CoE- short for Certificate of Eligibility and the magic words my team and I have been waiting and praying to hear the past few weeks. In order to get a visa allowing us to be in Tokyo doing ministry we have to have this CoE.
Praise God, this morning one of my team leaders texted me saying the Japanese Cru office had received our CoEs! They will be sent to us and hopefully be in our hands by Friday. After that we will each have to go to the nearest Japanese consulate, mine is in LA, and go through some process to get our official visa.
I'm still unsure about what sort of time frame we're dealing with as far as when we will be leaving for Japan, but this is a HUGE step forward! Thank you so much for all your prayers on our behalf in this process. God is so good to provide for us in this way.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Naperville, Illinois- STINT Briefing 2012
Jet-setter Quinn is back at home after a rather hectic week and a half! I spent a lovely, albeit brief, weekend in the Bay Area with some of my favorite people.
With a turnaround of about twelve hours, I flew home Sunday night and was off again Monday morning for Chicago. Technically the briefing was in a lovely place called Naperville, but we did make it into the Windy City for a little touring one day of briefing.
The week consisted mostly of large group talks and smaller breakout seminars and team times. A really awesome band called Page CXVI led worship- I had never heard of them before but they are all about making hymns relevant again in worship. I was blessed by them.
Almost 400 STINTers were gathered for the week; students from across the States and going literally around the world. It was so cool to see such a diverse group of people and to know how diverse our experiences would be even as we go out with the same goal, to bring glory to our God. I met some new friends and am excited to see how the Lord uses all these brothers and sisters to further his kingdom.
One of the highlights of the week was finally getting to meet my whole team in person. I roomed with three of the girls so we had some good bonding time, and we also had quite a few team times when we could talk about what ministry in Japan is going to look like. I knew three people coming in, but it was awesome to be able to put real faces and personalities to the talking heads I had seen online thus far.
Speaking of my team, we had some really bad news on Saturday. One of the girls on my team is no longer going to be coming to Japan. It was a huge shock for us and definitely put a damper on the week. Please keep her in your prayers as she tries to trust the Lord in this hard turn of events.
With a turnaround of about twelve hours, I flew home Sunday night and was off again Monday morning for Chicago. Technically the briefing was in a lovely place called Naperville, but we did make it into the Windy City for a little touring one day of briefing.
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| The girls in front of the Chicago Bean |
The week consisted mostly of large group talks and smaller breakout seminars and team times. A really awesome band called Page CXVI led worship- I had never heard of them before but they are all about making hymns relevant again in worship. I was blessed by them.
Almost 400 STINTers were gathered for the week; students from across the States and going literally around the world. It was so cool to see such a diverse group of people and to know how diverse our experiences would be even as we go out with the same goal, to bring glory to our God. I met some new friends and am excited to see how the Lord uses all these brothers and sisters to further his kingdom.
 |
| With Brittany and Megan, both going to El Salvador, reppin' UCLA |
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| With Daniel, from Cal Poly SLO |
One of the highlights of the week was finally getting to meet my whole team in person. I roomed with three of the girls so we had some good bonding time, and we also had quite a few team times when we could talk about what ministry in Japan is going to look like. I knew three people coming in, but it was awesome to be able to put real faces and personalities to the talking heads I had seen online thus far.
Speaking of my team, we had some really bad news on Saturday. One of the girls on my team is no longer going to be coming to Japan. It was a huge shock for us and definitely put a damper on the week. Please keep her in your prayers as she tries to trust the Lord in this hard turn of events.
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| Tokyo guys at the commissioning |
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| Tokyo Ladies at commissioning |
Friday, August 10, 2012
Gold
Quick shout out to the USA women's soccer team for winning gold today! Since we are still happily living in the stone age without cable my family and I enjoyed the game at a local pizza parlor. Sweet victory!
100%
This morning I woke up to two e-mails from Cru giving saying I had received a combined $125 in monthly support overnight. I needed $126 monthly to be finished with support. It's been so interesting to see how detailed God is, he really does pay attention down to the dollars and cents. Once I prayed for $200 to come in overnight and woke up to $203.33. Today it was just a dollar short, perhaps as a reminder that he knows what I need and is fully capable of meeting it, I just have to trust that he can and will.
