Miscellaneous thoughts

The noon siren is oddly disturbing and I have to remind myself that it's not a tsunami warning, but a part of daily life.

Our little house on the edge of the big cornfield gives us the illusion that we have no neighbors, when, in fact, the front of our house faces a regular suburban neighborhood.  As long as we're in the back of the house, no one can see in, through our curtain-less windows.  UNTIL ... last night, as I was putting dinner on the table, right in front of the sliding glass door, after dark, the farmer of the big cornfield roared into view on his tractor with both headlights and rear lights, illuminating his planter.  I guess we'll have back neighbors until the spring fieldwork is completed.

(In other news, you should have seen the billowing dust that was rising up behind him!)

Having just been to Japan, I'm remembering again how HUGE American houses are.

I was surprised today by blue, yellow and brown M&M's, when I reached into Jim's stash for a quick snack.  I guess we've finally finished our stockpile of red-and-green M&M's (Christmas) and red, white, and pink M&M's (Valentine's Day).

The neighboring farmer may be bringing spring to the field out back, but the local mission's thrift store has brought spring to my kitchen windowsill! And all for $1.99!

1000 Gifts, Vol. 3, #79 & 80

788. reunions
789. introducing Jim to "my" Japan
790. sharing in our friends' suffering
791. the ministry of presence
792. safety
793. He is our refuge & strength, an ever-present help in trouble
794. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
795. email, blogs, facebook, skype and internet to keep connected with friends "on the ground"
796. a few days' cushion to re-enter this world
797. knowledge that it's okay to be overwhelmed with the vast differences between worlds
798. peaceful music, hot tea, time to sleep off jet lag, books to take my mind off everything
799. the opportunity to report to our church
800. having someone to go through jet lag WITH for the first time ever

These gifts are just that ... gifts!  And not just gifts, but the icing-on-the-cake gifts.  "All I need is Jesus," is not a trite statement.  He truly is the best gift.  He is enough, and I do not need these other gifts.  But the discipline of noticing them points me back to the Giver of all good gifts and helps me give Him my gift of thanksgiving.

To join in on reading others' lists or recording your own, visit the gratitude community at “One Thousand Gifts" or check out the new website:  One Thousand Gifts.

Did you go somewhere fun?

The day we arrived home, I went to the post office, remembering the last time I went after vacation.  The same postal clerk greeted me, asked if I had a box, gave me a bag, filled it up, and then asked,

"So you're back? Did you go somewhere fun?"

Um ... how do you answer that?

We went to a place I love, and a people I love, and we were glad to be there and be with friends, but was it fun?  

To feel the ground shake underneath us was scary, not fun.

To watch the tsunami live on TV, destroying houses and towns, and the lives of those in them was overwhelming, not fun.

To be awakened over and over the first few nights by the aftershocks, and to continue feeling strong aftershocks throughout the rest of our visit, was unsettling, not fun.

To scour the TV and internet and emails from the American Embassy for news was consuming, not fun.

To hear reports of how the Church was responding was encouraging, but not fun.

To live with questions regarding radiation and the what-if's was sometimes unnerving, not fun.

To experience periodic blackouts and ongoing brownouts was different, not fun.

To spend a day at the Help Tohoku command center, helping as we could, was a joy, but not fun.

How does one say all that in the typical 30 second attention span of the questioner?

Our two weeks in Japan, including the 12 days post-quake, were full of assurances of God's care, evidence of His protection, amazing stories of the Body of Christ being there for and helping victims.  Overall, we know our trip was in HIS timing, and we continue to join believers worldwide in expectantly praying for HIS work of redeeming a gruesome situation and turning it into one that brings much glory to His name.

NOT Japan ~ now USA - day one? two?

Arriving home at 1.30 AM, we slept half the day away, waking up around noon, when our bodies thought it was 2 AM.  And now that it is afternoon, we feel like we just pulled an all-nighter and are doing all we can to stay awake past 5 PM.  Can you say, "Messed up?"

Re-entry is always like a whiplash, but this time even moreso.  Going from the crowds of Japan to life on the edge of the cornfields would be enough of a shock.  Driving out of the airport parking lot without paying a dime (!), and speeding along on the interstates without stopping to pay $10 or $20 in tolls was nice.

And I'm certainly enjoying abundant electricity at any time day or night.  But just turning on several appliances at once makes me sad, because I know that our friends in Japan (in the supposedly unaffected areas) are enduring brownouts, keeping lights and heat to a minimum, conserving every kilowatt of electricity possible.

I instinctively checked the dashboard to see how much gas we have and caught myself wondering when I could fit in a couple hours to wait in line at a gas station.  I haven't asked our neighbors, but I'm pretty sure no one around here has done that in the past several days decades!

There were a couple of appointments we could have scheduled today. I'm glad we didn't. For one thing, we would not be coherent, but for another, I'm not sure I'm ready to handle normal life, even though I know that doing normal things is one of the best ways to cope.

