karisu

3 months later. . .

2007-10-12T23:07:00.001-05:00

I know it's been longer than that since I've posted on here, but I've kind of been counting time in regards to when I last saw Japan from my plane window and stepped onto Canadian soil (with a nice 20 hour "intermission" at the Chicago airport, but we won't go into that!!) Not sure either if anyone is still reading this, but it's a little like therapy, when you just need to share about something, get it out into that big vast open space. Funny how that works.

So, what has life "on this side" been like? It's been really good for me. It's been full of things to learn and feelings of loss, the joy of reconnection and moments of total confusion. Since I'm sure that's clarified things for you soo well, let me share a few specifics.

I think I've learned a lot about myself, and learned a lot from the people around me. I've had time to think (sometimes more than I want!!) and reflect on what it means to live in community with others. Life for me in Japan was pretty independent and pretty much consisted of things I wanted to do for myself. That's because for the most part, I loved all of the things I was doing there, and I had a lot of freedom. That was good, and I got to know a lot of really great people along the way. But I think it's good to learn how to live a little more interdependently. And now that I'm living with my family again, I've been taking a crash course. . . from some pretty great teachers! (This is "Canadian BBQ" I had with my students before I left)

Feelings of loss? Of a life that is more "normal" to me than anything in Canada. Of not knowing when I will reconnect with my church, students and friends out in Japan. Of a part of myself, to be honest. It's kind of like a grieving process, since you know things will never be the same. Everyone goes through it, many times in life, I'm sure. It's one of those bittersweet parts of life that makes moments and memories more special, because they are strength for the future.
(My 3 sweeties. . . love 'em like crazy!)

It has been awesome to "get to know" my family again. I haven't had too much time with friends yet, but I'm looking forward to that too. You don't even realize how disconnected you really are, when you aren't a part of "daily life". I have felt immense joy at seeing those who have been such a support to me during my time in Japan, at watching my niece grow in these 3 short months, talking and laughing with my dad and brother at meals inbetween shifts on the field, taking walks with my sister. . . There are so many little things that can bring joy when we seek them out. (My other little sweetie out here :-)

But this joy really goes much farther than that. . . as I learn how to reconnect with my Father. If you want to know about joy, He's absolutely full of it. I'm just trying to catch a little of what spills over. "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. . . Sing unto Him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise. For the word of the Lord is right; and all His works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and judgement: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. . . Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in Thee." Ps. 33 (KJV) (Ginko trees in autumn)

The moments of confusion are pretty natural, I guess, having experienced a complete shift in lifestyle, scenery, community, culture. . . and not knowing what's next, really. I don't worry about the future, but wonder more. It's exciting to think about, but a little harder when you're kind of unsure about who you are anymore -- Canadian? Japanese? neither? both? somewhere in the middle? (IKEA. . . in Japan -- thus begins the identity crisis! :-b)

I've come to the conclusion, though, that all of the things that we experience have a part in making us who we are. And, whether or not those around us understand exactly what those experiences were or not, we can be aware of and thankful for what they have shared with us, and their significance in our lives. It's easy to be focussed on myself, wanting to be heard and validated, but that's the same thing we all want.

What I'm saying is that, hopefully during the process, I will become more confident in who He is moudling me into, and able to recognize that work in others as well. God truly is at work all around, in hurting, carefree, anxious, caring and confused individuals. . . and isn't that all of us?! If it wasn't for hope. . .

it's beach time!!

2007-06-04T10:01:00.000-05:00

I went to the ocean with my hairdresser and his family the other day. They are incredibly sweet and kind people. I don't see them that often, but they always go out of their way for others, and think of fun things to do together.
So, I actually didn't know what to expect, since they just said we were going to the "sea". . . I took my swimsuit. They brought pics for prying shells off of rocks! :-b It was my first experience of hunting for shells, as in, the full kind! Having grown up right along the sea, Misao (right) knows about everything in the sea (well, at least it seemed that way to me). . . what you can eat (which is pretty much everything), what it looks like (from a standing position -- I couldn't even find them half the time squatting down) and how to prepare it (most of them you just dump in a big pot at home and boil). This is me with Marie (another girl who goes to the salon and I met through Misao and her husband) and Misao.
Maybe it's just prairie girls like me, but the ocean is fascinating. Everything is alive!! Everywhere you step and everything you see is like a new adventure of something mysterious and unknown. I feel like I'll see the ocean in a new way next time I go, though! Oh, in addition to shells, we also got one crab and quite a few "clumps" of seaweed. We boiled that up at home as well. . . definitely a new perspective! Anyone for some algae from Killarney Lake?! ;-)

We also stopped at a fresh fish market on the way home. . . and picked up this specimen. It was my second attempt at making fish myself (first was a piece of salmon), and I honestly do not know why it took me so long. Good does not say enough. . . it was delectable!! ;-) (I know you're proud of me mom and dad!)

Shikoku. . . here we come!! :-)

2007-06-04T09:12:00.000-05:00

. . . or went, as it is! (haha)
So, Chiaki and I left at 4 in the morning, and I thought we were making great time. . . that lasted until a little after 6, when we noticed the road had gotten "bumpy" really suddenly. . . and ended up standing out in the rain beside this emergency phone (ok, at least I had an excuse for not having an umbrella being "foreign", but you'd think that a Japanese would know better -- :-b) as we were warned it was too dangerous to sit in the car, while we waited for the JAF (Japan Automobile Federation) truck to come. The guy who came felt sorry for us and let us sit in the truck, while we watched (and took pictures of) him changing the tire. . . aah, what a start to the trip!!
After we got all the tires replaced, and took a ferry over to the island (Shikoku is the smallest of Japan's 4 main islands -- and it literally means 4 countries, as there are 4 prefectures on the island), we were pretty excited to explore. It was fun (well, at least most of the time) to just go wherever we wanted and find lots of interesting places along the way (I think at least half of our trip was those spontaneous stops!)
We finally found the entrance to this quaint little old Japanese village. . . how inviting!
And once we got "inside", there were these old-style buildings -- white-washed walls, with darkened wood and stone covering the lower half. . . tiled rooves, and ornaments decorating the ridgepole to protect the house. (Ok, I don't even know if we use ridgepole anymore, or if it's even a word to be quite honest, but that's what Anne of Green Gables says, so I'm going with it. . .)
Spontaneous excursion into the rice paddies to take pictures with the hundreds of flying carp streamers for Boys' Day. The ones in the front were made of fabric and decorated by kids. How cute! :-)
Day 2, after we left the place where we stayed for night, we drove along this river, and were completely awestruck by how gorgeous it all was (we arrived in the dark the night before, so had no idea what we'd missed!) The picture can't possibly do it justice, but the fresh new green, and the blue-green of the water. . .
And, as we turned onto the main road, and left the mountain and stream we had so enjoyed, we caught sight of. . . the ocean!! I just had to run in it, and the bus wasn't coming for another 20 minutes, so we pulled in at the bus stop, and ran down to the water. . . I was drenched from waist down, but it felt so good!

This is a "guide book" stop -- a suspension bridge made entirely of vines, which you can see in the background, behind Chiaki. It was neat to see for ourselves but, being a tourist spot, there were a lot of people, so in the end, we opted to just watch everyone grasping the sides as they treaded across!
Aaa - aeaea - aaah!!
How would you put Tarzan's holler / call / trademark "sound" into words?!

Apparently the oldest hot springs in Japan, we had fun walking around by "Dogo-Onsen". The atmosphere definitely made it special. . . people walking around in yukatas and geta (the casual cotton kimono and sandals), outdoor concert, and lighting around this hundred-some year old building. It was like walking in history, imagining how the Emperor and his family used to come here, and be entertained in some of the upper rooms. . .
Shikoku is maybe most well-known for "O'Henro". This is a spiritual pilgrimage to 88 Buddhist temples on the island of Shikoku, which has been continued on for hundreds of years by those apparently seeking spiritual clarity and enlightenment. These days, instead of walking, many people take bus tours to representative temples among the 88, or work on it a little at a time. We saw quite a few of these white-clad pilgrimers, donning a straw hat, and walking stick, along our travels.

where to start?

2007-06-04T08:51:00.000-05:00

Hey! Sorry. . . I do apologize for the lack of "communication" lately. I'll try and give you a quick idea of what I've been up to lately. It's definitely been a fun month, one of many opportunities, and a few realizations. So, here goes. . .
This is Sara and I. Sara is a British friend that I met when I lived in Osaka -- we went to a Bible study together at the International Church there, and I can't tell you how meaningful it has been to get to know her, and share together with her and Aya (a Japanese Canadian friend). It's amazing how God brings people together, and how you grow through / with each person you meet.
Having powdered green tea and sweets wrapped in leaves (you don't eat the leaf, at least this time ;-) while looking out onto the Japanese garden (sorry I don't have a shot of that for you!!)
I heard about this waterfall nearby, so we attempted to find it, asking people along the way, getting higher up into the mountains on skinnier and skinnier roads, and finally, there it was! :-) I'm sorry, but I do live in a very beautiful place here, I must say!
Carp streamers flying for Boys' Day on May 5th. Many families with boys put up these poles and string up these beautifully coloured windsocks. It's sometimes difficult to see them in the city, so it was neat to catch them flying here.
Isn't this neat? It was actually on our way to the waterfall. . . and I was just overwhelmed by the beauty of Japanese countryside, and the fact that there were surprises like this along the way. I have no idea what these buildings are used for, but the cliffs dropped into the river below, and it was so picturesque!

go team!

2007-04-26T08:53:00.000-05:00

So, here we are, the "cheerleading squad" for Shigeo Tsuzuki's election campaign. One of my students, Kenji, asked if I wanted to come and help out, and there was no question in my mind that it would be a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience. . . The student I'm with here is actually Kohey, one of Kenji's good friends.
I think this is such a classic picture -- makes me think of royalty, or Evita, or some other great address. . . the background is a little ironic, though. . .
Seriously, it's almost as deserted as the prairies. . . we got so excited when we actually saw someone outside that everyone started waving and Shigeo would go over, shake their hands, do a little PR, he even started playing catch with a little boy (what a guy!) Had to put this one in so you would catch the "sash" idea.
This is our group on a street corner, one guy reading out the campaign philosophy about how Shigeo is going to make this community a safer and better place for families, the sound pumping out of the little portable speaker (they had to do the announcement twice at this "intersection" to catch both directions ;-), and us yelling "Thank you for your support" in response to the little speech.
Making some connections -- just to justify the picture quality issue here. It wasn't really a "picture-taking" atmosphere, so these were all taken as I "inconspicuously" held my camera around my waist and tried to catch what was going on. . . :-s

Quite the experience, I must say -- the headbands have "Certain Win" written on them. They let me keep the band, not the jacket. . . Thanks for the memories Kenji, Kenji's dad, Kohey, and everyone else. . . and congratulations on making it as a Toyota city councillor. . . yours truly, the hippie in neon.

what's been happening these days

2007-04-17T10:05:00.000-05:00

So I couldn't resist -- the cherry blossoms are amazing!! I think they're "officially over" now, though, since it rained yesterday.
One of my students took me to this gorgeous "sakura-lined" road. . . walking under the veil of pink-flushed blossoms, and being showered on by the petals. It looked just like snow!
On Saturday I took a day trip with some students (my 2 Tuesday night classes). In Fall, we went to see some temples in Nara, and this time we headed out to Kyoto. This is a picture of us in front of the Byoudoin bridge, on the front of the Japanese 10 yen coin (see below).

So, for those of you who have seen "Sayuri" or heard of a Geisha, this is the young version (teenage girls), called "Maiko-san". The woman in front of the shop (where they do kimono dyeing) told us that we could have our picture taken with a "real Maiko". (I didn't really believe her, but after seeing the Maiko's wig, one of my students told me that the real ones always use their own hair -- obviously this is just some girl's part-time job!! :-b But, whatever, it's still pretty fun I think!)
And this was probably one of, if not the coolest part of the day -- we got to take a boat ride down the river. The area we went to is called "Arashiyama" and famous for the beautiful mountainsides and colours in Autumn. Being Spring, we didn't see any of the Fall leaves, but the mountains were still pretty with the bright green and little dashes of pink everywhere!
This is what we looked like!! :-D (ok, I don't even feel like it was real looking at this picture now.)
I'm still here until July just in case any of you have changed your minds about coming to visit! ;-)
The five of us -- me, Kimie, Kenji, Kohey (sorry :-s), and Junko.
I thought this was such a pretty scene that incorporates so many uniquely Japanese things. . . the tiles lining the edges of the rock garden, neatly raked rows of pebbles, the larger rocks and finely manicured pine trees set in to symbolize moutains and a mini "nature scene", and then bamboo and even a cherry blossom tree in the background.
We walked down a few streets from the river to find this bamboo trail. . .
It was kind of funny, because there were actually a lot of people on the trail, but there was kind of an unspoken "let's stop and take pictures" moment, where I got this shot! :-)
And, after all that walking. . . we took some time out at the "foot bath". It felt really good. . . kind of weird when you think about it, a bunch of people just start taking off their socks and shoes, sit down on the benches, and plunge their feet in to soak. But, a good custom none-the-less (a little less intimidating than the full body perhaps?!)
There is one other thing that I've wanted to share with all of you. I've mentioned about Kinuyo in several of my previous posts (we went for a picnic together a couple of weeks ago). Well, recently she came to the seminar that we had at church, and it seemed like there was something that really resonated with her inside (the Holy Spirit, no doubt), and since then she has been really interested in learning more about the Bible. It's something that has been a great encouragement to me, not that I've done anything, but about how God is maybe just reminding me to trust that He knows what He's doing. May God be glorified!!!
I will fill you in more next time I send out a letter to all of you. Have a lovely day!

will I never learn?!??

2007-04-10T10:01:00.000-05:00

Yes, this is Karis. . . the freaking GIANT!! :-s I get so used to the height difference that I don't really notice until I look at the pictures afterwards. . . Hopefully this will be a lesson for next time (to get as far away from the camera as possible!!) This is in a Japanese garden I went to with one of my classes last week.
And this is our lunch. . . notice the "menu" on the plate. There were about 20 different kinds of food (albeit mostly "bite-sized" or smaller), each with it's own distinct flavour, texture, and arranged artistically using tiny little ceramic dishes, a long wooden tray, and accentuated by these coloured "wire cords" in the middle. It was the "special dish" for Girls' Day (you're probably vaguely remembering me mentioning this in a previous post -- this time it's according to the lunar calendar. . . making the most of it!!). . . and they "sucked us in" by saying that it was the only day they were serving this fancy lunch. How lucky! ;-) I have never eaten such elaborate and refined cuisine in my whole life as in this country! (It was not only beautiful-looking, but delicious too!)
Everything is NEW!!! A Japanese maple in the garden, it's branches emerging with fresh green!
A couple of pictures from the Kids' Easter party at church last Saturday afternoon. It was mostly the kids from church, and 2 of my students came with their little sister. It was fun to hang out, sing some songs, play games (musical chairs :-), have an egg hunt, and talk about the love that Jesus came to give us. . . the "missing piece" if we don't have Him in our hearts.
Amazing how you end up seeing things in a new way, or realizing something simple you'd never thought about before when you get the chance (or have to ;-) teach it. I always think it would be great if something that I said might stick in the kids' hearts and stay with them no matter what the future has to hold or the experiences they will encounter. But, really, maybe the one I need to remember is me, that I will let those simple truths just soak into my being. . .

