie!

Baby Jo being adorable with a flower on his head

Worship team practice for wedding

Wedding "sanbi"/worship team!

Two of my students, AnneMie and Bianca. I love seeing how God is working in them all they time, and watching them grow in their relationships with Him!

The bride and me! Congratulations, my dear friend Megumi!

Our Sunday morning Sunday school class (our Sunday school teacher, Mark, is the groom)

Interns with the newlyweds

The face of a teacher. :) (Lesson planning for the week)

Afro English class

Normal day at the office

Stage crew for Narnia!

One of the costumes for Narnia I spent most of my time hand-sewing together. MINOTAUR!

Tokyo lights

Ramen with friends

I really do love these people so much!

Helping a construction crew from America work on Oyumino Chapel