Back and In Action!!

Okay, I stopped blogging on this server in 2003, since I had been using my old Blogger account to record my experience in Thailand ( http://donnawonna.blogspot.com ). Since then, I started blogging at Modblog.com, an excellent site, except that many of the seminary blogging community uses this blog server so I feel a little out of the loop. Since it is summer (and I am currently jet lagged and wide awake at 2:22 am), I decided in my sleep-deprived mind that keeping up with two blogs would be feasible - I would just copy one entry to the other. Sounds simple enough? Yeah, I thought so too... I guess time will tell.

Okay, guess to start off I am going to copy and paste my latest post to this blog. I just got back late last night from Japan - I had an incredible opportunity to go on a one-week mission trip to a little town of Ozu, on the southern island close to the volcanic mountain, Mount Aso. It was an incredible opporunity, and I was so blessed by my team and the church members that we worked with. It was a whirlwind of a week - several bible studies to attend, church worship services to help with, and campuses to visit. We ended the week with a coffeehouse that we advertised through the town, at the home bible studies (many that attend the bible studies have never been to the church), and at a couple of local campuses. It turned out very well - all of us are musical and that was the biggest thing we did. I gave a gospel presentation at the coffeehouse, which went really well (after a week of wrestling and prayerfully considering how to present the message in a culturally sensitive but effective way). It was very encouraging - several of the church members and others encouraged me to pursue missions, which has been on my heart for a couple of years now. Anyway, there is so much that God did in, around, and through us - it would take too long to bring it all up. However, I did post the highlights and lowlights of my trip on my other blog while laying over in Tokyo on my way home ( http://donnawonna.modblog.com ) so I will copy them here for your viewing pleasure. Please continue to pray for the amazing church there and for their efforts to promote the cause of Christ to their community. OH, and I should be posting some pictures from the trip on my website soon ( http://www.geocities.com/sporkchick ) so check them out when you get a chance. The mountains were breathtaking - and the volcano was pretty cool. Okay, that it for now... here are the highlights and lowlights of the trip:

Highlights:
- The food: more sushi than I could eat
- Spending time with church members
- Sightseeing in the mountains, especially Mt. Aso, the world's largest volcanic crater
- The Yen Shop (equivalent to the Dollar Store in the States)
- Sharing the gospel; wrestling in what to say, how to say, wholly resting in God's direction and peace
- Sensing every decision as call to obedience for Christ
- The onsen (hot springs from the volcanic mountain - like a natural jaccuzi)
- Waking up two nights ago to a earthquake that hit 4.7 on the Richter scale - but going back to sleep, assuming we were supposed to ignore it (whoops)
- Working alongside Japanese Christians and being humbled by their deep commitment, servant hearts, and love for others
- Being able to pick up some Japanese by the end of the trip
- Working with my team, learning how to put together and implement a mission trip through working out with fear and trembling
- Playing djembe with some Japanese students in a African drum club at Kumamoto University campus
- Seeing God use my testimony to touch and encourage others

Lowlights:
- Getting tired of the food - wanting a burger or something other than fish, rice, or beans
- Long layovers - including this one (9 1/2 hours)
- Getting motion sickness almost every day in the car (the vehicles are so small and the roads were through the mountains where we were)
- Jet lag
- Language barrier
- Not being able to talk much with some of the church members and people we met
- Having an allergic reaction to some Thai green curry at the Tokyo airport; luckily I was equipped with Benedryl so my throat didn't completely close up and I was so drowsy from the meds that I slept the whole flight back to Dallas

Overall, it was an amazing experience, and I am so thankful for every moment- highlights and lowlights. It was all for my sanctification, to know God and to desire Him more every day. Continue to pray for the people of Japan: for the Christians to stay strong and keep growing, for the rest to come to know Him and experience true life, true love, and true hope.