I miss The Daily Yomiuri

The extended family's Thanksgiving celebration gave me an opportunity to spend some time with my cousin's son, an adult TCK* from Japan.

[*TCK = third culture kid = a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture(s)]

Not only was it fun to reconnect with him, I also enjoyed spending time with someone who knows (and misses) my other world.

My newspaper reading of the past five months basically consists of skimming a few USA Todays in motel lobbies while eating a continental breakfast. I appear to be very uninterested in the news.

But reading The Daily Yomiuri in Japan was a daily highlight! And my cousin's son gets it! He misses TDY, too! And reading it online is not the same.

Another loss to identify, acknowledge, and grieve.

Narita Airport, Home Away From Home

While I have made reference more than once on this blog to Narita Airport being my home away from home, I have never actually lived there.

BBC tells the story of a passenger who has been living there for more than thirty days! You can read about him here.

Welcome to my home for the holidays

~ or "How to decorate for Christmas when most of your worldly goods are in storage in another hemisphere"

The stocking is hung on the stovepipe with care.

The tree I picked up on clearance after Christmas '04 is in my use for the first time ever, and decorated with

a few flat, lightweight ornaments that I brought with me across the ocean for this year (mostly purchased at the 100 yen store).

A basket I must have used five years ago and found in my boxes in my parents' attic, now holds Christmas cards, of friends from far and near.


The washstand displays:

a towel from my sister's "dozo"* pile, when she moved,
(*"Dozo" means please, go ahead, and has come to be known as the giveaway pile when an expat is leaving Japan.)

a special bell from a friend,

a tea light lantern from the interior design consignment store,

and one of my favorite miniature Nativities from my collection; this one from Shaker Village.


The Shaker nativity


My other favorite nativity, from Niger


The centerpiece is from a ladies' meeting last week, and was given to me to take home afterwards.


My mom loaned me a red tablecloth.

And Walgreen's 99 cent Christmas mugs add a lot of festivity for a little bit of money!



If you were here, we could have some hot tea in my new festive mugs and enjoy a slice of pumpkin bread!

Pumpkin Bread


1 1/2 cups (210g) flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (1/4 L) pumpkin purée or canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (1 dL) olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup (1 dL) chopped walnuts

1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.

2 Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts.

3 Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.

Makes one loaf. Can easily double the recipe.


My home decorated for Christmas '08

At the airport

Narita Airport, my home away from home, has been the site of many meetings over the years... some planned and some not.

Twice I have met my missionaries-in-Japan cousin and his family there to say "good-bye" to one of their sons who was going to the States for school.

I have met an itinerant counselor for missionaries there, since it was a convenient spot for an appointment.

I had an encouraging conversation there one day with a colleague from the States as he was waiting for a flight out.

Once, upon entering from the parking garage to pick up a visitor from NYC, I heard someone call out, "Hello, J- N-!" It was a missionary from several hours away, there to pick up his brother-in-law who had a layover on an Asian business trip.

Another time, while picking up a co-worker returning from the U.S.A., I ran into a European friend I rarely see, but had just seen a few days previously. She was there to pick up a visitor from the States.

This fall, I continued my airport meeting habit, but this time NOT at Narita, rather at the local tiny airport, the type of airport where you don't need to set up a meeting point, because you can see the whole place from wherever you are. :-)

I checked in very early for my flight, but did not go through security. Teammates from Japan, who were driving down the interstate, pulled off at the exit, drove three miles, and came into the lobby, where we spent an hour catching up on the last year of our lives.

I love airports! and the people I meet there!

1000 Gifts, Vol. 3, #5

41. electric heating pad
42. electricity
43. free Verizon-to-Verizon phone calls
44. an entertaining niece
45. who likes to talk on the phone
46. Christmas playlist on iPod
47. sabbath rest
48. those who encourage me to take it
49. wise counsel
50. good memories

'Tis the season

Yum!!

Straight from Germany.

Thankful for a brother-in-law with German roots!

