Hey everyone! My name is Holly Lengyel and I work with a volunteer missions organization called Youth With a Misson that is based out of Hawaii. Together with my co-leader, Maggie, we have felt the heart of God for the nation of Japan and have brought a team of 6 students here to help in anyway that the Lord leads us. Introduction of our team, drum roll please…Demetria, Alex, Katie, Kathryn, Jamie, Danny, Holly, and Maggie. When we were back in Hawaii arranging contacts and plans for this outreach, we got in contact with Jennifer and Chad Huddleston. Since being in Japan from mid December, we have been in the Tokyo area working with a local church and just recently moved up here to Ishinomaki this past week.
This first week up here working with Be One has been awesome! The first day here, we got straight to work and helped a man, A-san, clean out his auto car garage. This man had lost what would seem like everything, his wife, his home, and business. This was the really the least we could do for him. After cleaning through the morning, he invited us up to what was his home before the devastation, where we shared in conversation and had lunch together. Many of us were touched by this mans story but honestly it was so much more than that. This was a man that had seemingly lost almost everything that is most important to you yet he was still persevering through his day like there was so much more to loose. This is a man that has the Lord completely and so obviously pursuing after him and he doesn’t even know it yet.
The next day we had church and I know for many of the people in our team, the fellowship and time together to just worship the Lord was great! It is a privilege to come here and work with a family that has given everything to follow the Lord’s will here in Japan. You can truly see the impact that they have made on this broken community and it has already been such a blast working along side them. The lead of the Holy Spirit is so encouraged here by this family and is so present in our day to day work. This past week we have worked with Samaritans Purse in a house that was badly damaged by the tsunami. Although the owners weren’t there and it was just our team working together, the opportunity to be able to pray over and bless this home while we were working really meant so much to us. We could feel the joy of the Lord so strongly those 2 days working in that home!
For me, the most encouraging and uplifting time has been helping a man named K-san. He showed up one day at the Be One house and asked Chad if our team could come help him build a shed. So this past week we have spent a few days helping him put up siding, lay concrete, and dig trenches for piping. He is such a kind man and I really enjoyed working along side him. Throughout the days that we helped him, he tried so hard to know all of our names and always brought us snacks and hot coffee. He was so patient with our team when we didn’t know half the time what we were doing or when we were asking so many different questions in a completely different language then his. That man has patience let me tell you..Today when we were finishing up laying concrete he asked us if we would pray again like we had the other days. Even just that simple request really triggered me and got me even more excited for the next time we see him again and knowing that the Lord has things to share with him. One day at a time, one step at a time. I am really excited to see what these next 5 weeks have coming.
