Pcitures!

Here are just a few quick looks at a little bit of life in Cambodia:

Top: our bike shop.

Middle: Cambodian countryside on the bus between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Its beauty is hard to campture.

Bottom: Our house, the YWAM base in Siem Reap. I live on the top level with all of the girls :)

More to come!

Christmas Eve in Siem Reap

So I find myself this Christmas Eve sweating profusely as I write this entry after biking around downtown Siem Reap on a rickety old bike with a basket attached to the front and carrying my teammate Bekah on the back. This city is definitely cleaner and more open in comparison to Phnom Penh. The number of tourists here is much greater as the city is home to one of the greatest historic sites in the world: Angkor Wat. We have not yet had a chance to visit this gigantic temple compound yet (fyi: Angkor Wat was where Tomb Raider was filmed).

The YWAM base here has attached to it an English school started a few years ago by missionaries from the Phillipines - Fhonkie and Hya. Upon arrival to Siem Reap on Monday evening after a six hour bus ride, we were given a short orientation and informed that we would all begin teaching English classes the next day. Surprise for us! We dove straight into teaching a total of approximately 300 students in various classroom settings about grammar, conversation, pronunciation, computers, and much more. I am teaching a computer class in the morning with about 10 kids and an English class in the evening for over 50 teenage students. The classrooms are small and dimly lit with flourescent lights but the students are eager to learn and are very bright. Many students are from the nearby community with people ranging from teens to adult businessmen and a few monks. I'm so excited to be here and actively do something and be a part of these students' lives. One day of the week is set aside to teach and discuss with the students about Christian values and expose them to the Bible. The lives of many here have been changed through the work that goes on here not only as they learn English but as they come to know who Jesus is. I'm so glad to be here :)

Thank you for your prayers and your encouraging words. I hope you have an awesome holiday weekend - Merry Christmas!!!

I'm in Cambodia!!

I can't believe it but I'm writing this blog entry from an internet cafe in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. We finally arrived at the YWAM team house in the city last night after traveling for a few days. We got to hang out in Bangkok, Thailand for a night before our last flight into Cambodia, which was also an interesting experience. I got to eat Thai food cooked by Thai people in Thailand - so good! And the hotel we stayed at there was a welcome experience after desperately trying to get some sleep on the multiple flights we took to get to Southeast Asia.

The city of Phnom Penh is full of people (many of which are children) food, smells, and bikes/motos (scooters). The traffic here is by far the most insane I've ever experienced - imagine thousands of scooters with 1-4 people riding, a few cars, some trucks and no stop lights or crosswalks all converging together. We had an orientation to Cambodia culture in the morning from the director of YWAM in Cambodia followed by a scavenger hunt through the city. Two of my teammates, Madeleine, Stephanie, and I, went out to various parts of the city including the Central Market, the Royal Palace, the Independence Monument and a local mall to complete various tasks. We learned to bargain with the tuk tuk driver and merchants in town. Tuk tuks, a carriage pulled by a moto (scooter) are one of the main modes of transportation in the city. It was quite the first day in town as other drivers and moto riders drive inches away from other drivers. The signs of poverty in the city are apparent everywhere you look - dirty children, begging families and people constantly hounding you for sales of anything. The people who are not impoverished here dress neatly but that contrasts greatly with the garbage that litters the streets and the buildings that are relatively dirt-stained. Its quite the culture shock for someone like me who has lived and traveled mostly in Western countries!

We will be traveling to Siem Reap on Monday to stay at the YWAM base there for about five weeks. I will do my best to keep updating, though it will be through the use of internet cafes. I appreciate your prayers as I adjust to this new culture - the thought of living in Cambodia for the next three months is, honestly, a little overwhelming. But the people here are great and I'm looking forward to the relationships I'll build in this country. Please pray that I will be bold in sharing the love of God with others and that our team will be bonded in unity as we minister together.