1000 Gifts, Vol. 3, #4

31. the calm after the storm (both the windstorm and the post-op emotional storm)
32. the power of God's word
33. the delight of a young child who has just learned to count to five in Japanese
34. knees wrapped in the hugs of young children, saying "goodbye" after a church visit
35. being added to my mom's list of daily visits to the "infirm"
36. Thermacare heat wraps!
37. a variety of 99c Christmas mugs
38. candy cane Oreos
39. social secretaries planning my next few weeks
40. the ability to "reach out and touch" around the world via phone and Skype

I miss the 100 yen store!

After-dinner tea and coffee at my sister and brother-in-law's reminded me that I miss the 100 yen store! This mug is from the 100 yen store and was a birthday gift I sent a few years ago.

The dollar store just seems ... not the same.

One more loss to allow myself to grieve during this Home Ministry Assignment. The list of losses in an international move is long. The sense of loss can feel overwhelming. Even the changes that bring so many positive things by definition include loss of what once was.

A couple seminars I attended by Ruth Van Reken (global transition guru) two years ago in Malaysia have been really helpful in helping me notice and acknowledge the many losses, so that I am able to more readily accept the changes and keep moving forward.

Marking time by seven Saturdays, #2

::To follow up on my October 17th post:: Today I am three days post-op, recovering from surgery. Last Saturday I was recovering from 3.5 months of a non-stop schedule, as well as a week that held three days of medical checkups and a two-day trip with a family reunion and Thanksgiving celebration. Two Saturdays ago, I spent the day with my mom, shopping, eating and talking. When a friend asked if we have a restaurant we always go to, I had to admit that it had probably been five years since my mom and I had gone out to lunch. Three Saturdays ago, I was in the middle of a missions conference, sharing the needs in Japan, eating a lot, and meeting many people, including the conference preacher, who is the president of RTS-Charlotte, and whom God moved to write this article. Four Saturdays ago, I was on vacation, visiting friends. Five Saturdays ago, I was home, struggling to breathe. Six Saturdays ago, I was in the middle of a missions conference, sharing the needs in Japan, eating a lot, and meeting many people. Six Saturdays from now, both Christmas and my birthday will be past, and the first month of a new year will be half over.

So teach me to number my days that I may get a heart of wisdom. Satisfy me in the morning with your steadfast love, that I may rejoice and be glad all my days. Let the favor of the Lord my God be upon me, and establish the work of my hands upon me; yes, establish the work of my hands!

(adapted from Psalm 90.12-17)

Another book on introverts

For a link to two reviews of the new book, Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture, see Justin Taylor's blog post.

My earlier blog post on a different book is here.

Cell phones

My cell phone plan in Japan allowed me 30 minutes a month of outgoing calls. (Incoming calls were free.) There were no free nights and weekends. I paid half of what I pay in the U.S. for my cell phone plan.

My cell phone plan in the U.S. costs double what I paid in Japan, and last month I talked 73 times as much as I did in a typical month in Japan.

Granted, the U.S. bill includes both incoming and outgoing calls, but the discrepancy is still large!

Serendipitous

::at the Virginia Welcome Center on I-81::


My college roommate and I just "happened" to both be driving north on 81 the same morning, a fact we discovered when she called to chat, so I pulled off at the Welcome Center, and within five minutes, she was there. We took pictures, talked a few minutes, and then set off to our respective destinations.

A fun meeting by the side of the road!

A Year Ago

On November 27, 2008, I wrote a post titled, "Thanksgiving Lunch:"

I had my normal Thursday lunch when I stopped off at the convenience store in the industrial park on the backroad between the town where I teach Bible studies Thursday morning and the town where I teach an English class and Bible study Thursday afternoon.

I stopped in and parked next to all the trucks, hurried in and bought a juice-pack of fruit & vegetable juice, and picked up a package of McVitie's digestive biscuits, which I quickly digested while sitting in the car, reviewing the handout for English class.

It's not a bad Thanksgiving Day, when you get to partner with local believers in opening the Word and explaining God's justice and grace all day long with people who are eager to understand.

I am thankful for each of the local believers, the ladies in the studies, the powerful Word of God, and the Spirit which led the studies and is working in hearts!

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, #2

A few days ago, I wrote of my past few months of another day, another place.

This week has been similar.