I did go to the post office (more on that later), and thought I'd go shopping, but instead we'll eat soup for a few meals or days.  Mostly I'm glad for the cushion of this day (or two) to just be, to soak in being in our own home, gazing out at the sky and backyard (and cornfields), sipping tea and listening to calming music, easing back into life here. 

Japan - now what? ~ updated

Our flight arrived safely in the USA, but our connecting flight was canceled, due to weather.  We are sitting in an airport, hoping to fly standby at 9 PM tonight. If not, we are confirmed on a flight tomorrow morning.

Waiting...

Japan - now what?

The trip ends tonight, but we will still be processing for days, weeks, months, and longer.

Our minds will be filled with memories, and soon our photo albums will be filled with pictures of the people who welcomed us and the places we saw.

We don't want to forget what we heard and saw and learned and felt of the Church in Japan ... its struggles, its joys, the barriers it must overcome.

But how can we best steward our experience?

How will our experiences there inform our living here? 

Only the Lord knows the answer to those questions.

Japan - day sixteen

March 23 (13 hours ahead of USA EDST)

If you pray ...

We want to make the most of this last day here, before we leave for the airport at 3 PM.  Good "good-byes" are important anywhere, but especially in Japan.  Typically, Japanese friends gather at one of the local church buildings to say, "Good-bye" and pray before guests leave for the airport.

Some of our friends may visit us in the States.  Even if we visit Japan again in the future, we probably won't see everyone we saw on this trip.  God can use that desire in our friends' hearts to see us again, to help them be motivated to learn about heaven.

________

And now the fun begins!  We will spend 14 hours traveling and then arrive at our local airport 20 minutes before we took off. :)

Thankfully the Tokyo to Chicago leg is only 12 hours.

Thanks for sharing this journey with us.

Japan - Monday evening

We arrived at the Help TOHOKU command center (aka Honda Chapel) around 10 AM and came home around 8 PM or later.  We weren't working all day, but we were there, on call, helping as able, hopefully just being an encouragement by our presence, and catching a moment here or there to speak with longtime friends, etc.

There really were a lot of reunions!  Upon arriving, I ran into Jay Kyle.  As always it was good to see Mr. T, a Japanese Wycliffe missionary. (His wife flies in from somewhere in Asia today, and they plan to stay there in the Education Building indefinitely while he helps coordinate relief.)  I also ran into Seima Aoyagi, whom I had not seen since the MTW Global Missions Conference in Atlanta 5 or 6 years ago.  He was on his way back to Tohoku for 3-4 days, his third trip in a week, I think.  We were in the same young adult group in '94-'97.  Later, Rev. & Mrs. Otake arrived, bringing goods donated from their church, and we were delighted to see each other.  Back in 1989, I taught English at their home/church once a week.  Oh, and a former 2-year missionary whom I oriented some time ago, showed up from the airport, on his spring break from seminary in the USA.

The day was not just social; lots of work was going on!  Neighbor ladies (who had never been to our church) came and spent several hours making rice balls and other food for the trucks to take up tonight.  Men were on cell phones almost all day, talking with the trucks that are up there, getting information about what the current situation and needs are on the ground, and making decisions about tonight's truck, this week's plan, the strategy for the next phase, etc.  Single ladies from the church were meeting and greeting neighbors and others who came to drop off supplies, arranging it by categories all over the first floor of the Education Building. 

And I spent most of the day sequestered in a room in front of MTW's Country Director's computer, going through hundreds of emails he has received since the quake and has not opened.  I can't drive a truck or go to Tohoku, but I can read email. :) 

Actually our sermon yesterday was the next one in the current sermon series on the ten commandments.  "Thou shalt not kill," and the counterpart, "Love thy neighbor."  One way we love our neighbor is by donating goods, or driving a truck to the suffering people, or .... reading email.  The pastor gave many examples.  Some ways that members of our church have loved their neighbors in the past week include standing in line for hours to get a few gallons of gasoline to be taken north, making 1000 rice balls a day to be taken north, etc.  But he encouraged us all by reminding us that we all can't do the most visible work, yet we all have a role.  The nursing mother, in this disaster relief, most definitely should NOT go up to Tohoku, but she has a role nonetheless. Her role is to stay home, care for her family, and PRAY. 

He also warned us that it's so easy in times of crisis and chaos and stress, to be short-tempered, to be short with one another (especially those closest to us), and to NOT be loving.  We need Jesus!!

Japan - day fifteen - EDITED

Well, these plans are all scrapped.  I wrote these daily updates before we left, thinking I'd not have time to update while we were here.

On March 22nd, we plan to have lunch with three nonbelieving ladies, and dinner with a missionary, and I also have a writing assignment with Help Tohoku.

**********

March 22 (13 hours ahead of USA EDST)

If you pray ...

This morning's breakfast plans are with my former team leader, a man who has the perspective of many years in Japan.  We are looking forward to what we will learn from him.

We're not sure what the Lord has for us the rest of the day.

