Engagements All Around!

Engagement stories are important. Girls compare stories over tea years after the event actually took place. Well, I have a pretty good story to share. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did…ok, I know you probably won’t enjoy it as much as I did…but hopefully you can enjoy it all the same!

On the Saturday before Andrew was set to deploy, he called around 9:00am and grunted that he would arrive at my house around 11:00 so we could begin an "action adventure." When I got into the car he handed me an envelope with a #1 on it. I opened it and read,

“Oh! Oh! I’m hungry! Let’s get something to eat! We’ll need to drive a car to save our poor feet! What could be a place to solve this problem in our head? How about a factory that makes delicious white flat bread?”

Well, the Tortilla Factory was my guess. This restaurant is the Japanese version of Chipotle and is quite tasty. I was right and we got to enjoy yummy Japanese-style-Mexican burritos. After lunch I got envelope #2, which said,

“Do you feel satisfied? I do, almost without a doubt. But I feel that something’s missing, something that we’re without. What will solve this problem that is decidedly crummy? How about a party that offers something cool, tasty, and yummy?”

Partyland Yogurt was the first thing I thought of. It is a build your own frozen yogurt cup joint and is quite yummy. We enjoyed some tasty yogurt in a cup. After yogurt I was handed envelope #3:

“Ah! Delicious yogurt! There’s nothing like it in the world! Especially when there’s two wonderful flavors in a swirl! Where shall be our next stop? What location shall we grace? shouldn’t we drive to your favorite rocky-sandy-type place?"

I confess I struggled with this clue. We often go sit on the beach, but I wasn’t sure which beach was the special beach. After some additional clues I knew it was Toguchi Beach. This beach is known for its huge rocks making arches above private beaches. When we got there, much of the beach was fenced off. I guess the Japanese government decided to resurface the paths around
the beach on this particular Saturday. It didn’t deter Andrew any and he hopped over the fence. Me, being a complete rule-keeper, just about had a fit. He insisted I come with him. So, we snuck around the cement trucks and the heavy equipment and Japanese construction workers. I was trying not to make eye contact. We got to our favorite place under an arch of rocks and gazed at the ocean for a minute before he handed me envelope #4:

“You picked the right spot! One out of many! It’s frugal! We did not spend a penny! Only one more stop after this one whoopee! But wait! Turn around Quickly!....because there’s a Man on one knee!!!”

I turned around and there he was on one knee telling me sweet things and asking me to join him on life’s journey. Then it was silent…oh yeah, a question usually needs an answer. Of course I said YES! The last location for our special day was to the jewelry store where we had picked out a wedding set awhile back. We spent the next hour sipping tea and making a large purchase! What a very special day. I look forward to our future together and I know that life with the two of us and the Lord, will be full of wild adventure!

Thanksgiving Psalm by Ark, Lew, and Drouillard

Hey, guess what everyone...the nomadic duos are still alive...we just haven't felt inspired to post lately. During this Thanksgiving break, we decided to carry on the tradition that we started last year and write our annual Thanksgiving Psalm. Read, enjoy and give thanks to God with us!

From dawn to the glow of the setting sun
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
His love is with us wherever we run
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
For lovingkindness that will always find us
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
For all good gifts, including grace that sets us free
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
For plans for the future that prosper and don't harm
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
For being undeserving yet still receiving
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
When I was hostile toward Him, He gave up His life for me
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
That He has power to heal, authority to destroy nations
and the grace to forgive
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He reassures our hearts when our hearts condemn us
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He is our strength and our fortress, giving strength for the battle
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
Eternal life is knowing Him
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
Nothing impossible with Him
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He is the light to our feet, guiding us until the end
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He is our life-giving vine
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He calls us His friends
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He is the redeemer of all that He has created
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He offers forgiveness even in the cycle of sin
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He is the relentless pursuer
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He works all for good, despite our confusion
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King
He speaks in the quietness of our hearts
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King

New Beginnings!

So, it is that time again! The time when summer vacation and the joys of visiting family and friends and sleeping in until 9:00 are officially over and the school year has begun. Lew and I returned from our trip to America a week ago Friday. A full week of orientation and meetings meetings meetings followed. I must admit that I really struggled with the idea of school beginning. Thoughts of my inadequacies and anxieties over last year and it's difficult moments have assailed me the last few days. I remember back to the first day of school last year and how it was the WORST first day I've ever had. Honestly, I really didn't want to relive any of it. Last night my fears and frustrations and anxieties came to a horrible climax threatening to crush me. I know that sounds dramatic, but really! I'm not an emotional person on a normal basis, but I couldn't seem to make sense of the churning emotions I experienced. This morning I woke up and went on a long prayer walk striving to relax and give my emotions, anxieties, and expectations to the Lord. By the time I got home I was feeling much more at peace. I love how the Word is alive and active and how God uses it in the midst of storms. Today He gave me John 1:16 which says, "And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." What a promise for the first day of school. He has given me not only grace in salvation, but then provides abundant grace upon grace for every moment! Today I was able to experience His grace upon grace for the first day of school. Everything went smoothly. Rules and procedures were learned. My 12 students listened and obeyed. As the clock reached 3:00 one student even said, "Is it time to go home?" When I replied with a yes, he blessed me beyond words by saying, "Oh man! Already?" I assured him he would be coming back tomorrow and he breathed a sigh of relief. Tonight as I watched the sun set on yet another first day of school I can't help but thank God for the grace upon grace He gave today and anticipate the grace that He will supply tomorrow...and the next day...and the next!

