On Saturday, God decided to bring a very special sister through Shimonoseki.  She came without any warning to me, but eased right into my life for the few short days we would be in the same place.  Her name is Hitomi, and she is a co-pastor of a church in Osaka.  She has studied seminary at Liberty in Virginia, and she is amazing.  She was saved through the ministry of this church, Shimonoseki Christ Bible Church, and was invited to visit by Nakayama-san.  Immediately, we struck a cord with each other.  While our stories are different in detail and our locations dramatically different, we have similar backgrounds.

I didn’t get to spend much time with her on Saturday, but Sunday evening, I went down to play the piano as a sort of therapy.  It’s special too, because I don’t turn on the AC for that big room while I’m playing, so after a good 15 mins, I’m sweating up a storm…but it adds to the feeling of necessity in worshipping God that way.  I just love the piano and I love having a grand piano at my disposal right downstairs.  While I was playing, Hitomi snuck in and I shared with her some of my favorite songs.  She’s much more of a charismatic worshipper than I am.  I don’t know if her manifestations of the Spirit are true or not…but I don’t get the sense that she is faking it at all.  She is one of the most honest persons I have met in a while.  At some point you have to just get over the differences in pratice (so long as actions are not going directly against Scripture) and depend and rest on the knowledge that you are both part of the Family of God.

After that, she asked if I wanted to take a walk with her.  So we walked, and we walked, and we walked, and ended up by Kanmon Strait…a full 45 mins walk from the Center.  We shared our testimonies with each other the whole way to the water’s edge and then talked a little more.  Then we prayed together for encouragement and for resolution in relationships where pain and selfishness have gotten in the way.  Then we walked back.  My feet were dead.  I slept hard.  I didn’t wake up until 12ish.  It was nice.

Monday afternoon, our newly formed Bible Study group planned to meet at Johnna’s apartment.  Hitomi wanted to go check out the college she had graduated from, which just happens to be the college Mark goes to.  So, I went with her and we met up with Mark and he showed us around and we met some people and it was very nice.  I wish more students had been around, though…but it’s exam time and they are all off studying in their little nooks and crannies.

Then we took a bus over to Karato to meet Johnna.  We grabbed some delicious Indian food, and I was able to gab with one of the workers, in Hindi even!  One of the workers is Nepali and I’m dying for a chance to go back and meet him and talk with him about his country.  That little rectangular spot of mountains will always have a special place in my heart.  When we got to Johnna’s apartment, we ate our “gorgeous” Indian food (as Mark calls it) and decided just to share our lives with each other.  It’s a Bible Study, but we spend so much time on testimonies and getting to know each other…we haven’t cracked the Bible open yet.  But I think it’s good all the same.  We all shared our testimonies with Hitomi and she asked us varying parts of our testimonies and then we prayed for each other.  It was amazing.  I haven’t had a prayer session like that since I was in CN.  It was such a beautiful time of fellowship and worshipping God through prayer.  Mark was supposed to leave at 8pm to go tutor some kids…but he got a phone call that they had to cancel.  What a Godcidence!  Mark was able to spend the whole evening with us.  We spent probably a good 45 minutes in prayer with each other and then we took off.  It was so late that we had missed every bus that might have gone out…so we had to take a taxi.

I am so blessed already with the fellowship God has given me here, but what a refreshment to have Hitomi sweep in like a cool northern breeze and deliver messages from God for each of our lives.  She has invited all of us to come out to Osaka…so we’re going to try to make it out there at some point.  I am so in love with my Maker and how much He cares for me and all His children.  I hope that you know and can know His love for you.  It is amazing, breathtaking, deep, personal, and all-encompassing.  Praise God.

  On Saturday, it was my birthday, and I turned 24.  I am so excited that God gave me the opportunity to have my birthday outside of the States!  It has provided a really neat way to learn more about the culture.  Also, I’ve been able to find out who has become the most sensitive to the Gospel because of their response to my birthday.  I would never have thought of my birthday as being a tool, but it’s surprising what God can use.  Now, I feel like I can focus more energy on a few people rather than spreading myself out so thin. 

