Sunday, July 19, 2009

Running out of time...

There are only 2 weeks left before I return to reality. This isn't a world I wish to forget. Japan has become my life. Everything that ever gave my life a meaning, I found it here in Japan. I cannot see myself doing anything else with my life. No matter how long it is going to take me to come back to this amazing country, I will return and I will do my God proud, and give him plenty of Glory. God has done so much in the lives of Japanese people here. Today we had worship in the park and saw 2 new Japanese Christians attend, and shared testimonies of how they got saved. I have never been more encouraged. Believe me when I say that I am more than ready to climb Mt. Fuji, but I am praying that God continues to prove himself faithful and that I will have the resources (particularly some green ones) that will help me get there.

More updates soon (before I leave Japan)

-Joel

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Indian Food and the Gospel

I know that the title of the post hardly fits something that I would bring up, but when it comes to Japan, there are just so many people here, from all over the globe that choose to make this country their home. I was with 4 friends today for lunch and we were in Shibuya and went to an Indian buffet. The people that we met there were so kind to us, and we learned a great deal about them. I feel that we can best express the gospel to people by our actions. We need to make people seriously question why we are so nice to them, when no one else will be. It is something that I feel that every Christian should learn in their lives.

PEACE!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Japan Update (celebrating 10 years in Florida)

I am so sorry that I haven't been on the blogger page to update everyone on how things have been here. I have been so extremely busy these past 2 weeks, attending to ministry and such, I just started to use my e-mail list to update people periodically of all that has been happening. Well, today is my day off, so I took advantage of the opportunity to do some things that I was wanting to do and I realized that being on the blog was a matter of personal importance.

I cannot believe that today is July 3rd, 2009. 10 years ago, I was in New York, riding in a car headed for Washington DC in the hopes of getting onboard a train bound for Orlando. I missed that train, and had to spend a night in some small town in Virginia someplace. I am talking of course about the circumstances surrounding my family moving to Florida in 1999. Back then, my dad was just starting out with Chosen People Ministries, and he hadn't gotten to where he is now, but as I write this, dad is the vice president of CPM and he has done so much in these 10 years since moving to Florida.

I would have never expected to have been in this place 10 years ago. Truly, the only interest in Japan I ever had was in Pokemon and Pokemon cards. That was just about it. There wasn't any particular desire to ever see Japanese people come to find their savior, but that all changed when I saw the country for the first time in 2003, and then I knew that God wanted me here, serving him and bringing lost people into the light.

I praise the name of the Lord for the things that have changed in me, and for this love he has given me for Japan. I pray that it never flees from my life, and that I always will rejoice in God for what he does for me!