I'll be missing Seattle this Christmas - I'm sending my love to all of you :)

Here's some picts :)

Sunset this week at a nearby beach!

Most of the guys in my DTS pose during our Love Feast. It's our celebration dinner commemorating our time spent together over the past three months before we go on outreach.

The girls at Love Feast posing at the Royal Kona Resort

Here is my small group that met together throughout the last few months: Me, Bonnie, Emiko, Angela, Heeran (my staff leader) and Tina. We're quite the international mix from all over the world!

My first time ever using a fire hose to clean a tarp! Let me tell you, we had quite the water fight afterwards. My work duty on campus is awesome :)

Wow!

Hello!! There is so much to update on and so many more pictures to post! I will be posting more as I get opportunities during this week before I leave. It is exactly a week before I fly out with my team for Cambodia and, let me tell ya, it has been crazy busy!

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement throughout this time. It has meant so much to have the support of such wonderful friends :) I am in need of some prayer as I step out in leadership in this three month outreach. I've never had the opportunity to be helping lead something like this and I could use prayer for wisdom and sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Also, it would be wonderful if you could be praying and interceding for our team of 12 people going to Cambodia and Vietnam and the numerous other teams going all over the world that are leaving Kona next week. We are all trusting in the direction from the Lord and going out with confidence that there are great things ahead for the kingdom of God. I can't wait to share with you the testimonies of what God is doing in me, in our team and in the people we come in contact with!

Please feel free to share with me any encouragements, words from the Lord, etc. with me about my outreach team or just in general. It would be a blessing! I'm off to our Monday morning worship...I hope your week filled with joy :)

A God of Hope

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

During the past few weeks, this verse has been randomly given

to me twice from two different people. And it is exactly the encouragement I needed. I have a hard time trusting God in regards to the future because it is so easy to fear the unknown and to fear change. I easily fall into dismay when thinking about the "what ifs" of the future instead of holding fast to the truth that God will never forsake me and that He is good and faithful to provide what I need. I would appreciate prayer for this - that I would be full of joy and peace as I trust in the God of hope for whatever lies ahead in my life.

The weeks in Hawaii have just been flying by like mad. As I prepare for week 8 to begin, I think back to the many things I have learned and the ways I have changed. I feel like much has changed in my heart, my mind, and in my spirit through the teaching and through my times with God here. I have begun to seriously consider the possible choices for my life post DTS. I have gained many new friends from all over the world, some of which I believe will be life-long relationships. I now have experience in hitchhiking, operating heavy machinery (other than a car), and hanging out at Wal-Mart for fun on Friday nights :)

The preparation for our three months in Cambodia on outreach is underway, too! I have been asked to be one of two student co-leaders along with my DTS staff leader. In just one short month I'm going to be saying goodbye to Hawaii for three months. On December 15th we will fly out and travel for two days to reach our destination in Cambodia. It's going to be an interesting Christmas this year! I've never spent it away from my family, let alone in a hot, humid, tropical setting. As we prepare, we are praying that God would show us what to do during our time there. The focus will be mainly upon working with children, which includes individuals ranging from infants to 18 year olds. Two of the cities I know we will be going to are Siem Reap and Battambang in Cambodia. Both locations have established YWAM bases where we will be staying. Travel into villages outside of the city are very likely, too. 

And the excitement continues as I await the arrival of my dad, mom and brother from Seattle and LA! I'm blessed to be able to spend Thanksgiving with them and show them what is going on here. Anyone else want to come and visit??!!

"Ding Repair" in Hawaii isn't for your car.

Turtles, Ears and Clowns

I successfully snorkeled for the first time yesterday! It was probably one of the most exciting days of my life as I dunked my head underwater and immediately looked at dozens and dozens of sea animals hanging out all around me. I felt like I was swimming in the tank at the aquarium! Sea turtles are common at Kahalauu Beach where I was snorkeling - throughout the course of my time in the water I saw and swam around six different sea turtles ranging from 1.5 - 2 ft long. And every time I looked or swam in another direction I would see another species of fish that I hadn't seen yet. Little ones, striped ones, big fat ones, skinny yellow ones, iridescent ones, spotted ones...it was probably one of the coolest things I have ever done in my entire life. I think God had some fun while he was creating the fishies underwater. 