Easter reflections. . .

2007-04-08T08:13:00.000-05:00

Two of my young students (5 year old girl and her 7 year old brother) lost their grandmother a couple of weeks ago. I have also gotten to know their mother, through talking after English class and meeting at the cooking group, so I decided to attend the “wake”, a service held the evening before the funeral. It was the first time I had been to a Buddhist ceremony, and it was quite an experience for me. I had never met Mrs. Kobabayashi, but seeing her picture at the front of the room, surrounded by nearly 30 huge vases full of colourful flowers, impressed on me the sadness this family must be experiencing, and especially the mom of my two students, who had cared for her mother continuously over the past 6 months. She was only 58 years old.
The wake consisted primarily of a Buddhist priest reading chants out of the Buddhist scriptures (o’kyou) and those in attendance each taking a turn bowing to the family, the deceased and offering small incense beads into the ashes held in several containers at the front of the hall. The priest also gave a short address, talking about how Mrs. Kobayashi had now joined the “anscestors”, whom are to be revered, appeased and “worshipped” in Japanese society. He said that if those who are left are faithful in living a “good” life, and show respect for the anscestors by "praying" before their household altars, that these anscestors who are watching from a “higher” place will watch over and provide for them.

Today in church, a woman who used to be a Buddhist nun gave the message. She devoted her life to learning about the Buddhist scriptures and working towards "enlightenment". When she was in her 40s, problems in her marriage led her to seek out the church nearby, and it was when she first read the Bible that she realized that there was no certainty in any of the things that she had learned in Buddhism. It is a constant desiring after humanly conceived ideals, and there is no reassurance of anything. Only in the Bible did she find a certainty of God's love, salvation and the promise of One who would walk beside her through anything.

What an awesome story God has given us -- knowledge of the Truth, and a hope that goes beyond just today. . .

Today and forever may we celebrate our God. . . who LIVES. . . in us!!

for your viewing pleasure. . .

2007-04-05T09:19:00.000-05:00

A few pieces of English I found in the train station on my way back from Osaka this weekend. . . in case you're wondering, no, there is no "trick" to "getting" the English. . . it's supposed to not make sense?!?
I basically consider it a "fun bonus" for foreigners here. . . you know, on those days when the culture is really "getting to" you. . . and just need something to lighten things up. . . works every time!
This is not my order, by the way -- visited a little town along the ocean with a friend, and when you're by the ocean, there's nothing better than. . . raw fish, fish eggs, seaweed and other random things from the sea on rice, right?!
A train (ie. regular city train -- basically like our "buses" if you can dare compare the two) I was on in Osaka this weekend -- TV screens in the middle telling you exactly where you are, and advertising mascara or something like that on the right. . . (I keep trying to "fool" the ticket machine at the gates, by putting in my train card upside down or backwards, but it always manages to figure things out and correctly prints out the amount I have left on the card -- the price from station to station is different for almost every stop and this is automatically calculated by electronic info on the ticket or card and printed in a matter of nanoseconds. . .) This country never ceases to amaze and boggle me!

time for an update?!

2007-04-05T08:39:00.000-05:00

So, after a "little break", I'm back. . . and it's cherry blossom season again (could there be a better time to "be back" in the blogging world?!) And cherry blossoms (sakura) means festival (matsuri) time. . . with all the little vendors lining the walkways selling everything from grilled corn-on-the-cob, to fish shaped "pancakes" filled with cream or sweet red beans, to chocolate bananas to fried noodles, fried balls with huge chunks of octopus. . . and sticks skewered with beef, chicken or. . .
squid!! (hungry anyone?!)
Today was absolutely the perfect day for seeing the blossoms -- they say "mankai" here and it literally means "full, to the point of brimming over" and "open". . . And that's exactly what we enjoyed, as the breeze gently blew among the white fluffs of blossom above, and showered down delicate petals onto the ground below. God must have known how the Japanese would cherish his gorgeous "sakura". :-)
Here's our lunch spot -- we each brought a few different foods from home, sat on the "Kitty-chan leisure sheet" (ie. plastic tarp with cute Hello Kitty cartoon motif on it), pulled out "my hashi" (a set of chopsticks that I got as a present a couple of weeks ago -- they have my name engraved, and the purpose is to reduce waste by not using disposable chopsticks -- smart, eh?), and enjoyed our little picnic together. This is Kinuyo, an English student and friend.
Tourists in a sight-seeing boat out to see the cherry blossoms lining the riverside. I think it's so neat how they purposefully plant cherry trees in parks, and along river and road sides for people to enjoy. Happy Spring everyone!

girls' day

2007-03-03T08:59:00.000-06:00

Today is the "Hina Matsuri", literally Empress' Festival, in Japan. For the month of February, most, if not all, homes with a daughter put out these dolls on display steps in their homes. The top level holds the emperor and empress, next are the three court servants (women), third are the musicians, each with different instruments, the next level contains 2 government officials also responsible for the protection of the royal couple, the three on the next step are like porters to move all of the luggage on the the bottom step to and from place to place. :-O This display is often bought by the grandparents when a little girl is born, and usually costs around $2000, but can be up to $10,000 (according to a website I found).
Since the traditional set is expensive, and takes up a lot of space (they often use one whole room just for that purpose), many people nowadays are buying just the emperor and empress dolls, or a small 2-tiered set. There are all different kinds of these dolls, made from everything from shells or clay, to wood or paper, and during this time of year you can go to quite a few different shops, museums and houses to see these displays.

And here are two very important people in my life. . . Hikaru and Moe. Tonight I went over to their house for supper, and we celebrated with a cake their grandma had sent (by mail, amazing, eh? Sending gifts by mail is so popular here that they have special trucks with places to keep frozen, fridge and warm foods at the right temperature) I love spending time with these two, their litte brother, Wataru and parents. It's amazing to see how the kids have grown up since I first lived with their family 2 years ago. Tonight their mom, Chiharu, and I were upstairs putting the kids to bed and Moe asked if I could live there. . . How sweet!! :-)
Just a shot of the cake -- if you don't think Japanese people are detailed. . . This came "disassembled" and in a bag, and we had to put it together before the "candle-blowing" happened.
So for all you girls out there -- take today to celebrate being a female! :-D

spring has come. . . :-)

2007-02-28T08:08:00.000-06:00

Well, not that we ever really had "winter" here -- seriously, it's been so warm here. Last year I remember my feet freezing under my desk while I tried to work on the computer. This year not only is it a lot nicer, but I've gotten smarter and moved my computer to the table, and type while sitting on the hot carpet. (Why didn't I think of this last year?!)
I went to this park on Monday afternoon. I heard about it from a friend at church. She said it was tucked into a residential area, but gave me directions, and true to the Japanese love for nature, there were a lot of people there!!
And it was soo beautiful!! I know the cherry blossoms are famous here, and they are really incredible, I really enjoy the plum blossoms as well. For one thing, the fact that they bloom already in February is pretty exciting for a Manitoban. . .
. . . and they smell soo wonderful!! Seriously, I want to wear a necklace of them, or find some way to "bottle" the smell so I can carry it with me. Reminds me of when I was younger and the lilacs out behind my house. Those things are potent!! :-)
There were all different colours and kinds of trees, including the weeping plum trees.
Japanese people often enjoy picnics under the blossoms. I thought it was neat how this playground is completely surrounded by the flowering trees!

Since Japanese people love nature so much, things like stationary, traditional desserts and even ads use themes from nature. This picture reminds me of the way plum blossoms are often drawn in pictures, or on pottery.

Recently I've been trying to read a Psalm in the morning to focus my mind on praising God -- and to remind me just how AMAZING He is. This morning I read,
"Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." Ps. 28:6-7

May He be the joy of our hearts and the strength we rely on, as we trust in Him.

it's bus tour time!!

2007-02-17T07:44:00.000-06:00

For any of you who enjoyed reading about the previous episodes (ie. cherry blossom viewing and all-you-can-eat-cherry-picking), we are on the road again. Sit back, relax in the comfort of your seat, and join the adventures of (l-r) Kimie, Kazuko and I. . . on a "marathon" to experience the culinary pleasures of Ise (city about 2 hours from here). Japan is famous for having special local foods pretty much anywhere -- they're good at creating (using fresh foods from the area -- mountains, sea, etc.), induldging in and making conversation surrounding these "meibutsu" (special foods).
7:05 -- leave my house 7:40 -- tour leaves from near Toyota station
1st stop 9:10 (ie. breakfast) -- sushi -- the fish, and the other is a salted leaf with sushi rice and sesame inside (the pink stuff is pickled ginger -- I've given up on Japanese pickles, though :-s )
2nd stop 10:10 (ie. morning snack) -- we "boarded" this ship and sat down for. . .
these delectable shells -- couldn't tell you the names, but quite the display, eh?
Spotted these plum blossoms at the 2nd place -- it's lovely to have flowers in February (though it is much earlier than usual this year!!) Everyone is already in "spring mode" here. . . I can live with that! ;-)

3rd stop 11:15 (ie. lunch) top l clockwise -- raw tuna fish on sushi rice / shells, shrimp and vegetables in broth (heated from below) / Ise noodles (homemade -- fat and really good in winter!)
We visited the Ise Shrine -- the "top" shrine in all of Japan, and therefore a huge tourist attraction. At the top of these stairs, there is an area where people can stand before another gate, drop some moeny into a box, clap their hands together, and send up a wish or "prayer" for health, safety or any other personal desire.
This week in class, one of my students said that what most Japanese claim as "religion" isn't the same as a "faith" like mine. . . she said it's almost like feeling they must recognize their "responsibility" to honour their anscestors by carrying on the family traditions and participating in the rituals of Buddhism. Something that's common for the majority of Japanese people, I believe.
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. . . He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. . . . God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though he is not far from each one of us." Acts 17:24,5,7
The God of the Bible doesn' t live in places on this earth that we honour and worship, He lives in human hearts, in us!! Please pray for the freedom of God's truth to break through like a wave over the country of Japan. . . and that the Japanese would know the true purpose and meaning of their lives!
4th stop 2:30 (ie. afternoon snack) "All-you-can-eat-strawberry-picking" (not like we really needed the "all-you-can-eat" part today, but you gotta get your money's worth ;-s) Anyways, we took bets on how many we could eat before leaving the bus -- the other two thought "at least 30", and I was betting on 40-50. The results? (l-r) Kazuko -- 32 (mostly small, so she could make it to 30!), Kimie -- 40, and me -- 42 (I couldn't lose to Kimie ;-), and the 41st wasn't very sweet, so. . . after 20, though, you start feeling your stomach!!)

5th stop 3:15 (ie. supper?!?) BBQ with meat, cabbage, and eggplant Considering that this was a mere 1/2 an hour after I'd eaten my 42nd strawberry, it was basically not so much a "oh, that looks good" as a "well, we've only got 1/2 an hour, so better get on with the grilling" (which you do in the middle of your table) How do you like the "bibs"?!
6th (and thankfully LAST) stop 4:15 Rice topped with small shells and seaweed -- over which you pour a broth, and eat kind of like soup. It was good, I think. . . ;-)
So, I am officially an "expert" on the foods of Ise, I guess. I am definitely full, but it was all really good, actually, and nice to spend time with Kimie and Kazuko. They have both been coming to classes since I started here almost 2 years ago, and I have appreciated each of them a great deal. So, maybe I can organize a tour of Boissevain for Spring 2008?! (Better get working on those "meibutsu". . . ;-)

"Indo kareh"

2007-02-16T08:16:00.000-06:00

(that's "code" for Indian curry. . .) One of the families from church spent 4 years in India, and so I asked Keiko if she could lead the cooking class this month and teach us how to make curry. We made chicken curry, yogurt salad, flavoured rice with peas in it, and tandoori chicken. I had no idea how to make Indian curry, since at home we used tomato soup, and in Japan they use a flavour block that already has the thickening "built in".
Guess what it is in Indian curry?? (we didn't use any flour or cornstarch) -- onions!!! Yeah, we cut about 4 big ones into chunks, and fried on high for about 1/2 an hour until they had browned and shrunk down into almost nothing -- and then started adding the spices (pretty, eh?), chicken, yogurt and tomatoes. Fry another 1/2 hour and then add some water and there you have it. I was impressed, and let me tell you, the authentic stuff made from scratch may take a lot of time, but it's worth it!
Keiko, on right, with Kumiko (the pastor's wife)
Everyone at the cooking class this time. It was a really small group since the flu has been going around. . . and almost all of the kids in my kindergarten class are going into grade 1 next year (no, it's not a pass-fail thing, but the kids here usually go for 2 years, sometimes 3, and kindergarten is totally unconnected to "school") So, those mothers all had a meeting at the school that day, which was too bad!! Kaori, the woman in the orange came for the first time, even though Tomoko from church, who invited her, couldn't make it. So that was neat and hopefully she keeps coming!
This afternoon, I had the chance to talk to a group of grade 6 kids about. . . Canada and Canadian "culture". They had come to ask for volunteers at the Japanese class I'm taking. . . and at first I thought they just wanted someone to answer questions for the kids so I agreed. . . it was only after I was "hooked in" that I realized it was a presentation! But, it was a lot of fun, and a good experience -- the kids had done some research on their own, and I even found out a few things I didn't know about our country!! ;-)
I was a little worried about not having anything to talk about (the other two women going were from Korea and Taiwan -- must be nice to have traditional culture, I thought!). But, I tried to introduce the idea to them about Candian culture being a whole bunch of different cultures existing and interacting together (ok, well, I couldn't say things quite as eloquently as that, but you get the idea!) In a country where there aren't many days when I'm not looked at wonderingly, or don't hear comments about English, or "look at the foreigner" "is she ever tall!", these kids have no idea about what a "German Canadian" or "Chinese Canadian" or an "East Indian Canadian" is. Here is pretty clear-cut who's a foreigner, well, at least the white ones, which really make up a small minority of foreigners. Out of the one percent of so of the population that is foreign, the majority are Chinese and Korean.
Makes me realize that even though we may not have the "distinct identity" of the same language and way of life, or may not have specific clothing and arts that have been carefully passed down from generation to generation, we have a richness and uniqueness that we can only fully appreciate by valuing our own culture and that of those around us.
They asked us to teach the kids a game or song in English too, so we did "Shake a Friend's Hand" -- I added in "Give a high 5" and "Link a friend's arm" ;-) and played "Red Rover". The game didn't go quite as well as I hoped (they weren't quite as serious about it as I used to remember being in elementary. . .), but fun, nonetheless!
I think it's neat how they want to introduce the kids to other cultures to try and promote understanding and acceptance. . . something we can all learn!

