6/29/07
This week the girls and I have done more traveling than a middle-aged carpetbagger with itchy feet. We took a few days off to see what Stan and Michelle have been up to down in Kyushu. We did most of our traveling via bullet train or “shinkansen,” if you want to get technical. I don’t know how many of you have ever been on a train that reaches speeds over 285 km/h, but it is not fun especially when the jerk in front of you refuses to close his window. I endured three hours of blowing and blasting winds which sent me flailing all over the compartment. I tried to stay in my seat for as long as possible but when we got up to speed the level of lactic acid in my forearms was so great that I lost my death grip and just couldn’t hang on. Most of my hair was blown straight off of my head into the lady’s clam chowder behind me and my cheeks were flapping so hard that they knocked a molar loose and I think I swallowed it. I kindly asked the gentleman in front of me several times to shut his window to which he arrogantly replied, “I have poor temperature regulation and the breeze feels nice, so you can just shut up.” Breeze? I just about lost it when he said that and all of the sudden I had a deep sinful desire to flick the back of his ear very hard and I would have had it not been for a particularly potent gust of wind that knocked me out of my seat and onto a plate of pastries that I had just recently purchased for half-price at the last train portal. That really got my goat but unfortunately the wind was so powerful that I had no choice but to lie pinned to the ground for the remainder of the trip. Needless to say when it was all over, my pastries were in no condition to be consumed but I ate them anyway and I now wish I hadn’t.
Barring the above turbulent tribulation, the trip to see the Mistaks was a success. We were able to hang out at the coffee shop for a while and Stan even whipped up some of his prefecture famous Café Ole. I have to say I’ve never had a drink so uplifting and refreshing. Upon downing the last drop, I couldn’t help but softly sing a song to myself while I reveled in the drink’s invigorating aftertaste. During our time at the coffee shop we were able to talk to some of the customers with whom the Mistaks have developed relationships. Stan and Michelle both have been doing a great job getting to know the people they meet. Most, if not all, of the people they’ve encountered have returned several times over the past month. Along with getting a taste of the coffee shop, no pun intended, we were able to meet the Carr and Sadowitz families who generously had us all over for dinner. Both families told me how they’ve fallen in love with Stan and Michelle and how much of a blessing it’s been to have them in Miyakonojo.
On Monday, the Kellers, Mariah, and I will leave for the U.S. I’m looking forward to returning home but at the same time it will be difficult to leave the friends I’ve made. God has taught me several valuable lessons here in Japan and I can’t wait to share them with the church. Thanks again for all the prayers and Lord willing I’ll see you soon; until then try to keep it real.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
A Mistak Update
It has been a long time since I have blogged. So, I hope you can make it to the bottom of this entry.
We have settled into a routine here of working in the coffee shop. We spend most of our time there because the shop is open from 11am to 7pm Monday through Saturday. The coffee shop has a pretty good flow of people who come in for english conversation, and we have started developing relationships with those who come often. Last night we had a Japanese couple over for dinner that we met through the coffee shop. We also invited Jessica and Dan Sadowitz over to help us translate, which was very helpful. Michelle made chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and rice. Ikuko brought over a really good stew with meat, potatoes, and carrots. She also brought a tuna fish salad with spinich in it that was very tasty. And for dessert we had a Miykonojo specialty dessert that they brought with some hot tea. We enjoyed showing each other pictures and showing them where we lived in America on a map. They were kind enough to bring Toby a modern kimono styled outfit for a toddler. We will have Toby wear it when we get back in the states. It will knock you out!
Saturday was Toby's birthday. He is now officially 2 years old. However, if you ask Toby, "How old are you?" He will still loudly proclaim that he is "ONE!" But we are working on that. All of the missionaries' children that have befriended Toby here went out of their way to make Toby feel special on his birthday. They all brought him little presents and made him cards. I know that this made a big impression on Toby. Yesterday I realized that Toby was being really quite, which usually means that he is getting into trouble. So, I went to investigate, and he was just sitting in his room studing the birthday cards that his friends gave him. I wish you could have seen the look of concentration on his face!The Sadowitz's were kind enough to take us to Miyazaki to help us celebrate Toby's birthday. We went to a large mall there. We all got some coffee drinks from Gloria Jeans. Then, we took Toby to a huge play land in the Jusco.
I bought several T-shirts at the mall that have english on them that doesn't make any sense. English on your clothing is way "cool" over here. It doesn't matter what the words actually mean. Sometimes this can be quite funny. For example, I bought a shirt that says "CUT DIRT not budge an inch abbreviate". My other shirt says "usual, genuine, agency, whip along, odds, headway, candor, bask, PROPICIOUS MOMENT, piece of luck!"I was talking with our friend Nahoko in the coffee shop about this, and she said that when she travels she sees the same thing with Japanese Kanji. The funniest instance of this that she saw was a on a big, muscular, tough english man that she met in England. He had a Kanji tatooed on his neck because it looked cool, and he didn't know what it meant. She died laughing when she saw it becuase the Kanji meant "little sister".
We have been able to call our families with Skype. I found out that I can call my Mother-in-law's cell phone from Japan with my computer for a little over 2 cents a minute. Isn't that amazing! I couldn't believe it. I think she was a little surprised too because when we told her who it was that was calling her, she responded with, "Who is this!" Like we were someone just pretending to be her daughter and son-in-law.
Tom Carr was kind enough to share the pulpit with me. So, yesterday I preached from John 12 at their church here. I had two main points: 1) Mary didn't hold onto what she had until it was too late. What a better way to use her expensive perfume than on the Lord. 2) I talked about how Jesus is worthy of this kind of worship. I used this to talk about a lot of the things that Pastor Randy has taught me about Jesus' exaltation. I obviously preached in Enlgish, and a young Japanese woman named Izumi translated for me. From what I could tell she did a great job. I think I probably sounded better in Japanese than I did in English. I told the Church that this was my first time preaching in my socks and that I liked it very much.
This week Evan, Elsbeth and Mariah are coming to visit us for a few days. We are looking forward to seeing them and showing them around Miyakonojo a little.
In closing I have been compiling a list a of things that make me go Hmmmmm about Japan because they are the exact opposite of how we do them in America. I will share a few of them with you now. Pastor Doug trained us to say that things are different and not weird. Once the culture shock wears off a little, these things are interesting and fun to observe.
1. Japanese drive on the different side of the road (we drive on the "right" side). I have gotten used to this, but I still try to get in the wrong door as a passenger. Tom Carr has taught me to pretend that I am doing a safety inspection of the tires when this happens.
2. I have heard that screws work differently here. Think "Righty loosey, Lefty tighty." However, I have yet to experience this phenomenon.
3. Books start at a different end. Sometimes you might wonder why everyone else is in Revelation when you're supposed to be studying Genesis!
4. When talking about themselves Japanese people don't point to their chest but to their nose. Don't worry they are not trying to tell you that you have a booger hanging out of your nose.
5. Typhoons are really the same thing as Hurricanes the name is just different. So, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I know this because I learned about it from a reliable source: Wikipedia!
That's all for now! Congradulations on making it to the bottom.
We have settled into a routine here of working in the coffee shop. We spend most of our time there because the shop is open from 11am to 7pm Monday through Saturday. The coffee shop has a pretty good flow of people who come in for english conversation, and we have started developing relationships with those who come often. Last night we had a Japanese couple over for dinner that we met through the coffee shop. We also invited Jessica and Dan Sadowitz over to help us translate, which was very helpful. Michelle made chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and rice. Ikuko brought over a really good stew with meat, potatoes, and carrots. She also brought a tuna fish salad with spinich in it that was very tasty. And for dessert we had a Miykonojo specialty dessert that they brought with some hot tea. We enjoyed showing each other pictures and showing them where we lived in America on a map. They were kind enough to bring Toby a modern kimono styled outfit for a toddler. We will have Toby wear it when we get back in the states. It will knock you out!
Saturday was Toby's birthday. He is now officially 2 years old. However, if you ask Toby, "How old are you?" He will still loudly proclaim that he is "ONE!" But we are working on that. All of the missionaries' children that have befriended Toby here went out of their way to make Toby feel special on his birthday. They all brought him little presents and made him cards. I know that this made a big impression on Toby. Yesterday I realized that Toby was being really quite, which usually means that he is getting into trouble. So, I went to investigate, and he was just sitting in his room studing the birthday cards that his friends gave him. I wish you could have seen the look of concentration on his face!The Sadowitz's were kind enough to take us to Miyazaki to help us celebrate Toby's birthday. We went to a large mall there. We all got some coffee drinks from Gloria Jeans. Then, we took Toby to a huge play land in the Jusco.
I bought several T-shirts at the mall that have english on them that doesn't make any sense. English on your clothing is way "cool" over here. It doesn't matter what the words actually mean. Sometimes this can be quite funny. For example, I bought a shirt that says "CUT DIRT not budge an inch abbreviate". My other shirt says "usual, genuine, agency, whip along, odds, headway, candor, bask, PROPICIOUS MOMENT, piece of luck!"I was talking with our friend Nahoko in the coffee shop about this, and she said that when she travels she sees the same thing with Japanese Kanji. The funniest instance of this that she saw was a on a big, muscular, tough english man that she met in England. He had a Kanji tatooed on his neck because it looked cool, and he didn't know what it meant. She died laughing when she saw it becuase the Kanji meant "little sister".
We have been able to call our families with Skype. I found out that I can call my Mother-in-law's cell phone from Japan with my computer for a little over 2 cents a minute. Isn't that amazing! I couldn't believe it. I think she was a little surprised too because when we told her who it was that was calling her, she responded with, "Who is this!" Like we were someone just pretending to be her daughter and son-in-law.
Tom Carr was kind enough to share the pulpit with me. So, yesterday I preached from John 12 at their church here. I had two main points: 1) Mary didn't hold onto what she had until it was too late. What a better way to use her expensive perfume than on the Lord. 2) I talked about how Jesus is worthy of this kind of worship. I used this to talk about a lot of the things that Pastor Randy has taught me about Jesus' exaltation. I obviously preached in Enlgish, and a young Japanese woman named Izumi translated for me. From what I could tell she did a great job. I think I probably sounded better in Japanese than I did in English. I told the Church that this was my first time preaching in my socks and that I liked it very much.
This week Evan, Elsbeth and Mariah are coming to visit us for a few days. We are looking forward to seeing them and showing them around Miyakonojo a little.
In closing I have been compiling a list a of things that make me go Hmmmmm about Japan because they are the exact opposite of how we do them in America. I will share a few of them with you now. Pastor Doug trained us to say that things are different and not weird. Once the culture shock wears off a little, these things are interesting and fun to observe.
1. Japanese drive on the different side of the road (we drive on the "right" side). I have gotten used to this, but I still try to get in the wrong door as a passenger. Tom Carr has taught me to pretend that I am doing a safety inspection of the tires when this happens.
2. I have heard that screws work differently here. Think "Righty loosey, Lefty tighty." However, I have yet to experience this phenomenon.
3. Books start at a different end. Sometimes you might wonder why everyone else is in Revelation when you're supposed to be studying Genesis!
4. When talking about themselves Japanese people don't point to their chest but to their nose. Don't worry they are not trying to tell you that you have a booger hanging out of your nose.
5. Typhoons are really the same thing as Hurricanes the name is just different. So, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I know this because I learned about it from a reliable source: Wikipedia!
That's all for now! Congradulations on making it to the bottom.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Rude Awakening
6/23/07
Yesterday, Romi informed me that she was taking the girls and I along with some other friends to a volcano in the morning. So that night I, wanting to be as prepared as possible, gathered and calibrated all of my volcanic exploration equipment which, after hours of contemplation, I had decided to bring to Japan just in case such an occasion arose. My equipment included one magma collection kit, three extreme temperature gauges, one lava-proof volcano suit with matching boots, and seven flame retardant notepads. After checking and rechecking my tools, I went to bed with great anticipation, dreaming of the grand adventures the morrow had in store.
I awoke early in the morning and as is the custom with pre-volcano breakfasts, I prepared a feast of the finest pancakes known to man. Personally, I believe a pancake is best enjoyed in a minimalist fashion, maple syrup being the only topping needed. However, the girls felt it necessary to don their flapjacks with an assortment of fruits, jams, jellies, the butter of peanuts, and even chopped chocolate chips. Now, normally I would not have allowed such ostentatious extravagance, but I was in an especially convivial disposition so I decided to let it slide. After filling our tummies with all of the yummy goodness, we set out for the volcano.
We traveled for approximately 45 minutes and upon stopping, I stepped out of the car astonished that the Takahashi’s lived so close to such a deadly force of nature. I was even more bamboozled when I looked to my right and saw hundreds of people loitering around the base of the volcano. My eyes got even wider and my jaw even closer to the ground when I noticed that most of the people were dressed casually, with not even a hint of protective gear. I guess I assumed that a person of average intelligence would know that volcanoes tend to be very hot especially erupting volcanoes, which have a nasty habit of spewing molten rock thousands of feet into the air in every direction. To tell you the truth, I almost passed out right then and there. I quickly slipped into my volcano suit, grabbed three notepads and sprinted up the wooden walkway to the mouth of the volcano. After tediously navigating my way through a gaggle of senior citizens all wearing identical “Erupting Into My Eighties: Japan Volcano Tour 2007” t-shirts, I finally reached the summit. I looked down into the center of the volcano and my heart did a nosedive down into the very depths of my matching left boot. And it wasn’t just the heel part of the boot it was the toe part. I looked up and down, across and around and there wasn’t one single speck of lava or magma. Not even a small brush fire. No charred trees scattered about. No signs of any volcanic activity in the least. I removed my right glove placing my hand on the ground. It wasn’t even warm, in fact it was a little on the cool side. For the next two hours I did several onsite tests, which led me to the conclusion that this particular volcano was a “dormant” volcano, whatever that means. Whoever heard of a “dormant” volcano? If you ask me, “dormant” is just a fancy way of saying, “mountain with a dip in the center.” The whole thing was a little embarrassing. I had to spend the rest of the day walking around in my volcano suit, which has to be one of the loudest pieces of outerwear ever since it’s made of a tinfoil-like material. Every time I took a step the sound waves generated from my suit echoed off the volcano’s walls creating innumerable rock slides and earaches.
Later, the girls caught up with me and we had lunch and walked around the rim of the “volcano.” I threw/kicked several rocks down into the center and it turned out to be pretty enjoyable. On the way home, we even saw a monkey sitting on the guardrail so we stopped and chatted for a while. Apparently, he works for some big consulting firm just outside Tokyo. He told me that he and his family were also disappointed at the lack of lava near the volcano but finding a banana tree on the side of the road had revived their spirits. At the end of the conversation we exchanged e-mail addresses and promised to write but we all know how that goes.
Yesterday, Romi informed me that she was taking the girls and I along with some other friends to a volcano in the morning. So that night I, wanting to be as prepared as possible, gathered and calibrated all of my volcanic exploration equipment which, after hours of contemplation, I had decided to bring to Japan just in case such an occasion arose. My equipment included one magma collection kit, three extreme temperature gauges, one lava-proof volcano suit with matching boots, and seven flame retardant notepads. After checking and rechecking my tools, I went to bed with great anticipation, dreaming of the grand adventures the morrow had in store.
I awoke early in the morning and as is the custom with pre-volcano breakfasts, I prepared a feast of the finest pancakes known to man. Personally, I believe a pancake is best enjoyed in a minimalist fashion, maple syrup being the only topping needed. However, the girls felt it necessary to don their flapjacks with an assortment of fruits, jams, jellies, the butter of peanuts, and even chopped chocolate chips. Now, normally I would not have allowed such ostentatious extravagance, but I was in an especially convivial disposition so I decided to let it slide. After filling our tummies with all of the yummy goodness, we set out for the volcano.
