Take it to the Lord in Prayer

It's official: I am two days in to my last semester of college - crazy! The blog for this week is something I'll probably write more and more often: prayer requests! Below are a few of the things on my mind and heart this week:

Join me in praying that it is a semester full of growth: academically and musically, but most of all growth in Christ (and that I would encourage others to grow!)

My younger sister, Anna, has her first surgery for juvenile glaucoma next week: pray for continued peace (mainly for her, but all of our family as well) and God's touch of healing.

The seminary in Nagoya, Japan recently bought a new building- yay! But I just heard this from them yesterday: "A government official is stubbornly refusing to give approval for non-profit religious use of the new building, which jeopardizes everything." Pray for the softening of the official's heart, and that God would lift the spirits of the missionaries and Japanese Christians during this struggle.

To wristband, or not to wristband

Support raising thought of the week: I'm considering having some bracelets made. You know the little silicone ones?

Current design idea: white inside, red outside, with "Let Your Light Shine" in white on one side and "Tokyo, Japan" on the other

Current distribution idea: they would be given out to supporters*, one free band per person/ family, and extras could be purchased

Let me know what you think:
~Awesome! Do it! I want one!
~Well, sure. Why not?
~No! Seriously? Bad idea.



By the way, I have spent the week doing more than thinking about bracelet/wristband/things. I have been visiting my wonderful sister and her family! This is the newest member: Lucy is two and a half weeks old and so cute!









*supporter= signed up through MTW to give financially and/or through prayer. Go here for more information/online giving, or let me know if you have any questions.

あけましておめでとうございます! (Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu!)...or something like that...Happy New Year!

I may not be showing it quite as boisterously as this crowd, but I'm pretty excited about the New Year myself.

Not so much the holiday (though hanging out with family will be awesome) but about the actual new year ahead. I know God has some awesome things planned, and I'm excited to discover them- one day at a time. You never know what our God has up His sleeve... :)

Happy New Year!


Speaking of new things...a hopeful thought:

Revelation 21:1-7:
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

⁶ He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷ Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

Merry Christmas!

The chapel scheduled for last Friday was canceled because of snow (sad), but highlights of the week include...

-Making tempura with the family (Honea style: it was a team effort involving a fondue pot, a bit of mess, a bit of guess work, laughter, and lots of very tasty food!)

-Reading William Axling's "Japan on the Upward Trail", an interesting read on the history of Christians in Japan from the arrival of Jesuits in the early 16th Century. (from the perspective of a missionary who had been there 20+ years, and copyright 1923- what a different world it was then!)

-Meeting with 3 adult Sunday School classes at 1st Pres, Danville to share about Tokyo, ministry, and my calling there (a joy to reconnect with members of the church where I grew up: they are always full of encouragement!)

-Oh, and of course, because there was snow, I couldn't resist reliving my childhood: my two younger siblings and I dragged out old plastic sleds and spent a morning blazing icy trails behind the house :)
("Don't worry, Mom, we'll bail out before we hit the trees!")

-and last but certainly not least: Christmas with the Family! We celebrate whenever the most of us can gather together (only 7 of us this year), and that was this morning. So by the Honea Calendar, Merry Christmas!

Let it snow, let it snow...wait! Quit snowing!

One of the things I love about this phase of ministry (pre-Tokyo preparation and support team development/fund-raising) is sharing the excitement. I get all of these opportunities to talk to people about what's going on in Japan, why I'm going, different things I will/might do, experiences from my brief trip this past summer, ways that they (you!) can be involved...I get excited just thinking about it.

One of the awesome ways I get to share is by speaking in chapel tomorrow to about 220 students at Westover Christian Academy, where I spent 13 years of my life. I'm so excited about getting them excited, and encouraging them to shine their light, and sharing practically what that means/looks like...should be really fun. Unfortunately, this lovely snow means school is canceled today, and if it keeps up will be canceled tomorrow as well. Which means no talk :(

So I'm praying the roads clear enough for school to meet tomorrow (and for other meetings I have over the next 2 weeks), and if they don't, that I have a good attitude about it :) Should I worry about the weather? Certainly not: I am confident it is firmly in God's control.
So I might as well enjoy it... :)

It's Christmas time, in the city...

The Christmas tree in the Ginza district of Tokyo (location of Grace City Church). Gorgeous. From what I hear, the western world has done a great job sharing Christmas with Japan. The commercialization, pretty decorations, lights, and presents, that is...kind of like Valentine's Day.




Fun thing to do on Christmas in Tokyo? One suggestion: "snap a shot of Colonel Sanders dressed up as Santa Claus outside a KFC. Apparently the chain takes advantage of their similar look into confusing people that KFC is some kind of Xmas tradition. The lines there on the day are around the block." Sad as I am about the lack of meaning in the celebration of Christmas in Tokyo (not to mention here, but that's another story), I cannot help but find this absolutely hysterical :) You know, old white guy, white hair, lots of red...heehee

Happy Advent

I know, I'm way off topic as this has no exciting updates about ministry in Tokyo, (and when I started this blog I swore to myself I wasn't going to give rambling sermonettes), but I promise there is a connection!

Yes, we are now in the first week of Advent- it's officially Christmas time! Let the Christmas music, pageants, and ridiculous amounts of cookies begin!

It's a season of expectation, looking back on the birth of Christ and forward to what He has planned next. It is a season of joy and peace, because Immanuel has come, and God is still with us. Unfortunately, I realized my mind has been far too mooshed up with thoughts of final projects, exams, planning for break, and when am I going to fit in fundraising?...basically too (unnecessarily) stressed to enjoy and rest in Him. What a heart-breaking realization!

Rest is an important part of shining the light of Christ: we must bask in His light so that we can in turn shine it out to others.

“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him,
for he shields him all day long,
and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.”
~Deuteronomy 33:12