Training camp is officially over, and I can’t believe I’m finally saying that I’m in Tokyo! After months of preparing for this trip, I’m so excited to finally be here and see what God has in store for these next eight months. We’re currently serving with a church here in Tokyo, and one of the first things I got to do was share my testimony with the church. I was definitely a little nervous, but it was also really special getting to share how God has worked in my life and how He brought me to this point.

One of the coolest things God has already been teaching me here has actually been through communion. I’ve taken communion so many times in my life, but this time I felt like I understood the weight of it in a completely different way. As I took the bread and the cup, I pictured myself sitting at the foot of the cross, looking up at Jesus. I saw the lashes on His back, His pierced side, the crown on His head, but I also saw His smile. As I sat below Him, His blood poured over me, knowing that it was my sin that put Him there. Not just sin, but my sin. What held Him there were the things I’ve done (and will do), the ways I’ve failed, and every time I’ve chosen myself instead of Him. And yet, Jesus willingly went to the cross for me anyway. He calls me close to Him, to see His pain and His love for me. I think it’s easy to become so familiar with the story of Jesus dying for our sins that we forget just how personal it really is. His body was broken and His blood was poured out so that I could be forgiven, and there is nothing I could ever do to earn that. It is only through His death that I have freedom.

It’s such a humbling way to begin this journey. I came to Japan ready to serve, share the Gospel, and love people well, but God is reminding me that this trip isn’t about what I can do for Him. It’s about what He has already done for me. Before I can pour anything out for others, I need to remember what He poured out for me. I’m so excited to see where He takes us from here!