We traveled for approximately 45 minutes and upon stopping, I stepped out of the car astonished that the Takahashi’s lived so close to such a deadly force of nature. I was even more bamboozled when I looked to my right and saw hundreds of people loitering around the base of the volcano. My eyes got even wider and my jaw even closer to the ground when I noticed that most of the people were dressed casually, with not even a hint of protective gear. I guess I assumed that a person of average intelligence would know that volcanoes tend to be very hot especially erupting volcanoes, which have a nasty habit of spewing molten rock thousands of feet into the air in every direction. To tell you the truth, I almost passed out right then and there. I quickly slipped into my volcano suit, grabbed three notepads and sprinted up the wooden walkway to the mouth of the volcano. After tediously navigating my way through a gaggle of senior citizens all wearing identical “Erupting Into My Eighties: Japan Volcano Tour 2007” t-shirts, I finally reached the summit. I looked down into the center of the volcano and my heart did a nosedive down into the very depths of my matching left boot. And it wasn’t just the heel part of the boot it was the toe part. I looked up and down, across and around and there wasn’t one single speck of lava or magma. Not even a small brush fire. No charred trees scattered about. No signs of any volcanic activity in the least. I removed my right glove placing my hand on the ground. It wasn’t even warm, in fact it was a little on the cool side. For the next two hours I did several onsite tests, which led me to the conclusion that this particular volcano was a “dormant” volcano, whatever that means. Whoever heard of a “dormant” volcano? If you ask me, “dormant” is just a fancy way of saying, “mountain with a dip in the center.” The whole thing was a little embarrassing. I had to spend the rest of the day walking around in my volcano suit, which has to be one of the loudest pieces of outerwear ever since it’s made of a tinfoil-like material. Every time I took a step the sound waves generated from my suit echoed off the volcano’s walls creating innumerable rock slides and earaches.
Later, the girls caught up with me and we had lunch and walked around the rim of the “volcano.” I threw/kicked several rocks down into the center and it turned out to be pretty enjoyable. On the way home, we even saw a monkey sitting on the guardrail so we stopped and chatted for a while. Apparently, he works for some big consulting firm just outside Tokyo. He told me that he and his family were also disappointed at the lack of lava near the volcano but finding a banana tree on the side of the road had revived their spirits. At the end of the conversation we exchanged e-mail addresses and promised to write but we all know how that goes.
Friday, June 22, 2007
As the rain...
Friday, June 22, 2007
Well, it’s about time I blogged again… hmm… words are not flowing. I will share a verse that has encouraged me in my devotions.
Isaiah 55:10-11
“For as the rain and snow come down from heaven and do no return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Mariah did a really good job summing up our time with Mickey. I felt God laying it on my heart to write out some verses to leave with her. I copied out Psalm 73:23-28 (my life verses) and explain that it described what God is to me. She agreed to read it later and let me know if she has any questions. She has no foundation in the Bible or knowledge of God. I wanted so bad to just share all my heart and God’s salvation with her, but without building a proper foundation it would not make sense. I’m just praying that the verses I left with her will intrigue her enough to create an open door for other opportunities. Please pray for the salvation of the this precious Japanese girl.
It is raining outside right now. Actually it is more of a moist mountain mist. I think that the rainy season we have been told about from our first day has finally arrived. The surroundings here at Adatara Bible Camp are green, green and more green, with some vivid flowers thrown in just for fun. You can almost feel the ground soaking in the water and the plants drinking it up. As I look at the rain it makes me remember God’s faithfulness. He is faithful to maintain the water cycle, from the little streams in the mountains and the rainy season in Japan, to the crashing waves of the ocean and the underground reserves that supply thousands of people.
He is also faithful to water the seeds of His Word in the hearts of people. I take great comfort in the promise that God’s words will not return to Him empty. He has a purpose and a task for it to accomplish. It doesn’t say it might succeed, but it shall succeed! He feeds the souls of the hungry till they thrive.
Oh, Lord when I am weary, when I feel there is no purpose being accomplished… help me to be faithful to proclaim Your Word. You have promised Lord, to give the success. Only help me to be faithful.
Well, it’s about time I blogged again… hmm… words are not flowing. I will share a verse that has encouraged me in my devotions.
Isaiah 55:10-11
“For as the rain and snow come down from heaven and do no return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Mariah did a really good job summing up our time with Mickey. I felt God laying it on my heart to write out some verses to leave with her. I copied out Psalm 73:23-28 (my life verses) and explain that it described what God is to me. She agreed to read it later and let me know if she has any questions. She has no foundation in the Bible or knowledge of God. I wanted so bad to just share all my heart and God’s salvation with her, but without building a proper foundation it would not make sense. I’m just praying that the verses I left with her will intrigue her enough to create an open door for other opportunities. Please pray for the salvation of the this precious Japanese girl.
It is raining outside right now. Actually it is more of a moist mountain mist. I think that the rainy season we have been told about from our first day has finally arrived. The surroundings here at Adatara Bible Camp are green, green and more green, with some vivid flowers thrown in just for fun. You can almost feel the ground soaking in the water and the plants drinking it up. As I look at the rain it makes me remember God’s faithfulness. He is faithful to maintain the water cycle, from the little streams in the mountains and the rainy season in Japan, to the crashing waves of the ocean and the underground reserves that supply thousands of people.
He is also faithful to water the seeds of His Word in the hearts of people. I take great comfort in the promise that God’s words will not return to Him empty. He has a purpose and a task for it to accomplish. It doesn’t say it might succeed, but it shall succeed! He feeds the souls of the hungry till they thrive.
Oh, Lord when I am weary, when I feel there is no purpose being accomplished… help me to be faithful to proclaim Your Word. You have promised Lord, to give the success. Only help me to be faithful.
-Elsbeth
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Crying Hearts
Tuesday
God’s Hand of blessing was so evident in our lives today. Our first goal was to reach Tama Center, about 2 hours from where we are staying. We left an hour earlier than needed since we still need the extra time in the train and subway stations to figure out the incredible maze of railways – especially since some of them have little or no English posted.
We were doing fairly well when a train we were on stopped at an underground station, a few people got off and the doors stayed open – for about ten minutes. There seemed to be a little scurrying about from official looking people on the train platform and the train announcer said something over the loud speaker… in Japanese of course. Suddenly people started waking up and started leaving the train. I asked the woman sitting next to me what was happening but she did not speak English. It became fairly obvious when we were the only ones left on the entire train that we should get off also. Everyone had lined up in neat little rows on the other side of the platform to wait for another train (we assumed). We were right, but the challenge now was that we were on an entirely different line. We had no idea where this subway would stop. Our entire train loaded on another train that was already standing room only. We were like little Japanese sardines stuffed into a can – but we were the pale fish in the can. Since we are to stay in Tama for a few days we had some luggage with us this time. We all squeezed on and underground we continued. The train stopped and started a lot after that. The first time we stopped under ground it was pitch black in the tunnel outside, and quite stuffed with people inside. I started to get a panic feeling of claustrophobia but talked to the Lord and He removed the fear.
Eventually we made it to a connecting station but by now were all turned around. We must have looked confused because a small Japanese woman walked up to us and said (in near perfect English) “Can I help you?” We told her where we wanted to go and she said she was going that same way so we could just follow her. It is always nice to have a leader who knows what they are doing! Walking down the escalator I said to her, “Your English is very good.” She smiled and said, “I actually live in America.” Can you guess where she was from…?...she had recently moved to South Carolina from Fishers, Indiana! Mrs. C. told us that she went to America as a university student, met her husband in an automotive store, married him, and kind of “stuck” in the U.S. We spent a delightful 30 minutes on the train visiting before she had to get off at her stop. She told us to wait six more stops before we got off and we would be at the right place. (No English signs on this line!) Thank God with us for Mrs. C. and pray for her spiritual needs. She said she thinks she is Buddhist.
Pastor Yuasa had just arrived at the station when we did and we did not even have to look for him. (Thank you Lord!) He insisted on taking us to lunch at McDonalds. The rest of the afternoon we traveled around the Tama region visiting universities. We met some very nice people who provided some answers for us regarding reaching the university students with the Gospel. Pastor Yuasa was a great catalyst for starting conversations with students. He would say something in Japanese and then gesture to us and the next thing we knew, we were conversing with those who knew a bit of English.
One university denied us entrance but there were about 25 students hanging out by the gate. Pastor asked if we wanted to talk to them, and of course the answer was yes. The three of us had a wonderful time visiting and taking pictures together. Pastor went back to his car and started handing out literature to them. Four took the book he offered and most of them were responsive to our questions and chit-chat. Two of them took our card with our name and website on it.
If you look at their pictures below you will probably see some crying hearts. It is written all over them. Our hearts were heavy as we visited with them, knowing that they are empty inside and are trying to fill it with anything that comes their way. This is the future of Japan – the young people who are sheep without a shepherd, heading for sure destruction unless they have the chance to hear the life-saving news of God’s redemption.
Wednesday
It is hard to capture the need on these campuses in just words and photos. We visited three more universities today. We are still trying to digest all we saw. One of universities had a junior high and high school on the same campus; another campus sent us into shock. Part of the campus looked like pictures we have seen of inner-city Bronx. While walking to meet a small group of Christians who meet weekly on one particular campus, our hearts were once again moved with the depth of spiritual need visible to the naked eye. For the second day in a row, I wept over the souls of the souls of these students. Whether in Miami, Florida or Tama Center, Japan, the hopelessness and despair of university students waves like a huge red flag beating madly in a March breeze. If we cannot hear their heart-cry with each flap of the flag, perhaps we have our fingers in our ears. If we cannot see the blazing red, compelling us to help them find the Giver of hope, we have clouded our
God’s Hand of blessing was so evident in our lives today. Our first goal was to reach Tama Center, about 2 hours from where we are staying. We left an hour earlier than needed since we still need the extra time in the train and subway stations to figure out the incredible maze of railways – especially since some of them have little or no English posted.
We were doing fairly well when a train we were on stopped at an underground station, a few people got off and the doors stayed open – for about ten minutes. There seemed to be a little scurrying about from official looking people on the train platform and the train announcer said something over the loud speaker… in Japanese of course. Suddenly people started waking up and started leaving the train. I asked the woman sitting next to me what was happening but she did not speak English. It became fairly obvious when we were the only ones left on the entire train that we should get off also. Everyone had lined up in neat little rows on the other side of the platform to wait for another train (we assumed). We were right, but the challenge now was that we were on an entirely different line. We had no idea where this subway would stop. Our entire train loaded on another train that was already standing room only. We were like little Japanese sardines stuffed into a can – but we were the pale fish in the can. Since we are to stay in Tama for a few days we had some luggage with us this time. We all squeezed on and underground we continued. The train stopped and started a lot after that. The first time we stopped under ground it was pitch black in the tunnel outside, and quite stuffed with people inside. I started to get a panic feeling of claustrophobia but talked to the Lord and He removed the fear.
Eventually we made it to a connecting station but by now were all turned around. We must have looked confused because a small Japanese woman walked up to us and said (in near perfect English) “Can I help you?” We told her where we wanted to go and she said she was going that same way so we could just follow her. It is always nice to have a leader who knows what they are doing! Walking down the escalator I said to her, “Your English is very good.” She smiled and said, “I actually live in America.” Can you guess where she was from…?...she had recently moved to South Carolina from Fishers, Indiana! Mrs. C. told us that she went to America as a university student, met her husband in an automotive store, married him, and kind of “stuck” in the U.S. We spent a delightful 30 minutes on the train visiting before she had to get off at her stop. She told us to wait six more stops before we got off and we would be at the right place. (No English signs on this line!) Thank God with us for Mrs. C. and pray for her spiritual needs. She said she thinks she is Buddhist.
Pastor Yuasa had just arrived at the station when we did and we did not even have to look for him. (Thank you Lord!) He insisted on taking us to lunch at McDonalds. The rest of the afternoon we traveled around the Tama region visiting universities. We met some very nice people who provided some answers for us regarding reaching the university students with the Gospel. Pastor Yuasa was a great catalyst for starting conversations with students. He would say something in Japanese and then gesture to us and the next thing we knew, we were conversing with those who knew a bit of English.
One university denied us entrance but there were about 25 students hanging out by the gate. Pastor asked if we wanted to talk to them, and of course the answer was yes. The three of us had a wonderful time visiting and taking pictures together. Pastor went back to his car and started handing out literature to them. Four took the book he offered and most of them were responsive to our questions and chit-chat. Two of them took our card with our name and website on it.
If you look at their pictures below you will probably see some crying hearts. It is written all over them. Our hearts were heavy as we visited with them, knowing that they are empty inside and are trying to fill it with anything that comes their way. This is the future of Japan – the young people who are sheep without a shepherd, heading for sure destruction unless they have the chance to hear the life-saving news of God’s redemption.
Wednesday
It is hard to capture the need on these campuses in just words and photos. We visited three more universities today. We are still trying to digest all we saw. One of universities had a junior high and high school on the same campus; another campus sent us into shock. Part of the campus looked like pictures we have seen of inner-city Bronx. While walking to meet a small group of Christians who meet weekly on one particular campus, our hearts were once again moved with the depth of spiritual need visible to the naked eye. For the second day in a row, I wept over the souls of the souls of these students. Whether in Miami, Florida or Tama Center, Japan, the hopelessness and despair of university students waves like a huge red flag beating madly in a March breeze. If we cannot hear their heart-cry with each flap of the flag, perhaps we have our fingers in our ears. If we cannot see the blazing red, compelling us to help them find the Giver of hope, we have clouded our
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
On Monday and Tuesday, Elsbeth and I spent time with Mickey, an English student of Pastor Tajima. Before we even came to Japan, she had asked if Elsbeth and I could spend a day with her. We went out for lunch to a Japanese Pancake restaurant on Monday. It was so fun and definitely a cultural experience. We sat on the floor and had a grill in the middle of us. We mixed all the ingredients together such as meat, egg, vegetables, cheese, ect. and then cooked it like a pancake. Once the pancake was ready to eat, we put mayonnaise, thin dried flaky fish, and soy sauce on top. It was delicious!
After lunch, we went shopping and out for coffee in Koriyama. In the evening we went to Mickey’s home for supper.. We were the first American’s to visit her home! Her mother made a great Japanese meal for us and kindly welcomed us into her home. Elsbeth and I had given Mickey’s family a card when we arrived. Mickey’s mother worked so hard at reading it out loud! It totally made my night, seeing how a simple letter meant so much to her. She later read the card again to her husband!
Tuesday, we went to see the green house where Mickey’s mother works. Her mother is a precious lady. She seemed to enjoy showing us the various plants and flowers. When Mickey brought us home today, she ended up staying the entire afternoon. We made her lunch, taught her some songs, and enjoyed good conversation.
I was kind of nervous about the time with Mickey since we were told she spoke little English and that her parents new none. But the time spent with her was wonderful. I think that it is one of the highlights of my time in Japan. She was so nervous at first, but I think that as we spent more time together, she realized that we really wanted to get to know her and practice along with her our Japanese/English. I did not know if we would be able to have any “deep” conversations with her with the language barrier. But, praise God, we had some great talks. At lunch on Monday, Mickey asked us why we were in Japan. So, we explained that we were here to help the churches. In this conversation we brought up God. Mickey explained that people in Japan do not believe in Jesus. Then between yesterday and today, Mickey continued to ask questions and we continued to talk about what we believe with her. This morning, Elsbeth was reading her Bible and Mickey noticed. Mickey explained that peoples'personal religion choice is very private here. She has never read the Bible but thinks that her older sister reads it.
Tuesday afternoon we went out for coffee and had a conversation about marriage and family. Elsbeth and I shared with Mickey that we believe that the husband and wife relationship should come first before children and careers. She agreed and then drew a diagram of how many of the Japanese families look at marriage and family. For fathers the career is first, then children, and lastly the wife. For mothers the children come first, career, then husband. Our conversation continued into talking about love, commitment, trust, and communication within a family. We also talked about counseling and the lack of communication parents have with their children. I enjoyed learning from Mickey and hearing her thoughts on these varies topics. I hope that Mickey was encouraged and challenged from our time together. I know that I was!
