Praise God for a safe arrival in Trujillo, Peru! These past few days have been rather ethereal. All of the fellows (there are 7 of us) arrived in the Lima airport Wednesday night. Alleen met us at the airport and we spent the night there. My fellow expatriates are (left to right) Patrick, Tyler, Heidi, me, Lydia, Daniel and Seth. So far so good! None of us are sick although we have been somewhat adventuresome. Most of us have had salad which can be iffy depending on the restaurant. This is a jello/jamish type of fruit dessert. It was as interesting as it appears!

Yesterday we had orientation with Josh Eby our pastor and boss. Everything is quite overwhelming and leaves me feeling a little dumb and incompetent. However, from God's perspective both are true but I never realized it in quite the same way. :) There is much to learn not even mentioning the need to learn more Spanish. In that area I have been both surprised and fearful. I can speak but I am very slow to figure out how and what to say! God is teaching me to trust Him in all things. Now is the time!

I love you all and will post again soon!

Okay, I said I would write on my blog while in Tokyo and haven't. However, I have a few minutes so I thought I would record a few thoughts and report some activities we were involved in.

We have been here almost a week and it has been crazy! We arrived after a 14 hour flight in which there was no sunset. We were up almost 26 hours (not counting naps on the flight). So, technically we left Wednesday and when we got to our hostel, it was Thursday night.

During the weekend, we played at Emmanuel Fakagawa Christ Church. Saturday, we had an exchange concert in which we played for the Japanese students and parents and the Japanese students played for us. They are very talented and passionate about their music. It is amazing to me how distant they seem in public (in the train station) but how personal and engaging they are, especially in a musical context. It is very rare anyone will look you in the eye in public. However, after the musical exchange we were able to talk to them and one of them talked about her search for a religion. A story that was encouraging to us was what happened Sunday, the day after the concert. Ladies in the area take their children to Sunday School and drop them off. However, this past Sunday, they stayed for Sunday School and the church service for the first time!

What is so exciting about the ministry of Abi and Roger is that they can establish connections with people through music. God is using art in amazing ways to bring people into the Church! People in Japan love classical music. We played outdoors for 15-20 minutes yesterday and people stopped and listened, recorded, and took pictures. While we played people who walked by even cracked smiles!

I am very grateful for the privelige of being in Japan and seeing God's work here. I am amazed at His work. I am also amazed when I find out the sacrifices the missionaries here make. Yes, everything is modernized but there are so few Christians! Also, the culture is one of extreme pressure. There is no forgiveness or grace in this culture. Perfection is required of everyone and those who cannot measure up or sustain the pressure commit suicide. Being here makes me so grateful for the forgiveness and grace I have in Christ Jesus. This grace is extended by others to me as well because they have also received this gift of mercy.

Thank you for your prayers! We are fighting spiritual battles here every day and need your prayers. Please pray for our health as a few of us are not well. I feel like I am coming down with something as well. This weekend we have a lot of performances and we need everyone to be healthy! I love you and am excited to be able to share with you the work God is doing.

Support Update

It has been awhile since I have written so here is the update. Even though I am not yet in Peru, I want to keep you posted.
     From my most current financial update, I have more than half of my support raised or pledged! I am really grateful for all of your support in finances, prayer, and encouragement! God gave some dear young ladies a heart for this ministry and they had a bake sale to raise money for me. I was so encouraged! Each one of them has been a joy to me and I will miss them although I cannot wait for July 28th which is my planned departure date!
     I am Lord willing finishing school in May!!!!! My recital jury is this coming Wednesday, March 31st. Once I pass, my recital will be on April 17th at 2:00 PM if God so wills. Please pray for that if you think of me. I am really excited to share the music that God has given me. Last year I could barely play at all without severe pain.

     May God bless you all with joy in Him this Easter. He is truly a magnificent God who is constantly amazing me!

Preparations for Peru

God has blessed me so much with family and friends who love me. Most of all, He gave His only Son that I might live in relationship with Him. God has called me to share His love with the people of Peru, specifically with those in Trujillo. What so delights my heart is that God is calling me to minister and share the gospel through the musical gifts He has given me. God doesn't waste gifts when He gives them and He delights when we use them for His glory. Music provides an inroad into places where other people might not be welcome. I am excited to see how God will use this to further His kingdom.

Thank you all for your support! I will keep this sight updated so you can find out what is going on and know how to pray! God has truly given me a family in you all! I pray God will show you how He uses your gifts for His kingdom.

Dios te bendiga