Goodbyes, Prayer Requests, and Mary Poppins

Well...Seeing as how there is so much to share about this summer...and not enough words in the world to type, please feel free to ask me about my trip when I get home. Also, I will be posting several posts after I return about different events and different ways we have seen God's hand.

I will get back this Friday, August 8th, and I will be spending approximately the first 68.4 hours sleeping/crying...so after that I will love sharing about my trip and catching up on everything that has happened in the good ol' US of A in the past two months.

Some prayer requests for these last days in Japan (and beyond):

-Saying goodbye to students is hard for both us and the dear friends we are leaving. Please pray that we will love them well and freely show our hearts even through the pain of leaving these friends. Pray that they will feel loved and encouraged, and that we will be faithful in keeping these friendships.

-Our team is going through some healing in our relationships with each other, and we are trying to display unity and deep love for each other (even as we are leaving soon). Pray that God would give us the strength to finish well and the grace to fervently love one another from the heart.

-I am unsure about my future, and I am considering returning to Japan for a longer period (1-2 years) after graduation. I am also praying about ministry in the U.S. for the same period of time. Pray that God will give clarity in this decision, and that I would wait for His perfect guidance (and timing).

-We will attend a debriefing session on Thursday in Yoyogi Olympic Center with the other staff from across Japan. Please pray that this will be a time that prepares us to return to the U.S., and a time for good fellowship and sharing.

-Pray for a safe return to the U.S. for everyone.

-Susan's grandfather had a mini stroke this weekend. Please pray for his health, and for Susan's family.

-Coming back home after these trips can be difficult. Please pray that we would feel God's presence and unchanging grace as we readjust to the States. Pray that we would be able to process the lessons from this summer and our experiences well enough to relate them to everyone at home. We would love to share part of our hearts with you. Pray that God would make clear the things that He would have us communicate.

That's all for now. I have more pictures and updates coming soon.




For now, I will attempt to stuff everything I have in Japan into a suitcase that may or may not be big enough. Maybe I can pull a Mary Poppins and find extra magical space in the nonexistent secret compartments.

QUICK!

BLAaaaaH! Sorry!

I don't have too much time...sleep is precious.

BUT everything's going well...or going...here.

One of our beloved team members left to go back to the States today. David is a teacher, and he starts school soon, so he had to go back and prepare. It was emotional, but really cool to see how the students were so touched by his friendship this summer. Many of them cried, and we could tell how much they appreciated the love he was able to extend these past couple months.

I can't believe the rest of us only have two more weeks. It's going by too fast!!!! NO!!!

BUT I'm so enjoying my friendships here with the students. I've spent so much time with Saaya and Nanako, and it has meant so much just to be able to love them and grow in our friendship.

Here are recent happenings in short sentences:

Saaya and I went to Disney Sea at the beginning of the month. It was awesome, and we met Ariel (the mermaid, not the Shakespeare character...obviously).

Nanako is really good at volleyball...and I'm not. We bonded over this.

Sae (I haven't talked about her...but she's pretty much awesome) is going to be studying abroad in New York this academic year.

Saaya will be studying in Tennessee this academic year. I hope I get to see her in the States. :)

We saw a fireworks festival (hanabi) with some of the students. It was actually quite a large group--about 20 of us. The girls wore yukata (summer kimono), and Walter wore a jimbe (I'm not sure on the spelling...but it's a yukata kind of thing for guys). America needs better fireworks, I've decided. Japan has Hello Kitty fireworks...and smiley faces.

Ooshima camp next weekend (Aug. 1-4) will be our last time with the students. :( ...BUT it will be incredibly awesome, and is a great opportunity for great conversation. Oh...Ooshima camp will be on an island...we will go to the beach and camp and see the river and the forest there.

Today, we got another member on the team. A guy named Cole...and I haven't actually met him yet, so I really can't tell you anything else about him. BUT please be praying for his time here, and that our team would gel quickly in these last couple weeks.