The remaining dollar of monthly support was quickly covered by the extra one-time gifts I had. With those $12 transferred over I was at the magical percentage- 100.
The feeling of being complete with support is hard to explain. I almost feel like one of the gold medal athletes who cannot say anything but "it's incredible, it's a dream." After several months of this process, to be at the end and be able to look back and see it unfold is truly incredible. At the beginning I had a lot of doubts. I knew it was possible with God's provision, but I would have been lying if I had really believed raising so much in such a short time was possible. Yet here I am!
This last $126 was a very specific answer to prayer as well. I'm flying to the Bay Area for the weekend to visit some college friends one last time before I leave. And then I will be heading to Chicago for STINT briefing with my team and all the other STINT teams being sent out. My extension deadline was the 12th so I was praying to finish before I left for the Bay so I could just enjoy being with my friends. The Lord heard me and knew my limits as far as handling deadlines and stress and he was gracious yet again. I am so blessed.
Anyways, I just wanted to celebrate this with you. 100%. Amazing!
The numbers:
The remaining dollar of monthly support was quickly covered by the extra one-time gifts I had. With those $12 transferred over I was at the magical percentage- 100.
The feeling of being complete with support is hard to explain. I almost feel like one of the gold medal athletes who cannot say anything but "it's incredible, it's a dream." After several months of this process, to be at the end and be able to look back and see it unfold is truly incredible. At the beginning I had a lot of doubts. I knew it was possible with God's provision, but I would have been lying if I had really believed raising so much in such a short time was possible. Yet here I am!
This last $126 was a very specific answer to prayer as well. I'm flying to the Bay Area for the weekend to visit some college friends one last time before I leave. And then I will be heading to Chicago for STINT briefing with my team and all the other STINT teams being sent out. My extension deadline was the 12th so I was praying to finish before I left for the Bay so I could just enjoy being with my friends. The Lord heard me and knew my limits as far as handling deadlines and stress and he was gracious yet again. I am so blessed.
Anyways, I just wanted to celebrate this with you. 100%. Amazing!
The numbers:
92 financial supporters; 36 of whom I met at UCLA
and countless prayer supporters
= 100% of my support goal!
= 100% of my support goal!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
All Must Be Well
We sang this song at my church this past week and the lyrics really spoke to me in this support raising process. There are highs and lows each day, even every hour as I am forced to trust the Lord with the results. It can be an exuberant experience when I see prayers answered, but also a frustrating and weary process as the task seems overwhelming. The truth is, however, through all the ups and downs, all must be well because the God of the universe is in control. I encourage you to take a moment to slow down and rest in these lyrics. They speak truth that I think we all too easily forget.
Credit where credit is due:
from Watch The Rising Day, released 17 August 2010
Written by Matthew S. Smith
©2007 Detuned Radio Music
Based in part on a hymn text by Mary Bowly Peters
Through the love of God our Savior, all will be well
Free and changeless is His favor, all is well
Precious is the blood that healed us
Perfect is the grace that sealed us
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us
All must be well
Though we pass through tribulation, all will be well
Ours is such a full salvation, all is well
Happy still in God confiding
Fruitful if in Christ abiding
Steadfast through the Spirit's guiding
All must be well
We expect a bright tomorrow; all will be well
Faith can sing through days of sorrow, all is well
On our Father's love relying
Jesus every need supplying
Yes in living or in dying
All must be well
Credit where credit is due:
from Watch The Rising Day, released 17 August 2010
Written by Matthew S. Smith
©2007 Detuned Radio Music
Based in part on a hymn text by Mary Bowly Peters
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
30%
Just briefly wanted to update you on how support is going! The Lord is gracious in his provision and I just passed the 30% mark. My goal is to have full support by August 1st so it still is a daunting task, but I know he will provide. Will you pray to our great provider with me and ask for him to bring in $1000 in monthly support this week?
Other prayer requests-
1. For my team and I that we would grow closer to each other, but especially that we would each individually learn to lean on God for strength in this process
2. Speed and efficiency for the government employees dealing with our visas
3. That the staff in Tokyo would be able to find us housing for the year that is conveniently located and fully furnished
4. Relief for the Japanese who are experiencing flooding in southern Japan
In other news, please let me know of any ways I can be praying for you!
