Bella Firenze

I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel back to Florence to visit my friends and spend Easter with them. What a wonderful week it was of re-connecting with old friends, Italian and American, as well as making new ones. It was amazing how it felt so natural and so normal being back there. And in some ways, I felt like I was in a dream. Was this really happening? Am I really back here? During that week I was able to go on campus and share with students about the love of Christ. Though it was only one day on campus, it truly spoke to the core of my heart. I was discovering my true self again, I was a woman fully alive!

While I was there during that week, I also went and visited a school about possibly getting my certification to teach in Italy. It was great. I was able to talk to the director of the program and find out all the information I needed. I also was able to have some great conversations with some of the staff women who share my vision of starting a Christian school for the Agape staff children, and even possibly open it up to international students. In many ways I felt God's confirmation that He will be bringing me back there long term to serve Him, and to serve Him through teaching!! I am so excited about that possibility! And I am praying that it happens sooner than I expect it!

My time in Italy was sweet and refreshing, with spending time with dear friends, and with spending time with my Savior. I truly felt His presence all around me. I felt His love, His arms wrapped around me. Whenever I would start get nervous or anxious about returning, the Lord calmed my nerves with His peace and I could clearly hear His voice gently whisper comfort to me "Be still and know that I am God. Trust me and do not fear". And that is exactly what I am doing. Placing my trust in Him and waiting for His perfect timing.

And I want to leave you with these verses that continue to bring hope and encouragement to my heart. I pray that they encourage you as well.

"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength." Isaiah 30:15

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone, my hope comes from Him...trust in Him at all times, O people, pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge." Psalm 62:1-8

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

Lessons Learned

I know many of you have been asking me about my trip to Italy, but first I thought I would share with you some of the lessons God has been teaching me lately.....

The first thing is: Just be yourself!! (1 Cor. 15:10) To realize who I am through the grace of God. That the most attractive person I can be is being me, just the way God made me. I shouldn't be afraid to let others to see the real me, my true heart. Everyone has their insecurities and struggles just like I do. And God, in His faithfulness is changing me. Not into someone else, but He is making me into more of me. Into the woman He is calling me to be..the more of Him I become, the more of myself I become, the more of my true self!!

(1 Peter 3:3-4) I have finally understood the meaning of this verse. I struggled with it for such a long time because I am not a very quiet person. Those that know me well, know that I can be loud, I am very much an extrovert. But now, through His grace and work of the Holy Spirit, the Lord has shown me what He means about having a gentle and quiet spirit. It is to have a heart of faith, a heart that trusts in God, a spirit that has been quieted by His love and filled with His peace. A heart at rest in Him. And how beautiful that is!

The other three lessons I have learned are:
- Slow Down
- Focus
- Simplify

Sometimes you need to slow down in order to move forward. This hit me as I was trying to do everything I could at home and at work. I can't go 100 mph at work and at home - I need to SLOW DOWN! To slow down with my time with God. Lately I have just been trying to sit and listen more to Him...and not rush through my quiet times with Him, but really slowing down and taking the time I need to hear His voice. God cares about EVERY aspect of my heart. He answers the desires of the heart to those who fear Him. God has perfect timing - WAIT upon His timing! I have been learning to work with God's timing and seek Him with what is bothering me or what is laying heavy on my mind. FOCUS on what only I can do. Lately, what I have been doing is writing everything that has my concern and giving them to God (that includes the "pros and cons" lists that I make along with the concerns.) And with this, He has shown me how He guides me, how He is always faithful! How He is always there to direct my daily steps with certainty and purpose. There is such great peace that comes from trusting God and relinquishing our concerns fully to Him.

God has a specific job for me and for you. We need to slow down, simplify, and find focus on what it is and do it! And when we do, how beautiful it is when we allow our work to flow out of love for our Savior!!

"He will quiet you with His love" Zeph. 3:17

And my dear friends, our Lord's love IS extravagant!!

So Much to Say, So Little Time

I can not believe that is has been so long since my last post! And for this, I apologize. It's not like I don't have anything to write about...I have TONS...it's just finding the time to sit and write. So.....

First of all -
You are now looking at a fully certified science teacher! I have finished my program and received my standard certification in the mail a couple of weeks ago. Thank you to all of you who have been praying for me and encouraging me during that process. I appreciate each and every one of you!

