Joy

Joy or ecstasy in Japanese is "yorokobi." That's what I've discovered in the last month or so since I've started reading, "The Purpose Driven Life." Maybe some of you have seen it in stores, but you never thought that you'd need it. Well, I'm here to say that it has changed my life for the better! It's about living out the purpose that God has for you. It feels so good to know that God has your back. After my first real heartbreak, I thought that NOTHING could make me cry...in sadness. But lately, I find that tears well up in my eye at least once a day just from pure joy.
On Monday, I saw a student following another teacher on our fieldtrip asking him questions. He sees that teacher as his father-figure. I was so happy just to see that he was happy. Today one of my students from my English club, Takaaki, gave me his last piece of candy just because he didn't have anything else to give me. He used ALL of the English that I taught him. After the brief conversation in English with him and two other little boys from school, I was smiling from ear-to-ear. Tonight I got a call from one of my friends who is also an English teacher in Japan and she had seen one of my students at the train station. She called me up and I briefly spoke with him on the phone. He was SO excited that he could speak in English to her. I'm HAPPY that I made the decision to come here. I feel like I have served my purpose here.
I don't regret one second, except those times when I didn't appreciate my time here. I am so happy right now in my life and I can't wait to see what's next for me when I come home. I feel SOO blessed to have met so many amazing people here. I knocked on the door and God answered. You should do that same.