Psalm 30:2

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you restored my health.

So, as those of you have been watching my Facebook know, I've been sick since last Thursday! That is partly why I haven't been on to update this thing (my goal is to consistently post at least twice a week - hopefully I can accomplish that!), but I've been a bit busy as well.  I'm happy to report that I have only needed Kleenex once today, which in comparison to every three minutes on Monday is pretty good!  Please continue to pray for my health as the colder weather moves in on Tokyo! ありがとうございます！

Things back home are settling down.  Grandpa's funeral service was last Friday and they had quite a few relatives from out of town in attendance from what I hear.  Both my dad and mom had colds last week as well (maybe mine was a sympathy cold?), but I believe both are also feeling much better now! Thank you to everyone who has prayed for, left kind notes to, visited, or hugged my family in the last few weeks. It's greatly appreciated!

I promised some updates about my time with the Hilo team in my last post - so I guess I better get to it!

After that first day at Seikei University, it was non-stop hula ministry for two weeks! Thanks to my new ohana (that's Hawaiian for family), I've picked up some dance skills and a few new words.  Every time the team would begin a service or outreach, Kamuela would explain the various definitions of the word "Aloha."  I'm sure you know that it is used to say hello and goodbye, and some of you may even know that it is a word for love - but what they taught me was about the deeper, spiritual meaning of the word aloha.  Aloha can be separated into two words - "alo" and "ha." "Alo" means in the presence of, and "ha" means the One who gives us life.  Pretty nice, eh? So when they say "aloha," you are being welcomed into the presence of the One who gives us life - or the breath of life.  If Kamuela, Lei, Keoni, Erica, or Lissa are reading this - stop laughing, if can.  I told you I'd be able to recite it word for word by the time you left!

I really had a great time with this team and running around with them all over Tokyo was a huge help in familiarizing myself with the city again.  I was blessed to meet five pastors that I had never met before and I was tremendously blessed by their church families when visiting each of their churches.  There were small, intimate times of ministry in small churches and there were large, lively outreaches at some universities - but no matter where they went, the Hilo team spread love, genuine life stories with Christ, and hope in something truly beautiful.  It was an honor to meet them, yell at them on train platforms, pray with them, over them, and be prayed for by them, and learn hula from the best of the best!  I can't wait to see them again - whether that be here in Japan, or Hawaii! (I know Yuri would be down for a holiday in Hawaii!)

Since the team left last Wednesday, I have begun to slowly adjust to my daily life in Tokyo.  I have to laugh when I do something ridiculous like wonder where my shoes are in my own room(Hello, they are downstairs in the genkan! We don't wear shoes in the house!), struggle with properly hanging up my clothes to dry, and I am constantly trying to figure out if I should walk on the right or left side of the sidewalk(Tokyoites seem to be a bit all over the place this year, I feel like the lanes keep switching)!

Thursday, I had lunch with Izumi-chan and Yuriko-chan from Tokyo University.  Izumi is a Chi Alpha member that I see a lot and Yuriko is a great friend from last summer!  We had some delicious Korean inspired soba and then I took the afternoon to get caught up on some work I needed to finish before starting up my daily routine.  Little did I know...the plague would soon be upon me...I think I'll just blame the four hours I spent organizing my life in Starbucks for the nasal torture that followed!

Sick or not, I had things to do! Friday, I began my language classes at the University of Tokyo.  Since you may have no idea about the amazing gift God has given me through the University of Tokyo, let me tell you.  Two weeks ago, I had an interview for a job in my housemate Yuri's office in the School of Engineering at Todai(Uni. of Tokyo).  I was a bit nervous, even though this was just for 7 hours a week as a native English check for their translated documents - this is the top university in Japan, and this particular engineering program is ranked 6th in the entire world - so I was feeling a little pressure! But, the interview went really well (British professors assessing my native English and all!) and I was hired.  By the next day, I was enrolled in free language courses in the School of Engineering at Todai! Pretty amazing! God definitely answered some prayers with this one because I was pretty stressed trying to figure out how I would pay for the language courses I'd been looking into. Total and complete blessing - and now, I am a legitimate member of the Todai community.  I both work and study there - and this makes it so much easier to meet new people and share Jesus with them! So anywho...I started class in the J2 AM class (which is a beginner I course), but they moved me to J3 and J4 AM after that class because I've already had a little Japanese study.  This is an amazing opportunity - so thank You, Jesus!

Over the weekend, I mainly just rested up and tried to get over this crazy cold.  Sunday, I was able to go to my home church from last summer - Tokyo Urban Church - and fellowship with my Japanese church family! Sakai sensei is so great.  They prayed for me and then he proceeded to tell them I was there to use my barista skills to make them coffee and that they should all buy me Fuji apples since I like them so much.  Some of them actually did bring me apples at lunch! So nice!! After the morning service, lunch, and cell groups were over - I headed over to the GAP service near Todai.  GAP is a multi-cultural service at a church near Todai's campus.  Debbie (my neighbor last summer) and my housemate Yuri both attend GAP...so I'm also really excited to spend time with friends there and have an "English" church experience in addition to my morning Japanese church services!

Monday, I did go to class - but I was pretty miserable because I was still sick...so I took the rest of the afternoon to get caught up on my laundry and just rest! It was definitely a good idea because I felt so much better the next day, and I really needed to feel better because it was my first day working at Todai as a native check for the translated English documents in the School of Engineering!  I think I'm going to really enjoy it there. Everyone is really nice and helpful.  I will soon have my very own desk and they gave me a locker! It's pretty legit...I also picked up  my Alien Registration Card at the Nakano city office yesterday morning, so I'm officially a resident of this city for the next 11 months.

Today - I enjoyed another set of morning classes before a short XA staff meeting over lunch, which was followed by a meeting with the pastors of Megumi Christ Church.  I will be teaching English there every Thursday evening to about 25 students between the ages of 3 and 8-9 yrs old.  I'm a little nervous about this one, but I know God provides in all situations so I'm sure it will great and I'm actually excited to spend time with the little cuties and just be blessed by their abundance of joy!

Waseda's meeting tonight with the YWAM folks was needed.  We had a really wonderful time of intercession and prayer and I'm so ready for the move of God that I know is coming on that campus! Amen, Lord - let Your will be done in us and through us on that campus!

I'm off to bed now...or to study...you never know which might happen...
Until next time.
Amanda