2013.01.10 20:31
Jesse newsletter - 1/5/13
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It's less than three months until things wind up here. March 25th with be my last week of school here on this contract. Please pray that I may finish strong, keep my mind in the present, make wise decisions to prepare for the future, seek and hear earnestly from Him while I'm still here. Also please pray for the direction and wisdom of Noah's Ark and Tokyo Vision church. As well as all of those whom I've been given in my social sphere here to reach out to in one way or another.
This has been a pretty happening month, for a few different reasons. We don't have any more full time students yet, and were hoping to get some before January came. We just had our two week vacation from the 24rd, and resume on the 7th.
For the Christmas service, a family of four, and a wife and a child showed up, out of the people that I invited. Back in the states, it was a lot easier, though still a small miracle, to get some one to come to church. They have a joke here that says 1 is worth 100 in Japan. It went well, we had a little Christmas play for the kids, and the missionary's daughter and I rapped a psalm. In the end, all the reports were positive, and the people were happy they were invited.
I've been getting to know more and more the family of four who I mentioned above. My friend introduced me to them originally to teach their kids English privately, and eventually I convinced them to come to Noah's Ark one day a week. But the parents, and especially the dad, have taken particular interest in me. I think the dad wants to come live in the US one day. When they showed up to the Christmas service, they had a little gift, which I thanked them for and put away. But they insisted on me opening it at that moment, so I did. A brand new camera! Not cheap either!
My neighbor has become a second mother to me. Jesus keeps reminding me how close He is, and concerned He is with my life. Though I don't feel lonely living alone, or lack anything, it seems I'm always subject to special privileges and blessings. She, a mother of two whom is now retired for secular work (though spends many hours of the day meeting with believers, praying, and visiting the lost), has taken me to eat several times, given me useful household items, helped me pay bills, bought me expensive warm underclothing for winter, and most recently more. When she took me to meet with some of her friends, one of them told me about a conference with an organization by the name of "Torchbearers". They all decided I should go, and chipped in to buy me a ticket to go for 3 days. It was at the base of Mt. Fuji, very beautiful, took place in two large gorgeous log cabins, and was a lot of fun. I ended up doing chores the last day I was there, as they only have three employees and needed it, and was told I could come back anytime, and asked if I would consider volunteering there. I'm thinking about taking some time to go back and help before I leave Japan.
The same neighbor took me to a sick, non-believers' house to pray for a cancer victim, and a woman injured from an accident. Although nothing miraculous that I know of happened at that moment, both of them felt peace, and the husband said he felt cleansed inside. He was a WWII survivor, so it was interesting to talk to him. He said he was glad the Americans bombed Japan, since Japan wouldn't surrender. Interesting, surprising perspective. He said that they were programmed to die for the emperor, and after the regime ended so did the propaganda in school, and it was an interesting transition.
Another time, I was eating dinner with a friend of a friend, and sharing the gospel. I felt the prompting to say this, which I think is pretty safe anyway now, since it just always seems to happen: I told the other non-Christians around, watch this: (directed at her) do you feel peace right now? She replied, "no". So I asked if I could pray for her, and in front of them all I prayed a quick prayer for her, and specifically spoke into her God's peace. Sure enough she said that she felt it inside, to the surprise of the others around. Then I asked to pray for a guys' vision. After two prayers he jumped and said it was definitely better than before. I think we should always try to pray for people, whether it's for healing or whatever! It's amazing what God does behind the scenes.
Once again at basketball, I prayed for an acquaintance's ankle who doesn't believe. He said it definitely got better! I then told him briefly why I pray and believe, and invited him to the Christmas service. He didn't come, but when I saw him next he said "hey I want to bring my mom and my sister, are you there every Sunday?" I played with him recently and he took me to eat with his friends.
Another time I went to basketball, I got to pray for a girl who had a brace on her knee. She said it felt better after, and I got to explain the Gospel to her and her friend. They were still about 16, the ripe age when they don't know "everything in the world" yet, and it felt like they really, truly listened and believed what I said.