Today is an exciting day for missions in Japan.  A two-day marriage retreat begins in Yokohama this noon for evangelical missionaries from throughout Japan.  The mission field can be a hard environment in which to nurture a marriage.  And English-speaking Christian counselors are rare, if not absent.  Once when I investigated finding one, I was told, "You can go to Thailand or Hong Kong." - !  I hope this is a wonderful time of refreshment for many missionaries who live in a place without the resources we enjoy in more Christian nations.

Japan - Monday morning

Today is a holiday.  It is raining. The weather has been warmer the past few days, so people haven't been using as much heat.  Japanese are very good about not using electricity. The less electricity each one uses results in the need for fewer blackouts, so everyone is cooperating for the good of the country.

Companies sent memos from the top down saying to cancel all social activities, golf outings, parties, etc. with company colleagues.  Tokyo Disney is closed.  Not only are these efforts a way to save power, they are a way to share in the mourning of the nation.

I know there is much to update on the past few days.  We are headed this morning to the hastily-set-up Command Center, to do whatever we can that is helpful.  Our ride should be here momentarily.

Also, please pray for my asthma, as the weather has caused a flare-up.

Japan - day fourteen

March 21 (13 hours ahead of USA EDST)

If you pray...

We're not sure how this day will turn out.  In Japan, it is a national holiday (Spring Equinox), so many will be off work and have free time. 

I'm looking forward to time with a longtime friend.  Jim may explore on his own, or he may have received an invitation to do something with one of the men he's met while here. 

We need the Lord to order our steps today.

Japan - day thirteen

March 20 (13 hours ahead of USA EDST)

If you pray ...

This morning we're looking forward to worshiping with the local body of believers with whom I spent my last several years in Japan.  We may be called on to give a testimony; if so, we will need wisdom.  After worship, a luncheon is planned in our honor.  We do not like to be in the limelight, and trust that the ultimate honor will go to Christ.  We'd appreciate your praying that we will honor Him in how we speak and interact today. 

The church's prayer is that many of my former students and friends will come today.  Again, we desire that the local church will be able to follow-up on these relationships. 

Japanese friends have invited us to their home for dinner tonight.  We are so very thankful for this opportunity and are looking forward to fellowship with the wife and adult daughter and to opportunities to share the love of Christ with the husband. 

Japan - Saturday morning

We woke up this morning in Tokyo.  Our plans yesterday to visit my cousins did not materialize because the trains weren't running out in their area.  Jim's desire to see Mt. Fuji DID materialize, a wonderful gift from the Lord. We spent the morning taking buses around the national park to good viewing spots and getting pictures.

We made it to Tokyo, checked internet in our hotel room, were encouraged, went out to see a few sights, had mushi shabu-shabu for dinner (which I enjoyed exponentially more than he did), etc.  The best part of the day, even these five days, for me was after dinner, when we got back to the station where our hotel is, and I stepped behind him and let him lead the way back to the hotel.  Ever since Monday morning when we set out on our journey, and even since we arrived in Japan, I have had to be the leader (in terms of physically getting from place to place, asking the questions to get the information we needed to make decisions about how and where to go, etc.).  Walking behind him to the hotel, I felt like layers of stress washed off me.

This morning - a few sights. Lunch with missionary friends. Then back to Chiba, Lord willing and the radiation levels don't rise.  Thank you for praying fervently.  More than for our safety, please pray that a tsunami of grace will wash over Japan, bringing many to faith in Christ.  What is our safety compared to that?

Japan - day twelve

March 19 (13 hours ahead of USA EDST)

If you pray ...

Today we plan to travel again by train and have lunch with yet another missionary in yet another city with no church.  And so our desire is mutual encouragement and increased vision. 

At the time I write this, the rest of our schedule today is open, but we know the Lord has a plan, and we want to be sensitive to that, whether that means rest or visiting.

Japan - day eleven

March 18 (13 hours ahead of USA EDST)

If you pray ...

More public transportation jaunts (?challenges?) await us today, but they lead to ... family!  The cousin who spent his high school and college Christmas vacations in my childhood home has been in Japan 20-some years with his family.  Today I look forward to Jim's getting to see where I spent most of my Japan Christmases! 

Visiting, seeing their ministry location, after-school stories from the boys, dinner together, and then a late-night train ride 2 1/2 hours back to our "home base" is the plan.  Once again, no doubt we'll need flexibility and grace as we deal with logistics, and our prayer as always is mutual encouragement and enlarged vision. 

Japan - Thursday morning

Ready or not!  Morning has come, whether we slept alright or not.  Here in Hiroshima, more than 700 miles from Sendai, we aren't experiencing aftershocks through the night, but the devastation and unknowns are constantly on our minds.

We spent yesterday at the Peace Memorial Museum, learning about the A-bomb and its after-effects, seeing bodies gruesomely damaged, and learning about radiation levels and how harmful they can be.  That was probably not the most settling way to spend the day, in between watching news reports of unfolding events in Fukushima.

