Turning ３１ in the Land of the Rising Sun

Sooo.. Yesterday... or the day before the day before that......(my days are getting all confused in my mind...what with the 14hr time difference) on September 10th, I celebrated my birthday!! It was 10th, I celebrated my birthday!! It was absolutely a day i`ll not soon forget... We started our day off in the usual fashion for us....that is. in　the　usual　fashion for us....that is... RUNNING AROUND LIKE MAD!! Our first performance was in a city called Sendai..well both concerts were in Sendai.. The first was at a missionary baptist school that was 120 yrs old, called Shokei. It was a blast, all of the sweet children received us well, and treated us like rock stars..．wanting to take pictures, and have us sign autographs....NOT that ,that was the POINTof our visit, but it was still sweet, and a lot of fun! it was　still sweet, and a lot of fun!! The BIGGEST star among us, was our own Austin Cagle....whom we`ve now started to call Austin Bieber...because of the way the little girl students screamed and Banshee yelled anytime he was near....or spoke over the intercom.

The next performance was later that evening, in a shopping mall area.... that evening, in a shopping mall area.... outdoors in an area called Parco. Many people stopped what they were doing to enjoy our music... I saw SEVERAL people crying, and wiping away tears.... as the healing balm of Gods` loved swept over them, while we sang and played. The song, The Healing Has Begun has pretty much become the anthem of our trip has pretty much become the anthem of our trip. Its very much got a "We Are our trip. Its very much got a "We Are The World" type vibe to it.... Randy Smith aka...the Right Rev`m of  FUNK....(thats my name for him) sings the solo....while playing his bass....(OOOOH so cool)... and encourages those listening not to be afraid or ashamed of the scars that they bear.....because they`re the proof of Gods healing them.... and we all sing the chorus in Japanese.

A few days ago...I was asked to learn how to say "please sing along" while we`re singing, to rid ourselves of the "us and them,concert　feel" and free the audience to open their hearts. I must admit that I was scared to BITS when Chris told me what was hearts. I must admit that I was scared ｔｏ BITS when Chris told me what was being asked of me... But I just HAVE to say.... that phrase, is probably asked of me... But I just HAVE to say.... that phrase, is probably the BEST phrase i`ve ever learned in my entire life.... Night after night, being able to invite the audience to sing with us, has been the most beautiful moment for me.... All of a sudden, the invisible screen is removed...and we`re ALL just worshipping together.... Tears flowing down our faces, hands raised.... It`s amazing!!

Later that night, after our concert, we went to a that night, after our concert, we went to a church to fellowship with our concert, we went to a church to fellowship with some of our host friends...and ended up having an amazing time of worship.... We sang..and prayed... in english, in japanese... in our heavenly languages... it honestly felt as if God had descened from Glory for a moment...and sat with us.

I`d blogged earlier about how I felt so complete, while out here ministering.... During prayer...Austin whispered in my ear, encouragement from the Lord.. "the Lord PROMISED you, you`d go Lord.. "the Lord PROMISED you, you`d go to　the nations..．.the beginning is now".... This trip has been nothing but a BLESSING...and i`m SO honored, that God would include US...Christ Church..in what he`s doing in the earth!!
THE HEALING HAS BEGUN!!!