It's a small world after all...

Dear Everyone,

Today was an awesome day. The post will probably be pretty short just because there are a lot of pictures to enjoy but I want to describe a little bit of the day. Today was my free day and I decided to meet up with Natalie (UGA friend) and then climb to the top of Mt. Daimonji. I left the church around 11:45 and took a bus a little ways from the church to Kyoto Station. Was a pleasant 45 minute bus ride. I felt so small as the bus drove across Kyoto to get to the station. It blew my mind to think that in a city of around 1,500,000 people less than 30,000 are Christians. Wow.. Once the bus arrived I took a few pictures and then met up with Natalie at a coffee shop. We had a great time of fellowship and she took me to lunch. She said she loved supporting missionaries and I was so thankful. She didn't have too but wanted to and we had a great time chatting about how awesome God is and what He is up to in each of our lives. Once lunch was over we had a short time of prayer and then I left to catch a bus to Mount Daimonji. Was another pleasant bus ride and as I approached the mountain I began to pray for an great time with the Lord and it was. I spoke to several people on the way up and had about an hour long chat with a Japanese Jehovah's Witness near the top. I had an opportunity to share my testimony and he asked me various theological questions which God gave me the words for. It was incredible.. We simply looked at the Word and had some pleasant discussions. The man was very appreciative for my time with him and encouraged me a great deal. God was showing me His love yet again, and reminding me of His love for Japan. We exchanged contact info and I hope to keep in touch with him. Once that was over I finally made it to the top of Mount Daimonji and had a great time of prayer and worship. The view was breathtaking and the world really seemed small from up there. Indescribably beautiful! Thank you God for your beautiful creation and all the blessings you give us that we don't deserve. After that time was over I climbed down the mountain and walked to the church. Had a delicious supper with the team and Soma sensei and his wife. I am EXHAUSTED. I hope the pictures do Mount Daimonji justice because it was a very strenuous hike. I am about to go to bed and I hope yall enjoy the photos! Pray that God would continue to use our team to minister to people and that there would be a revival in Kyoto. The people are so blinded by cultural tradition and material distractions that they don't see the God who made them and who is desperately in love with them. Pray that their hearts would be moved by the Holy Spirit. Last but not least are the shout outs of the day. The first shout out goes to... Harrison. Miss you buddy and thought of you while I was climbing Daimonji. I know that it's nothing compared to Ranier but it was quite a hike and you would have enjoyed. You can come with me next time to Japan and we will do it and Fuji. Deal? Can't wait to see you soon. The second shout out of the day goes to... Cory. Thanks for letting me and Natalie know that we were in the same city almost 10,000 miles away from Athens. Miss you man and the memories from last year are all around me and I am almost moved to tears. God is doing some amazing things over here still and I know He has plans to continue that work. Hope work is going well and hopefully we can meet up soon. Thank you everyone for your support and I'll be in touch soon..

Only By Grace,
CP

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

Are you single?...