When Mickey dropped us off at the Tajima’s, we had a chance to sing a couple worship songs with her and try to explain what the songs were saying. Mickey tried to explain back to us what she was hearing us tell her. It seemed she understood some of what we shared with her. Elsbeth and I really put ourselves out there with Mickey. I think that a foundation was started for something more in the future. We both were exhausted after our time with Mickey, yet thankful for the door of opportunity the Lord gave us to share Him with her. Please be praying for Mickey and her family.
After lunch, we went shopping and out for coffee in Koriyama. In the evening we went to Mickey’s home for supper.. We were the first American’s to visit her home! Her mother made a great Japanese meal for us and kindly welcomed us into her home. Elsbeth and I had given Mickey’s family a card when we arrived. Mickey’s mother worked so hard at reading it out loud! It totally made my night, seeing how a simple letter meant so much to her. She later read the card again to her husband!
Tuesday, we went to see the green house where Mickey’s mother works. Her mother is a precious lady. She seemed to enjoy showing us the various plants and flowers. When Mickey brought us home today, she ended up staying the entire afternoon. We made her lunch, taught her some songs, and enjoyed good conversation.
I was kind of nervous about the time with Mickey since we were told she spoke little English and that her parents new none. But the time spent with her was wonderful. I think that it is one of the highlights of my time in Japan. She was so nervous at first, but I think that as we spent more time together, she realized that we really wanted to get to know her and practice along with her our Japanese/English. I did not know if we would be able to have any “deep” conversations with her with the language barrier. But, praise God, we had some great talks. At lunch on Monday, Mickey asked us why we were in Japan. So, we explained that we were here to help the churches. In this conversation we brought up God. Mickey explained that people in Japan do not believe in Jesus. Then between yesterday and today, Mickey continued to ask questions and we continued to talk about what we believe with her. This morning, Elsbeth was reading her Bible and Mickey noticed. Mickey explained that peoples'personal religion choice is very private here. She has never read the Bible but thinks that her older sister reads it.
Tuesday afternoon we went out for coffee and had a conversation about marriage and family. Elsbeth and I shared with Mickey that we believe that the husband and wife relationship should come first before children and careers. She agreed and then drew a diagram of how many of the Japanese families look at marriage and family. For fathers the career is first, then children, and lastly the wife. For mothers the children come first, career, then husband. Our conversation continued into talking about love, commitment, trust, and communication within a family. We also talked about counseling and the lack of communication parents have with their children. I enjoyed learning from Mickey and hearing her thoughts on these varies topics. I hope that Mickey was encouraged and challenged from our time together. I know that I was!
When Mickey dropped us off at the Tajima’s, we had a chance to sing a couple worship songs with her and try to explain what the songs were saying. Mickey tried to explain back to us what she was hearing us tell her. It seemed she understood some of what we shared with her. Elsbeth and I really put ourselves out there with Mickey. I think that a foundation was started for something more in the future. We both were exhausted after our time with Mickey, yet thankful for the door of opportunity the Lord gave us to share Him with her. Please be praying for Mickey and her family.
Tuesday afternoon was our last English class with Beverly. I have mixed emotions about it! The children and adults we spent time with were all eager to learn English. They have been an encouragment and example to me. It takes a lot of hard work to learn a new language, but it can be done!
Today the Tajima's are taking us out for lunch and then tomorrow Elsbeth and I are moving back to the camp until Monday!
"...So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step..."
1 Corinthians 9:26
Mariah
Japanese Hot Dog Buns
Hello! I'm so excited to finally have the opportunity to sit down and communicate with you all! We have had some fun experiences and good laughs that I've been wanting to share with you. Since many of you know how "blonde" I can sometimes be, I have to tell you what happened to me the other day. One of the missionary families invited us over for a BBQ. Stan asked if we could bring anything and Chris instructed him to ask me to bring hotdog buns. When I first heard this, I thought hotdog buns? You mean they have those here? But I figured there must be hotdog buns (since they asked for them), they must be pretty easy to pick out (since he asked ME for them), and therfore I didn't need any help finding them. The next day at the grocery store, just like I had envisioned, there were the hotdog buns in bags of 6. They didn't appear to be already cut, but that's what knives are for! So I proudly presented my hotdog buns at the BBQ! Mission accomplished! I grabbed a knife and cut open the buns only to find they were each filled with a whipped coffee flavored filling! Who ever heard of hotdog buns with whipped coffee flavored filling! Everyone got a good laugh out of my mistake. Apparently it's common to find unexpected surprises stuffed inside bread products. Well, now I know. There have been many other funny situations that I'll save for another day. I do want to tell you about my trip with Toby to a nearby park. There was a climbing wall with a soft and bouncy floor at the bottom, as well as a very large jungle of thick bungee chord to climb on. Stan took a quick break from his soccer game to climb all the way to the top. He had been eyeing it for some time and said he couldn't help himself any longer. Toby's favorite thing at the park was the slide. Instead of a flat surface , it was made of many rows of independent tubes. So, as you slid down they rolled under you making Toby slide faster than usual. Needless to say, we stayed at the slide for some time. We met Ana there that day. She is philipino but married to a Japanese man named Yuichi and has a 4 month old son named Noel. She came to the MAPS (Mothers and Preschoolers) meeting and made some good connections with the ladies. Please pray that she will join us for church on Sunday and that we can find out where she and Yuichi are spiritually. Please pray also for us. I've missed you all and I have longed to share with you what is going on here and elicit your prayers. I am constantly in need of the Holy Spirit's power, help, and encouragement. Also pray for Ako (ah-ko). Many of you will be able to empathize with her pain. A couple of weeks before we came she experienced a still born birth. She has two JOLT aged boys but this was to be her first little girl. She and her husband Takeishi are hurting but cling to the Lord for hope, encouragement, and courage. Please pray for them. Thank you so much for allowing Stan and I to come here and do what we can and for supporting us with prayer and encouragment. I hope to blog more soon. Love and Blessings, Michelle
Creatures of Habit
6/19/07
I did a bit of exploring the other day. The camp is really a beautiful area. It sits on the side of a mountain covered with pine trees. Bamboo shoots are visible just about everywhere. Breathing in the fresh air is like taking a Centrum vitamin pill and there is an innumerable amount of creatures as I’m sure you intuited from my previous posts. Lizards play tag with the flies using their teeth instead of their hands and the birds chirp much louder at the camp, too loud and too early if you ask me. It’s as if they have no awareness whatsoever of the sleeping habits of humans, me in particular. Along with the birds and lizards, there are several other animals such as snakes, tanuki, raccoons, giraffes, elephants, rhinos, and I even saw a jackalope. To tell the truth, there are too many to list.
In addition to the mammals and reptiles there exists a vast assortment of bugs. So many bugs, in fact, that I am convinced the land upon which this camp sits is very place God himself formed and fashioned each and every species of insect ever known to man or beast. It’s absolutely astounding. Never in all my days did I think it possible to have 77 insect bites on my body at one time. But the truly amazing thing is that none of the bites are repeated. Each comes from a different species. I’ve gained five pounds due to the insect venom alone. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not angry, I’m too awestruck to get angry. Every night before I tuck myself in, I “ooh” and “ahh” at all the new bites I’ve acquired during my days work. Seeing my body’s reaction to each new poison is extremely interesting. It has become my favorite past time. Some days the swelling is so bad that the Takahashi’s nearly lose consciousness when they see my disfigured face. I’ve tried insect repellant but I’m pretty sure the smell only allows the bugs to locate me faster so I’ve switched to coating myself with insecticide. It stings the first few times you get it in your eyes but after awhile you don’t even notice. It’s really not that bad and it seems to be much more effective. Of course there are side effects but I’m sure the ticks and twitches will go away once I stop using it.
On a more serious note, I ate dinner with the Takahashi’s and the Koga’s last night. After the meal, we got to talking about the difficulties they face each week having such small churches and not many opportunities for fellowship. It seems like the missionaries and pastors are all spread out across Japan. Often times a single couple (a pastor and his wife) will try to start a church on their own because there are no other Christians to with them. Pastor Koga’s wife was telling me that she gets anxious every Sunday morning before Sunday school because she doesn’t know if anyone will show up. She said she spends so much time preparing but rarely gets to teach. It must be frustrating to put so much time and effort into ministry and then see so little fruit for their labor. From what I understand, Japanese people just aren’t interested in Christianity and most don’t even know who Jesus is. Telling the Japanese people about Christ’s love can be done but how do you overcome indifference?
I did a bit of exploring the other day. The camp is really a beautiful area. It sits on the side of a mountain covered with pine trees. Bamboo shoots are visible just about everywhere. Breathing in the fresh air is like taking a Centrum vitamin pill and there is an innumerable amount of creatures as I’m sure you intuited from my previous posts. Lizards play tag with the flies using their teeth instead of their hands and the birds chirp much louder at the camp, too loud and too early if you ask me. It’s as if they have no awareness whatsoever of the sleeping habits of humans, me in particular. Along with the birds and lizards, there are several other animals such as snakes, tanuki, raccoons, giraffes, elephants, rhinos, and I even saw a jackalope. To tell the truth, there are too many to list.
In addition to the mammals and reptiles there exists a vast assortment of bugs. So many bugs, in fact, that I am convinced the land upon which this camp sits is very place God himself formed and fashioned each and every species of insect ever known to man or beast. It’s absolutely astounding. Never in all my days did I think it possible to have 77 insect bites on my body at one time. But the truly amazing thing is that none of the bites are repeated. Each comes from a different species. I’ve gained five pounds due to the insect venom alone. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not angry, I’m too awestruck to get angry. Every night before I tuck myself in, I “ooh” and “ahh” at all the new bites I’ve acquired during my days work. Seeing my body’s reaction to each new poison is extremely interesting. It has become my favorite past time. Some days the swelling is so bad that the Takahashi’s nearly lose consciousness when they see my disfigured face. I’ve tried insect repellant but I’m pretty sure the smell only allows the bugs to locate me faster so I’ve switched to coating myself with insecticide. It stings the first few times you get it in your eyes but after awhile you don’t even notice. It’s really not that bad and it seems to be much more effective. Of course there are side effects but I’m sure the ticks and twitches will go away once I stop using it.
On a more serious note, I ate dinner with the Takahashi’s and the Koga’s last night. After the meal, we got to talking about the difficulties they face each week having such small churches and not many opportunities for fellowship. It seems like the missionaries and pastors are all spread out across Japan. Often times a single couple (a pastor and his wife) will try to start a church on their own because there are no other Christians to with them. Pastor Koga’s wife was telling me that she gets anxious every Sunday morning before Sunday school because she doesn’t know if anyone will show up. She said she spends so much time preparing but rarely gets to teach. It must be frustrating to put so much time and effort into ministry and then see so little fruit for their labor. From what I understand, Japanese people just aren’t interested in Christianity and most don’t even know who Jesus is. Telling the Japanese people about Christ’s love can be done but how do you overcome indifference?
Romi writes...
This is my first blog entry for the NI team in summer 2007. I am working with the team in Koriyama region. Who am I and what do I do here? I am Romi. My parents are caretakers at the camp Adatara. My dad has been a pastor at a small Baptist church in the city of Fukushima for last 20 years. I have been helping parents' ministries since 2004 after graduated from a college. It has been a real encouragement seeing the NI team coming along side of us helping our ministries. I just want to thank God for the great servants you sent on our way.
On June 1, God has brought us a great team to our camp. Evan, Elsbeth and Mariah have brightened our hearts and ministries in many special ways. Their encouraging spirits and sweet 'n crazy personalities have been lifting up our spirits. They are very hard workers. We have already received many blessings from them. We learned how much our work can be encouraging, effective and a lot of fun by serving and working as a team.
It has been a real encouragement to see the team making their efforts to communicate with our people here with their limited Japanese and some English. If you are speaking in English in Japan, talking slowly is a technique you must learn. It doesn't mean to speak "louder", but slowly. We are very much encouraged by the team showing their interests to our people and our culture. I believe that is a great step forward to reach out to people and make differences in people's lives, especially in Japan. Japanese people, we don't have much opportunity to talk with strangers or to meet new friends and to get to know them, I think. Just because many are too busy with their own lives and no time for others? We see that the team has been doing a great job reaching out to our people. In our fellowship of believers, specially, each church is very small and some discouragements are always there, so it is great to see the team fit into our fellowship and getting to know our people. We are thankful for the team member being here and helping us with what they can. That have been a great encouragement to me and to all us, and believers in our churches here.
Thank you so very much for sending your team to bless our ministries. God is hearing your faithful prayers and answering each one.
Time has been flying by very quickly. Our first 20 days are about to be gone. Before we know, another 10 days will fly by and the team will head back home. We don't want to see them go. That will be one of the saddest tearing moments in life... saying good byes to the NI team, our new friends we have learned to laugh with and work with. We may need five buckets to hold our tears. We don't want to think about that till the day comes, but we trust that sadness will bring us back to rely on God even more. We pray that God may use each of us for something greater for Japan. Pray that our hearts and lives to be committed only for Him. "Only for Your glory, LORD, will YOU use us to do something greater in Japan?"
On June 1, God has brought us a great team to our camp. Evan, Elsbeth and Mariah have brightened our hearts and ministries in many special ways. Their encouraging spirits and sweet 'n crazy personalities have been lifting up our spirits. They are very hard workers. We have already received many blessings from them. We learned how much our work can be encouraging, effective and a lot of fun by serving and working as a team.
It has been a real encouragement to see the team making their efforts to communicate with our people here with their limited Japanese and some English. If you are speaking in English in Japan, talking slowly is a technique you must learn. It doesn't mean to speak "louder", but slowly. We are very much encouraged by the team showing their interests to our people and our culture. I believe that is a great step forward to reach out to people and make differences in people's lives, especially in Japan. Japanese people, we don't have much opportunity to talk with strangers or to meet new friends and to get to know them, I think. Just because many are too busy with their own lives and no time for others? We see that the team has been doing a great job reaching out to our people. In our fellowship of believers, specially, each church is very small and some discouragements are always there, so it is great to see the team fit into our fellowship and getting to know our people. We are thankful for the team member being here and helping us with what they can. That have been a great encouragement to me and to all us, and believers in our churches here.
Thank you so very much for sending your team to bless our ministries. God is hearing your faithful prayers and answering each one.
Time has been flying by very quickly. Our first 20 days are about to be gone. Before we know, another 10 days will fly by and the team will head back home. We don't want to see them go. That will be one of the saddest tearing moments in life... saying good byes to the NI team, our new friends we have learned to laugh with and work with. We may need five buckets to hold our tears. We don't want to think about that till the day comes, but we trust that sadness will bring us back to rely on God even more. We pray that God may use each of us for something greater for Japan. Pray that our hearts and lives to be committed only for Him. "Only for Your glory, LORD, will YOU use us to do something greater in Japan?"
Monday, June 18, 2007
Good start to our week
Part of our desire while here in Japan is to explore how we can help the university students come to know the Savior. The first few days in Japan, several universities were closed because of a measles outbreak on the campuses. We have since been to two campuses but are still in fact-finding mode to learn how we can help them the best. This week we are planning to visit another area and some more universities. Please pray for our travel, for wisdom, and for an entrance on the campuses. Pastor Yuasa has graciously offered some of his time to us. We look forward to seeing God bless some type of university ministry in the future.
TDU near Chiba New Town
Sunday evening we had the delight to be with Mr. And Mrs. O. in their home for dinner. It was a night of steak and sea. Mr. O. grilled the steaks, Mrs. O. made some delicious soup with bamboo and several other tasty dishes, and it was accompanied by some sushi. Mikeson (Michael) tried the tuna, herring egg, and salmon egg sushi (all raw of course) and I tried herring egg, chicken egg, and cucumber sushi. We topped it all off with Japanese cherries, grapes and a French type of cake. The best part of the evening was getting to know another sweet Japanese family. We learned a lot and enjoyed their hospitality so much. They sent us home with full tummies, our very own chopsticks, chopstick rests, sushi dishes, a bag of apples, the rest of the cake, and some wonderful memories.
