my flesh & heart will fail.

"My flesh & my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart & my portion forever."-Psalm 73:26

Yesterday was the first day I have cried since being in Japan; I really, really do not want to admit it because

1) apart from people naturally assuming I'm emotional because I'm a girl, I don't want to add to the assumption & admit I really can be emotional, ha ha

&&

2) I feel lame for crying.
HAHA

Instead of my usual "oh my gosh, everything is so wonderful. . ." & so on, I am going to be real & tell you that I didn't feel so great yesterday. In fact, I have hit what I call the "oh-my-gosh-I-live-in-a-foreign-country" brick wall. I am not saying, (in any way, shape, or form) that I dislike this country & this experience so much I want to go home. . .actually, I really love this country & the people! However, I am realizing how stretching it can be to live in a foreign country; I am learning that it can be so exhausting to be out of my usual element & yesterday I gave in. Being stretched by God can hurt.

My heart failed, it became weak, but I am by no means ashamed of that. My friend Meg (I mentioned her in a previous post), was so gracious in reminding me that God is deepening my understanding of my desperate need for Him everyday, ALL day. HE is my heart's source of strength; I fail, but He never has & He never will fail. Praise God! I am so grateful to my Savior that He welcomes me to fall on Him when I can no longer stand.

Yuriko & Kame (:

So apart from all of that, I also wanted to give you a few (of many) reasons/things I love about being here in Japan:

Emi & Naomi :)

• Beautiful people who are so friendly
• Lifegroup
• Gorgeous sunsets
• Going to Japanese class
• Delicious food. . .salmon sushi, yum!
• Riding the trains
• My missions/church team
• As hard as it can be, the language is beautiful
• Bike parking lots
• Cooking parties with friends
• My adventurous & loving Japanese friends
• Riding a bike along the river
• Karaoke!

God brought me to Japan & I plan on having the time of my life while I'm here :) Japan is a beautiful country filled with people who are even more valuable than the country itself. Jesus loves these people & He longs for their hearts to know the depths of His love. I am so excited to be a part of God's adventure here!

Recently, a lot has been going on! A little over a week ago I volunteered with my friend Jolynn at a care center (a bunch of cute little old ladies come to eat together, talk, & play games ALL day). After doing some kitchen duty, we played games with the beautiful women & they taught us a Japanese song & we were able to sing a song for them too (we sang, O How He Loves)! It was so much fun & it was exciting to see these ladies having fun too. On Sunday I had my first Japanese karaoke experience ever & I had a blast!! Karaoke is different here than in the States; in the States, you usually do karaoke in public, but here in Japan you get your own private room. Karaoke is much more popular here too. I had so much fun with everybody; God has truly blessed me with these wonderful friends of mine!

Before I go, I wanted to remind you that some of my photography will be on display in The Pour House in Florence Colorado, starting this week!!! If you would like to help support me, you can visit the coffee shop. It will also be a really awesome way of helping to support Kenny (owner of The Pour House)!! I hope you all can find a day to grave a cup o' coffee & check out some of the photos :) Thank you to my mom for getting it all set up, thank you to Mrs. Robin Hall for helping my mom, & thank you to Kenny for giving me this opportunity!! Wish I was there to see it & thank you all personally.

Praise God for the miracles He is performing here in Japan & all over the world! May He continue to be lifted high in everything. Continue to pray for the Japanese hearts; that they will come to know how valuable they are to Christ. God desires to see Japan come to know Him & His great love. Please pray that we will continue to boldly declare the good news (the Gospel)! Thank you for your prayers & support! I can never thank you enough, but expect a thank you every time I end a blog :) I pray in some way or another I can be a blessing/encouragement to you! Love you all!!

"How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? & how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? & how can they hear without someone preaching to them? & how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"

-Romans 10:14-15

SUPPORT INFORMATION:

*Supporting the Journey to Japan

&

*Electronic Funds Transfer: SJJ

Photos, Community, Blessings, & Weakness; May God Be Praised.

cooking party!

I have been thinking a lot about Costa Rica recently so yesterday I went through photos & edited a few. I posted a handful on my flickr (CLICK TO VIEW) & I am sharing a few others on this blog too. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Also, some of my photography will be on display in The Pour House in Florence, Colorado beginning in February so if you would like to help support me, you can visit the coffee shop, pick up a photo or two, & grab a cup o' coffee on your way out :). A HUGE thank you to the owner, Kenny! I am grateful for this opportunity!

I should apologize for not updating this blog as much I said I would. . .it's not the lack of desire, but it is the lack of words I have to describe everything that has been happening! There are so many blessings that God is pouring into my life that I don't even know where to begin.

