Nine more souls slipped into eternity in the immediate results of the recent earthquake in Japan. In a country where less than one percent claim Christianity, we can't help but wonder if those nine are forever without Christ. It gives us greater longing to know that those we met while in Japan would come to know the Savior while they still have the opportunity.
Pray particularly for the more than 13,000 who are now homeless. Pray that through this crisis in their lives they will come to know the Almighty God who loves them and mercifully spared their lives.
Everyone from the 2007 Team is safely home, and to the best of our knowledge, all those we served while in Japan are also safe. May God give opportunities to share the Gospel with those around them.
-for the Team,
Sharon
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Monday, July 9, 2007
Dear Blog...
It has been a while since we talked. I'm loving being here with the youth. They are very mature and passionate about living for God and are intentional about having positive attitudes. It is a joy to be around them! 
This weekend has been a emotional rollercoaster, but God gives me the strength for each day. I will be home soon. Pray for our safe travels and God's blessing on our last few days here.
The retreat this weekend was blessed by the Lord. About a dozen people came out. On Friday night we played round-robin and 4 corners and then a Japanese game that involved alot of running and freezing in place. It was fun!!
On Saturday we had a pancake breakfast... Mmmm! Then we met in the chapel to sing worship songs, hear testimonies from the teens and see them perform their mime. I can't even describe how powerful the mime is. It portrays the fall of man and the death and resurrection of Jesus and then a restored relationship with God. I was powerfully moved as were others. The teens who performed had obviously put hours and hours and hours into it. Afterward there was an explanation given in Japanese of what the mime meant and then they performed it again. And.... a woman got saved!!! She was very clear in her profession... she understood that she was separated from God by what she had done wrong. She said that she had felt the emptiness protrayed and that she knew this was the truth she had been looking for! Praise the Lord! She had never heard the gospel before and yet she was ready to accept to right then. Wow!
As a team we have done alot of work projects around the camp. A mountain of brush was moved out from the woods to be burned. Futons were aired out and the cabins cleaned, in preparation for the camping season. The teens have also visited English classes in small groups.
Last night (Sunday night) Haley and I stayed in the home of a student from one of the English classes, like when we stayed with Mickey. She is an older woman and her English is very good. Her husband is in a wheelchair. She is interested in foreign relationships and does some volunteer translation work for an international charity. This morning she took us to a shrine where she sometimes goes to pray. She wanted us to meet the shrine-master who went to Indiana State University and speaks excellent English. He showed us around the shrine. He explained how to wash with "holy water" and showed us a sacred room where they believe that the god lives. I had just read Isaiah 45 this morning. "If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble... I am God and there is no other..." My heart was broken for his darkness. His little daughter followed him around closely. My heart was broken for the fact that she will grow up never knowing anything but this hopelessness. As I left my emotions were a mixture of sadness and helplessness, but I have to remember that God is all powerful and He is always working to draw people to Himself. Salvation is His work. I believe He wanted me to see this my last week so that I will always remember to pray for the people of Japan.
This weekend has been a emotional rollercoaster, but God gives me the strength for each day. I will be home soon. Pray for our safe travels and God's blessing on our last few days here.
-Elsbeth
Friday, July 6, 2007
The Mistaks in Miyakonojo
We've been keeping busy here in Miyakonojo since the last time I wrote!
Furlough DVD Complete:
I helped Chris Sadowitz prepare for his furlough by making his furlough video. We compiled four years worth of videos and pictures together with narration and music. It took us five days of hard work and I think I have carpel tunnels syndrome but we got it done. The video is about 30 minutes long. My favorite part is the end where we included a lot of bloopers and outtakes. This is not your conventional furlough video!! I was glad to be able to help in this way. I never thought my computer skills would come in handy here but they have. I also was able to fix a missionary's computer just by plugging it in an touching it. I felt like Joe Stolz because that kind of thing happens to him all the time.
Evan, Elsbeth and Mariah
It sure was good to see some familiar faces from home! I only wish they could have stayed longer. Evan and I helped packed up some household goods for some missionaries who have left the field, while he was here. I'm glad Elsbeth was able to see everything here first hand since she might be coming back in the near future. Everyone here had been practicing saying her name and had finally gotten it down by the time she showed up. I think I experienced what Elsbeth must go through every time she introduces herself to someone. "Elisabeth?" "No, LLLLLzzzzBeth!!!" People need to here this several times I've found before they get it.