A great way to carry home a package... or a dish of sushi!
Sushi unwrapped
Delicious soybeans. These are one of Sharon's favorite 'snack.'
The beautiful and scrumptious cake, complete with grapes, cherries, peaches, grapefriut, oranges, and melon.
TDU near Chiba New TownSunday evening we had the delight to be with Mr. And Mrs. O. in their home for dinner. It was a night of steak and sea. Mr. O. grilled the steaks, Mrs. O. made some delicious soup with bamboo and several other tasty dishes, and it was accompanied by some sushi. Mikeson (Michael) tried the tuna, herring egg, and salmon egg sushi (all raw of course) and I tried herring egg, chicken egg, and cucumber sushi. We topped it all off with Japanese cherries, grapes and a French type of cake. The best part of the evening was getting to know another sweet Japanese family. We learned a lot and enjoyed their hospitality so much. They sent us home with full tummies, our very own chopsticks, chopstick rests, sushi dishes, a bag of apples, the rest of the cake, and some wonderful memories.
A great way to carry home a package... or a dish of sushi!
Sushi unwrapped
Delicious soybeans. These are one of Sharon's favorite 'snack.'
The beautiful and scrumptious cake, complete with grapes, cherries, peaches, grapefriut, oranges, and melon.
Ken slept through it all.
For more family pictures of the O.'s please check our personal blog.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The Spooky Tanuki (Tah-nookie)
6/17/07
I walk back up to my cabin from the Takahashi’s house. It’s dark, as dark as the inside of a nurse whale. Crickets chirping, lizards slurping, bats burping….. My only weapons are a flashlight and my cat like reflexes. I shine the light back and forth, trying to avoid the millions upon millions of spider webs that, despite my best efforts, always find their way into my mouth. Suddenly, I see two cold yellow eyes peering back at me about 50 feet ahead. I stop, watch and listen as the beast slowly saunters sideways in my direction. I keep the light in his eyes trying to make out his shape and size; trying to gauge the length of his huge incisors and disproportionate claws. I take a few steps closer, crouching down, ready to attack if need be. He turns and I see his immaculate coat swish and sway to and fro like the gentle waves of an alga covered pond. He looks back once more as he ambles away; our eyes lock in a struggle for dominance. It’s as if time stands still. No more chirping, slurping or burping only silence. He looks away and scurries down a slope. I walk quickly up to the hill and shine my light everywhere…searching…but he’s gone like birthday money when you’re seven.
That was the second time I saw the Tanuki. I was lucky to escape unharmed seeing as how the tanuki is the most aggressive of the canine family, responsible for more than 10,000 deaths each year in Japan alone (Look it up, I dare you). Until a few nights ago, I didn’t even know they existed much less that they inhabited the very grounds upon which I live. I was never warned or cautioned. Never told to beware of the lurking tanuki. Apparently, the Takahashi’s assumed I knew. I’m hoping to see him again and perhaps invite him to tea, but only the tanuki can decide that.
Tanuki aside, things are going quite well at camp. I have spent most of the time chopping firewood or working as a Brush Pile Transplantation Specialist. My duties include but are not limited to moving massive amounts of woodland garbage from one location to another to ensure safe and efficient burning, avoiding poisonous snakes and frogs that wish me harm, and last but not least acquiring as many mosquito and black fly bites as possible with hopes of building an immunity. The last one requires the most concentration.
I walk back up to my cabin from the Takahashi’s house. It’s dark, as dark as the inside of a nurse whale. Crickets chirping, lizards slurping, bats burping….. My only weapons are a flashlight and my cat like reflexes. I shine the light back and forth, trying to avoid the millions upon millions of spider webs that, despite my best efforts, always find their way into my mouth. Suddenly, I see two cold yellow eyes peering back at me about 50 feet ahead. I stop, watch and listen as the beast slowly saunters sideways in my direction. I keep the light in his eyes trying to make out his shape and size; trying to gauge the length of his huge incisors and disproportionate claws. I take a few steps closer, crouching down, ready to attack if need be. He turns and I see his immaculate coat swish and sway to and fro like the gentle waves of an alga covered pond. He looks back once more as he ambles away; our eyes lock in a struggle for dominance. It’s as if time stands still. No more chirping, slurping or burping only silence. He looks away and scurries down a slope. I walk quickly up to the hill and shine my light everywhere…searching…but he’s gone like birthday money when you’re seven.
That was the second time I saw the Tanuki. I was lucky to escape unharmed seeing as how the tanuki is the most aggressive of the canine family, responsible for more than 10,000 deaths each year in Japan alone (Look it up, I dare you). Until a few nights ago, I didn’t even know they existed much less that they inhabited the very grounds upon which I live. I was never warned or cautioned. Never told to beware of the lurking tanuki. Apparently, the Takahashi’s assumed I knew. I’m hoping to see him again and perhaps invite him to tea, but only the tanuki can decide that.
Tanuki aside, things are going quite well at camp. I have spent most of the time chopping firewood or working as a Brush Pile Transplantation Specialist. My duties include but are not limited to moving massive amounts of woodland garbage from one location to another to ensure safe and efficient burning, avoiding poisonous snakes and frogs that wish me harm, and last but not least acquiring as many mosquito and black fly bites as possible with hopes of building an immunity. The last one requires the most concentration.
Mingling
If we had been wearing a pedometer it probably would have had a blow out. We started off walking to our local train station about 15 minutes away. It seemed quiet for a Saturday, but that soon changed. Before long we were mingling with countless hundreds of people on the trains, in the stations, on the subways, in the streets, and in every place we went.
After a few stops and transfers, we made it to Funabashi where we had agreed to meet our dear friend Guo (pronounced Go). This station was especially large, confusing, and swarming with people. God was very merciful and we found him within minutes. This alone seemed like a feat only God could perform.
Guo and his wife are from China and we met them in Miami. They were saved through the Campus Bible Fellowship ministry at Florida International University, and have become a precious brother and sister in Christ. Guo moved to Japan a few weeks ago and it was such a blessing to see him after more than three years.
We continued on several more trains and subways together (walking or running in the stations to catch the next train) before arriving at Kasai where he now lives. We walked to a local Chinese restaurant where he helped us to order our lunch. When my food arrived I thought I would faint. I received three bowls of soup… small, medium, and one the size of Texas! Guo assured me that they were all mine. After lunch we walked to his apartment – a miniature place he has rented for his family who will be arriving in a few weeks. Then we walked to another train station that sent us on our way to Midtown Tokyo. Standing on the trains was often needful because they were so crowded.
We walked all over Midtown and Rappongi Crossing and then to the The National Arts Center of Tokyo. Once there, we joined countless more Japanese who had come to view a special exhibit of Monet’s paintings. (No pictures allowed, so you’ll have to take our word for it.) We walked around the very crowded gallery for a few hours, amazed that we were actually looking at Monet’s works. Part of the exhibition explained how much the Japanese culture has loved his style and works for many decades. I really enjoyed watching and mingling with the people looking at the paintings as well and enjoying his art myself.
We walked a great deal more around Tokyo, exploring and watching the crowds before getting on a series of trains and subways to reverse the process we began Saturday morning. I had a good time trying to visit with the women on the trains that were brave enough to try out their English with me. Guo came all the way back to Chiba New Town with us because he is interested in visiting the church here. We had our evening meal together (this time, Japanese food) and then had to say good-bye to our brother in Christ.
As we have mingled among the people here we have observed a few things that stand out to us over and over again. Many are not truly happy. They are caught up with the pleasures that last for a season (Pachinko, materialism, alcohol, education, etc.) but seem to be carrying a heavy weight on their shoulders. And while there are millions of other Japanese around them, they often seem lonely. The three common things to do on a train is read, sleep, or text message on the cell phone, but they do not often visit with each other. Young people often seem to be careening about in a lifestyle that many (even in America) would consider ‘on the edge’ of society. As they grasp for peace through their religions, our hearts break for them.
We pray that God do a mighty work in this wonderful land and open their understanding of Psalm 119: 49–50 which reminds us that His Word brings hope, life and comfort. Perhaps God is asking you to mingle among the people of Japan.
A 'few' people waiting to cross the street
After a few stops and transfers, we made it to Funabashi where we had agreed to meet our dear friend Guo (pronounced Go). This station was especially large, confusing, and swarming with people. God was very merciful and we found him within minutes. This alone seemed like a feat only God could perform.
Guo and his wife are from China and we met them in Miami. They were saved through the Campus Bible Fellowship ministry at Florida International University, and have become a precious brother and sister in Christ. Guo moved to Japan a few weeks ago and it was such a blessing to see him after more than three years.
We continued on several more trains and subways together (walking or running in the stations to catch the next train) before arriving at Kasai where he now lives. We walked to a local Chinese restaurant where he helped us to order our lunch. When my food arrived I thought I would faint. I received three bowls of soup… small, medium, and one the size of Texas! Guo assured me that they were all mine. After lunch we walked to his apartment – a miniature place he has rented for his family who will be arriving in a few weeks. Then we walked to another train station that sent us on our way to Midtown Tokyo. Standing on the trains was often needful because they were so crowded.
We walked all over Midtown and Rappongi Crossing and then to the The National Arts Center of Tokyo. Once there, we joined countless more Japanese who had come to view a special exhibit of Monet’s paintings. (No pictures allowed, so you’ll have to take our word for it.) We walked around the very crowded gallery for a few hours, amazed that we were actually looking at Monet’s works. Part of the exhibition explained how much the Japanese culture has loved his style and works for many decades. I really enjoyed watching and mingling with the people looking at the paintings as well and enjoying his art myself.
We walked a great deal more around Tokyo, exploring and watching the crowds before getting on a series of trains and subways to reverse the process we began Saturday morning. I had a good time trying to visit with the women on the trains that were brave enough to try out their English with me. Guo came all the way back to Chiba New Town with us because he is interested in visiting the church here. We had our evening meal together (this time, Japanese food) and then had to say good-bye to our brother in Christ.
As we have mingled among the people here we have observed a few things that stand out to us over and over again. Many are not truly happy. They are caught up with the pleasures that last for a season (Pachinko, materialism, alcohol, education, etc.) but seem to be carrying a heavy weight on their shoulders. And while there are millions of other Japanese around them, they often seem lonely. The three common things to do on a train is read, sleep, or text message on the cell phone, but they do not often visit with each other. Young people often seem to be careening about in a lifestyle that many (even in America) would consider ‘on the edge’ of society. As they grasp for peace through their religions, our hearts break for them.
We pray that God do a mighty work in this wonderful land and open their understanding of Psalm 119: 49–50 which reminds us that His Word brings hope, life and comfort. Perhaps God is asking you to mingle among the people of Japan.
A 'few' people waiting to cross the street
Dashing down the escalator to catch the next train
Another tall building in Tokyo
Midtown Tokyo
(for other photos, please check our personal blog site)
Saturday, June 16, 2007
A Few Teaching pictures
One time before a class I was drawing on the board and the kids were copying me. They showed great artistic talent!
These are just a few of the many teaching pictures we have taken. We have helped teach both kids and adults.
Some laundromat silliness!A wailing banshee in the wilderness...
So far this trip has been full of new experiences. For instance... We live on the first floor of Koriyama Baptist Church and Pastor Tajima and his family live on the second. They have a cat named Jackie. The cat named Jackie is in heat. The cat named Jackie doesn’t mind sharing this fact with the world. I have never heard screaming, screeching, wailing, and moaning like this… I don’t know what a wailing banshee is or what it sounds like, but I imagine it would have competition in the cat named Jackie.
Another new experience: eating raw squid. Evan was the first to try it. I closely watched his face to gauge what it was going to be like. He bravely chewed and chewed and chewed and I could almost see the gag reflex trying to kick in. But he swallowed it and even managed to smile weakly for the benefit of all the missionaries and Japanese pastors who were watching, too. I knew there was no retreat for me. The strip of white, slimy meat tried to wriggle out of my chopsticks and make its escape, having so recently been swimming carefree and happy in the ocean. I tighten my grip. Mariah and I took a deep breath and put it in our mouths, after pausing for a picture of this death-defying feat. I chewed and chewed and chewed a little more, and then realized that it was never going to break down, not even if I kept chewing for 6 months, 7 days and 11 hours. So I swallowed it. I think I can still feel it a couple days later, refusing to break down in my stomach.
It is really, really, raining today. Right. Rent. Rice. No, I haven’t gone crazy, just practicing my “R” sound. There is no “r” in the Japanese language. In our English classes we have been helping to teach how to say “r”. In fact, it uses a muscle that you don’t use for any other letter and the students say that it gets sore after a while. It is the same for us and using chopsticks. New muscles in our hands are being used and they get sore after while. Really. Watch my mouth…. Rrrrrreally.
-Elsbeth
Another new experience: eating raw squid. Evan was the first to try it. I closely watched his face to gauge what it was going to be like. He bravely chewed and chewed and chewed and I could almost see the gag reflex trying to kick in. But he swallowed it and even managed to smile weakly for the benefit of all the missionaries and Japanese pastors who were watching, too. I knew there was no retreat for me. The strip of white, slimy meat tried to wriggle out of my chopsticks and make its escape, having so recently been swimming carefree and happy in the ocean. I tighten my grip. Mariah and I took a deep breath and put it in our mouths, after pausing for a picture of this death-defying feat. I chewed and chewed and chewed a little more, and then realized that it was never going to break down, not even if I kept chewing for 6 months, 7 days and 11 hours. So I swallowed it. I think I can still feel it a couple days later, refusing to break down in my stomach.
It is really, really, raining today. Right. Rent. Rice. No, I haven’t gone crazy, just practicing my “R” sound. There is no “r” in the Japanese language. In our English classes we have been helping to teach how to say “r”. In fact, it uses a muscle that you don’t use for any other letter and the students say that it gets sore after a while. It is the same for us and using chopsticks. New muscles in our hands are being used and they get sore after while. Really. Watch my mouth…. Rrrrrreally.
-Elsbeth
Friday, June 15, 2007
Sushi, Coffee and Golf
June 14, 2007
Two days ago we went to a Sushi Restaurant with the Sadowitz’s and the Pena’s. The Sushi Chiefs were in the middle of the restaurant surrounded by a conveyor belt. The chiefs would prepare sushi on different colored plates, which would determine the price of the Sushi. We were seated around the conveyor belt and could choose whatever we wanted to eat as it scampered on by. Sometimes the conveyor belt would cause you to make an unwise decision under pressure. For example, one time I snatched up a tasty looking Okra dish before gaining all the information that it was coated in a slimy fermented soy bean juice. However, other times I had enough information to let things pass…such as the fresh, raw horse meat. Chris tried to pressure me into it but I just couldn’t bring myself to eat Mr. Ed. (Especially a raw Mr. Ed).
The other day I met a Japanese woman named Tomo in the Coffee Shop. She is an interesting person for two reasons: 1) She is well traveled 2) She is a Japanese woman who has read the WHOLE Bible.
She told me that she enjoyed reading the Bible but could not believe/trust (same word in Japanese) that Jesus is the Son of God. I asked her why not! She sited the example of Jesus healing the guards ear after Peter had cut it off and the example of Jesus calming the typhoon as stories that made her laugh because they were so unbelievable to her. She told me that the ideology put forth in John Lennon’s song “Imagine” summed up her beliefs. How sad! I believe she is still searching though. At this point in the conversation we were interrupted by more people coming into the shop before I had a chance to challenge her view of Jesus and His ability to demonstrate power over creation. But the Lord knows what He is doing. She has plans to come back to the Coffee Shop and I’m praying that we will be able to continue our conversation.