Blessings

Blessings come in all shapes and sizes. Perhaps blessings stem from holidays. Perhaps from hard labor. Perhaps from someone else. But, why is it that God often chooses to bless us for no other reason than for the sake of blessing us? Lew and I experienced these blessings this last week and of course that led to some interesting conversations about God and His blessings.

Since school is out and we had a week before we head back to the classroom for summer school, we decided to take a vacation. In my mind the idea of a vacation included a lot of rest. The last few weeks have been busy with school ending and endless projects and I wanted some time to be 'disconnected' from the world. To rest, to think, to pray, to read...you get the picture. So, we decided to take three days and head to Kumejima, an island about 4 hours away by boat. Now, if you remember from our roadtripping days, I (Ark), am a planner. We had that trip nicely outlined and the budget set weeks before we left. This trip we decided to 'wing it' and see what happened. There is only one ferry to the island per day, so I had visions of sleeping on the beach because a hotel wouldn't accept 'walk ins'. It would definitely be a true adventure. The ferry ride, though slightly wet, was relaxing and Lew and I got some good rest during the trip. Once we stepped off the boat, we looked at each other with that, "Hmmm, now what" look. I guess the first thing would be finding transportation. In our limited Japanese and the rental car man's limited English, we were able to rent a small car for our days on the island...and it was much cheaper than we expected.

Blessings One: "Mushi"...our trusty rental car that ran well and had good AC. I see this as God's blessing on us because of the price as well as the availability!

Well, the next place to go was to look for a hotel or hostel or bed & breakfast or some place to sleep for 2 nights. We had written some hotel information down before leaving Okinawa, and forgotten it on the kitchen table. Oh well. We started driving in a "random" direction and "happened" upon the Cypress Hotel and Resort. When we saw the view from the parking lot and the word 'resort' in the name, we both thought it would be way past our missionary budget. But to both of our amazement, it wasn't.

Blessing Two: We paid for a hotel room with amazing beachfront views, full amenities, and breakfast included for nearly nothing at all. I was reminded that there is no 'random' or 'happening' when we seek to follow the Lord. He loves to direct and leads us to the BEST!

So...we had a car and a place to sleep and it was only 2pm. We decided to begin our 'Sabbath' by taking a 4 hour nap. When we awoke, the next step was to hop in Mushi and explore Kumejima a bit. We visited castles, big rocks, coastlines, and watched the sunset over the ocean.

Blessing Three: God loves to bless me with beautiful pictures in nature. The sunset and the moon rising at the same time were definitely displays of His beauty!

As we were searching our map for a place to eat dinner, the Arizona Cafe caught both of our attention. How in the world could there really be an Arizona Cafe on a remote island in the Okinawa Prefecture of Japan? After some driving and amazing map skills (no thanks to Ark), we arrived. It wasn't the typical cafe you would expect in Arizona. But just being there was fun.

Blessing Four: God knew that two Arizona girls would get really excited over eating at the Arizona Cafe on Kumejima. Did He bring the Arizona Cafe to Kumejima simply for us? Who am I to say no? He is just that good.

After dinner, sleep was calling my name again.

Blessing Five: God gave me a total of 14 hours of sleep in the first 24 on the island. Sweet rest for my weary body!

Monday included a very strange and not so tasty Japanese breakfast, a drive around the island stopping at the prettiest locations, including waterfalls, rocks, cliffs, and beaches.

Blessing Six: God created waterfalls specifically for me. Whenever you see one, you can thank me for sharing the blessing that God gave. Seeing a waterfall on Kumejima was not expected. It was just like God saying, "I know you like this and I give good gifts, so here you go." Thank you, Lord for the blessing of a waterfall.

Of course, the day couldn't be complete with a nap and some downtime. More resting and reading and rejuvenating was in store for the afternoon. Our final morning on the island included a slightly tastier-and-not-so-strange breakfast, sitting by the pool, and then finishing our time on the beach. The ferry ride home was spent thinking...how often does one just take the time to think and 'be' and rest and enjoy God's presence?