In less tragic news, we've enjoyed some good food here in Hiroshima.  Jim has really liked yakitori (grilled chicken on a stick), and we both had Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki for the first time.  I thought it was very good, though different from Tokyo-style, which I'm used to.  The bakeries provide great comfort food.  And as if the ADD-type symptoms we're probably all experiencing weren't enough, I drank several cups of tea (with caffeine) yesterday.  We also toured Hiroshima Castle, and enjoyed the huge snowflakes falling as we walked around the city.

We were up a couple times in the night, checking English-language news sources (who were in the middle of their daytime, and thus posting more frequently than they do during our daytime). 

Exciting things are happening with the relief trucks our team and the PCJ are sending up.  I have been posting news here at the Aquila Report.

We don't know what we will do today ... or tomorrow.  I called the hotel in Hakone where we are to stay tonight. They are open, but are experiencing rolling blackouts, during which time the rooms aren't heated.  We most certainly will not be going to Saitama (western Tokyo) on Friday to see my cousins, as trains aren't running, they're having problems getting gas, and one of their sons yesterday had a fever of 104 and was diagnosed with influenza.

Pray with us for wisdom about returning to the Tokyo area.  There is so much information out there, some of it conflicting. 

Japan - day ten

March 17 (13 hours ahead of USA EDST)

If you pray ...

Today we have lots and lots of public transportation connections to make, some of which are unfamiliar to me.  We will definitely need flexibility as we travel, and we may need boatloads of grace to give each other as well. :)

We hope the weather will be clear enough to afford us a view of majestic Mt. Fuji.  At any rate, we look forward to enjoying the beautiful scenery of the national park in that area.

Japan - day nine

March 16 (13 hours ahead of USA EDST)

If you pray...

Today we plan to sightsee in Hiroshima.  It will be nice to wake up in the same city and hotel room where we'll be again tonight!  Even as we tour a new city, we want to be open to divine appointments, and we probably need to continue processing.

Japan - Tuesday morning

Although most trains in Tokyo were not running yesterday, we waited two hours for a bus to Haneda Airport, and then caught a couple trains in a roundabout way to get to Shinagawa station, where we quickly got a seat on a bullet train headed to Nagoya. 

We left home around 9.40 AM Monday, and finally at 4.10 PM arrived at Nagoya station.  We continued with our plans to eat dinner at the Newsomes', and were delighted to find that a couple visiting from the States was there as well, a couple who knows my friend who sang at our wedding!  At first, we thought it would be good to debrief our quake experiences, but it turned into a normal evening of dinner at a friends' home, getting to know each other, sharing life, eating good home-cooked food, etc.  It was good to put the quake out of our minds for a few hours, though we know that millions of Japanese in the affected areas cannot do that.

The first recon truck which our team sent up to Iwaki, Fukushima with water and supplies made it there and back, having left Chiba after midnight Monday morning.  After midnight Tuesday morning, two more trucks went up.  They are partnering with a Japanese church there.  Pray!

Today's tour at the Toyota factory was canceled due to the plant being shut down.  (They can't get parts from factories in the north.)  (By the way, the rolling blackouts in the Tokyo area for the most part did not happen yesterday, but they're still on the schedule for today.  Most trains are still not running.)

We plan to head on farther west to Hiroshima this afternoon. 

I feel like the stress is affecting my ability to think clearly, summarize, etc., thus this disjointed post.

In completely unrelated news, Jim enjoyed a breakfast this morning of onion rings and fried chicken here at the hotel. :)

The cedar pollen count (see link near bottom of right sidebar) is out the roof, and my eyes are miserable, red, itching, running, and covered with film, even though I'm using allergy eye drops.  It's exponentially minor compared to others' suffering right now, but it is also wearing on me, along with the other allergy symptoms of cedar pollen hay fever.

Japan - day eight

March 15 (13 hours ahead of USA EDST)

If you pray ...

Today we have a lighter schedule ... a train ride to the Toyota Factory tour and then on to Hiroshima.  The hours on the bullet train should give us ample time to begin to process what we have seen and heard and experienced.

We arrived in Japan with vastly different understandings and experiences, but in the past six days we have experienced many things together.  And we have been going full-speed ahead.  Hopefully these few days away will be refreshing and will help us understand each other's Japan experience better.

Japan - Sunday night

I'm too tired and emotionally spent from the accumulated stress to report on the wonderful ways God met His people in worship services today. The words of the hymns and songs, the Scripture passages chosen to be read, the prayers offered, the messages were all good reminders of the all-knowing all-powerful God who is sovereign over the universe He created and is a loving God.

Rolling blackouts are to start in the Tokyo metro area tomorrow.  Ours is scheduled for 6.20 AM - 10 AM and 4.50 - 8.30 PM.  These could last one or two weeks, or they might last until the end of next month.  Already today we noticed several signs that were not lit, as businesses worked to conserve power.  We missed our turn once, and almost missed it a second time, because we were counting on the signs to be our landmarks. 

Some gas stations we passed are out of gas.  We went into three stores this evening ... all were out of bread and water.