Another day, another doctor.

If it's Wednesday, it must be the gastroenterologist.

And so, on Thursday, I shall be thankful that this round is over. My prayer has been that each doctor or radiologist will see what needs to be seen. In my head, I am thankful for so many things (modern medicine, that these tests exist, the skill of the medical professionals, that I have insurance, ETC.). Now, just to move the thankfulness from my head to my heart!

Weekly rhythm

For the past four years, although my life had its share of chaos, I had a certain rhythm I could count on. Although every day was different, there was a general schedule for the week.

Sunday was worship (3/4 of the time with the same congregation). Monday was my day off. Tuesday I did office work at the center, fielding questions, fighting fires, and trying to plan ahead and help problem shoot for our large team. Wednesday was Team Day, with various meetings: training, English worship, Concert of Prayer, business meetings, etc. Thursday I taught various Bible studies and English classes in a couple churches/ church plants. Friday and Saturday were office days with flexibility to help with special events, or schedule the occasional committee meeting. Evenings and Sundays I met with girls for discipleship and Bible study.

HMA has a completely different rhythm.

I was at my home church the first three Sundays, but since then I've been there 4 times in 16 weeks.

Visiting supporting churches usually requires a trip. Visiting relatives after 4-5 years usually requires a trip. Vacation time, too, requires a trip.

Some trips are just day trips; other trips last a week.

All are people-intensive. When I am not on a trip visiting supporting churches or friends or relatives, my days are filled with hosting friends who are visiting from out of state (or country) or having meals with friends (or relatives) I have not seen in four or five years.

The holidays are not prime missions conference times, so the next nine weeks look to be a little quieter. I'm looking forward to finding a new short-term rhythm, and having a somewhat more normal life.

Maybe. :) (If I can stop going to doctors, that is.)

Day of Preparation

The bottle of powder sits in my kitchen at the ready.


My fridge is stocked with drinks, in hopes of masking the powder.




Tomorrow morning I visit the G.I. man.

Today I pray for patience, contentment and a thankful heart in this circumstance.

1000 Gifts, Vol. 3, #3

21. a flock of wild turkeys walking past the window during Sunday lunch
22. the choreography of a flock of wild turkeys taking off into the air
23. a Thanksgiving card that has been exchanged back and forth six times over the years
24. a preschooler's interest in and wide eyes while hearing about the false worship in another country
25. the encouragement of older Christian men and women
26. a last-minute invitation
27. 36 hours of looking forward to that special time
28. a notecard giving assurance of one's prayers and a reminder of a guest apartment waiting for me if I'm ever in the area
29. being led into worship
30. time to be still and be creative

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

August 6th - November 19th in pictures:














103 nights, 56 of them away from home. Well, all of them away from my heavenly home, and all of them away from my Japan home, but 56 of them away from my current temporary home in Tennessee.

16 beds, two of which were repeats.

Eight trips.

13 states.

Nine airports.

5000 miles driven.

8500 frequent flyer miles.

My calendar pages for those months are almost illegible. Breakfasts, lunches, suppers, missions conferences, visiting relatives, phone appointments, church visits, and, when I'm in town, medical check-ups.

The numbers point to the real story: I am rich with friends. And I thank God for each of you!

The Aftermath of Two Trips

I'm still not unpacked.

My faithful duffel bag is also pictured here.

1000 Gifts, Vol. 3, #2

11. thick afternoon clouds blanketing the mountains ~ and the two gaps I passed through
12. laughter and fun and joyful times with friends
13. SAFETY in 1000 miles of driving this past week
14. gorgeous weather every day I drove
15. anticipation of sitting still
16. 5-year reunions with friends
17. the connections that God arranged last weekend on my WV trip
18. getting to stop in for lunch with relatives as I drive through their city two states away
19. running into a friend at a crucial time that I needed her input & perspective
20. running into a friend at a welcome center on the interstate!

Thanksgiving challenge

A friend sent me this challenge. Care to join me?

