A View From the Top...

Dear Everyone

It is another rainy morning here in Kyoto but it's so beautiful. Waking up to a slight drizzle, my Japanese brothers laughing, and the smell of coffee is wonderful. Yesterday was a great day as well. After my post, Leena, Hyato, and me went off the to church for the mom's and toddlers class. As soon as we arrived at the church Pastor Soma was waiting for us and it was a very excited reunion. I jumped out of the van and ran to hug him. It was a great moment after having not seen each other for over a year. Once we had chatted for a bit, Pastor took us inside and the mothers arrived shortly after. There were 3 mothers and their children who were adorable. I gave my presentation on Georgia and they found it very interesting. They had some questions for me afterwards which were very fun to answer. Once my presentation was over, I had a chance to share with the mothers about why I had come to Japan and what I hoped to do in the future. 2 of the mothers were not Christians and it was really amazing to be able to share about God and hear Leena discuss the gospel. After the short testimony time, it was time for English class. Leena was leading it at first but the children were being so wild that she decided to play with them while I taught the class. I have never had so much fun in my life. I know going over worksheets on the usage of do/does doesn't sound that exciting, but it's my ministry and I love it. After the class was over we had some small talk and then it was time to go to lunch. Pastor Soma, Leena, and Hyato and me went to an Italian restaurant that our team went to several times last year. It was very tasty and everyone's meal was one me. God has provided so much for this trip in a such way that I am able to pass on that provision to my Japanese brothers and sisters which is an incredible experience. Thank you Lord for you love and provision for us! Once lunch time was over, it was time to go see Matt. Matt is a guy we met last year who is an Australian PHD student at Kyoto International University. Matt welcomed into his house while he finished getting ready, then it was off to a local market and to Mt. Daimonji. We actually climbed Mt. Daimonji which I didn't anticipate and it was breathtaking. Took about 30 minutes to hike close to the top and the pictures I posted were just a sample of how beautiful it was. I could see most of Kyoto from there and my heart ached knowing that less that 2% of the population in Japan are Christians. Please pray for Japan. Although I got to climb Mt. Daimonjii, I won't be able to climb Mt. Fuji like I had been planning to do as a result of bad weather around the mountain, but Mt. Daimonji was amazing. I will save Mt. Fuji for another trip. Hopefully I will have time to go back and climb to the top of Daimonji and spend some time in prayer and worship. After we enjoyed the view from the top, we can back down to mountain to shop. The market was very exciting and I enjoyed practicing my Japanese with the shop owners. Once we looked around for an hour or so, we took the bus back home and prepared for Friday Night Fellowship at Leena and Hyato's house. Leena cooked a delicious supper and some friends from their church came over for a time of eating, fellowship, and prayer. I got to meet a wonderful Zambian couple (Sande and Fanni) with a beautiful baby (Chichi, which means "happy" in their native language). I also met a Japanese lady named Chiho who is nearly finished with nursing school. We had a great time sharing about our lives and interests and then had a time of prayer together. It was an incredible experience to spend time in prayer with my brothers and sisters in Christ from all over the world. Thank you God for your Holy Spirit which unites all of your children! Once our prayer time was over, everyone went home and it was time for bed. Wow, I haven't been that tired in a long time. I had a good night's rest and got up about an hour ago for breakfast. Today is my last day of a relaxed schedule and from here on out I will be VERY busy doing all kinds of ministry. Hopefully I will be able to keep up the blog every day but if not, I will have to compensate with longer posts and less pictures so have mercy! Pray for the Kyoto Christian Center and that God would use the local Body to reach the lost here in Kyoto. Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on this place and that revival would spark like a wildfire. Last but not least are the shout outs for the day. The first shout out goes to...Chelsea Fenn. Miss you Fenny and I hope your internship is going well and that God is teaching you all kinds of things! I couldn't help but think of you as I spent time with those precious Japanese ladies in the English class. They would absolutely love you. Take care and I look forward to hanging out once I'm back! The second shout out goes to... Steffany Lowe. Pookie I hope that you are getting excited about the Tetons and all that God has for you out there. I couldn't help but think of you as I climbed Mt. Daimonji yesterday and knew you would love it. I miss you and all of my close lady friends back in Athens and look forward to seeing yall once I'm back! Thank you everyone for you prayers and support and I will be in touch soon.

Only By Grace,
CP