MSN Summer Internship Update #4

Pray for Karis!

ヒックス・カリス | Karis Hicks
インターン | MUSTARD SEED クリスチャン教会福岡

“By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.”
Psalm 42:8

“But He knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. My foot has held fast to HIs steps; I have kept His way and have not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my portion of food. But He is unchangeable.” Job 23:10-13

Praises

God moments, sovereign conversations
Praising the Lord for SO many God moments and conversations this week.

Divine appointment
Last Saturday afternoon and evening, I spent a few hours at Ohori Park, reading and having the best solitude time with the Lord! Towards sunset, a man approached me, probably early 20s, and held out a journal towards me asking if I had a moment. He sat down and asked if I could write out my definition of love. WOW. The line I had just read from my book was speaking about the reality that yes, sometimes it’s awkward to share the Gospel. BUT it’s ALWAYS worth it! I proceeded to write out John 3:16 in a simple English story version, and then showed the young man. He said he recognized it as the Bible, and when I asked him what he thought, he said he didn’t believe in a God. I asked him, “What do you believe in?” and he shrugged and said, “Myself, my family, my friends.” This lead to about 20 minute conversation with him, where I was able to share the Gospel and how it was the reason I was in Japan, because God has changed my life and set me free from sin, because of His steadfast love NEVER fails or leaves, and because I have true joy in my life and so many people do not yet know about that perfect LOVE. I invited him to come to church the next day, and he said, “But I don’t believe in God!” I laughed, “Then you are exactly who I would want to come be a part of my church!” Sadly, he did not come to church, and is now back in his home country, but I did offer to share my contact information with him,“In case you ever have any questions.” His response was a confused, “Questions about what?” And my immediate cheerful answer, “God! I want to make sure you have someone you can talk to if you ever have any other questions about God.” He laughed but we did exchange contacts, please pray that one day he reaches out, that he finds a Bible believing Gospel centered church in his home city, and that ultimately he begins to follow Jesus!

A new friend
On Sunday, Shania and I got to go visit T-, a contact we met during our short term trip back in May. She was so excited to invite us to her restaurant and to have us visit! I am hopeful to connect her with the young adult group that meets near her workplace, please pray for her schedule to allow that, for a heart that desires to want to go, and for her salvation.

Time with Jesus!
SO thankful for such sweet time with the Lord, especially on Friday, thank you for praying for that! Fridays are our “Saturdays” here (Friday/Saturday weekend schedule as Sundays are full days!) and this Friday Sabbath rest time started with SUCH a quiet morning time with Mai at a cute coffeeshop called School BusStop Coffee Shop. Time with the Lord, a sweet friend, coffee, delish food, and a good flat white was genuinely a highlight of this week, such a gift from the Lord just to do life here! Even the little things like journaling, prayer, and worship music time while laundry was going feels like a gift of rest from the Lord, very thankful for it. Thankful that He is helping me walk in the joy of the Lord and how deeply He satisfies!

Smooth flow of day-day life
Praise for consistency and smooth day-day life! SO thankful that work is beginning to flow smoothly as well!

A WHOLE week of sunshine
THIS is huge! It has been so lovely to see the sun EVERY day the last week after so much rain!

Friendship
Very thankful for the sisters and brothers in Christ here in Fukuoka! Thankful that what binds us together as friends is our shared love of the our Savior and the Gospel!

Prayer Requests

BEING with Jesus
Thank you for praying for this, He is answering! Please continue to pray for a calm, loving, gentle and joyful heart that keeps delighting most in Jesus before I look to my thoughts, tasks, and to-dos, especially in these last two weeks!
Work & English Connect
Please pray for my specific tasks with slide development, formatting on ProPresenter, building short clips from sermons, assisting the audio/visual team with sound as well as sermon uploads, prepping to lead worship team for the last two weeks in Japan and leading English Connect class! Pray that I will catch errors quickly, be attentive to details, and be quick to learn. Pray for unity on our team and for gracious responses with each other when the work week gets busy. Please pray that I would finish ALL work projects smoothly in the last two weeks I have here in Fukuoka! Pray for more non-believers to come to English Connect AND desire to want to come to church!
Final Two Weeks and Coming Home
Being real real, I was hit pretty hard this last week with how fast the summer is going/has gone, and the reality that I will be back home in the States in just over two weeks. I truly cannot believe how fast this summer has gone, and it has been one of THE biggest joys of my entire life to be here serving, doing life, laughing, being hands and feet. AND, there is truly so much to be done here for the Gospel! There are so many things that I am excited for that the Lord has waiting back in the States, but there are also some hard and difficult things waiting too, personally, health-wise and other!
One big area is the time between when I land August 3rd, and a new school year that starts August 10th… which leaves about 6 days to recover from jet lag, process being back in America (reverse culture shock is so real), MOVE (5th time in a year ) and handle a few other things! Please pray for strength and joy and that I will keep the Main thing the main thing in all the juggling (Side note, I have missed FBC church family, and I’m so excited to be back with you worshipping together and back in small group again!!)
Outreach
Please keep praying for the Lord to open doors for the opportunity to build relationships, both new and already established here in Japan! Pray that I would speak the gospel boldly when an opportunity comes up! Pray for all of the contacts that I have met that they would desire to come to church, and come to know Jesus and walk with Him! Pray for final meet-ups, lunches, connections that are scheduled to happen that I will be bold with the gospel in those too.
MSCC Fukuoka Team
Please pray for David, Alyssa, Mai, William, Lydia, Lilian (pray specifically for her furlough in the States for the next 5 weeks to be restful and fruitful!), and Shania by name! Pray for strength and encouragement from the Lord, energy, joy, unity, and gracious attitudes!
MSCC Fukuoka Specific Prayers
More Japanese interpreters! More elders! More volunteers! Salvation for nonbelievers AND for more nonbelievers to come to church. Continued unity as a church family and that the Lord would grow His church with faithful followers of Jesus!
YOUTH GROUP
Please lift up the youth group that meets at the Hanson home!!! Pray for salvation among youth, for new students to come, and for strength and energy for the Hanson family.
JAPAN
Please pray for the PEOPLE of Japan, that God would bring growth from seeds planted, that hearts and souls of Japan would turn TOWARDS JESUS, that eyes would be opened to the Gospel! Please pray fervently for more workers, more gospel-centered believers to COME to Japan, for short term or long term, for the sake of the Gospel being shared with the millions who have never heard!