You may have noticed that so far it has been only women who have been coming into the coffee shop. This is probably because the men work so hard at their jobs and hobbies. Chris was telling me that the Japanese will often pick one sport/hobby and dedicate their lives to the perfection of this one thing. What a contrast to Americans who are often jacks of all trades and a master of none. A common sport in Japan that the Japanese men will dedicate their lives to is Golf. So, the missionaries here have found that one place they can connect with Japanese men is on the Golf Course. So, yesterday I went Golfing with Chris Sadowitz and Christian Pena. You might remember me writing earlier that Christian Pena is an American who is playing on the Japanese version of the PGA. The Japanese tour is probably the third best pro golf tour in the world behind the PGA and the European tour. We also met up with a Japanese man who was about my age who is on the Australian Pro golf tour. So, needles to say, I was out of my league. But so was Chris Sadowitz so I wasn’t too lonely. We played a game called “High Low”. We split up into two teams (me and Pena vs. Chris and the Japanese guy). On each hole there was a possibility of scoring two points. One point went to the team with a player with the lowest score (always one of the two pros). The other point went to the lowest team score for that hole. So, what happened a lot is that both of the pros would tie for the lowest individual score which meant that no point was awarded. Then it would be a shootout between Chris and I to see which team could get the lowest score. We ended up in a tie at the end of 18. I got a few tips from Pena on how to improve my game, which was much appreciated.
The golf course was amazingly beautiful even though the mountains were cloudy and foggy. It did pour down rain on us for 3 or 4 holes which is not too bad during rainy season I am told. The service and amenities were also amazing. If you are interested in golf, you might want to ask me about this when I get back.
Most importantly Chris and Christian were able to continue to witness to the Japanese man (I have already forgotten his name…Japanese names are hard to remember because they are so different). I heard him asking some really good questions about life which gave open doors to talk about Jesus.
Today, Michelle will be speaking at MAPS (Mothers And Pre Schoolers). She has much to share but little time to do so with taking care of Toby. Hopefully, she will be able to do so soon.
Two days ago we went to a Sushi Restaurant with the Sadowitz’s and the Pena’s. The Sushi Chiefs were in the middle of the restaurant surrounded by a conveyor belt. The chiefs would prepare sushi on different colored plates, which would determine the price of the Sushi. We were seated around the conveyor belt and could choose whatever we wanted to eat as it scampered on by. Sometimes the conveyor belt would cause you to make an unwise decision under pressure. For example, one time I snatched up a tasty looking Okra dish before gaining all the information that it was coated in a slimy fermented soy bean juice. However, other times I had enough information to let things pass…such as the fresh, raw horse meat. Chris tried to pressure me into it but I just couldn’t bring myself to eat Mr. Ed. (Especially a raw Mr. Ed).
The other day I met a Japanese woman named Tomo in the Coffee Shop. She is an interesting person for two reasons: 1) She is well traveled 2) She is a Japanese woman who has read the WHOLE Bible.
She told me that she enjoyed reading the Bible but could not believe/trust (same word in Japanese) that Jesus is the Son of God. I asked her why not! She sited the example of Jesus healing the guards ear after Peter had cut it off and the example of Jesus calming the typhoon as stories that made her laugh because they were so unbelievable to her. She told me that the ideology put forth in John Lennon’s song “Imagine” summed up her beliefs. How sad! I believe she is still searching though. At this point in the conversation we were interrupted by more people coming into the shop before I had a chance to challenge her view of Jesus and His ability to demonstrate power over creation. But the Lord knows what He is doing. She has plans to come back to the Coffee Shop and I’m praying that we will be able to continue our conversation.
You may have noticed that so far it has been only women who have been coming into the coffee shop. This is probably because the men work so hard at their jobs and hobbies. Chris was telling me that the Japanese will often pick one sport/hobby and dedicate their lives to the perfection of this one thing. What a contrast to Americans who are often jacks of all trades and a master of none. A common sport in Japan that the Japanese men will dedicate their lives to is Golf. So, the missionaries here have found that one place they can connect with Japanese men is on the Golf Course. So, yesterday I went Golfing with Chris Sadowitz and Christian Pena. You might remember me writing earlier that Christian Pena is an American who is playing on the Japanese version of the PGA. The Japanese tour is probably the third best pro golf tour in the world behind the PGA and the European tour. We also met up with a Japanese man who was about my age who is on the Australian Pro golf tour. So, needles to say, I was out of my league. But so was Chris Sadowitz so I wasn’t too lonely. We played a game called “High Low”. We split up into two teams (me and Pena vs. Chris and the Japanese guy). On each hole there was a possibility of scoring two points. One point went to the team with a player with the lowest score (always one of the two pros). The other point went to the lowest team score for that hole. So, what happened a lot is that both of the pros would tie for the lowest individual score which meant that no point was awarded. Then it would be a shootout between Chris and I to see which team could get the lowest score. We ended up in a tie at the end of 18. I got a few tips from Pena on how to improve my game, which was much appreciated.
The golf course was amazingly beautiful even though the mountains were cloudy and foggy. It did pour down rain on us for 3 or 4 holes which is not too bad during rainy season I am told. The service and amenities were also amazing. If you are interested in golf, you might want to ask me about this when I get back.
Most importantly Chris and Christian were able to continue to witness to the Japanese man (I have already forgotten his name…Japanese names are hard to remember because they are so different). I heard him asking some really good questions about life which gave open doors to talk about Jesus.
Today, Michelle will be speaking at MAPS (Mothers And Pre Schoolers). She has much to share but little time to do so with taking care of Toby. Hopefully, she will be able to do so soon.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Write A Caption
On Wednesday, five of us on the Team had the opportunity to be together in Chiba New Town. We enjoyed working together at Fellowship Baptist Church teaching a ladies English/Bible class, putting up the ceiling, burning bamboo, and sanding drywall. We also had our good friend Romi with us, who lives in Koriyama. You can probably tell that we did a lot of work and had a lot of fun. Here are a few captured moments… you can write you own captions!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Cleansing Fire
6/13/07
I found out how much wood a woodchuck would chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood, because I must have chucked at least three truckloads of bamboo into a roaring fire today. The girls and I are in Chiba New Town for a Bible conference. We came a day early to hang out with the Keller’s and help Pastor Yoshida and his wife work on their new church. They got it for a great price but they’ve had to do a bunch of cleanup work around the outside of the building. From what I understand, there was a bamboo forest and a lot of thick brush on the property when they first moved in, which they promptly chopped down. So now, there are three gargantuan piles of brush and bamboo awaiting conflagration. I’m a pyromaniac; there I said it. So when I found out that Pastor Yoshida appointed me as the official “Brush Burning Coordinator” for the day, I nearly suffered a myocardial infarction. I immediately began arranging 20 foot-long bamboo shoots in the most ergonomic burning position possible and within 10 minutes I had a fire hotter than Michael Jordan in the playoffs. It got so hot in fact, that I nearly died several times. Bamboo not only burns like crazy but it also pops and explodes shooting blazing fireballs indiscriminately in every direction. The first time this occurred, I almost lost control of my bladder, but after awhile I got used to the attacks and learned to defend myself by sticking my head inside my shirt.
The insatiable fire and the searing heat reminded me of my dear friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel chapter three whom King Nebuchadnezzar so rudely tossed into the fiery furnace. They refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue because they feared God more than man. And when they refused, the king ordered them to be thrown into the fiery furnace but first the guards were to make the furnace seven times hotter than normal. I have always wondered who was in charge of determining the hotness of the furnace and what he used to measure its temperature. How in the world could he tell if the fire was exactly seven times hotter? Did he carry around a really long thermometer that could measure extreme heat or what? Anyway, I’m not saying that my fire was as hot as the one into which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown, but I’m convinced that it was close because at one point I could actually smell my own personal flesh cooking. Yeah…and to be honest, I smelled pretty tasty.
On the way to Chiba New Town, I was able to talk with Pastor Yoshida in the car. He was telling me about the lack of missionaries and how hard it has been for he and his wife to start a church and pique people’s interest. They have been in Chiba for about 20 and haven’t seen much fruit from their labor. I know having the Keller’s here has been an encouragement. They (Mike and Sharon) have been working long hours cleaning up the church during the day and then teaching English until 10 o’clock at night. I don’t know how they do it. They’re an inspiration to me because they continue to work so hard without one complaint. Sharon even prepared a delicious dinner tonight for the girls and I, which made my tummy smile and even giggle a little bit, which was kind of embarrassing.
Anyhow, I hope all of you are doing well and thanks so much for the comments. It’s encouraging to know that people are reading the blog and praying for us while we’re gone.
I found out how much wood a woodchuck would chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood, because I must have chucked at least three truckloads of bamboo into a roaring fire today. The girls and I are in Chiba New Town for a Bible conference. We came a day early to hang out with the Keller’s and help Pastor Yoshida and his wife work on their new church. They got it for a great price but they’ve had to do a bunch of cleanup work around the outside of the building. From what I understand, there was a bamboo forest and a lot of thick brush on the property when they first moved in, which they promptly chopped down. So now, there are three gargantuan piles of brush and bamboo awaiting conflagration. I’m a pyromaniac; there I said it. So when I found out that Pastor Yoshida appointed me as the official “Brush Burning Coordinator” for the day, I nearly suffered a myocardial infarction. I immediately began arranging 20 foot-long bamboo shoots in the most ergonomic burning position possible and within 10 minutes I had a fire hotter than Michael Jordan in the playoffs. It got so hot in fact, that I nearly died several times. Bamboo not only burns like crazy but it also pops and explodes shooting blazing fireballs indiscriminately in every direction. The first time this occurred, I almost lost control of my bladder, but after awhile I got used to the attacks and learned to defend myself by sticking my head inside my shirt.
The insatiable fire and the searing heat reminded me of my dear friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel chapter three whom King Nebuchadnezzar so rudely tossed into the fiery furnace. They refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue because they feared God more than man. And when they refused, the king ordered them to be thrown into the fiery furnace but first the guards were to make the furnace seven times hotter than normal. I have always wondered who was in charge of determining the hotness of the furnace and what he used to measure its temperature. How in the world could he tell if the fire was exactly seven times hotter? Did he carry around a really long thermometer that could measure extreme heat or what? Anyway, I’m not saying that my fire was as hot as the one into which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown, but I’m convinced that it was close because at one point I could actually smell my own personal flesh cooking. Yeah…and to be honest, I smelled pretty tasty.
On the way to Chiba New Town, I was able to talk with Pastor Yoshida in the car. He was telling me about the lack of missionaries and how hard it has been for he and his wife to start a church and pique people’s interest. They have been in Chiba for about 20 and haven’t seen much fruit from their labor. I know having the Keller’s here has been an encouragement. They (Mike and Sharon) have been working long hours cleaning up the church during the day and then teaching English until 10 o’clock at night. I don’t know how they do it. They’re an inspiration to me because they continue to work so hard without one complaint. Sharon even prepared a delicious dinner tonight for the girls and I, which made my tummy smile and even giggle a little bit, which was kind of embarrassing.
Anyhow, I hope all of you are doing well and thanks so much for the comments. It’s encouraging to know that people are reading the blog and praying for us while we’re gone.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Snake in a park
The Mistaks in Miyakonojo:
I had my first customer right when I opened the door on my first official day of business at the coffee shop. Her name was Ikuko and she came for the english conversation. She stayed for 4 hours. I was exhausted after labouring in conversation for that long. As it turns out Ikuko and her husband live very close to Michelle and I. We are practically neighbors. She is not a Chrisitian and is showing some curiosity. Please pray for her and her family. Everyday we have at least a few people come into the shop for English conversation. Praise the Lord.
I would say that Evan's descriptions of the snakes are pretty acurate!! We too ran into a rather large snake yesterday at the park. (By the way the park is AMAZING.) The kids we were playing soccer with pestered the poor thing until it was worn out and then one of them picked it up by the tail and started swinging it around. The snake was probably 4ft long.
There is a group of 5 college guys here now through ABWE. Several of them can speak Japanese quite well and have been a big help to Michelle and I in the cofffee shop.
Tomorrow I am going to play a round of golf with Chris Sadowitz, Christian Pena (the golf pro), and some other Japanese Golf pros. Golf is one way that the missionaries have found to connect with Japanese men. I'm looking forward to the match.
I had my first customer right when I opened the door on my first official day of business at the coffee shop. Her name was Ikuko and she came for the english conversation. She stayed for 4 hours. I was exhausted after labouring in conversation for that long. As it turns out Ikuko and her husband live very close to Michelle and I. We are practically neighbors. She is not a Chrisitian and is showing some curiosity. Please pray for her and her family. Everyday we have at least a few people come into the shop for English conversation. Praise the Lord.
I would say that Evan's descriptions of the snakes are pretty acurate!! We too ran into a rather large snake yesterday at the park. (By the way the park is AMAZING.) The kids we were playing soccer with pestered the poor thing until it was worn out and then one of them picked it up by the tail and started swinging it around. The snake was probably 4ft long.
There is a group of 5 college guys here now through ABWE. Several of them can speak Japanese quite well and have been a big help to Michelle and I in the cofffee shop.
Tomorrow I am going to play a round of golf with Chris Sadowitz, Christian Pena (the golf pro), and some other Japanese Golf pros. Golf is one way that the missionaries have found to connect with Japanese men. I'm looking forward to the match.
June 10th
Yesterday Michelle and I worked together to continue cleaning the coffee shop. The shop will open on Monday officially for business.
In the evening, we took an extended bike ride. We picked the closest looking mountains and decided to bike until we reached them. Surprisingly it didn’t take that long and it was a lot of fun.
Then we went over the Sadowitz’s for some Japanese Pizza Hut. Very good but very expensive. One of the pizza’s was delicious even though I had no idea what the toppings were. Sometimes it’s better not knowing. A young Japanese guy came over to eat pizza and get to know us. His name is Norihito, which I’m told means seaweed man. Chris told me that he has studied the Bible with him and that one day Norihito ran out to him and said that he believes half-way. I hope that he will have the courage to believe all the way and accept the implications of following Christ:
1) Turning his back on his family’s traditions
2) Significantly narrowing the options for someone to marry
3) Giving up his favorite pastime of Japanese archery because the competitions are on Sunday.
These are some common stumbling blocks in the Japanese culture. I really think that the up and coming generation in Japan may be poised to throw off some of these stumbling blocks (this from my limited expereince over the past couple of weeks).
Today, is Sunday and the service here went really well. Tom Carr preached a great sermon from Ephesians 1. During a testimony time a woman stood up and said that this morning she became a Christian. I asked Chris Sadowitz about it later. He said that she had been wanting to study the Bible with someone. She recently had hit rock bottom and was just ready to receive Christ. So, Chris shared the gospel with her and she prayed to receive Christ. I was impressed with her boldness in wanting everyone to know of her recent profession.
In the evening, we went to a concert put on by a gospel choir led by Tom Carr. One of Tom’s passions is music and he does a great job leading this choir. Surprisingly, gospel music is just now becoming popular in Japan, even though they do not believe/understand the messages of the songs. It saddens my heart to hear 20+ Japanese people sing gospel songs like “Jesus is the answer for the world today”, “Amazing Grace”, “Holy, Holy, Holy” and know that they’re hearts are still in darkness. Tom uses this as an outreach by building relationships, explaining the songs they are singing, and inviting the members to church events.I was given the opportunity to play the guitar in two of the songs, which was a neat experience.
In the evening, we took an extended bike ride. We picked the closest looking mountains and decided to bike until we reached them. Surprisingly it didn’t take that long and it was a lot of fun.
Then we went over the Sadowitz’s for some Japanese Pizza Hut. Very good but very expensive. One of the pizza’s was delicious even though I had no idea what the toppings were. Sometimes it’s better not knowing. A young Japanese guy came over to eat pizza and get to know us. His name is Norihito, which I’m told means seaweed man. Chris told me that he has studied the Bible with him and that one day Norihito ran out to him and said that he believes half-way. I hope that he will have the courage to believe all the way and accept the implications of following Christ:
1) Turning his back on his family’s traditions
2) Significantly narrowing the options for someone to marry
3) Giving up his favorite pastime of Japanese archery because the competitions are on Sunday.