I love you more than applesauce

2007-02-13T08:07:00.000-06:00

I love you more than applesauce,
Than peaches and a plum,
Than chocolate hearts and cherry tarts,
And berry bubblegum.

I love you more than marzipan,
Than marmalade on toast,
Oh I love pies of any size,
But I love you the most!

*Jack Prelutsky*

and my version. . .

I love you more than lazy summer days,
Than pineapple and strawberries in fondue,
Than getting mail and hiking a trail,
And rowing in a canoe.

I love you more than music or dancing,
Than a good-old weiner roast,
Oh I love mochi and azuki beans,
But I love you the most!

(FYI "mochi" is a soft, gooey rice "cake" that is often eaten with azuki beans that have been softened, sweetened, and formed into a paste -- all I can say is "YUM!!")

I used this poem with some of my classes this week and got them to write their own original poems. I was soo impressed with the things they came up with -- like themes on nature, animals, romance, food, Korean TV dramas, sports, alcohol (that was a 45 year old woman). . . It might seem hard at first, but once you get going it's hard to narrow things down. Let me know what you create!
Sending my love to you, my dear friends and family, this Valentine's! We love because we have been loved. Thanks for being you -- I love you.

I'd never thought about that before. . .

2007-01-30T09:36:00.000-06:00

So, today in class one of my students asked me "how do you get a signature?" Hmm. . . I remember practicing when I was little, and thinking I needed a "messier signature", but "making" one?!
Guess it makes sense, though, when you come from a country that requires registered "name stamps" which are used in place of a signature on official documents. Less chance of forgery maybe, but can be dangerous if it gets into the wrong hands.
Just thought that was interesting. . . can't take our "John Henry" for granted!

2007-01-29T08:52:00.000-06:00

"Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings." Psalm 61:1-4
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." II Corinthians 2:14-15
I just got home from Osaka tonight. We had a missionary get-together over the weekend, and it was an incredibly encouraging time. It's also likely the last time we will be together before Doris (Goertz) -- far right -- leaves to go back to Canada in May. :_-( We spent time sharing how we've been experiencing God in our lives recently, and had a prayer concert together. It was amazing to see and feel God moving in our hearts, and awakening us to the truth of our need to PRAISE and OFFER THANKSGIVING to God. . . and how our hearts just break for those around us to know the TRUTH. I felt God saying to me "If you want them to know me, you need to know me".
My prayer is that we, that I, above any other desire in ministry or life, would desire to know God. I feel that's what He's calling us to -- to be a beautiful, intoxicating aroma to our great God, our reason for living. May that fragrance permeate the heavens, and the skies that are proclaiming His glory around us every moment of every single day. What a wonderful God we serve.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." Psalm 19:1-4

Peace, Hope, Joy

2007-01-11T06:51:00.000-06:00

There is a display board in front of the church, and I was responsible for the December display. These words were written across the top, and under the picture of baby Jesus and His parents, the verse " 'She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' -- which means 'God with us' " Mt. 1:23 Whenever I have the chance to write the words of Scripture, with a brush and some paint during my calligraphy lessons, it seems such an honour. My writing is definitely not eloquent, but the words of our God are, and that can make anything beautiful, right?
The "male chorus" on Christmas Eve during the service. They spent the months of November and December gathering around the piano, and trying to "shroud" their activities in secrecy. It was so neat to see them leading us in worship when it came time for the "unveiling".
It seemed like so long since we'd had a potluck, and it was soo good! A bunch of families that don't usually come, and husbands of women in the church also came, which was exciting.
"Talent show" -- Pastor Kurokawa got this brain wave that we should have time on the 24th in the afternoon for those in the church to share their "hidden abilities". The kids did a Christmas song, the newly married young couple in the church sang a duet, another Philipine woman sang "Amazing Grace" and, due to the fact that Chiharu informed the pastor that I had played flute in Spring :-s, I played "O Holy Night". It was a good time.
We were at church all day on the 24th -- this is the evening Candlelight service, and the 6 readers who had the parts of narrators, Mary, the angel, etc. It's a short service that is repeated every year, but it's good to hear the story, and sing the songs, and to know that God speaks to hearts. . . and will keep speaking even after the service is over.
I bought this in Shanghai at one of the markets we walked through. I thought it was cute, and interesting, and something I could wear often for teaching and stuff. . . I still think the first two are true, the last, well, after about 20 minutes working on the buttons (the one right in the armpit almost did me in), I might be reconsidering that! ;-)
This was the little "skit" that we did for the kids on Christmas Day during the "Kizzu Kurisumasu Paatei" (got that?) 4 people from church were stuck in the baptismal tank moving the characters around with disposable chopsticks attached to the back, in time with a voice recording we had made earlier. The story was interspersed with singing. Afterwards, we played games and made Christmas trees out of cake. . . :-)
So in Japan, there's apparently a saying that whatever you did at New Year's reflects on the rest of the year. Well, this is it! I hope it's true that this year will be filled with fun and friendship.

I just had to take this picture of Sara (British), Aya (Japanese Canadian) and I on the train at 3 in the morning. (I met both of them at the Osaka International Church Bible study I used to go to.) The trains usually don't run through the night, only on New Year's Eve, so it was pretty neat to experience that. (I was surprised at how many "old people" there were too -- not meant to be disrespectful -- I think a lot of them were on their way to visit a Shinto shrine -- they have a special custom and word here to designate the first visit to a shrine of the New Year. They go to "pray" or "wish" for the health of family, happiness, safety, etc.)

After I got back to Toyota on New Year's morning, I spent the week doing a lot of relaxing, a little organizing pictures, getting together with friends and students, and cleaning (it's tradition here to do the big cleaning of the year at the very end of the year, so that everything is clean and fresh for the first. I started my cleaning on the first, which is incomprehensible for most Japanese, I think. Just reaffirming my "foreign" status, in case I forgot, I guess! When I was here 4 years ago for New Year's, I was out walking around on the 31st in the evening, and saw a man out cleaning his shop windows -- gotta get it done before midnight!!). It was really great to have some "down time" to relax.
On the second, Chiaki brought me "o-sechi ryouri", special foods that are prepared for and eating during the New Year days (1st to 3rd). Her and her mom made most of these dishes, which are eaten cold to save the women from having to work during the holidays, each of which has a special meaning. For example, in the left box on the right side, the yellow is fish eggs, which are a wish for "good multiplication" in the family, above that, the green is rolled seaweed, a word that sounds like the word for "happiness" and "celebration", the black beans in the middle left on the next box represent the desire to live a hard-working and conscientious life (the word "mame" has both meanings -- bean, and conscientious). She brought this all to me in the little black decorative box, which stacks up to make two layers, along with a traditional drink that "doesn't taste good, but just drink it because it's tradition" and chopsticks wrapped in paper with a special celebratory Chinese character on it (same as the seaweed rolls). I thought it was so sweet of her. I have to admit that there are really only a very few of the New Year's foods I actually enjoy eating, but it was neat to be able to participate in this custom.
Today, as an official end to New Year's, families eat the rice cakes they have used to decorate their homes -- grill them, put them on top of red bean soup, and enjoy! And that part of New Year's is something I definitely have no problems participating in, because I love that soup!! So, anyone wanna hang out with me next year for New Year's to celebrate "Japanese-style"?!

so I promised more pictures. . .

2007-01-04T05:49:00.000-06:00

we're back in Shanghai here. . . with the major mode of transporting goods, it seems, as being the bicycle!! I was constantly amazed at how much they seemed to be able to stack onto those things, and get around in the crazy traffic! Junko and I actually took in the Shanghai "circus", a show of Chinese flexibility (women who could bend in completely unnatural positions and form creations out of their bodies), juggling hats, balancing plates on the top of wire sticks, jumping through metal rings, up to 10 women riding on one bike at the same time, and 5 guys on motorbikes in a metal cage on stage, 4 riding horizontally, and one vertically (I almost couldn't watch. . . :-s)
One morning, while Junko was having her pictures taken at a studio where you can put on a China dress, and have your make-up and hair done, I took a walk around the neighbourhood. (briefly considered getting my picture taken too, but figured the hair pieces wouldn't blend too well, and the thought of time by myself to explore was just way too exciting!) After having spent nearly 2 days in mainly "tourist attractions" and eating at famous and/or classy places, I was ready to just see a bit of "normal China" -- the one that the real people live in. It was probably the best part of the trip for me. Just blocks away from the brand name shops and department stores is a different world, where the people live in tiny, dark and dirty dwellings along the alleyways. Felt a little like I was "prying" with my nice warm clothes, and camera in hand. . . it's different to see it in real life and not pictures in a magazine. I caught this shot of a grandpa with his prized little one. Because of the only-child law, you sure don't see many children relative to the whole population.
The Chinese garden we visited was almost too much for words -- spectacular little angled bridges running over the carp-filled ponds, roof-ends twisting up to the sky, the ruddy colours mixed with stone, tile, dragon head statues and unique round doorways and windows to peek into such a fascinating little world.
The first night we had supper in this area -- full of shops housed in buildings created in the traditional Chinese style. It was a beautiful place to be, especially at night, as we enjoyed our steamed Chinese meat buns, butter fried spinach, shrimp and pepper dish, fried rice. . .
At the end of the walk through a small market area, we were met by this pretty surprise!

Christmas over, the New Year yet to come. . .

2006-12-28T10:02:00.000-06:00

We had our Kids' Christmas Party at the church on Christmas Day. It was a lot of work, but it was soo neat to see everyone working together. Seriously, it felt like the others from the church who were involved were making it "theirs", and not just "doing what they had to". From creating the "characters" for Mary and the wisemen, recording voices, and putting it all together with music, as well as other preparations on the day of, I felt blessed not only by the event itself, but also the fact that I sense growth in that area in our church. Growth in being a body, one body! I was getting a bit discouraged about how easy it is for divisions and misunderstandings to happen, especially between those who have been in the church a long time, and newer people, as well as between cultures. So, that made me especially excited. . . and realize that I can't help but give thanks to God for that!! Oh yeah, there were also 47 kids there, which is huge!! For the kids' club, we had up to 30 last year, nearer 20 this year, but almost all of my English kids came, and a lot from summer. A lot of them also came with their parents (mostly moms), so it was really great for them all to see the Christmas story unfold before them in words and music, and then play some games and create "Christmas tree cakes" (cut cake in cubes, cement together with whip cream into the tree shape, roughly, and cover with colourful candies -- and it tasted good too. I recommend it!) May the words of Jesus' love speak for themselves (and hopefully that includes using us!) Thanks for being so great God :-)
Today I'm in Osaka. It feels like a really loong time since I've been here. It's really good.
I can't even say how blessed I feel with the friendships that God has given me here, and the fact that after those first 10 months in Osaka, I thought I might never be back, and now here I am, with the chance to enjoy, be encouraged by, and hopefully encourage those very friends. Tonight Fusae (I call her my Japanese mom -- I've known her now for 4 1/2 years, and she truly has been a huge encouragement and support to me -- When I come here, I come "home" to visit!) said that she remembered when I was about to leave Osaka after teaching for a year, and how I cried during that last meeting. I felt like I was going to fall apart when I had to say good-bye to her. I didn't know it at the time, but she said that she had expected I would be much more "put-together" and not so emotional about the parting. When she saw those tears, it made her feel that Japan and the people really had become special to me, and that seemed to impact her deeply. I myself hadn't even realized at the time how much I had grown to love Japan and the people I had met. . . and how much I would miss everything.
I've been thinking a lot about the fact that I have a limited time left here. Well, it is still 6 months, but the way these past (almost) 2 years have gone, I have no doubt it will feel very short. Thinking about leaving is almost too much at times. Though I obviously will and can never feel completely "at home" here, I have felt such a sense of belonging here, and it's hard to think about that fading into a memory. Who knows if or when I will be back, but I pray that I will be able to cherish the memories, look forward to the hope that I know God has planned, and, most of all, to enjoy the moment. (And I have to say, there are definitely a lot of "things" -- mostly people ;-) -- that I'm looking forward to!)
After graduating from high school, I think we all realize that life is much deeper and more "raw" than we could have imagined. I think feeling deeper is harder, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

just a sneak peak!

2006-12-19T09:21:00.000-06:00

"Nihau" -- from Shanghai! Yeah, just took a little "weekend-trip" across the Japan Sea to have a look around this city of 17 million (give or take). . . and what a trip it was!! It was absolutely fascinating to see (what little I could in that time) a tiny bit of where the culture resembles, and also how completely different it is from Japanese society. There were other places where it reminded me of home too. . .
This is a picture of the "new Shanghai" a view across the big river that runs through the city. The big tower with the bubbles (Oriental Pearl Tower) is a look-out tower that we also went up, and a very small segment of the rows of skyscrapers lining the horizon. The downtown is packed with them, and new ones being built like crazy. Glass covered concete masses reaching up into infinity, and cranes everywhere you look -- soon the tallest tower in the world will be completed here -- somewhere over the 500 metre tall one in Taipei. Amazing, eh?
A night view -- these pictures were taken from "Old Shanghai" on the opposite side of the river, an area filled with buildings of historical significance from a city with a long and colourful past. Apparently before the war, there were many more foreigners living here, especially British and French, than there are now.
The city definitely spends a lot on lighting for their buildings, driving through downtown was amazing as almost everywhere was lit up, and you could see huge advertisements flashing across the sides of buildings. You can also see the night cruise ship taking in the view. There are so many people who frequent this riverside walk that they are making the most of it, and during the afternoon we saw a ship with a HUGE plasma screen, we're talking 50 meters across, showing the latest cell phone ad. . . the cutting edge technology was amazing!
There are two very different perspectives of this city -- looking up, it is a city of the future, one in which humans almost don't even "belong", and when you look down, you are brought back to the stark reality of daily life. Life of transportation, by bike, motorbike, cars, buses, and all of those weaving their way in what at first seems to be complete chaos, but when you look close enough, you can see how everyone knows their place in the system, plays by the rules and it works, in an uncanny way. Since, according to our guide, Shanghai drivers hate stopping (well, that's probably universal, but exaggerated a bit more here), it is amazing how they will cut in between groups of people crossing the street, and wedge their way past slower cars. Lane markings, and especially turning lanes seem to have no meaning in most cases. Pretty fascinating to watch our driver -- you could tell he was experienced!
A visit to what we hear is one of the most famous sights in Shanghai. This traditional garden was filled with walls, small doorways and buildings in the traditional Chinese style with tiled roof, and spires bending upwards on the corners. The red colour, combined with the shapes, small bridges over the water, and rocks set in the garden brought out the beauty of Chinese architechture. These round doorways are so neat!
Junko and I. Junko is one of my students -- it was her first time overseas, which was really exciting! We had a really great time at this marketplace, checking out the little shops and just taking in the sights all around us. (with more to come. . .)