Mini-Volleyball
My Japanese friend Mitsuyoshi was in a mini volleyball tournament with his work. So I decided to go watch. I pictured maybe a few courts of people playing. Boy was I wrong! There were close to a thousand people there. I thought I would never find my friend, and even if I did, I thought there is no way I'm going to catch his game. As it turns out, we showed up just in time for his game and we happened to sit right next to the court he was playing on. Furthermore, Mitsuyoshi's boss is Chris Sadowitz neighbor and friend of many years! Mitsuyoshi and Ikuko are having us over for dinner on Sunday night. We are really looking forward to this.Mini Volleyball as a sport is something that I wish I could bring back to Hamilton Hills. I think JOLT would love it. The net is a little bit shorter and the ball is the perfect mix between being extremely soft and yet playable. Have you ever played with a ball that is so soft that it almost floats? This is just a little bit heavier than that so that it plays well. Yet, it is impossible to hurt your hand with it. The net is lower than in regular volleyball which makes it fun to spike. After watching Mitsuyoshi play, I had the opportunity to play with a friend of the Sadowtiz's who is a barber. Every monday a group of 50+ barbers and hair stylists get together to play. Some of these Gramas were pretty athletic. It keeps them young.
Hiroshima Golf Tournament
Two days ago, Chris and I went to watch Christian Pena play in a golf tournament up in Hiroshima. We got to live the life of priveldge of a pro golfer for a few hours as we followed Christian around. Christian had made Chris a badge that said Manager and I had a badge that said family. So, if anyone tired to tell us we couldn't do something we would just flash our badges! It was pretty funny.
We followed Christian around the course while he played his round. Whenever, he made a great putt we would hoop and holler like the colts had just won the Super Bowl. Very counter cultural...but hey...we had badges. Christian ended up shooting two over par for the day. He was even until the second to the last hole where he shot a double bogie. Not a bad first day I think!Chrisitain really has a heart for sharing the gospel with his fellow golfers. I think the Lord has gifted him for this and I was challenged by his heart to share with those around him.
Christian took us to this great resturaunt in Hiroshima where we ate Whale. Let me say that again in case you missed it. We ate Whale! Can you believe it. Never in my life would it have occured to me to eat a whale. And it was actually quite tastey. Especially when it was deep fried with a batter and a special sauce for dipping.
Future Plans
Today we are going to Miyazaki to activate our rail passes for the journey home.
Tuesday we are going to take a train to Hiroshima. There we will see the Peace Park and maybe some other sites if we have time.
Wednesday we will finish our journey up to Tokyo by train.
Thursday we fly home!
Our time here is growing very short. Please pray for us as we travel and reflect upon what we have learned here.
A few more things that make you say hmmm....
1. If you get in trouble here you don't dial 911 you dial 119. (No, I don't know this by experience....thank the Lord)
2. Tags are on the front of your slacks instead of on the back. I think this is actually quite handy. No more trying to twist around in the store to remember what your pants size is!
3. Japanese people are very "by the book". I watch people here do menial jobs with such ritual and precision and pride. The up side to this is that they do their job well. The down side to this is that....they do their job very well. Situations needing grace or special circumstances that aren't in the book can cause a halt in progress.
See you soon! Hopefully we can update again from Tokyo.
Furlough DVD Complete:
I helped Chris Sadowitz prepare for his furlough by making his furlough video. We compiled four years worth of videos and pictures together with narration and music. It took us five days of hard work and I think I have carpel tunnels syndrome but we got it done. The video is about 30 minutes long. My favorite part is the end where we included a lot of bloopers and outtakes. This is not your conventional furlough video!! I was glad to be able to help in this way. I never thought my computer skills would come in handy here but they have. I also was able to fix a missionary's computer just by plugging it in an touching it. I felt like Joe Stolz because that kind of thing happens to him all the time.
Evan, Elsbeth and Mariah
It sure was good to see some familiar faces from home! I only wish they could have stayed longer. Evan and I helped packed up some household goods for some missionaries who have left the field, while he was here. I'm glad Elsbeth was able to see everything here first hand since she might be coming back in the near future. Everyone here had been practicing saying her name and had finally gotten it down by the time she showed up. I think I experienced what Elsbeth must go through every time she introduces herself to someone. "Elisabeth?" "No, LLLLLzzzzBeth!!!" People need to here this several times I've found before they get it.
