Category: My Reflections

Well…not literally…well…it is raining here, an awful lot, which always brings down spirits.  Today has been a strange series of events…which have no collective meaning except that they provide some musing for me this evening.  This morning we had our cell group Bible Study.  We decided that we are going to read through 1 Timothy sequentially several times throughout the week and then discuss what we got out of it in our group.  We couldn’t find the CDs for the worship songs, so we did most of them acapella with me leading, poorly…but then I got up the nerve and offered to sit at the piano and play around for some songs.  It was great…and when we got down there, we found the CDs, but decided to stick with the piano for a couple songs.  I enjoyed it, and they seemed to enjoy it as well, despite my pitiful piano playing skills.  Aki couldn’t make it to cell group because she and Taka were at the doctor’s getting their first sonogram!  The baby is now 10cm long, and they said it was moving around a lot, and you could see its spine and some features.  Very cool.  I’m still pretty sure I don’t want one…but I love hearing about it for others and getting excited for them.

Today I got to write and mail a letter that I was thoroughly excited to write and mail.  I’m really enjoying walking down to the post office to mail my letters off.  It’s pretty fun.  They know me in there now and we don’t exchange much conversation…but as I pick up on the language, I hope that will change. They’re really nice.  On my way from the train station to the church, I passed several groups of kids who had just been released from school.  One cluster of jr high girls walked by and one said, “Hello!”  and when I said hello back, they giggled all the way down the street.  It was a long street…and I think I giggled just as much as they did.  It’s kind of fun being a celebrity-of sorts.

Classes were a little more difficult today.  The women in my Wednesday class are so much more reserved and stand-offish.  I have such a hard time getting them to open up.  The two women are school teachers, 3rd grade, I think.  The other is a college student…so they are all pretty busy.  Here in Japan, at the younger grades, the teachers visit the families of their students.  They get to know the families and what the child’s daily life is like.  Pretty interesting…and I think maybe something that might be helpful for our own classrooms back home.  So, Miwa had spent most of the afternoon and evening visiting families, in the rain.  I did not envy her.  She’s doing it all this week.  She’s the one whose son killed himself a few months ago.  We’re still not sure of the circumstances or the timeline, because they are very weird about death here.  They don’t talk about it…especially when it’s suicide.  It’s probably the biggest shame a child can put on their parents, to die before they do.  I believe her son was in his late 20s, maybe 30s..I’m not sure.

Misa, brought in an article on the G7 meeting on the economic stability of the US.  It was so strange to hear her reading through all this economic jargon and then ask me to explain it to her.  How do you explain a crisis that reverberates throughout the world?  Very carefully.  She seemed to enjoy my examples and illustrations.  We never do a Bible time in her class…so it was neat to be able to talk about world peace and whether we think it could ever be.  I didn’t feel an opening to say that only with Christ can there be world peace, and He will make it so in the end.  But I left it that people are too selfish all around the world and therefore could never be at peace with each other.  She agreed.  So strange, discussing politics and whatnot in Japan…I rarely do it in America.  🙂

A great travesty befell my little domicile just moments ago – I discovered that I cannot view LOST or The Office on my laptop while i’m out of the country.  Something like they know I’m in Japan, and the shows aren’t released here yet…soooo, I’m stuck!  How terrible is that??!  I don’t think I’m going to know what to do with myself.  It’s like a whole piece of my life has just been ripped away from me. 

On a more enthusiastic note, the Bible Times went really well in my classes today…at least I think they did.  Brian handled the little kids class…but I do the ladies’ class myself.  They have a pretty good handle on English, but I also have Nakayama-san (our Anna, of Luke 2) in there to translate what little she can and explain the Bible Stories if there is any confusion.  Today, we read through the Easy Reader’s Bible story of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin.  They are small stories, but really hard for them to understand.  I remember when I was in China, the first one to come to Christ did so after going through these stories and the story of the Prodigal Son.  They have always meant something special to me and I was so excited that we were at the point to cover them.  The ladies had a hard time…one was Tomoko who had come on Saturday to International Cafe.  I found out that she works for a bank here in Shimonoseki, and lives in Chofu.  She and Reiko-san were very interested in my activities during the holiday break we’ll have in a couple weeks.  But, back to the Bible…we went through the story, connecting the dots between the characters in the parables and the events in heaven.  Nakayama-san had to do extra work in explanation, but I ended it by saying that at one time I was a lost sheep, I was a lost coin.  But I’m so happy that God cares enough about me that He went out to find me.  And he cares about you that much too.  It was really neat.  I’m praying that they think about that over the next few weeks.  I won’t see them again for three weeks.  Reiko-san will be doing a special tea ceremony in two days at a shrine near Karato and the big bridge.  It’s a beautiful shrine…but it makes me wonder how much religion is connected with the tea ceremony.  I almost wish that there wasn’t this semi-permanent ban on visiting the shrines, because I would love to see the ceremony and learn about it. 