Dear Everyone,

What a day! After my earlier post, Leena brought me to the church and I was dropped off to live and do ministry with the Korean YWAM team. We have so much fun together and were made to serve together. There are no communication problems even though they don't speak much English and we all have a heart to see the Lord move here in Kyoto. As I came in, the YWAM team was finishing some songs they were going to perform for this week's moms and toddlers class. We had some nice small talk and I gave them some pecans from Georgia that I brought. They loved them.. After their performance for the class we came upstairs at the church to enjoy a small lunch consisting of onigiri and juice. Wow I love Japanese food... Especially the nori and salmon.
Once we finished lunch it was time to go to a university nursing class for the team to give a presentation on South Korea and for all of us to just practice English with the students. There were around 32 students and 8 of us so there was 1 team memember including me per 4 nursing students. We had a blast. I got to talk about America and my own life in the groups and they had some interesting questions for me. Most of groups wanted to know about American ways of life, College class structure, and my own life. But one group of girls about my age didn't seem to be as interested in America as they were in one particular question about me personally. "Are you single?" one girl excitedly asked. As soon as I answered yes another girl immediately asked me "Would you ever like a Japanese girl?". I thought oh no, because American men are very desirable in Japan and I was afraid it would turn into a dating interview. I honestly answered yes and they simply giggled together for a few minutes and before they could ask me anything else it was rotation time to another group. Thank you Lord for rotation time! After about an hour of rotating, it was time for us to go. Before we left, we had a chance to advertise a youth fellowship on Friday where I will be sharing my testimony and I hope some of the students come. It would be great to see them again and be able to go into detail about my trip and Kyoto Christian Fellowship. Pray for a good turnout at the Friday Night Fellowship. Once we got back, I offered to cook supper for our team. From now on whenever I say "our team" I mean me plus the YWAM team because we ARE one team. We are part of one church and have the same purpose in the country in Japan. To willing serve the Lord wherever and to do whatever. I cooked a whole lot of spaghetti with some secret recipe meat sauce, garlic bread, and made sweet tea. It was a hit and we had a great time of fellowship and laughter around the table. Once we ran out of the meat sauce, we just used curry. Trust me, it sounds odd but it's delicious! After supper it was time for cleanup. The rest of team refused to let me clean up and they took care of the dishes. While they finished up, I played some worship songs and we had a small time of worship while they washed the dishes and I put the clean dishes away. It was wonderful. Now the team is practicing for some more Korean songs they are going to do tomorrow. We are visiting a few hospitals tomorrow and they will be singing some Korean songs and I may sing a song or to as well. The important thing is that we are simply going to love people and encourage them as Jesus would. After that, we will be going to the hot spring as a team to relax plus Pastor Soma, Hyato, Hyato's kids, and John (YWAM director of Kyoto who has been going around with us). The ladies will go to one hot spring and the men will go to another. In case you are unsure what a hot spring experience is about, you can find a reference to it in one of my posts from last year. It's gonna be great...I'm sure there will be much to tell on the next post. Pray for our team and that we would be filled with strength, compassion, love, and boldness as we go out tomorrow. Pray that we would have opportunities to SHOW the love of Christ and share about Him tomorrow in the hospitals. Last but not least are the shout outs of the day. The first shout out goes to... Kyle Herring. Miss you brother and hope you are doing well in your summer class. Thought of you during the dish washing worship because one of the songs we did was This is Our God. Thanks again for helping me out with Lorien and Joey's wedding. Can't wait to hang out once I'm back. The second shout out of the day goes to...Eric. Miss you too brother and hope your thru session and work are going well. Thought of you as I played Sleepyhead for the YWAM and showed off some of my sweet dance moves. You seriously have the best taste in music and I'll always listen to whatever you recommend at least once! Take care and never forget, mushi mushi. Thank you everyone for your support and I look forward to posting again soon.

Only By Grace,
CP

Japanese Family Reunions + 2nd Grade Art Class + Riding a train alone in Kyoto = Amazing...