Emmanuel

2006-12-03T07:26:00.000-06:00

God with us. I've been thinking about that a little bit lately. God with us. Beside us, around us, just with us. A pretty cool thought actually. One that I don't think about often enough. How easy it is to get busy, lonely, bored, feel empty and "unfulfilled". . . If I really knew that God was with me, with us, would I -- or could I -- feel that way?
God with us. . . in an encouraging word from a friend, in a smile, in our pain, in the rain, in chaos, in the faces around us, in the gifts that we give to those we love, appreciate, and sometimes even strangers. I have been overwhelmed with God showing Himself to me in the way many of my students and those from the church have given towards shoeboxes to send to those in other Asian countries that are not as materially blessed as Japan. It touches something inside of me to see their excitement, generousity, and the way I imagine it will reach out to a child, with a tangible reminder that Someone cares. . . still cares. . . has always cared.
How often do I have those reminders? How many times a day? How many moments are there when, if I was only looking, I would see God right here with me. . . and how I could share Him with others around me. Because God's not here for just a moment, He's here for all the moments. I want to spend more moments knowing and enjoying Him.
FLN (family life network) has been asking Canadians the question: "If you could ask God one question and knew He would answer, what would it be?" So, I thought I'd ask my students -- "I want to know about all the mysteries of the world" "I want to know why I'm here" "I want to know when the end of the world is" For me? I want to know when I get to meet You.
Guess that day will come, but in the meantime, why not enjoy God with me right here, right now? God with us. . . this Christmas day. . . everyday. . . every moment. Time to get together, I think.

absolutely incredible!!

2006-11-26T06:59:00.000-06:00

This was my little trek out to Sanage Shrine near my place on Friday. . . and my view from the parking area -- I could not get over how amazing this tree was. . .

I'm not sure if it's different varieties of Japanese maple trees or what, but the colour variation from one tree to the next is amazing -- yellow, golden, and crimson red. . .
This is a shot I took looking into a small pond beside the shrine -- isn't it neat with the reflection of the pine tree branches and rooftop, maple leaves floating on the water, and if you look closely you can even see red and yellow carp fish below the surface!

a little catching up. . .

2006-11-13T08:12:00.000-06:00

Hallowe'en in Japan is a little different than at home -- I mean, you still see some stuff in stores, with the jack-o-lantern, ghost, witch motif, but the truth is that most people here really have no idea what the "holiday" is about. . . well, I guess when you really think about it, do we? It was a lot of fun to enjoy it with my kids, though, and especially to see them trek over to the pastor's house next door, and try to remember what they needed to say to get the candy! ;-)
On November 3rd, a "bus-load" (literally, they rented a micro-bus for the 20 of them) of people came to visit from Hirano church in Osaka. That's the church where the Kurokawas used to pastor. It was really neat to see people again (recognized a lot of faces, at least!) We went to a park nearby for a while in the afternoon (this is a huge "trampoline" play area), and the two jr. high students were my elementary students when I was teaching at that church. It was so cool to see them again! (Shuhei, boy on left, and Shio, girl on right, and Moe, my sister!)
The next day, I took a day trip with some students to Nara, a city pretty close to Osaka, and about 2 1/2 hours from here. It was a really great day! Two of the students planned out the whole day for my 2 Tuesday night classes.
Nara is famous for its deer -- and if you've been here before, you'll know that the deer pretty much rule the city. Kids run away screaming sometimes because they come right up, trying to get attention, but mostly food!

In front of the "Todaiji" -- people can put incense sticks into the ashes here -- I think it is part of a "purification" process before entering the temple.
"Todaiji" is the home of the largest Buddha statue in Japan (which, I found out on this trip, has to be clarified as the largest Buddha made by pouring metal, in this case bronze, into a mould. The eyes alone are 3 1/2 feet wide each!) The building was also amazing -- almost 200 feet wide and 160 tall -- it was made without using any nails, all pieced together by wood. Lunch was at a noodle shop, a famous one apparently -- Japanese people seem to love that sort of stuff! It was really good, though, and interesting to watch how they made everything -- there was a huge pot of boiling noodles, which they took out as people ordered and drained in a big bamboo sieve. (Sorry these pictures aren't rotated. :-s)

On our walk. . . I just love these kinds of traditional sights -- this was looking into the gateway of a temple (?) area.
At another temple in Nara -- once again, famous for housing both the oldest wooden structure in Japan, and the largest, 5-storied, pagoda. This is our whole group -- in the back, L-R, Junko, Kohey, Kazuko and front, Kimie and Kenji.
A view from one of the buildings on the grounds here. . . what a different world!

It worked!

2006-10-19T08:42:00.000-05:00

Do you see it?! (the cranberry sauce) FYI, craisins, cranberry juice, a bit of sugar and water works pretty well. (Thanks for your encouragement Elaine -- I was about to can the whole idea!) And, the great part is that most people seemed to genuinely enjoy it too (so much for "payback" for the Japanese foods I don't like, but I was happy! :-)

Everyone came around 6, and there was still a bit of "preparation" to do before supper -- make the stuffing, potatoes, apple pie and "decorations" -- ok, does anyone remember how to fold those "fan style" napkins?? I remember doing it all the time, ok a few times, with those cloth napkins at restaurants, but I seem to have forgotten -- maybe fabric napkins are the key. . .?!
So, my students and I had a lot of fun together -- especially for me, watching them eat everything, mostly for the first time. There were 7 students, and the pastor's wife also joined us.
Yesterday in the kids' class we decorated cookies -- we've been talking about body parts, so they got to make the eyes, mouth, tummy, and whatever other little decorations they wanted to put on. I told them the white stuff was "glue", and one of them looked at me a little worried, like he wouldn't be able to eat it afterwards!
Their works of art! When I told the girl on the left that they were supposed to add the body parts, she decided to make hers a girl. . . I guess they're all body parts, eh?

Pumpkin pie -- I think we were all full before this point already. . . but looks can be deceiving. They may be "smaller" (in general) than us, but everyone had both a slice of pumpkin and apple pie (complete with whip cream and ice cream).
During supper we were talking about taking pictures, and I asked about where the "peace" or "victory" sign came from (I've heard that it started after the war?!), and no-one really knew. They asked if we did it, and I said only when we were trying to imitate Japanese people -- so, this is for all of you -- the "token Japanese shot" ;-)

Autumn -- Time for Festivals

2006-10-16T09:24:00.000-05:00

Some lanterns at the shrine~
Each of the 8 floats used for the Koromo festival belong to the communities near downtown Toyota. They are all about 200-300 years old, and pulled on long ropes by people from the community.
Young men ride on the very top, shouting, blasting a trumpet and throwing paper like confetti out over the float, and along the street. The kids have a great time playing with the confetti all over!
All of the floats gathered in front of the station, took a little tour around the area, and then returned to their neighbourhoods. A traditional festival, with a bit of modernization (mowhawks), perhaps?!
Kimie is one of my students, and she is such a sweetheart. She often invites me out to places to experience Japanese culture and does a great job of explaining what's going on. Another great part of the day was I found out about this little restaurant. . . they serve shaved ice drizzled with syrup (we had lemon milk, which was actually supposed to be in the picture! :-s), and these desserts that are like a pancake with red or white sweet bean paste inside. . . fresh and hot, they are absolutely delicious! Definitely going to be back!!

just a little exploring!

2006-10-15T09:22:00.000-05:00

Here is the newest member of my "family" out here. . . pretty cute, eh? Yeah, we're getting to be good friends already -- still working on names (any inspirations?) So, this is where we've been to lately. . .
It's called "Hirato bashi" (Hirato bridge), and there is a really neat pathway near the river, lined with baby bamboo trees -- I love the bamboo here!
This is the scene I fell in love with when I was driving over the bridge with some students (on our way to eat the river fish that I posted about a while back). . . I love the rocks, trees, and the river winding through.

So, for one afternoon, this was my little "sanctuary", a spot on the rocks with my feet in the water, hearing it rushing past me. . .

rice harvest. . .

2006-10-15T09:03:00.000-05:00

living out in the "country" definitely has its benefits -- ie, having rice paddies within walking distance where I can see the seasons progressing. . . September and early October is when the rice ripens,
and is ready for harvesting. They do have tractors (small-scale ones) here for harvesting, but a lot of the rice paddies near here have been passed down through the family, so they're still cut and hung to dry by hand.
These flowers often grow alongside the rice paddies around harvest time.

Near my house -- I thought it was interesting how they even used the space under the billboard for hanging rice and I like the contrast with the houses in the background!

happy thanksgiving!

2006-10-09T10:01:00.000-05:00

Although Thanksgiving isn't a holiday here (most people are not sure if or how it's different from Halloween -- just think pumpkins!) So, it gives a good opportunity for discussion in class. . . and me a whole week to prepare "what I'm thankful for" for reporting on Thanksgiving at home! ;-) I have 2 this year -- I'm thankful for the "small things" -- a note, a smile, a conversation, something that encourages my heart, and brings just a little more meaning to the day-to-day. Secondly, for second chances, praise God that He welcomes back the prodigal and the ungrateful, when they come to their senses. I am so thankful!

This past Saturday, I had the fun of going to Hikaru's sports festival again. The kids practice so much for this special day, and Chiharu told me that Hikaru was just flying high all morning before the event. . . They perform different races, dances, throwing bean bags into a net (along with their grandparents), racing in giant pants (with their mom or dad, or "fill-in" -- I went in with a girl from my English class!), adult tug of war and relay.
Just a little regroup for team spirit -- go green!

So, after the morning festival, we had a wedding -- the first ever in our church!! The couple started coming to our church at the start of this year, his family and siblings are also attending now. It was really exciting to see such a committed Christian couple get married, not as common here! I think things went pretty well (including my first shot at playing the "Bridal March" - "here comes the bride. . ." That's the most I've practice in a long time!! ;-)
That's right -- Happy Wedding. . . I really think they could care less about whether it's "real English" or not -- it's so funny how they just insert these little phrases into conversation / shop signs. . . (Isn't Moe sweet?!)
Just had to put this one in. . . any takers?!

Sunday "at home". . .

2006-10-03T09:16:00.000-05:00

So, thanks to all of you who have been in on this little journey with me. . . a desire for connections to happen between English students and those in the church. This past Sunday was the start of what I pray will be an important part of that. Do you ever feel like something that you've waited for, and maybe wondered if you shouldn't have "done something about it sooner" was, of course, right in God's timing? I can't say that it was really anything in particular, but I really feel like God has been preparing some people's hearts for just this opportunity. . . not the least of which is mine!
We spent time just visiting and making introductions over snack food (I have to admit I didn't mind having the excuse to make something for that either!), and then just scratched the surface in exploring who God is, and how He has revealed Himself to us through the Bible. I was overwhelmed by the support of those in the church, and the 4 women who came seemed excited to have been there, and to share a bit about their stories. There were 3 students who came (and one girl's mom), so it was neat to see Christians and non-Christians there talking and learning together. I really desired to leave them with the fact that coming "home" to Jesus is something in which there is no fear, it is a learning to trust in the One who wants to walk beside us through all of life (both here and in eternity).
Please continue to pray for hearts to be challenged, me to submit to and follow God's leading and a sensitivity and wisdom in knowing how to involve those in the church with this group. . . in ways that they and I will grow and be encouraged to know Jesus more and more. . . and more. . .

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us,

that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.

May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You.

May the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for You rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth.

May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You.

Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God will bless us.

God will bless us,

and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.

-psalm 67-

aren't they sweet?!

2006-10-03T08:54:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I can't even count the number of times (practically) I've tried to upload these pictures onto my blog but, yay, they are finally here. . . hallelujah!
So, these are my cuties here, like my brothers and sister (yeah, with a bit of a "generation gap" since I could be their mom! :-s) Moe (4) with her masterpiece -- I drew, she coloured, with a bit of improv. . . This is my house / yard in Canada (did you recognize it mom and dad?), and the improv bit is Moe adding ocean on the top right. Yeah, I told her that the ocean is not that close to my house, but then decided that it would be a fun modification (if only you could do it that easily in "real life"!)
Hikaru (6) and I. . . Hikaru is a really creative kid -- the other day I was over there, and he was crafting a rocket out of a plastic water bottle. He also loves drawing / looking at flags of different countries, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's already surpassed me general geographic knowledge!
With Chiharu (I'll refrain from including the age), Hikaru and little Wataru -- he's figured out how to get onto his stomach from his back, but not the other way yet, and you can get him pretty excited with peek-a-boo, no need to hide, just turn your head!
Me and the kids. . . you can't beat family!
The September cooking class. . . cheese ball, shiskabobs and coconut cream pudding. We had a great time, and they are really getting the hang of the fact that it is laid back (ie. no levelling off measuring cups with knives!) It's so much fun to have others to cook and eat with too. . . :-)

that's so cool!

2006-09-21T09:01:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share about something neat that happened on Thursday (I tried to post on that day, but was having problems). So, I wasn't particularly looking forward to the evening classes since the students have been coming really sporadically and sometimes not at all on Thursday nights. . . I was wondering how it would go, hoping people would come. Anyways, the first class had 2 students -- one was a "regular", the other I had met the week before since she is now checking out classes, trying to find one that's at her level. So, after class, we were talking about how Jesus came as a light to the world. The new girl, Yuka, started asking a bunch of questions, like "what did people do before Jesus came?" and "if God was a human how could he save us?" So, we talked for a while, the other girl left, and we kept talking for an hour and a half after that. . . Turns out that Yuka's mom is a Christian, and has memories of going to church as a kid. Although she believes in God, believing and knowing God as a friend is still a difficult concept. She is really searching, though. . . for something that is real (not just something with the "right" or "easy" answers). Obviously the fact that there were no students that came to the second class was part of God's plan for tonight. . . please pray that God will keep softening Yuka's heart, and that we will have many more good talks (maybe even as members of the same "family"!) What an encouraging night!
By the way, we also had "Let's Cook!" again today (last Thursday) -- cheese ball and crackers, shiskabobs, and coconut custard pudding. . . and a lot of good laughs and conversation around the table! (I haven't been able to get any pictures on for a few days, but will post them when I can. . .!)

potluck. . . by bike!