Also, Rinka, in my Tues Super Kids class, could not keep her finger out of her nose.  You all would be proud of me, I did not freak out.  I simply motioned for her to remove it and then watched in horror as she licked her finger.  Surprisingly, I still love that kid.  🙂

I had such an educational day today.  For one, we have some visitors from a church in Virginia called Cherrydale Baptist.  They are supporters of the church here in Shimonoseki, and the new missions directors, Ed and Kathy Grudier, decided that over the next several years, they will be making the rounds and visiting all the missionaries the church supports so they can raise awareness and support for them back home.  It’s an amazing project they have and I’m so jealous!  They are going to be able to go all over the world to visit these missionaries and meet with the body of Christ in so many different countries.  I would love it!  They were formerly missionaries to Turkey themselves, and so they had some interesting stories to share with us as well.

They came to the joint service here at the Center yesterday, but today was a more intimate meet and greet with them at Kawanaka.  Taka and Aki came by the Center to pick up me and Nakayama-san to travel over and meet them.  Even though Monday is my day off, and I live and work at the Center, I still have such an obligation to be at as many church events I can make it too…they are, after all, forking over money for me to be here and live in their facilities.  I owe it to the congregation for them to get to know me and fellowship with each other as much as possible.  The most exciting part about this meeting was that I got to hear how a lot of my Japanese brothers and sisters came to Christ.  It was so neat.  Some of the stories were incredible.

Many of them are from Buddhist backgrounds, and while the Japanese are not violent when it comes to converting to another religion, like the Muslims, they have a rigid social structure which persecutes in its own way anyone who would deviate from the norm.  There are lot of similarities between Buddhist and Muslim cultures that I wasn’t aware of before today.  Some of the churchmembers said that their families were horrified that they would want to become a Christian.  It would make them a traitor to their family, to their ancestors, to their house.  One woman was going to church regularly, but couldn’t get over that fact.  She decided to leave the church, but couldn’t get it out of her head that there was still Truth in Christianity.  She was having problems compromising what her ancestors would think and what she should do.  Tony showed her exactly what her ancestors were thinking, by showing her the story of Lazarus and the rich man.  After the man complained about his own condition, he cried out for his family to be told the truth before they ended up in the place he was in. (Luke 16:19-31)  She accepted Christ right there.

We also went through the attributes of God that were most dear to us.  I’ll just put a list here for you:

Absolute Truth & Love
Forgiveness of Sins
Marvelous Power of God
Accessibility
Faithfulness and Patience
Unchanging Love
Unconditional Love
The Way, the Truth, and the Life
Trinity of God & John 14:6
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
The Cross of Jesus
Peace of God
Guidance and Leadership
Mercy & Gracious Forgiveness

It was a beautiful morning to hear the life stories of those people, the different trials they went through prior to finding how much God loved them.  Another educating moment for me was that I was sitting there with all the people around me gabbing in Japanese…and I felt completely content.  I have known it before, that wherever I am, I am at home, because my heart is with Christ and He is with me always.  I am travelling in the whole world as a stranger, as an alien resident for only a moment, even in southwest Ohio.

Oh, I’ve been picking up some more Japanese…I can listen in on conversations and pick out a few words that I know.  I shared my adventure with Tony today about going to get lunch last Friday and he was really pleased.  I guess no one else has been really that adventurous so early in the game…so I was pleased.  I’m still a little bummed that the rest of you back home felt an earthquake before I did though!  But I have heard that I have no worries…I should feel one soon enough.  🙂  Thanks for the messages recently from everyone!  They are really encouraging to me!  God bless!

PS.  I would encourage all of you to find the soundbite of David Crowder Band from A Collision CD.  The track is called “The Story of Marty Stuart and the Rather Understated Jacket”.  It’s fairly amusing.  🙂   Oh, and the song “Above All Else” by Wendy O’Connell is a new favorite of mine.  You should check it.