Dear Everyone,

It's so good to be back on the blog and share with you what has been going on the last 2 days. I have missed being able to chat with you. Let's start with Sunday. Shortly after my chacos post, I went off to church to reunite with all my Japanese brothers and sisters from last year, share my testimony, and share a song. It was indescribable...I walked in as the praise team was rehearsing and it was great to hear the Japanese worship songs which I still can't understand. The important thing is that God was getting the praise and I could feel it. Once the rehearsal was over, there was a little time for me to catch up with everyone. It was so great to see Carmen, Shimizu san, Misutani san, Tony, Louis, Okada san, and several others. The laughs and hugs were endless..After we had a short time of catching up, it was time for church to start. We had a nice time of worship and there were actually some hymns that I knew. I have never seen people sing "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" with so much passion and desire to praise God. It was amazing..We sang a couple more contemporary Japanese worship song that I didn't know and then it was time for me to share my testimony. Wow is all I can say. It was hard for me not to hold back the tears and I shared all that God had done in my life and I pray that the Lord used me as a vessel to speak to someone. Thank you Lord for you restoration and redeeming love in my family! After my testimony, I sang Come Thou Fount with the pianist accompanying me. I had a beautiful time of worship with my Savior and I wish I could describe the experience I had as I sang but words would not do that time justice..
After I shared my testimony and sang, it was time for me to give a short message to the high schoolers of the church. We looked at Acts 17 when some residents of Thesselonica who didn't believe Paul's message about Jesus described the Christians in the town as "these who have turned the world upside down". I pray that God uses the church today to turn the world upside down and for the work and love of the church through the power of the Spirit to be unstoppable. The passage is a great challenge to all believers and my hope is that the youth of Kyoto Christian Fellowship take the Word and run with it! The message was very short and after it was over they had a nice time of Q&A about America for me. Once the youth service was over it was time for a church wide lunch. Japanese food keeps getting better and better every day I'm here. Wow. After lunch it was time for the youth choir practice and short time of worship. I just sat back and listened since I couldn't read the choir sheets and it sounded magnificent. Near the end of the worship time, I wandered to the back of the church and found a small group of older Japanese ladies sitting around talking so I figured I'd sit down and talk. Had no idea that it would turn into another worship time..I sat there and sang a few well known hymns with these ladies to a CD for about 30 minutes and it was fantastic. I sang in English and they sang in Japanese and it sounded perfect. Talk about being united through the Holy Spirit! Once that time was over it was time for me to leave and stay with Tony's family who is half American and half Japanese. I had a wonderful time with their family. Tony really encouraged me in the Lord as I told him I about seeking God's will for my life concerning Japan, teaching, and just serving the Lord however I can and prayed with me. Tony is a very wise man in the Lord and it was a priceless experience I know that the Lord set up for me. Thank you Lord for leading me every step of the way in Japan so far. Can't wait to see what else you have for me while I'm here.
Sorry this post is uber long but there isn't much more. Today I got to tour a school that Tony's works at. It's called Kyoto International University and is main a school for missionary kids and will be getting it's official accreditation next year. I got to help teach a 2nd grade art class which was absolutely crazy! All of the kids spoke English which was nice but they were still 2nd graders. Lot's of shouting, running, spilled glue, crazy scissor waving, etc. All i'll say is that God can teach you a lot through a 2nd grade art class.. Once my time a the school was over Tony took me to a Kyoto train station, rode with me halfway, then gave me the rest of the directions to meet Leena. It was an incredible experience to be completely alone in Japan again. Just me and Jesus. I really enjoyed the ride and didn't have a problem finding Leena once I arrived at the right station. Last bit of the post so hang in there! Once Leena picked me up, we went to the Kyoto Christian Fellowship for me to meet the Korean YWAM team I'll be working with for the next 5 days. They are awesome!!! They are all in their 20's like me and don't speak much English. They can understand it perfectly and there was instant chemistry and laughter as soon as we met. God is so good isn't He? It's incredible how people from different countries who are united by His Spirit who hardly speak the same language can communicate perfectly. Wow... Can't wait to live and work with them for the next 5 days. God is gonna do some amazing things. Once our meeting was over Leena brought me home and it was finally time to try the bidet toilet. Dun dun duhhh.. I avoided it completely last year and it was finally time for me to try it. Honestly, it wasn't that bad and was an interesting experience. Not my favorite, but I tried it and it's over with. Now I am just sitting in the kitchen listening to some country music typing this post while Leena cooks some curry. Can't wait because Leena has the best curry in Japan! Please pray for me and YWAM team as we begin our ministry. Pray for understanding and effectiveness as we go out into Kyoto to pray and show the love of Jesus. Last but not least are the shout outs for the day. The first shout out goes to... Robin Shaver. Miss you Mrs. Robin and couldn't help but think of you as I worked with those elementary school kids. You would have been perfect for them and they wouldn't have been near as crazy. You truly have a gift for children and are the best VBS teacher! Hope all is well. The second shout out of the day goes to...Clay. Miss you brother and hope Camp Spearhead is going well. You would be happy to know Tony is a 4th degree black belt and seriously practiced martial arts for 10 years. Yeah his nickname was Lethal Weapon. Not really, but he could seriously do some damage if he wanted to. Godzilla has nothing on this guy. Can't wait to see you again once I'm back. Sorry that this post was so long but Thank you everyone for your support and I look forward to posting in a few days or so.

Only By Grace,
CP

Going to Church in Chacos...