Who knows what is happening with the nuclear reactors?  We were gone 10 AM until 10 PM today, and without news.  I think I've reached news fatigue, and really can't absorb much anymore. I do have the TV on just now, but my mind is having trouble concentrating to understand the Japanese language.  I do know that there continue to be frequent messages scrolling across the screen, reporting earthquakes.  The latest one was an M5.  We must have had hundreds of these in the past two days. 

In the midst of all this, there are some normal activities.  This morning and also this afternoon we were privileged to meet in the Lord's house with His people.  In between, we ate at McDonald's, rode trains, had a special visit with a friend and her family, stopped off for fast-food Chinese after the evening service, and are staying in a home with electricity, water, gas, and phone service. 

I cannot imagine the physical and mental fatigue (?), exhaustion (?), trauma, and distress of the people who are suffering ... homeless or without utilities or food or blankets. 

This afternoon there was an initial mobilization meeting for CRASH Japan. Pray for their efforts to coordinate relief work, wisdom to know what will be most helpful, how to best distribute resources and be a real help, etc.

I don't know how our plans for the day (posted earlier -- I had these on auto publish) will unfold. It seems we should be able to travel, as our plans are to go farther away from the affected areas, but we shall see.

Thank you for praying for us and for Japan.  You are literally being used of God to uphold us. 

Japan - day seven

March 14th  (13 hours ahead of USA EDST)

If you pray ...

Depending on the weather, we may go to the top of a high building today to look out over the city.  Each time I have been there, and look out and see nothing but CITY, the largest city in a nation where fewer than 1/4 of 1% of the people call on the name of the Lord, I remember Jesus weeping over Jerusalem.  We want our hearts to be moved by the things that move His heart.

Today we plan to start traveling, going as far as an industrial city to the west.

Once again, missionaries have invited us into their home for dinner.  Once again, we want it to be a mutually encouraging and vision-building time.

Japan - Sunday morning

I slept almost 11 hours last night!  Having only slept three fitful hours on Friday night, waking up for aftershock after aftershock, I was exhausted (and cranky) by 7.30 PM Saturday.  I slept soundly without even taking a MidNite for jet lag. 

We continue to have aftershocks, though not as frequently.  Some have been an M6, which on any other day would be a big quake, but now are "just" aftershocks. 

Saturday we walked about 10 minutes to Oyumino Christian Center, where Jim observed an English class and I talked with a friend, basically just "being together" in each other's trauma.

We were to go out to lunch with my former team leader and his wife, but he was understandably consumed with details and prep for hopefully getting supplies and a team ready to go to the devastated area.  Many missionaries in Japan will be cooperating with CRASH - Japan, Christian Relief, Assistance, Support and Hope, a network coordinating relief.

Although my former team leader was unable to break away, we ate lunch with his wife in a grill-at-your-table meat restaurant with private booths.  It was nice to do something normal (and wonderful for Jim to get to know this lady who has influenced me so much), yet the earthquake was never far from our minds.

It reminded me of when my parents were in ShockTrauma in Baltimore, and friends took us out to dinner, in between visiting hours.  I was shocked that everyone walking around the Inner Harbor was going on with life as normal, when other people's lives were hanging in the balance. 

In the afternoon, we attended a wonderful concert by a Korean Christian choir which arrived 30 minutes before the quake.  Then Jim got to sit in on a little bit of Gospel choir practice. (Gospel music took off in Japan, after the Kobe earthquake in 1995, and is now a very effective means of outreach.)

Our dinner plans were canceled as some of the men were either exhausted from being at work all night, or were headed back to work at 8 PM Saturday. 

PRAY for the Church in Japan today ... for words to speak to people, for hearts to be prepared to receive God's eternal comfort. 

I'm posting more on Facebook. If I know you, I'll accept your friend request. 

Japan - day six

March 13 (13 hours ahead of USA EDST)

If you pray...

Some former students, neighbors, and friends may attend worship today to see us.  We want them to forge connections with people who will remain longer than our two-week visit.  Mostly we want them to take one step closer to knowing the True and Living God.

This afternoon we have the privilege of attending a bilingual service at a nearby church.  Great to see the church expanding.  A special friend lives in the same city as this church.  Perhaps we can see her? Perhaps she will come to the service?  I'd love for her to meet someone in the church and thus feel comfortable bringing her toddlers to the church's toddlers' club outreach to moms.

Japan - day five ~ morning after the earthquake

We ran into the street. The ground was moving. 

Water in the fish tank splashed out. 

Our host rode his bicycle 1 hr 45 min home b/c the trains were stopped. He took video on his iPhone of cracks in the sidewalk and roads. On the video, we could see the cracks widening and narrowing. Weird! Also saw his video of mud and water seeping up through the ground. 

We heard the explosions at an oil refinery 5 miles away, and saw the fireball. 

Watching the tsunami live on TV was ... there are no words. 

We keep having aftershocks every 10-15 minutes. It can leave one always on edge. 