As far as the actual school goes, its been good, great, challenging and sometimes very intense. I have been told that it is around this time during the DTS that it gets challenging for people as the honeymoon period of being in Hawaii dissipates a little and the emotional and spiritual intensity of the schooling keeps building. I'm sad to say that not everyone who started this DTS journey with me is still here. But I must say that those of us still in this DTS have really bonded like a family - it is a privilege for me to be a part of such a loving and compassionate group. 

Awesome testimony: Last week a man at YWAM had his hearing healed during a worship/prayer session. He had been using hearing aids for years and was prayed for early last week and was completely healed - no more hearing aids! So cool.

Here are some picts from the volunteer night at an event a local church was doing for the community on Halloween.

Everyone in my DTS raided the YWAM costume trailer and came out looking pretty amazing.

Location: Cambodia

Its difficult to summarize the extent to which I've begun to change in my thoughts, heart and spirit while being here at YWAM. The teaching I'm getting here is absolutely phenomenal and the passion and love that underlies this whole organization is hard to explain in words. The desire to know God and share His love with others builds the foundation of everything that takes place. I sense very strongly that this is the place I am supposed to be for this season of my life to learn and experience things that will shape my life and my future from here on out. Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me so I could be here.

Also, it has been finalized that Cambodia will be my home for three months starting in the middle of December! One DTS staff member, 11 other students and I will be doing outreach there as well as taking a 10 day side trip into Vietnam. Though the details regarding our outreach plans are not yet concrete, the focus of our ministry will likely be geared toward ministering to children who are at risk - those who live are in poor communities or orphanages, are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, or are involved in human trafficking. Other groups from my DTS will be traveling to Thailand, Philippines, India and Rwanda. 

God has really been taking me on quite the journey during this initial month here at YWAM. In many ways my ideas about who God is and my relationship to Him have been lovingly deconstructed and reconstructed that I might come to a fuller, truer understanding of His greatness and His goodness. I'm encouraged to explore and discover who I am and what I am passionate about doing. It is a privilege to be given the freedom to pursue what I feel called to do and be the person I feel I am called to be in this world. 

The scene at one of the local churches in Kona. 

Mailing Address

The reality that I am actually living in Hawaii is finally settling in now after being here for almost a month. My gratitude for this place and the people here grows with every day - its a place to learn, a place to grow and a place to be challenged. 

I realized that many may be wondering where it is that I am living - you can Google Earth the following address if you so desire...or you can always just mail something, too!

Lisa Noguchi

Compassion DTS Fall 2008

75-5851 Kuakini Hwy Box #432

Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Here's a picture of the type of friends I live with here in Kona. Geckos are one of the many different species commonly seen here. Others include the mongoose (similar to the squirrel population in Seattle) and the sea turtle. On some days we're even lucky enough to have encounters with an insect we all love to see...the cockroach. 

Jesus Likes You

Do you know what? Jesus likes me. Jesus likes you. He sure loves us a lot - but he likes us, too. It might be easier to hear and say, "Jesus loves you" or "God loves you" than come to grips with the reality that He just likes to be with us wherever and whenever. His love is amazing, wonderful, powerful and greater than anything we could ever imagine and He likes us and wants to just be with us in whatever we're doing everyday. I like that. 

This fact that Jesus likes me was something that stuck out during class sessions with our speaker, Dan Baumann, this week. Dan is an inspiring speaker who encourages us to just love God and love people. He's traveled all around the world, has been imprisoned in Iran and has had guns pointed at his head but, amazingly, still manages to make every story he tells about his adventures, no matter how intense, very meaningful and usually really funny. I don't know how he does it but he does - I'd say that's a gift. He's full of the love and grace of God and lives with a joy in his heart that comes from just being intimate with God. No matter what He's gone through, God has been faithful. Go God!