Costa Rica 2011

When it comes to the country, the culture, the language, & being part of an awesome missions team at FUSE Jesus Community Church here in Japan, I am constantly & will always be learning more, but by the grace of God I am beginning to find my nitch ("beginning" is the key word here, haha). So much has been happening & there is much more to come; how wonderful it is to serve a God that is constantly pouring out blessings. I have been making a lot of friends & growing closer with my missions team. God has placed me in an incredibly loving community & I am so excited to live in fellowship/unity with these Godly men & women from all over the world! "All the believers were one in heart & mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had." -Acts 4:32 I am excited to live this out throughout this year!

Ayana & I

God has a lot in store for me. . .He wasn't kidding when He called me into living a life of being stretched. As I am taking on new roles & responsibilities, the more & more I see God stretching me for His glory & my deepest desire is to bring Him praise in everything that is said & done. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 is a passage the Lord has been implanting deeply into my heart for the last four months (I would type it out, but I recommend you look it up). I see the leadership roles God is raising me up to & I can't help, but think, "Whoa. . .I am not capable of all of this Father." & I will not begin to deny that thought because it is true. . .I, by myself, am a bit of a little weakling (ha ha) because apart from Him, I am nothing. I delight in my weaknesses because where I am not enough, HE IS! He has & is equipping me to fill leadership roles for His glory; I am weak & I know there will be times when I struggle, but praise the Lord for He is strong! & praise God that He has provided awesome leaders (of whom I serve under) that I can learn from & He has provided a loving & encouraging community.

Costa Rica 2011

I am getting ready to be a part of the worship team at FUSE Jesus Community Church so I have been practicing in my room on a little keyboard & I have been having a blast, haha! I am addicted to playing the song I'm a Lover of Your Presence; it isn't a song we do for worship at church, but I like to worship the Lord with it in my own personal time. I highly recommend listening :)

Costa Rica 2011

I have to go for now, but I promise I will be updating this more regularly! Please continue to pray for God's provision in all areas of life & continue to pray for Japan! I am praying for you daily & please know how deeply loved & missed you are by me!!

I am still raising support so if you would like to support me, you can go to:
Supporting the Journey to Japan
&
Electronic Funds Transfer: SJJ

THANK YOU for your support & prayers. God has blessed me beyond belief through you & I pray that He will use me to be a blessing in your life as well! LOVE YOU!!

Costa Rica 2011

"Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, & we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture."

-Psalm 100:3

one month.

temple at Meiji

Can you believe it?! It is so hard to believe that I have been in Japan for a month; I still feel like the new kid! I am still getting used to how the culture, the people, & the language all work here in Japan. Throughout this past year I have come to love & truly know the following quote:

The more I see, the less I know.

Miho, Christina, & Sachiko

How true it is. . .the world is so diverse & so beautiful! The more I get out & experience the world (whether in the States or not), the more I realize how little is known. For being here in Japan for such a short time, my mind has already been blown by the differences & beauties of their culture. I love being here in Japan, I love learning the language (despite how frustrating it can be), I love the food, but most of all I love the people!! I have been making such wonderful friends & I wish you could meet them & get to know the amazing heart God has placed within each of them.

Saki & I

So apart from all of that, the Lord is so good & I am continuing to learn what it is to press into Him, to lean on Him in every aspect of my life. Get ready for a quick rambling (I ramble a lot, haha): It's so funny because when circumstances or situations head in a direction I did not intend or desire them to go, my heart & mind have a freak out. When I say "it's so funny," I seriously laugh at myself because of my small heart attacks, ha ha! I think back to a moment I had earlier this week & I giggle because it was so silly, yet I look back on it so grateful because every day I am realizing/learning more & more how important it is to press into the Lord in EVERY area of my life, both the minuscule areas & the largely important areas of my life. Another thing I am so thankful for is my friends back home; in particular my friend Meghan Cox. She has been such a huge blessing to me while I was living at home & while I have been here in Japan. Heck, she has been a blessing since I have known her (I have known her for about 8 years)!! She writes me daily reminding me of how much Jesus loves me & that He is enough when I'm not. Meg has made a big impact on my life & I am grateful to God for her friendship & her love for Him. Thank you Meg for your prayers & daily encouragement!

Meg & I a couple years back;
we went to water world (:

I also want to thank everybody for their constant thoughts & prayers for me & Japan. I'm serious when I say they are felt & they make a huge impact. I am praying for you too! :) Before I go (have to start making dinner for after prayer tonight), I wanted to ask you to keep my friend Justin Schielke in your prayers as well; he is headed to Uganda for a missions trip in about 2 weeks. He needs lots of prayers & support! You can get to know him & find more information on his trip at: Justin Schielke: Uganda Support Letter 

Please check it out! :)

Once again, thank you for everything & I cannot wait to share my small photo project with you!

Love,

Abigail

p.s.

If you or someone you know would like to support me here in Japan, you can go to:

Supporting the Journey to Japan.

&

Electronic Funds Transfer: Supporting the Journey to Japan

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise Him, my Savior & my God."

-Psalm 43:5