  I also share my birthday with the pastor’s son, Titus, who turned 16 this year.  So, the whole family invited me and Samantha out to celebrate in Fukuoka.  We got to the Haug’s house at 8am to start it off, and then we all drove down to Fukuoka (it’s on the other island, Kyushu, and is the city I flew in to when I arrived).  The first event was to go see Indiana Jones: Crystal Skull.  After that, we took off for a reservation at Hard Rock Cafe!  Yes, I bought a t-shirt with the logo and Fukuoka underneath! 🙂  They really made a big deal out of Titus and my birthday, even took our pictures and put them on keychains for us.  Oh, and when you go through my pictures, you will see a picture of me and a really, really tall guy (well, of course he’s tall, b/c I’m so short), but I’m pretty jazzed about the picture, so check it out! 🙂  After lunch, we went to the all-exciting COSTCO!  Yes, we have a Costco within an hour and a half of where I live.  We stocked up on some things until someone has a chance to go back.  I guess, too, that you can order off a website and have things delivered to your house, so that’s nice to know.  I just browsed around until I saw it: a whole 24 pack of Dr. Pepper.  Naturally, I bought it…my birthday present to myself…the gift that keeps on giving.  🙂  I’ve only had one so far…I’m savoring them.  After that we checked out a couple music stores…both Titus and I are music geeks (he plays guitar and me, well, y’all know what I do, so I won’t mention it). 

  Yesterday (Sunday), was the Shimonoseki Wind Ensemble Pick-Up concert!  Nakayama-san and Samantha went with me, and I’m so glad that we went.  Not only was it great music, but Mitsui-san, Satsuki-san, and Shirayama-san were so happy that we went.  There were two flute soloists and two clarinet soloists (one being Shirayama-san).  Then, the last bit was a quartet of saxophones: tenor, baritone, alto, and Shirayama-san’s sister switched between the alto and soprano saxophone.  It was really great.  I can’t wait for the next concert, which will have all instruments present, in August! 

  These are great people and I’m so excited to get to know them.  Frequently, our conversations turn to God and such related things.  I had told them previously that my uncle was suffering with cancer, and when he passed away on Monday, I told them about it.  I was able to share the joy and hope I have at being able to see him again soon someday in heaven.  Mitsui-san was particularly vocal on his hope that I would see Uncle Tom again.  He said to me, “Ganbate!  Ganbate!”, which I didn’t know the meaning until I got back to the Center.  Taka says that it means, “Keep going”  or “keep trying” or “work hard for it”.  I wish I had a better understanding of Japanese that I could have used that opportunity to tell them the Truth, that heaven is not something we earn as humans because of our actions, but that it is only the work of Jesus, who lived the perfect life and died in our place.  I want them so much to know Jesus as their Lord, keep them in your prayers.  They are open and so enthusiastic about meeting with me and the others from the Center.  Satsuki-san said repeatedly to me, “Anatao dai suki” which means, “I really, really like you.”  And Mitsui-san said something to me about Taka, and when he put it into broken English for me, he said, “I want to eat Asada-san.”  Prepositions are not very easy to translate from Japanese-English.  Hehe.  I told Taka and he was a little wary, but I think he will still go visit the restaurant.  🙂

  Thank you for all the birthday wishes!  I had kind of a rough week last week, with Uncle Tom going to be with Jesus, and then also celebrating my birthday so far from all the people I love so much.  But God is good, and He gives grace where and when it is needed, and your messages were just that.  Keep me posted on happenings back home.  I want to pray for you as much as you are praying for me.

Big plans today!  You see, today’s my birthday and I get to celebrate it in Japan!  🙂  Since the pastor’s son, Titus, has his birthday today as well, we (Samantha and I) were invited to join the family in an excursion to Fukuoka.  I’m pretty jazzed.  So, we have an early start, seeing as we need to be at the Haug’s house by 8am, we are taking the 7:29a train, which means I had to get up at 5:45a!  Ah…on my birthday too…oh well. 

  The schedule for today, which I will share in detail later, is to go see a movie (Indiana Jones), eat lunch at Hard Rock Café (oh yeah), go shop at Costco (oh the day when Costco is a birthda treat…I’m in the twilight zone), and then go shop and peruse around RiverWalk in Kokura (shopping mall). 

  Having your birthday in another country really exposes you to the different cultures.  Like yesterday, my kids drew me birthday cakes on the board and told me congratulations.  I am now subject to the “you must return giving a gift of 60%(or some such percentage) the value of the gift you received” maxim, so I’ll have my work cut out for me.  Tonight, when I get home I will elaborate on the various gifts I’ve received. 

