Exploring London

My fellow TFG/American friend Ashley came to visit me in London for a few days and made this little video! Next stop: Paris...let the adventures begin :)

Come Thou Fount

 I love this old hymn...

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy unchanging love

Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here there by Thy great help I've come
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let that grace now, like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, O take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

 Thank you Lord for sunny days. Thank you for worship. Thank you for fellowship with my Reality brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank you for friends. Thank you for my 'British parents' who take care of me. Thank you for hearing my prayers. 

Off to Harrogate for a leadership conference with the church staff tomorrow...4 hour drive from London. I'm sure it'll be a good time and will update when I'm back :)

Encouraged

It's 77 degrees outside! (This is crazy for London) There's something about the sun...it puts everyone in a good mood :) Thank you Lord for a sunny week...I definitely needed some Vitamin D in my life. No wonder the British people talk about the weather so much...one moment it's sunny, then cloudy, rainy, and even hailing!

Yesterday was a perfect night for a BBQ with friends...oh I just love those summer nights. Playing guitar, eating good food, and good conversation.

I've been so encouraged by the YWAMers from America and Canada...they have been helping at our church for over a month and it's so nice having foreigners around. One of the team leaders encouraged me with these Bible verses from Psalm 40:

I desire to do your will, my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
    I do not seal my lips, Lord,
    as you know.  

I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
    from the great assembly.

 Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord;
    may your love and faithfulness always protect me. 

For troubles without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
    and my heart fails within me.

I pray that my actions and words would proclaim Jesus!

Joy

A little piece of my Bible study, Girls 4 God (G4G)...Caroline, Leah, Lindsay, Livvy, Liz, and Jenny...I thank God for each one of you and can't imagine my time in London without all of your support and love. I definitely believe God put the youth in my life to bring me JOY. :)

Last weekend, our youth group enjoyed the Pentecost festival and worship with Tim Hughes, Hillsong London, and Worship Central. So encouraging to worship with thousands of other believers. God is doing amazing things in this city!

The Starfish Story

A man was walking along a deserted beach at sunset. As he walked he could see a young boy in the distance, as he drew nearer he noticed that the boy kept bending down, picking something up and throwing it into the water. Time and again he kept hurling things into the ocean. As the man approached even closer, he was able to see that the boy was picking up starfish that had been washed up on the beach and one at a time he was throwing them back into the water. The man asked the boy what he was doing, the boy replied," I am throwing these washed up starfish back into the ocean, or else they will die through lack of oxygen. "But", said the man, "You can't possibly save them all, there are thousands on this beach, and this must be happening on hundreds of beaches along the coast. You can't possibly make a difference." The boy smiled, bent down and picked up another starfish, and as he threw it back into the sea, he replied

"But I made a difference for that one."

 

Courage

TFG day away was awesome and so good to be reunited with other volunteers from Westmont. Countdown: 4 months to go! I pray I'll be intentional about my last months in the UK and not let it drag on. Our calling in life is to make disciples of all nations...may I be a reflection of Jesus to people in Woodford, on the tube, or working at church. A good analogy is thinking of surfing a wave...am I going to let this opportunity pass me by (a big wave) or will I trust God and build up courage to ride the wave? Pray I continue to put my trust in Him when situations seem overwhelming...may I lean on Him in everything I say and do.

I've been thinking, what legacy do I want to leave behind? What risks do I want to take? Our TFG leader's small group prayed for us and gave us each specific Bible verses...amazing how the Lord can speak so clearly. I've been reading Joshua 1 which talks about courage...

"No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.  Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Slum Survivor

Spending a few days like a billion spend a lifetime...a memorable weekend with my youth group.

Day 1: Met at church, built our slums from cardboard boxes (we won chocolate for the best slum...go youth leaders!), made dinner which consisted of brown rice, bean sprouts, curry, and spinach (tasted so good after being so hungry!), bible study/praying against human trafficking, child soldiers, and people who sleep in slums everyday, and slept in the basement at church (dusty and cold...we were going to slum it outside, but it was raining/freezing).

Day 2: I survived the night. Woke-up, got ready for the day, and ate rice, spinach, and sprouts again. The hardest part is sleeping on a cold concrete floor and without a pillow. Only one change of clothes...talk about stinky. It's hard for some without makeup, but I don't mind. I'm so tired. Lord, give me energy! It's crazy how some of us rely on coffee to get through the day.