2006-09-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I've mentioned about my Bible study group on Wendesday nights before. . . We actually have a potluck together every week as well. I usually bring something really simple -- ie. fruit or cookies, and sometimes nothing at all, so I decided I should at least make one good meal to bring in exchange for the amazing suppers I have eaten every Wednesday over the past year (seriously, I don't only go for the Bible study! ;-) So, I did lasagne -- borrowed a Pyrex portable carrying case from the Hieberts' house, and braved the 20 minute bike to the station (seriously, I was close to losing that thing / control of my bike several times). All turned out well, with just a few stained towels at the other end. . . and the best part is that I can now enjoy "guilt-free" eating again for at least another few months! ;-)

So, the rice paddies are in the midst of being harvested here -- there are quite a few in my area, within a 5 or 10 minute walk. Most of the ones close by are owned by individual families, who grow the rice as a hobby, or because they have inherited family land.
A picture of Wataru and I a couple of weeks ago. . . (My friend Chiharu's little guy) Gotta love the mowhawk he has going on -- how cute! :-)

"Ladies Luncheon" at Karis' place last Friday. . . Yes, we are going to have to make this more than a "one-time" thing!! These are all women from the church - clockwise from me is the pastor's wife, Kumiko, with Wataru, a Korean woman, Mrs. Pyon with her daughter Iean (means the peace of Jesus -- neat, eh?), Chiharu and her daughter Moe, Mrs. Takekawa and Mrs. Inoue -- the two older women are sooo hilarious! I love them!
The youth event this past Saturday -- Taro, Kousuke, me and Yohei. . . never a dull moment with Sudoku at hand!
And, this is the picture from the link I sent for the car. . . keep in mind that mine is used and doesn't quite look exactly like the picture, but it's still cute (I think. . . still living in faith that I'm actually getting it sometime soon. . .!)

life as of late

2006-09-17T01:36:00.000-05:00

As I sit here chowing down on Pringles Salt and Vinegar Chips, sipping my vanilla milkshake on a beautiful Sunday afternoon (albeit with warnings of a typhoon coming), everything just seems right with the world! ;-) Thanks for your prayers, support and everything -- I am doing much better, thanks! You'd think that I would remember about the "adjustment time", but it hits hard every time. Time, God's great faithfulness and the love of friends tend to do wonders, though.
Last Sunday, we had BBQ for "youth" from the 4 MB churches in this area -- I use the term "youth" loosely since there was a 70 year old pastor and his wife there, and a bunch of kids, but in general 15 to 35 year olds. Since I arrived last February, we've been able to meet together as leaders from each of the churches, in order to plan events (fellowship, outreach, study, service) every 3 months. Especially since the churches here are small, it is a great way to meet with other young people, strengthen faith and build relationships. It's really exciting to see the excitement of the young people, and the churches working together to make it happen!
On Friday I had a few women from church over for lunch (well, with kids and all, there were 9 of us!). It's the first time (outside of student get-togethers) that I've really hosted people at my place. We had a great time! One of the ladies was telling me at lunch today that we need to have a "Ladies Luncheon" more often from now on! ;-) Since I often don't see those from church outside of Sundays, it was so neat to just get to know each other better, sharing stories and laughs across generations -- from me all the way up to 70! And, since Japanese people are so into gifts, I ended up with more food after the get-together than I had before, so that was definitely a bonus! ;-)
Saturday -- I bought a car in the morning! (Which I have not seen or driven yet, but hopefully in about a week and a half!) One of my students, who exports Land Cruisers to Canada, has been a huge help with looking for, and then buying a Wagon R (Suzuki) through an internet auction. Up until this point, I've been getting by with my bike, but I'm looking forward to being able to go more places nearby -- it is gorgeous here, with all of the mountains, small rivers, bamboo (really, you need to come and check it out, right Bob?!), inviting friends out, and using the car for youth or other events at church. If you check out the link, you can see it's a pretty small car (660 cc.), so I'll have lots of chance to practice driving on the left-hand side of the road at low speeds, I'm guessing! http://www.globalsuzuki.com/globalnews/2004/0117.html
Saturday night we also had our first youth event after summer -- all 4 of us that were there! It was "Challenge Game Night" -- we played life-sized Sudoku. Funny thing is that no-one here knows about the "Japanese game that's all the rage" these days! :-b Guess I'll have to be an ambassador from North America. . . We made milkshakes, and talked about God as being our "safety net" -- I must say that has challenged me over these last few days -- the fact that we don't really have to be afraid to fall, but what we have to be afraid of is not having a safety net!! (And "using" that safety net only "sometimes", doesn't really do a lot of good!)
Today in church, the pastor talked about leaving a legacy of faith. . . It's true, we've all been influenced to a great extent by the faith of those around us -- friends, family -- and that we also are also leaving an impression on those around us. When I came here last year, I was incredibly impacted by the realization that God calling me here to serve was the result of, not only His will, or a desire or experience of mine, but the fact that I have an amazing heritage of faith of those who have gone before me. And for that I am extremely thankful, and only pray that I will be able to continue so faithfully.
I have a prayer request to share with you. Today I spoke with a few of the people in church about the possibility of starting up an English / Japanese Bible study, along with students from my classes. (How many students will come or not, I don't know, but it's something I'd like to offer them). I really feel like God has been putting on my heart to facilitate connections between those who don't know Christ yet and Japanese Christians. I hope this will be a great opportunity for my students to learn about who Jesus is and what it means to have a relationship with Him, and for us as Christians, to grow in our faith as we share together and have opportunities to talk about what Christ means to us. Please pray along with me that if this is something God wants to happen that He will provide those to help from the church, and also students or other non-believers who are interested in studying together. I think we are going to meet for the first time on October 1st, in the late afternoon, spend some time eating and chatting together, and then be able to read / talk about the Bible and pray. Thanks for your prayers. . . I appreciate it more than you know!! I will keep you updated! May this be a blessed Sunday for you -- a special day to meet with our Amazing Saviour!

Finding joy. . .

2006-08-30T07:55:00.000-05:00

. . . in the most unexpected places?! (I shouldn't really say "unexpected", but let me give a little background. . .) This week back has been hard. They always are. It's not that I'm not happy to be here, or excited to see everyone, or that I don't enjoy Japan like a second home, but it's the difficulty of separation from my other (earthly) home, and some of the anxiety that comes with starting something again.
That said, I had a BLAST with my kindergarten kids this afternoon, playing games and "catching up" -- and then talking with their moms afterwards (I've gotten to know some of them better through the cooking class too, which one mom was already asking about! :-). Although I like kids and have fun hanging out with them, I can't say it's necessarily my "strong point" and discipline is sometimes an issue, so I have to admit that I don't always have high expectations. Guess God knew I needed a "pick-me-up" today. . . this must be the start of a great year!
Here are the pics you missed last time. . . how could you not "fall in love"?!

God's drawing board. . .

2006-08-27T08:33:00.000-05:00

what is it about that blue canvas stretched above our heads, almost close enough to touch, yet deep enough to lose ourselves in, scattered with a few puffy white scrunches, or stretched over with a thin haze, that place we look to just above the horizon, for the vibrant colours as our flaming torch continues its journey past our view, or the flashes of brilliance scratching across in a frenzy, or hues of blue and green dancing to the ryhthm of the night, watched in solitude by billions of tiny portals into the universe?
i don't know. if I said I did, I'd probably be just fooling myself, because really, there are not a lot of things that I know, if I'm really honest with myself. what I do know is that it's special, though -- and there is something in me that is definitely moved at the sight of the (prairie) sky -- ok, so I am biased -- the movements of grace and fury, the subtelties, and a complexity to which words or the stroke of a paintbrush could never fully do justice. As I have heard it explained before, it seems that great dome above us is simply a reflection of the Glory of the Author of glory, the One to whom all glory is rightfully due. Simply a reflection. . . After all, it only took a word and less than half a day, and the whole thing was in place. Yep, guess you could pretty much call that glory. . .
to so many of you who have also been a reflection of that Glory to me, thank you. . . I spent a much refreshing few weeks back in Canada, and it was good in many ways. It's very good to be here again. Sometimes that becomes clouded when things from "home" get close again. . . or when I lose perspective of what's most important. But the truth is that the Glory that surrounds us isn't bounded by the things or thoughts running around in my or your life or in our heads. A Glory that not only encamps around us, but longs to embrace us -- with a permeating closeness and somehow, a sense of reassurance in its vast and changeable yet continual Presence.
may that Glory capture, and consume, and captivate us, that we may, with confidence approach our God and together, continue on in the world in which His magnificent Glory is ever on display.
(I wanted to post pictures with this, but apparently I can't, so you'll have to imagine with me! ;-)

"Kiseki wa okiru, shinjireba. . ."

2006-07-28T09:53:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's the song that's been running through all of our heads this past week. . . the Japanese version of "When you believe" from "Prince of Egypt". It was kind of our theme song for the 3 days of Summer Kids' Club this year. . . Making pizza the second day -- these girls were so artistic!
Things went really well -- both the kids and adults had a lot of fun, I think (maybe the adults even more than the kids sometimes! ;-) I had the brilliant idea of a "staff wheelbarrow race", which I thought would be fun for the kids to watch after they were done theirs. . . think the kids weren't quite sure what was going on, but we had a great time! We also had team colours during the week, so the leaders got pretty competitive at times. . . This picture is us making garden stones. . . just like the Israelites!
Game time upstairs. . . duck, duck goose can work miracles. ;-) But according to the YMI team (from Canada and the States), since the kids didn't really say the words, you had to distinguish between the pat and the slap on the head, as to when / if you should run!! It was soo nice to have the church building this year, since before this, they have always used a community centre.
I was so thankful for all those from the church who volunteered their time in working with the kids, making meals, and just pitching in (especially the Sunday before when it looked like I was going to lose it!! :-b) It is a blessing to be part of such a family, and for connections to be built between the kids and people in the church -- I pray that those will continue from here as well. The YMI team was also amazing -- a group with servant hearts, wanting to be a blessing to those they meet here in Japan.
Just one of the things the YMI team added to our week was the "Pharoah Pharoah" (now "Paro Paro" ;-) song. . . the kids just loved it (as you can see in the group picture)! For the last afternoon, we went to the park, played some water games, had a watermelon breaking contest (the other kids "coach" the blindfolded one towards a watermelon lying on the ground, who takes a whack at it).
Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers -- God is so faithful, and He provides much more than we could imagine.
I leave Toyota in almost exactly an hour to go to the airport for Canada -- yay!! Can't wait to see you all. . . hoping you are having a great summer too!

to all of you. . .

2006-07-15T09:48:00.000-05:00

. . . who check this space for random postings -- thank you so much! There's something neat about "connecting" with you here, even though I don't know when you come, or even who some of you are probably. . .
It has been a bit of a trying time for me here these days. . . in many ways, I guess. I think I realized today that I am being reminded I need to be a learner, who is able to admit my shortcomings. These past few days have been filled with a lot of great and fun things, a lot of hard work (I'm not used to that ;-) and finding out some things about myself that maybe I didn't really want to! :-s I guess I've always thought of myself as a pretty respectful person, and yet, many times that's just the image I try to portray on the outside, as long as I can "fool" the other person into believing my facade, I justify it to myself that everything is ok. Guess lying, even to yourself, always ends up showing itself. It wasn't like a "big event" that shocked me into the realization, but just the comment "You must be busy". It came after I had agreed to do something for this person, and I stood there impatiently while they tried to tell and show me how to do a very basic thing (as if I had to do it that "specific" way). It was obvious how I hurredly asked if I could take the supplies to my house to do the job (since I didn't want to wait around any longer). That's when the comment came, "You must be busy". It kind of made me cringe. Even though it was true, do I really want to be a "busy" person?! Too busy to have meaningful interactions with people, or feel like I'm always jsut rushing through something to get onto the next?
The other thing I think God is trying to knock into my head is the practice of humility -- an independent and strongly opinionated personality doesn't always readily accept the advice / good intentions of others, or recognize her "guest status" here in another country. How did Jesus ever humble Himself to the point of coming to this earth to live with us?! When things frustrate me about living here, I sometimes want to just "rebel" against them, and exert my individuality as a "Canadian". . . I think looking at my situation, I've had a lot of "freedoms", to continue life (at least in many ways) the way I'm used to or comfortable with, that many of my other friends who work at Japanese companies haven't had.
Seems like another twist in the road that I hadn't expected, but I hope that I will be able to keep my eyes focussed on the One who humbled Himself to the ultimate sacrifice for us. . . and take my cues from Him. Thanks for "listening" -- let's talk again soon. . . ;-)

Happy birthday Canada. . .

2006-06-28T09:34:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I know it's a few days early. . . but some of my students asked about what we usually did for Canada Day -- get together, have a BBQ, eat a cake with a maple leaf made out of strawberries on the top (if you get the "Kraft Kitchen" magazine, you'll know what I'm talking about), watch fireworks maybe. . . bottom line, basically a good excuse for a party, eh? So, that's what we did -- Canadian style in Japan!! (first time I've used a BBQ here -- it's usually veggies, seafood, and meat on a grill over charcoal). I was pretty intent on it being "realistic", so I asked the students to bring either a snack (ie. chips) or a drink. . . we ended up with boiled beans, chicken nuggets, lots of cherries and grapes, oranges, some small ice cream balls. . . one canister of Pringles look-alikes (chili pepper flavour) and some drinks! ;-) It was interesting to see them try raw veggies and dip, but I don't think they quite got the idea since I heard one guy explained it to another student as "stick salad" -- because of the shape of the veggies??!
I invited all of my adult students, and about half of them came. I usually have one of these "get togethers" about every 3 months, and it's a lot of fun to just connect more casually, eat and laugh together. I'm so thankful for Keiko (in the red) who has been attending my classes for about a year. . . she's a lot of fun, and ended up getting the gas for the BBQ even though the tank had actually expired!! She's also a member of the church here and comes to the classes more for the chance to get to know the students and develop friendships than the learning English part. It's so great to see that happen and her desire to reach out in that way! :-)
Checking to see if the hamburgers are done yet. . .
and other preparations (as you can tell, I was strictly the "supervisor" and "go-to" person. . . ;-)
Don't worry, I have definitely not forgotten my identity. . . actually I feel like I have a pretty big role out here representing all you Canadians back home (I apologize in advance for any strange opinions my students / friends may have formed, ignorantly supposing me to be an "average" Canadian :-) We listened to "O Canada", learned about maples, Anne of Green Gables (they probably know more than me, though -- they love her out here!), the Canadian Pacific Railway and Terry Fox, watched the "I am Canadian" ad in the intermediate / advanced classes, and the kids sang "Happy birthday Canada" -- hey Canada, here's to you!

my week. . .

2006-06-11T03:58:00.000-05:00

. . .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!

"Genki mura" here we come!!

2006-05-28T08:48:00.000-05:00

May 20-21 was our first ever (annual?) youth camping trip at Toyota East (Christ Church). It was quite the adventure at "Cheerful Village", I must say. We had been prepared for rain, but were more than happy to accept the fog (felt like we were in the clouds being up so high in the mountain there) and then sunshine on Sunday (along with the first burn of the seaon for me -- complete with peeling and all. . . :-s) There were 9 of us altogether, including 2 of my English students, which was really exciting! We spent time together playing group games, doing orienteering, making supper over the coals (that one took a little longer than expected. . .), playing PIT with a new version of "spoons" ("tongues" -- no, you don't grab one another's tongues as I had mistakenly assumed, but stick out your tongue when you get a set, the point basically being getting to laugh at whoever's the last to clue in -- pretty funny actually), and spending time remembering the greatness of our Creator, through songs and reflecting on the unique gifts and abilities He's given each of us. It was a really great time together. . . well, we're not sure about the youth. . . but at least, Chiaki, the other leader, and I both agreed on that. . . ;-)

another rainy day. . .