Mini-Volleyball
My Japanese friend Mitsuyoshi was in a mini volleyball tournament with his work. So I decided to go watch. I pictured maybe a few courts of people playing. Boy was I wrong! There were close to a thousand people there. I thought I would never find my friend, and even if I did, I thought there is no way I'm going to catch his game. As it turns out, we showed up just in time for his game and we happened to sit right next to the court he was playing on. Furthermore, Mitsuyoshi's boss is Chris Sadowitz neighbor and friend of many years! Mitsuyoshi and Ikuko are having us over for dinner on Sunday night. We are really looking forward to this.Mini Volleyball as a sport is something that I wish I could bring back to Hamilton Hills. I think JOLT would love it. The net is a little bit shorter and the ball is the perfect mix between being extremely soft and yet playable. Have you ever played with a ball that is so soft that it almost floats? This is just a little bit heavier than that so that it plays well. Yet, it is impossible to hurt your hand with it. The net is lower than in regular volleyball which makes it fun to spike. After watching Mitsuyoshi play, I had the opportunity to play with a friend of the Sadowtiz's who is a barber. Every monday a group of 50+ barbers and hair stylists get together to play. Some of these Gramas were pretty athletic. It keeps them young.
Hiroshima Golf Tournament
Two days ago, Chris and I went to watch Christian Pena play in a golf tournament up in Hiroshima. We got to live the life of priveldge of a pro golfer for a few hours as we followed Christian around. Christian had made Chris a badge that said Manager and I had a badge that said family. So, if anyone tired to tell us we couldn't do something we would just flash our badges! It was pretty funny.
We followed Christian around the course while he played his round. Whenever, he made a great putt we would hoop and holler like the colts had just won the Super Bowl. Very counter cultural...but hey...we had badges. Christian ended up shooting two over par for the day. He was even until the second to the last hole where he shot a double bogie. Not a bad first day I think!Chrisitain really has a heart for sharing the gospel with his fellow golfers. I think the Lord has gifted him for this and I was challenged by his heart to share with those around him.
Christian took us to this great resturaunt in Hiroshima where we ate Whale. Let me say that again in case you missed it. We ate Whale! Can you believe it. Never in my life would it have occured to me to eat a whale. And it was actually quite tastey. Especially when it was deep fried with a batter and a special sauce for dipping.
Future Plans
Today we are going to Miyazaki to activate our rail passes for the journey home.
Tuesday we are going to take a train to Hiroshima. There we will see the Peace Park and maybe some other sites if we have time.
Wednesday we will finish our journey up to Tokyo by train.
Thursday we fly home!
Our time here is growing very short. Please pray for us as we travel and reflect upon what we have learned here.
A few more things that make you say hmmm....
1. If you get in trouble here you don't dial 911 you dial 119. (No, I don't know this by experience....thank the Lord)
2. Tags are on the front of your slacks instead of on the back. I think this is actually quite handy. No more trying to twist around in the store to remember what your pants size is!
3. Japanese people are very "by the book". I watch people here do menial jobs with such ritual and precision and pride. The up side to this is that they do their job well. The down side to this is that....they do their job very well. Situations needing grace or special circumstances that aren't in the book can cause a halt in progress.
See you soon! Hopefully we can update again from Tokyo.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
The Lone Blogger
I’m back at the camp now! Romi and I spent yesterday with the teens climbing Mount Fuji! A few people, including myself, only climbed part way. The majority of the group climbed from the fifth station to the eighth station, which is a grueling 5 hour hike. (The fifth station is the last level that can be driven to and is a good starting point for people who don’t want to hike the whole mountain.) Those of us who stayed behind had a neat opportunity to talk to some Japanese junior high students. The whole school was there and they were going to hike to the top in two days. They were very excited to talk to us even in broken English. Some girls asked Leah, Hillary, Katie and I if we had boyfriends and were excited to share that they did! I also learned that they like Spider Man and Pirates of the Caribbean a lot!
Here are some pictures:
Here are some pictures:
Setting out from the fifth station
The trail's beginning
Keeping up a good pace
The mountain side
Pastor Doug runs up Mount Fujii
Great beauty
Making new friends
Waiting for the rest of the team
Praise God for a safe and fun day!
-Elsbeth
Last Events
The past few days we have managed to cram a whole lot in before we had to say goodbye to everyone here in Japan. We met some delightful Korean and Japanese students in Kariuzawa who are learning English and being discipled and spent a few days up at the camp in Koriyama where the Takahashi’s are serving. Some of our friends had a marshmallow roast and firework send-off for us one night, complete with heart-felt expressions of their appreciation for our time in Japan. It was a bit emotional, even through the interpreter, to hear how much our visit has meant to them as believers.
We had opportunity to be fitted in a Kimono; welcomed Doug to Japan as he prepares for the teens arrival and ministry this month; worshiped with Pastor Tajima and his flock; and had to say goodbye to our dear friends Romi, the Ojhi’s; and so many others.
