...and then there were Teams!

It has been one awesome week...

Last Thursday and Friday, I spent time on campus - prayer walking and handing out flyers for Bible study. We also had XHOP on Thursday evening. It was so good, just a really powerful time of prayer for Tokyo and for the church in Japan and, of course, some worship time! I really needed that time on Thursday too - it was the first day I got a little overwhelmed. I was on campus by myself that day because Robert was meeting with a student at Waseda and I got a little turned around on the back side of campus while prayer walking...it was hot...I think I was getting a little dehyrdated...

Needless to say, it wasn't the best of days - BUT, God is forever teaching us something new. I think a lot of what I'm experiencing this summer is just a taste of what it must feel like to be an international student. You are alone, you don't know the language very well and you probably aren't confident in what you do know, you are lost in a crowd of people too busy to notice you. The food is different, the money system, the way people treat each other. I, however, know when I'm going home. I live with an American. I can speak English in Tokyo, but how many people know Japanese in Oklahoma? I have a renewed passion for teaching, assisting, and befriending internationals! I can sit on campus at Todai or Waseda, and I know I'm not alone because I have Christ. I have my hope, my joy, my protection in Him, and still I am overcome sometimes by my human need to be noticed. I can't imagine how hard it must be without the security of His love.

Saturday Susan, Robert and I met the Central Washington team in Komagome. We had dinner together. They were so nice! They will be working with a church here in Tokyo and doing campus ministry as well. Very busy schedule for them, but I know they will enjoy it and God will bless them and the people they minister to while they are in Japan!

Sunday was Father's Day, as you know! It was a little sad for me, being away from home and missing my dad. I sent him an e-card and talked to him a little on the internet though! I really loved the church service at Tokyo Urban Church. They played a game, then gave the fathers a gift to just honor them and thank them for being amazing fathers and spiritual fathers! Also, all the girls were back from Singapore so I was in my cell group with them and the boys and girls cell group ate lunch together. We played some games. I have really been blessed with my Japanese church family, they are so much fun and they are so in love with Jesus! It is so refreshing when I'm there with them, because they have a lot of young people in their church and it is just this image to me of what Japan on fire would look like - the young people leading their families to Christ, becoming worship leaders, teachers and pastors. They are such a blessing to me!

Monday - ohhh Monday! Busy day, but it was so good! The Hawaii team came in, we met them at the station and took them to the student center. After they left to do some sight-seeing, Robert, Susan and I cleaned up the student center - which I am forever calling "the storefront" because of my NSU Chi Alpha building! I felt a little bit more in my element, preparation. Prepping the building, the futons, going over our schedule...felt good to be doing stuff like that. We had a XA service that night when the team got back. Susan and Robert led worship and then the Hawaii team played Hawaiian songs and did some hula before Pastor Andrew spoke. There were quite a few students there, so it was really good and we all had a really good time fellowshipping with one another.

The next day, we all met up at Todai (Yuki-san and Keiko-san came too, two amazing ladies who come to our XHOP prayer meetings) and the Hawaii team led the Bible study. We had two new members, both with ties to Hawaii - so that was definitely a God thing! Afterwards, we ate lunch then headed to Nakano to do some shopping with the team...which is where this really crazy thing happened...we were all crossing the street to get to Nakano Broadway to shop and there is this guy on the corner handing out advertisements/tissues. He looked so familiar but the person I thought he looked like wasn't from Tokyo, so I just kept walking. As I passed by, I glanced back just to check one more time and the guy smiled. It was him! It was Masayuki - a friend of mine from college back in Tahlequah. We were both really surprised to see each other. Definitely one of the highlights of this week!

That night, Yuki-san and Keiko-san invited me to YWAM(Youth With a Mission) meeting at the Ochanomizu Christian Center. I bought my first Japanese bible there at their bookstore and the guy who led worship was from ORU! I'm amazed at the people God has been placing in my path along the way here in Tokyo.

Today, we were at Waseda University. Ate lunch, passed out flyers. I met this awesome girl Mari who heard about Jesus in Germany and is now reaching out to students at Waseda. She hosts Bible studies in her apartment near the campus. Robert taught Bible study, we had some awesome discussion. Pray that God opens up doors for us there at Waseda. It's difficult to get students to come to the evening Bible study because it's a commuter campus, but nothing is impossible for Him! I'm going back to Waseda tomorrow, meeting a friend from NSU and hopefully some new people so -- be praying for me, that I have boldness and divine appointments!

Thank you so much for your prayers and your support, as always. Feel free to e-mail me, fosburg@nsuok.edu!