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?
