My doctor's visit...

While we were in our team meeting on Saturday morning, before we left to Komaki for the weekend, I got a really really sharp pain in my abdomen. So my team "forced me" to go the doctor, and I say forced, because those of you who know me, know that I'm not the type who would just rush to the doctor to inconvenience others. They went to go tell Laurence that I was needing to go to the doctor before leaving, and "my health was more important than going to Komaki." And that was hard for me to say was true, and I don't think that statement is true, but we can debate that later.
So Laurence took me to a clinic and Amber-Lee came along to be with me. The clinic we went to was a fairly new clinic and so it looked very modern and "not sketchy" at all. While with the doctor, he asked me (through Laurence translating) where I was feeling pain and also what "type and color" of poop I had. I told him I had really really sharp pain in my upper/middle abdomen and my poop was dark (almost black), tar looking. Sorry for being graphic but that's an important part of what was going on in my body. After examining me and taking a blood test, he told me that it seemed like I had a peptic ulcer, but it was in the process of getting better. So he gave me 2 types of medication (don't ask me what type because it's all in Japanese, and I can't really read Japanese, sorry). One of the pills I take after breakfast, while the other I take after each meal (3 times a day).
Today (Sunday), after dinner, I had the pain again, and it's still lingering after about 4 hours. I've been praying and ask you to join me, that if it's in God's will, for this medication to work and heal me of this ulcer. The part that bugs me the most of this whole thing, is that because of the sharp, unbearable pain, sometimes I can't do things with my team. I have to admit that sometimes I've felt like a failure because I haven't been able to be the team leader that I'm supposed to be, and that's why this pain is so annoying and discouraging.

After getting home from the doctors office and getting my medication, we left to Komaki. The people there were some of the most, if not the most hospitable people I have ever met. The Hope Chapel Church is a very small congregation and cute, small chapel/church building. We ate with them, sang with them, saw The Chronicles of Narnia, read scripture with them, and shared life together. Even though we were only together for less than 2 days, God's love definitely bonded us. Over and over again, I've been convinced of how much Christ love is a lot more binding than a language. A language can be a barrier to a certain extent, but with the love of Christ shared between people, that barrier means nothing. These people constantly asked me how I was feeling, if I needed something, and continually poured into all of us. Pastor Abe and his wife were awesome. They knew a little bit of English and sometimes we just ended up laughing because we couldn't understand what the other person was saying, but that was ok.
I've also been learning how much power there is in prayer. Sometimes we don't realize and try to comprehend how much prayer is the best weapon that we can use. And as I've been learning this, please, dig into prayer, dig in the Word, dig into what God has for you right now, at this very moment. Please pray that prayer would be more than mere words that we feel we have to say to have a good and valid prayer, rather, that prayer would be the cries and praises given up to our Creator, Provider, Counselor, Healer, etc. And as I've been here in Japan, I've realized how privileged I am to be able to call Him Father and know that He is the True God and He's my Father.
Blessings as you seek to find God in the everything, the everyday.