Since I’ve last posted I’m gone to all my schools, met the teachers I will be working with, made quite a few new friends, climbed an EPIC mountain, traveled to Okayama to see one of my girlies from YWAM, visited the Asahi Brewery in Nagoya, begun to get networked with the Christian community in Yokkaichi, spoken at a church, and been asked to help start an inter-church young women’s small group, among other things. It’s been busy! (There are pics of most of these on facebook, so feel free to take the photo tour!)
But rather than giving you all the details of those events, I want to tell you some interesting cultural musings and experiences I’ve had. Especially for those of you readers that have never been over here.
I met this girl at a friend’s get together, and then I met here randomly again on the train a week later. She found out I like hiking, so she offered to take me to climb a mountain. Then she took me to the Onsen, the hot springs/bath house. It was our first time hanging out, and one of our activities was to get naked, take a shower right next to each other, and then go sit in a hot tub together, naked, and chat it up for an hour or so. NORMAL. I went to visit a friend from YWAM this weekend at her family’s house in Okayama. I haven’t seen her in 3 years, or her family in 5. When I arrived they took me to sushi, and then to the onsen. My friend, her mother, sister and I all bathed together. NORMAL. This weekend while I was gone one of my coworkers went to the onsen and ran into one of her students. Can you imagine being a junior teacher and running into one of your students while you are both naked? But here… it’s NORMAL. Interesting, huh? I’ve been here long enough to be comfortable with my body… around complete strangers and people I’ve just met… weird, I know. But here it’s NORMAL.
The other day I was wearing what I thought was a very cute and work appropriate blouse. Then my boss said to me… “Michelle, your shirt is very cute! You’re shirt is very Asian. Your shirt is colorful… Junior high students have to wear very dull colors…” End of conversation. I asked one of my coworkers who has been here longer what that could have possibly meant, because I had worn much more colorful clothes to work and never had it mentioned before. She said, “Oh, I was gonna tell you, our boss is o.c.d. about sleeve length, and yours were a bit short.” CUTE+ASIAN+COLORFUL+STUDENTS WEAR DULL COLORS= MY SLEAVES ARE TOO SHORT. Try that for indirect communication!!! Which, by the way, is the main way Japanese communicate.
I live here, but I don’t belong here. In the Japanese way of thinking at least. Their word for foreigner is 外人(gaijin). The character 外(gai) means outside, and 人 (jin) means person. We aren’t much nicer calling our immigrants back home “aliens.” Back home, diversity is the norm. Here, in Japan, homogeneity is the rule, as it has been from the beginning of this nation. The Japanese have a proverb, 出る杭は打たれる. (The nail that sticks out will be pounded down). Conformity is a virtue.
Japan. Land of a thousand gods. Land of 1.3 million faces. Walk through any crowded area and you will be greeted by a sea of flowing humanity... all Japanese.
In this land, I am 外人(gaijin). Foreigner. No matter how long I live here, no matter how fluent my Japanese becomes, I will always be 外人(gaijin). Imagine how utterly I would fail if I tried to fit in with all 5’8” of my gaijin-ness and red hair!
Being a foreigner here is both a blessing and a cures.
Downers:
#1. The “AGGHHHHH!!! WHAT IS THAT THING!?! PLEASE DON”T EAT MY CHILDREN!” face. This is often the reaction when a Japanese person suddenly sees me where they were expecting to see a normal Japanese person. This is by far the worse part of being gaijin for me. It makes me feel like I am some kind of monster and not a real person.
#2. Everyone knows where I live. I got off the train at 11:30 one night and was approached by a middle aged Japanese man that said to me in broken English, “You’re an American, and you live in Leo Palace Apartments!” Creepy!!!!!!!!!!!
#3. If I do anything wrong in public (like run a red on my bike or something) there’s a good chance of it making it back to my boss, cause its very obvious who I am and where I work.
#4. My head hurts from bumping into things, and my back hurts from bending over.
#5 I get stared out all the time, and I feel like a giant.
PLUSES:
#1. I will always be noticed. Need any attention fix? Try being a gaijin for a day.
#2. I get excused for my mistakes as not knowing better.
#3. I will be constantly praised for my ability to speak Japanese. Feeling down? Say five words, and suddenly everyone thinks you are the best thing since sliced bread! (tatemae mo aru kedo ne)
#4. I can break Japanese cultural norms. My favorite to break is “don’t talk to strangers.” I’ve made plenty of friends on the train, talked with the bus drivers the whole trip, etc. Japanese people would never do that with each other, but because I am gaijin, its fair game.