Blessing Seven: Coming home completely rejuvenated and rested from the end of school.

I'm sure there were more blessings that I have failed to share here. It seemed as though the entired weekend was filled with one blessing after another. My prayer now is that I would see the blessings God gives on a daily basis so I can give thanks. How many blessings does He give that we aren't even aware of? Or pay attention to? Or acknowledge as a blessing? May the Father of good gifts open my eyes to see and rejoice in them all!

Great Are You, Lord!

Today marked the very last elementary event to be planned and orchestrated during the 2010-2011 school year at OCSI. If you couldn't tell by the books and costumes, today was Character Parade. Students in lower-elementary dressed up like their favorite book character and we paraded around campus waving and looking cute. I have to say this last event of the school year was a bit bittersweet. How can it be possible that in only 2.5 weeks the students will be packing up their desks and heading out for their summer adventures? Wasn't it just yesterday I stepped off that airplane and into this whole new experience? Wasn't the first day of school just a few weeks ago? It is not so. With that realization, I also realize that an update is long overdue. Here are a few recent highlights:

- Another student in my class accepted Christ a few weeks ago. He came in from Japanese class and proudly announced that he had become a Christian. Already I can see the Holy Spirit at work within his heart. Oh, praise the Lord!

- I will be honest...every classroom has one. There is always one student that just pushes the teacher's buttons. My little 'button pusher' is undergoing a 'heart makeover'! She told me that she prayed everyday this week that the Holy Spirit would help her to behave in class. Oh the faith of a child! Perhaps we have taught each other important lessons this school year. I have taught her the Bible and what it means to have faith in Christ, and she has taught me the refining power of Christ.

- I am finally officially learning Japanese! God opened a door and a small class of about 7 of us have the best teacher on the island. I'm finding that I understand a whole lot more than I thought I would and have had some conversations with the locals around me. That is definitely a reason to praise!

- I see God opening doors to build relationships with more Japanese. A few weeks ago, I was blessed to spend a Saturday with one of my students and her mom and sister. They practiced their English on me and I practiced my Japanese on them. It was a very special time of fellowship! Pray that this dear family would see the truth of Christ! They have recently started coming to church and I can see their hearts softening.

- I'm seeing God answer prayer in so many new ways. God even cares about the 'silly' things. May I never be a person who does not have, because I don't ask!

So what is coming up? I will start my summer months teaching summer school here at OCSI and finish the summer months visiting family and friends in the states. I hope to visit with many of you, Readers! As I sit here and ponder the last year, all I can say is...

Psalm 18:1

I love you, O LORD, my strength!

Psalm 77:11-13

I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?

Psalm 86:9All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.

Psalm 103:1-5

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 106:1-2

Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise?

Psalm 113:2-3

Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!

Spring Break: Welcome!

Because it has been 75 degrees and sunny here for the past week, this break that we have from school almost feels more like summer break than spring break. Regardless, I am very happy to be on break after several hectic weeks of testing, working at a fund-raising bazaar, finishing up third quarter, helping to coach track, grading research papers, and many other school related activities. I am looking forward to a time of refocusing and recharging to prepare for the last quarter of the year. Yes, we only have one quarter (7.5 weeks) left to this school year...hard to believe.

Since it's been two months since I've written anything on here, I'll just share a few highlights:

We had the opportunity to go out in a boat for a day to some of the islands about 20 miles from here. We enjoyed a beautiful, albeit cold, snorkeling experience. Then, we floated a grill to one of the islands and grilled some burgers on the beach. Then, after doing a little deserted island exploring and seeing wild goats, we headed back home to our own island. What a privilege to get to explore deserted islands on the weekends.

One student that I would like to ask prayer for is an Indian student that is in my 8th grade English class. I tutor him on Thursdays after school, and last week, he and I talked for an hour and a half about questions that he has about God and the Bible and how we can know whether or not it's all true. He is seeking for answers and asking good questions, and God has already begun to reveal Himself to this young man. I just pray that God will convict his heart. It's so hard for some of these students to take that step of faith because it means rejecting the religion of their parents for what they see as a religion that is "foreign." Thanks for praying.

Another highlight continues to be the Capoeira class that we are taking. It has been fun to get to know some people outside of school while learning roundhouse kicks and how to properly do cartwheels and handstands. Although we're getting better, I wouldn't say we are very good yet, but I like the workout that it is and the laughter it provides as we try to learn new moves.

Some of you are probably wondering if we have been affected at all by the earthquake and tsunami disaster that hit northern Japan a month ago. Okinawa is about a thousand miles south of where the earthquake hit, so we did not have any effects from that or from the tsunami, for which we thank God. Please continue to pray for the country of Japan though that God will bless the long rebuilding process ahead and that this will be a turning point for the gospel in this dark country.

