Survival Kit for Overseas Living...

by L. Robert Kohls

My required reading provided by MAPS. As I'm reading about the effects of culture shock and, subsequently, reverse culture shock, American biases that might follow me(both in my mind, and the mind of those around me) and the frustration that might come with not being well versed in the host language - I realize I'm 38 days away from the biggest moment of my life thus far.

This is God we're talking about here. This isn't the dream I dreamed for myself, but something so much bigger and better than I could have ever imagined. It won't be easy, I couldn't grow or learn or become more like Him if it was. I'm almost sure there will be moments when I question that God picked the right girl to love Japan. Whether this is just these two months this summer, just another year after I graduate or more - I know He's standing next to me, holding my hand. I know He's smiling. Not just because I heard, I prayed and now I'm going - He's smiling because He knows the joy that I will experience through His plan. He's smiling because He delights in giving us the desires of our heart, sometimes before we even really recognize what those desires truly are.

My heart has loved many things it shouldn't have. We were created to live for something or someone. As Christians, we know we were created to love and be loved by God. We were created by Him and for Him. If we aren't living for and loving God with our whole heart, it will find something else to live for. Someone else to love. How many times do we do this? Our patience wears thin, so we stop waiting on His plan or His answer and seek some comfort we can grasp tangibly, but something we must know can never truly satisfy. These things distract us and keep us from the fullness of His plans, which are rooted in His overwhelming love for us.

Even in my selfishness, God is faithful. He is faithful and He doesn't have to be. What a perfect love! I don't deserve this, but I want to give my whole life over to feeling His love in every moment and walking in His plans every day.

So, what's He calling you to?

Some ways to get involved:
Fri and Sat April 24-25 - HUGE Garage Sale
@ my house in Wagoner, OK
Sun April 26 - Spaghetti Dinner
@ Wagoner First Assembly, after morning service
Please PRAY for me!

If you would like more information about joining my support team, feel free to contact me by e-mail at fosburg@nsuok.edu or by mail:

Amanda Fosburg

P.O. Box 105

Wagoner, OK 74477

Welcome to Matsuri '09!

What an amazing experience! I'm so glad I was able to be a part of Matsuri this year, both in the fall and spring semesters. In the fall, I did okonamiyaki demonstrations at one of the food booths:

Matsuri '08

This semester, I was an emcee alongside Eri Fujino. We greeted the crowd and announced the beginning of the performances. I was a little nervous, even though it was all in English. I mean, I know that the 400+ people who came to this event are thinking, "That girl is not Japanese...," but it was so much fun! My mom and my NaNa were able to come and get a taste of what I love. In the performances, we had taiko(traditional Japanese drums), singing, a modified version of the traditional Peach Boy skit, JNSU's amazing soran dance, bon-odori(traditional style dancing, this is group dance that the crowd could participate in) and NSU best dance crew Celsior also performed. This was in addition to six food booths("strange foods", dorayaki, tonjiru, yellow ice cream, onigiri, yakisoba), Japanese calligraphy booth, origami booth, yo-yo(water balloon) booth, and the anime booth. Everyone in JNSU worked so hard! We also had some guests that helped out a lot: the Hoyukai Friendship Club of Tulsa, JSA(University of Arkansas Japanese Student Association) and IACE Travel. The decorations were beautiful, the food was delicious, the performances amazing...here are some pictures!

Matsuri '09 Staff t-shirts

Tonjiru booth

Taiko drummers

Shugo and Shogo(JSA) at the origami booth

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I have a lot of pictures...but it takes awhile for me to edit them here on blogspot. If you have me on facebook, there's an album up there!