I LOVE teaching!! I am the Conceptual Physics teacher for the ESL (English as a Second Language) department and the JV cheerleading coach. My students are great! They not only keep me on my toes, but they are also so entertaining.

Since last year, I have discovered not only that my passion is teaching, but I also know now how I will be returning to work in Italy - through teaching. The Lord is so good! And I am so thankful for this vision that He has given me. There is a program in Florence through the University of Siena that I am currently looking into. It is to get my certification to teach Italian to foreigners in Italy and abroad. It is also recognized by several universities in the states, which is great if I want to go and get my master's degree. So my plan is to go back to Florence next summer and take this program, get my certification there, and my dream would be that the Lord will provide me a job afterwards to stay and live and work in Italy! That is my dream!

And there is more update to come later....

Random Facts....at the request of Kat

The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules. (**if you’re a non-blogger, you can email them!)
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog

My 8 Facts...boy were these hard!

1. I love teaching high school Physics!! I hated it when I actually took it in high school, and in college, but now - totally love it! And I love being in the classroom!

2. I have been a bridesmaid 13 times. Yes, that's right 13 times. That means that I have 13 dresses in my closet that I have only worn once and will most likely never wear again.

3. I love the outdoors. However, whenever I go on a retreat or camping trip, my hair dryer and my straightener comes with me. Just because you are outdoors doesn't mean you still can't look cute (with good hair)!!

4. I am BIG on tradition. I mean, I went to Texas A&M, enough said.

5. I can get quite competitive when it comes to playing sports (though the only sports I play nowadays are tennis and golf).

6. I love trying new things and the challenges they bring - life should be an adventure!

7. One of my favorite places in the world is the beach...the sun, the salty sea air, the sound of the crashing waves...what more could a girl need to find relaxation and peace!

8. My dream is to one day own a little piece of land in the country....

Now, I send this on to be completed by Francine, Lindsay, Tiffany, Amanda, and Gina!

Viva Ecuador!!

“God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles." Galatians 1: 15-16

From the end of June to the first two and a half weeks in July, I had the opportunity to travel to Quito, Ecuador. Here is my story....

I came alive in Ecuador! For the first time in a long time, I was truly living from the core of my heart! I was overcome with joy! God has shown me so much during my time in Quito. And I have truly grown to love the people and children there. I have enjoyed serving the Lord with Fundacion Amor y Esperanza, a Christian organization dedicated to reaching the poor of Quito with the Gospel, and meeting their physical, educational, and spiritual needs. I worked for about two weeks at their school for under privilege students and families living in the Carmen Bajo, one of the surrounding projects. I stayed with the school director and his wife and family (Pancho and Pity Zola - an amazing godly couple) and taught the fourth and fifth grade classes songs in English. And for the fifth grade class, I took the story of the "Three Little Pigs" and turned it into a play and taught that to them. For their end of school ceremony, the fourth and fifth grade classes performed their English songs and the fifth graders performed the play for the school and their parents. I was so proud of them! They did so well! I have even got to help the school interview prospective English teachers. After Pancho would interview them, I then interviewed them in English to see how well they spoke and if they would be beneficial to the school. And as the school is a Christian school, it opened up many opportunities to talk about Christ with each of them. (one of the qualifications to teach at the school is that you have to be a believer) And just last Thursday they hired one of the teachers I recommended!

My last week there, we left to go to the Amazon rainforest, and to this city called Baños, where there are a lot of waterfalls (absolutely breathtaking!) and the city sits below this HUGE volcano, so there are a lot of thermal hot springs, which were so relaxing and so well needed after being in the rainforest. It was so much fun! When we got back I helped Pancho put together tour packages for the missions groups. You know, its neat how God provided for this trip and that I was able to use the skills I learned at my old job at Ker & Downey and at my new job as a teacher! God is SO good!

Since I have been back, I have been able to speak at my church's missions fellowship about my trip and even have started the beginning steps of putting together a trip for late June to lead a group from my church! I can't wait to go back again this summer!!!

Digging Deeper Into Me

One of my blog friends introduced me to this fun way of getting to dig deeper into who each of us are. It is called an interview meme. She asked me five questions to get me started, so enjoy...

1) What has been the biggest difference between Pre-STINT Chiharu in America and Post-STINT Chiharu in America?

