I started month three knowing that no matter what happens, this was going to be one of my favorite months. A lot of that has to do with the fact that Japan is a huge reason why I even chose to do the World Race. God’s given me a lot of passion for all of Asia, but Japan has always been special to me. It all started when I was in college and met someone who would become very special to me—my sweet friend Hanako, who ventured all the way from Tokyo to study at my university in Athens, GA.
I’ve always been extremely interested in learning about other cultures, and through Hanako I wanted to learn everything about Japan. I remember the very first day we met, sitting in downtown Athens drinking bubble tea and just talking about how different our lives were growing up and how crazy it was that our paths would ever intersect. Little did I know, in the two years we spent together at the University of Georgia, we’d become close friends, and both she and Japan would steal a huge piece of my heart.
The moment I said goodbye to her as she left for Atlanta to fly back to Tokyo was one of the hardest goodbyes I’ve had to say. I promised her that one day I would visit Japan and just as I’d helped show her around Athens, she would show me around where she grew up. In that moment Japan felt so far away, and the reality of ever actually getting to visit Japan seemed so dim. However, I clung to that promise so tightly that the idea of it NOT happening was totally out of the question.
All this is why, the moment my plane touched down in Osaka, all I could feel was disbelief and thankfulness. Disbelief because I had hoped for this moment for so long, but doubted it could ever happen. And thankfulness because I know the only reason it is even possible is because of God.
This month I didn’t get to see Hanako simply because she has an awesome job where she’s always flying all over the world, but I know that one day I’ll get to see her again. And while it doesn’t replace actually getting to see each other face to face, it’s been so sweet just to send her messages and pictures and talk about how cool it is to finally visit her country.
This month has reminded me so much that God cares about the dreams we have, both the ones that seem simple and practical and the ones that seem totally far-fetched. And the points on a map we feel drawn to and intrigued by are not arbitrary, but rather opportunities to express God’s love to people there who might have never experienced it. The first time I ever fell in love with Japan wasn’t because I had visited the country or studied the culture, but because of a person. And I’ll never forget or take for granted how God brought me here to be able to share that love with the people I’ve met.