The love of God and passion for Him and for the lost is written all over this campus. Everyday I am encouraged to spend time with God to know more about who He is and His heart for people. I'm learning about hearing the voice of God and being obedient to Him. I'm discovering more and more and more how good God really is when we open ourselves up to Him. God absolutely loves to surprise us with good things. He loves, loves, loves to bless those who love Him. What a good God. 

YWAM provides volunteers for the Ironman Triathlon in Kona every year. The picture up top is of me with some girls from my DTS with our official Ironman security shirts. I think we look pretty good in orange...

Could you imagine swimming 2.4 miles, biking for 112 miles, and then running a full marathon at 26.2 miles? The oldest competitor was 79 years old.

Swimmers awaiting the cannon fire signaling the start of the race at sunrise on Saturday morning. 

Thank you for your prayers and for your support. I will be discovering my outreach location soon - I'm excited! I'll be sure to keep everyone updated!

Not Perfect!

I'm so glad to know that I don't have to be perfect. No human is supposed to be perfect, yet sometimes (even unconsciously) we set these crazy standards for ourselves to be everything we think we're supposed to be and do everything we think we're supposed to do. I've put this type of pressure on myself on many occasions.

It is so encouraging everyday to walk into my classroom, which is actually just an outdoor pavilion, and see this sign made by one of my DTS staff members. Even from the very first day of classes here I felt like the Lord was telling me to just let down my guard and be free to just be me and to live in His love. I'm not required to do everything right all of the time or to be perfect in everything I do. Mistakes and failure are part of life - and its okay! The key is to keep seeking after the Lord, spending time with Him, and resting in His love. 

Here's a picture of the building I'm living in for the next three months. I'm in a room with five other girls. It only has one bathroom but its also has a great view!

You Can Do It

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your path straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

I arrived here just a week ago and it seems like it has been much, much, much longer. The richness of God and his amazing love has just steeped my Compassion DTS group in such a wonderful atmosphere of the Spirit of the Lord. Each day is SO FULL - not of things to do and facts to memorize - but of encounters with God that have changed our lives. Every single day our classes lead us deeper and deeper into the reality of who God is and I am realizing that I still have so much to discover about His love and goodness. I am so glad to be here to just soak up the love of God and be solely focused on learning how to grow in my relationship with Him. What a blessing it is to be here.

For the past few days, our classes (which are actually more like amazing encounters with God) have been focused on His love. Today, we moved to the theme of hearing God. Do you know that hearing from the Lord doesn't have to be hard or weird or awkward? He just loves us so much that he is has tons of stuff to tell us, not to make us feel bad or point a finger of accusation, but to encourage and uplift us and the people around us. Do you know that even you can hear God? My whole Compassion DTS group experienced it, I can do it, and you can do it too!

We did an exercise with the whole group, which consists of almost 50 students and 11 staff. Everyone in the group randomly picked a piece of paper with the name of a student or staff member. But here's the catch: the name of the person was written at the top of the page, folded over and taped so you could not see the name of the person you chose. We then spent the next 15 minutes praying and writing on that paper what we felt God wanted to share with the mystery person written at the top of the page. We came back together as a class and unsealed the tape on our pieces of paper, revealing the name of the person who would receive the word from the Lord. It was so cool...all it takes is to believe and to be obedient when hearing God. And as for the piece of paper with my name on the top - it was right on.

The verse at the top of this blog posting was one of the things written on the piece of paper I received with my name written at the top. This verse is the one that God has given me throughout my walk with him since the first time I asked him to be my Savior at the age of eight in second grade. Out of all of the thousands upon thousands of verses in the whole entirety of the Bible, the person who was getting a word from the Lord for me (without even knowing it was for me because my name was covered on the paper) heard from God that this is exactly what I needed to read on that little slip of paper. It was a great and gentle reminder of how wonderful it is to know such a loving, kind, all-knowing God and how I cannot rely on my own limited understanding to forge my way in life. I'm still on the journey of knowing him more and trusting Him more...oh, it is good to walk life with Him.