Thank God for 100 things:

10 spiritual blessings in Christ

10 people who have sharpened you as iron sharpens iron

10 books that have formed you

10 pieces of music that bless you

10 material blessings

10 answered prayers

10 delicious flavors

10 beautiful sights

10 appealing smells

10 pleasant sounds

1000 Gifts, Vol. 3, #1

1. great fellowship with a new friend from a missions committee
2. unexpectedly running into friends while out and about
3. the gift of unplanned time with them
4. an invitation to an Advent celebration
5. a few days of resting from travel
6. a doctor who acts quickly
7. Mapquest, which does my thinking for me
8. glimpses of how God is redeeming "bad" situations
9. rainy days to help one relax
10. sunny days to help one be rejuvenated

1000 Gifts, Vol. 2, #100

991. a quiet rainy day
992. a good test result
993. Rx samples from the doctor
994. answered prayer: relatively quick recovery from bronchitis
995. being rich with friends
996. this season of giving thanks
997. the gospel
998. God's amazing providence
999. new friends ~ and the small world stories that accompany them
1000. the Spirit's work of growing a thankful heart

The End of Volume 2 of my 1000 Gifts. Stay tuned for Volume 3...

Who am I?

On the Coffeegirl blog recently, a woman who has "embarked on the cross-cultural adventure of sharing the love of Christ outside her home culture" tackled that question:

Missionary, counselor, director, leader, teacher, writer, wife and mother are simply roles that I fill.

Redeemed child of the Creator is my identity. I long for that to be the ultimate satisfaction of my being.

~Coffeegirl

How often do I let my roles identify me?

Today may I find my identity in who I ultimately am ~ redeemed child of the Creator!

Living an extrovert's life

Each time I have taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, I have come out a strong I for introvert. Strong, as in it would be hard to come out stronger.

Yet, a close friend often asks, given my schedule of time with people, "Are you sure you're not an extrovert?!?"

This summer when the book, The Introvert Advantage, was recommended to me, I ordered it immediately and practically inhaled it.

Since then I have been almost evangelistic in recommending it to friends ~ and even strangers.

If you're an extrovert, read it and understand your introvert friends & family better.

If you're an introvert, read it and understand yourself better.

If you're a parent, read it and understand your children better.

It just might change your life!

You know you've lived in Japan too long when ...

someone on the plane seated near you is eating salami and you think natto would smell SO MUCH BETTER!

What type of hot drink do you drink?

Honey and vinegar ... to cure what ails you!

Beginning of the list season (Christmas gift idea)

It is the beginning of the list season: lists of menus, lists of hand-made projects, lists of addresses, lists of baking goodies ... lists of gifts.

I too begin... but only, currently, one list: A List of a Thousand Things, beginning with #1. I am daily jotting down items on my Thousand Gifts List, working, one-by-one, up to a thousand gifts. Not of gifts I want. But of gifts I have.

So begins an article that caught my attention in November 2006, and which propelled me onto this journey of keeping a gratitude list.

This List of a Thousand Things just might be the only item you need to put on your Christmas gift list this year!

Are you looking for meaningful Christmas gift ideas which won't break your budget? How about a pretty notebook or journal (from the dollar store or handmade by you) with a note giving the recipient the idea of keeping a gratitude journal? It may very well be the best gift your friends and family receive this year!

(Consider printing the following pages and giving them with the notebook: The Thousand Gifts and/or Gratitude Community. Or consider personalizing your gift by adding some hand-written quotes about thankfulness or Scripture verses on this theme.)

As Ann writes at A Holy Experience,

But consider yourself warned: counting gifts is addictive and becomes the happiest of habits that becomes away of living praise!

[B]egin to feel more joy, less stress, better health, more connected in your relationships, and more delight in your everyday life. Praise is what we are made for!

In November 2006, I began writing 1000 gifts in a special journal. My friends could tell that something had changed. And when I reached 1000 and ... stopped (gasp!), my friends could also tell. Thus I began again, in August 2008, because I knew my heart needed the discipline of growing in thankfulness.

Volume two began with humble beginnings, as I mustered thankfulness for the very basic essentials of life, but one becomes thankful by being thankful, and as time has gone on, my eyes have been opened to more and more gifts given to me by the Giver of all good gifts.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

You can read Volume two, numbers 1-99, of my my 1000 Gifts entries here.