#5. When the train is really crowded I can still breathe easily because my head is above everyone else’s!
#6. If I ask for help, for example what train to take, I usually end up with someone to talk with the rest of the trip! So fun!
AN EXPERIMENT: One of my friends here is Asian American. He was bummed for a while that he wasn’t getting the gaijin treatment and getting to experience what the rest of us blatantly foreign people are experiencing. We were coming home late one night with a bunch of our coworkers, and talking about it in on our way to the train station. I said “Ok, watch this” as I slipped my arm through his. Suddenly, EVERYONE was watching us, gesturing towards us, and taking pictures. The reaction was, “AGGHH!! That Japanese guy is with that foreign chick!!! We’ve never seen anything like this before!” It was so funny to watch the whole train station react. (Yes, a part of it was that people aren’t used to PDA, but that level of PDA I see often enough to know that it wasn’t a reaction to that). Good thing I didn’t come over here with my heart set on finding a Japanese boyfriend! Their reaction tells me the odds of that happening. :P
Needless to say, I am what I am. Gaijin!! And I am gonna milk it for all its worth! Its so easy to talk to people here looking like I do and speaking Japanese. :D We’ll see what doors God continues to open for me! Soli Deo Gloria!
(PS I’ll post later about deeper things in my heart and mind, but for today, just some cultural trivia! THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS!! LOVE YOU FRINEDS!!)
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
What a Weekend!
This weekend has been nothing but guzen (fate), as the Japanese would say. However, I would like to attribute all of this weekend’s happenings to divine providence.
Friday night:
My JET RA, Hallie, invited me and the others I work with over to her house in the countryside to hang out and spend the night. The next morning we would be picked up by some Japanese people to go to their house and make Tacos. Hallie knows that I am Christian, and her Japanese friends are Christian so she wanted to introduce me. Friday night we hang out with us Americans, and some Japanese girls, one of them who is named Akiko. Guitar hero, snacks, drinks, AC, Japanese conversation and an apartment that has 4 rooms=bliss!
Saturday:
Ms. Mori comes to pick us up take us to her daughter’s house to make tacos. Ms. Mori’s daughter, Ayumi, and Ayumi’s husband (they just got married in Jan.) come out to meet us in the parking lot. Turns out her husband is a Nepalese guy that I met in Chiba in 2007! It was so crazy! We were both like, “WHHAAA?? I know you!!!” So we have a lovely time eating tacos and hanging out. Turns out that not only my Nepalese friend, Ashesh, is Christian, but so are Ms. Mori, Ayumi. They agreed to take me to church with them the next day. Later that night I went to watch a movie at one of my coworkers apartments. When I got back, I had gotten an email from a local pastor apologizing for not getting back to me before Sat. night at 10, because I would be able to make it to church the next day because of the late notice (he was at camp all week, so his late reply was totally not his fault.) Turns out his church is the one that Ms. Mori and the crew go to, and I had already been invited.
Sunday:
I show up at that church, and the pastor is like “WHHAAA? How did you get here?” After the service this girl comes up to me and tells me that she goes to the school in Chiba I did a semester at in 2007, and although she is a freshman, she knows who I am from seeing my pics on our mutual friends facebook. Then I get to meet some of my future students who go to the church! They are the elementary kids, and are SOOOO CUTE!!
I come home for the afternoon, and get to skype with my fam, and my framily (friends who have become family) Jacob, Terrilyn and Antje.
