Another week in Japan!!!

I seriously cannot believe we have already been here for three weeks, and we only have around three weeks left until we leave. HOW did that happen?! I feel like we just got here, and now we are already halfway through our time in Japan.

Time is flying by, and I already know these last few weeks are going to go by even faster.

This past week has been so hectic, but in the best way. We are really starting to get a good grip and understanding of ministry here, and I feel like we are finally settling into a rhythm. When we first got here, there were so many new things to figure out. A new country, a new culture, a new city, a new ministry, and a new routine. Now it feels like we are starting to understand what God has brought us here to do.

We are also really starting to bond more deeply as a squad. There is something so special about living life with people who are experiencing the same things you are. We have had so many funny moments, hard moments, deep conversations, and moments where we have just had to encourage each other and remind each other why we are here. I think one of the biggest blessings of the World Race is getting to do something this crazy with people who become family along the way.

The past couple of days have looked a little different for me, though. I have been sick, and if I’m being honest, I was SO homesick. There is something about being sick on the Race that is so humbling. When you are already tired and then your body starts feeling awful, you just want your own bed, your family, your normal food, and all of the comforts of home.

Being sick just made me miss home a little extra this week. I think I have gotten so used to being away that I forget how long I have actually been gone. Then something small happens, like getting sick, and suddenly I am like, Okay, I really just want to be home.

But we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!!! Wohoooo!!

I am so thankful that this season has taught me that it is okay to miss home while still being completely grateful for where God has me. Those two things can exist at the same time.

I had to stay home from ministry the past couple of days, because if we are coughing and sniffling, they really don’t want us going out and talking to people. Japanese culture is very particular about health, and honestly, trying to share the gospel with someone in between coughs probably isn’t the best ministry strategy anyway LOL.

So these past few days have been a lot of rest, a lot of prayer, and a lot of time with the Lord. At first, I was frustrated that I couldn’t go out and do ministry. I think it is easy to feel like if you aren’t actively doing something, then you aren’t being useful.

Sometimes ministry is resting when your body needs rest. Sometimes it is sitting with Jesus. Sometimes it is praying for the people you know are out on the streets. Sometimes it is simply being still.

Sometimes the Lord slows us down because He wants us to dwell with Him instead of constantly doing things for Him.

That has actually been something I have been thinking about a lot while being here.

Tokyo is a city that never seems to stop. There are always people walking somewhere, trains coming and going, cars driving by, lights flashing, businesses open, and people rushing to whatever is next. Even when you stop moving, everything around you is still moving.

There are people everywhere.

But sometimes, when you are surrounded by that many people, it can almost become easy to stop seeing them.

You see a crowd instead of individual people. You see a train full of people instead of the person sitting across from you. You see hundreds of people walking down the street instead of the individual stories behind every face.

And God has been teaching me to see Tokyo differently.

Jesus doesn’t see crowds the way we do. He sees people.

He sees the person sitting alone on the train. He sees the person rushing to work. He sees the person wearing headphones who doesn’t want to talk. He sees the person who looks like they have everything together. He sees the person who is lonely. He sees the person who has questions about God but doesn’t know who to ask.

He knows every single one of their stories.

And one of the biggest things I am learning here is that we aren’t just walking around Tokyo trying to find people to preach to. We are asking Jesus, “Who are You already pursuing?”

And that question completely changes the way you do ministry.

Last week, we were walking around one of the cities outside of Tokyo, and at one point I looked at my group and said, Guys, let’s ask the Lord who He wants us to talk to.

We call this treasure hunting.

Basically, we stop as a group and ask the Lord for a vision, a word, a color, a location, or anything that might give us direction toward someone He wants us to talk to. It can feel a little crazy sometimes, especially when you are standing in the middle of a busy Japanese city saying, Okay Lord, where do You want us to go?

But we have seen God use it so many times.

That day, I got the picture of a pink billboard, and one of the other girls in our group got the color purple.

So we just started walking.

As we walked through the city, it genuinely felt like the Lord was giving me little directions along the way. Turn here. Go straight. Keep walking.

So we did.

There was no giant sign saying, THIS IS THE PERSON YOU ARE LOOKING FOR. We just had to trust Him one step at a time.

Eventually, we saw two women from a distance, and before we even got close to them, I felt like the Lord highlighted them to me.

As we got closer, we realized they were sitting underneath a pink billboard, and one of the women was wearing purple pants.

We all looked at each other like, Okay… we have to talk to them.

But before we walked up, I told my group, Let’s walk around the corner and ask the Lord what He wants us to say to them.

Sometimes He wants us to walk up to someone simply to be kind and start a conversation. Sometimes He wants us to build a relationship. Sometimes He wants us to ask questions and listen to someone’s story.

And sometimes He gives us something very specific to say.

I felt the Lord tell me that I needed to go up to this woman and tell her that Jesus is King.