O LORD, How Many Are Your Works

Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering Yourself with light as with a cloak, stretching out heaven like a tent curtain. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters; He makes the clouds His chariot; He walks upon the wings of the wind; He makes the winds His messengers, flaming fire His ministers.



He established the earth upon its foundations, so that it will not totter forever and ever. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters were standing above the mountains. At Your rebuke they fled, at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away. The mountains rose; the valleys sank down to the place which You established for them. You set a boundary that they may not pass over, so that they will not return to cover the earth.



He sends forth springs in the valleys; they flow between the mountains; they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they lift up their voices among the branches. He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works.



He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the labor of man, so that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine which makes man's heart glad, so that he may make his face glisten with oil, and food which sustains man's heart. The trees of the LORD drink their fill, the cedars of Lebanon which He planted, where the birds build their nests, and the stork, whose home is the fir trees. The high mountains are for the wild goats; the cliffs are a refuge for the shephanim. He made the moon for the seasons; the sun knows the place of its setting. You appoint darkness and it becomes night, in which all the beasts of the forest prowl about.
The young lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God. When the sun rises they withdraw and lie down in their dens. Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until evening.



O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your possessions. There is the sea, great and broad, in which are swarms without number, animals both small and great. There the ships move along, and Leviathan, which You have formed to sport in it. They all wait for You to give them their food in due season. You give to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good. You hide Your face, they are dismayed; You take away their spirit, they expire and return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the ground.



Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; let the LORD be glad in His works; He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; as for me, I shall be glad in the LORD. Let sinners be consumed from the earth and let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD!

Some thoughts about January...

We were told that January would be cold, dark, and rainy, and for the most part, that has been true, though the "cold" is still relative. I did manage to take advantage of living next to the ocean and go swimming a couple times in between rain showers; once was at three in the morning on a perfectly clear and calm night.

January at OCSI is very different for the middle school and high school because we have J-Term, so rather than teaching my normal 7th and 8th grade English classes, I have been teaching a semester's worth of Speech and Debate to 9th-12th graders in four weeks. I have really enjoyed getting to work with the older grades and challenging them to think deeper about issues and to prove their ideas. I have missed the excitement and quirkiness of the 7th and 8th graders though, and I will be happy to be back to a "normal" schedule starting the middle of next week.

January has also been a time of pretty intense spiritual warfare for me and for others at school. We have dealt with an attempted suicide, threats of violence against teachers, more behavior issues than normal, and more outright rejection of the gospel than normal. I am reminded daily that we are on the front lines of the most important battle we could ever be a part of. But, as I told one of my students this week, we are on the winning side, and nothing the enemy tries to do against us will prevail because with God on our side, who can stand against us?

January is also a month of beginnings. Both Ark and I started a grad class for our Master's degrees, and I am now learning how to again balance homework on top of work for school. So far, my Adolescent Psychology class has been very intriguing and applicable, and finding new coffee shops with free wi-fi makes doing homework much more fun. Another beginning for this month is joining a Capoeira class. Don't know what that is? We didn't really either a few weeks ago. It's a combination of martial arts, dancing, rhythm, and music that originated from Brazil. We have only been to one lesson so far, but we had so much fun and could barely walk the next day from sore muscles. Not sure that we'll be doing flips and hand stands anytime soon, but it's a new way to get off campus and meet new people.

Thank you again to all of you for your prayers.

Let's Go Fly a Kite!

Monday was the first Japanese holiday that we have gotten to celebrate thus far at OCSI. The name of it? Kite Day. Japanese schools were all on holiday so they could go with their families to fly kites. I'm really not sure what the cultural significance of the day is, but it was kind of fun. So I discovered that I don't know how to fly a kite. Sad, I know! Luckily, all my student's parents but two came, so I didn't need to "show-off" my awesome kite flying skills too much.

It was actually a great kite flying day! Moderate winds grabbed the kites and allowed them to soar in the air, well, some of them. I knew that it was going to be a problem when it was time to 'put kites together'. I didn't even know that you 'put kites together'. In my kite naivety I assumed they already came assembled. My second clue that I didn't know what I was getting into was the fact that the assembly directions were in Japanese. Of course they were in Japanese. Luckily, this was not my kid's first Kite Day...they knew how to put kites together.

So my 12 student and I tramped out onto the soccer field. Most of my 12 scattered to find their parents. That left me with two lone rangers to 'assist' in flying a kite. Luckily, one of those lone rangers is a completely independent lone ranger. I would see him every once in a while running past me yelling, "Look, Miss Goodwin, my kite is flying." I looked up and sure enough his kite was high in the sky. The poor student stuck with me... "Ok, GO!" I'd yell. He'd get tangled in his kite string and fall over...and his kite would hit the ground with a sad thump. This went on for the entire hour. Poor kid never got to hold his kite while it flew in the air. What can we do to remedy this? Kite Day will happen again next January so I guess I need to buy a kite...

