i ate 3 donuts, a brownie and skipped dinner
hulu is gonna make me fail college
human relationship is frustrating and complicated
i really should start doing homework

Jaeson Ma

Lyrics:
Verse 1
Now Hollywood wants to make you think they know what love is. But I'm a tell you what true love is. Love is not what you see in the movies. Its not the ecstasy, its not what you see in that scene, you know what I mean? I'm telling you right now, true love is sacrifice. Love is thinking about others before you think about yourself, love is selfless not selfish. Love is God and God is love. Love is when you lay down your life for another, whether for your brother, your mother, your father or your sister, its even laying down your life for your enemies, that's unthinkable, but think about that. Love is true. Think.

Chorus:

I'll put you in front of me
So everybody can see
My love, this is my love

I know that I'll be alright
As long as you are my guide
My love, this is my love

Verse 2
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, it always perseveres.
Love never fails. Love is everlasting, its eternal, it goes on and on, it goes beyond time, love is the only thing that will last when you die, but ask the question why? Do you have love?

Chorus

Verse 3
There is no greater love than this than he who lays down his life for his friends. Now are you willing to lay down your life for your friends? You're probably willing to lay down your life for your mother, your father, or your best friends, but are you willing to lay down your life for even those that hate you? I'm going to tell you who did that, the definition of love is Jesus Christ. He is love. The nails in his hands, the thorns in his brow, hanging on a cross for your sin my sins, that is LOVE he died for you and me while we still hated him, that is love. God is true love, and if you don't know this love, now is the time to know, perfect love.

Chorus

I'm ready to run back to God. In fact, I'm running back to God at 500mph right now! I was so far away from God for the past two months. I skipped church, small groups, large groups... I didn't want to do anything Christian related.

Until Samantha called me and asked me if I was going to small group today. If she didn't call me, I wouldn't have gone. God put the right people in my life and tell them to talk to me at the right time :) Thank you to all those who helped me out.

At small group, I prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill me up and God answered my prayer. I was filled with the Holy Spirit by the end of small group.

I miss God a lot.

I WANT God in my life! I don't ever want to be away from Him anymore (I know I will in the future, but I'm going to try really hard to not let it happen). Why did I run away from someone who loves me unconditionally? I don't know, but I know I don't want to do that again.

Tokyo- Housing Preference Form

Question 1

(Required)

I request the following IES Abroad provided housing.

Question 2

(Required)

Please indicate your gender.

Question 3

(Required)

Do you smoke?

Question 4 (Required)

Do you mind living in accommodations with people who smoke? (Note that in many countries, smoking is much more common than in the U.S. Students with a specific condition such as allergies will be given priority for non-smoking accommodations.)

Question 5 (Required) Do you have a documented disability that would require special accommodation in your housing placement?

Question 6

(Required)

Do you require a housing placement that must accommodate your religious beliefs?

Question 7

(Required)

Do you have allergies that would affect your housing placement?  Allergies can be, but are not limited to, pets, molds, certain foods, etc.

Question 8

(Required)

Do you have dietary restrictions that if not met have health implications?

Question 9 (Required) Are you a vegetarian or a vegan? Question 10 (Required) What time do you normally go to sleep?
Question 11 (Required) How would you best describe your personality?
Question 12 (Required) Do you have brothers or sisters that you have lived with?

Question 13

(Required)

If placed in a homestay, would you prefer accommodations with:

Question 14

(Required)

What are your academic interests?

Question 15

(Required)

What are your extracurricular interests?

Question 16

(Required)

What kind of music do you prefer to listen to?

Question 17

(Required)

If placed in a homestay, how would you like to be considered by your host?

Question 18

(Required)

If applicable, is there a particular roommate you would like to request?  Please note that not all housing placements allow for roommate selection.  THIS IS ONLY A REQUEST, NOT A GUARANTEE.

Question 19

(Required)

If placed in a Residence Hall, would you prefer a single room, or a double room with a roommate?  If you would prefer a roommate and have a roommate preference, be sure that you have indicated the name of the roommate in question number 12.  Roomate requests are limited to one person only.  Co-ed placements are not available.  Both parties must request each other on their housing forms.

Question 20

(Required)

If placed in a Residence Hall:

The Kuis dormitory (female only) has no meal-plan, but is equipped with amenities such as a private kitchen, bathroom, refrigerator, etc. and has a relatively short commute.

Please rank your preference from 1-3, with 1 being your strongest preference. You must fill in each box and your form will be rejected if any are left blank.  Please comment in the space provided if desired.

Question 21 (Required)

What are your primary objectives for your study abroad experience? Please also explain what you hope to gain from your housing placement.

Question 22

If you are interested in being placed in a homestay (whether first or second choice) please write a brief essay/letter of introduction to your future host family.  This letter of introduction should consist of 2-3 paragraphs.  Please explain who the members of your family in the photo are as part of your letter.  The letter may be written in English or Japanese. Upload the letter as a word document here:

Question 23

If you are interested in a homestay, you must upload a photo of you and your family here.

