What I am Learning

"Why try to resurrect an eye for eye when we crave love as our deepest cry?
If forgiveness is our deepest need why press the wounds to bleed?
Are we brave enough to give?
Are we dead enough to live beyond ourselves and to breath...
for something higher than this?"

Brave Enough by The Other Mark Miller


So here finally I post something about what I am learning from my experience from Japan. So much has been going on and I hope that if you want to know more details you will ask me for my prayer requests. (I just sent out the latest prayer requests so if you would like to receive them and have not for some reason contact me please) (email is courtney.dusenbury@mavs.uta.edu)


God is showing me how selfish I really am. Because I am in an environment where I am constantly poring out to others I have come to realize just how much I feel it should be all about me. I just simply didn't realize the huge issue and burden that comes when I think I need to be satisfied with how my day is going or I can't possibly be joyful. Reality is when you are serving Christ by serving others you may end up doing things you don't enjoy. You might even have days where it seems like nothing is going right. (Aka your way) Since Christ tells us to pick up our cross daily and follow Him then I think it's best to assume this is not sunshine and roses that we are walking into. It's hard and many times painful work, but oh, what joy can come from it!

Trust has also been such a huge thing on this trip for me. I have been asking God to help me trust Him for awhile now. I really upon my own abilities so much that I leave little room for Christ to empower me. It is hard for me to believe that He will always give me what I need and will not forsake me throughout my daily life. This trip is teaching me that I have very little actual control. 

Being taken away from your own "little world" can do that.

I have seen God be faithful it in the times I have witnessed to others, giving me words to teach and share. I have seen God be faithful with helping me get through difficult days. Days when I felt like I just did not have anything left. He has given Bible verses to encourage and strengthen me, love from others when I was in need, and enabled me to agape love.

Life here is very busy. But when the time comes for me to go home for the night I sometime have  a lot of time to think. It is good for me to once again realize that I need to submit myself over to God. That I can't possibly have control over all the situations going on in my own life as well as other people I encounter.

Being willing to say once again "Lord, whatever you have for my life, well... I want that."

And now I am having to trust God once again as I make my trip back home. Trust that he knows and understands my needs and wants better than I do. That He is my heavenly father who will love and keep me in His hands.

These beautiful pictures from the cafe are a reminder of God's faithfulness. He brought me here. He got me this far, of course He is going to take me to the finish line! Whatever direction my life ends up going, I know He will be with me.  If there is just one thing that I could take away from this trip it would be that God is trustworthy.

Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones,
And give thanks to His holy name. 
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30: 4-5


There has been much weeping, but also much joy. Thank you Jesus!

Picture Blog Update

My birthday breakfast for my 25th birthday. My sweet neighbors (Mr and Mrs. Sloan) made me breakfast and spent their early morning with me. She had the red plate! (My mom has served food with this plate for many of my birthdays.)

 My birthday cake from SonRise Cafe! I had a wonderful day with everyone. =D

These are pictures from my trip to Nikko to see Emi! What a great birthday present! (Emi's father grew up around this area) I went down to Nikko for a few days and then she came up to see me in Tokyo.

Emi and Me at the Cafe by our Jewelry!

Last ICF event with Liao. He finished his masters degree and will hopefully be going to America for his PHD soon. For now he is working in China.

Last dinner before Liao left for China. This was such a wonderful night! He is missed!

ICF Bible Study

These two pictures are from our nights going to David Platt and Francis Chan's event. We ate out together afterwards both nights.

Last Saturday we went to an International Student party at Tokyo University. It was so good to meet more international students! =D

*Just a disclaimer. I do not own a lot of these pictures. They were taken by others and I got them off Facebook or email.*

"I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul will make its boast in the Lord;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good;

How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"

Psalm 34 1-8 NASB 

     So God got me through another airport experience. =D When I got to the airport in South Korea I was told that Japan might be upset that I did not have a printed ticket of when I would be going back the United States. I did have a ticket that I could show on my computer but it would still be a pain to have to deal with customs. However no one asked me about it and I was able to go on my way...

Then... I realized I lost my passport during my two hour hang out at the airport... 20 minutes before my bus was arriving to take me to Kichijoji. (the station that is next to Mitaka, where I currently live)

So I sprung to the information section and was told that the passport had been found. (Praise God!!!) I knew that I had little time but somehow, by God's grace I gathered my passport and made it with six minutes to spare by the bus stop.

 

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    I have to say that it has felt like a whirlwind since I got back to Japan. There seems to be so much that I want to do while I am still here and so many things happening. The day after I arrived we had a friday night live. This is an event we do at the cafe once a month. It was a really popular evening, and I enjoyed the rush of orders constantly coming through. I thought, why can't every day be as busy as this night? lol I don't think we have enough staff for it to be that busy every day... The music artist,

Tats Shioya, engaged his audience and was having people clapping and singing along through some of the songs. Here is a small clip. ^-^ I have about two seconds of stardom. (I am in the kitchen)

     I love Friday Night Live and the other events we have. There are some great opportunities to share the gospel through these events through Christian music and testimonies. =) Please pray that our next Friday Night will be full of people who will hear about Christ! Unfortunately I will not be working that night because I have another opportunity to go to a different event. Did you know that Francis Chan is going to be in Tokyo October 4th? Chan ( Oct. 4th) and David Platt (on Oct. 3rd) will be speaking at this free event! We will be taking *hopefully* a big group of people to these events! Please be in prayer for us as we try to work out details. I can't seem to get the link to work but you can copy it and past it if you want to see the Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/events/197796980388989/

 

This is a picture from this past Saturday of Ken Totushek teaching guitar to our cafe worker Maiko and Chen, a singer who comes and plays at our cafe. It was not a friday night live but he still did a concert afterwords.


Basically a lot of events coming up and flying by!

Vaction Time in South Korea

Cousin's coffee shop:

This is Minki