*+_Praise † Grace_+*

It gets heavier Each drop dances on the warm tar road Out of my bag I drew my poncho Over myself I put it on But I wouldn’t move Fascinated as I watch them dance They are only about to start The crowd around me withdrew The chants of the warring wind intimidates Allow myself to be stubborn once Because my nation is stubborn As the heavens weep, my heart aches I sat and refused to move Not until my nation knows that we have all sinned Not until my chiefs know their guilt On the chanting road I cried in pain My nation is in darkness no one can save Oh my people, if only you know Know that we have all did right Only in our own eyes Know that we have please Only the ways of men Oh my people, if only you would turn away From what’s right in our own eyes From what’s pleasing to ourselves If only we would do justice, Not only to ourselves But to the forgotten and abandoned The oppressed and the violated To my Creator I cried Before

This one month has been an eye-opening, mind-blowing and attitude-changing time of learning. Coming back from SWEEP ignited my passion for social work. I was looking at every opportunity to involve myself in one. However, there is a limit where my optimism can take me in the world of reality. Pastor Matthew and I at Bon Odori I didn’t know what to expect for this internship. As a man of action, I was hoping to see actions, but instead I had a lot of time for reflection. At such times I felt uneasy. Pastoral work requires creativity that drives initiatives and self-motivation. In times of inaction, a pastor needs to find gaps to fill in. In times of quietness, a pastor needs a spirit to listen to God’s leadership and guidance. Me sharing at Youth Fellowship I was required to preach on the 26 th July. I believe it was God’s perfect plan that the sermon was done prior to my class in MBTS. It prepared a context in which I could relate to the subject. My burning passion for