  Yesterday, I went to Quixote and ate the lunch special.  No, ika (squid), but I did have “konnyaku”…not to be confused with “konyaku”.  The first is a jelly-type food that I think is made from beans and has no calorie…very healthy.  The second is engagment.  The difference is just one extra character of “ni” before the “ya” to signify that it’s the food.  I came in to Taka’s office to ask him about it and he about fell off his chair when he thought I said “engagement.”  No worries though, the cheesecake here isn’t nearly as good as the cheesecake back home, so you all are safe from having to worry that I’d get engaged over here.  🙂  Later!! 🙂

Aaaaaaaaaaaand, the rainy season (tsu yu) started today!  Yippee!  🙂  Aren’t you excited?  I’m sooooooo not excited!  I had to travel to Kawanaka for my classes today, and so being in the train was alright, but walking to and from the train stations were no fun.  The rainy season will continue from now until the end of July, so this will be wonderful.  There are a lot of great books here and I have things to paint (legitimate things to paint) and a craft store somewhat close-by, so I can get some more cross-stitching.

  Other than that, this week has been pretty eventful.  My uncle Tom finally went home to be with Jesus on Monday (4:30a EST).  I don’t know all the circumstances, but I am much relieved that he is no longer suffering.  I hurt for his absence from our family, but he’s in a much better place.  It was nice the way someone put it on the blogsite they had set up for him, “In 56 short years, Tom finished everything that God had set before him.”  He really ran his race, and he ran it well.  I can only hope that just a portion of that could be said of me too when my time comes.  Every now and then I get an image in my mind of uncle Tom sitting at Jesus’ feet with his big smile on his face, just listening to Him.  It’s comforting.  Pray for the family as the arrangements are made, and through the ceremony, and then the weeks/months to come without him there.  It’s almost surreal, considering I’m so far away, but I also think I’ve been going through my grief for him throughout the last two months, and so I’m at a different stage at this moment. 

  Besides this, the week has and will be, pretty much, all in preparation for my birthday on Saturday.  Last night, Tues, Mika gave me a yellow rose (sooooo wonderful.  I don’t care for roses a ton, but yellow ones make up for it!), a fan, and a cheesecake! 🙂  Also, her mom sent some photo albums, they are step-by-step photos of how to put on a yukata, just in case I forget…now I have a flip-book, almost.  🙂  It is sweet.  I can’t wait to finish this cross-stitch for her.  I want her to know how much I appreciate everything that she has done for me.  Tonight, my students brought a ton of treats…too many, I had to leave some in the church frig because we couldn’t eat them all…and Miwa (the woman I painted the shelf for) gave me a Japanese handbag.  Ok, it’s actually a piece of finished fabric that you fold certain ways and then tie the corners together to make a carrier for whatever kind of item you want.  You can tie books, small boxes, a watermelon, and even two wine bottles inside of it.  She was so excited about it, and wanted me to know that she can’t make anything with her hands, but this was almost as good.  Hah.  There’s something about receiving gifts and then being obligated to give back something about 60% the value of the first gift.  I’m not completely sure on the percentage, but that obligation is real, and I’ll have to keep that in mind with the birthday gifts I give.  Misa, my 8pm student, gave me a small pot with three different kinds of cacti…I’m going to call them Larry, Bob, and Alfred…because they look a lot like the Veggietales characters. 🙂 

I think that’s about it.  On another note (literally), I found this CD that is probably the epitome of amazing.  One, it is the Cincy Symphony.  Two, it is conducted by Paavo Jarvi.  And three, it is all PROKOFIEV!  My fave composer.  And not JUST Prokofiev, but Symphony No.5 AND the Lieutenant Kije Suite, with the wonderful “Romance” and “Troika”.  I want it, I want it badly.  I’m waiting to decide if I reeeeeally need it.  It is great.  Here’s a link to it.  Enjoy. 🙂  Goodnight.