For the evening I head over to eastern Nagoya to attend an international church one of my friends from study abroad is working at. Its about a two hour commute, but I had an awesome time making friends with the bus drivers and people on the trains. (Its such a blessing to be a foreigner here and speak Japanese!! Everyone is willing to talk to you.) The service was amazing and I feel so refreshed!! I got to catch up with my friend Joey, who I haven’t seen in 3 years, and meet his lovely fiancé Yisel who is from Uruguay (she is soooooooo sweet!) We had a lovely time catching up over dinner. I caught the last bus out of their area, and chatted it up with the drive all the way to the station (20 mins), then took the subway over to Nagoya station and hopped on an express train to Yokkaichi. This Japanese guys came and sat down next to me and was looking at me in the “I want to talk to you but I’m shy” way (as opposed to the “I want to stare at you cause you are white” way that is most common.” I leaned across the isle to ask him if the train I was on when to Yokkaichi, even though I knew it did, just to give him a chance to talk if he wanted to. Turns out he did! He speaks amazing English, is super friendly, and has a PHD in Chemistry, AND he surfs in Mie!!! So we’re probably going to the beach sometime in the near future. One of my coworkers had been dying to surf, so he is going to be so stoked that we finally have a surfing connection. J About three quarters of the way to Yokkaichi station, I look towards the front of the car and see my friend Akiko that I met Friday night! So she comes and hangs out with me and Katsu for the rest of that train ride, and then we both have to transfer to the same local train, so we go together and get to hang out more and exchange numbers. Seems like we will be hanging out sometime soon! She loves to hike, so I am super excited to go adventuring with her!
So those are the highlights of the weekend!! Yes, I am still a bit homesick, but I am starting to be more and more comfortable here as I network and see that God SO has his hand in me being here.
Coming soon: Blog on what its like being a foreigner in Japan… ;)
Friday night:
My JET RA, Hallie, invited me and the others I work with over to her house in the countryside to hang out and spend the night. The next morning we would be picked up by some Japanese people to go to their house and make Tacos. Hallie knows that I am Christian, and her Japanese friends are Christian so she wanted to introduce me. Friday night we hang out with us Americans, and some Japanese girls, one of them who is named Akiko. Guitar hero, snacks, drinks, AC, Japanese conversation and an apartment that has 4 rooms=bliss!
Saturday:
Ms. Mori comes to pick us up take us to her daughter’s house to make tacos. Ms. Mori’s daughter, Ayumi, and Ayumi’s husband (they just got married in Jan.) come out to meet us in the parking lot. Turns out her husband is a Nepalese guy that I met in Chiba in 2007! It was so crazy! We were both like, “WHHAAA?? I know you!!!” So we have a lovely time eating tacos and hanging out. Turns out that not only my Nepalese friend, Ashesh, is Christian, but so are Ms. Mori, Ayumi. They agreed to take me to church with them the next day. Later that night I went to watch a movie at one of my coworkers apartments. When I got back, I had gotten an email from a local pastor apologizing for not getting back to me before Sat. night at 10, because I would be able to make it to church the next day because of the late notice (he was at camp all week, so his late reply was totally not his fault.) Turns out his church is the one that Ms. Mori and the crew go to, and I had already been invited.
Sunday:
I show up at that church, and the pastor is like “WHHAAA? How did you get here?” After the service this girl comes up to me and tells me that she goes to the school in Chiba I did a semester at in 2007, and although she is a freshman, she knows who I am from seeing my pics on our mutual friends facebook. Then I get to meet some of my future students who go to the church! They are the elementary kids, and are SOOOO CUTE!!
I come home for the afternoon, and get to skype with my fam, and my framily (friends who have become family) Jacob, Terrilyn and Antje.
For the evening I head over to eastern Nagoya to attend an international church one of my friends from study abroad is working at. Its about a two hour commute, but I had an awesome time making friends with the bus drivers and people on the trains. (Its such a blessing to be a foreigner here and speak Japanese!! Everyone is willing to talk to you.) The service was amazing and I feel so refreshed!! I got to catch up with my friend Joey, who I haven’t seen in 3 years, and meet his lovely fiancé Yisel who is from Uruguay (she is soooooooo sweet!) We had a lovely time catching up over dinner. I caught the last bus out of their area, and chatted it up with the drive all the way to the station (20 mins), then took the subway over to Nagoya station and hopped on an express train to Yokkaichi. This Japanese guys came and sat down next to me and was looking at me in the “I want to talk to you but I’m shy” way (as opposed to the “I want to stare at you cause you are white” way that is most common.” I leaned across the isle to ask him if the train I was on when to Yokkaichi, even though I knew it did, just to give him a chance to talk if he wanted to. Turns out he did! He speaks amazing English, is super friendly, and has a PHD in Chemistry, AND he surfs in Mie!!! So we’re probably going to the beach sometime in the near future. One of my coworkers had been dying to surf, so he is going to be so stoked that we finally have a surfing connection. J About three quarters of the way to Yokkaichi station, I look towards the front of the car and see my friend Akiko that I met Friday night! So she comes and hangs out with me and Katsu for the rest of that train ride, and then we both have to transfer to the same local train, so we go together and get to hang out more and exchange numbers. Seems like we will be hanging out sometime soon! She loves to hike, so I am super excited to go adventuring with her!
