My summer in Tokyo has come to an end, and I am now back in the states. It was an amazing summer, and I will do my best to tell you about our last few days there!
For our last weekend in Japan, my team and I were blessed with the chance to go north to Ishinomaki, a city in Japan that was hit by the tsunami.
How we got there is a testimony to God’s love and provision in itself. The Sunday before our trip, two missionaries from the African country Burundi visited our church New Hope International. They brought with them 3.5 million yen, which is about $350,000, to donate towards the tsunami relief efforts. Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with the poorest GDP per capita (about $150). When they addressed the congregation, they explained that they did not bring money – they brought love. Those affected by the tsunami have money and warehouses of food – but they need the love of Christ. It reminded me of a church Paul spoke of in the New Testament:
“Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will.” 2 Corinthians 8:1-3
Their generosity and love for their brothers and sisters in Christ in Japan moved my team. It was amazing to witness, and God used their generosity and love to further teach us that we are a family – that we make up the Body of Christ, spread out among the world. The two missionaries from Burundi asked one thing of the church: that we remember our brothers and sisters in Burundi, as they have remembered their brothers and sisters in Japan. It was very humbling, and shows us how important it is that our “worlds” are not to be mistaken for the world as it is. Christ opens our eyes and hearts to see that it is so much bigger than our individual lives. We are called to be His hands and feet around the world, spreading the message of hope and healing in word and deed, wherever He has us now or takes us in the future.
Because of God’s provision through the church in Burundi, our trip up north was completely paid for. We arrived that Friday and helped sort a storehouse of food and supplies. Early Saturday, we traveled a couple of hours from the church we were staying at to Ishinomaki. Our team was split into a few groups and we worked with Samaritans purse helping demolish the water damaged wood and dry wall within a few homes. Many of the homes in the city were still standing, whereas we were told that further north from where we were working there were areas completely flattened by the tsunami. It reminded me a lot of a Habitat build until they described the relief process, and how only months before they were searching for bodies within the homes before starting any construction. Shown in this post are photos taken by my teammates at the site. |
| debris piled high from the devastation |
A lesson we took away from doing tsunami relief was how fleeting this life is. The people in Ishinomaki only had between 10 and 20 minutes warning before the tsunami hit their city. Our team found possessions, once treasured, strewn about sites. We will take nothing with us in the end, and we never know when it will come. I can’t imagine facing such devastation without the Lord. The people need hope. Some who had lost homes still owed many years on their mortgages. We were told that suicides are prevalent, with many thinking it would have been better if they had died with others that were lost than face the devastation. The missionaries from Burundi could not have said it better: they need love. Christ offers hope and healing, and it was humbling to be used by Him there. Please pray that those affected by the tsunami come to know His love and promise of restoration so that even amidst such devastation they may have peace with God.
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| the mountain of debris beside the calm ocean |
This summer was amazing. I don’t know if I will ever return to Japan, but God is continuing to bring me to know satisfaction in Him. I’ve learned that God doesn’t want my actions – He wants my heart. The heart of Christianity is that you don’t deserve God’s grace, but He pays the price for it and you accept it freely. Our actions are a response to this grace, not a means to receive it. He has taken me on a crazy ride so far, but I know that no matter where He takes me in the future, He will always be there. Since accepting Christ into my heart, He has made it clear that He is going to do all that it takes to heal it and make it entirely His.
The Lord has created us each uniquely and wonderfully, and He knows and loves us fully. He knows what it will take for each of us individually – there is no set life for a Christian, be it a missionary or pastor or businessman. He and His Word is all that remains constant.
At the end of our trip, we parted with this verse:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Our lives are going to be full of changes in plans, surprises and heartbreaks. The Lord wants to bring each of us to look at our lives knowing who He is, that the One who calls us is faithful and has loved us perfectly. We can’t decide who He is for ourselves based on our always-changing circumstances. God invites us to know and experience His perfect love, amidst all of our inadequacies, right where we are at, so that He Himself may equip us and be used by Him wherever we are.
I am looking forward to what He has prepared for the future, but I know it starts with giving Him each and every day. Thank you for taking this journey with me through reading my posts J I will leave you with this parting verse and fun accounts from my summer in Tokyo!
“Now may the God of peace – who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood – may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21
A Cultural Experience!
Strangest food tasted: Onigiri with raw egg. Imagine a triangle of rice covered in seaweed filled with just about anything. It’s as common in Japan as sandwiches are in the U.S. Surprisingly tasty, and I didn’t get sick!
Most delicious food: Okonomiyaki =“Japanese pancake.” Two pancakes cooked hibachi style with cabbage, egg (cooked, obviously), bean sprouts, mochi, bacon, and cheese squished in between. To top it off, okonomi sauce. I bought a griddle for college with the specific purpose for making them here.
One thing I wish I had done: Go to a baseball game in Tokyo. Apparently, it’s a crazy experience, especially amidst a usually quiet and reserved culture. Each fan base has fun songs and dances, some even involving umbrellas, for their teams. Baseball in Japan is unlike any in the U.S.!
Favorite Firsts: My first trip to Disney Land! And it was in Tokyo! Our leaders completely surprised us on the morning of, which made it that much better. I also had my first surprise birthday party put on by my team for my leader Laura and I. The girls also took me to Tokyo tower on the day of!
Free Time: I spent many of my quiet times at a cafe near our apartment. Of course I had to purchase a drink, so now I've grown to like coffee!
One thing I wanted to take back with me: My futon. It was so comfortable, better than any of the hard ones here in the U.S. Sleeping on the floor was unexpectedly great!
Inspired by: I'm determined to become better at riding a bike. The Japanese put me to shame in that area, as I even saw moms riding with three kids strapped to her maneuvering around all the pedestrians on their super small sidewalks.
Best Souvenir: Totoro! He is an adorable character from a Miyazaki film. I should also add that he is Carolina blue J
Thank you again for all of your prayers and support. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my posts, please feel free to contact me if you want to talk more about anything you’ve read here this summer or anything that I didn’t completely cover J (enmoser@live.unc.edu - new email address!)
Love in Christ,
Liz
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