Other prayer requests-
1. For my team and I that we would grow closer to each other, but especially that we would each individually learn to lean on God for strength in this process
2. Speed and efficiency for the government employees dealing with our visas
3. That the staff in Tokyo would be able to find us housing for the year that is conveniently located and fully furnished
4. Relief for the Japanese who are experiencing flooding in southern Japan
In other news, please let me know of any ways I can be praying for you!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Ending the Bruin chapter, beginning the Nihon chapter
As a recent graduate from one of the greatest universities in the world (not that I'm biased or anything), I can fairly say one chapter of my life has closed and another is being written. As a graduate with a degree in English, I can also acknowledge the importance of beginnings and endings to a story. If the beginning is dull, the prospect of staying awake long enough to give the book another chance is daunting. The beginning should be where the emotional connection is made, where the reader is given proper motivation for the great cost of time and emotion that they are sacrificing. In the same way, there is almost nothing more disappointing in life than a dud finale at the end of a long book. It makes your investment of time and interest an absolute waste, and there can even be strong feelings of betrayal towards the author. It often climaxes in a strong desire to cry about how unfair life is towards you.
In my stylish cap and gown over graduation weekend at UCLA
Now perhaps I was a bit hyperbolic in my above analysis, but because I am experiencing such a transition in my own life I feel it's quite applicable. After four years of amazing stories being lived out at UCLA, that chapter has come to a close. It ended with countless anecdotes of God's faithfulness to me in terms of providing Christian community, opportunities to grow in my faith, and the priceless chance to learn. It was a satisfying ending. And though bittersweet I look forward to the beginning of this next chapter because I know the character of the author who writes it. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, compassionate, patient, a provider, warrior and King. Knowing these traits I know his stories are worth reading, and in my case I get to live it out. Talk about an adventure!
This next chapter God is just starting to write is the story of my year-long missions trip back to Tokyo, Japan. I am going again with Cru (aren't abbreviations great! I just saved about 20 letters!) and will be bringing the hope and truth of the gospel to college students at some of the largest universities in Tokyo.
This chapter has been foreshadowed in previous chapters of my life, a clear sign that the author is in full control of what is going on, for which I am thankful. Right now the story is about the ups and downs of support-raising and preparing for the intensity of ministry in a country where less than 1% of the population is Christian. The story is going to have adventure, heartbreak, despair, unadulterated joy, friendship, warfare, humor, mishaps, drama. But I can with confidence assure you that it will have a happy ending because it will end in the glory of our heavenly Father. Ultimately that is all that really matters. Praise be to God that he even chooses to tell his story through us!
So there you are, where I've been and where my story is taking me. I hope you will join me in this journey, that you will read my story as the Lord writes it, and that we will be mutually encouraged by what He does.
In Him who has written the perfect story,
Quinn
Now perhaps I was a bit hyperbolic in my above analysis, but because I am experiencing such a transition in my own life I feel it's quite applicable. After four years of amazing stories being lived out at UCLA, that chapter has come to a close. It ended with countless anecdotes of God's faithfulness to me in terms of providing Christian community, opportunities to grow in my faith, and the priceless chance to learn. It was a satisfying ending. And though bittersweet I look forward to the beginning of this next chapter because I know the character of the author who writes it. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, compassionate, patient, a provider, warrior and King. Knowing these traits I know his stories are worth reading, and in my case I get to live it out. Talk about an adventure!
This next chapter God is just starting to write is the story of my year-long missions trip back to Tokyo, Japan. I am going again with Cru (aren't abbreviations great! I just saved about 20 letters!) and will be bringing the hope and truth of the gospel to college students at some of the largest universities in Tokyo.
This chapter has been foreshadowed in previous chapters of my life, a clear sign that the author is in full control of what is going on, for which I am thankful. Right now the story is about the ups and downs of support-raising and preparing for the intensity of ministry in a country where less than 1% of the population is Christian. The story is going to have adventure, heartbreak, despair, unadulterated joy, friendship, warfare, humor, mishaps, drama. But I can with confidence assure you that it will have a happy ending because it will end in the glory of our heavenly Father. Ultimately that is all that really matters. Praise be to God that he even chooses to tell his story through us!
So there you are, where I've been and where my story is taking me. I hope you will join me in this journey, that you will read my story as the Lord writes it, and that we will be mutually encouraged by what He does.
In Him who has written the perfect story,
Quinn
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