https://www.costore.com/csostore/productenlarged.asp?ProductId=1017293

Well, it’s been a couple days since I posted on here.  I’ve had a pretty good week, but busy…pretty busy.  After the wonderful Monday evening birthday party, and then the realization that we are under surveillance by the other people on this street, Thursday was my typical day to go have lunch at Quixote.  It was nice, I had a lunch special, and they included squid (ika)…and it was as disgusting as you’d think it would be.  I tried to get them not to tell me what it was until after I took one bite, but they were so excited about trying to find the English word, I couldn’t stop them.  So I took a bite and couldn’t swallow it.  So I took a drink of some of the soup broth…but still couldn’t swallow it. Finally I was able to chew it and swallow, but oh, it was awful.  I’m just so glad that it was with the Quixote people…they were completely understanding about my not even wanting to try it.  As soon as I finished my bite, they grabbed the bowl with the rest of the ika and took it behind the counter, leaving me with the rest of my food to enjoy.  They are so sweet.  Here is a link to some pictures of my friends from there, and some others from Kokura too:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=117020&l=d26dd&id=500635206

After my lunch, we gabbed for a little bit, discussing the Japanese word for nervous, and how, in the Kanji, the character for “God” is included…I still have to find out what that’s all about.  It’s actually one of two Kanji that make up the word for “nerve”…so I’m going to investigate that and try to find out the connection.  I had to go grocery shopping, so I took off for the store.  The crosswalk right next to Quixote takes forever to turn sometimes, and so I was standing there for a good 5 minutes before it changed over and I was able to cross and head over.  By the time I made it to the store, I realized that I walked out on my bill!  I could not believe! what I did!  I had to go get groceries though because I didn’t have the change to run back and pay my bill.  So, I went to to the store, bought my items, and hurried back, hoping to catch them before they closed for the afternoon….but I was too late.  There was nothing for me to do…I didn’t have any way to get in touch with them.  So, I went to Kawanaka to teach.  I would be able to catch the train back in time to run over to the restaurant before they closed for the night after dinner.  I booked it to the restaurant from the train station and Mitsui-san was just hanging out in the restaurant, watching a ball game on tv.  I gave him my money and apologized profusely.  He looked at me in disbelief, as if it didn’t even dawn on him that I didn’t pay for my food!  I was so embarrassed, but so grateful that it happened to someone who I have a good friendship with. 

  Oh, and just in case you have forgotten…this Saturday is my birthday.  Yeah…it’s going to be a great day!  More news soon!  🙂  Hasta!

  As you know, I have been working to develop a relationship with the restaurant, Quixote, just down the street from the Center.  Also, Taka has been working to keep a relationship going with the smaller post office one block beyond the restaurant.  So, when I send out letters or postcards or whatever, I go to the small post office,just to keep things going.  It’s so neat because there are about 5 of us who frequent Quixote now, whether for dinner or lunch or whatever.  Just last week, Samantha had dinner there on Wednesday.  On Thursday, I left to have my lunch, my regular day for going to Quixote, and just as I left the Center Nakayama-san was coming back from having lunch there.  And Taka will go every once in a while too.  They have good coffee.  🙂 

  Well, on Tuesday, I went to the little post office to send off a card and postcard, and I didn’t get any conversation in while there, but the girl who usually waits on me had a customer, so this man had to wait on me.  I was in and out and nothing big, headed back to the Center.  Just a little later, Taka had to go to pay a bill, and the girl waited on him.  As they were going through the paperwork, she said, “So how was the party last night?”  Taka was thrown off…he was like, “Me?”  oh, yeah, it’s only him because he’s the only one in the office.  She said, “You had a birthday party last night at Quixote.”  Taka was surprised…he asked her how she knew about it…and said that it was mine and another teacher’s birthday.  She said, “Well, you know, Yamato-Machi (the area of Shimo that this street is in) is a small place.  It’s a small world.”  Taka just laughed nervously, and asked her to tell him how she knew…but she just kept saying that it is a small world.  Hah.  Finally, he was able to get it out of her that she had lunch there on Monday herself, and Satsuki-san and Mitsui-san were talking about the party. 

  So, there are two things to point out by this happening.  One, we are being seen and kept track of by the locals.  This street used to be beautiful, with lots of little restaurants and shops and movie theaters.  Now, there’s nothing really here, just remnants of great places.  Taka said that he is excited to think that, if just one of the people we have contact with here became a believer, it could be a domino effect along the whole street!  Two, we are being seen and kept track of by the locals.  What a responsibility!  It’s kind of scary to think that our actions and everything are being scrutinized.  I pray that God will help us keep our reputation secure and that our lives would be salt, making the people around us thirsty for God. 

