The last one.

Hello everyone
The last few weeks have been full of adventures, but first things first.
I'm not sure why both the beginning and the end of this experience has been marked by death, but it has. One of the Samaritan's Purse staff members I knew (although not very well) passed away a few days ago without warning. Even though I never worked with him in person, he very obviously was a man of God and worked without any complaint. I ask for your prayers for his family and his fiancé. I cannot imagine what they are going through right now, but I'm sure it is incredibly difficult for them, since it's difficult even for me, even though I didn't know him very well. Our only consolation is that we will see him again in heaven, and we praise God for bringing Josiah to Himself before this tragedy occurred. 


This event has put a sobering touch on the last few eventful weeks. I've been through a typhoon, stuck in a Shinkansen (bullet train), stuck in the Minneapolis airport, stuck in an elevator, and a couple of other adventures over the last three weeks. While it's been fun and exciting, I need to remember that this is not the end of my ministry. There is no end to it. Everywhere I go and everything I do needs to be my ministry. In the last few weeks I've recognized some dreams that I have for my life, and I have realized that I absolutely cannot afford to put my ministry on hold for those dreams. I have to work towards my dreams while ministering to those around me. 


The time I spent in Japan taught me so much. I learned about serving those around me in the most simple ways and the most complex ways. I learned how to mud out a house, and how much bleach to use in which situation. I learned a few words in Japanese that I didn't know before, and a few phrases that got me through the time I was there. I learned how to use power tools! I learned that friends don't always come when you think you need them, but they usually come when you actually need them, when you really can't keep going without a friend. Above all, I learned that God uses any and every individual, team, or situation to do His will, whether we/they/he/she realize it or not. And that is such an encouragement to all of us. That even if we don't realize it, God is using our actions to work towards His will, even if we don't necessarily see it.


I'm not really sure what I'm trying to say here, or how it all relates to Josiah's passing, but I do know this: I have been so blessed by the opportunity to be in Japan and to serve, and each one of you made it possible. I have received so much encouragement, prayer, and support than I've ever had in my life. And I realize now that none of that is going away just because I'm not in Japan anymore. I now have friends all over the US and Canada that I worked with, and many friends in Japan, especially up north, that I met while I was there. I know that God has already made beautiful things out of the dust, and He is continuing to do so, not just in northern Japan, but all over the world. 


One of my relatives gave me a hymnal when I saw her last week. She told me that while it seems like a strange book to give, she received one when she was 10 years old, and it was a great encouragement to her. I was flipping through it the other day and came upon a hymn called God, You Spin the Whirling Planets. I'm not sure how well-known this hymn is, but I was struck by the lyrics, which are as follows.

"God, You spin the whirling planets, 

     fill the seas and spread the plain,
         mold the mountains, fashion blossoms, 

            call forth sunshine, wind, and rain.
We, created in Your image, 

    would a true reflection be
        of Your justice, grace, and mercy 

            and the truth that makes us free.

You have called us to be faithful 

   in our life and ministry.
         we respond in grateful worship 

            joined in one community.
When we blur Your gracious image, 

    focus us and make us whole,
       healed and strengthened as Your people, 

           we move onward toward Your goal.

God, Your word is still creating, 

    calling us to life made new,
        now reveal to us fresh vistas 

            where there's work to dare and do.
Keep us clear of all distortion, 

    fashion us with loving care.
        thus, new creatures in Your image, 

           we'll proclaim Christ everywhere."   

                                Jane Parker Huber, 1978

And this is where I will leave you all. Thank you for your loving support of me over the last 5 months. I cannot begin to express my gratitude to my friends, family, and supporters. I pray that God has used my experiences written here on this blog to touch your life in ways you never imagined. I love you all dearly.

Blessings,

Chloe

PS. I do apologize if this blog post is a little scatter-brained. As I read it over, I feel like it doesn't make sense, but I'm not sure how else to express what I want to say.