It was hard to choose which pictures to share, but hope these few will give you a sense of how much we appreciated your prayers and support of us while in Japan. (There is one more photo on our personal blog site you will want to view.) We have made it safely home and are hoping for a little sleep the next few days. Pray for the people of Japan, and the many university students there who have no hope.
Airport goodbyes with Romi
Singing around the fire at the camp in Koriyama
A few smores for our dear friends
Mana roasts three marshmallows all at once!
Mariah writes her name in the sky with a flare!
Doug tries song leading with fireworks.
Mrs. Takahashi
Our expert cricket smasher and extracter - Mariah Rose 
Romi's Cactus
Expert kitchen servants
A view at camp
We had opportunity to be fitted in a Kimono; welcomed Doug to Japan as he prepares for the teens arrival and ministry this month; worshiped with Pastor Tajima and his flock; and had to say goodbye to our dear friends Romi, the Ojhi’s; and so many others.
It was hard to choose which pictures to share, but hope these few will give you a sense of how much we appreciated your prayers and support of us while in Japan. (There is one more photo on our personal blog site you will want to view.) We have made it safely home and are hoping for a little sleep the next few days. Pray for the people of Japan, and the many university students there who have no hope.
Airport goodbyes with Romi
Singing around the fire at the camp in Koriyama
A few smores for our dear friends
Mana roasts three marshmallows all at once!
Mariah writes her name in the sky with a flare!
Doug tries song leading with fireworks.
Mrs. Takahashi
Our expert cricket smasher and extracter - Mariah Rose 
Romi's Cactus
Expert kitchen servants
A view at camp
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Posting in Haste!
I’m not sure how much time I’m going to have after today (Monday) to blog, so here is a quickie post.
Our team debriefing on Saturday was very good. We were given a couple hours for each person to sit on their own and think about what we have learned about Japan, about missions, and our own spiritual growth during this trip. Then we came together to discuss our experience and prepare our hearts for “reentry” to normal life.
In forty minutes Romi and I will be catching a train to the airport in Tokyo, there to say good-bye to the Kellers, Mariah and Evan. Then we will welcome the teen team from HHBC. We will proceed from there to a hotel near Mount Fujii, which we will attempt to climb on Tuesday. I’m packing my snow parka and taking my oxygen tank, as I understand that the summit is in the upper stratosphere and covered with snow. I fully expect to see a yak or two and maybe some snow bunnies bounding across the snow. I will carefully log all the wildlife I observe for blogification later. On Wednesday the teens will tour Tokyo while Romi and I return by train to the camp in order to buy enough food to feed an army for 10 days and fireworks for 4th of July fun! Hopefully we will also have time to help Mrs. Takahashi clean and set up the camp facilities as well. Then we will welcome the teens to this beautiful setting and put them to work the next day. There is a lot to be done around the camp and also in helping out some nearby churches.
I’m sad to see my team leave, but my heart is here! I’m so excited to be able to help with the Nippon Initiative’s high school trip! I’ve had a wonderful experience in Japan for the last month and I’m can’t wait to see what God has in store for me here in the future.
-Elsbeth
Our team debriefing on Saturday was very good. We were given a couple hours for each person to sit on their own and think about what we have learned about Japan, about missions, and our own spiritual growth during this trip. Then we came together to discuss our experience and prepare our hearts for “reentry” to normal life.
In forty minutes Romi and I will be catching a train to the airport in Tokyo, there to say good-bye to the Kellers, Mariah and Evan. Then we will welcome the teen team from HHBC. We will proceed from there to a hotel near Mount Fujii, which we will attempt to climb on Tuesday. I’m packing my snow parka and taking my oxygen tank, as I understand that the summit is in the upper stratosphere and covered with snow. I fully expect to see a yak or two and maybe some snow bunnies bounding across the snow. I will carefully log all the wildlife I observe for blogification later. On Wednesday the teens will tour Tokyo while Romi and I return by train to the camp in order to buy enough food to feed an army for 10 days and fireworks for 4th of July fun! Hopefully we will also have time to help Mrs. Takahashi clean and set up the camp facilities as well. Then we will welcome the teens to this beautiful setting and put them to work the next day. There is a lot to be done around the camp and also in helping out some nearby churches.
I’m sad to see my team leave, but my heart is here! I’m so excited to be able to help with the Nippon Initiative’s high school trip! I’ve had a wonderful experience in Japan for the last month and I’m can’t wait to see what God has in store for me here in the future.
-Elsbeth
Friday, June 29, 2007
Dodgin' the Bullet
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.
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.
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
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