The Japanese people in general just seem to chronically emit this expression of loneliness and futility. One time I saw a girl crying on the train, and asked her if she was OK. She nodded, and just as I started to tell her that God loved her, she got up and walked to the other side of the train. What can we do to bring the Gospel to the masses here? I think we just need a powerful wave of God, sown by prayer and fasting, lives consecrated (set apart) to Him.
At some point a couple of weeks ago, I woke up to a pain in my groin. It felt like I just got kicked there! It was painful enough to wake me up, and I realized I was being pinned down with an arm on both biceps. I started thinking, ah, maybe its a certain friend that I knew who playing a joke on me, but when I tried to open my eyes to scare him, they wouldn't open. Neither could I speak. I realized it might be something spiritual, so I prayed in my head, Jesus if this is from you I'll receive it, otherwise I refuse it. I felt a rush of energy like a little explosion inside me, and it was gone. I looked up, and of course nothing was there. Then I felt like something, maybe energy, rolling through my body. Then last night I had a similar experience, and couldn't move, and felt something that wasn't right. I called out to Christ and it left. It wasn't scary a scary thing. I always told God that I would welcome such experiences, because they could only turn out for His glory. Woo-hoo!
Lastly that I will mention, I was sleeping at a friend's place, when at 7am we were abruptly woken up to a phone call from his dad that his mom wasn't responding. We rushed to her place to find her dead in the bathtub, where she had apparently been since last week. I helped lift her out, and he tried to resuscitate her unsuccessfully. I was praying for an opportunity like this! This was it! I was ready to fulfill part of the commission and raise the dead! I then prayed for about an hour, with whatever faith I had, to no avail. If you have a chance, check out David Hogan. God is doing many more amazing things through his ministry to the Indians of Mexico than raising the dead, but has been doing that as well. But even with them, often God chooses not to send the soul back. I was disappointed that God didn't do it. That day I prayed and fasted for him and his family, and believe got a word of knowledge while praying about it. I felt a peace like things were how they were supposed to be. She was a Christian after all, although the only one in the family. In prayer for the situation I saw a kanji, a Japanese character, that I didn't recognize. When I later asked someone what it meant, they said it was "home". GBY.
This has been a pretty happening month, for a few different reasons. We don't have any more full time students yet, and were hoping to get some before January came. We just had our two week vacation from the 24rd, and resume on the 7th.
For the Christmas service, a family of four, and a wife and a child showed up, out of the people that I invited. Back in the states, it was a lot easier, though still a small miracle, to get some one to come to church. They have a joke here that says 1 is worth 100 in Japan. It went well, we had a little Christmas play for the kids, and the missionary's daughter and I rapped a psalm. In the end, all the reports were positive, and the people were happy they were invited.
I've been getting to know more and more the family of four who I mentioned above. My friend introduced me to them originally to teach their kids English privately, and eventually I convinced them to come to Noah's Ark one day a week. But the parents, and especially the dad, have taken particular interest in me. I think the dad wants to come live in the US one day. When they showed up to the Christmas service, they had a little gift, which I thanked them for and put away. But they insisted on me opening it at that moment, so I did. A brand new camera! Not cheap either!
My neighbor has become a second mother to me. Jesus keeps reminding me how close He is, and concerned He is with my life. Though I don't feel lonely living alone, or lack anything, it seems I'm always subject to special privileges and blessings. She, a mother of two whom is now retired for secular work (though spends many hours of the day meeting with believers, praying, and visiting the lost), has taken me to eat several times, given me useful household items, helped me pay bills, bought me expensive warm underclothing for winter, and most recently more. When she took me to meet with some of her friends, one of them told me about a conference with an organization by the name of "Torchbearers". They all decided I should go, and chipped in to buy me a ticket to go for 3 days. It was at the base of Mt. Fuji, very beautiful, took place in two large gorgeous log cabins, and was a lot of fun. I ended up doing chores the last day I was there, as they only have three employees and needed it, and was told I could come back anytime, and asked if I would consider volunteering there. I'm thinking about taking some time to go back and help before I leave Japan.
