The first morning

Ohayo :) I am typing this post after a brilliant sleep, refreshing and awesome! Praise God for the rest he allows :) please pray for health for the teams and for the sick in japan - just this morning, my 2 brothers Harry and Alen who are on exchange in japan this year, have told me that they are currently sick! This cold weather means business!! I woke up not quite used to the time difference, (which is 2hours behind australia) and i have a beautiful window in our room that streams natural light :) Waking up around 7am (9 in Sydney), I was reading Hebrews 6 this morning and it made me think about encouraging others and being encouraged to not just become Christians but to constantly be growing in a way that brings glory to God, which in turn should bring joy to us as we grow towards Him! Chapter 6 warns us against falling away, that anyone who does fall away after tasting the goodness of the word of God, shared in the holy Spirit and tasted the heavenly gift after being enlightened will be like someone who crucified christ again. Hebrews uses the analogy of land that produces thorns and thistles will be burnt. I think that in japan on this short term mission, it's not that we are looking to convert people, because that is God's work.. Rather it'll be a time of learning about God's work in japan, making contacts and living as witnesses here :) A while ago, sam and I went to visit a missionary couple, David and Robynne who had been in japan for a long time but had returned to Sydney. They taught us quite a few things about Japanese etiquette (like not eating until the second time your host offered you the food so you dont appear too eager - which made is paranoid about eating food at their house :P) but the two things I remember the most, when sam asked how we might prepare for short term mission was when David said: - living the Christian life is the same everywhere - resisting sin etc.. The devil knows wherever you are and changing your postcode won't change that - we are always tempted to answer with our own opinion but we should make sure that our bibles are always open and we refer to it and answer from there. If possible, try to ask the Japanese person you are talking with to read the equivalent verse aloud (from the bilingual bible) In terms of how I'm feeling.. I'm feeling a lot better since yesterday. Thanks for all your prayers! :) I couldn't really hold down food before we arrived in japan which was horrible.. But now it's more the emotional anticipation, a bit of uncertainty and excitement that's filling me! Hebrews 4:15-16 says: for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. It is such a comfort to know that Jesus knows exactly how I feel because he's been through all this before! Please pray for us as we spend team time together before the mission actually starts (we had to fly in early because flights from hk-Sapporo arent available every day) and that we can be united in spirit and in our love for christ, that we encourage each other throughout this time :) Carson even suggested that we do 5am prayer meetings! :P