Current reading: Is That Really You, God? by Loren Cunningham. Its good.

First Day

I'm almost ready to go to bed after a great first full day at the University of the Nations in Kona but I wanted to give a little update and share some of the few pictures I have taken so far. I arrived in at the campus yesterday, September 25th, at around 9:15 pm - which was definitely later than was expected (flight delays...you know how it is these days). I hit up the tail end of the Kona campus staff's full day of welcoming and registering new incoming students and entered my new home for the next three months. My room is shared with 5 other girls, one of which is in my Compassion DTS. I never thought I would have to sleep on a top bunk again, but I guess God thought otherwise :)

Today, the morning began with surprise presentation by the native Hawaiians who are a part of the YWAM in Kona. We initiated our time here at YWAM with a traditional Hawaiian greeting, conch shell blows, chant, and barefoot march followed by a ceremonial gift exchange. The various nations represented on this ethnically diverse campus presented gifts from their country to traditionally clothed Hawaiian hosts, as is customary in this culture. It was so cool to see so many nations represented!

Through the interaction I've had with staff and students here I have clearly seen a love and devotion to the Lord that really excites me for what lies ahead. The people here really are followers after Jesus who love Him and love people. I'm looking forward to this season of my life spent here. 

Thank you so much to those who pray for me. Thank you from the bottom depths of my heart! I sense that God is stirring and that your prayers are making a difference in all of this. Thank you so much for those of you who have blessed me financially in this endeavor - the schooling costs for my time here in Kona have been covered! Praise the Lord :)

Here are a couple picts I have taken thus far to give you a little idea of what its like at the University of the Nations:

Ohana Court - Auditorium and/or basketball court. Big meetings take place here. Ohana means family in the native tongue here. 

A glimpse of the view from campus towards the ocean.

More picts to come! Stay tuned!

Wrapping up summer...

Here's a little end of summer snapshot sum up:

Said goodbye to bomb housemates and 3010 4th Ave W.

Had a music recital (my 10-year old violin student did awesome).

Had a little birthday bash with the rents at a snazzy restaurant.

And didn't forget to have dessert

(that fruit tart thing on the right = good).

Went to Pike Place. 

Ate the best nectarine of my ENTIRE LIFE - I'm not kidding.

 Finished working as a Starbucks barista, dog-walker, violin teacher, choir director, housecleaner and wedding musician.

I'm finally ready to pack and start saying my farewells - the reality of leaving becomes more and more tangible as the days go by. Only five more days to go...

Thanks a million :)

September 11th marked the crossing of my life into the 23rd year...I'm not sure that I feel any different, though. What I did feel was overwhelmed with gratitude for all the amazing phone/text/facebook messages! Thank you all for being apart of my life and making me feel so special on my day :)

I found out a few interesting things about the year I was born while browsing wikipedia and I thought I would share a few. I got really excited when I read that it was the same year that NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) was released in he US and it was the year that TETRIS was created. How cool!

I'm edging nearer to the day I fly out from Seattle and I still feel somewhat unprepared and riddled with questions about what to expect. I'm just trusting God to provide exactly what I need for the six months of mission work ahead. Honestly, I'm a little intimidated of being in a new environment with no one else I know. I have no doubt I will be just fine, but I've never before been among a group of people in an unfamiliar city without another friend or relative. Being born and raised in Seattle, I have accrued an intimate knowledge of the city and its outlying areas. I'm comfortable here with the people I know and the city I have come to truly appreciate. I like the mountains, the Sound, downtown and Pike Place. I love driving across the 520 bridge on a sunny day. The refreshing spring-time, the beautiful summer, the indescribably vivid colors of fall, and the comforting downpour of a winter rain are important parts of my life here in Seattle. I love knowing which roads are quickest to take to reach a destination during traffic. I love that some of my closest friends are just a little drive away. Life here is good...