2006-05-17T08:50:00.000-05:00

. . . seems like we've been having a lot of them lately. Which makes having a bicycle as your primary means of transportation doesn't always work that well! It has also made me realize how easily sometimes the not-so-nice side of me comes out when things don't work out as planned -- ie. how I planned them to be.
On Wednesday evenings, I usually attend a Bible study with teachers from an International Christian school in Nagoya (3rd biggest city in Japan, and about 40 minutes by train from where I live). So, I usually have to rush out after my kindergarten kids' class, bike the 20 minutes to the station, catch the train and I arrive after most of the others, but there is always a great potluck supper waiting! ;-) Today, because of the rain / bus and train connections, I was an hour late, wet, and not happy, to put it nicely. . . But, even as I walking from the train station to the house where we meet, I was thinking about what a minimal "issue" the episode really was and how big I was making it in my mind.
And then, as I arrived, to see 15 people sitting around the living room, discussing the Word of God, reaching out to others with that hope, and our amazing, personal God, was. . . a gift.
"O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
What is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth."
psalm 8:1,4,9
What a privilege and honour we have to know and be known, and be completely overwhelmed in the presence of that God, our King and Saviour, who wants to relate to us intimately at every moment of every day.
May Your glory reign, as it is even now, O God.

Wow!

2006-05-11T09:14:00.000-05:00

I thank you, High God -- you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration -- what a creation! ps. 139: 14 (msg) This is little "Wataru", the baby boy born to my friend Chiharu this past Saturday. That morning, at 5 am I got an e-mail on my cell phone from Chiharu saying she was in the hospital in labour. . . at 9:30 I got pictures, and around 5:30 I was able to go and visit her. New life is amazing. . . and it's so special to be able to be a part of this experience with Chiharu, who is like a sister to me. It makes me think of what my niece Acacia must have looked / acted like when she was born only 8 months ago. . . What a special gift!
The "before" picture. . . this was Monday of last week, when Chiaki (right -- well, I guess it's pretty easy to see. . . the NONpregnant one!), Chiharu and I had a girls' night before the baby came!
I had the privilege of spending the "Golden Week" holiday surrounded by nature in Karuizawa (where I went last summer). We actually had a missionary gathering, so there were 4 who came that were living in Osaka (far left, Amberly, my right, David, middle, Andrea and 4th from right, Doris), the Hieberts -- 3 of them are on the right, and a couple from Canada who are friends of the Hieberts, Jim and Irene London (on either side of Andrea). So, other than Justin, who was home for the holidays, it was neat to be able to spend the time together as MB missionaries here in Japan.
Of course, we had LOTS of chocolate -- almost everyone brought some kind of desserts, knowing they would be well appreicated among us "gaijin" (foreigners)!! We were so blessed to have Jim share with us during the 3 days -- on intimacy with God. I was challenged in soo many ways. . . and especially in my longing for God (not the things that He gives, just Him). . . and a readiness to have Him use me / see Him work.
The morning before we left. . . full, refreshed, challenged and having enjoyed many good talks together. . .but a whole lot more sleep-deprived (after all, chances to talk naturally in English don't just come everyday!!) Definitely a lot of fun! (with Cambria, Doris, Amberly and Andrea)

how pretty!

2006-04-30T07:31:00.000-05:00

the pride and joy of the Japanese -- their breath-taking cherry blossoms! I have to admit that even though I too was taken by these blooms, it still did (and does) puzzle me the extent to which life here practically revolves around them. Recently, in talking with some of my students, I feel like I caught a glimpse of deeper understanding of the significance of the blossoms. . . their "fleetingness". And it is this bittersweet reality that the Japanese are both incredibly sensitive to, and highly revere. And in that aspect of being aware of the world around them, I'd say they are incredibly perceptive.
Moe and I at her kindergarten entrance ceremony :-) Children in Japan usually attend kindergarten (totally separated from elementary school) for 2 years, although in circumstances where the mother is working or going to have another baby (as in my friend Chiharu's case), the kids can start as early as age 3 or younger. Since Chiharu's husband is in the States on business, I got to join all the dads and videotape the ceremony. . . ;-)
After the ceremony, the four of us (Chiharu, Hikaru and Moe) spent some time walking around the park, eating our ice cones, and enjoying the cherry blossoms.
"So, this is love. . ." The big day -- giving a Japanese sermon -- what an interesting, difficult, fun, challenging and rewarding experience. It ended up being longer than I thought, but it's a little harder to "shave off time" by talking faster in another language!! All I have to say is praise God for His faithfulness!
Our Easter celebration at the church -- we spent time playing games, singing, and then retelling the Easter story. The kids coloured and the adults put together their thoughts in order to describe each part of the story. It's so exciting to see these times of growing and learning together!

having a hard time. . .

2006-04-25T09:13:00.000-05:00

. . . getting around to posting anything these days! I have to admit that during the past two weeks, my excuse is that I've been having WAY too much fun hanging out with a friend from Bible school who came to visit.

It was a whirlwind of events, making memories, doing things with students, getting to know each other a lot better, and for me, the excitement of having such a good friend to spend time with and that she could get to know some of the people that are such a special part of my life here. It often feels like I have my "Japan life" and my "Canada life" and the two are quite separated most of the time, but in those moments when they contact one another, and the understanding, connection, and meaning that comes from that makes me feel blessed to be a part of both worlds. (Thanks for coming Bob -- I love you!)

As you can see, the cherry blossoms were almost too gorgeous to believe they were actually real -- in case you're wondering, I don't have the slightest clue about photo manipulation, but even looking at this picture, it seems pretty "surreal" to think that we had the chance to step onto this "postcard". We saw the blossoms at every stage (in backwards order!) and Bob definitely has the pictures to prove it, but really, how can you resist?!

Part of the new experiences for Bob definitely included trying A LOT of new foods, and this (noodles) was probably the most normal one! Guess the closest comparison is what we call "Mr. Noodles", but they definitely taste better fresh! And, out here slurping is a good thing. Funny how it still seems "rude" though. . . Seeing all of the things that Bob experienced for the "first time" made me realize how many things I consider "normal" already. . . and how my taste buds have adjusted over these past few years. Not only do I "like" a lot of the foods here, as I was telling Bob, I often have to "hold myself back" from buying Japanese sweets (red beans in the rice paste) when I go grocery shopping! ;-)

It was a lot of fun for me and the students having another "native speaker" in the class (good challenge for the students too, since they've gotten used to the way I speak by now!) It was fun having a conversation in front of the class, using natural English expressions, and seeing how much the students caught. . . on the other hand, it was really funny (and kind of hard to keep a straight face) for us, trying to have a "natural conversation" but at the same time so "unnatural"! Sometimes I bring baking to class, so these students wanted to try making cookies together. So, we spent one class doing that together (the idea was "baking in English" -- the baking went well, the English was, well. . . they had fun anyways. . .)! Having the "baking pro" (ie. Bob) by my side through the experience was reassuring for me, but a little shocking for the students when they saw her adding more flour without measuring it out first (gasp!) after they had soo precisely measured it all out! :-) They still turned out great!

So, this is a pretty accurate portrayal of what Bob and I looked like A LOT of the time during the past 2 weeks. . . "not quite" fitting in with the crowds around us (who loved pointing us out, commenting on those two tall foreign girls, and laughing when we hit our heads on objects which should have been placed higher up -- ie. door frames, tv on tour bus. . .), taking pictures (of pretty much anything, but especially the cherry blossoms and our experiences) and having a lot of fun together. :-) So hard to "capture" those moments in time, but it makes me thankful for them, the memories we hold with us, and blessings of friendship.

Random Japan. . .

2006-03-16T08:36:00.000-06:00

So, I took the bullet train to Osaka a couple of weeks ago to visit friends and old students there. I don't usually, since I'm cheap, and Japan is an expensive place. Hey, it takes 2 hours on the regular train instead of 1, but I can handle it! It's amazing how you don't really feel like you're travelling at 250 km/hr, but the scenery does whiz by pretty quickly. . . or the passing trains if you happen to be at a "smaller" station where the express "shinkansen" don't stop.
So, I couldn't resist -- this is actually a finding about a 2 minute walk away from where I used to live in Osaka (the 2nd time). Guess some things are pretty transcultural, eh? Only on this poster it's reprimanding the dogs, not their owners -- "what are you doing?" Which reminds me, there's nothing like sitting in the park (especially when you can find one with grass in it, and not just concrete and sand) on a nice afternoon, only to be interrupted by some melody wafting through the air followed by a "friendly reminder" to pick up after your dogs, repeated about 5 times over the intercom system which you now realize is wired throughout the park. . . ahh, just when you thought you had found an "escape" from the hustle and bustle. . .
So, I felt a little awkward trying to take this picture strategically amidst the mobs of people vying to get to the ticket dispensers. . . no doubt to get in on the "no my car ticket" deal. . . Funny thing is next machine over, there was the same thing written in Japanese -- I mean, "no mai kaa dei chiketto". Just another example of how adept the Japanese are at increasing their "English vocabularies". ;-)
Just in case you forgot the fact that I still do stick out in this country. . . I sure didn't miss out on that, since every time I go back people are convinced I've been on some kind of growth spurt. But, thankfully that has nothing to do with relationships. . . and these two are both very special to me. My first year in Osaka, we had a class together. . . I don't remember us doing much actual studying, but we sure covered a lot in the conversation area!! So, this time was no different -- over our Italian pasta buffet we had a great time catching up. . . and actually, we're planning on a trip to the hot springs together sometime next winter. Apparently watching the snow flutter down while taking a healing soak in the mineral water is a Japanese experience not to be missed. I believe it. Can't wait!
"Narunia" is finally here!! It came out on the 4th of the month, and the fact that it's being heavily advertised by convenience stores, not to mention that it's Disney, has contributed to making it a very popular movie here. Many of my students have already gone or want to. . . We were able to get some pretty cool "tracts" (I don't really like that word, but I guess that's what they are) that say they are the "complete guide" to Narnia, and explain it's connections to the Bible, through the characters and stuff. Sometimes it seems there are few ways in which the general public comes into "contact" with Christianity, so these kinds of opportunities are exciting, since there is a natural openess and interest.

What do you think??

2006-02-26T07:12:00.000-06:00

So, I have a question for you all. This Friday I'm going to be speaking during the chapel time at the school that Cambria and Trenton (Hiebert) go to. My theme is DOUBT. Yeah, not quite the typical fare. But, it's something I think I needed to hear when I was their age (grades 5 to 9). I remember once in youth Sunday School being asked if we ever had doubts about our faith. . . I was the only one who raised their hand. Is it just me, or are we really "discouraged" from doubting, almost as if it's akin to sin at times? I agree that doubt can be a threat to faith, especially depending on what we do with that doubt. On the other hand, I know that if I didn't have questions and seasons of doubt that I wouldn't have the real faith that, by God's amazing grace, I am daily blessed and encouraged by.
I was looking for the reflections of others on the topic, when I found these:
"Faith which does not doubt is dead faith" - Miguel de Chamuno
"Doubt isn't the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith" - Paul Tillich
I'm interested to hear what your thoughts are. . .

2006-02-26T06:26:00.000-06:00

So, to continue on the theme of foods I wouldn't normally eat at home in Canada. . . here's a "taste" of our "takoyaki" party at one of my student's houses. (By the way, "tako" means octopus -- it's not Mexican here. . . and "yaki" is fried -- first you dump batter over the grill filled with 18 round indents, throw octopus, green onions, dried shrimp, pickled ginger and deep fried bits of batter randomly on top, wait until the batter has set a bit, and then comes the fun of using shiskabob sticks to cut around each of those indents, trying to get everything into a nicely shaped, browned little ball, to be garnished with brown sauce, mayo, seaweed, and fish shavings that "dance" on top. )
Since this is an "Osaka food", I've had the opportunity to participate and somewhat (and I use that very loosely) hone my art of "takoyaki" making, but most of the students at the party had never tried before -- they were pretty excited (about that, and the fact that the "takoyaki" maker was "dirt cheap". . . who says parties can't be educational?!)
Something else that's neat about this group of women in the picture is that at the beginning of January I had no idea who they were. My first week back teaching and 4 enthusiastic (and talkative) women entered the class. . . things have never been the same, I end up learning more Japanese than they do English sometimes ;-), but it's been great to get to know them!

Making Miso!! So, I've mentioned about my friend Chiaki here who works at a farm, where I've been to visit a few times. This time it was to make "miso" the old-fashioned way. Miso is a popular soup base here in Japan -- many families "drink" miso soup every day (sometimes with breakfast!) When I arrived, they had the soybeans boiling outside, and stuck some potatoes and sweet potatoes in the fire for our lunch later.

Here Chiaki and I are mixing the "ground up" soybeans (yeah, just like hamburger meat) with fermented rice, salt and water. We made balls out of the mixture, and then threw it into a bucket (you have to do this to get the air out, although I have to admit, it was a lot of fun. . . who needs self-help books on stress relief when you have miso?!) It will sit in that bucket, sealed away, for a year. . . when it will be "fermented", ready for use in the kitchen and to be drunk out of someone's soup bowl. It's been really neat to be able to get to know the family at the farm here, and connect with them a few times already. I know Chiaki so much wants to be a witness to those around her, and so it's neat for them to be able to meet another Christian too. :-)

This past Friday, 2 of my students (not including the little girl, but she is studying English and she's pretty good!!) and I went to make pottery!! Since this area is pretty well known for it's articles made from clay (good soil here or something), we drove out to the ceramics museum where they offer little demos on how to make your own creations, and then you just buy the clay, some time in this room. . . and then let your creative energies flow! In our case, it was close to 3 hours by the time we were finished. . . but so neat to see what we were able to "design", and to watch others working nearby (who were definitely not amateurs like the 3 of us!!) Guess we'll see how they turn out when we go back next month to pick them up. . .

What's for dinner??

2006-02-12T07:06:00.000-06:00

Any guesses on this one? Well, since I got a Japanese cookbook (written in English) for my birthday, I decided that I should at least try something. . . while getting the ingredients was in a part of the grocery store I had never really explored before, the finished product was pretty good. So, if any of you are interested in this seaweed (black pieces), mushroom, and fried tofu dish, (I forgot the carrots, ironically!!) you know where to go. (But don't worry, Bob, I won't make you eat it!!)

And for dessert, if you "still" have an appetite, you might try out the. . . "Unbelievable" (yes, that was the name of it -- though it's a bit of a stretch to understand the Japanese version of "English" at times). It was a pretty amazing, glorified (even though we went for the 2 litre reduced whip cream version) parfait. Our eyes were a little bigger than our stomachs, though, as our stomachs started to feel it by the time we got past all the "toppings" (and to the real ice cream). Nevertheless, definitely an adventure! (with L-R Chiaki from church, Cambria Hiebert and Grimi - Korean girl that comes to youth)

One year already?!?

