Penpals Rock
I wanted to share a very special experience with you. When I was in Japan, our professor challenged our group to visit J-House, a Japanese "revolution" church. Background: Japan has a difficult history with religion. Due to religious and political struggles, religion and faith have become nothing more than routines and rituals practiced for prosperity. More than 90% of Japanese people do not sincerely believe that any god is capable of loving, guiding, and interacting with humans.
I am sharing this story because a very beautiful person was born into this dark, sad recession -- Izumi Otomo. Izumi -- "Izzy", as I call her -- is 23 years old, a young working-adult, and, surprisingly, a Christian. I met Izzy at J-House and was instantly drawn to her. We talked for a few minutes during a meet-and-greet game and I learned that she also comes from a family of all girls -- she has 3 sisters! I knew we had something in common ^o^
After the games and a brief discussion of what J-House offers to the young adults, I stayed to chat with a few of the missionaries about their experiences thus far. I almost didn't notice Izzy leave, but she caught my eye on the way out of the door; she gave a little wave, then disappeared down the steps. My conversation ended shortly thereafter and, supposing she had gone home, I wandered into the downstairs kitchen to see if I could lend a hand in washing dishes. --I love washing dishes!!-- And guess who I found at the counter, towel in hand? Izzy was very warm and glad for the extra help. While drying the colorful plastic cups and several pairs of chopsticks, we covered every topic from favorite animals to how God had brought us to this point in our lives. Izzy, like others I have met, thought I was much older (it can't be appearance, so what's the deal??). Izzy was (and is) also a contradiction to what I had expected from Japanese people -- she was friendly, eager to know me personally, and unafraid to let her true self show. When all the dishes had been returned to their proper order and the boys had finished cleaning the upper room, I was disappointed that I did not have more time. With knowing eyes, Izzy quickly grabbed a name tag -- the kind that say, "Hello, my name is" -- and scrawled her email address across the middle. "My English is not so good, but I want to talk more," she said, a broad smile highlighting her face. I needed that. I was more than happy to do the same and left J-House with a hug and a new penpal.
I have thought about that night ever since, replaying the scenes until I can see her face before me. God gave me a friend that means more than she knows -- she is a symbol of hope for her country. I have several friends that live and work in Tokyo, Osaka, and Hiroshima, all who express a desire for this type of interaction without success. How is it that I, a simple girl who would rather walk barefoot in a cornfield than spend a second in an elevator, was given this gift?
I love getting emails from Izzy, mainly because they remind me to pray for her, but also because God is teaching me through her. In a recent email, Izzy wrote, "In japan, its so hard to tell people Christianity because they consider all religions a cult. and for me, now, i dont have energy to do that. i have no room in my head and heart for evangelizing. i only can handle my own things right now. but i want tell people about Jesus." She says I am an encouragement to her, but this relationship is mutual in more than one respect. Before we left the cruise ship to enter Japanese customs, my professor encouraged me to pray for ways to see God in a land that refused to acknowledge his existence. Japan: God is moving, and he is coming your way! Please continue to pray for J-House, the missionaries who serve there, and the Christians like Izzy who are fighting a daily battle against the darkness of their world.
http://www.jhouse.tv/english/
I am sharing this story because a very beautiful person was born into this dark, sad recession -- Izumi Otomo. Izumi -- "Izzy", as I call her -- is 23 years old, a young working-adult, and, surprisingly, a Christian. I met Izzy at J-House and was instantly drawn to her. We talked for a few minutes during a meet-and-greet game and I learned that she also comes from a family of all girls -- she has 3 sisters! I knew we had something in common ^o^
After the games and a brief discussion of what J-House offers to the young adults, I stayed to chat with a few of the missionaries about their experiences thus far. I almost didn't notice Izzy leave, but she caught my eye on the way out of the door; she gave a little wave, then disappeared down the steps. My conversation ended shortly thereafter and, supposing she had gone home, I wandered into the downstairs kitchen to see if I could lend a hand in washing dishes. --I love washing dishes!!-- And guess who I found at the counter, towel in hand? Izzy was very warm and glad for the extra help. While drying the colorful plastic cups and several pairs of chopsticks, we covered every topic from favorite animals to how God had brought us to this point in our lives. Izzy, like others I have met, thought I was much older (it can't be appearance, so what's the deal??). Izzy was (and is) also a contradiction to what I had expected from Japanese people -- she was friendly, eager to know me personally, and unafraid to let her true self show. When all the dishes had been returned to their proper order and the boys had finished cleaning the upper room, I was disappointed that I did not have more time. With knowing eyes, Izzy quickly grabbed a name tag -- the kind that say, "Hello, my name is" -- and scrawled her email address across the middle. "My English is not so good, but I want to talk more," she said, a broad smile highlighting her face. I needed that. I was more than happy to do the same and left J-House with a hug and a new penpal.
I have thought about that night ever since, replaying the scenes until I can see her face before me. God gave me a friend that means more than she knows -- she is a symbol of hope for her country. I have several friends that live and work in Tokyo, Osaka, and Hiroshima, all who express a desire for this type of interaction without success. How is it that I, a simple girl who would rather walk barefoot in a cornfield than spend a second in an elevator, was given this gift?
I love getting emails from Izzy, mainly because they remind me to pray for her, but also because God is teaching me through her. In a recent email, Izzy wrote, "In japan, its so hard to tell people Christianity because they consider all religions a cult. and for me, now, i dont have energy to do that. i have no room in my head and heart for evangelizing. i only can handle my own things right now. but i want tell people about Jesus." She says I am an encouragement to her, but this relationship is mutual in more than one respect. Before we left the cruise ship to enter Japanese customs, my professor encouraged me to pray for ways to see God in a land that refused to acknowledge his existence. Japan: God is moving, and he is coming your way! Please continue to pray for J-House, the missionaries who serve there, and the Christians like Izzy who are fighting a daily battle against the darkness of their world.
http://www.jhouse.tv/english/
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