Also, please be praying for finances for our entire team. Almost all of us are still significantly under-budget (including me), and are trying to look continually to God for His abundant provision.



I'll try to update again soon!

Loving God's love and loving with God's love,

Ashley

Kyoto, Purikura, Ikumi, and Saaya

Hello Friends and Family!

I'm soooo sorry that it has been so long since I last updated. We've been sooooo busy and crazy and floopy. Floopy is not really a word, but if it was, it would mean crazily disorganized...or something like that.

First, I would like to thank everyone so much for supporting me through prayer and finance. Our team has needed the prayer so much...we are now at the point of our trip where the rubber really hits the road. Relationships are being established with students, and we need those to be God-centered and purposeful. Also, the rest of our team from California arrived last week, and they are learning to adjust at a much faster pace than we had to. Please pray that they will feel welcome and accustomed to the ministry as soon as possible. May we love God with all our hearts, share in that love with our team, and then spread that love to the Japanese students.

As far as finances, I am still in need of funding. I am at about 70% now (Thank you soooo much! Praise God!). I still need $1,689 to be fully funded. I humbly ask if you would pray about contributing to this ministry.

Also, some of my other teammates are still not fully funded. If you feel led, here are the links to give:

Me

Susan

Liz

Aiko

Kevin



BREAKING NEWS

The BEST club just got back from our trip to Kyoto, and it was pretty great.

Above: This is Yasushi, Mikhun, Daijo, and Ty. They are four great guys in Tokyo Best.

Above: This is Saaya. She's pretty great. I've had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with her, and she is a wonderful friend. She is involved in a Bible Study in BEST with Aiko.

This is Liz, one of the Setters that came late from California. We have had the distinct pleasure of making ridiculous faces and dancing on the streets of Japan together. She's a wonderful co-laborer in Christ! I guess we'll keep her.

This is Kyomisu Temple in Kyoto. It is probably the most beautiful place I've ever been.

AAAAAAND for your viewing pleasure, here are some pictures taken in a Japanese photo booth. Susan and I were able to spend some quality time with Yuri, Kuri, Ikumi, and Naoko.












Please be praying especially for my friendship with Ikumi. I am helping her write a speech for our Intensive English class. The topic she picked is the meaning of life. We have had some great conversations, and she is including a Bible verse in her speech. She is interested in reading the Bible with me, and is very excited to learn that Bibles are printed in Japanese! Please pray that God would lead our time and keep softening her heart to His word. Pray that I would be diligent in pursuing her with the love of Christ.

I will post again soon! There is so much to say!

Thank you!

Meet Nanako!

So there's this really great girl named Nanako in BEST Club. She rides a motorbike. :)

This is a very shiny me and a beautiful Nanako

Susan, Nanako, and I

These were taken after the girls went shopping, and we found out that Nanako lives near us! Susan has enjoyed coffee with her already, and I am looking forward to watching Forrest Gump with her next week! (haha)

She has read the book, but has never seen the movie.

Please be praying for deepening friendship with this friendly young lady. We love her already, and she has taught us so much! Pray that Susan and I could show a picture of Christ to her and love her well.

Greetings from Tokyo!

Hello dear friends and family!

I have been in Japan now for about a week. I'm sorry I haven't updated yet! The first three to four days were spent training, and then we moved into our houses in Tokyo.

So far there are six people here on my team (not including the staff).

They are (with their age and Myers-Briggs personality types):

David (24, ESFP)
Susan (22, INFP)
Aiko (21 INFJ)
Ashley (Me...20, ENFP)
Kevin (20, INTJ)
Ross (20, ISTJ)

We are still missing three of the SIJ short-term staff. I can't wait until they are all here. :)

They are:

Ken Chi (our SIJ US-based team leader...he will be here for 6 weeks)
Liz Rutter (ISTJ)
Walter Chu (ENFP)

I already met them at orientation in March, and I can't wait to see them in Japan!

