my week. . .

. . .started off with meeting old friends in Osaka (ok, I have to admit that I don't really know everyone in this picture :-s) The girl beside me, Naoge used to be my student and drive me home every Tuesday night after classes -- somehow, despite my inability to speak any Japanese and her limited English, we managed to communicate amazingly well (we both know that is definitely a gift from God) and develop a friendship that still continues! The other girl beside me is Amberly, an MB missionary and English teacher working at that church now. Rika (the one in yellow) is also a good friend.
Back to my old stomping grounds. . . yeah, occassionally when I go back to Osaka to visit, I take a stroll in the neighbourhood where I used to live, just for "old times' sake". The apartment building was called "Minoh Garden Heights", where I lived for almost 11 months, 3 years ago. Walking around that area again brought back so many memories of going to station (either by bike, before it got impounded, or running, since I was always late for the train!), the older man who used to stand outside the post office, who would try to practice his English on us, trips to 7-11 (next door) and fireflies by the river nearby. It also made me realize how spacious it is here in Toyota -- in Minoh, most people have no yard at all, and in most cases it's one step from the street, through the gate, and straight in the front door!

This Wednesday was also the final Bible Study for the (school) year. I've been meeting with some teachers from the International Christian school Cambria and Trenton Hiebert attend. It's been such a rewarding and growing experience to meet together with others, communicate freely about the Bible, share songs and good food (potluck :-), and just have a night to hang out with North Americans!! (I should actually say "Americans", and a couple of Japanese -- out of the 15 or so of us, I'm the only Canadian!)

This is most of those who come to the group regularly, almost all teachers from the school. The guy in the red shirt is Justin, who has been teaching English this year in the Nagoya area with three different MB churches, so it's been neat to connect with him during these times too. He will be returning to California this August.
"Let's Cook!" We had a great time. . . but I do have to admit that maybe I didn't take things quite seriously enough. First of all, I didn't put "aprons" on "things to bring" list, but, true to form, 3 of the 4 women showed up "prepared". Once the aprons were donned, they stood in front of me (on the opposite side of the island in the middle) awaiting instructions from the "cooking expert"(?!) I did have the thought to at least translate and print the recipe (whew!), and got them to follow the recipe. I think they were a little uptight about the order of adding ingredients and doing things precisely (ie. using a knife to level things off when measuring!), but as we got into things, they realized that this cooking class used "about" measurements, and that the veggies for the soup could be cut whatever way they liked. . . After all, if they want "Canadian cooking", that's pretty "authentic Canadian", eh?! (Or at the least, makes for more working together, and less me trying to look like something I'm not -- ie. a pro!)

You always do wonder a little how things are going until the finished product is ready, and has reached your taste buds with at least (and hopefully a little more than) moderate satisfaction. I did kind of revel in the comments -- "Wow, this dressing goes so well with the spinach and raw apples. I would never have thought of this combination" or "I can't wait to make this lemon dessert for company and hear them say how good it is!" But, then again, like I told them, as long as you can read and follow a recipe, you're good to go. The woman on the far right used to attend my English classes, and the other three have kids in my kindergarten classes. It was so neat to be able to spend time together talking as adults (not just about the kids!), and getting to know one another. I'm excited about the opportunity to continue. . . and praying that some women from church will also be able to get involved (I really desire for this to be a place where relationships can be built. What a better way than over food?!)
My second bus tour -- yay!!! The "Japanese bus tour" is definitely a unique experience that will, in any case be memorable and, if you know what to expect and are free to just go along with the flow, can be a great cultural adventure. The day started at 7 am at the bus stop near my house (ok, it was supposed to be 7 -- for me it was 5 minutes later), and ended around 8:30 in the evening. I honestly can't say that we really saw that much (except from the windows of the bus), or that we didn't spend 3/4 of the time on the bus or at rest stops (every 45 minutes is apparently the extent of a Japanese bladder :-b), but we did travel quite a long ways (almost to Mt. Fuji -- we could see it from the bus), ate a lot of good food (including real ice cream from the farm -- :-D), enjoyed each others' company, and. . .
. . . went for "all-you-can-eat" cherry picking. That's right -- it's all the rage over here. Get a group of friends, join a bus tour or use your own car, and sign up for an all you can pick and eat "fruit of the season" excursion. Many of these, such as cherries, strawberries, and grapes are obviously popular, especially when buying a pack of cherries (about 30) in the store will cost you about $5. The trick is that you have a time limit (which, really, is a good thing, as I found out!), and you can't take any home. I was a little skeptical, but can tell you I've turned into a fan (especially since the three of us -- Kimie on left, and Junko in the middle -- found the most delicious tree in the whole greenhouse. . . and once again, my height came in handy -- apparently, cherries that get more sunlight taste the best!) Along the theme of "all-you-can-pick-and-eat" tours, though, I still have a bit of a hard time with the cabbage one. . . :-s
Today was a very exciting day!! During the church service, we had a prayer of dedication for little Wataru (my friend Chiharu's baby boy), and an engagement ceremony for a couple that started coming in the past few months. Yuuji (some of you may remember, the guy my age who has been undergoing treatment cince last fall, for depression, and things related to being a child of an alcoholic) also came to the service!!!! It was soo exciting to see him, and even though he is not returning yet, he seems to be doing much better. With God's help, he is gradually healing, and regaining confidence and the ability to return to a more normal, but healthy, lifestyle.
Every year Toyota Church has a Father's Day BBQ (a week early) out by the river. This year it was a different location than last year, which was a relief with the roof and tatami (straw mat) rooms, since it was raining! It was a good time to just visit casually, laugh together, and eat some good beef (and tandoori chicken that one woman in the church makes -- yum!)

The coals were burning MUCH better than during the youth camping trip (at several points, a little too hot!), so we could stand around the grill talking, put on meat, shrimp, squid, potatoes, and vegetables, and then take off the finished product, dip in sauce and eat. We also made fried noodles afterwards (you can see in this picture). It was neat to have the Kurokawas (the couple in the top middle of the picture) join us, as in about 2 weeks, they will be taking over leadership in the church for this next year. It was definitely a full week. . . but even as I recount these things, I realize I have so many blessings to be thankful for!