Ok…translation…yesterday, I went to Karato.  🙂  Another one: to no shi mi ma sh’da.  Translation…I liked it.  🙂

Yes…I learned some Japanese tonight!!!  And I learned it from my Chinese friend, Sakura.  I, personally, like her Chinese name better than her self-given Japanese name, but what can I say about it.  Her name in Chinese means, Golden Swallow…like the bird.  Isn’t it pretty?  I think so.  We went to Karato tonight…but first, let me start earlier in the day.

It was gorgeous today!  Absolutely lovely…a little on the chilled side…but that’s ok.  I had a letter to mail out, so after doing my lesson plans for the day, I walked over to the post office and dropped it off.  The girl at the counter kind of laughed at me wearing short sleeves.  I just smiled at her and said, “yeah…”  heh.  I think I defy their conventions at times…with my short sleeves and flip-flops.  They all point them out whenever I’m out.  It’s kind of funny…I’m known for it here…makes me feel at home.  Hah.

After going to the post office..I just kept walking…and walking…and walking…and I eventually crossed the little waterway to Hikoshima.  It’s not far…maybe a mile from the Center, but I kept walking…taking a right once I crossed over, and then I decided I was hungry, being that it was 12:15p.  So…I grabbed my handy dandy phrasebook which the Davis’ were soooo kind to give me.  I started skimming through some of the phrases I could use to find food.  I found one I thought was pretty good, and I passed a man and a woman standing on the sidewalk.  I turned about and said, “watashi wa yu don ga i dess.”  which means, I would like rice noodles and soup.  I had no idea how to ask where I could eat yu don…but that didn’t matter  The man understood and motioned right to the building next to us.  He said, very good.  So, I walked in, to a four-table restaurant…maybe 10 ft x 8 ft as the room dimensions.  It was tiny, and four people were already crammed into the space.  I soon realized that the man outside was eating there as well and knew the owners personally.  He ordered my noodles for me.  I was much obliged.  I looooove hole-in-the-wall restaurants…and Samantha is kind of frightened by them.  So, with my extremely limited Japanese, I began to eat my $5 yu don with chicken…and loved every minute.  The man’s wife (introduced to me as, “My wife!”) gave me a rice ball with nori on it…it was yummy as well.  After a while, the man and his wife left, and wished me the best…well, i think that’s what they said…I’m not sure, but I did catch sayonara.  Three women came in and sat at the table across from me.  After eating for a little bit, I felt something.  I looked over and discovered that they were all three staring intently at me.  One made the motion for chopsticks and said something, and I said I didn’t understand.  Another said, “very good”.  Since I only have a handle on a few nouns, that’s all I could tell them.  “watashi eigo sensai” “I english teacher”.  I said where I taught and they knew what it was…making the shape of the cross with their hands.  It was fun.  They all waved goodbye to me as I left.  I was thoroughly pleased with my experience.  And the noodles were extremely yummy…and a good price.  i’ll have to go back again sometime soon. 

This afternoon, I had my super demon class.  I told them I’d bring potato chips next week if they were good.  They weren’t, so they got a mark on the board…and if they had three marks by the end of class, they wouldn’t get any chips.  They ended with two marks…and were so glad that they would still get potato chips.  I’m going to give them chips, but only one each…since that’s all they earned really.  One each.  I hope they take me seriously.  They’re third grade and such.  I wanted to strangle each one.  I hope their parents don’t read this. 

Tonight, Sakura dropped into the Center and sat with me as I finished dinner.  Then, we decided to go get puri-kuri done (photobooth pictures).  Then, she surprised me and asked if I wanted to go to Karato, which had an amazing view, especially at night with all the lights.  I said, sure…and 25 minutes later, we were down by the aquarium and Shimonoseki Bridge, looking at the Kamon Strait.  It was so much fun.  I got a picture of the largest plate in the world, according to Guinness.  Yep…I saw the world’s largest plate.  Feeds 500 people.  Weighs 250 kg.  In 2.5m in radius.  Pretty amazing.  Ok..I think that’s it for my day.  It was very neat.  I have to do a lesson plan.  Later!!

Ok…not together.  But yes, I ate some squid today!  muahaha. 

I’m part of the Ladies’ Cell Group with Samantha and Aki, and another lady from the Philippines named Maris.  Since it was our first time meeting since I got here, we went casual and had an early lunch at a restaurant in Chofu, near where Maris lives and teaches.  The drive there from the Center was all along the shore of the Kamon Strait, and was so beautiful.  We drove under the big bridge that connects the Honshu and Kyushu islands.  It was so pretty, even in the dreary raininess that was today. 