Not sure what today will bring (6:45 AM local time now) ... what reports of deaths and devastation. 

Please pray for Japan ... for a spiritual awakening.

Japan - day five ~ edited

::probably everything will be canceled::


March 12 (14 hours ahead of USA Eastern Standard Time)

If you pray...

Jet lag is no doubt hitting us hard, and our bodies may be tired. We need strong immunity to resist colds, new germs, and cedar pollen allergies.  (See link at bottom of right sidebar for cedar pollen map.)

Lunch with missionaries ... mutual encouragement and increased vision, as always.

A very special dinner is being planned at a restaurant with the five Japanese couples who were represented at our wedding.  We want to be attuned to the Spirit's leading in our interactions with those who are already our brothers and sisters and those who are not yet.

Japan - days 1-4 ~ update

We arrived on time, after a 12 1/2 hour leg that seemed shorter than normal (thanks to having a travel companion!).

My suitcase went to New York, but a friend literally gave me the sweater off her back Wednesday night, so I'd have something presentable to wear on Thursday, and the airline delivered it to my door Thursday evening. 

We hit the ground running ... team dinner with visitors from Korea, the States, and the Philippines, including a Japanese missionary with Wycliffe and a couple whose Ask & Receive prayer group prayed for me every Friday night all the years I was here.

Thursday morning we had a wonderful reunion with believers, a pastor & his wife, and former students who came to a special prayer meeting.  After a quick potluck lunch, we took three trains, and rushed between stations to visit a former English class of mine at another church site.

Dinner with a missionary family, their kids' friends and their short-term missionary provided an evening of fun fellowship, though we felt like we'd been awake for days.

Since my suitcase arrived, I had access to my new best friend, MidNite (a natural sleep medicine), and I slept all night long.

Friday morning started early with a 35-minute walk to participate in devotions at the Christian school, then a little manual labor, observing classrooms, providing live English practice in a class, and visiting with a pastor before the 11.30 luncheon in our honor. 

The potluck was a relaxing time with people around round tables and a short time of Q&A with us, followed by more relaxing fellowship. 

Thankfully we got a ride home, just in time to rush outside during the earthquake ... which was scary, and L-O-N-G.  At this point we are safe, though the aftershocks continue almost continually.

Japan - day four

March 11th (14 hours ahead of USA Eastern Standard Time)

If you pray...

Many friends and former English conversation students and Bible students have been invited to a luncheon today at one of the church buildings.  I imagine a program is planned as well. They will have many questions.  "What did you first think of Judith?" "What do you argue the most about?" and more!

We hope to point them to the grace and truth of our Lord, through our (stumbling Japanese) words, smiles, body language, etc.

A Japanese believer has invited us to her home for dinner.  Once more, mutual encouragement and increased vision are our prayer.

Japan - day three

If you pray...

March 10th (14 hours ahead of USA Eastern Standard Time)

Today we may see ladies I taught in 1989 (!) and 1994-1997.  We trust some will come to the church where we used to have class.  We pray for a reconnection with God's Word and God's people.

This afternoon we plan to see ladies I taught in 2007-2009, most of whom do not know the Savior.

This evening we have been invited to dinner with missionaries.  Mutual encouragement and expanded vision are our prayer.

Today we fly (Japan - days one and two!)

Short night.
Early morning.
Quick flight.
Long layover.
L-o-n-g flight.
Bleary-eyed.

Reunions.
More reunions.
And more reunions.
Prayer meeting.
English class.
Bible study.
Luncheon.

Breakfast with a friend.
Lunch with other friends.
Supper at yet other friends' home.

Trains.
Planes.
And automobiles.
Bullet trains.
Buses.
Taxis?
Walking.
And more walking.

Sleeping on the floor.
Taking our shoes off at the door.
Bowing.
More bowing.
Chopsticks.
Signs he can't read.
Words he can't understand.
Food he's never seen.

Friends.
Friends who are like family.
Family (cousins).
Gracious.
Hospitable.
Inviting.
Warm.
Caring.

The place that has shaped me greatly.
The people who have shaped me as well.
The culture that has shaped me in many ways.
The ministry which was my life. 
"Aha!"
"That's why she does that!"
"No wonder she thinks that way."

Japan.
My Japan.
My beloved Japan.
May it become our beloved Japan,
always in our prayers,
never far from our thoughts,
with a door always open to friends from those shores.

A tale of two four banks

A tale of two four banks

A long time ago, in a place far away, I went to open a bank account at Chiba Bank.  Full of pride, I went by myself.  A co-worker kindly asked if I knew the location, since our local branch had moved in the years I had been gone.  "Yes," I quickly (too quickly) said, "It's by the train station."  And, merrily I went on my way.

Entering the bank, I approached a teller and, in my most elementary Japanese, said, "I'm not a member of Chiba Bank, but I'd like to become a member."  And she said something. But produced no paperwork, nor anything that appeared to be an attempt to help me in my endeavor.