But, alas, I also feel my heart calling me away from here. My spirit can't thrive unless I take a step away from here and out into the world to explore and fulfill a calling I feel God has for me at this time of my life. God has put upon me a desire to help the poor and the needy and I am willing to go out to follow Him where he's leading. I have a feeling that my heart will truly break for those who are hurting and hungry in the world over the course of these next months of my life. I have a feeling that my life and outlook will forever be changed and that I will never look at people in the same light again. I know that doing the DTS with YWAM will be time of great joy, great sorrow, tough challenges, and deep spiritual revelation. I'm grateful to be able to go forth and know I am safe in the arms of my Lord. Thank you for your prayers - I would be far from where I now am without them.

Just to let you know, here is the theme verse for the Compassion DTS this fall:

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8


Thanks again for being so great and I'll do my best to keep writing and post updates!

Here I go!

So, I guess I'm leaving Seattle in t-minus 19 days...crazy to think that I won't be seeing many of the people I'm so used to being around for at least six months from now. Below is a copy of the letter explaining of my upcoming adventure with God and I'm happy to share it with as many people as I can. So take a little look and write me a reply if you'd like - I would love to keep in contact with as many people as possible :) Love you and thanks for being my friend.








Hi Friends!

I hope you have been enjoying your summer! I am writing because I wanted to give you an update on where I am now and what I am planning to do as I walk into a new season of life. I’m excited that I’ve successfully graduated from University of Washington with a degree in Sociology (yay! I’m done!). I have committed to be a part of a missions program starting in the fall called Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth With a Mission (YWAM). Each DTS that YWAM offers has a specific focus; the DTS I have chosen to be a part of is called Compassion DTS, which will focus on outreach to the poor and to children at risk in Southeast Asia.

YWAM has bases in 150 countries all around the world but the headquarters is located in Kona, Hawaii. This is where I will be doing 12 weeks of training and schooling prior to spending 12 weeks in Southeast Asia. I have been involved with YWAM in the past on a short-term missions trip to work in poverty-stricken areas of Los Angeles. I had an amazing experience working with children in that setting alongside passionate and committed people at the YWAM base in LA. I am confident that my time spent working for the Lord and serving with YWAM during this season of my life will be pivotal in shaping my outlook and goals for the future.

I was originally accepted into the Japan World DTS, which would have started in the fall of this year, but it was unfortunately cancelled due to extraneous circumstances. I fasted and prayed about my decision to join the Compassion DTS and felt like God was encouraging me to continue along this path towards involvement with YWAM. To be honest, I was a little intimidated to join this DTS because I know that it will be challenging to see first-hand the dire situations of the poor, needy and children at risk. But I know that I am called to serve and that I will see God work in miraculous ways in the lives of the people I will meet.

As of now, I have bought a plane ticket to Hawaii and am preparing to leave at the end of September. I will not be able to return to Seattle until March of next year, at the earliest. I would greatly appreciate your continued prayers and encouragement during this time of my life. Additionally, I am in need of financial support as I follow this path towards missions and would appreciate any help you may be able to give. The schooling cost while in Kona is $4210; it is due on September 25th, the day that I arrive in Hawaii. The outreach portion, estimated at $5000, is due eight weeks after the DTS starts. I have been working hard and saving money towards this goal but I still need help to have the appropriate financial means to do this DTS.

For a tax-deductible donation, checks can be made out to Ballard Church and sent to 1460 NW 73rd St., Seattle, WA 98117. Just make sure to indicate that the check is specifically for me!

Thank you again for your constant support and encouragement - it means so much to me!


Love,


Lisa Noguchi


P.S. If you would like to learn more about Youth With a Mission in Kona visit: uofnkona.edu.