This restaurant was pretty neat.  It had hot plates installed on the tables.  The style of food is called okonomiyaki, which is kind of like an omelette of sorts.  When you order, they bring everything out raw in a bowl, you mix it all up, and then put it on the heated plates and cook your food, even flipping it when the “omelette” gets done on the bottom.  It was pretty yummy. 

After that, we came back to the Center and I did a little grocery shopping and lesson planning.  Such an exciting way to spend the afternoon.  I’ve had some recent experiences of people approaching me to practice their English.  It’s pretty funny, because I would expect that kind of behavior when I was in China.  But in Japan, everyone is so gentle and timid…hardly anyone approaches someone they don’t know unless they absolutely have to, and even then, the apologies and bowing are sooo intense, it’s like they have put themselves through real physical pain.  It’s so strange, the diametric opposite characteristics of the two cultures, but I feel like I’m fitting in to it fairly well. 

I had a little trouble getting on the train today, to go to Kawanaka.  I couldn’t find my listing on the time table, so I went ahead up to the platform and had to ask a conductor.  He was just as befuddled by my asking him…all I knew how to say was, Ayaragi-eki?  (Ayaragi station?)  What happened was that my train at that particular time was being conjoined to another train on the same track…so it wasn’t listed by itself on the board.  I was soo glad to step off the train and be in the right district…I don’t know if I could’ve found my way back. 

It was super rainy this evening, and it was very dark by the time my private lesson with an English teacher was over.  She was so kind to give me a ride to the station and even insisted on driving me from now on.  I was the only one there, which, in America would be very intimidating…but here, it isn’t so scary.  Misa, the English teacher, was asking me about idioms, expressions, and proverbs.  A lot of groundwork has been laid with her about Christianity, and she’s very open about it.  I told her that some of the proverbs popular in America actually come from the Bible, and I showed her the book.  She was so excited, and since she has a Bible at home, she said she’d look at them.  I pointed out the particular ones, Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and also a soft answer turns away wrath.  She laughed and said that one was for her.  I think she has a Chinese spirit…but don’t ever tell her I said so!

I think I’m getting more acclamated to the language too.  I’m starting to pick out certain words from dialogues…so that even though I don’t understand completely what’s being said, I get a word here and there.  I still have trouble speaking anything though…thank goodness that body language is relatively similar around the world.  🙂  Oh, and my skin…my face is still kind of dry, but not as bad as it was.  My biggest issue right now is the skin from my neck to my chin.  It’s very dry and kind of flaring into a rash at certain times of the day…particularly the morning and evening.  I think it’s allergies, since this is the time of year for me to be affected by the trees.  Keep me in your prayers…I know it helps!  Thanks!

Well, I’ve been adding some new shots to my albums, so I’ve included links to them at the bottom of this particular post.  I could probably figure out a better way to do this…but I don’t really want to.  Heh. 

Today started my first week completely by myself in the classrooms.  I’m so glad that I have the classes that I do on Tuesday…they are perfect for building my confidence that I can actually teach English.  Hah.  My first class is a group of girls that are just adorable.  I think they’re all in 1st/2nd grade.  One of the girls, Rinka, has an attention problem, and sometimes doesn’t follow along.  But her grandma sits in with us, and keeps her in line, which is nice.  Apparently, I smelled pretty nice today, because at one point, Rinka sticks her nose right on my arm and sniffs me.  She did it a couple times, and then she’d sigh right after, like she had just smelled a flower.  It was so funny.

My second class is of older women, and one college-aged girl.  They are so nice and polite and refined.  I just love spending that hour and a half with them.  Today, in our Bible Time, we went through the story of Lazarus.  I think it had a pretty good impact on them.  Most of their discussion for the Bible Time happens in Japanese, so I have to rely on body language to know what’s going on.  But it goes pretty well, that I can tell. 

For my personal Bible Time, I’m going through Acts.  It’s always an encouraging book to go through at the start of a mission trip.  I’ve always enjoyed it.  I’m breaking down each section, verse by verse, and analyzing each part.  I was really encouraged by the story of the Lame Beggar Healed.  What struck me most was the very first verse of Chapter 3.  It says, “Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.”  Amidst the chaos and fear that surrounded the Lord’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension…Peter and John, now filled with the Holy Spirit, continue going to the Temple to commune with God.  They were just going on their way, trying to keep in touch with God the Father.  As they were going on, He brought their path passed a lame man, who had sat at the Beautiful Gate for years and years, begging.  It was at this moment, that God did something amazing through Peter, John, and the lame beggar. 

