Visiting Churches......

My move to visit the churches proved to be right. In January, I felt that the Lord was kicking my back to move out from ICA. I had been comfortably stayed in ICA for more than 3 months, it became a habit for me to worship in that church on Sunday. Somewhere deep inside me, I was still searching for a family, a spiritual place where I can feel belong, and grow.

Until the Lord showed me in the beginning of January, my family is in His FAMILY, and I don't really need to search for one, He has one for me! He had actually bought many nice people to my side, since beginning.

But as I was naive, hoping much to have a church where I can feel as home, and thought that's the only way to be, and then totally forgotten about my mission here to visit churches and meeting people. I was pretty tight with study, and visiting churches with a "complicating" identity is strange. It is pretty tough to answer the questions, such as, "Why are you here? You are praying for Japan? and you are here as a HKU student? Your church sent you? How do you pay?" I was tired, embarassed. Then, God brought me to ICA Cantonese service. He told me to stay, one month. Pretty good, I thought. I had a shelther. The worship songs were familiar, the youths took me in warmly, the elderly people were kind, the pastor was energitic, and there was a girl, who like Japan a lot. After one month, I stayed on. In December, I found that it had become a habit to move my legs to that direction of the church on Sunday.

January, I was very depressed. I didn't really see people who had a heart4japan, and that was the fifth month. EPF still had not pay the school fees, the exams were tough, the church back home decided not to support me financially, I miss home, and I had no more money to go on. Then, the Lord supplied, in His mysterious way. More, He brought me to a church, moves heavily in prophetic worship, the pastor himself is a missionary, and they have services on Wed, Thu, Fri and Sat evening. Very much like FGA, great! There was an opening in the ministry, they need a staff. Prophetic, Worship, Missions, Services, Church Staff, most of all, DISCPLESHIP! Everything that I miss were presented before my eyes. What a blessing! I was in awe. But very quickly, He said, "You got what you wished, but it is not my will for you to work here. This is not your vineyard."

I went to Tong Fook Church the next Sunday. God grace, I thought I went there for sermon, but God brought me there to meet Joe Ozawa. He had always been an inspiration to H4J, and now we met in HK. Unbelievable!

I told him my struggle in learning Japanese, and felt I just couldn't be a "Japanese". He laughed, and he explained, "Somehow or rather, I feel the devil just do not want to give up Japan. Every people just wanted to be Japanese so much, and they became so tired, and disappointed, and gave up. You were just praying for Japan, not even there, but you already felt the same. You just need to be yourself!" Suddenly, the knots opened up one by one, I fell into the trap of the enemy! My homesick started as I found myself couldn't really expressed my inner thoughts as how a Japanese do! Then, one piled up with another, I could hardly breathe.

Gracious God! By knowing that, I was set free. Of course, then God showed me His healing power not only on me, but on many others too. I was amazed, and deeply touched by His gentle kindness. I took it one step further, knowing that was a promise from God, the prayers we have for Japan today would not just be washed down to the drain, a transformation is happening there! The cocoon is waking up.

I also received long distant calls from church, affirming me, and I knew I was not abandoned, but loved, and being blessed.

So, I went on visiting other churches as He led. But this time, not with the aim of finding myself a family, but observing closely at the place that He brought me too, and paying attention if there is anyone He wants me to meet. Today, I met someone in the church, been in Japan, loved Japan, and did a study on Hikikomori before they came back. Isn't that amazing?

I believe there are more people that He wants me to meet! He wants to bring us together, to uphold each other? to pray together? to share information? to encourage? I'm not sure... but I am excited to see His hand, joining us to form a theme!


yeah... I think so. Most people don't get to move around! If I'm back home, I wouldn't prefer to move around churches especially on Sunday. So, I become a thread that He is using, to link one another together! Wow... Amen and amen.

Shalom!


p/s: I met another friend here in HK, and she is here to pray for HK. For that, she stayed here for 3 months. So, these are the sort of people that "walk by faith". Not really knowing that 'where' and 'what', but we are sensitive to the 'time'. I was deeply encouraged, knowing that I am not the only weird one eased me a lot, ;p This is the kind of people that FGA is producing, I guess ;-) Maybe not many, but there are some.