Dear Everyone,


It is another hot and humid morning here in Kyoto, but the Lord is good and I can't wait to go to church shortly. I will get to see some of the people I met last year that I haven't seen since. Should be a great time. Due to limited bag space, I couldn't bring a nice pair of church shoes so I will be going to church in Chacos.. That's right. A nice long-sleeved collared shirt, khaki slacks, and Chacos. Hopefully I won't stick out too much...Today I will be sharing my testimony and singing a song without any music. Pray that the Lord would use His work in my life to touch someone's heart today. Also pray that I sound half decent for my song! After church, I will be staying with a half Japanese and half American family which I met last year. It will be great to see Tony and catch up. The next week is very uncertain after that and I could either be living and working with a Korean mission team who speaks hardly any English or helping with more English classes instead. I am happy to serve any way I can.
Last night was great time as well. I had the opportunity to have supper with Pastor Soma and his family which was incredible! His wife and one of his daughters were the only ones who could speak a lot of English but the Lord blessed our communication in such a way that it wasn't a problem. Believe it or not, my Japanese is improving every day. We had homemade sushi which involves building your own sushi with the different food items on the table. You start out with dried nori (seaweed), then place a thin layer of rice, a vegetable/random food item of you choice such as white radish sprouts, lettuce, or eggs, then pick the meat of your choice which included raw salmon, octopus, sardine, tuna, scallop, and squid. Once you pick your meat, you dip it in soy sauce, lay it on top of your other items on top of your nori, then roll and eat! It was delicious! I tried all of the raw meats and they were all good. Yes even raw octopus is tasty. Once the main course was over, we had homemade banana bread, cheesecake and a green tea popsicle. I was stuffed. After supper was over we had a great time of fellowship and laughter, then Pastor Soma brought me home. I can't wait to worship the Lord with my Japanese brothers and sisters soon. Please pray that God would empower His church in Japan and that many would hear the gospel. God is doing amazing things here in Japan but patience in key...Last but not least are the shout outs for the day. The first shout out goes to...the good ole' USA. Happy Birthday America. It is an interesting feeling being in a foreign country while your own country celebrates it's independence. There won't be any fireworks, BBQ's, Lee Greenwood, or American flags here today but I thank God for my country and will be praying for it today. The second shout out of the day goes to... Phil. Miss you brother and hope you are getting ready for level 4 at AIM. Keep up the good work and know you are in the home stretch. Also, another person here in Japan thought I looked like Tom Cruise. Remember the story with the man in temple market shouting at me because he thought I was Tom Cruise? Yeah. Except this time it was a guy from England. Go figure. Take care bud and I look forward to seeing you soon. Won't be able to post pictures for a while but hopefully in the next few updates. Thank you everyone for you support and I look forward to posting again soon!

Only By Grace,
CP

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

Just a regular day in the neighborhood...

Dear Everyone,

I hope all of you are doing well and I am excited to start another day here in Japan. I am currently having fried rice and coffee for breakfast. Sound good? It is oishii! Yesterday was a wonderful day. I had a chance to exchange all of my dollars into yen (thank you for all of your support) and got a pretty decent rate. After that I did a little shopping and just got to see some of Kyoto that I didn't get to see last year. The best part of the day though was when I got to give a presentation on Georgia to one of Leena's English students. Her English was very impressive and she enjoyed learning about sweet tea, UGA, and the Big Oak. After my presentation, I was able to give her a journal that some of my friends bought especially for Japanese women that I would meet. She really liked it and was very thankful for the card that was inside! (Thank you Kendell and Stephanie) Once the English class was over and she left, I spent the rest of the night just playing with Leena's sons and letting them hear some American music. By the time is was around 9 everyone began to get tired including me. After a family devotional time of reading the Word and praying, we all went to bed. I got up about 30 minutes ago and am excited about the day. Today, I will be going with Leena to a class for mom's and toddlers at the church to give another Georgia presentation, seeing Pastor Soma again, and I am not very sure after that. I can't wait to see Pastor again. I have missed him over the last year and it will be fun to practice my Japanese with him because he doesn't speak much English. Please pray for Kyoto Christian Church. It is an incredible church that is working hard to preach the Word and show people the love of Jesus. Pray for revival in Japan. Not many people know the Lord or feel they have a need for Him. Pray that God would reveal Himself in an undeniable way. Last but not least are the shout outs for the day!! The first shout of the day goes to.... Taylor Martin. Hope class is going well and I miss you brother. Can't wait to be roomies. Had a chance to tune and play a guitar yesterday and couldn't help but think of you. Thought you might like to know that my rendition of "Leaving on a Jet Plane" is getting better. Take care bud. The second shout out of the day goes to....Victoria, Savannah, and Spencer. I miss yall and love you very much. Every chance I get to talk about my family, I am always excited to mention you and show pictures. Everyone one who has seen the kids says they are very beautiful and one lady even thought they were famous kid stars! Thought that was pretty awesome. Take care. Thanks everyone for you prayers and I can't wait to post again soon. Ps, sorry but there wont be any pictures until the next post.

Only By Grace,
CP