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

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)

Sunday, June 10, 2007

“…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