A Needle in a Haystack

Have you ever been in a situation where only by an act of God could everything turn out okay? Well, Lew and I rang in the New Year with a new understanding of trusting Him in any and every situation. It all started when we stepped off the bus in Tokyo from visiting Sarah in Suwa. We said our good-byes as Sarah got on one subway line, and we got on another. our destination...a movie theatre. We had done research and figured the location and show times of a theatre in central Tokyo. The plan was to see a movie, eat some dinner, and drink some coffee before catching the 12:04 train and also last train to Haneda Airport where we planned to spend the last 4 hours before our plane departed for Okinawa. The evening started out just as planned including finding a locker at the train station that fit all of our bags so that we wouldn't have to carry them around with us for the evening. Who could have guessed that it would lead to one series of unfortunate events after another?

Robin Hood was not a great movie, but it was in English and, despite some violence, was entertaining enough. Afterwards we walked around the large "mall on steroids" as we so lovingly nicknamed the Rippongi Hills shopping area to find somewhere to eat. After wondering for a while, we chose a nice restaurant and ate some appetizer soup. By now it was about 10:45 pm. We got our Starbucks Coffee and were just about to sit down to enjoy it and continue our count of foreigners when Lew calmly asked if Ark remembered where she put the ticket needed to retrieve our bags from the locker at the station. After doing a pretty thorough analysis of our pockets and purses, we both realized with, with a slight feeling of dread, that we had lost the ticket. We fought the crowds of about 1 million back to the train station where we attempted to call the number indicated on the 'if lost or stolen" sign. After much trying, the language barrier was insurmountable. A nice man at the information desk helped us convey the message needed, and we were told it would be a few hours before someone could come and open the locker. Both of us needed to start praying...and praying we did.

Ark remembered seeing something fall out of Lew's jean's pocket while on an elevator, so we decided to retrace our steps to where perhaps the receipt had been lost. Inside the elevator, we found a movie ticket stub...but no locker receipt. We continued retracing our steps knowing full well that the possibility of finding a small slip of paper on the ground on New Year's Eve with millions of people swarming around was slim to none. It was like finding a needle in a haystack...literally. Still we kept praying as we resigned ourselves to sleeping in the train terminal while waiting for the people to come and open the locker door for us. Lew felt compelled to go one direction. We obeyed and began randomly kicking over small papers on the ground in hopes of a miracle. Well, Lew picked up a paper and examined it closely to realize that it was indeed our receipt. Both of us felt like rejoicing loudly and crying hysterically at the same time. Why do we doubt the Father? He is so good to get us out of binds. We went to the station, retrieved our baggage and made it on the very last train of the evening taking us to the airport. Both of us were relieved and blown away that we had indeed found a "needle in a haystack."

Well, if the story had ended there, we would have understood that God wanted to show us His hand faithfully and would have continued to rejoice throughout the evening. But, it turns out that the monorail to the airport shuts down earlier than expected and though we made our train from the theatre, we would have to wait until 3:50 am for the next one. A McDonalds close by advertised that it was open 24 hours, so we ventured off. Hey...4 hours in McDonalds couldn't be that bad. Unfortunately the rest of the million people in Tokyo had the grand idea of sitting in McDonalds while they waited off their hangovers. That wasn't the place for us. We gave in and opted to pay the money and take a cab to the airport. By now, we were seriously asking God what He wanted to teach us through this evening. We had been blessed to see Him miraculously provide what we needed to get on the last train, so what was it He wanted to teach us as we sat in a cab going to the airport? Ark wondered if she was to miraculously begin speaking to the cab driver in Japanese...but nothing like that happened. We thought we would finally be safe and comfortable in the airport and have 4 hours to think about God's lesson for the evening in a warm place.

Ok, once again...it didn't happen that way. The cabby dropped us off at our terminal and sped away. Pretty quickly, we realized that something was wrong when the automatic doors didn't open. Turns out the terminal closes at 9:45 pm and doesn't open again until 5 am. It was currently 1:30. I didn't know terminals closed. What we were to do now? Each carrying about 40 pounds, we decided we would try to find the International terminal...surely that one had to be open! We ended up at another terminal...on the other side of the airport as the International one. We saw a sign for a hotel at this terminal and went inside to find out how much it would cost to stay there for 3 hours. Turns out that you need reservations. So here I sit, yes, quite warm and safe, at 2:20 am in a little nook of a very closed terminal awaiting the 5 o'clock hour so we can check in, check our bags, and THEN get on an airplane to Okinawa. I must admit I'm still wondering what God wants to teach us through this. Why would He get us out of bind and show His miraculous power at the beginning of the evening, only to have us sleep in a deserted nook of an airline terminal? Don't really get it. But, I'm still rejoicing in the fact that God is so much bigger than anything I can think of! He knows the end of this story and will somehow use it for His glory. We hope that the first five hours of 2011 are not an indication of what the year will be like, and we apologize to our moms and are so grateful you didn't know we were wondering around Tokyo at 2 in the morning with nowhere to go.

