36 Random Thoughts Running Through My Mind
Today is Saturday. We had yesterday off from language and thoroughly enjoyed a free afternoon. Although today wasn't incredibly busy, I thought I'd give you a glimpse into our world...or rather the things running through my mind. Some are sad, some funny, other thoughts are just normal everyday stuff. Enjoy!
1. Praise the Lord for Saturday. We get to sleep in and I do until almost 10:00 AM, yup 10:00 AM. Ironically, I'm still really tired and wonder if I'll ever get adjusted to life/time here. The sun rises at 4:30 AM but somehow my body continues to say no.
2. Coffee. Must have coffee. Thankful for my sister who sent this amazing fully caffeinated coffee...smells like heaven. Another cup please!
3. Check my phone, email, Facebook. Notice an article concerning military clashes and a people group fleeing from a nearby Southeast Asian country. We have good friends there. I wonder if they are close to the fighting or in danger. I lift up a prayer for them and their people group. I've forgotten what it is like to live in a closed country. I take so much for granted here.
4. We've been invited to a local's home today for a BBQ. This is the first time we've been asked into a Japanese home. I'm a little nervous about what to bring as a gift/food. *BBQ will be grilled meat, not hamburgers, hot dogs and nothing with BBQ sauce. I make sure B doesn't get his hopes up. :).
5. I decided on watermelon which I bought for B and paid just over $4.50 for half a melon. Crazy, I know. But I don't like watermelon and he won't mind sharing his.
6. We need to leave a bit early so I head to clean up. Japanese people area always on time and being early is considered polite. This is never been my forte in life, but I'm going to give it my best.
7. An earthquake alert pops up on my phone. Nagano Prefecture. It isn't near us, two hours away and I didn't feel anything here but it is where our vacation is planned for in July...Great, just great. I tell myself once again that He is in control and that I am not. I offer up a prayer to Father thanking Him for controlling all things.
8. I slice the watermelon and put it in a glass dish. I don't have a plastic one so I wrap it up in saran wrap and then a towel so hopefully it won't break in my basket while I'm riding my bike.
9. Determined not to get lost today or be late, I plug in the address of our friends into my Apple maps app and head off our on bicycles. We find the place after only one "rerouting" issue.
10. I already decided this morning that I am going to speak as much Nihongo (Japanese) as possible. Our friends speak a bit of English but she is very kind and nice and it is a good opportunity to practice. I'm an introvert by nature and mingling with new people is sometimes difficult but that is what I'm here for right?
11. I pray for Father to help us today and that we might be a witness/light for Him. We arrive, park our bikes and head up to the 5th floor. They rent the penthouse, no joke. My glass plate with watermelon made it in one piece. I'm again thanking Jesus.
12. We buzz in and arrive at their door. Their home is very spacious, nice and big. I've been told this is incredibly unusual for most Japanese homes. They have two year old twins and there are toys EVERYWHERE. But I like this because she is being real and at home.
13. The Mormons are here. She told me before that she had invited two more Japanese friends and two other foreigners who are also "christians." I figured she was speaking about Mormons but I wasn't so desperately hoping I was wrong. Great now I have Mormonism to compete with...
14. I meet the Mormons, Sean and Reed. They are nice, of course. Dressed in ties and elder name badges. I learn that our friend spent 3 months in the home of a Mormon family in Australia as an exchange student.
15. I pray. I lift up a prayer for their home and their lives and their children. I'm praying for the Holy Spirit to work in this home. I'm actually praying in the bathroom.
16. They offer wine, but we don't drink. Neither do the Mormons. This is difficult to explain and makes us look more and more like we are the same. I'm frustrated.
17. We eat salad, grilled chicken and beef and of course the watermelon. She serves a special sushi salad with rice and I managed to eat a bowl. I don't like sushi for its strong taste and texture but I've already prayed about this and I'm going to eat what is set before me. I'm reminded of a friend who always tells me to "do the hard things."
18. We play with the kiddos, ask how their recent trip to Europe went and really try to be all in. These are the first people who have invited us out to eat and the first to welcome us into their home. I'm thankful for their hospitality and kindness.