2006-02-08T08:03:00.000-06:00

Ok, so this is actually a few days late, but my "1 year anniversary" in Toyota was Saturday the 4th. Hard to believe I had no idea who these people were only 369 days ago. I was thinking back about how I had pictured things would be, before I arrived that evening last February. I was excited, but incredibly nervous about living with a family here for a month, not the least of which was having to use Japanese!! (Despite my "best intentions" about studying in Canada. . . I think I did about once!) It's pretty important to use the "right language" especially in a situation where I would basically be "indebted" to the family here for letting me stay with them. But everything changed when, within about 1/2 an hour after getting inside the house, Chiharu started talking to me in very friendly, casual Japanese. . . something I hadn't expected! I learned to quickly get used to listening (since Chiharu likes talking ;-), sharing about myself, being part of a Japanese family and immersed in "kids' talk" (with a 2 and 4 year-old) for the first time.
The other day I went to her place for lunch. We laughed, shared what's been going on, I made a dumb mistake in Japanese (said that Martha was sitting "under" Jesus instead of "down" at his feet, and we laughed about that. . .), prayed together, and couldn't believe how soon she had to go and pick up Hikaru (her son) from kindergarten. So, today I reflect especially on what a blessing Chiharu has been in my life -- God gives us family even "far from home", and she is most definitely a sister at heart.

Ureshii na!!

2006-01-29T08:32:00.000-06:00

(Literally, I'm happy! Probably gives you a hint as to why there's so much "nonsensical" English around here. . . the two languages are just VERY different!!)
The reason why I'm happy, well, one of them is, this weekend I bought daffodils!! Aren't they cute?! I've been meaning to put something in my pots for a while, and since my outdoor plant died while I was home at Christmas, I decided to go to the home centre to see what I could find. . . and so spring has arrived (at least inside my little house! :-)

Another exciting thing that happened today was. . . all of the "foreigners" -- ie. the Hiebert family and I -- got to wear kimonos!! Two older ladies from church have been working so hard at getting everything ready (including asking numerous people and a rental place if they happened to have a kimono long enough for a 183 cm tall girl -- we ended up giving up ;-), but it's only noticeable in the sleeves!!). Then, two of their friends came to help put the kimonos on us this morning (it's quite a process -- what I'm wearing in this picture was my "underwear" -- 3 layers before you actually get the kimono on!) Making sure everything is in the right place, getting the bottom to lay nicely, and the obi (belt) tied is something that, these days, most Japanese people can't do on their own, and rely on special "dressers" for these kinds of occassions (which, are happening less and less).

My church family -- at least, those who were there this morning! Funny how we are dressed in traditional Japanese garb, and it's the Japanese who came in jeans! The Hiebert family and I in front (L-R): Trenton(12), Brandon(17), Laurence, Leona, and Cambria (15).

Cambria and I showing off the obi in the back of our kimonos. . . notice how Cambria's kimono has long-sleeves (for young women who aren't married) and the bow is tied up (hard to see in this picture). Here they often refer to young women "older sister" and a little bit older (30s-50s) as "aunt", even older becomes "grandma". It's the same for men. So, I was joking with everyone that I had already gotten "promoted" to the "aunt" style of obi tying -- no longer "cute and fun". . . ;-)

Just me (and my camera) -- having a little fun at my house! Definitely a special memory. . .

Couldn't resist. . .

2006-01-25T07:31:00.000-06:00

Here she is. . . little miss Acacia. . . wearing, I must say, something I'm sure she will treasure for the rest of her life!! (thanks Suzanne :-) Only thing is, I know she's already surpassed me in terms of charming, and it's only a matter of time with sophistication. . . ;-)

So, this is Christmas. . .

2006-01-24T08:39:00.000-06:00

. . . reality check. . . so I was already having a few identity issues about "visiting Canada" for 2 weeks, when I fell, out skating with my dad and brother. Ok, so I wasn't that great at it even when I did live there. . . It was definitely a lot of fun to skate out on the little river like 1/4 of a mile away from my house -- first time ever, so I guess you can't say there was NO benefit to all the rain. . .
Bob and I at New Year's -- yeah, I'm guessing that's probably quite "self-explanatory" for many of you. . . Had a great time hanging out with a few Bethany friends at Rochelle and Harley's place! Bring on the bowl game, Cranium, and a whole lot of Rochelle's amazing fruit and taco dip (NOT the same thing, in case you were wondering!)
My "new and expanded" family. . . Absolutely fabulous to spend time with my family -- laughing, playing games by the fireplace, and being together!! And it was nothing but amazing to finally meet my Acacia (niece). . . definitely one fab girl who holds a big place in my heart!! Hard to explain how proud and blessed I feel. . .

Kristin, Foord -- I apologize, well, in retrospect. . .?! Yeah, sorry, no privacy regulations on these blogs. . . I can't say how much I love all of you, my friends, and how incredible it was to spend time together -- reminisce, be crazy and share our hearts.
The continuation of New Year's (sorry, I'm too scared to try moving things around in here because I've had it backfire before. . . and you know how often I write, so that could end up being more than a little detrimental ;-) Out in Rochelle's backyard (before being bombarded by snowballs) enjoying her hot tub in the, well, early hours of the morning. . .

I have to say that I was blessed to spend with all of you at home during my time there -- I was refreshed by seeing you. I often remember you, pray for you and miss being with you. Thanks for enriching my life in so many ways!! XOXO

December reflections. . .

2005-12-24T08:56:00.000-06:00

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!! We were all surprised to see how much snow there was this week (I was very excited, others weren't so much!) Although it melted rather quickly, it made for a very pretty world of white, and. . . I think Christmas is just better with snow!

At the beginning of December, there was a baptism at the church!!! Yohei (jr. high student) and Cambria Hiebert (part of the missionary family here) took the plunge! Very exciting to hear their testimonies, and be encouraged about how God is working in their lives

Playing games together after the "Canadian Christmas Dinner" we hosted last weekend. . . interesting how quickly the salads went (as compared with meat!!), but I think everyone really enoyed it! Of course, in keeping with the theme for the night, I had to introduce them to a truly "North American" game (?!) -- spoons!! I think it was a little on the "wild" side for a few, and I hope I didn't ruin the "Canadian reputation" over here (after all, it's a pretty big responsibility!! ;-)

Food as an art. . .

2005-12-14T10:01:00.000-06:00

It most definitely is more than just "eating" here -- the beauty, colour, shape and appearance of the (many) dishes are just as important as the taste of the food, which of course often relates to whatever is "in season" at any particular time (menus in restaurants frequently change here!)

A more traditional Japanese "set" meal.

A step up from your basic "Ichiban" or "Mr. Noodles" -- the Japanese version of "fast food". . . there are noodle shops in trains stations where you can stand as you slurp (which is polite here) down the noodles, leaving just enough time to catch your train!
Once again, the cakes are no exception to the "beauty in the details" that is prided by Japanese people. They may be small, but they look amazing!! Actually, most people here, if you ask them about Christmas, one of the first things they mention is "Christmas cake", since it's become popular to order a cake and eat it with family on December 25th.
Some squid and other seafood up for sale. . . you also often see packages like this filled with Japanese "pickles" -- NOT my favourite part of the cuisine, but they enjoy them on the side with many meals.
And, of course. . . what would Japan be without SUSHI?! Actually, these are wax models of the "lunch boxes" the store is selling inside. . . quite handy for foreigners, since at many restaurants you can decide what to order before even stepping inside the door!

2005-12-12T08:20:00.000-06:00

These things are everywhere. . . standing out in front of some houses next to the gate. . . you are never more than 300 metres away from one. . . and at train stations sometimes you find whole rooms full of vending machines -- everything from hot (milk tea, coffee) and cold drinks (pocari sweat, calpis -- which, I happen to like by the way, even though it is, umm. . . fermented milk :-s) to ice cream, noodles, energy bars, hamburgers, and probably whatever else you can imagine. . . They even have digital displays showing beautiful Japanese cartoon women bowing in gratitude for your purchase!!

Not exactly your "traditional" Japanese cuisine, but I thought it was rather amusing how the McDonalds here are trying to portray their "healthy image". . . by comparing the amount of calories in other Japanese dishes with that a Big Mac, apple pie or fries. Guess the new "trend" to at least look healthy is universal. . . only here they've started from the other side!
A shop selling bars of jellied sweet beans -- with flavours ranging from green tea, brown sugar, "cherry blossom" (whatever that really means) and the ever popular "red bean" flavour. And, I do have to admit, once you've been here for a while, you start to crave it too. . . no longer are beans only a vegetable. . . :-)

So, everybody here thinks that. . .

2005-12-09T23:09:00.000-06:00

. . . just because I'm from Canada, the fall leaves here must pale in comparison. . . I beg to differ -- and can you argue? Seriously, the brilliant colours covering the mountainsides, and the fact that you can find every shade from green to deep crimson on the same Japanese maple sometimes is incredible to me. I still love my Manitoba, but. . .

My parents and I spent a week travelling together, taking in some of the sights (lots of Japanese gardens -- you can't help but appreciate the Japanese attention to detail and beauty, and intensive labour!), enjoying the hot springs here (yes, the ones without bathing suits!), putting my "translation skills" to the test. . . :-s, visiting some students and friends they met last time in Osaka, including my "Japanese parents" (I'm being well "taken care of" here too!).
Some of my students felt mom and dad should get in on traditional culture and bought some 2nd hand kimonos for them (afterwards they explained that actually the one my dad is wearing is "underwear" :-b) Being a young person and teaching a high percentage of people closer to your parents' ages than your own, it's understandable they're interested in meeting those who brought such a wonderful human being into the world (that, or finding out some dirt that you'd been able to supress so well with no intereferance from the "other world" -- ie. Canada). (Actually, I do sometimes end up making "liberal generalizations" about "Canada" -- well, when they look on you as the expert, it is a pretty big boost to the self-esteem -- and was "corrected" the other day when my dad was listening in on one of my conversations -- so much for that "image". . .) Either way, we sure felt the immense kindness and warm hearts from students, as we visited together in class, and got together for a (sukiyaki) party one night.

One of the reasons I love Toyota is the fact that within a few minutes' walking disatance from my house I can find trails up into the mountains. . . you just don't get that in Osaka. So, when we hiked up to this lookout point nearby, we were rewarded with an amazing view of the area! Can't help but praise our amazing Creator! It's already the middle of December, but there are still leaves on the trees here. . . definitely makes winter feel shorter! But, I'm glad I'll at least be back to enjoy a "white Christmas" again this year. . .

Open Sunday. . .

2005-11-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

These past 2 Sundays have been our official "Open Sundays" for the new church. . . something that has been anticipated and prayed for by many here both in Japan and North America. God has given (through the prompting and generous support of many people) us a beautiful building, but much more than that, a church family of believers here. I am so thankful for each of the people worshipping here, and it is exciting to see how God has worked in strengthening relationships through this building process, and making us more aware of how we need to be a living example of what the church is . . . This past Sunday, quite a few families who have never been to church or rarely attend came to the worship service. We also had a special kids' program during the service and made advent calendars together with over 20 kids (some came back from summer kids' club and other students from English classes! :-)!! Pray with us that these kids will think about the true meaning of Christmas as we anticipate this special season, and will join us again for the Christmas Eve candlelight service, or Christmas morning. Though we can do nothing on our own, we know Who holds both our and these precious lives.

Best birthday gift ever. . .

2005-11-28T08:47:00.000-06:00

Ok, so it was almost 2 weeks ago already, but having my parents arrive just in time for my birthday (on the 17th) was pretty exciting!!!! :-D I felt like a little kid again with all the anticipation, all the stuff they spoiled me with ;-), and having the amazing opportunity to spend time together for these past couple of weeks (they leave this Saturday). Though I hope the pictures and stories on this blog give you an idea about my life here, it is great to have someone come and share in that, and experience those two worlds come together in a special way. . . Praise God for He is so good!!

You can't live here without. . .

2005-11-17T09:15:00.000-06:00

. . . having caught a sense of the Japanese love and pride for their "Fuji-san" (Mt. Fuji). Although it may become more than a beautiful piece of nature to some, being able to see this magnificent mountain (clearly) from my hotel window for the 3 days I spent at the Church Planting (CPI) conference was wonderful!! Not only that, the conference itself was amazing!!! God definitely used the speakers, words spoken and the people I met there to encourage, refresh and challenge me. Sometimes even the most basic ideas, spoken again or in a new way, have a way of meeting us in a special and fresh way. Praise God. . . that He is working here. . . and that He is using people (Japanese and missionaries) accross the country who are passionate about Him to share from their heart. Pray that we foreigners will be "out of work" here. . . I want to challenge you with a quote from this conference that has impacted me deeply, and I pray that I will remember daily as I realize how Jesus is working in and changing my life. "You cannot commend what you don't cherish." May we cherish our Saviour and Lord above all!!!

Halloween party!!

2005-11-17T08:58:00.000-06:00

So, I have to admit, I was pretty proud of Cambria and I. . . for our amazing powers of creativity and ingenuity in costume creation this year, not to mention "cultural appropriateness" (since hearing "onigiri"(rice ball) and "kani" (crab) don't quite get the same reaction from Canadians!). The youth party we had for Halloween at the church was a great time of all kinds of games (finding candy in a bowl of flour), crafts (jack-0-lanterns out of balloons), singing, laughing and finding out a bit more about Jesus together. One of my students and her friend even came for the first time, which was super exciting! Let the good times roll. . .

Slightly different than your average "Turtle Derby Parade"

2005-11-17T08:52:00.000-06:00

For those of you who have no idea what the "Turtle Derby" entails. . . are you ever missing out!! :-b If you've ever seen a small town parade, you can picture what I'm talking about! Somehow our floats look a little shabby next to these elaborate ones displayed on the temple grounds. (see next pics for more explanation on that. . .)

2005-11-17T08:46:00.000-06:00

Two little boys sitting uptop one of the floats, having fun throwing down confetti on those walking down below.

Okay, so I'm a little behind here. . .

2005-11-17T08:30:00.000-06:00

"Koromo Matsuri" -- the annual fall festival here in Toyota took place in the middle of October. Isn't this little boy (Yuuto) the cutest ever?? I became friends with his parents since they have a hair salon nearby where I've been going (hence the highlights and permed hair on this little guy!!) Although they were working this day, her parents offered to take Yuuto and I.
Apparently these "floats" are each maintained by individual communities within Toyota, on the Saturday of the festival paraded around in these areas, and then Sunday (before we arrived) brought to sit at the big temple near the city centre. The paper you see strewn around that Yuuto is throwing is the confetti that they shower on the floats as they enter the temple grounds.

Sports Festivals are a big thing here. . .