  Also, I had a really nice conversation with Nakayama-san after our class on Tuesday.  I was asking her what she thinks about the women in the class and where they are spiritually.  She said that Mika is searching and very curious.  Tomoko is hard to figure, but she’s a very sweet woman.  Reiko-san is pretty much how Nakayama-san was before she got saved.  Nakayama-san was a teacher for tea ceremony.  But she really liked American and British stories and movies.  Often, she would find the Bible or Christian events quoted in the stories, and she wanted to know what the stories were, since they were so popular in western culture.  So, she began going to a Bible study, by Pastor Tony.  After a while, she began to think that this was real, that God was real.  But she couldn’t get past Genesis 1&2, where it says that God made the whole world in only 6 days.  It was beyond her understanding, she had always believed in evolution.  So she prayed to God that if He was real, He would show her that it was true.  After a few weeks, she realized that it was true, He was Almighty God after all.  But then she was afraid because her husband and mother-in-law hated Christians.  She struggled with what her life would be like afterwards.  But one day in Bible Study, she felt Jesus behind her and put his hand on her back, nudging her to go talk to Tony about becoming a Christian.  So she did, and she believed.  Shortly after, her husband got cancer and was in the hospital for a long time.  I asked if her husband ever became a believer, and she said she doesn’t know.  But in the hospital, she would pray and read the Bible to him.  She didn’t know what she should say, except to read the Bible.  After several months, her husband died, and things changed for her.  She has a daughter who lives close to the church in Kawanaka and a son who lives in Tokyo.  Both of them have basically told her that it’s ok for her to be a Christian, but they don’t want her to talk to them about it.  Please keep her children in your prayers.  I have been so blessed to be in a family where most of the members are Christian.  I can’t imagine how hard it would be to be the only Christian in a family where most are agnostic, apathetic, or Buddhist.  Thanks!

Today was a pretty good day.  I am, by nature, an introvert…so when Monday rolls around, I use the day to recharge my personal batteries from the eventful weekends, and prepare myself for the next week.  I know, I know…you’re thinking…um, Sarah, you go to strange restaurants and just start talking to people on the street and stuff…you’re living in another country half-way around the world…how can you call yourself an introvert??  I know, I know…but I can only do that after diligent training, and proper R&R.  But anyways, I had a great day inside today (especially since it was raining all day today), and I did some lesson planning, some email replying, and some sewing.  I’m doing a cross-stitching pattern right now…but I also have “homework” that my yukata teacher gave me…I need to have it finished by Saturday.

  Besides all of that mundane stuff, the real action happened this evening.  Samantha (my coworker living here at the Center with me) has her birthday tomorrow (6/3), and my birthday is the 14th!!  So, Nakayama-san, the older Japanese woman who lives here at the Center with us too, decided to buy us dinner to celebrate.  Not just us, but she also invited our boss and brother, Taka, and his wife Aki.  The restaurant of choice was, of course, the beloved Brasserie Quixote!  It was a course dinner, I believe probably 4 courses and then dessert.  I was so suprised by what I was able to eat…some shrimp, and one whole course was soaked in vinegar wine…I managed through it!  Also, the main course was steak…and I did just fine…my teeth did feel funny afterwards, but I made it through…I think I needed the whole day of rest to prep myself for the dinner.  But it was all very delicious.  It’s not that I don’t like the taste of the food…it’s mostly texture that bothers me.

  Mitsui-san and Satsuki-san bought Samantha and I two clay cups made in Hagi, which is famous for its pottery.  It’s treasured by the Japanese, so it’s really wonderful that they bought the cups for us!  They also bought a really cute cake with strawberries on it.  So yummy.  It didn’t come with the course dinner, but it was special just for us.  Oh, and I forgot, when we walked to the door, there was a sign saying that the restaurant was reserved for a special party…ours!  🙂  Some people even called to see if they could come eat, and Mitsui said no because of a special reservation.  hehe.  So, for my birthday this year, a whole restaurant was reserved!  🙂  I’m attaching a link to a picture of Samantha and I with Mitsui-san.  The other Japanese regulars have begun to jokingly say that he is watashi-no nihhon chi chi, which means, my Japanese dad.  🙂  I’ll get a pic up of Satsuki-san soon!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2993640&l=8db95&id=500635206