"Kiseki wa okiru, shinjireba. . ."

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. . .

. . . 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. . .

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. . .

. . .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!!

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. . .

. . . 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!

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!

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. . .

. . . 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. . .

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??

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. . .

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??

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?!?

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!!

(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. . .