Reports of the results of your prayers
Teaching and fellowship on hikikomori and Heart4Japan
In both August and September, we had some guests in Japan to learn about hikikomori and Heart4Japan. There were good times in sharing and praying together for His work in Japan. Praise God, amen.
Then on the last few days in August, we had a series of hikikomori events including 光希屋構想説明会 (a small conference for vision on building a Hikikomori project), the last session of "Change" workshop, field trip to visit different support stations, and a farewell party for Midori. An encouraging result from the "Change" workshop, the anxiety/depression level reduced with a consistent attendance to the workshop, which mark a good mile stone for a start in CHANGE. Please continue to pray for the members involved.
Strengthening course and skill
In the 2nd week of August, I went up to Iwate, Yamada town with HGPI, the think-tank group, for an interpretation work on disaster relief effort. The work was very benefiting, that helped me to understand the course further.
In the 4th and 5th week of August, I attended a series of workshop about Prolonged Exposure in PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) treatment. The workshop and course helped me to understand PTSD further and a lot of other issues that involve avoiding behavior, numbness of feelings, and what does it mean about losing interest and sense of limiting future.
This week, I have an intense internship with different mental health facilities, learning about how the support of the facilities and how people cope with difficulties in life with such assistances. The internship this week helps me to gain an insight of how to run the hiki project (光希屋構想）that we are planning in the future.
Proceeding of the social phobia paper
The Lord had blessed me with two excellent editors to help me with my social phobia paper. A paper that had dragged for about one and a half year now since beginning of the analysis. I am now in the final stage of submitting it to the journal. Please continue to uphold me in your prayers.
His honor
The Lord had gave me a part-time job in helping a professor in another university to edit his papers. With His grace, both paper were accepted for publications. The latest was chosen for the focus topic of the month, and now he left to US to run an academic tour for the published subject. Hallelujah!!! The professor credited it to my work in helping him to improve his paper. But the Lord has more for me with that. This event was very encouraging to me, as I was on the binge of losing confidence of my research/comprehension/writing skills...... (because the long drag of effort in trying to publish my own papers)
Counting His blessings
So far, the Lord had blessed me with a lot of His gifting of good people, grace and success in the things that he laid on my hands. The most amazing gains in these two and a half year in Japan, i. the improvement of my Japanese comprehension and conversational skill, ii. friendships with the Japanese people, iii. trust and improvement of the social isolated people that I work with. Being a part of the effort in the rehabilitation of social withdrawn people is nevertheless the most encouraging event for me. Though I am still always having the thoughts that I am not being effective enough, I will try to remember that it takes time for things to happen, where I am now at a milestone and I should always surrender myself and my work into his hand and not try to rush.
Areas that I need your prayers:
I am hoping that you can commit the prayers for at least 3 - 4 months from now.
(if you may, please form small groups to pray for me as you remember Heart4Japan and His work in this land)
Health
After 8 months of operation on the uterus fibroids, I still often feel the tricks of "hormones imbalance". When it attacks, I will have hot flush, depression and insomnia. Yet my brain will also be super alert, which provides me energy to work, but will often end in exhaustion.
PhD work
From July onwards, there were also another project going on that related with my PhD course.
I started to collect the data for Internet Addiction study after 9 months of preparation of the questionnaire. Then, I started the analyses from end of July. The Lord again had granted me kind and reliable people to help me to learn statistical skills (which the subject that I always feel helpless) to proceed with the analyses. There were a lot of ups and downs in playing with the figures....... As I was convinced that I did see a pretty good result that may suggest a practical implication for the study, I presented it to my professor yesterday, and he told me that was not the major result for this study, and he didn't see much usefulness of the finding. (; - ;) ....... this is depressing....................
I just realized that to earn my PhD degree by next March....
From now,
I would need to summit the title and page and selection of panels by 7 days,
finish my first draft by 40 days,
submit the complete draft by 60 days,
set up my presentation file by 80 days,
attend oral defense by 90 days,
paper review by 110 days.
I haven't started a single word,
analyses are still far away from completion.
Logic of course still need to be strengthened...............
I remember every time when I was writing my thesis (bachelor work, master thesis), I always felt endless struggle with pain and depression. I guess this is "academic blues".... :-)
However, even I understand that this is quite common and usual with many people who are at the end of their academic courses, I just want to be very honest with my feelings, and make a humble gesture in asking you to pray with me in these areas.
Please pray for :
1. wisdom in learning statistic tools, and understanding
2. His hands on me
3. I will feel the presence of Lord every second in this project
4. the relationship between my professor and me: trust and support
5. the relationship between all my instructors and me
6. excellent time management
7. sharpness in His spirit in analyzing the findings
8. confidence (I am losing confidence)
9. determination
10. calm
11. no other distractions (e.g. financial stability, good interpersonal relationship, continuous love/trust/support from the hikikomori and people that I work with, etc)
12. Selection of panels ( the academic committee for the oral defense, I will select 7, they will will take 2-3 out of my list, and the faculty will assign another 3 professors to the panel) expertise and kindness.
RJC (Reaching Japanese for Christ)
I was still praying about the invitation to RJC conference next February in Seattle, for the workshop on Hikikomori.
There were a few things in concern,
1. time
2. finance
I would love to go, as I would no longer live in Japan as a student, but most likely to start my full time missionary work on hikikomori. It would be a good time to share vision, encourage others, and gain support.
But then, as it would be a new season, finance is extra crucial.
We are planning for a hikikomori project that would incurred a huge amount of fund, just try to start something that will ease the rehabilitation of hikikomori, setting up bridges for them to re-engage with the society. But traveling is expensive. And if I travel, I would like to have them to come with me.
The deadlines with the thesis submission make the trip to RJC seems impossible.
I am now praying instead of 2013, maybe we should go in 2014.
and hopefully we would have started something by then, and have more practical things to share and teach.
Please pray together with me in making the decision.
May He gives me a clear direction.
Hikikomori paper
I have submitted the hikikomori paper to the Journal of Quality Research of Health in July, and there is still no feedback yet. My friend told me some journals take about 4 - 6 months for peer reviews. Please pray with me for the success of the peer reviews, and publication. The voices of the hikikomori had long dueled to make known to the world.