So those are the highlights of the weekend!! Yes, I am still a bit homesick, but I am starting to be more and more comfortable here as I network and see that God SO has his hand in me being here.
Coming soon: Blog on what its like being a foreigner in Japan… ;)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
What 180 Looks Like
“He is jealous for me.
Loves like a hurricane,
I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his love and mercy.
All of the sudden I am unaware
Of these afflictions,
Eclipsed by glory.
And I realize just how beautiful you are
And how great your affections are for me.
Oh, How he loves us so.
Oh how he loves us.
How he loves us so.”
Well, dear friends, I feel like my heart has done a 180 since I last posted. Isn’t life like that? I think it is because Our Great God is the business of redeeming all things.
I was very very upset about my apartment when I last posted, and would come home and cry because I was alone in a shoebox. I hate being alone. And I was frustrated with myself for coming all the way over here, and always thinking about the soonest time I could come home.
Then I got an email from one of my favorite profs, encouraging me:
“Dear one, be patient and gentle with yourself
during these early days, weeks, months.
The Father is.
After all, He has all the time in the world
For you.
Technically, all eternity.”
Yesterday when I walked in the door, I expected to melt down again because I was alone. Instead, I was greeted by an overwhelming sense of peace and joy, and I realized that I was not alone here, this was God’s and my apartment. He is here with me. I am not alone. That changes everything. I am sure I will still be lonely. And homesickness for me is a never-ending battle, because I am so fond of you all. I’m wired to thrive off of being around people, and here I am, living in a one-room apartment by myself. My prayer has been, “LORD, you made me like this, and you put me here, now please take care of me.” I know he hears me. And I know he hears all of you. A million thanks to all of you, dear friends, for standing beside me during this time. As the above lyrics declare, I know that He is jealous for me, and he has brought me here for a season of pruning back and growing up.
The past few days have been incredibly busy!
Yokkaichi Matsuri:
Yokkaichi’s yearly festival (Matsuri) took place this past weekend. The festival is centered around carrying a few portable Shinto shrines around the city to invoke the favor of the gods or something. I haven’t been able to get a straight answer out of anyone about what exactly they believe is taking place. So anyways, the shrines get carried around with a lot of chanting. And older man grabbed a bunch of us teachers and tried to make us join in carrying the shrine. I politely refused and tried to engage him in conversation about what was going on (I really wish I knew more about traditional Japanese religion, I need to study up!), but all he would say was “volunteers carry the shrines, you are a volunteer!!,” as he tried to drag me towards the shrine. Hahaha, that's some philosophy on volunteering! I obviously refrained, but a few of my coworkers got carried away in the procession. Although the main thing in the festival is the shrines, most of the time and energy is dedicated for the community to come together, have fun, and enjoy traditional Japanese arts. There are taiko drumming and dance performances all over the place, and the streets are lined with food and game booths like a fair. The whole community comes out to watch, so it was a great chance to meet people. The second year teachers took us around, and we were constantly getting mobbed by students running up to greet their English teachers. It was like walking around with celebrities, everyone under 15 knew their names and would call out to them and come talk to them as they walked by. I can’t wait for that to be me next year!! J
Work:
All of the new teachers are finally here! YAY!! And I really really like them! We’ve spent the last few days dressed up in suits being paraded around the city hall building meeting all the high up people, and everybody else. We’ve had meeting with the mayor, superintendent, speakers for the city (some of it was even covered by the local news!), and have stopped in all of the offices on all of the levels around where we work on the 9th floor to introduce ourselves and say “Doozo Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu” (I’m very pleased to meet you, and I hope we can have a very pleasant and productive relationship). We’ve had a official appointment ceremony, and lots of sit and look pretty, say a few words, and drink some green tea. Friday they are having a formal welcome dinner for us, and then afterwards everyone gets drunk and goes to Karaoke.
We are also currently preparing lessons to teach at seminars for Japanese people who are English teachers. I am teaching a 3rd grade lesson on “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed,” as well as a few other skits and stuff.
Schools:
The summer is filled with curriculum prep, having our teaching critiqued, and conducting workshops for other English teachers. Starting September, I get to start teaching at 3 schools!