19. More than once we are asked if we are the same as Mormons. We kindly and respectfully answer that we are not. Sean and Reed stay quite.
20. I notice the wife is hesitant to let us help with anything. Bringing dishes to the table, throwing things away and so on. I wonder if this is a Japanese thing or just her. I have so much to learn culturally.
21. As we gather our shoes and go to leave, our friend reappears with a gift of chocolates and soap from France. I wonder if I'm supposed to always give a gift when hosting in my home or if she is just being nice since returning from Europe. I still don't know the culture here so I log that in the back of my brain.
22. Its 2:30 PM, I'm thankful and relieved that everything went so well. We are on our way to the ATM to withdraw cash from our account. Debit cards do not exist in Japan and items are paid mostly with cash. The ATMs on located in convenient stores like Family Mart and 7/11. We spot a 7/11.
23. We grab a tea and a water and I need a bathroom. 7/11 has some incredibly clean bathrooms. I'm in the bathroom for too long and the motion sensor lights go out. I wave my hands like a mad woman until they come back on. Sheeesh, that was a close call. :)
24. B and I arrive home, park our bikes and gather the mail. In our entry way there is a sign that our supervisor's wife made for us upon arriving in Japan almost 6 months ago. It says, "Welcome Home." It is a reminder and sparks a bit of sadness in my soul as I realize this still doesn't feel like home.
25. I gather the bills and mail. Two of which I still can't decipher if they are the water, gas or electric bills. We'll have to get out google translate. I know that we pay them at our local convenience store, Lawson's with cash and I can read the dates, but that is it.
26. Sirens blare from a ambulance outside our home. It reminds me that we were supposed to have an emergency test this morning complete with air raid sirens and alerts on our phone. Maybe I got the date wrong... The sirens make me nervous and I'm not sure I'll ever adjust to their eerie sound. Maybe it's tomorrow.
27. Our bedroom upstairs is really hot today. The temperature on my clock reads 80 degrees. I'm too stubborn and it is too expensive to run the wall unit AC yet, but I a decide to take the duvet off our bed. It's just too hot. I am going to use the floor fan tonight.
28. I changed into shorts and a t-shirt. Not really immodest in this culture but I'm not sure I'd go out in public in like this. I'm not really sure how locals dress in hot weather, I'll just have to watch and see.
29. I notice the envelope and letter from our neighborhood "hanjo" or community leader. I'm pretty sure it isn't due until the end of May but I need to go ahead and get the money together. My language teacher told me it is for a community AED, but I don't know where and for a local recycling program. The money adds up to be about $2.50.
30. I've planted tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and lettuce outside and my mom recently told me I could use coffee grounds on them. I've googled it and looks like its okay on all but the leaf lettuce. I see I left the coffee pot on from this morning, yup and now I'm praising Jesus I didn't burn the house down.
31. I should blog. I need to do an expense report, New Testament class reading and I have a Bible study to teach on Wednesday. But somehow blogging feels right and I don't have to go/be anywhere until later in the evening.
32. I sit down to write and the doorbell rings. It is the "hanjo" or community leader...crap! Guess I was wrong about that date for the AED money. B and I both are in shorts and t-shirts and I haven't prepared the envelopes. I ask her if she can wait just a moment and invite her in but she isn't comfortable with that and insists on standing outside. We hustle to get the money together.
33. The sunset is setting and its really pretty today. I realize how thankful I am for life and the Creator. My neighbors have a shabby palm tree but I love palm trees and I'm choosing to be thankful for it.
34. It is 6:27 PM and in just a few more hours I can call my parents in the states, wish mom an early Happy Mother's Day and catch up with all the happenings in Tennessee. Sometimes I really enjoy calling home and other days it makes me home sick. Hoping today will be the first rather than the later option.
35. I should stop writing. It is becoming mundane and I have lots to do as I'm sure everyone around the world does as well. I should also figure out what to take for tomorrow's potluck after worship at a local house church. American? or Japanese? Who am I kidding, I can't cook Japanese yet. It will probably be fruit again.
