Preparation
I am happy to announce that my Certificate of Eligibility has been processed and I am now in the final stages of preparing for Japan! This week I picked up my Japanese visa from the embassy and picked a departure date. I fly to Tokyo on Monday, February 6.
It is funny how, after so much time waiting, everything feels like it is happening fast. There is so much to do! I am still raising support, telling people about Japan, and praying for more people to join in with prayer and financial partnership.
On top of all that, it feels like the enemy is showing off. He is pulling out all the tricks he can, and many of them remind me of difficult times from the past. I am remembering more and more how I felt last year when I was unable to go to Japan. I am remembering the anxiety and incredible insecurity.
The emotions from last year resurface, but this is not accidental. God wants to redeem what happened last year. He does not want me to remember it negatively. He does not want the memory to carry fear or anxiety for me. The enemy wants me to be frustrated and fearful. I am less of a concern for him that way, because I cannot clearly see what is going on. But God wants to reveal his goodness to me. He wants me to see things as they truly are, and from his perspective.
The real threat to the enemy is mindset. The reality of Christ within me and I within him is a mindset that Satan attacks for his own good. The Holy Spirit is teaching us how to live from the mind of Christ, which is freedom, and Satan does not want us to understand the truth. I want the enemy to be affected by my peace and joy. I want him to be intimidated by my faith. I do not just want victory; I want the enemy to be too afraid to show up.
The Holy Spirit wants to give us a mindset that is powerful enough to force the enemy to give up using his resources. He wants to turn each attack of the enemy into more joy for us. He will use these attacks to our advantage every time. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose -- Romans 8:28. The Lord does not want to just meet my needs, he wants to give me my inheritance as his beloved child. Every difficulty is just an opportunity for deeper understanding of God's goodness and glory, because God always wins. They are opportunities I want to take. I want to see the great expanse of his goodness and to know the power of his resurrection.
Finally moving to Japan feels too good to be true. It has not hit me how little time I have left here in Orange County. While there has been an overwhelming amount of rejoicing, it has been accompanied by sporadic manifestations of fear and unbelief. Please pray that revelation of God's goodness keeps me from he schemes of the enemy. Pray that my thinking would be Christ-like. Pray for the fruit of the Spirit in my life. The Holy Spirit is a wonderful comforter. He is 100% devoted to seeing us conquer in difficult circumstances, and he sets us up for success.
Your support and prayers have been pushing back the enemy and bringing God's glory to this situation. Without you, I would not be preparing to depart for Japan. Darkness has been pushed back, all through the power of Christ and his authority. Thank you so much for engaging the enemy in this spiritual battle. I cannot tell you what it means to me.