These are some common stumbling blocks in the Japanese culture. I really think that the up and coming generation in Japan may be poised to throw off some of these stumbling blocks (this from my limited expereince over the past couple of weeks).
Today, is Sunday and the service here went really well. Tom Carr preached a great sermon from Ephesians 1. During a testimony time a woman stood up and said that this morning she became a Christian. I asked Chris Sadowitz about it later. He said that she had been wanting to study the Bible with someone. She recently had hit rock bottom and was just ready to receive Christ. So, Chris shared the gospel with her and she prayed to receive Christ. I was impressed with her boldness in wanting everyone to know of her recent profession.
In the evening, we went to a concert put on by a gospel choir led by Tom Carr. One of Tom’s passions is music and he does a great job leading this choir. Surprisingly, gospel music is just now becoming popular in Japan, even though they do not believe/understand the messages of the songs. It saddens my heart to hear 20+ Japanese people sing gospel songs like “Jesus is the answer for the world today”, “Amazing Grace”, “Holy, Holy, Holy” and know that they’re hearts are still in darkness. Tom uses this as an outreach by building relationships, explaining the songs they are singing, and inviting the members to church events.I was given the opportunity to play the guitar in two of the songs, which was a neat experience.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Snakes on a Plain
6/11/07
I killed not one, but two snakes today. It reminded me of Genesis chapter 3 verse 15 where it says, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Boy, did I crush their heads! It was like the opening scene in The Passion of the Christ where Jesus smashes the head of the snake with his heel. Whenever I kill a snake I feel like I’m fulfilling God’s curse on the serpent. Both of them tried to strike my heel but they didn’t take into account that I was wearing blue rubber boots that are snake fang resistant. I don’t know much about snakes but I’m pretty sure one was a baby anaconda and the other was a mix between a king cobra and a boa constrictor. They were each about as thick as a watermelon and at least 60 or 70 feet long, just kidding but seriously they were about two feet long and they had huge fangs with dripping venom and eyes red enough set dry ice ablaze.
I spent most of my day splitting wood and believe me, Paul Bunyon and his lopsided blue ox couldn’t hold a candle to the amount of wood that I chopped. And it’s not the easy kind of chopping wood either. It’s apple wood, the toughest wood known to mankind. Apparently the trees from which this wood originated were plagued with every kind of knot and twist imaginable. All of the trees received the recessive gene when it came to straightness. It usually takes about 9-17 chops to complete a satisfactory split and that’s just for one log. Now I know you’re probably saying to yourself, “Evan, have you tried hitting the wood with the sharp edge of the ax?” Very funny, and yes I’m holding the ax correctly. The wood is just so dense. It wasn’t meant to be split and used for fires. It was meant to be dropped from the tops of castles on the heads of your enemies as they prepare to besiege your place of dwelling.
At night, I’ve been reading about Solomon in 1 Kings. Solomon has always interested me because he was the wisest man to ever live. My favorite book of the Bible is Ecclesiastes. In the past when I would read Ecclesiastes, I’d wonder why God allowed Solomon to do all of those worldly things such as indulging in every kind of pleasure or having a harem or amassing great wealth for himself and not have consequences for his actions. Last Wednesday, I went to a Bible study at Pastor Tajima’s church and he talked about Solomon in 1 Kings and Ecclesiastes and I finally realized that Solomon did have consequences for his actions; he just never bothered to mention them in Ecclesiastes. It was one of those “Ah ha” moments. I love when that happens.
I killed not one, but two snakes today. It reminded me of Genesis chapter 3 verse 15 where it says, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Boy, did I crush their heads! It was like the opening scene in The Passion of the Christ where Jesus smashes the head of the snake with his heel. Whenever I kill a snake I feel like I’m fulfilling God’s curse on the serpent. Both of them tried to strike my heel but they didn’t take into account that I was wearing blue rubber boots that are snake fang resistant. I don’t know much about snakes but I’m pretty sure one was a baby anaconda and the other was a mix between a king cobra and a boa constrictor. They were each about as thick as a watermelon and at least 60 or 70 feet long, just kidding but seriously they were about two feet long and they had huge fangs with dripping venom and eyes red enough set dry ice ablaze.
I spent most of my day splitting wood and believe me, Paul Bunyon and his lopsided blue ox couldn’t hold a candle to the amount of wood that I chopped. And it’s not the easy kind of chopping wood either. It’s apple wood, the toughest wood known to mankind. Apparently the trees from which this wood originated were plagued with every kind of knot and twist imaginable. All of the trees received the recessive gene when it came to straightness. It usually takes about 9-17 chops to complete a satisfactory split and that’s just for one log. Now I know you’re probably saying to yourself, “Evan, have you tried hitting the wood with the sharp edge of the ax?” Very funny, and yes I’m holding the ax correctly. The wood is just so dense. It wasn’t meant to be split and used for fires. It was meant to be dropped from the tops of castles on the heads of your enemies as they prepare to besiege your place of dwelling.
At night, I’ve been reading about Solomon in 1 Kings. Solomon has always interested me because he was the wisest man to ever live. My favorite book of the Bible is Ecclesiastes. In the past when I would read Ecclesiastes, I’d wonder why God allowed Solomon to do all of those worldly things such as indulging in every kind of pleasure or having a harem or amassing great wealth for himself and not have consequences for his actions. Last Wednesday, I went to a Bible study at Pastor Tajima’s church and he talked about Solomon in 1 Kings and Ecclesiastes and I finally realized that Solomon did have consequences for his actions; he just never bothered to mention them in Ecclesiastes. It was one of those “Ah ha” moments. I love when that happens.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Mariah's Musings
Our first Sushi Experience!
Sitting at the sushi bar.
Teaching
My Birthday!
Capturing the craziness our night!
Sukagawa Baptist Church
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Another day in Japan! Elsbeth and I are currently sitting at the Koinrandorī (koh-een-rahn-doh-rēē: Laundromat) washing our clothes. Let’s see...the last couple of days have been busy with English classes. We have been working with children and adults. The English classes have shown Elsbeth and I how little we understand our own language. We can speak the language, but find it hard to explain. I have enjoyed the classroom experience and sharing pieces of my life with the students. Yesterday we played Go Fish (one of my favorite games) with the junior high students. As the students were learning English, they taught Elsbeth and I a few Japanese words. The questions we are most often asked are: Where do you live, Do you speak Japanese, What is your favorite Japanese food, Do you like Japan, How old are you, and What is your job in America. Both Elsbeth and I were nannying before coming to Japan. They do not understand what a nanny is in Japan, so Beverly has given us the job title of “professional babysitter.” I find that funny!
It was my birthday on Friday! I have to share a little bit about the day since it was full of fun, surprises, and blessings. Everyone made Friday so special for me. I had a chance to talk with my parents in the morning (Thursday evening in the States). Then Beverly Tajima (our host mother) took Elsbeth and I to a Sushi Bar for lunch. You sit at a stool and grab plates off a conveyer belt when something looks somewhat safe to try :). I think we tried crab, shrimp, chicken, and tuna. That afternoon, we helped load and unload boxes for the Tajima’s, as they are in the process of moving into their new home/church. We also went to three English classes. The 5/6-grade class sang happy birthday to me. After our English classes, Hiromi, Evan, Elsbeth, Christine, Shigeo, Sarah, Stephanie, and Beverly had a birthday party for me. It was so special and thoughtful. After eating angel food cake and blue jello, all of us “kids” went bowling and to a ramen Restaurant. We were out til 1 am laughing, talking, and being crazy! Thank you for making my birthday memorable!
Today, we attended Sukagawa Baptist Church. Christine came and interpreted the service for us. Pastor Shibata talked how as a church, we need to share the word of God. We do the sharing as God does the changing. After the service we sat in a circle for prayer time. Though Elsbeth and I could not understand the Japanese and they could not understand us, it was wonderful to pray for each other. Though we are from different areas of the world and speak different languages, we still serve and praise the same God. We had great fellowship over lunch. I hope that our visiting encouraged the church today. Please be praying for the missionaries.
Mariah
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Another day in Japan! Elsbeth and I are currently sitting at the Koinrandorī
(koh-een-rahn-doh-rēē: Laundromat) washing our clothes. Let’s see…the last couple of days have been busy with English classes. We have been working with children and adults. The English classes have shown Elsbeth and I how little we understand our own language. We can speak the language, but find it hard to explain. I have enjoyed the classroom experience and sharing pieces of my life with the students. Yesterday we played Go Fish (one of my favorite games) with the junior high students. As the students were learning English, they taught Elsbeth and I a few Japanese words. The questions we are most often asked are: Where do you live, Do you speak Japanese, What is your favorite Japanese food, Do you like Japan, How old are you, and What is your job in America. Both Elsbeth and I were nannying before coming to Japan. They do not understand what a nanny is in Japan, so Beverly has given us the job title of “professional babysitter.” I find that funny!
It was my birthday on Friday! I have to share a little bit about the day since it was full of fun, surprises, and blessings. Everyone made Friday so special for me. I had a chance to talk with my parents in the morning (Thursday evening in the States). Then Beverly Tajima (our host mother) took Elsbeth and I to a Sushi Bar for lunch. You sit at a stool and grab plates off a conveyer belt when something looks somewhat safe to try J. I think we tried crab, shrimp, chicken, and tuna. That afternoon, we helped load and unload boxes for the Tajima’s, as they are in the process of moving into their new home/church. We also went to three English classes. The 5/6-grade class sang happy birthday to me. After our English classes, Hiromi, Evan, Elsbeth, Christine, Shigeo, Sarah, Stephanie, and Beverly had a birthday party for me. It was so special and thoughtful. After eating angel food cake and blue jello, all of us “kids” went bowling and to a ramen Restaurant. Thank you for making my birthday memorable!
Today, we attended Sukagawa Baptist Church. Christine came and interpreted the service for us. Pastor Shibata talked how as a church, we need to share the word of God. We do the sharing as God does the changing. After the service we sat in a circle for prayer time. Though Elsbeth and I could not understand the Japanese and they could not understand us, it was wonderful to pray for each other. Though we are from different areas of the world and speak different languages, we still serve and praise the same God. We had great fellowship over lunch. I hope that our visiting encouraged the church today. Please be praying for the missionaries.
Mariah
Another day in Japan! Elsbeth and I are currently sitting at the Koinrandorī
(koh-een-rahn-doh-rēē: Laundromat) washing our clothes. Let’s see…the last couple of days have been busy with English classes. We have been working with children and adults. The English classes have shown Elsbeth and I how little we understand our own language. We can speak the language, but find it hard to explain. I have enjoyed the classroom experience and sharing pieces of my life with the students. Yesterday we played Go Fish (one of my favorite games) with the junior high students. As the students were learning English, they taught Elsbeth and I a few Japanese words. The questions we are most often asked are: Where do you live, Do you speak Japanese, What is your favorite Japanese food, Do you like Japan, How old are you, and What is your job in America. Both Elsbeth and I were nannying before coming to Japan. They do not understand what a nanny is in Japan, so Beverly has given us the job title of “professional babysitter.” I find that funny!
It was my birthday on Friday! I have to share a little bit about the day since it was full of fun, surprises, and blessings. Everyone made Friday so special for me. I had a chance to talk with my parents in the morning (Thursday evening in the States). Then Beverly Tajima (our host mother) took Elsbeth and I to a Sushi Bar for lunch. You sit at a stool and grab plates off a conveyer belt when something looks somewhat safe to try J. I think we tried crab, shrimp, chicken, and tuna. That afternoon, we helped load and unload boxes for the Tajima’s, as they are in the process of moving into their new home/church. We also went to three English classes. The 5/6-grade class sang happy birthday to me. After our English classes, Hiromi, Evan, Elsbeth, Christine, Shigeo, Sarah, Stephanie, and Beverly had a birthday party for me. It was so special and thoughtful. After eating angel food cake and blue jello, all of us “kids” went bowling and to a ramen Restaurant. Thank you for making my birthday memorable!
Today, we attended Sukagawa Baptist Church. Christine came and interpreted the service for us. Pastor Shibata talked how as a church, we need to share the word of God. We do the sharing as God does the changing. After the service we sat in a circle for prayer time. Though Elsbeth and I could not understand the Japanese and they could not understand us, it was wonderful to pray for each other. Though we are from different areas of the world and speak different languages, we still serve and praise the same God. We had great fellowship over lunch. I hope that our visiting encouraged the church today. Please be praying for the missionaries.
Mariah
There is no other!
Goddess of Mercy
Samarai Castle
Friends!
View from the top of the castle
We met some traditionally dressed Japanese. (Evan and Elliot Gilmore)
“…There is no other god besides Me, a righteous God and a Savior, there is none besides Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” -Isaiah 45:21
So far in our trip we haven’t seen many prominently displayed religious symbols. On Wednesday, June 6 we took a day trip to Azu-Wakamatsu. This is the location of a famous castle and also of a famous idol.
I can’t even describe my feelings as I looked up at the 57 meter statue of Aizu Jibo Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. The face of the woman smiles serenely, as she holds a baby in her arms. A temple and a garden are close by and the town laid out in the valley below. This location is described in a travel brochure as a popular place to pray and relax. When I remember that idol worship is instigated by demons, I know it wasn’t my imagination that there was a tension in the air and sinister feeling around the statue.
We didn’t approach any closer than the parking lot outside the temple, but stood there by the van and prayed for God to show His power over this spiritually dark and evil place, even to the point of making the idol fall down.
After that we visited the Aizu Tsuruga-jo Castle. It was originally built in 1384 and rebuilt several times since then. It is really beautiful to see. We walked through a museum inside the castle tower and enjoyed a great view from the top level.
As I write this I’m sitting in a Laundromat waiting for our clothes to be zapped into cleanness. A busy road is right outside and I just think about how most, if not all the people who pass are without hope, without knowledge of this great and loving God who gave His all for them.
Mariah’s birthday was so much fun! Some kind of craziness bug got into all of us… I will let her tell you about it, though.
-Elsbeth
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Catching Up Bloggin
I am still working on getting an internet connection in my house. Here's the blogging I have been doing but unable to post. You will need to start at the bottom of this and read up.
June 9th
I had a true missionary moment yesterday. I was at Home Wide (the Japanese version of Lowes) and I was trying to communicate to a clerk that I needed more of something than was available on the shelf. He was not able to figure out what I was saying. So, he got 2 others....who flagged down some teenagers....who knew a guy...who could probably speak a few words of english. Finally, through a series of exaggerated hand motions and speaking our own languages loudly and slowly we understood each other. I counted 6 six Japanese people around me. We all had a good laugh about it.
We bought Toby a helmet for when we give him rides on our bike. He looks really cool. I thought it was going to be a struggle to get him to wear it but apparently he thinks it's pretty cool too.
I served my first cup of coffee to a Japanese customer yesterday. He didn't spit it out or die on the spot so that was encouraging (for those of you who don't know I have little experience in making coffee). All the hard work to get the place cleaned up paid off. My customer's name was Mr. Tsuno (I believe) and he is in Tom Carr's choir. We sat and talked for quite a while. Tom Carr did a lot of translating for me.
So far, rainy season has been hot and sunny season. I love it!
June 6th
Well the power sprayer worked like a charm at taking the varnish off of the floor. Boy did it make a mess though. The room looked like a snake had shed it’s skin on everything. We got it cleaned up though with the help of a wet/dry vac.
Chris Sadowitz and I met with a man in the church for lunch and prayer (I would butcher his name if I tried to write it). I was impressed with his heart for reaching his co-workers for Christ. I can definitely see how it would be easy to feel all alone as a Christian here and begin to get discouraged. I think these personal prayer meetings with the missionaries are a key to perseverance.
