Sophia Dittmar - Japan Internship 2017

来ました~ (From two days ago. I apologize for the delay in posting this! I had some trouble getting connected to internet. However I should be more consistent from here on out. Most likely I'll be posting around two times a week because things are pretty busy!) I safely arrived in Japan yesterday! The flight was 13 hours long. I am extremely tired from the jet lag but very excited after visiting the school today.  The school day began with bilingual worship led by the students. Many of the students are incredibly musically talented and I am overjoyed to have that connection.  I will be sitting in on classes for the next couple of days before leading some on my own!  Morning worship   The school and new building (left) A classroom in the new building     

明後日 ("asatte") = the day after tomorrow The day after tomorrow , I will board a plane for Chicago, and from there to Tokyo, Japan. I've finished my shopping, stuffed my suitcase, and now I'm trying to savor the last moments with my entire family for two months. I am awed at how God has carried me on the stream of time the brink of this moment. One year ago I had no idea what my life would look, and now I am plunging into an adventure blindfolded, but hopeful. My limited imagination has conjured up ideas of how this summer might play out, but I have no way of knowing what will actually happen. I just hope that as I wade through each moment this summer, as seconds fly by and are etched into the stone of my past, that God will allow me to make memories and meet people and encounter him in a way I will never forget.

It's crazy how inspirational thought will suddenly strike you at 1:00 in the morning, just when you've told yourself it's time to put the phone down and sleep. And then, naturally, you have to write it all down before you forget. That happened to me last night as I was reading Psalm 139 and trying to picture what God must be like.  Psalm 139: "O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thought from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it completely... Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; too lofty for me to attain. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? ... How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you."  Here's my reflection:  (Excuse the...

    Today I had the first of my online pre-departure training calls. It was great to finally meet my teammates and get to know one another a little. I was especially thrilled to hear that many of my fellow Japan interns share my love of the language and culture. As of yesterday, only two weeks till I fly out... I'm counting down the days!     Just two days ago I graduated (high school), though to be honest I still haven't quite taken it in. It was a wonderful ceremony, very inspiring and meaningful! I gave a short, 4-minute speech which went surprisingly well. I never thought public speaking would be something I could enjoy so much! Becuase of my tendency to be quiet, (and often awkward) in social settings, it seemed impossible to me that I could give a formal address to a large group of people. However, I feel that the experience was immensely fulfilling and exciting. The same goes for most of my past school projects having to do with presenting. ...

When I look back on the flurry of events from the past month I am left slightly clueless as to what I should share with everyone. Doubtlessly, I didn't make it through the torrent of stressful school, music, and fundraising events on my own power. It was God. All the way.      Last night I played in my last high school music event, my senior recital. I had made it abundantly clear to everyone who would listen that I was firmly set against putting on a senior recital. I dragged my feet the whole way. Not surprisingly, yesterday afternoon I was feeling apathetic while practicing my pieces, with that pit of dread gnawing at my stomach. Yet when my fingers released from the fingerboard at the end of my last song, a feeling swelled up inside me despite my protesting. A surge of gratitude, joy, and peace seeped into my mind, and I couldn't shake that feeling the rest of the night. It could have only come from the Holy Spirit. My recital went really well! I would consider it on...