I was so nervous. I knew that this woman had no idea who I was. I was about to walk up to a complete stranger in another country and tell her that Jesus had sent me to talk to her. But I also knew that if the Lord was asking me to do it, He was going to give me the words.

So we walked up to them and started a conversation. Thankfully, one of the women spoke really good English.

As we talked, I found out that she used to live in the United States with her husband, who she had recently divorced.

I looked at her and said, “I know this is probably so random, but Jesus sent me here to tell you that He is King and He loves you.”

And that is about all I remember saying. After that, the Holy Spirit completely took over the conversation. I don’t remember everything that was said out of my mouth, but thankfully my friend remembered more of the conversation and told me what happened.

At one point, I told this woman that I was getting a vision that Jesus had been chasing her down for so long. That He had never stopped pursuing her or loving her.

She told us that her ex-husband is a Christian and that she had gone to church with him while they lived in the States. But since moving back to Japan, she had stopped believing in Jesus. She told us she had never really been sure if He was real.

And suddenly, this random interaction made so much more sense. We had not just found two women underneath a pink billboard. We had found someone who had questions about Jesus. Someone who had been around the church before. Someone who had heard about Him but wasn’t sure what she believed.

And God knew exactly where she was.

We continued talking with her and told her about a church nearby if she ever wanted to go. We asked if we could pray for her, but she said no.

And that’s okay.

Her saying no to prayer didn’t mean the conversation was pointless. It didn’t mean we failed. It didn’t mean God wasn’t moving. And it definitely doesn’t mean I haven’t continued praying for her. I truly believe Jesus is doing something in her heart, and I would love for you guys to pray for her too.

After we walked away, I honestly couldn’t believe what had just happened. I didn’t even remember half of the conversation because the Holy Spirit had completely taken over that moment.

And that is one of my favorite things about ministry. God chooses us to partner with Him. He could do everything Himself. He doesn’t need us.

But He invites us to be a part of what He is already doing.

That woman didn’t meet us by accident. She didn’t just happen to be sitting underneath a pink billboard with her friend who was wearing purple pants. Jesus already knew where she was. He already knew her story. He already knew what she needed. He was already pursuing her before we ever walked over. We just got the privilege of being obedient enough to walk over and tell her.

And I think that is something I want to carry with me for the rest of this trip.

I don’t have to save anyone.

I don’t have to have the perfect words.

I don’t have to know exactly what is going to happen after a conversation.

I just have to be willing to say yes when God asks me to go. Maybe that is what finding Jesus in a city that never stops looks like. It’s learning to slow down enough to notice the person He is already pursuing. It’s looking past the crowds and realizing that every person around you has a story, and every single person is deeply loved by Jesus. okyo may never stop moving, but I’m learning that I don’t have to move at the same pace.

I can slow down, listen and pray. And I can trust that God is already working long before I ever walk up to someone.

As we step into these last few weeks of ministry in Tokyo, I would love for you guys to pray with us!

First, pray for the sickness going around our team and that it wouldn’t keep us from being able to do ministry. Pray for our health as we finish out these last few weeks.

Pray for good weather in Tokyo because it has been SO rainy, and it would be such a blessing to have more sunshine for ministry! There is something about walking around a city in the sunshine that just makes everything a little easier.

Pray for the busyness of this city and that people would slow down long enough to have conversations and be open to hearing about Jesus. Pray that we would be able to see people the way Jesus sees them and not just see the crowds.

Pray against the spiritual warfare that has been hitting some people in our group. Pray for protection over our team, our minds, our relationships, and our ministry.

And please pray for the woman we met. Pray that she would encounter Jesus in a real and personal way. Pray that the conversation we had would continue to sit in her heart and that she would know that Jesus has never stopped pursuing her.

And finally, fundraising!

We are currently 49% funded, which means we are SO close to being halfway there!! I seriously cannot thank everyone enough who has prayed, given, shared my fundraising page, or encouraged me throughout this journey. Every single bit of support has helped me get to where I am now, and I am so grateful.

As I continue this season of ministry, I would be so grateful if you would consider partnering with me monthly to help sustain my time on the field. Monthly support is such a meaningful way to partner with what God is doing because it allows me to continue serving and sharing the gospel throughout this season instead of just supporting one specific moment.

If you feel led to partner with me monthly, I would be incredibly grateful. And if giving financially isn’t something you are able to do right now, please know that your prayers, encouragement, and sharing my journey mean so much to me too. I truly believe that ministry is a partnership, and every person who has supported me in any way has played a part in getting me here. The link is below!!

We only have about three weeks left in Japan, and I want to soak up every second of it. I know these last few weeks are going to be full, probably a little chaotic, and hopefully filled with even more stories of what God is doing here.

I cannot wait to see what He does next.

See you all next week!!!