UPDATE: It is now 2:00 pm and we are safely home! A night in a closed airport terminal, eating chocolate, and reading books takes a toll on a gal! I am ready to take a nap...or perhaps I'll just call it a night in a few hours. We are so blessed and thankful to be home in Okinawa where believe it or not...it's COLD here too. Oh well. Perhaps we will have to find a heated rug....

"Put the Duna on the Barbie"

Note: This entire post should be read with an Australian accent

After a lazy morning watching the snow fall, we decided to get rugged up* and brave the snow and cold. We took the bus and then the train to Matsumoto, where we walked around a castle and through the streets. We did not see any spooks** on our walkabout***. We ate a lot of food today at Starbucks and Mister Donut and a strange restaurant. Lew ate the strangest pizza she has ever eaten with scrambled eggs, ketchup, and ham. Ark ate the strangest pizza she's ever eaten with tuna, corn, mayo, and asparagus. After a train and taxi ride home, we were excited to get back to the heated rug and our dunas****.

Rather than practicing our Japanese today, we worked on our Australian accents as we hung out with Sarah's Australian friend Jordan.

*bundled up

**spies

***journey

****blanket

Tomorrow, we shall head to Tokyo and find some adventures to bring in the new year. We have to be at the airport bright and early for a 6:30 flight, and then, our vacation will have ended. But we're trying not to think about that. Good night, Mates.

Some things that I could get used to...

Here's a list of things that I could get used to in Suwa, Japan:

1. Heated rugs
2. Heated toilet seats
3. A gorgeous 360 degree view of snow-covered mountains
4. Good conversations in restaurants overlooking the lake
5. A great running path around the lake
6. Cheap transportation around the city
7. Large secondhand stores (even though none of the clothes fit)

We had a great day wandering around Suwa with Sarah. We saw a small local castle and the lake and went window shopping. The day was very relaxing, starting out bright and sunny and ending with smatterings of snow.

Up, Down, Around, Back, Walk, Switch, Eat...Then Repeat!

Seriously...that's exactly what we did all day! Traveling through Japan on a budget is easy. Usually it includes a walk or two, 4-5 trains, and at least a bus ride. It took us the same amount of time to go 150 kilometers in Japan as it would take to go from Flagstaff to LA in the states. So funny! We were troopers as we hoisted our packs on the luggage racks, took them off again, walked up the stairs, then back down the stairs, got on another train and hoisted our pack up on the luggage racks again. Yeah, we did it 4 times today before getting on the final bus. We are now sitting snuggly in our friend, Sarah's apartment enjoying her heated rug and rice crackers. Once again, not a whole lot to share today, but I hope you are continuing to enjoy the mainland saga. We will spend the rest of the week exploring this little town and surrounding areas before heading back to Tokyo and Okinawa on Friday!

Sushi, Red beans, Fish, and Mochi = Good Christmas dinner ingredients

Merry Christmas everyone!!! I hope that your day is very special with family and friends! My Christmas began slightly...earlier than anticipated. Since we were in charge of Christmas dinner I thought I would get up around 7, begin making food, take a shower, etc. etc. etc...well, I woke up on time and began my day. A while later I began to wonder why the sun wasn't coming up and why the clock on my computer just wasn't what it was supposed to be. I looked at the clock on the wall again and realized that it read 5, not 7am. It was an honest mistake...both numbers are on the sides of the 6, right? So needless to say I worked a bit and then took a nap. As it turned out, we had more time than expected as our friends from Tokyo didn't arrive here until close to noon.

Opening stockings, sitting and chatting, and sharing memories was a highlight! Lew created a lovely little children's book about an experience in cleaning our house for my Christmas present. I had a hard time reading it to our guests due to my laughter. I will treasure it always. Eating fish, sushi, red bean soup, and mochi were among the delicacies we ate for lunch. Cheesecake at Megumi Chalet was dessert. Mmmm! The day was topped off with singing on the giant Christmas tree one last time at Megumi Chalet. The walk back was so bitter cold. Have I mentioned that it is cold here? Like 17 degrees? Just in case I haven't...it's cold :)

As I've thought about the Christmas season and what God has been showing me, I find my thoughts slightly jumbled and my heart slightly distracted. I know that I am just where He wants me doing the things He's called me to do...but what exactly does He want me to know? This is something I will continue to ponder the next week of Christmas vacation!