2005-10-27T09:19:00.000-05:00

. . .held in the fall at every kindergarten and elementary schools (as well as some jr. highs), the kids prepare and perform songs, chants, dance routines, and various athletic feats (well, I watched the kindergarten level. . . ;-)
The "kiiro-gumi" (yellow class) is the one Hikaru, my little host brother is in, along with 5 of my English students, so it was pretty fun to see all of them out there having a great time!

Let the race begin. . . the kids ran from one end of the field to the other (mind you, a little scaled down ;-) and into their teacher's open arms. The boy on the left and 2 girls are come to my English class! I even got to participate in one race (putting together a giant puzzle of Chip and Dale) with Hikaru.

This was an activity for the oldest group of kids (ages 3 to 6 attend this kindergarten, since kids here can go for up to 3 years -- 2 is pretty much standard. Kindergartens are completely separate from elementary schools.) Grandparents and kids from 2 "teams" competed in throwing these "bean bags" into the bucket on top of a pole. They also had a "tug-of-war" for the parents to participate in.

My (host) sister and I watching the action. . . well, you never really know with Moe. When she wasn't trying to get in on the action with the "big kids", she spent time exploring the grounds. Her face really says everything. . .

Little Hikaru on the far left with some of his buddies at school, celebrating with their medals after the festival was over. :-)

Progressive supper anyone?

2005-10-01T11:51:00.000-05:00

So, basically no-one here has ever heard of a "progressive supper" minus the pastor and his wife (fellow Canadians). Ok, maybe nobody at home has any idea either, except those of us who went to "youth" at church when we were younger (basically all the "cool" people. . . :-b) Yeah, I decided to ask people from church if they'd host part of the supper IN PERSON, and was pretty glad about that, considering some of the confused looks I got. "Kekkyoku" (in the end), it turned out to be great -- all I have to say is "praise God"! We had 11 kids, which is double how many usually come, and it was so exciting to see people from the church open up their homes (that isn't a very common practice here), kids bonding with one another and connections made from both sides. It's so easy, even in a small church, for programs to get disconnected from people who aren't directly involved. . . and this seemed to bridge that distance. We spent some time talking about food, and how there is more to life than just basic physical survival. Some of the most thoughtful comments came from the non-Christians in the group. Continue to pray we would all thirst after the Water that can truly satisfy us. :-)

2005-09-25T09:18:00.000-05:00

Expo 2005 Acihi Japan . . . along with the "oh so loveable" mascots. . . Kikkoro and Morizo!

2005-09-25T09:17:00.000-05:00

A view of part of the huge site

2005-09-25T09:16:00.000-05:00

Outside the Iranian pavillion. . . people were just jumping in between these two musicians (who, by the way, were singing basically only 2 Japanese words -- "hello" and "cute"?!?) to get their pictures taken. . . but I restrained myself ;-)

2005-09-25T09:14:00.000-05:00

The modern (?) side of African dance

2005-09-25T09:13:00.000-05:00

I have to admit, I first heard of this whole Expo thing from my parents, and by the sounds of "World Expo '68", I was pretty sure it was some kind of "peace and love" gathering for hippies. . . So, first of all, not only was I surprised the "Expo" was still in existance, but that it was going to be practically right in my backyard here in Japan. As I heard more about it, saw ads and it got closer to the opening (March 25th), my interest definitely grew. I bought a season's pass. (For those of you who may still be "in the dark" as I was, the Expo is basically the biggest multicultural festival/event in the world. I think it was started as a way of bringing countries a little closer together, and displaying the latest technology.)After my ninth and last time visiting the site yesterday, it's a little sad to see everything coming to an end this Sunday. Between the dozens of musical / dance performances taking place everyday at the pavillions and stages around the site, displays and people from 120-some countries taking part as well as some great pavillions by Japan and major companies here (Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Toyota), there were lots of things to learn, see and take part in (not to mention a chance to eat great food from almost anywhere -- except Greece, still a little upset about that. . . I will definitely miss the food!!) The theme of the Expo was "Nature's Wisdom" and how we need to learn from nature in the ways we live, produce, use and interact with the world and others. I think it's great we're becoming more conscious of taking care of the world that God has entrusted into our care. . . I just pray that they might know Whose wisdom is behind the beautiful nature.

2005-09-14T10:05:00.000-05:00

So, I couldn't resist. . . Among all of the interesting things here in Japan, one is definitely the "mini culture" that so many of the 18+ year old girls live in. It's all about fashion (there is a HUGE variety here -- walk into any store and it's hard to find 2 of anything! BUT, even though it may seem like anything goes with their layering and mixing + matching. . . I made the mistake once and tried pulling it off. . .yeah, there's some trick I'm have yet to figure out), cell phones (chatting, messaging, surfing, taking pictures, lots of dangly straps hanging from the phone, and sometimes a stuffed "Winne the Pooh" cell phone cover, making it a little hard to slide in your back pocket. . .), make up (which fits conveneintly into the oversized pink plastic bag, along with half of a full-sized mirror, to be used to apply that powder/mascara/eye liner and/or curl eyelashes perfectly at opportune times, such as riding the train, waiting around at the station, etc.), gel nails (ok, hers were each a different colour), and time and money to blow (while mom and dad are paying for university / room and board). Although, I do have to admit, for basically the first 18 years of their lives, most kids here are working incredibly hard, often sacrificing socializing and fun in order to study for and excel in school, which will eventually lead up to entrance exams into university. Unlike our universities, which are harder to get "out of" than "into", here the opposite is true -- it's extremely competitive and difficult to get into (especially top) universities and graduation is pretty much a breeze (I've heard). So, university is definitely the time to let loose and enjoy life. . . fair reward after all those years of studying?! Anyways, thought you might enjoy this shot on the train (the green seating goes along with the expo ;-). Hey, I'm here for 2 more years, you never know what I might come back looking like?!? :-b

2005-09-06T09:31:00.000-05:00

My first-ever English-student party (outside of class) was. . . a hit?!? Well, I don't know how the students felt, but I enjoyed it anyways (haha!!) No, I took it from their smiles that everyone had fun, even though (notice the one guy in the picture -- yeah, he's 20. . . and all of the women are about my parents' age or so -- not that that's OLD mom and dad, but. . . ) I felt a little bad for Kentaro. 8 of my 13 adult students came out to my house for the evening near the end of August, which was also fun to "host" something at my place (since, although it may not look huge from the picture, I have a VERY nice / spacious little house for being in Japan, and compared to my accomodations in Osaka -- it's just small here, and so I feel really blessed!!). I should mention though that the 2 ladies at the end of the table came over an hour before the party and basically put together everything for the okonomiyaki (they call it "Japanese pizza", but don't believe it!) you see on the table. . . Okonomiyaki is actually a specialty of Osaka (known for it's creative culinary delights, including balls of batter with a chunk of octopus in the middle fried golden on the outside -- you can just ask my dad how much he enjoyed the one bit he took. . .) and so I sometimes miss eating it as I'm no longer an "Osakajin" (Osaka person -- a special "brand" of Japanese people). Anyways, inside okonomiyaki you will find an assortment of food, ranging from squid, shrimp and pork to deep fried pieces of tempura, pickled ginger and noodles, all topped off with a sweet brown sauce, mayo, and flakes of both seaweed and bonito fish. Needless to say, it is delicious (and that's not sarcasm!) Even though these students were from 4 different classes, they seemed to become comfortable with one another as the evening went on, so I was excited to see that taking place. For those of you who know the "bowl game", I also subjected them to performing that combination of Taboo and charades during the evening (as their teacher, I have the right to do these kinds of things. . . haha!!) I just can't help but praise God for the wonderful people that He has brought to my classes, and look forward to the times we have to relate to one another. . . Although it was the first time I've done this, it definitely won't be the last -- any ideas for next time?

2005-09-06T09:08:00.000-05:00

See you again, Okinawa?!? (Sorry, I didn't know how to get these 4 pictures on one post, so you'll have to read the commentary below. . .)

2005-09-06T09:07:00.001-05:00

Can I live here. . . for a little while, anyways?

2005-09-06T09:07:00.000-05:00

"Manzamo"

2005-09-06T09:03:00.000-05:00

I think I was made for the tropics. . . In the middle of August, I spent 3 days in Okinawa (a group of islands in the far south of Japan) with my friend Naomi. I've known her since I first started teaching in Osaka, when she was my student, and we quickly became good friends. We definitely enjoyed the chance to relax, swim in the beautiful, clear water (it really does look like the postcards!!) and even went to her relatives' place for supper one night! Included in our tour (yeah, it's basically the only way to travel out here -- much cheaper, and you can choose if you want planned activities or pick your own) was a boat ride out to a deserted island about an hour away from the main island. We spent a few hours there, exploring the island and enjoying the water (watching the fish, just using my goggles, was fascinating. . . I even saw a little "Nemo" in his anemone, while a bigger fish -- his dad?! -- fended off other fish from getting too close. . . I felt like I was in the movie or something!) We also visited "Manzamo", some cliffs a few hours away from our hotel, and were treated to a beautiful island sunset on the way home. . . Okinawa is an interesting place with a pretty colourful history. . . Since it used to be an independent country, the people have retained a common identity through their customs, food and language that is different from the rest of Japan. Of course, as a popular travel destination for "mainlanders", the younger generations also speak standard Japanese. After WWII, the American army also occupied these islands, and still operate a huge base there. People here also boast the longest lifespan in the world (lots of people living over 100) -- apparently due partly to their love of "goya". . . a vegetable that somewhat resembles a very bumpy cucumber, but is usually sliced and boiled before eating. . . and it's very bitter!! But, they also eat a lot of pork -- I had the chance to sample shredded pig's ear (with some kind of spicy seasoning) that they eat as a snack! I didn't tell them what we use pigs' ears for at home. . . :-s So, yeah, it was an interesting and good experience -- that ended with one last fleeting glance at the tropical waters from my plane window. . .

2005-09-02T08:51:00.000-05:00

Only 2 more months. . . It's pretty neat living next door to the construction site of our new church building (scheduled to be finished at the end of October). As you can see, right now they are in the process of putting up the "design panelu" (as it's called in "Japanese"), and have been doing a lot of work on all of the electrical / plumbing work inside. We even have a baptismal tank, and I can get a picture of what my new English class is going to look like!!

2005-08-31T10:41:00.000-05:00

The charm and mystery of Japanese culture. . . something that attracts me to this country as I'm drawn into traditions and history that stretch back many, many generations. In particular, Nara, as the first permanent capital of Japan established in 710, is a city that maintains an area of many older homes, and boasts an impressive collection of temples (including the largest wooden building in the world), and shrines (one of which the road leading towards it is lined with thousands of stone lanterns, lit once during the O'Bon festival in August). The city also offers (for a price) "people-driven" carriage rides, along with narration of the area, through it's historical streets.

2005-08-31T10:30:00.000-05:00

What is summer without. . . "Aisu"?!? You definitely have to look for the right places to find ice cream here, but in a "tourist town" like Karuizawa, that wasn't a problem. Not eating too much was. . . Taken with Doris (left -- the teacher I I "filled in" for last year when she was studying Japanese), and Andrea (who just arrived in Osaka this February). We had a great time together during the conference; shopping at the outlet mall, studying Japanese at the Christian language school there, and, as you can see, treating ourselves!

2005-08-31T10:25:00.000-05:00

my room in "the house" -- ok, so obviously I didn't get a good enough camera to show up those cobwebs. . . just don't look up! :-s

2005-08-31T10:22:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the ultimate in "meet & greet" social events. . . As missionaries attending the annual Karuizawa Summer Missionary Conference (in a city that has been greatly impacted by the presence of missionaries -- could I use that word any more?!), we were also given the "privilege" (??) of invitation to the big summer gala (along with all the important figures / big wigs in the area). Having not understood this before leaving for our trek out to the mountains, I can fairly say I was "underdressed" for the occassion, not to mention just slightly younger than about 95% of the guests (the 5% being the Hiebert kids), and not quite feeling like I "blended in". Although, upon encouragement from one of the conference leaders urging us to initiate conversation with business people as a great way to share about why we are here in Japan, I did manage to "target" and strike up conversations with a couple of people. On an interesting note, I learned from the website designer for Karuizawa that they hold a curling tournament here every year in February -- "mezurashii!!" (I can't imagine that happens too many other places in this country) So, that was his first connection to Canada -- what can I say, just doing my job as an ambassador for my country?!

2005-08-31T10:08:00.000-05:00

the OLD house -- felt like we were competing with the bugs / spiders / mice for occupancy of the place during the week I slept here. . . So, it was definitely an adventure -- guess we missionaries in Japan can't really complain about our "living situation", since we're pretty spoiled here!! This place is definitely a welcome "escape" from the mugginess that engulfs most of the mainland throughout July and August -- wanna come visit next summer??

2005-08-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

One big happy family. . . out in Karuizawa (near Nagano in the Japanese alps). Yes, I can definitely say we all enjoyed the huge veranda out in front of the house -- for playing ping pong (so I realized I'm a little out of practice since my dad and I used to rally down in our basement when I was younger -- I kept blaming it on the net being too high. . . :-b), spending quiet time on the porch swing (how can you not enjoy God's awesomeness in such a beautiful place?!), or for enjoying a pancake breakfast (blueberry ones!!!) with the Hiebert family, Doris (holding pancake) and Andrea (with braided hair).

2005-08-10T09:01:00.000-05:00

Relay races under the sun in the park nearby. . . the water balloons (and staff members drenching each other with buckets of water!!) were pretty popular!

2005-08-10T08:57:00.000-05:00

That's right -- Summer Kids' Club 2005!! The team from Canada "thoughtfully" brought along hats to go with our creation theme for the 3 days ;-)

2005-08-10T08:55:00.000-05:00

Definitely the place to hang out on a hot summer's night. . . and pull that "yukata" (light summer kimono) out of the closet. (Still looking for one that's long enough. . .)

2005-08-10T08:53:00.000-05:00

Some of the dancers at Oiden -- watch out for the "Toyota Church" entry next year!!

2005-08-10T08:47:00.000-05:00

It's Matsuri (festival) season in Japan - Toyota's "Oiden" was held in the end of July; downtown streets were filled with dancers, each performing their own interpretation of the festival music!

2005-06-17T08:43:00.000-05:00

There is seriously never a dull moment with these two great women! I spent the ride to and from the BBQ completely amused by their banter on everything from the right road to take, to prices of things these days, and how wonderful the weather turned out to be. . .

2005-06-17T08:32:00.000-05:00

Moe-chan!! My little host sister trying her luck at fishing in the small creek near our BBQ spot.

2005-06-17T08:30:00.000-05:00

"Rice balls anyone?" Me and the ladies forming the rice into triangular balls for our church BBQ lunch last Sunday. (Apparently I was the only one who couldn't take the heat of the steaming hot rice. . . :-s)

2005-06-17T08:25:00.000-05:00

Didn't think this would be the first picture I'd be posting (me in a canoe in Japan), but I'm so glad it is. . . Welcome to my online photo album everyone!