We played more soccer today. My legs feel like they are about to fall off, but in a good way. I am beginning to learn some of the Japanese kids names. I may not be able to carry on much of a conversation with them, but I hope that they will see the hope and love of Christ in me and the other missionaries. Chris always carries flyers with him and invites the kids to church events after we play with them. It really is a great idea for outreach.
In the evening, we all got together for dinner at the Sadowitz’s. Then the Sadowitz’s neighbors took us to a place where lightning bugs (hotoru in Japanese) congregate. It was a lot of fun. Toby got a kick out of the hotoru climbing up his arm. I don’t think he had every seen a lightning bug before.
June 5th
Today was a beautiful day, which is a huge gift during rainy season.
I spent the afternoon in the coffee shop trying to get it ready for business next week. I stress trying. My first task has been to remove the varnish off of the floor. This task is proving to be rather difficult for my unskilled hands. First I tried to get the varnish off with a belt sander. After several trips to the hardware store (by bike), I realized that I was moving through the belts too quickly. So I switched to a stone grinder which definitely took up the varnish and them some of the tile as well. The other complication with the stone grinder is that it functioned as a fan which kicked up cement dust and coated everything in the coffee shop. Next I am going to try using a power sprayer, which definitely takes off the varnish like we want but I just have to be careful not to splash too much. If anyone reading this is experienced with taking varnish off of tile floors, please share your wisdom.
I have come across some monster spiders. The biggest one I saw was almost as big as my hand. I will try to catch one on video for your amazement. I have been working out in the tae kwan do building in the mornings with Chris Sadowitz (one of the missionaries) and his son Dan. The first morning I got on one of the elliptical machines only to promptly and calmly exit the machine as I spotted a huge spider on the machine’s fan. (You’ll have to talk to Chris for the real story). These spiders are supposed to be harmless but I’m not sure that I believe them J
We have been going to the park and playing soccer in the afternoons. Japanese kids and teenagers will come out of no where to play with us and it is a great opportunity for the missionaries to make contacts. This has made me wonder if I could utilize a similar technique in Fishers.
Michelle and I went for an evening bike ride to McDonalds. We were going through withdrawal. It was a beautiful clear night with a perfect view of the mountains. Miyakonojo is very beautiful with it’s rice patties, gardens, parks, and mountains. It is a shame that so few here can glorify God for his creation here.
OUR TRIP FROM TOKYO
Greetings from Kyushu! We survived our 12 hour train trip safe and sound, praise the Lord. The train trip was an awesome opportunity to see the country. I'm not sure words could adequately explain this experience. Japan has so many beautiful mountains that I wish you could see. We are surrounded by mountains here in Kyushu. I will try to take some pictures soon. By the way, I just uploaded a bunch of pictures from when we were in Tokyo as well as one video from the Tokyo train station. So be sure to check out the photoblog and video blog portions of this website.
The missionaries here have worked very hard to make sure we are comfortable and feel welcome. The house that we are living in is more than adequate for our needs. We have a stove, a fridge, a washing machine (we weren't expecting this), and a toaster oven. We are sleeping in a room with bamboo flooring (very cool) on futon mattresses on the floor. I actually really enjoy sleeping on the floor...of course this might be because I'm so tired :)
The ministry here is very sports and music oriented which I like very much. I have enjoyed getting to know the Carrs and the Sadowitz's. As well as the Pena's, who are our american christian neighbors. Christian Pena is a professional golfer on the Japanese tour. He is kind enough to allow me to use his internet right now.
I will post more soon. I hope to get internet in my house soon. Then I will be able to post more.
June 9th
I had a true missionary moment yesterday. I was at Home Wide (the Japanese version of Lowes) and I was trying to communicate to a clerk that I needed more of something than was available on the shelf. He was not able to figure out what I was saying. So, he got 2 others....who flagged down some teenagers....who knew a guy...who could probably speak a few words of english. Finally, through a series of exaggerated hand motions and speaking our own languages loudly and slowly we understood each other. I counted 6 six Japanese people around me. We all had a good laugh about it.
We bought Toby a helmet for when we give him rides on our bike. He looks really cool. I thought it was going to be a struggle to get him to wear it but apparently he thinks it's pretty cool too.
I served my first cup of coffee to a Japanese customer yesterday. He didn't spit it out or die on the spot so that was encouraging (for those of you who don't know I have little experience in making coffee). All the hard work to get the place cleaned up paid off. My customer's name was Mr. Tsuno (I believe) and he is in Tom Carr's choir. We sat and talked for quite a while. Tom Carr did a lot of translating for me.
So far, rainy season has been hot and sunny season. I love it!
June 6th
Well the power sprayer worked like a charm at taking the varnish off of the floor. Boy did it make a mess though. The room looked like a snake had shed it’s skin on everything. We got it cleaned up though with the help of a wet/dry vac.
Chris Sadowitz and I met with a man in the church for lunch and prayer (I would butcher his name if I tried to write it). I was impressed with his heart for reaching his co-workers for Christ. I can definitely see how it would be easy to feel all alone as a Christian here and begin to get discouraged. I think these personal prayer meetings with the missionaries are a key to perseverance.
We played more soccer today. My legs feel like they are about to fall off, but in a good way. I am beginning to learn some of the Japanese kids names. I may not be able to carry on much of a conversation with them, but I hope that they will see the hope and love of Christ in me and the other missionaries. Chris always carries flyers with him and invites the kids to church events after we play with them. It really is a great idea for outreach.
In the evening, we all got together for dinner at the Sadowitz’s. Then the Sadowitz’s neighbors took us to a place where lightning bugs (hotoru in Japanese) congregate. It was a lot of fun. Toby got a kick out of the hotoru climbing up his arm. I don’t think he had every seen a lightning bug before.
June 5th
Today was a beautiful day, which is a huge gift during rainy season.
I spent the afternoon in the coffee shop trying to get it ready for business next week. I stress trying. My first task has been to remove the varnish off of the floor. This task is proving to be rather difficult for my unskilled hands. First I tried to get the varnish off with a belt sander. After several trips to the hardware store (by bike), I realized that I was moving through the belts too quickly. So I switched to a stone grinder which definitely took up the varnish and them some of the tile as well. The other complication with the stone grinder is that it functioned as a fan which kicked up cement dust and coated everything in the coffee shop. Next I am going to try using a power sprayer, which definitely takes off the varnish like we want but I just have to be careful not to splash too much. If anyone reading this is experienced with taking varnish off of tile floors, please share your wisdom.
I have come across some monster spiders. The biggest one I saw was almost as big as my hand. I will try to catch one on video for your amazement. I have been working out in the tae kwan do building in the mornings with Chris Sadowitz (one of the missionaries) and his son Dan. The first morning I got on one of the elliptical machines only to promptly and calmly exit the machine as I spotted a huge spider on the machine’s fan. (You’ll have to talk to Chris for the real story). These spiders are supposed to be harmless but I’m not sure that I believe them J
We have been going to the park and playing soccer in the afternoons. Japanese kids and teenagers will come out of no where to play with us and it is a great opportunity for the missionaries to make contacts. This has made me wonder if I could utilize a similar technique in Fishers.
Michelle and I went for an evening bike ride to McDonalds. We were going through withdrawal. It was a beautiful clear night with a perfect view of the mountains. Miyakonojo is very beautiful with it’s rice patties, gardens, parks, and mountains. It is a shame that so few here can glorify God for his creation here.
OUR TRIP FROM TOKYO
Greetings from Kyushu! We survived our 12 hour train trip safe and sound, praise the Lord. The train trip was an awesome opportunity to see the country. I'm not sure words could adequately explain this experience. Japan has so many beautiful mountains that I wish you could see. We are surrounded by mountains here in Kyushu. I will try to take some pictures soon. By the way, I just uploaded a bunch of pictures from when we were in Tokyo as well as one video from the Tokyo train station. So be sure to check out the photoblog and video blog portions of this website.
The missionaries here have worked very hard to make sure we are comfortable and feel welcome. The house that we are living in is more than adequate for our needs. We have a stove, a fridge, a washing machine (we weren't expecting this), and a toaster oven. We are sleeping in a room with bamboo flooring (very cool) on futon mattresses on the floor. I actually really enjoy sleeping on the floor...of course this might be because I'm so tired :)
The ministry here is very sports and music oriented which I like very much. I have enjoyed getting to know the Carrs and the Sadowitz's. As well as the Pena's, who are our american christian neighbors. Christian Pena is a professional golfer on the Japanese tour. He is kind enough to allow me to use his internet right now.
I will post more soon. I hope to get internet in my house soon. Then I will be able to post more.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Living the Dream
6/7/07
I finally got to see, with my own eyes, the huge Buddhist statue my dad had told me about several months ago. It’s a stone idol made in the image of a beautiful woman dressed in a long flowing robe holding a baby in her arms.. It had to be at least 150 feet tall. From what I understand, the statue is some sort of guardian for all of the mothers that have had an abortion. They pray to her and she is supposed to forgive them. Many women spend several thousands of dollars on small stone replicas of the statue and place them in their homes hoping that she will watch over their aborted infant wherever it might be. I was amazed at its size, it can be seen from a great distance all around the city. It must be absolute torment for those mothers who are constantly reminded of their abortion whenever they look in that direction. My dad has been praying for several months now that God would bring the statue down and that He (God) would receive the glory. I have started to pray the same thing.
In other news, I was able to go to an authentic ramen shop last night. American ramen should be considered a sin compared to the deliciousity (it’s a real word, look it up) of Japanese ramen. These ramen shops can be found just about anywhere in Japan and it is one of the tastiest foods around. I had a soy sauce based soup with pork, vegetables and of course ramen noodles. It is appropriate when enjoying ramen to slurp your noodles as loud as possible. It’s almost impossible to carry on a conversation with the person next to you because of all the deafening slurping. I’ve never heard anything like it. It reverberates off the walls into a glorious cacophony of noodle attacking lip smacking. I gave it my best shot and almost choked to death. I guess I need more practice.
I’m still enjoying the company of the Takahashi’s. We find something new to laugh at every day. For example, I’ve been learning a lot of Japanese and some of the words seem awfully long to me. I get out of breath just thinking about the pronunciation. One phrase in particular, “Do Itashimashte” (doe-ee-tosh-ee-mosh-tay) means, “you’re welcome.” I decided to shorten it to, “Do I” (pronounced, doe-ee). It’s so much easier and convenient. I’ve also been coming up with new words like the word “kanbanichuwa” (kahn-bahn-each-you-wa) which is a combination of “konbonwa” (good evening) and “kanichuwa” (good afternoon). You’re supposed to say “kanichuwa” from 12pm to 6pm and “konbonwa” from 6pm to 8pm. Pretty choppy, isn’t it? I decided to smooth it out a little bit and use “Kanbanichuwa” from 5:55pm to 6:05pm. It makes the transition so much easier on everyone. Seriously, can you really say that it’s the afternoon at 5:58pm or that it’s evening at 6:03pm? Nobody really knows what’s going on at those times, you can’t tell up from down. It’s just downright awkward but no one wants to admit it. Everyone’s checking their watches every five seconds trying not to mess up and say the wrong thing. Thanks to me, I’ve solved the whole situation with one simple word. I’m currently in the process of getting “kanbanichuwa” added to the Japanese dictionary but so far it’s been an uphill battle.
I finally got to see, with my own eyes, the huge Buddhist statue my dad had told me about several months ago. It’s a stone idol made in the image of a beautiful woman dressed in a long flowing robe holding a baby in her arms.. It had to be at least 150 feet tall. From what I understand, the statue is some sort of guardian for all of the mothers that have had an abortion. They pray to her and she is supposed to forgive them. Many women spend several thousands of dollars on small stone replicas of the statue and place them in their homes hoping that she will watch over their aborted infant wherever it might be. I was amazed at its size, it can be seen from a great distance all around the city. It must be absolute torment for those mothers who are constantly reminded of their abortion whenever they look in that direction. My dad has been praying for several months now that God would bring the statue down and that He (God) would receive the glory. I have started to pray the same thing.
In other news, I was able to go to an authentic ramen shop last night. American ramen should be considered a sin compared to the deliciousity (it’s a real word, look it up) of Japanese ramen. These ramen shops can be found just about anywhere in Japan and it is one of the tastiest foods around. I had a soy sauce based soup with pork, vegetables and of course ramen noodles. It is appropriate when enjoying ramen to slurp your noodles as loud as possible. It’s almost impossible to carry on a conversation with the person next to you because of all the deafening slurping. I’ve never heard anything like it. It reverberates off the walls into a glorious cacophony of noodle attacking lip smacking. I gave it my best shot and almost choked to death. I guess I need more practice.
I’m still enjoying the company of the Takahashi’s. We find something new to laugh at every day. For example, I’ve been learning a lot of Japanese and some of the words seem awfully long to me. I get out of breath just thinking about the pronunciation. One phrase in particular, “Do Itashimashte” (doe-ee-tosh-ee-mosh-tay) means, “you’re welcome.” I decided to shorten it to, “Do I” (pronounced, doe-ee). It’s so much easier and convenient. I’ve also been coming up with new words like the word “kanbanichuwa” (kahn-bahn-each-you-wa) which is a combination of “konbonwa” (good evening) and “kanichuwa” (good afternoon). You’re supposed to say “kanichuwa” from 12pm to 6pm and “konbonwa” from 6pm to 8pm. Pretty choppy, isn’t it? I decided to smooth it out a little bit and use “Kanbanichuwa” from 5:55pm to 6:05pm. It makes the transition so much easier on everyone. Seriously, can you really say that it’s the afternoon at 5:58pm or that it’s evening at 6:03pm? Nobody really knows what’s going on at those times, you can’t tell up from down. It’s just downright awkward but no one wants to admit it. Everyone’s checking their watches every five seconds trying not to mess up and say the wrong thing. Thanks to me, I’ve solved the whole situation with one simple word. I’m currently in the process of getting “kanbanichuwa” added to the Japanese dictionary but so far it’s been an uphill battle.
A Very Fun Day!
Another packed day for us here in Chiba New Town. The four of us all had various tasks to finish, including insulating the church ceiling, weed wacking, cleaning and organizing around the church, shopping, prayer meeting, and English classes.
Two classes stand out in particular. Mrs. I. has a Bible lesson after her English lesson and I was able to teach it today. She was in John 20, learning about Thomas and his belief in Jesus Christ. What joy to share the Gospel with her! It was one of the high points of the day. This evening I was helping Mrs. Yoshida teach two girls, ages 11 and 15, in a Japanese home. The Mother speaks just a word or two of English, but she and I talked some through interpretation. Pray for this dear woman who invited Mrs. Yoshida and I to come again any time. Mrs. Yoshida shared with me that an open invitation like this is not common.
Other prayer needs include:
Money and manpower to finish the church building
$750.00 for a church sign
$3-5,000 to remove bamboo and other debris from the property
Salvation of Mr. O (he is coming to church regularly).
Strength and health for the Yoshidas
Saya (15) Mamiri (11) Mamiri's Mother
Two classes stand out in particular. Mrs. I. has a Bible lesson after her English lesson and I was able to teach it today. She was in John 20, learning about Thomas and his belief in Jesus Christ. What joy to share the Gospel with her! It was one of the high points of the day. This evening I was helping Mrs. Yoshida teach two girls, ages 11 and 15, in a Japanese home. The Mother speaks just a word or two of English, but she and I talked some through interpretation. Pray for this dear woman who invited Mrs. Yoshida and I to come again any time. Mrs. Yoshida shared with me that an open invitation like this is not common.
Other prayer needs include:
Money and manpower to finish the church building
$750.00 for a church sign
$3-5,000 to remove bamboo and other debris from the property
Salvation of Mr. O (he is coming to church regularly).
Strength and health for the Yoshidas
Saya (15) Mamiri (11) Mamiri's MotherA new place!