To keep from boring you, just re-read that paragraph three or four times, and you'll get an idea of how the "conversation" went.

I went home, defeated, and learned later that while I had been at a financial institution with the name "Chiba" as the first name in its two-name title, and it was indeed near the train station, I had not been at Chiba Bank, which was across the street, closer to the station, and with the word for "bank" in its title, albeit a word I could not read:  銀行。

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~ 

Fast forward oh, 17 years or so...

On my "to-do" list for way too many weeks has been the task: ask the local banks about health savings accounts.  And one day while in our bank, in the neighboring town, I asked and learned they do not offer them.

So, the next step was to ask at the bank in our town, a small town (of no stop lights), the business district of which, I drive through every day or every other day as I go pick up our mail at the post office.

As I came home from the post office, I pulled into the bank parking lot, walked inside and said, "I'd like information on health savings accounts."

"We don't have them."

I looked puzzled.

She asked another teller.

She had the same reply.

I looked puzzled.

The second teller asked a third teller.

She had the same reply.

Quite frustrated, I said, "I'm sure I read about it in your brochure I picked up at the Farmers' Appreciation Breakfast [sponsored by the bank]," gave up, and left.

Determined to prove that I hadn't lost my mind, but unable to locate the brochure, I called the main office in a larger town, and was satisfied to learn that they do indeed have them, as do all of their branch banks (which would include the one in our town).

My tale of woe and subsequent story of how "I was right!" ended abruptly when Jim asked, "Which bank did you go to in our town?"

Which bank?!?!  There's more than one?!?!

It seems I have a problem with banks and pride, which "goeth before the fall."

I have fallen.

1000 Gifts, Vol. 3, #78

778. driving under the migratory path of hundreds and hundreds of Canadian geese
779. the pleasant surprise of live harp music at the restaurant where we ate Valentine's dinner
780. reminding us of the harpist whose music we didn't hear, as she played before and after our wedding
781. the suit-clad Farmer, climbing to the top of a grain bin, at a rented farm we pass on the way home from church
782. color, clarity, voice, and strength returning to a man who 3 weeks ago had a stroke
783. comfortably communing with friends, family, and friends who are like family in his hospital room
784. teamwork, which pushes me beyond my normal patterns and helps me do more than I think I can
785. new music brightening our home, thanks to Borders' demise
786. massive to-do lists which are (almost) no more
787. a spare room filled with packed suitcases!

These gifts are just that ... gifts!  And not just gifts, but the icing-on-the-cake gifts.  "All I need is Jesus," is not a trite statement.  He truly is the best gift.  He is enough, and I do not need these other gifts.  But the discipline of noticing them points me back to the Giver of all good gifts and helps me give Him my gift of thanksgiving.

To join in on reading others' lists or recording your own, visit the gratitude community at “One Thousand Gifts" or check out the new website:  One Thousand Gifts.

Happy Hour

Coming down the stairs and walking toward the kitchen, I see it, out the window.

Happy Hour!

My happy hour is when the evening sky is aglow (though the house faces such that I cannot see the western sky).

And the cornstalk stubble in the field behind the house is golden.

And the red barns on the other side of the field look like they're on fire.

And the sky behind them is the most beautiful shade of blue.

And the shadows are long.

And another day full of the Lord's new mercies is dying in the west. 

And the day's rest is coming.

With hope of new mercies tomorrow morning.

1.Day is dying in the west; 
 heaven is touching earth with rest; 
 wait and worship while the night 
 sets the evening lamps alight 
 through all the sky.
Refrain:
 Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts! 
 Heaven and earth are full of thee! 
 Heaven and earth are praising thee, 
 O Lord most high! 

2. Lord of life, beneath the dome 
 of the universe, thy home, 
 gather us who seek thy face 
 to the fold of thy embrace, 
 for thou art nigh. 
 (Refrain) 

3. While the deepening shadows fall, 
 heart of love enfolding all, 
 through the glory and the grace 
 of the stars that veil thy face, 
 our hearts ascend. 
 (Refrain) 

4. When forever from our sight 
 pass the stars, the day, the night, 
 Lord of angels, on our eyes 
 let eternal morning rise 
 and shadows end. 
 (Refrain) 

Misguided

Episode 1:

Which street was I on? Which street was I turning onto?

The neatly crossed signs on the street sign were at an angle.  Did a snow plow push the sign?

Where was I?


Episode 2:

I switched to Japanese entry on my computer keyboard.  And I successfully typed in the name of the hotel I was searching for.

But the search engine could only find a few entries of completely unrelated things, and most had goobley-gook for the summary.

What was going on?  Aaah!  I was using a specialized rewards-based search engine.  Switching back to Google did the trick.



Episode 3:

Trying to figure out if there would be time to get from morning prayer meeting at one church to afternoon English outreach class at another church's location, I typed in the names of the closest train stations and asked for the trains which would get us to our destination by 1:00.

Huh?!?  Catch a train at 23:40. What?!?

Oh!  1 PM on the train schedules in Japan is 13:00.  I had forgotten. 