Merry Christmas again!!!

Tokyo and Beyond

The stockings are hung by the fire with care...as well as everything we brought to wear!

So I would love to write and tell you about the exciting things I did today and how I love the cold and got to play in the fresh snow this afternoon...but I'm afraid I can say nothing of the sort. In fact, I can't say I did much of anything. Sitting by the heater catching up with friends and family while reading a book, eating snacks, and listening to Handel's Messiah was about all I did. At about 4:00 I realized I needed to get dressed if I was going to get to Megumi Chalet on time. I got home a bit ago and guess what? Sat right back in my chair by the heater! Sure is an amazing way to spend Christmas Eve if you ask me :) If our Internet holds up, you may actually get pictures of our adventures tonight!

Sorry if you are bored out of your mind after reading this post. Hey sometimes there is just nothing to report :)

A little resort town

I'm sitting here under our stockings hanging by the window, ready to be filled with Christmas goodies. In my Under Armour Cold Gear by the cozy heater than brings such warmth after standing in the bitter cold for a few hours. And enjoying popcorn, chocolate-covered raisins, and gingerbread cookies. It almost feels like Christmas with our fresh greens collected from the forest this afternoon and the Christmas lights hanging in the window. This little cabin in the forest is so quaint. It's small and cozy and perfect for a Christmas holiday.

Today was slightly more laid back in some ways, but my body is crying out for a day of being an introvert. Since it is Christmas break and one of the goals of any break is rest and rejuvenation, I'm actually going to listen to that plea and stay home most of tomorrow. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed exploring Karuizawa today searching to waterfall and mountain lookouts- we did not find either, but had a pleasant winter walk anyway. It even snowed about 10 flakes :) It was a great day for sharing together and breaking bread together. It ended with singing Christmas carols on the Singing Christmas Tree at Megumi Chalet and passing out tracts to arriving visitors. Tonight I'm grateful for warmth and rest!

Thanks for reading! I'm really trying to give everyone something to read about. Until next time....

Ok, it's cold for reals!

Today was a bit more relaxed than the last few days. We leisurely got out of bed and mosied around getting ready to leave. We were blessed to be able to assist our friend, Ginna, in a few household tasks that needed to be completed before we could trek up the mountains to Kariuzawa! One highlight was getting to ride bikes to the grocery store. That was one of my dreams of living in another country. Perhaps it's just the romantic side of world travel...exploring busy streets by bike. Well, that dream was fulfilled. It was fun to buy groceries and carry them home in the little bike basket. My bike even had a little bell I got to ring. It's the little things in life!

I'm grateful for a short nap on the drive north. We were given a short tour both by car and by foot of the little mountain resort town of 40,000 people in the winter and 4 million in the summer. The little cabin in the forest where we are calling home is quite quaint and cozy. I'm pretty sure I could get used to living in a cabin in the woods. However, I'm a full-fledged island gal and that became quite clear when we stepped out of the car into the crisp coolness of the mountains. I'm sorry, that wasn't quite the right phraseology...the crisp freezingness would have been a better description, but I don't think that's a word. Let's just say it is quite cold here! We enjoyed a nice dinner with friends, including 3 new friends who accompanied us to Kariuzawa. We were blessed by one of the ladies who decided we needed to practice our Japanese and stopped talking to us in English. She was cute and offered to teach us Japanese if we would move to Tokyo.

The Christmas Illumination at Megumi Chalet Kariuzawa (MCK) is quite impressive. Tom worked very hard at programming Christmas lights to dance to music and designing the decorations. It really looks amazing. We had fun taking pictures, drinking hot chocolate and eating cake in the coffee shop and listening to a famous musical group. We came home slightly earlier tonight than we will the rest of the week. Tomorrow through Sunday night, Lew and I will be at MCK from 4:30-10:00 pm to hand out tracts, take pictures for people, sing on the human Christmas Tree, and just be the hands and feet of Christ. Please pray for many non-believers to come and leave knowing the true meaning of Christmas. Pray that we don't freeze in the process. I think I will need to put on a few more layers in order to not have the cold nip at my knees!

I'm blessed to be here at Kariuzawa for a few reasons, but one major one is how much this little town reminds me of Flagstaff. The landscape and intense cold are just a few aspects that remind me of home. How great a Creator who knew how much I would need to be reminded of home this Christmas.

Darkness....

