Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Handbells and Hot Springs...

Dear Everyone,


I'm just sitting here enjoying a hot cup of instant coffee on another summer morning in Kyoto and it's great. I am waiting to have breakfast with the team and am looking forward to a free day today. Before I tell you about what is going on today let me tell you about yesterday. After my post yesterday, our team finished up breakfast and then left for the Baptist Hospital. Everyone on the team had prepared to sing a few Japanese songs for some of the elderly at the home but unfortunately, I didn't have the music translated into English. I was kind of annoyed that I hadn't really had time to prepare or have the music but it didn't matter because God rocked me. As the team prepared to go up to the front of the room to sing, I sat down in the back to keep an eye on all the team's belongings. Shortly before the rest of the team went up, 4 Japanese students played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the handbells and I cried. I have never cried listening to any version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star but this time was different. As the students played, I slowly looked around the room at all of the faces of the older patients and saw so much excitement and joy for that one little song. I thought about God and how much He loved those patients and how much He loved me and was blown away. It's like God was showing me just a small picture of His love for people through that short handbell performance and I could feel it. Wow. Thank you Lord for your amazing love for us! After the students were done, the rest of my team went up and did a wonderful job. The patients really enjoyed their song and some even clapped along. The team performed twice in the hospital for different wards and twice they were awesome. Once they were done, it was time for us to head back to the church and prepare to hand out some invitations/tracks at a local college for Friday Night Fellowship which will be at the church on Friday. Right as we finished folding the last track it started to rain and we had to cancel our plans. It's alright though, because I got an English translation of the song that the team sang at the Hospital and we spent the rest of the afternoon practicing songs for Friday. The team is also doing some traditional Korean dances which are beautiful. After I practiced the song with the team and they began their dance rehearsal I came inside for a short nap. They finished around 5:30 and then it was time for supper. I made some more sweet tea because not only is it good and remind me of home, but they LOVE it. Supper was delicious as usual and this time I just didn't eat as much of the squid. I stuck to the seaweed and rice. After supper was over and cleanup was done it was time to go the hot spring (Hallejuah chorus playing in my head). The hot spring is just awesome. period. Although it's extremely revealing, it's also relaxing, refreshing, and reinvigorating. Every time I go to the hot spring it gets better and better. If you want to know more, just ask me in person sometime and I can explain in greater detail. Once that was over we came back and all collapsed. It had been a long day and we were all exhausted.
I got up about an hour ago and breakfast is almost ready. Today is going to be awesome. Along with climbing Mt. Daimonjii again, (this time to the top) I will be meeting a person from UGA Wesley in downtown Kyoto. That's right, I said UGA Wesley. A girl named Natalie Webb who was an intern as Wesley last year won a very competitive internship to travel all over the world for 3 months and happens to be in Kyoto right now too. We are probably going to meet up at Kyoto Station and just chat for a little while over coffee. She is curious to know what God is doing on my trip. It is just too cool that I am meeting someone from UGA for the first time in Japan. Only God could work out something like that! Although it's a free day, I am excited to see what God does..Pray that God would continue to use our team to serve and love people in Kyoto. Pray for strength and favor with the people. Pray that we would be led by the Spirit. Last but not least are the shout outs for the day. The first shout of the day goes to...Dad. Happy Birthday Dad! I miss you and love you very much. I am so thankful for what God has done in our family and what a great man of Him you have become. You are truly a role model for me and I can't wait to see you again. The second shout out of the day goes to... Newton. Miss you buddy and I hoped you are excited about getting married soon. I am going to try and call you with Soma Sensei, Leena, and Hyato. There are so many sweet memories here from last year and I am so glad you were a part of the team. Thankful that you will be involved in Men's Ministry next year! Thank you everyone for your support and I look forward to posting again soon..

Only By Grace,
CP

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