Confirmation deposit & Cert. of Eligibility

When you go through a 3rd party provider (CIEE or IES), it gets a little confusing when you need to make payments and send in required materials. Some materials will go to IES and some go to SAO. The general rule is that what comes from SAO goes back to SAO and IES to IES. If SAO wants you to pay anything, they will charge your student account. If IES needs you to pay something, you'll probably have to write a check to IES.

Apply for COE is quite a process. COE is needed for applying Jpn student visa, so even though it's an annoying process, it's necessary. In the Confirmation Instructions and Acceptance Package IES gave me is information and instructions on preparing everything needed to apply for COE. I guess this is the great thing about going through a 3rd party provider, they set up everything for you to make it as easy as possible for you.

Materials needed to apply COE:
- an Official Bank Letter stating that whoever is supporting me financially has at least USD 6000 in their account
- upload passport photo to the IES acct.

IES will provide a sample official bank letter for you to take to your bank.








Official Bank Letter Template
ON BANK LETTERHEAD!!!
DATE
Tokyo Immigration Office/
Kanda University of International Studies or Meikai University (include one)
To Whom It May Concern:
This is to certify that NAME OF ACCOUNT HOLDER(S) is an account holder (s) for
the following account:
Account Type: CHECKING/SAVINGS/MONEY MARKET
Amount: $ X,XXX.00 (or “in excess of $6,000.00”)
Date Opened: DATE
The above mentioned balance represents the accumulation of successive deposits.
Sincerely,
BANK OFFICIAL’S ORIGINAL SIGNATURE
BANK OFFICIAL’S NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Congratulations from IES Abroad

Dear Yinting, Congratulations! You have been admitted to the IES Abroad Tokyo - Society & Culture program for the Spring2010 term. The admissions process is very selective, and on behalf of IES Abroad, I would like to congratulate you on being accepted to the program. Study abroad is proven to be a life-enhancing experience, and we look forward to helping you prepare for the extraordinary journey that lies ahead.

Confirmation Instructions & Acceptance Packet To accept your place in the program, log on to your MyIESabroad account at www.IESabroad.org and submit a non-refundable $500 confirmation deposit or Intent to Enroll Form (depending on the school you attend). Use the login ID and password you previously created.   If you do not remember your password, please click on "Forgot User ID/Password" on our homepage and you will be able to reset your password. If you do not already have a MyIESabroad account, please use the email address you provided in your application as your login ID. Your password is "password" and you will prompted to change this password the first time you login.    You will also be receiving an acceptance packet with detailed information about the program and further details about the required pre-departure documents you will need to complete. Please note: if you do not log on and confirm your place in the program within three weeks of the date of this email, you may lose your place in this program. I urge you to confirm as soon as possible. Facebook We encourage you to become a member of your IES Abroad program's Facebook group to meet your classmates and discuss pre-departure plans.  You can access your program's group from www.facebook.com/IESAbroad.  In addition to your program's specific group, please also take a moment to become a fan of IES Abroad. Your Personal IES Abroad Advisor As you prepare to study abroad, I am available to answer your questions during my business hours listed below, Monday through Friday. Though I may occasionally be away from my office to visit schools, my colleagues will also be available to answer questions. Please thoroughly read all the materials IES Abroad sends to you, as many questions are likely to be answered in these mailings. Family Information We would like to provide your parent(s) or guardian(s) with a specially-tailored information packet that shares details on how they can help and support you through the entire study-abroad experience. If you do not want us to release information to your family or provide directory information to anyone about you, please notify the Dean of Students Office at 800.995.2300 immediately (and no later than one week from the date of this email). Your request for non-disclosure will be honored by IES Abroad throughout your academic experience.

Scholarship Information IES Abroad commits $2 million annually in scholarships and financial aid. With more than 20 distinct financial aid and scholarship categories available (including need-based, merit-based, and diversity student aid), IES Abroad encourages all students attending an IES Abroad Consortium member school  to apply. Applying is easy and can be completed online. Apply for a Passport If you do not have a passport, or if your current passport is set to expire within six months after the end date of your IES Abroad program, you must apply for a new passport immediately! For more details, visit http://travel.state.gov. If you’re not a U.S. citizen, please follow your government’s procedures for obtaining a passport.Contact a Past IES Abroad Student IES Abroad Ambassadors are recent alumni of IES Abroad programs who are available to answer your questions. To locate an IES Abroad Ambassador for your program, click here.

Again, congratulations and I am delighted that you have chosen to study abroad with IES Abroad. Sincerely,  Beth Eustis IES Abroad Tokyo - Society & Culture Program Advisor (800) 995-2300, M-F, 8:30 - 4:30 Eastern

This email was sent by: IES Abroad The Institute for the International Education of Students 33 N. LaSalle St. 15th Floor Chicago, IL 60602 800.995.2300 study@IESabroad.org

2 applications......

Since I'm studying abroad with IES (3rd party provider), I have to fill out their app too. All I had to do was sign in to the IES website and turn in everything they tell me to. Not too hard.