When the street signs don't point straight, or when the language we are using is not recognized by the person or thing which is processing our request, or when we use a system of counting that could have more than one meaning, we don't get favorable results.  We can't move forward. 

Aren't we thankful that we can have a Perfect Guide?

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth,

Books about Japan

A missionary preparing to go to Japan asked:

If you were recommending 2-3 books that would help me gain a better understanding of the Japanese people, their history, and/or missions in Japan - what would you suggest? 

My rather lengthy answer is below, but I'd also love to hear from you.  Have you read any great books on Japan? or on missions in general?

Just reading the opening chapters of a travel guide (Frommer's or Fodor's - your library might have them) will give you insight.  Realize that whatever you read (and whatever missionaries tell you and whatever Japanese people tell you), comes from that person's perspective.  And just like there is no one answer to the question, "What are Americans like?"  there are 126 million answers to the question, "What are Japanese like?"  So, the more you read, and once you're there, the more people you ask (your cultural questions), the greater a pool of perspectives you'll have, to try to see the common threads, or to determine that older Japanese describe their culture this way, younger ones this way, Americans who arrived last year do it this way, Americans who arrived 20 years ago do it this way, etc.

Two Empires of Japan was written in the mid 1900s and provides good historical perspective on Christianity in Japan (until that time).  We often make the mistake of thinking Christianity in Japan began when we stepped off the plane, so this is helpful.  

 

Shutting Out the Sun is a depressing commentary on current Japanese culture. Some say it will replace The Chrysanthemum and the Sword as THE sociological treatise on Japan.

I have enjoyed reading some lighter books, which also gave me insights into the daily life of the average Japanese person: 36 Views of Mount Fuji, The Secrets of Mariko: A Year in the Life of a Japanese Woman and Her Family, etc.

I also enjoy expats' tales of life in Japan, remembering to consider their filter.  Bruce Feiler's Learning to Bow and Kate Williamson's A Year in Japan are two.

Culture Shock! Japan may be helpful, although no amount of reading can bypass culture shock. :)

You will notice that all of the books I have listed are written by outsiders.  What is really helpful of course is reading what cultural INSIDERS say.  If you learn to read books written by Japanese IN Japanese you will be ahead of most missionaries, so look for ones that have been translated. Kenzaburo Oe is a Nobel prize winner.  Shusaku Endo's Silence is recommended by many.

Ayako Miura was a Japanese Christian author, well-known by even non-Christian Japanese.  The Wind Is Howling, Shiokari Pass, and others are in English. 

If you're married, your wife might like this book: When it's Time to Go: Preparing for the Mission Field as a Wife and Mother, by Brandi Biesiadecki.  I haven't read it, but it looks good.
 

Random thoughts

1. The only paper napkins you'll see in our home for the next year or two or 15 are light purple.  (Chalk that up to being overly prepared for a wedding reception.)

2. Of the 20 cookbooks I have, I primarily use three.  I turn most repeatedly to the Betty Crocker one I picked up at Big Lots for $5 last year.  More with Less is my never-fail splattered one, and my oldest.  And #3 on my list is ... Google.  (What should I do with the other 18???)

3. "Pleasure" - The insurance agent's declaration of the reason I use the car.  Hmmm.

4. Jim wasn't sure I'd be interested in the John Deere dinner.  But I grew up going to things like that, so it was like old times.

Coffee shop over the florist, part 2

{To read part 1, go here.}

On our honeymoon, Jim asked what type of afternoon snack would be a treat for me.  Perhaps he was thinking of an ice cream shop?  Without hesitation I replied, "Afternoon tea!"  Surely we would find a hotel or tea room that served afternoon tea.  And I'm sure those places exist in the places where we were, but we did not find them.

And so I continued my search for a tea room.  Google told me that just 15 minutes away, in the next farming town over, an old depot has been converted into a tea room!

I waited for an opportunity, and was rewarded when my parents came to visit, and indulged me in my desire to eat lunch there ~ on a 3-tiered serving tray! 

When friends from the East Coast made plans to visit, I immediately called the tea room to book our reservation.

For my birthday, eating at the tearoom was my one request.

And when Jim heard they were serving prime rib (something that is not on their normal lunch menu!) for Valentine's Day, we were there! 

The atmosphere, variety, and service are much better than most of the tea rooms I have visited.  But not until my friends from the East Coast (whom I knew in Japan) came, did I realize another reason I like this place!

As we approached the building, both exclaimed, "It's like the coffee shop over the florist!"  And for the first time, I saw it.  The winding brick path to the door, the plants along the path, the crowded gift shop, the crowded florist's shop, a spiral staircase!, the tea room in the back. 

Every time I think of "my tearoom," I smile. 

I smile, remembering the many happy memories at the coffee shop over the florist in Japan. 

I smile, remembering the many happy memories already made at the tearoom behind the florist here, among the cornfields. 

And I smile, to think that God would arrange to give me such a similar happy place here in my new life.

:)