Our apartment is great and we sleep on futons (they are different from American futons...they are never a couch.). I have tried many new foods and have learned that I like a lot of them...I am ashamed to say this because I have lived so long in the dark...but I like onions and tomatoes. I have not yet tried sushi, but I have eaten squid, various unidentified seafoods, seaweed, mochi (very good rice-based cake covering mildly sweet red bean curd), soba (buckwheat noodles in soy sauce with a variety of toppings), tempura (soooo good), Katsu (fried pork...usually served with rice), and we had spaghetti for breakfast at the Olympic center's cafeteria during orientation.

There is so much to share! I love it here...we went shopping yesterday, too...at the 100 yen store (100 yen = about a dollar). It's been raining a lot, but I love it. Aiko hates it. I loooooove Japan.

We have spent a little time with students already--at the welcome party and English lunch table. English lunch table is when we go to Chuo University here in Tokyo and have lunch with the students in Best club. It is a great time to build friendships and practice Japanese while they practice English. :)

Aaaaaand....Pictures!

Tama Center! Lots of shopping and a Starbucks

Tama Center Station (we come here to go to nearby Chuo University)

Kevin, Ross, and David: The manly men on our team


The girls: Aiko, Susan, and I!

This is a train. :) They are not as crowded as they are in those Youtube videos of the rush hour trains...where people get stuffed in...haha. This picture is what it usually looks like.

Beautiful, wonderful Aiko :)

Flowers and a tall building at Tama Center

We live in Hello Kitty's town! Aren't these Japanese girls so cute??? :)

Aiko likes taking pictures of only half faces :)

Aiko and I! :)

I will post more later! Jaane!

More Information and Heartfelt Thanks

It seems I have left out some pertinent information.

I leave for Japan on the 31st of May. (11 days!)

I will be in Tokyo until August 8th.



I have almost 60% of my funding as of today! Yay! Thank you so much to all who have given financially! You are such a blessing. I have thanked God continually for each of you--for those who are financially supporting me and those who are faithful prayer warriors for my team, for the Japanese, and for God's work over there and in our hearts. I am touched by your joyful generosity and encouraging words. Thank you.

"All things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

Here's the website for the Summer Impact Japan trip:

http://www.summerimpactjapan.com/

Here's the description of the trip:

Through intentional friendships made with Japanese college students, watch as God unfolds your part in what He is doing in the world's largest unreached people group. Focused mainly on a highly relational ministry style, you'll get a chance to join native and foreign staff as they live life among the Japanese people. We have different activities to encourage your friendships, such as outings, parties, sports, and small-group English classes. Along with sharing your heart with Japanese students and making a lasting contribution to Japan, we offer you the opportunity to be challenged yourself, as Navigator staff will provide stimulating input throughout the summer.



If you would like to pray for the trip, here are some things that are on my heart and some things God has promised:

From Isaiah 49:

6 He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth."

Pray that God would make our team a light of the nations and use us help the staff reach Japan with His salvation.

8 Thus says the LORD, "In a favorable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages; 9 Saying to those who are bound, 'Go forth,' To those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.' Along the roads they will feed, And their pasture will be on all bare heights. 10 "They will not hunger or thirst, Nor will the scorching heat or sun strike them down; For He who has compassion on them will lead them And will guide them to springs of water. 11 "I will make all My mountains a road, And My highways will be raised up. 12 "Behold, these will come from afar; And lo, these will come from the north and from the west, And these from the land of Sinim."13 Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted.

Pray that God would fulfill this promise in this generation of the Japanese, comforting and having compassion on His afflicted.

From Isaiah 58:

10 And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. 11 And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

Pray that our team would eagerly give ourselves to the hungry and afflicted, and that God would fulfill His word to make our light rise in the darkness in Japan. Pray that He would fulfill His promise that we would rebuild ancient ruins, and be repairers and restorers for the Japanese.

Would you join me in claiming these passages for the Japanese? Let us watch how God fulfills His promises and works in Japan this summer.

"All things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

-Matthew 21:22