You can read Ann, the originator's list here (with beautiful photos).

1000 Gifts, Vol. 2, #99

981. the pleasure of watching leaves fall after four autumns in a land without large yards with tall trees
982. gentle strains of a CD of instrumental music
983. the surprise of eating Asian food in Kingsport (!)
984. encouragement to slow down
985. a few days to stop and do just that
986. a nurse practitioner who was thorough in searching for the root of my cough
987. living in the age of modern medicine!
988. automatic washer & dryer (I cannot imagine the time it would take to do laundry by hand!)
989. anticipation of time with family and friends in the next few days
990. the fruit of cultivating gratitude

On being a newcomer to your hometown

The pharmacist did not have pills in stock to fill my prescription.

"Would you like me to call around and see if another pharmacy has it? Which pharmacy?"

"I don't know. I just moved here."

"How familiar are you with the town?"

"I grew up here, but I don't know where the Walgreen's are."

"Oh, well then you know where the old Wal-mart was."

WHICH old Wal-mart?!?

My airport road and idolatry

I love driving "my" airport road, heading out toward the beach, away from Tokyo, cutting through green forested hills, driving through fertile farmland, and passing vegetable stands, and fresh egg vending machines! I love the feeling that I am not on my way to or from a world-class airport.

The last stretch of road is the "Haniwa Road," named for a clay figurine that was buried with or near the dead during the Kofun-jidai, or Tumulus Period of Japan (250~538 a.d.).







But these are not just interesting archaeological artifacts; these are items associated with worship even today. (Emphasis in the following article is mine.)

The Shibayama Haniwa Festival will be held Sunday November 8th from 9.30 AM - 4.30 PM.

The festival starts with many of the local townsfolk, including students at the local elementary and middle schools, dressing up in costumes from the Tumulus Period and gathering at the kofun off of the main road. Here there is a ceremony in which the representative of the ancient people presents a message to make a peaceful town to the representative of the modern people, the mayor. Then there is a maiden dance by girls in costume.

After this ceremony everyone moves in a procession to the local temple, Shibayama Nioson, where there is an exchange between the ancients and the new citizens in the form of drinks.

Next the procession moves to the nearby Shibayama Park, and the local citizens show their thanks to the ancients through a number of attractions and folk entertainment. Booths like those at any other festival can be found here, selling a variety of food and goods.

There is a stage where various performances are held, and in the park there is a reproduction of an old fashion Japanese house with a straw roof. At one point mochi is thrown to the crowd from the back of a truck. But be careful! That mochi is rock hard, not the soft chewy stuff you may be familiar with.

The festival ends with the ancients ascending to the Shinto Shrine [the festival website actually says the ancients ascend back to heaven], accompanied by torches and a priest chanting.

~ Chiba Nanohana News, Ed. 74

Mrs. K is now in heaven

Mrs. K, baptized last December, is now in heaven! Her funeral was last week.

And so now we pray for the relatives and friends who attended her funeral, most of whom had probably never been to a Christian funeral, nor ever heard of the hope of heaven.

May they join her there one day!

So I went to McDonald's

And I asked if they have a cheeseburger set.

Now, perhaps there was a miscommunication because someone later told me that they're not called "sets" in the U.S.A.; they're called value meals or something like that.

Anyway, I asked if they have a cheeseburger set, and was told, "We have a two cheeseburger meal."

Only in America!



I ordered a cheeseburger ... tanpinde ... by itself.

So I went to the doctor

It's all so very different here. I had a 2.55 appointment thirty minutes away, and a 5 PM family event, so I told my mom, "I'll probably be late." Then I thought a minute, and said, "Well, in Japan, I wouldn't get there by 5, but I don't know how it works in America."

I arrived early, there was no one else in the waiting room, and by 3.15 I was on my way to the pharmacy.

Can we say, "Culture shock?"

Also, apparently it's standard practice here to take the patient's vitals each time they visit (temperature, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen level, weight), unlike in Japan where the only thing that is standard is taking your temperature - under your arm - and while sitting in the lobby at the nurse's desk.