36. Speaking of cooking, our windows are all open and someone is cooking Japanese food and it smells amazing. I need to be their friend.
Happy Saturday Y'all!
Beautiful Feet - Whitney
1. Praise the Lord for Saturday. We get to sleep in and I do until almost 10:00 AM, yup 10:00 AM. Ironically, I'm still really tired and wonder if I'll ever get adjusted to life/time here. The sun rises at 4:30 AM but somehow my body continues to say no.
2. Coffee. Must have coffee. Thankful for my sister who sent this amazing fully caffeinated coffee...smells like heaven. Another cup please!
3. Check my phone, email, Facebook. Notice an article concerning military clashes and a people group fleeing from a nearby Southeast Asian country. We have good friends there. I wonder if they are close to the fighting or in danger. I lift up a prayer for them and their people group. I've forgotten what it is like to live in a closed country. I take so much for granted here.
4. We've been invited to a local's home today for a BBQ. This is the first time we've been asked into a Japanese home. I'm a little nervous about what to bring as a gift/food. *BBQ will be grilled meat, not hamburgers, hot dogs and nothing with BBQ sauce. I make sure B doesn't get his hopes up. :).
5. I decided on watermelon which I bought for B and paid just over $4.50 for half a melon. Crazy, I know. But I don't like watermelon and he won't mind sharing his.
6. We need to leave a bit early so I head to clean up. Japanese people area always on time and being early is considered polite. This is never been my forte in life, but I'm going to give it my best.
7. An earthquake alert pops up on my phone. Nagano Prefecture. It isn't near us, two hours away and I didn't feel anything here but it is where our vacation is planned for in July...Great, just great. I tell myself once again that He is in control and that I am not. I offer up a prayer to Father thanking Him for controlling all things.
8. I slice the watermelon and put it in a glass dish. I don't have a plastic one so I wrap it up in saran wrap and then a towel so hopefully it won't break in my basket while I'm riding my bike.
9. Determined not to get lost today or be late, I plug in the address of our friends into my Apple maps app and head off our on bicycles. We find the place after only one "rerouting" issue.
10. I already decided this morning that I am going to speak as much Nihongo (Japanese) as possible. Our friends speak a bit of English but she is very kind and nice and it is a good opportunity to practice. I'm an introvert by nature and mingling with new people is sometimes difficult but that is what I'm here for right?
11. I pray for Father to help us today and that we might be a witness/light for Him. We arrive, park our bikes and head up to the 5th floor. They rent the penthouse, no joke. My glass plate with watermelon made it in one piece. I'm again thanking Jesus.
12. We buzz in and arrive at their door. Their home is very spacious, nice and big. I've been told this is incredibly unusual for most Japanese homes. They have two year old twins and there are toys EVERYWHERE. But I like this because she is being real and at home.
13. The Mormons are here. She told me before that she had invited two more Japanese friends and two other foreigners who are also "christians." I figured she was speaking about Mormons but I wasn't so desperately hoping I was wrong. Great now I have Mormonism to compete with...
14. I meet the Mormons, Sean and Reed. They are nice, of course. Dressed in ties and elder name badges. I learn that our friend spent 3 months in the home of a Mormon family in Australia as an exchange student.
15. I pray. I lift up a prayer for their home and their lives and their children. I'm praying for the Holy Spirit to work in this home. I'm actually praying in the bathroom.
16. They offer wine, but we don't drink. Neither do the Mormons. This is difficult to explain and makes us look more and more like we are the same. I'm frustrated.
17. We eat salad, grilled chicken and beef and of course the watermelon. She serves a special sushi salad with rice and I managed to eat a bowl. I don't like sushi for its strong taste and texture but I've already prayed about this and I'm going to eat what is set before me. I'm reminded of a friend who always tells me to "do the hard things."
18. We play with the kiddos, ask how their recent trip to Europe went and really try to be all in. These are the first people who have invited us out to eat and the first to welcome us into their home. I'm thankful for their hospitality and kindness.
