See ya later, 2011!

How do the months slip away so quickly?! Here we are, already in 2012!

Happy new year everyone! I hope that you got to spend your holidays with loved ones, eating delicious foods, celebrating and resting.

Here is what has been keeping me busy for the last couple of months:

Relief Work

I continue to serve as the treasurer of the national Church of Christ East Japan Disaster Relief Committee. Because of that role and because we all live in the same city, I am blessed to be able to continue to work closely with and support Joel and the three young Japanese people who were selected to organize and guide regular volunteer groups. As the work has changed over the past 9 months, my role has also grown and changed. It seems that I often end up taking care of the miscellaneous needs and whenever I can, offering support by taking over small tasks from teammates who are feeling overwhelmed. It makes my role hard to define, but basically I am still managing the money, communicating with international donors, organizing food for the volunteer teams and standing in the gaps. And God is doing amazing things through all the workers in this relief effort.

At the end of October/beginning of November we were blessed to host a team of counselors. Dr. Dottie Schulz, Dr. Becky Holton, Dr. David McAnulty and Jeff Holland visited Japan to do some trauma and secondary trauma counseling for those of us who were in Japan during the earthquake/tsunami last March and for those who have been working in the relief efforts since then. They were also able to hold a one day seminar to help equip some of the relief volunteers on how to walk with people through grief and trauma.

Since Dottie and Becky are also our good friends, we were eager to host them in our home. I think that Joel, Gaku, Hiro and I were all so encouraged to have them with us for several days. It was a crazy, busy couple of weeks, but it was such a blessing to have them with us. I was so moved by how obviously encouraged those who attended the seminar were. And, personally, it was wonderful to have in Becky a trusted friend to help me articulate the feelings that come with trauma and compassion fatigue and to reassure me that (with good support and self-care) it is just temporary.

At the end of December, Jan Willis (who was here visiting her son and daughter-in-law, Ben and Erica Berry) took a few hours to do some follow up counseling with us as a team. I felt encouraged to talk about how we are healing and slowly coming out of survival mode and into some kind of normal life again.

Fellowship, Fellowship, Fellowship

Considering the rough year that was 2011, and the tendency that immense amounts of tasks has of squeezing out time for relationships, I was so very thankful for the holiday season this year. So from a Thanksgiving potluck to post-new year's dinners with friends we packed in all kinds of time with sweet loved ones for the past 6 weeks or so. And I continue to be amazed at how the Spirit moves to heal and lift us up in the relationships we have with family and friends. What a blessed time we had of celebrating the birth of Jesus, and then celebrating the blessing of a new year!

Furlough

As many of you know, my sweet little sister is getting married in February. So, of course, I will be there, and I am also planning to do some reporting and fundraising as my support situation continues to be a little precarious. I will be in the States from January 18th to February 23rd. I will be traveling and visiting supporters from January 21st to February 8th. The rest of the time I will be with my family.

Please pray with me . . .

~for the continuing relief work. God please be with my dear friends in Ishinomaki; please heal their hearts and continue to restore their lives. Spirit give us strength and guidance as we walk with those who are grieving; help us to show your love and pass on your mercy and grace.

~for Mito church. Father, please raise up a new generation of church leaders in this place. I pray that you will give us disciples to send out all over Japan and Asia to grow your church and glorify your name. Father God, we also pray that you will continue to bring us closer to one another through our fellowship -- strengthen us, unify us and make us your light.

~for my work in Japan. God thank you for giving me a place here; I am so humbled to be chosen to work in this community at Mito Church and in the wider family of brothers and sisters in Japan. Please give me strength to fight for the opportunity to continue doing the work to which you have called me.

~for my sister and her fiance. God, place your hand on Megan and Taylor's relationship. I pray that they will have a strong marriage that brings glory to you. God, please be with them, guide them and protect them. Draw them closer to you and closer to one another. Spirit, rejoice with us next month as we celebrate their wedding and their commitment to love and cherish one another.