My heart is so heavy today! It is a heaviness I can't quite explain. One that I haven't felt in a long while. Today Lew and I embarked on a Tokyo adventure. Using expert direction we ventured off to see the major sites by ourselves. We didn't get lost once and the only mishap we had was buying a ticket for the wrong subway line. Hey, it happens! Anyway, the reason for my heaviness is the millions and millions of people we saw on a pathway to eternal destruction! I don't remember it affecting me quite as much the last time around. Obviously it must have since I'm here again, but I suppose I have a fresh vision...a new urgency...or just a renewed burden for the Japanese people today.

Our self-guided tour took us to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office where from the 45th floor we could see much of Tokyo. As far as the eye could see the buildings had no end in sight. It was crazy! Next was a train ride to Meiji Shrine...a Shinto shrine where we witnessed the end of a wedding and myriads of people throwing their money into the shrine and praying to gods made by human hands. The question crossed my mind as I watched...what would it be like to pray to a god I didn't know? One who doesn't know me intimately because it didn't create me? One that does not share intimately in my life? It all seemed so...empty.

People watching is one of our joys and people watch we did...I think if I were counting I would have lost count around 1.5 million. Ok, an exaggeration, but not much of one. It was cold so we were enjoying a nice cup of Starbucks from a 2nd story building. At least 200 people would cross the street every 2 minutes. We were there for about 60 minutes so what is that...6,000 people total? Incredible! This was definitely the 'people-watcher's' dream location!

After my lunch of shrimp, clam, squid, and pork casserole (you think I'm joking don't you?), we headed to Asakusa Temple. The temple was much bigger than the Shinto shrine and is a Buddhist Temple where elaborate decorations, incense, and holy water are all part of the temple experience. Once again I watched people, under bondage worshipping Satan...I mean, who else would it be? There was one particular man who was well advanced in years and who obviously struggled walking slowly up the stairs to 'pay his dues' at the temple. My heart broke for him as the reality of eternity and his eternal destiny washed over me. I have thought and prayed for this particular man many times since then! There is still hope for him...as long as he has breath.

Our day ended at a brand new church that just started earlier this month. About 12 of us sang and worshipped together. Though a lot of our interaction was in pantomime and with the help of an interpreter, I enjoyed meeting with my brothers and sisters here in Tokyo. I had the honor of playing Christmas carols on the piano for their worship time (yes, I'm quite rusty after not playing for 7 months). God gave me a passage for this nation of Japan as I sat and tried to glean as much from a sermon in Japanese as I could: Isaiah 43:8 "Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes, that are deaf, yet have ears." I suppose all of Isaiah 43 could apply, but this verse stuck out to me...the people of Japan have ears and they have eyes, yet they fail to hear and see the truth of Christ. My prayer is that God would redeem for Himself millions of Japanese people by opening their ears and eyes of understanding! I was slightly encouraged after church...yet still feel this heaviness. I would appreciate your prayers as He is in control of the salvation of all people. Would you continue to pray for an outpouring of His Spirit on this country?

Tomorrow...off to an even COLDER Kariuzawa! I've suffered without my coat the last few days because I wanted to use it to trick my mind into thinking I could stay 'warm' there. Not sure it will work...but I'm praying. And I'm also praying that the weatherman is wrong about no snow on Christmas. There is a 30% chance...but I'm praying for mucho snow to make Christmas white!

Around the World in a Day!

I'm sure you've done it! Probably more than once. Stuffed items into a box and pressed them down to make more room for something else? Well, I was 'in the box' today! Not literally of course, but I sure understand how those items on the bottom of the box feel as the other items press against them. My experience was called the "Tokyo Train System". I have never seen people enter an already overcrowded train and literally push the mobs of people already standing to make a millimeter more space to fit their feet in. Wow...it got better as I was on the 'bottom' of the box, or the other end of the train as people were pushing. I had a metal bar in my hip and a Japanese lady's hair in my face. If that wasn't bad enough, everytime the train stopped and people wanted to get off, there was a very intense shoving of people out of the way. Let's just say, I think my hip is permanently bruised from the beating it received. I had to ask myself how people do it everyday????

Tokyo DisneySea was a very interesting place. It was much different than the typical Disneyland. No princes or princesses walking around in big dresses with true love following them wherever they went. There was no "TomorrowLand" or "FantasyLand". Instead, we explored different countries of the world beginning in the center of the earth (ok, not a literal country, but definitely a futuristic one) and ending in South America. Italy, Egypt, and the underwater world were in between. I heard many languages, with Japanese accents of course, but languages just the same. To be honest, I would have to say that DisneySea lacks the magicalness of DisneyLand...but then perhaps that's just because I'm older and don't get the 'warm' feeling all over when I visit DisneyLand anymore. I am so glad that we were able to have the "Tokyo Disney Adventure" and doubly-blessed to get to go for free and have a young lady, Mana, accompany us! Thank you for your prayers. We had a great day!

Tomorrow...a shorter tour of famous sites in Tokyo!