God is working!!!

We celebrated Tomoe's birthday at a coffee shop and then had a girls' Bible discussion. This by far is the coolest thing that I've  experienced so far in Japan. Tomoe, Mami, Riho, and Minami are all really seeking God. We talked about Jeremiah 29:11and God's plan for us. The girls wondered who "I" was when it says "I have plans for you". We told them it is God who is speaking about having a hopeful future for us, and Mami said, "Maybe God created me and had a plan for me before I was born." We turned to Psalm 139 and talked about God knitting her in her mother's womb. She said that maybe the Japanese culture is wrong in thinking there is no heaven. She is starting to think that she has a soul. Minami said that on her own she's been reading the Bible and that she's not sure if God exists, but when she is fellowshipping with us she knows that he is real. She heard our stories and our opinions on the Bible and is growing in her confidence that what we are saying is true. They expressed a real desire to understand the Bible, and we even got to pray for them and tell them that we are confident that the Lord has a calling on their life and that he desires them. We talked from 4-10pm sharing our stories and dreams and opinions on the Christian culture in America. Tomoe spent her entire birthday talking to us about Jesus. I never expected God to do this much all at one time. I am PUMPED for what he has in store for these girls. Please pray for them. When we prayed for them, they cried and I could see a vulnerability and longing for the Lord that makes me think they are so close to knowing Jesus.