Then, I was asked what antibiotic has worked for me in the past. It felt too good to be true! I remember a colleague, after several doctor's visits in her town, traveling to ours, so she could attempt to get the antibiotic she really wanted and which would hopefully work for her.

I even had a choice of pharmacies-! It was the strangest experience for the doctor to ask me which pharmacy I wanted to use. I sat there stunned, first, that he was asking, and then, because I had to come up with an answer. Instead of being handed a printed Rx to carry as I walked to the pharmacy next door (as always is the case in Japan), I said, "Well, I passed a pharmacy on the way here. I don't know the address. It's across from such-and-such a grocery store." Thankfully he could put two and two together. (Afterward I realized that even my description was very Japanese, since I used no street names.)

If all of that were not different enough, the reading selection in the exam room included some John Piper books, and even Noel Piper's children's book. On the wall free for the taking were several one page articles the doctor had written about how to study the Bible, etc. There was a sign on the wall stating that if you'd like the doctor to pray with you, just ask.

To say I was in culture shock would be an understatement.

This world is not my home

Last month I arrived early for a burial at the family cemetery and had time to look at the old, sometimes crumbling gravestones, and time to look at the newer, more modern ones, and time to ponder the lives of faith of those whose tombstones have Scripture references on them, and time to be a little unsettled looking at the gravestones of relatives who are still living.

Afterward one man asked my dad if he will be buried in that cemetery. Dad pointed to his tombstone, already installed, with his name and birth date and Job 19.25 already engraved on it.

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

A Day in the Country

1000 Gifts, Vol. 2, #98

971. bright blue skies!

972. brilliant fall leaves!

973. a delicious Japanese lunch! (natto, gohan, miso soup, salad, sauteed vegetables, gyoza, and anko with chestnuts)
974. Alexander Graham Bell and his successors
975. children's smiles & snuggles
976. a 4th grader's bottomless pit of great questions about Japan
977. sharing a simple lunch with new friends
978. being in one place for more than a week
979. attending the same weekly Bible study more than once
980. manual labor of raking a few leaves on a gorgeous day

Planting Seeds

Teaching the children in my home church about church planting, I compared it to planting seeds. Later I realized that even as I taught, I was planting seeds of a different sort ... seeds of ideas about God being the God of the nations, His deserving the praise of all the peoples, and the fact that He uses us, His people, to go and tell His Word to those who've never heard.

May those seeds be watered and grow up into godly men and women who share God's heart for the nations and who desire to worship Him and see Him worshiped by all the peoples!

Marking time by seven Saturdays

Today I am resting in Blacksburg in between two weeks of meeting new friends and reunions with old.

Last Saturday I went to PresWIC and saw dozens of ladies I hadn't seen in 4-5 years, ate lunch with a close family friend visiting from Florida, and set off on this trip.

Two Saturdays ago, I had currant crescents in Mom's kitchen, and my college roommate came to visit for 24 hours.

Three Saturdays ago, I was fogged in in the Cincinnati airport.

Four Saturdays ago, I was in Mississippi and drove up to Memphis for dinner with friends.

Five Saturdays ago, a friend went with me to a Ladies' Brunch as part of a Missions Conference in a neighboring city.

Six Saturdays ago, I went on a long walk with a cousin in Grand Rapids, and then flew back to Kingsport.

Six Saturdays from now, Thanksgiving will be past, and Christmas will be coming.

So teach me to number my days
that I may get a heart of wisdom.
Satisfy me in the morning with your steadfast love,
that I may rejoice and be glad all my days.
Let the favor of the Lord my God be upon me,
and establish the work of my hands upon me;
yes, establish the work of my hands!

(adapted from Psalm 90.12-17)

1000 Gifts, Vol. 2, #97

961. variegated leaves on a hillside
962. patchwork of light and dark on a distant mountain
963. several deer munching in a harvested cornfield at dusk
964. a field of brown corn against a hillside in autumn colors with a backdrop of gray-blue October sky
965. leaves dancing down from the trees
966. meeting a kindred spirit
967. being absorbed into a family's 3-generation, 18-person gathering
968. timely words
969. a quiet place to retreat in between extrovert moments
970. the reminder that, while I see this day as a blank page, the Lord has ordained it for me and prepared good works for me to do in it

Another Sunday, another church

Since posting two weeks ago about the past 11 Sundays, I've been in one more, and the next six weeks, according to my calendar, will see me in five additional churches.