Thank you for fun games with the youth...playing Mafia, Mao, and Hide-and-go-seek Sardines in the building. Even without food and sleep, it's been a great bonding experience. For dinner, we ate rice, chickpeas, sauce, and ham...so thankful for something new, but still hungry. We played the "hot seat" game with Jacqui asking deep questions to each of us...I love how they pick on me! It's fun having other YWAM Americans/Canadians around. I wish they could stay longer. We talked about God's calling for our life...I am called to be His child, a daughter, sister, friend, and a worker for His kingdom. We need to be obedient and use the gifts He has given us!

Day 3: I survived! My back was hurting last night and Jacqui kept snoring...I wish I had ear plugs! We woke up early, ate a delicious meal of bananas and bread (so happy for something different than rice!), and had Bible study. We talked about what's keeping us from getting closer to God and tore off the chains! It's so easy to compare ourselves to other people, fear people instead of GOD, and pride gets in my way.

Lord, thank you for home-cooked meals, a comfy bed, and showers. I pray I won't ever take it for granted. Thank you for an eye-opening weekend of how the rest of the world lives. It's awesome we raised money and awareness for Soul Action projects that work in some of the poorest communities in the world. I hope we'll be able to donate clothes/shoes to local charities in London. I encourage your youth group to take on the Slum Survivor challenge!

All This Time

It's amazing how songs can speak right to your heart. I hope these lyrics will encourage you by Britt Nicole...

I remember the moment
I remember the pain
I was only a girl
But I grew up that day
Tears were falling
I know You saw me

Hiding there in my bedroom
So alone
I was doing my best
Trying to be strong
No one to turn to
That's when I met You

All this time
From the first tear cry
To today's sunrise
And every single moment between
You were there
You were always there
It was You and I
You've been walking with me all this time
Ever since that day
it's been clear to me
That no matter what comes
You will never leave
I know You're for me
And You're restoring

Every heartache and failure
Every broken dream
You're the God who sees
The God who rescued me
This is my story
This is my story

I hear these people asking me
How do I know what I believe?
Well I'm not the same me
And I saw the proof I need
I felt Love I felt Your grace
You stole my heart that day

Recipe of the Week: Butter Mochi

So I know this isn't the healthiest dessert because it's loaded with butter and sugar, but I love this simple Hawaiian treat...butter mochi! 

Ingredients
1 box mochiko flour (you can find at Japanese markets)
2 cups sugar (lessen if healthier)
2 t. baking powder
1 14-oz. can coconut milk
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. butter, melted and cooled

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Grease a 13x9x2" pan.
In a large bowl, sift together mochiko flour, sugar, and baking powder; mix well.
In a medium bowl, combine coconut milk, evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and incorporate the liquid ingredients; mix well.
Stir in melted butter.
Pour into pan and tap pan to settle batter.
Bake 45 minutes until golden brown.
Cool at least 2 hours before cutting.

Hello Seattle

Here's a video of my brother dancing to "I Whip my Hair" on the xbox...we had a good time that night! :)

Thank you Lord for a chance to go home, catch up with family and friends, and tell others about the wonderful things you're doing in London. About two weeks ago, I boarded the long flight from London to Chicago, then finally Seattle. The whole trip took about 15 hours, but it was so worth it to see my parents after 9 months! This is the longest I've been away from them.

We had beautiful weather in Seattle the first couple days...I was surprised it wasn't raining! The funny thing is, I felt like I had never left...7 months have gone by fast! Everything felt the same, but I have become a different person and changed since September.

Highlights of my trip included:
-Family/friend reunion at Ivar's restaurant on a beautiful sunny day
-Sharing stories and a video about my time in London
-Hearing my Aunt and Uncle speak about missions and tsunami impact in Japan
-Celebrating my Grandpa Mori who's 95 years old and Grandma Mori
-Spending time with my mom on her birthday
-Home-made sushi and Japanese food (I was getting quite sick of shepherd's pie and fish and chips)
-My best friend's graduation party and fellowship with old church friends
-Hiking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest
-Celebrating my 23rd birthday at Wild Ginger, Yogurtland, and a sleepover
-Going to Lighthouse and Mars Hill church
-English tea and scones...showing my family how to drink proper tea!
-Catching up with my old community group
-Quality time with family

I am so thankful! I really needed the time to get away and reflect on the year. God has blessed me with so much. He is always there for me. My mentor shared this Psalm right before I left and has been so encouraging:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from? 
 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber; 

indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand; 

the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;  

the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

^{-Psalm 121}