It is hard to believe that we have been here for just a little over a week. I have adjusted to the time change pretty well, although my eyes still pop open way to early and I have to tell my perky mind that I need to sleep longer. (For those of you who don't know, I'm most definately not a morning person. This is very different for me!)
There have been a lot of blessings so far. My times with the Lord have been particularly powerful. He seems to give me just the verse or passage I need for the day ahead. Another awesome thing is the way I have really connected with the team. I feel a bond even with those who are in different parts of Japan. I have also loved being back with Hiromi Takahashi. She has a huge heart for ministry and it is going to be a joy to work with her these next few weeks. The English classes Mariah and I have been helping out with have been fun and interesting. There is a great eagerness on the part of the Japanese to learn and practice English. Using simple words and sentences we talk about ourselves and our homes and our hobbies. They love to ask questions about America and also to know about our impressions of Japan.
Mariah and I are now settled in our own place. We are staying in a guest room at the Tajima's church in downtown Koriyama. We are living Japanese style with futons on the floor. There is a grocery store just around the corner and we go shopping for our own food. (It is the Japanese way to buy everything in very small portions and then go shopping every few days.) Shopping is very interesting. It is a challenge to buy food when you can't read the labels. We rely on pictures alot! We have found a granola cereal, yogurt, salad dressing and different kinds of candy that we really like! The Japanese diet is very veggie oriented with rice, noodles and meat making the most common additions. In general everything is more health-conscious. Food comes in small portions. McDonalds is the same, though!
Please pray for our Mariah and I as we adjust to a new schedule of English classes and outreach and for Evan as he works at the camp. Pray that we would keep our focus on the Lord and the purpose He has for us here in Japan. Thank you so much for your prayers.
That's about all I have time for now. God bless!
-Elsbeth
There have been a lot of blessings so far. My times with the Lord have been particularly powerful. He seems to give me just the verse or passage I need for the day ahead. Another awesome thing is the way I have really connected with the team. I feel a bond even with those who are in different parts of Japan. I have also loved being back with Hiromi Takahashi. She has a huge heart for ministry and it is going to be a joy to work with her these next few weeks. The English classes Mariah and I have been helping out with have been fun and interesting. There is a great eagerness on the part of the Japanese to learn and practice English. Using simple words and sentences we talk about ourselves and our homes and our hobbies. They love to ask questions about America and also to know about our impressions of Japan.
Mariah and I are now settled in our own place. We are staying in a guest room at the Tajima's church in downtown Koriyama. We are living Japanese style with futons on the floor. There is a grocery store just around the corner and we go shopping for our own food. (It is the Japanese way to buy everything in very small portions and then go shopping every few days.) Shopping is very interesting. It is a challenge to buy food when you can't read the labels. We rely on pictures alot! We have found a granola cereal, yogurt, salad dressing and different kinds of candy that we really like! The Japanese diet is very veggie oriented with rice, noodles and meat making the most common additions. In general everything is more health-conscious. Food comes in small portions. McDonalds is the same, though!
Please pray for our Mariah and I as we adjust to a new schedule of English classes and outreach and for Evan as he works at the camp. Pray that we would keep our focus on the Lord and the purpose He has for us here in Japan. Thank you so much for your prayers.
That's about all I have time for now. God bless!
-Elsbeth
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
6/5/07
Real men build things with their bare hands, they carry heavy loads on their backs, they work the earth and plant food to provide for their families, and real men chop wood in the summer and stockpile it for the cold winter ahead. There’s something about working with the raw materials of nature that resonates deep within my core. God gives us all a passion in life or several passions and one of mine happens to be chopping down trees and splitting logs. Don’t ask me why; I have no idea. It makes me feel like I’m doing what I was created to do. The same is true when I make people laugh. “I feel God’s pleasure,” to use the words of Eric Liddell.
In the last few days, God has allowed me to serve the Takahashi’s by planting vegetables in their huge garden, splitting logs out back and cutting grass around the camp. I spend most of my time with Mr. Takahashi. We are able to communicate for the most part, but it takes at least three times as long as it would for you and I to converse. It can be frustrating every now and then because I’m certain that I misunderstand him 30% of the time which means I don’t do what he wants me to do. We have had many good laughs at my mistakes and it just makes it that much more interesting for both of us. He is kind enough to teach me Japanese. Yesterday, I learned the days of the week and how to say, “let’s go” and “let’s eat.”
It’s getting easier and easier to sleep through the night but I usually wake up around five a.m. and have to force myself back to sleep. It would be much easier were it not for the Japanese crows that sit right outside my window and squawk as if someone had paid them to do so. I’ve noticed that they sound different than the crows in the States. Instead the “caw caw” it’s more of a “waw. waw” sound. If I were able, I would put a sound clip on the blog of me demonstrating the sound but I don’t know how to do it. It’s really quite bizarre. I wonder what they sound like in Russia?
Real men build things with their bare hands, they carry heavy loads on their backs, they work the earth and plant food to provide for their families, and real men chop wood in the summer and stockpile it for the cold winter ahead. There’s something about working with the raw materials of nature that resonates deep within my core. God gives us all a passion in life or several passions and one of mine happens to be chopping down trees and splitting logs. Don’t ask me why; I have no idea. It makes me feel like I’m doing what I was created to do. The same is true when I make people laugh. “I feel God’s pleasure,” to use the words of Eric Liddell.
In the last few days, God has allowed me to serve the Takahashi’s by planting vegetables in their huge garden, splitting logs out back and cutting grass around the camp. I spend most of my time with Mr. Takahashi. We are able to communicate for the most part, but it takes at least three times as long as it would for you and I to converse. It can be frustrating every now and then because I’m certain that I misunderstand him 30% of the time which means I don’t do what he wants me to do. We have had many good laughs at my mistakes and it just makes it that much more interesting for both of us. He is kind enough to teach me Japanese. Yesterday, I learned the days of the week and how to say, “let’s go” and “let’s eat.”
It’s getting easier and easier to sleep through the night but I usually wake up around five a.m. and have to force myself back to sleep. It would be much easier were it not for the Japanese crows that sit right outside my window and squawk as if someone had paid them to do so. I’ve noticed that they sound different than the crows in the States. Instead the “caw caw” it’s more of a “waw. waw” sound. If I were able, I would put a sound clip on the blog of me demonstrating the sound but I don’t know how to do it. It’s really quite bizarre. I wonder what they sound like in Russia?
Monday, June 4, 2007
Memory of the Day
With so much crammed into a day, we will choose just a few memories to share with you. We completed 6 more English classes today. These range from small children to adults. All of the lessons today were held in the home of the Yoshidas. We all pitched in to teach the lessons, work on a broken washing machine, get the laundry washed, cook the meals, hang out the laundry, and walk to the store.
Here is one sad memory of the day:
While Michael was teaching English to a Japanese man, Mrs. Yoshida and I walked to a nearby store. Just outside the store was a family burial plot that managed to remain while the city built up all around it. On one of the stones a baby bib was tied near the top. This indicates that a woman in this family (still living) has had an abortion. Because she feels guilty about this, she ties a bib to the grave, and when she prays to her ancestors (those buried in the plot) she can also pray to the baby.
We also experienced another minor earthquake today. It reminded us that each soul here without Christ hangs in the balance. And without the forgiveness of God applied to their lives and His peace in their hearts, their lives are - at best - unpredictable and without balance. Will you pray for the souls of the Japanese?
Here is one sad memory of the day:
While Michael was teaching English to a Japanese man, Mrs. Yoshida and I walked to a nearby store. Just outside the store was a family burial plot that managed to remain while the city built up all around it. On one of the stones a baby bib was tied near the top. This indicates that a woman in this family (still living) has had an abortion. Because she feels guilty about this, she ties a bib to the grave, and when she prays to her ancestors (those buried in the plot) she can also pray to the baby.
We also experienced another minor earthquake today. It reminded us that each soul here without Christ hangs in the balance. And without the forgiveness of God applied to their lives and His peace in their hearts, their lives are - at best - unpredictable and without balance. Will you pray for the souls of the Japanese?
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Nippon Initiative Mascot
The youngest member of our team is almost two. Often in the stroller or held in our arms, yet Toby has been an important member of the team as he has opened up several opportunities to speak with Japanese people. Go Toby!
Evan's First Days
6/2/07
So I made it to Japan after a wonderful 12 hour flight. I have been very busy for the past few days learning how to read the train schedules, introduce myself, use chopsticks for every meal, and swat up to 8 mosquitos per second. It's taken quite a bit of effort to get adjusted to sleeping when I should be awake and the other way around. By the e nd of the day, I just kind of glaze over and drift away.
Today, Mariah, Elsbeth and I went to a wedding in Koriyama at the camp where I'm staying. It was not much different from a wedding in the U.S. although the girl getting married was half an American. We helped get everything ready for the reception, which was great fun. The reception was outside so we had to carry all the tables, chairs, food, and old people (just kidding, but seriously we did) out to the lawn. The groom, Shigeo, recently became a Christian and it was great to hear his testimony about how he his life changed when he met Kristine, his wife, and became a Christian.
At the wedding, we were able to meet some other Americans who are in Japan teaching English. It gave me a good idea of what it would be like if I come back this fall. The language is difficult to learn and would be the biggest barrier for me, I’m having a great time and hoping to help the Takahashi’s as mush a possible in the short time I’m here.
6/3/07
Today we went to church with the Takahashi’s where Romi, their daughter, translated for us so we could understand what was going on. Pastor Takahashi spoke on Ephesians 5:15-17 and how we need to conform our will to God’s. He also talked about how we need to really understand God’s word. In Japanese the word for understand is “satori” but to the Japanese Christians this word brings to mind meditation as in Buddhist meditation, which has a negative connotation to them. However he said this is what we need to do to truly understand God’s word.
After the service, we had a meal and then Mariah, Elsbeth and I went with Romi to an Easter Program put on by the Americans we met at the wedding. It was amazing to see all the Japanese kids, over 300 in all. English is a huge attraction for the Japanese, so when something is advertised as being an “English” event, a lot of people will come just for the English no matter what’s being presented.
I am really enjoying getting to know the Takahashi’s. They are a very humble, generous, and hospitable family. Tonight they took us to an Onsen, which means hot spring. What an experience. It was like a hot tub on steroids. First, you take off all your clothes throwing all caution to the wind (men and women are separate, in case you were wondering). Then you go into a shower area that has a huge tile tub overflowing with water hot enough to poach an egg. Upon stepping inside the room, you go over to the shower area and wash off while sitting on a little plastic stool. After about five minutes of washing, you get into the lava water. Now the key to this part of the episode is to sit in the scalding water right up to the edge of death. At this point, it is essential to command every physical and mental resource to keep from passing out and doing a nosedive into the water as you step out of the tub. Then, if you’re still alive, you stagger back over to the shower section, sit down on the stool and take several deep breaths trying to regain as much strength as possible for the remaining duration. As you sit on the stool panting, you’re supposed to wash yourself as thoroughly as humanly possible, scrubbing every single dirt particle into oblivion with what seemed to be a blue piece of sandpaper. You are able to move on to the next of the process when and only when skin color matches that of a raw steak. Now, you stumble back over to the boiling tub and sit for five more minutes trying to kill any malevolent bacteria that may have survived the scrub. Next, once you are unable to see straight you get out of the tub and go back to the shower for the final washing, which lasts about 10 minutes, or until you go unconscious. Don’t get me wrong, I’d do it again in a heartbeat, I just need a little time to recuperate and buy some skin balm for all of the scratches and burns. If anyone knows of any good lotions, I would greatly appreciate it.
So I made it to Japan after a wonderful 12 hour flight. I have been very busy for the past few days learning how to read the train schedules, introduce myself, use chopsticks for every meal, and swat up to 8 mosquitos per second. It's taken quite a bit of effort to get adjusted to sleeping when I should be awake and the other way around. By the e nd of the day, I just kind of glaze over and drift away.
Today, Mariah, Elsbeth and I went to a wedding in Koriyama at the camp where I'm staying. It was not much different from a wedding in the U.S. although the girl getting married was half an American. We helped get everything ready for the reception, which was great fun. The reception was outside so we had to carry all the tables, chairs, food, and old people (just kidding, but seriously we did) out to the lawn. The groom, Shigeo, recently became a Christian and it was great to hear his testimony about how he his life changed when he met Kristine, his wife, and became a Christian.
At the wedding, we were able to meet some other Americans who are in Japan teaching English. It gave me a good idea of what it would be like if I come back this fall. The language is difficult to learn and would be the biggest barrier for me, I’m having a great time and hoping to help the Takahashi’s as mush a possible in the short time I’m here.
6/3/07
Today we went to church with the Takahashi’s where Romi, their daughter, translated for us so we could understand what was going on. Pastor Takahashi spoke on Ephesians 5:15-17 and how we need to conform our will to God’s. He also talked about how we need to really understand God’s word. In Japanese the word for understand is “satori” but to the Japanese Christians this word brings to mind meditation as in Buddhist meditation, which has a negative connotation to them. However he said this is what we need to do to truly understand God’s word.
After the service, we had a meal and then Mariah, Elsbeth and I went with Romi to an Easter Program put on by the Americans we met at the wedding. It was amazing to see all the Japanese kids, over 300 in all. English is a huge attraction for the Japanese, so when something is advertised as being an “English” event, a lot of people will come just for the English no matter what’s being presented.
I am really enjoying getting to know the Takahashi’s. They are a very humble, generous, and hospitable family. Tonight they took us to an Onsen, which means hot spring. What an experience. It was like a hot tub on steroids. First, you take off all your clothes throwing all caution to the wind (men and women are separate, in case you were wondering). Then you go into a shower area that has a huge tile tub overflowing with water hot enough to poach an egg. Upon stepping inside the room, you go over to the shower area and wash off while sitting on a little plastic stool. After about five minutes of washing, you get into the lava water. Now the key to this part of the episode is to sit in the scalding water right up to the edge of death. At this point, it is essential to command every physical and mental resource to keep from passing out and doing a nosedive into the water as you step out of the tub. Then, if you’re still alive, you stagger back over to the shower section, sit down on the stool and take several deep breaths trying to regain as much strength as possible for the remaining duration. As you sit on the stool panting, you’re supposed to wash yourself as thoroughly as humanly possible, scrubbing every single dirt particle into oblivion with what seemed to be a blue piece of sandpaper. You are able to move on to the next of the process when and only when skin color matches that of a raw steak. Now, you stumble back over to the boiling tub and sit for five more minutes trying to kill any malevolent bacteria that may have survived the scrub. Next, once you are unable to see straight you get out of the tub and go back to the shower for the final washing, which lasts about 10 minutes, or until you go unconscious. Don’t get me wrong, I’d do it again in a heartbeat, I just need a little time to recuperate and buy some skin balm for all of the scratches and burns. If anyone knows of any good lotions, I would greatly appreciate it.
While on the train...
Michelle and her son Toby made friends with three university students on the train who were willing to practice their English.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Koriyama: A Conversation
Elsbeth and Mariah: Discussing week
E-Wow! What alot of things we have done in the past week.
M- I am getting better at chopsticks!!
E- Yes, you are! You are learning at the rate of a shinkansen. (bullet train- see left)
M-I enjoyed helping with final preperations for the wedding we attended today. We made a just married sign, put flowers together, decorated the chapel, papered tables, swatted flies, tried some new japanese food, met some new friends, and played a great game of PIG (basketball).
E- Yeah, and I really love this area. I mean, we have mountains, and rice paddies, and beautiful, friendly people to welcome us into their homes and hearts. Evan keeps us laughing. The schedule keeps us hopping. We are learning new words. The work ethic is amazing- everyone pitchs in to do what needs to be done in smooth teamwork. I know what we have seen has been a very small pocket of believers and it is a reminder of the need for God's truth to be known.
M-I am learning news things each day and am thankful for being in Japan. God is teaching me about His love and faithfulness.
E- It's a good feeling to know I am where God wants me to be and doing His work.
So this is your tired, but happy blogging friends signing off for the night!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
