Never Alone.

This is the end of week two, and we are beginning to really feel the darkness of this beloved country. You know you're doing something right when satan begins attacking you left and right. (Excuse the grammatical error but I cannot stand to capitalize his name. satan is many things but a proper noun is not one of them in my book.) Because this is my first post about Japan, let me give you some basic information about specifics we are doing here for those who may not know. In the mornings, we disperse and go to varying college campuses. We prayer walk for a while, then have lunch in the cafeterias. We separate from one another in an effort to meet Japanese. I know that some of you have been praying specifically that we make many friends and I would just like you to know that our God is answering that prayer more than you could imagine. Because learning English is so desired among these people, many of them are automatically attracted to us. I now know countless Yukis, Yukas, Rikas, and Shioris. A good problem to have. :) At somewhere around 2 o clock, we leave the campus and go Hope Walking. This consists of going throughout neighborhoods and placing "Hope Tracks" in mailboxes. Yes, this is legal here. We pray for the houses as we pass them. The Hope track contains a small mail-in portion where people can receive a free DVD of the Gospel. Within the first few days of our being here, we already received some orders back! Charlie said he has never seen a response so quick. God is moving. At the end of the first week, we hosted and "International Friendship Party" inviting all of our new Japanese friends. Charlie said that for our first party, he honestly was expecting 5-10 Japanese to show, based on his prior experience of hosting this type of event. There were over 30 Japanese. They outnumbered us! Never has this happened before. Don't tell me God is not here. The last event in our typical day is "Five Minute English." We spread out throughout different cities with signs that say in English and Japanese "Five Minute English Lessons." On the back of the sign are basic questions about culture and customs. The goal is to have the person read and answer the questions in English in an effort to have a spiritual conversation if the Holy Spirit leads. Though it may not sound like it, this is usually a fairly successful tool. On the first day of doing this, I met a man whom I later had two one-hour conversations with. He is searching for peace after a close family death and though he thinks he has the answer, he does not. The day before I left, my mom bought me a little book of Scripture by title at Allred's. I had this in my purse while talking with the man, and began using it as a tool to help him "learn English" with hopes that he'd learn a whole lot more (heh heh heh.) He took the book home and met me and Charlie the next week. They began speaking Japanese like crazy so I just sat back and prayed. My friend became very uncomfortable in the conversation as Charlie began to bring the Truth. That was last week, and I have not heard back from him yet. I ask that you pray for this man, that he has been totally miserable since our last encounter and that he would begin to realize what he is missing. Pray that all of satan's efforts to keep him away are bound and that we see this man again. Pray that he receives the peace he has been searching for, the Peace that comes from knowing our Jesus. Yesterday was an especially dark day on the campus as well as doing 5 minute English. When we gathered as a team, I just began to cry for the countless lost in this country. Like He always does, the Spirit comforted me and assured me (because I'm so stinkin' stubborn and constantly need assurance) that I am not alone. "Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." To God be the Glory.