I think this is one thing that I am still asking myself. I mean, I know I have changed, pegging down like an "Ah Ha! This is how I have changed!", I am still working through...(this and probably some of the other answers will be changed later, I promise. It's late, and I tend to just ramble thoughts at this hour of the night)


2) What is one thing about Italy that you can think of to bring to America and make it better?

The one thing off the top of my head is...SIESTA!!!! Those 3 hrs. in the middle of every day from 1pm to about 3pm where everyone just closes down shop and goes home to spend time with the family...now that's life! During my time there I have truly come to learn just how well Italians know how to enjoy life and cherish relationships and time with one another.


3) Where has your favorite place to travel been? why?

One of my favorite places to visit when I was living in Italy was our trips to the Fattoria Il Santo. To any other person it just looks like another old Italian farm. But to me, it is so much MORE! And it's not just because it's out in the middle of the Tuscan countryside. There are SO many sweet memories tied to that place...lots of laughter and funny stories, rich moments spent with the Lord and with friends, even hard times and sad times that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world! I could totally sit and write an entire blog entry just on this place alone.

And now that I am back in the states, my favorite place to visit is my second home, Florence. I left a part of who I am there. I LOVE the history there, how you are just surrounded by all the work of the great artists! It's the birthplace of the Rennaisance! And MOST importantly it is where my dear, sweet, friends who I hold close to my heart are!


4) Where was one place you wish you could go? why?

One place I wish I could've gone back and visited while I was there was Sicily. For those of you who don't know, that's where my parents and I lived for three years and that is where I graduated from high school. One city I would like to go back and visit in particular is Taormina. That was my favorite place to go when we lived there. During the summers my family and I would go to this one hotel there...I remember swimming in their pool, laying out on the beach, my friend and I getting our picture taken with our first Italian lifeguard, and an encounter with a jellyfish (story that will be told at a later time)...good times, good times.


5) What has been the biggest challenge in your life recently?

There have been quite a few challenges in my life lately. One has been working on my teaching certification...another is being patient in the Lord and waiting on His perfect timing with coming back to Italy long term. more to come later...keep getting kicked off the computer right now...

Rocky Mountain High, Colorado

Okay, so it wasn't the Colorado Rockies...more like Mt. Redcloud, a 14,043 ft. mountain outside a little town called Lake City, Colorado....

This past week I went with the high school youth group from my church to Camp Redcloud. A Christian Moutain Adventure camp in Colorado. It was an AMAZING week in an AMAZING place! Lives were changed and God revealed Himself to each of us in everywhere we went, in every activity we did - from service projects, to high ropes courses, to our overnight camping trip, white water rafting, and to the peak hike of this 14,000 ft. mountain, where my story takes place....

I have to admit, I didn't think I was going to make it through the first 15 minutes. All that was running through my head was: "What did I get myself into!? I don't think I am going to make it all 6hrs!"

We were clear out of the woods and were walking along the rushing river of melted snow when I heard God sweetly whisper to me: "Chiharu, stop. Take a look around you. My beloved, I have brought you here. I want to show you my glory. I will be your Strength. Trust in Me. I love you."

That was when my attitude and my focus turned to that on Christ. Now, that's not to say that the rest of the uphill journey was easy. There were still parts of the climb that were difficult but the difference was my focus on the Lord. Knowing that He alone is my Strength, that I was dependent on Him with each step, made the journey so rich. This type of perseverance with every inch, the dependence I had on Him with every breath in the increasing altitude, revealed to me how I desperately need Him with every minute, every decision, every aspect of my life.

We were at about 13,000 ft. when the weather started to take a turn for the worse. The wind had picked up, snow was starting to fall, and the temperature dropped to below 30 degrees. We were cold. We knew we were not going to make it to the top that day. Being so close to the finish line, seeing the end, the goal, right in front of you was disappointing. But then I turned around and saw where the Lord had taken me. Breathtaking! Absolutely breathtaking! The trees, the valleys, the mountains, all covered with snow and a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds - God's glory was all around us! Tears, not from the cold or the wind, but tears of overwhelming joy and love slowly trickled down my face. This is what it means to be alive! This is what is meant to experience God's glory!!

"One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard; that you, O God are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Psalm 62:11-12