The anonymity of HMA (Home Ministry Assignment) is one danger I feared as I headed to the States in July, and the risk increases as I am not in weekly fellowship with the same people. And so, I am extra thankful for opportunities I have had to spend time with co-workers who are also in the States, and for Skype in order to keep in touch with friends in Japan who have walked with me most closely most recently, and for the snatches of conversation and fellowship (either in passing, or every three to four weeks) that goes beyond, "Where are you going next week?"

1000 Gifts, Vol. 2, #96

951. answered prayer at the consignment shop!
952. recommendations of online sermon
953. Tennessee apple butter
954. people to speak into my life
955. fallen leaves plastered to the pavement by the recent rain
956. communicating in English with the hairdresser
957. seeing life through the eyes of a child
958. smell of a campfire
959. the soft bed yet sharp pieces of hay on a hayride
960. a cool, early autumn evening

Mitford

A friend who is reading the Mitford books came to visit recently and asked if we could visit "Mitford," aka Blowing Rock, NC, where the author was living while writing Mitford.

And so we went to Mitford!

Unfortunately, we were a few years late for Mitford Days, with characters walking around downtown and the local theater performing an original play based on the books.

It was fun to imagine the Main Street Grill, Baxter Park, and more, and to imagine Father Tim walking down the street calling out Scripture verses to get Barnabas to calm down.

I don't have a salad spinner in this country

Variations on this theme happen regularly --- salad spinner, garlic press, printer, etc.

Each time I think, "I don't have an x in this country," I realize how unusual my life is.

Some of the items (e.g. printer, car, silverware, sofa, and easy chair), generous people are sharing with me for this time.

Some of the items (e.g. can opener, kitchen towels, sharp knife, etc.), I now own in two countries, which seems luxurious, but is the reality I live in.

Some of the items (e.g. salad spinner), I realize are not essential, and I can live without.

It's such a good reminder of the fact that my life does not consist of the things I own. And one day when I open the boxes of my belongings that are stored in Japan, I will probably say, "Why did I keep this? Why did I even have it? I've lived just fine without it."

It is October

How did that happen?!? The leaves on the oak trees outside my 3rd floor apartment windows are turning brown. Once the leaves fall, I will be glad for the sheer curtains blocking the view from the road in the distance. I *love* the feel of living in the woods!

Keeping a kitchen stocked has been hard, given my travel schedule, and the fact that I am still avoiding the grocery store. So, I was impressed by my non-planning and non-cooking for a 24-hour guest over the weekend.

We had pb&j for Saturday lunch, used Fazoli's coupons Saturday evening, and had a massive green salad (with boiled eggs & cheese), baked sweet potatoes, and Bear Creek's chicken noodle soup mix for a delicious (and simple) Sunday lunch. Quite satisfying!

Sunday morning I did a 3-5 minute missions spiel for the Sunday School children at my home church. I was a bit rusty, but it went well, and the song-leader led the children in singing a song she'd never heard but which I requested, "Go, go, go and tell," to the tune of "Row, row, row your boat."

My calendar is empty Monday - Thursday. I hope to catch up on a backlog of paperwork, see my family, and plan my next trip (Oct. 10-27) including a missions talk geared for teens. Any ideas?

To read

After only 29 days in country, I had purchased 21 books. I am now living with a near-moratorium on book-buying.

1000 Gifts, Vol. 2, #95

941. the sound of squirrels jumping in the trees outside my window
942. Saturday morning coffee hour at my Mom's kitchen table
943. children's creative writing and drawing
944. the delight of a child catching leaves falling from the trees
945. a perfect akibare day (clear day in autumn)
946. walking again in the mornings
947. reunions
948. various birdseye views of my hometown on recent approaches to the local airport
949. a taste of childhood - currant crescents - YUMM!
950. the crisp air of fall

A feast for the eyes

Day in North Carolina, continued



















For other photos, go here.