Last Thursday, I coordinated the XA Underground service for NSU's Chi Alpha. In our normal service location, one of my missions committee members(Shu Nakai) waited for our Chi Alpha members. He gave them birthday invitations and took their Bibles, gave them t-shirts to wear over their Christian shirts and in all seriousness told them to be careful as he sent them away in groups to meet at our "underground" location. I was there, in the Wilson basement lounge. We wanted to simulate the things that people might go through in countries where Christianity is disliked or illegal. Our persecuted church met, prayed for our pastors in prison(they were actually at the hospital - having a baby!), Shu was "arrested" - having one of the confiscated Bibles on him and then we talked about what Christians in other countries suffer for loving Christ. We ended the night by writing letters to Christian prisoners overseas(http://www.persecution.com/). It was a really good time, and I hope that our students have a better sense of what's going on outside the U.S. and never take the freedom we have to serve Him here forgranted. I encourage you to write a letter to a Christian prisoner this week, they need the encouragement!

We are almost finished with raising support! I am so blessed to have the family, friends and church support that I have. My MAPS application is finalized and the final stages of planning for this trip are finally underway. God is so good!

Some ways to get involved:

Fri and Sat April 24-25 - HUGE Garage Sale

@ my house in Wagoner, OK

Sun April 26 - Spaghetti Dinner

@ Wagoner First Assembly, after morning service

Please PRAY for me!

Thank you!

If you would like more information about joining my support team, feel free to contact me by e-mail at fosburg@nsuok.edu or by mail:
Amanda Fosburg
P.O. Box 105
Wagoner, OK 74477

Practice makes...

...semi - doable?

Lately, I've been trying to get as much help/experience/practice available to me in to get prepared for Japan! My friends have been so great, especially my roommate Hiromi and our friend Sho - who have both taken time out of their already busy lives to share their culture and their language with me. Last night, Hiromi and I practiced using chopsticks while I was doing my Hiragana practice for Sho's nihongo lesson today. I'm, um, getting better...


Note - eating dry cereal with chopsticks is hard, but will make eating things like sticky rice a breeze! We are taking our chopsticks to dinner for some official practice after my lesson with Sho...I'll let you know how that goes...

Matsuri 2009 is coming up! Matsuri is a Japanese festival at NSU hosted by JNSU(NSU-Japan). We had one last semester, but the Spring event is much bigger. I was the first American member of JNSU(now 1 of 2...), and it has been so much fun being involved with events like Matsuri. I've learned a lot about traditional foods and culture this way. If you are available April 10 from 3 to 6 pm...you need to come to the 2nd floor of the University Center at NSU and experience Matsuri. I'll be there. Come see me!

Ok, so here's the skinny on how support is coming along - 1) God is faithful. 2) My family and friends? Amazing. 3) We're almost there! In less than a month, almost my full budget has come in! I have been so incredibly blessed by those around me. I was worried that I'd be up to the last minute with this money, but I always had a peace that God would provide and He has! There's still some money I need to get in but...

I presented my missions trip to my home congregation a few Sundays ago. I received a lot of financial and, of course, prayer support there and the women's ministry decided to help out by hosting a spaghetti dinner(April 26 - Wagoner First Assembly of God) Before the date was even set, we received food donations to help keep the cost of the spaghetti dinner low! We were also able to put an article in the local paper about my trip and get the word out that way. In the paper, there were two other girls from Wagoner raising support for a trip to Wales. They had a garage sale last week at First Baptist in Wagoner and raised a lot of money, then they donated a ton of stuff they had leftover to me for the garage sale my mom and I had been planning(probably the first weekend of May...) What a blessing!

As I look at the calendar, I begin to realize how close I am to Tokyo. Hiromi handed me a sheet of paper last night with a ton of useful things written in all three alphabets. Words like station, train and Tokyo - and any combination of the three. Soon, I'll be there - needing every bit of the information, language and connection that I've acquired in the last year. I'm nervous, but I know God's got so much waiting for me on the other side of that 13 hour flight across the Pacific.

To all those who praying, giving or just reading :: Thank you - I pray God doubles the blessing you've been to me!

If you would like more information about joining my support team, feel free to contact me by e-mail at fosburg@nsuok.edu or by mail:

Amanda Fosburg

P.O. Box 105

Wagoner, OK 74477