19. More than once we are asked if we are the same as Mormons. We kindly and respectfully answer that we are not. Sean and Reed stay quite.
20. I notice the wife is hesitant to let us help with anything. Bringing dishes to the table, throwing things away and so on. I wonder if this is a Japanese thing or just her. I have so much to learn culturally.
21. As we gather our shoes and go to leave, our friend reappears with a gift of chocolates and soap from France. I wonder if I'm supposed to always give a gift when hosting in my home or if she is just being nice since returning from Europe. I still don't know the culture here so I log that in the back of my brain.
22. Its 2:30 PM, I'm thankful and relieved that everything went so well. We are on our way to the ATM to withdraw cash from our account. Debit cards do not exist in Japan and items are paid mostly with cash. The ATMs on located in convenient stores like Family Mart and 7/11. We spot a 7/11.
23. We grab a tea and a water and I need a bathroom. 7/11 has some incredibly clean bathrooms. I'm in the bathroom for too long and the motion sensor lights go out. I wave my hands like a mad woman until they come back on. Sheeesh, that was a close call. :)
24. B and I arrive home, park our bikes and gather the mail. In our entry way there is a sign that our supervisor's wife made for us upon arriving in Japan almost 6 months ago. It says, "Welcome Home." It is a reminder and sparks a bit of sadness in my soul as I realize this still doesn't feel like home.
25. I gather the bills and mail. Two of which I still can't decipher if they are the water, gas or electric bills. We'll have to get out google translate. I know that we pay them at our local convenience store, Lawson's with cash and I can read the dates, but that is it.
26. Sirens blare from a ambulance outside our home. It reminds me that we were supposed to have an emergency test this morning complete with air raid sirens and alerts on our phone. Maybe I got the date wrong... The sirens make me nervous and I'm not sure I'll ever adjust to their eerie sound. Maybe it's tomorrow.
27. Our bedroom upstairs is really hot today. The temperature on my clock reads 80 degrees. I'm too stubborn and it is too expensive to run the wall unit AC yet, but I a decide to take the duvet off our bed. It's just too hot. I am going to use the floor fan tonight.
28. I changed into shorts and a t-shirt. Not really immodest in this culture but I'm not sure I'd go out in public in like this. I'm not really sure how locals dress in hot weather, I'll just have to watch and see.
29. I notice the envelope and letter from our neighborhood "hanjo" or community leader. I'm pretty sure it isn't due until the end of May but I need to go ahead and get the money together. My language teacher told me it is for a community AED, but I don't know where and for a local recycling program. The money adds up to be about $2.50.
30. I've planted tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and lettuce outside and my mom recently told me I could use coffee grounds on them. I've googled it and looks like its okay on all but the leaf lettuce. I see I left the coffee pot on from this morning, yup and now I'm praising Jesus I didn't burn the house down.
31. I should blog. I need to do an expense report, New Testament class reading and I have a Bible study to teach on Wednesday. But somehow blogging feels right and I don't have to go/be anywhere until later in the evening.
32. I sit down to write and the doorbell rings. It is the "hanjo" or community leader...crap! Guess I was wrong about that date for the AED money. B and I both are in shorts and t-shirts and I haven't prepared the envelopes. I ask her if she can wait just a moment and invite her in but she isn't comfortable with that and insists on standing outside. We hustle to get the money together.
33. The sunset is setting and its really pretty today. I realize how thankful I am for life and the Creator. My neighbors have a shabby palm tree but I love palm trees and I'm choosing to be thankful for it.
35. I should stop writing. It is becoming mundane and I have lots to do as I'm sure everyone around the world does as well. I should also figure out what to take for tomorrow's potluck after worship at a local house church. American? or Japanese? Who am I kidding, I can't cook Japanese yet. It will probably be fruit again.
36. Speaking of cooking, our windows are all open and someone is cooking Japanese food and it smells amazing. I need to be their friend.
Happy Saturday Y'all!
Beautiful Feet - Whitney
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