Oike Jr. High & Tomida Jr. High: I haven’t heard so much about these school, because they people who had them last year aren’t here this year. I’ve heard Tomida is a good school though.
Tokiwa Elementary School: One of the poorest elementary schools in the area. Tokiwa Jr. High is notorious for being a "bad school" and having the cops there all the time, but I'm not sure what the elementary will be like. (Its not dangerous, so no worries, the students will just be a bit rougher around the edges).
Fureai classes!: I’m one of the two teachers out of the eleven of us who got assigned to teach Fureai classes. From what I’ve gathered so far, these are classes for students that are border line hikikomori (a social disorder where Japanese people lock themselves away in the rooms and refuse to interact with society) and futoko (students who often refuse to go to school). Some of the schools have these classes to try to get some education for those struggling with these issues, and maybe other issues? I’m not totally sure what it will be like, but it seems they let them go at their own pace a bit more than normal. I'm sooo soooo sooooo excited to get to teach them! I did my Intercultural Studies senior thesis on social disorders among Japan’s urban youth, so I am very excited to actually be able to interact with these students. Its not a weekly thing, its just every now and then, but I'll get to be with the students all day when I'm there. J My co-worker Tim, from Long Beach, will be joining me.
I'm also picking up a once a week adult class. It's a cool chance to make extra money and get further involved in the community.
Travel:
I’m heading to Osaka this weekend to visit some dear friends from my Japanese church in LA who are currently in Japan. One of my friend’s parents are pasturing a church in Osaka, and they are currently doing an outreach with the help of a team visiting from a Korean church in LA. Saturday is VBS. I’m really looking forward to being there.
Another ridiculously long post! SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!! There’s just so much going on!
Prayer requests:
• God would bless my time in Osaka, and the ministry taking place there. That my friends and I would mutually encourage one another.
• Ability to teach well. Although I have TESOL training and some experience, working with this young of an age group at this low of a proficiency level is totally new for me. I’m a little nervous. AGH! Also, that my heart would be prepared to give my best effort to my students come September.
• That I would be able to make good friends here with everyone I work with and with the community. I like everyone a lot, so hopefully I can be a blessing and an encouragement to them some way.
• That God would continue to break up the untilled soil in my heart, and make it into a beautiful garden. Homesickness and all the jazz…
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #1 For your prayers. #2 For who you are in my life. #3 For making it to the bottom of this post! :P
PS! new pics are on facebook!
Loves like a hurricane,
I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his love and mercy.
All of the sudden I am unaware
Of these afflictions,
Eclipsed by glory.
And I realize just how beautiful you are
And how great your affections are for me.
Oh, How he loves us so.
Oh how he loves us.
How he loves us so.”
Well, dear friends, I feel like my heart has done a 180 since I last posted. Isn’t life like that? I think it is because Our Great God is the business of redeeming all things.
I was very very upset about my apartment when I last posted, and would come home and cry because I was alone in a shoebox. I hate being alone. And I was frustrated with myself for coming all the way over here, and always thinking about the soonest time I could come home.
Then I got an email from one of my favorite profs, encouraging me:
“Dear one, be patient and gentle with yourself
during these early days, weeks, months.
The Father is.
After all, He has all the time in the world
For you.
Technically, all eternity.”
Yesterday when I walked in the door, I expected to melt down again because I was alone. Instead, I was greeted by an overwhelming sense of peace and joy, and I realized that I was not alone here, this was God’s and my apartment. He is here with me. I am not alone. That changes everything. I am sure I will still be lonely. And homesickness for me is a never-ending battle, because I am so fond of you all. I’m wired to thrive off of being around people, and here I am, living in a one-room apartment by myself. My prayer has been, “LORD, you made me like this, and you put me here, now please take care of me.” I know he hears me. And I know he hears all of you. A million thanks to all of you, dear friends, for standing beside me during this time. As the above lyrics declare, I know that He is jealous for me, and he has brought me here for a season of pruning back and growing up.
The past few days have been incredibly busy!
