At Adventure's End

Somehow, it was a long summer and a short one for me.  I've seen a lot and learned a lot of invaluable things in Japan and it's not an exaggeration to call the experience "life changing."  This post will be mostly about things that I've learned and will be a bit rambling.

The first thing I have learned is just how generous my family, friends, and church are.   There wasn't much time between when I asked for help fundraising and when I left for Japan, but people quickly donated money, even many who were hurting financially.  In fact,  more money was sent than what I needed!  I am so thankful to God and to those who helped me pay for this mission!  For those of you who are reading, thank you!

I also was able to finally get to know Japan, the country that I had studied for years.  First, I confirmed a sneaking suspicion that I've had for a while:  that Japanese people are people and that you cannot completely peg someone just from what country they grew up in.

I saw firsthand how desperately Japan needs the Gospel.  The Japanese know absolutely nothing about Jesus or God.  Their worldview is different to the point where things that seem incredibly obvious to me would never occur to them (and the other way around).  And while America has its own host of problems, Japan is in serious pain.  Unfortunately, the number of missionaries in Japan are decreasing, especially since the earthquake.  Which is really unfortunate because I think that the earthquake has caused Japan to become more open than it has been in centuries.

It's a bit strange for me to think about it, but I've seen things that most people haven't or ever will.  I've seen an entire city wiped out, and met people who have lost their houses, friends, and family.  From this, I think I've learned to be more sensitive towards other people's suffering, and also to realize that the bad things in my life could be a lot worse.  I've also learned that I need to listen to others more and speak less (my Japanese listening ability is better than my speaking, which helped me do that).

While in Japan, I was able to make a lot of friends and connections.  I'm glad to have met each one of them and I really hope to see them again (many of them I know I'll meet the other side of eternity, but I also want to meet them again here).  I've met so many amazing people who are giving their time and money to serve the Lord, and I'm so glad to know them.

Most of all, I've learned that Japan is a wonderful place to be and I can't wait to go back someday!

Thank you for reading this blog.  Even though I'm back home, I'll try and update it every once in a while!