Lifted Vision Ministry

The mission field isn’t always easy. Heck, life isn’t always easy friends. Trials come. The form of them varies from person to person, but we all experience them to a degree. We can’t always prevent certain unforeseen circumstances or trials… but what’s really important is how we respond to the trial.
Will we respond in faith or fear?
Please allow me to share some not so fun news: I had an experience lately where I needed to move to a new location due to safety reasons (my home was broken into by a stalker off the street; I was in the home when it happened but I was unharmed; praise Jesus for His protection in that moment because the person who broke in was driven away and I was okay). This negative experience and safety issue prompted me to move to a new, modest accommodation, however, I ended up moving into a tick infested apartment unbeknownst to me (see pictures below). After spending not even one full day there, losing 2/3 of my belongings (my cheap things, my expensive things, my clothing, my shoes, my coffee maker, tons of memorabilia and even childhood diaries amidst other sentimentals) I swiftly was rerouted back to Nishinari where I am currently staying until further notice now that I have finished Japanese language school! (And I am so happy to say that!!! I am so incredibly glad to be back living in the slum where I am called to minister in)!
So, after losing most of my earthly belongings, having painful tick bites all over my body and having to move 3 times in one week (old home to tick infested home, tick infested home to hotel, hotel to new home) I was confronted with the concept of what truly matters in life.
What I learned from this experience is that truly, truly, truly I tell you: If you have Jesus, you have everything you need. We may lose our home, our health and all of our belongings tomorrow and if so, what would we have? Well friends, we have Jesus; the creator of the universe! We still have Him; the author and perfector of our faith, our all in all, our companion, our strength, our shield, our great and mighty, strong tower, our place of refuge, our first love. Everything is replaceable in our lives except Jesus; there is nothing that can, could or will ever be able to take His place in our lives. If we cling to Jesus in moments of uncertainty, moments of loss, moments of weakness, moments of confusion; then we will be poured onto lavishly by the love of Jesus that can sustain us and bring us into a better mindset, a better location and a better tomorrow. With Jesus, we only need to believe and trust and obey and then He will fling open the doors of heaven for us! He died for us; so nothing is too hard for Him! I want to encourage somebody today to let you know that: it’s not over; you haven’t lost everything; Jesus is waiting patiently beside you; turn to Him today.
God bless you friends!

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
John 14:13