Yokkaichi Matsuri:
Yokkaichi’s yearly festival (Matsuri) took place this past weekend. The festival is centered around carrying a few portable Shinto shrines around the city to invoke the favor of the gods or something. I haven’t been able to get a straight answer out of anyone about what exactly they believe is taking place. So anyways, the shrines get carried around with a lot of chanting. And older man grabbed a bunch of us teachers and tried to make us join in carrying the shrine. I politely refused and tried to engage him in conversation about what was going on (I really wish I knew more about traditional Japanese religion, I need to study up!), but all he would say was “volunteers carry the shrines, you are a volunteer!!,” as he tried to drag me towards the shrine. Hahaha, that's some philosophy on volunteering! I obviously refrained, but a few of my coworkers got carried away in the procession. Although the main thing in the festival is the shrines, most of the time and energy is dedicated for the community to come together, have fun, and enjoy traditional Japanese arts. There are taiko drumming and dance performances all over the place, and the streets are lined with food and game booths like a fair. The whole community comes out to watch, so it was a great chance to meet people. The second year teachers took us around, and we were constantly getting mobbed by students running up to greet their English teachers. It was like walking around with celebrities, everyone under 15 knew their names and would call out to them and come talk to them as they walked by. I can’t wait for that to be me next year!! J
Work:
All of the new teachers are finally here! YAY!! And I really really like them! We’ve spent the last few days dressed up in suits being paraded around the city hall building meeting all the high up people, and everybody else. We’ve had meeting with the mayor, superintendent, speakers for the city (some of it was even covered by the local news!), and have stopped in all of the offices on all of the levels around where we work on the 9th floor to introduce ourselves and say “Doozo Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu” (I’m very pleased to meet you, and I hope we can have a very pleasant and productive relationship). We’ve had a official appointment ceremony, and lots of sit and look pretty, say a few words, and drink some green tea. Friday they are having a formal welcome dinner for us, and then afterwards everyone gets drunk and goes to Karaoke.
We are also currently preparing lessons to teach at seminars for Japanese people who are English teachers. I am teaching a 3rd grade lesson on “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed,” as well as a few other skits and stuff.
Schools:
The summer is filled with curriculum prep, having our teaching critiqued, and conducting workshops for other English teachers. Starting September, I get to start teaching at 3 schools!
Oike Jr. High & Tomida Jr. High: I haven’t heard so much about these school, because they people who had them last year aren’t here this year. I’ve heard Tomida is a good school though.
Tokiwa Elementary School: One of the poorest elementary schools in the area. Tokiwa Jr. High is notorious for being a "bad school" and having the cops there all the time, but I'm not sure what the elementary will be like. (Its not dangerous, so no worries, the students will just be a bit rougher around the edges).
Fureai classes!: I’m one of the two teachers out of the eleven of us who got assigned to teach Fureai classes. From what I’ve gathered so far, these are classes for students that are border line hikikomori (a social disorder where Japanese people lock themselves away in the rooms and refuse to interact with society) and futoko (students who often refuse to go to school). Some of the schools have these classes to try to get some education for those struggling with these issues, and maybe other issues? I’m not totally sure what it will be like, but it seems they let them go at their own pace a bit more than normal. I'm sooo soooo sooooo excited to get to teach them! I did my Intercultural Studies senior thesis on social disorders among Japan’s urban youth, so I am very excited to actually be able to interact with these students. Its not a weekly thing, its just every now and then, but I'll get to be with the students all day when I'm there. J My co-worker Tim, from Long Beach, will be joining me.
I'm also picking up a once a week adult class. It's a cool chance to make extra money and get further involved in the community.
Travel:
I’m heading to Osaka this weekend to visit some dear friends from my Japanese church in LA who are currently in Japan. One of my friend’s parents are pasturing a church in Osaka, and they are currently doing an outreach with the help of a team visiting from a Korean church in LA. Saturday is VBS. I’m really looking forward to being there.
Another ridiculously long post! SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!! There’s just so much going on!
Prayer requests:
• God would bless my time in Osaka, and the ministry taking place there. That my friends and I would mutually encourage one another.
• Ability to teach well. Although I have TESOL training and some experience, working with this young of an age group at this low of a proficiency level is totally new for me. I’m a little nervous. AGH! Also, that my heart would be prepared to give my best effort to my students come September.
• That I would be able to make good friends here with everyone I work with and with the community. I like everyone a lot, so hopefully I can be a blessing and an encouragement to them some way.
• That God would continue to break up the untilled soil in my heart, and make it into a beautiful garden. Homesickness and all the jazz…
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #1 For your prayers. #2 For who you are in my life. #3 For making it to the bottom of this post! :P
PS! new pics are on facebook!
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