The same neighbor took me to a sick, non-believers' house to pray for a cancer victim, and a woman injured from an accident. Although nothing miraculous that I know of happened at that moment, both of them felt peace, and the husband said he felt cleansed inside. He was a WWII survivor, so it was interesting to talk to him. He said he was glad the Americans bombed Japan, since Japan wouldn't surrender. Interesting, surprising perspective. He said that they were programmed to die for the emperor, and after the regime ended so did the propaganda in school, and it was an interesting transition.
Another time, I was eating dinner with a friend of a friend, and sharing the gospel. I felt the prompting to say this, which I think is pretty safe anyway now, since it just always seems to happen: I told the other non-Christians around, watch this: (directed at her) do you feel peace right now? She replied, "no". So I asked if I could pray for her, and in front of them all I prayed a quick prayer for her, and specifically spoke into her God's peace. Sure enough she said that she felt it inside, to the surprise of the others around. Then I asked to pray for a guys' vision. After two prayers he jumped and said it was definitely better than before. I think we should always try to pray for people, whether it's for healing or whatever! It's amazing what God does behind the scenes.
Once again at basketball, I prayed for an acquaintance's ankle who doesn't believe. He said it definitely got better! I then told him briefly why I pray and believe, and invited him to the Christmas service. He didn't come, but when I saw him next he said "hey I want to bring my mom and my sister, are you there every Sunday?" I played with him recently and he took me to eat with his friends.
Another time I went to basketball, I got to pray for a girl who had a brace on her knee. She said it felt better after, and I got to explain the Gospel to her and her friend. They were still about 16, the ripe age when they don't know "everything in the world" yet, and it felt like they really, truly listened and believed what I said.
The Japanese people in general just seem to chronically emit this expression of loneliness and futility. One time I saw a girl crying on the train, and asked her if she was OK. She nodded, and just as I started to tell her that God loved her, she got up and walked to the other side of the train. What can we do to bring the Gospel to the masses here? I think we just need a powerful wave of God, sown by prayer and fasting, lives consecrated (set apart) to Him.
At some point a couple of weeks ago, I woke up to a pain in my groin. It felt like I just got kicked there! It was painful enough to wake me up, and I realized I was being pinned down with an arm on both biceps. I started thinking, ah, maybe its a certain friend that I knew who playing a joke on me, but when I tried to open my eyes to scare him, they wouldn't open. Neither could I speak. I realized it might be something spiritual, so I prayed in my head, Jesus if this is from you I'll receive it, otherwise I refuse it. I felt a rush of energy like a little explosion inside me, and it was gone. I looked up, and of course nothing was there. Then I felt like something, maybe energy, rolling through my body. Then last night I had a similar experience, and couldn't move, and felt something that wasn't right. I called out to Christ and it left. It wasn't scary a scary thing. I always told God that I would welcome such experiences, because they could only turn out for His glory. Woo-hoo!
Lastly that I will mention, I was sleeping at a friend's place, when at 7am we were abruptly woken up to a phone call from his dad that his mom wasn't responding. We rushed to her place to find her dead in the bathtub, where she had apparently been since last week. I helped lift her out, and he tried to resuscitate her unsuccessfully. I was praying for an opportunity like this! This was it! I was ready to fulfill part of the commission and raise the dead! I then prayed for about an hour, with whatever faith I had, to no avail. If you have a chance, check out David Hogan. God is doing many more amazing things through his ministry to the Indians of Mexico than raising the dead, but has been doing that as well. But even with them, often God chooses not to send the soul back. I was disappointed that God didn't do it. That day I prayed and fasted for him and his family, and believe got a word of knowledge while praying about it. I felt a peace like things were how they were supposed to be. She was a Christian after all, although the only one in the family. In prayer for the situation I saw a kanji, a Japanese character, that I didn't recognize. When I later asked someone what it meant, they said it was "home". GBY.
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