But had not the apostles been faithful in meeting with God, they would not have passed that man, or been in the right heart-set for the miracle to happen.  It made me think about my own condition, here in Japan.  Everything happened so quickly to get me here.  I came with no expectations of what God is going to do.  YET, I didn’t come with an expectant heart…I don’t believe that my heart has truly been ready to receive whatever it is God has for me here.  There’s a difference.  God does not work through our expectations…our expectations can never fulfill the ability of God…but we must have an expecting heart.  We must be prepared for God to do something, and allow ourselves the flexibility to go along with whatever that something is.  Some would say, “But Sarah, how can you say you’re not flexible??  I mean, you went to Japan on a couple week’s consideration and a month and a half preparation.”  But it all comes down to the heart.  Everything pointed to God willing me to come out here to Japan…and I’m enough of a workhorse to know that God’s will is the best thing for me.  But my heart was not necessarily willing.  I’ve never wanted to come to Japan.  My heart is in and for China.  But then again, before I went to China, my heart was in and for Nepal.  God has changed the shape of my heart before, I don’t doubt He can do it again.  But I have to be prepared for it.  I’d appreciate your prayers as I allow God to get me to that point. 

Oh, and here’s the pics.  🙂

Random Shots
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=103520&l=daae6&id=500635206

On the Street Where I Live
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=102457&l=15c5e&id=500635206

My students and new friends 🙂
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=102157&l=eff3f&id=500635206

Sorry that I haven’t updated my blog since Monday.  I sent an email update out, and just got wiped out from that one.  🙂  Today was my first official day as an EFL teacher.  You’ll note that I used an F instead of the standard S.  That’s because, here in Japan, we teach English as a Foreign Language, and not as their Second language.  Why?  Well…in America, they would have a regular place to use the English they learn, but here in Japan…this is pretty much their only opportunity (in our classrooms).  Only recently have schools begun to teach English in elementary schools, so a lot of the younger students are just parents wanting them to have a head start.  The adult students are those who just want conversation with native English speakers, or they might have a set purpose, like a desire to go to a university in the States or to get a job overseas.  Whatever the purpose for their coming, our purpose for teaching them English is for the 15 mins Bible Time at the end of class.  Even though most Japanese are not open to talk about religion…they are willing to put up with anything for a cheap English class, with native speakers.  It’s neat to see how it works.  For the kids, and the adults who have minimal English comprehension, a Japanese speaker will come in and lead a 15 minute Bible Study…or Gospel presentation.  For the adults who have a pretty good understanding of English and can carry on a conversation with it, we use the Easy Reader Edition of the Bible and ask comprehension questions and then try to engage them in a discussion of the events in that particular story.

For example, my Super Kids 1 class on Tuesdays have very, very basic English understanding.  So, Brian goes through a song and Gospel presentation with them.  They remember the song and sing along with him, and shout out answers.  It’s so sweet.  One of the girls, her grandmother comes and sits in the class with her.  I doubt she’s a believer, but she bows her head and prays with us, and takes notes.  Apparently, her husband came as well, once, and was trying to sneak out some of the free Christian material that’s available to them.  🙂  What pride…but great that despite it, they are still searching and willing to hear and learn more.

The Ladies’ class that night also, has a higher English comprehension, being level 3 students, and so we can go through the Easy Reader Bible.  This week, we read about Mary and Martha having Jesus in for a visit.  We had a pretty good discussion over it…though Nakayama-san had to do some translating and explanations in Japanese for further understanding.  None of the other women are believers in that class, I believe…but they are close.

My Saturday morning Side by Side class is the beginners level…but older generation students.  🙂  One of the men in that class is a church member, Mr Komatsu.  He accepted Christ many years ago while he was taking English lessons.  As a show of gratitude for God saving him that way, he presents the Bible time for that class.  He’s on the church leadership, but the only time I’ve ever really heard him say anything was at my contract-signing and he prayed for the year to come, and my service.

I’m so excited to be in this kind of a ministry…to be able to observe it and take notes, and the possibility of bringing it back home with me.  I can see such a need for it in our community at home, I feel like I’m actually learning how it’s supposed to work. 

As far as my needs right now…my skin is driving me nuts!  I don’t know if my skin has metamorphosized or if it’s just because I live right next to the ocean, but it is so dry!  I get so frustrated when I look in the mirror and see how dry it is.  It’s just my vanity, but it is still annoying.  Please pray that I can get this under control, or that God would correct my attitude about it.  It’s not hindering me from serving…but it’s just a little splinter that’s getting bothersome.  Thanks!