The Things I Don't Want to Forget
At the end of this month, we will have been in Japan for a year and 8 months. Somedays it feels like I've lived here a very, very long time. Other days I would believe you if you told me I'd just stepped off the plane and we are eating our first bowl of ramen. A few months ago we had a visiting team from the States and seeing their reactions, questions and observations was amazing. I'd almost forgotten all the things that were so new to Bryan and I when we first landed.
In our old city, the center of town on the west side of the train station is really the hub of the city. It was where we stayed for the first 3 or 4 days when we arrived in Takasaki. Our house wasn't ready and we had no heaters in the house. So the Hotel Washington was our home. That area still holds a special place in my mind and heart. It was tiny, with over priced breakfast, which we made the mistake of eating one day thinking it was included with our stay, and had the weirdest toilets I had ever seen. So after that first morning we would cross the street to the local mall...which included a grocery story on the bottom floor and dine on breakfast and sometimes lunch. It was also the hotel we chose to stay at the night we left Takasaki to move to Osaka.
For 3-4 days we pretty much lived off of that grocery store and a convenience store. Bryan would eat sushi (no judgement, the sushi from the grocery here is amazing...or so Bryan says) and I would eat either a ham and cheese sandwich or egg salad sandwich. It is those moments I just refuse to forget. Everything was new, we were in complete awe and had no choice but to trust the Lord fully.
Everywhere I went, I marveled at the clean bathrooms, quiet streets and the fact that I could not find a garbage/trash can ANYWHERE. Not at the entrance to the grocery store, not in the mall, not even at the convenience store. Oh, I'd see a few recycling bins but never a trash container. I still marvel at this but have pretty much decided the Japanese feel it is your responsibility to take care of your own garbage...wherever that might be.
However, our first "real" meal was in a corner cafe on the 5th floor of a mall/department store. We were amazed at the large portions of food. I'd always thought Japanese people ate small amounts of food. Not so. Many places offered free refills on items like cabbage and ramen. This southern girl always assumed that Japanese feasted on mostly sushi and veggies, boy was I wrong. Our first meal consisted of pork cutlet, cabbage, rice, soup and a few pickled veggies. I was not surprised though to find that everything was in individual containers or bowls.
When we finally were able to move into our home, we had no beds yet so we slept in the tatami room (or a room with bamboo mat flooring) on real futons. Futons here are not a metal framed couch that folds out to a bed, no these are actual padded mats that lay on the floor. That was an interesting experience for us both, but they were comfy enough just difficult to get up off the floor in the mornings, hah! The electric wall heater worked fine and I was incredibly thankful that Bryan had requested an electric blanket as an early Christmas present.
Eventually we bought actual beds as well as additional heaters and wall units that are capable of AC. Our washer came almost two weeks later! And our clothes from the flight smelled so bad. Silly me had no thought of looking for a laundromat. (Laundry mats happen to be one of my favorite places due to the fact that I can get my clothes dry in an hour, something my washing machine/dryer doesn't have the capability of doing. 4 hours later, my clothes are still damp.) We will blame that one on the jet lag. I was never so happy to do laundry.
We learned that I wasn't very good at riding a bicycle and that you really can forget how to ride after 20 something years. I'm thankful to say I've gotten a bit better.
The people stared, yet refused to look us in the eye...I couldn't quite tell whether I was seeing hopelessness, oppression, fear of a foreigner or a combination of all of the above. Even today, a Japanese individual will chose another table, seat of even stand on the train rather than sit by me. It still boggles my mind.
I was shocked that I could drink the water in Japan, out of the tap! After living in another East Asia country years ago and knowing that if I drank the water there I'd probably be sick for weeks, I was in awe.
Bryan discovered really quickly that "jaywalking" no matter where you were or how empty the streets were was not to be taken lightly. A police officer on a megaphone, even if you have no idea what he is saying, will quickly stop you in your tracks. Somehow megaphones communicate in any languages.
I learned my sense of direction had somehow become even worse than it was 10 years ago in living in East Asia...how was that possible? But, that my husband was a rockstar at locating places and finding our way back. It is amazing how God places two people together to help one another. When we moved to Osaka, I was clueless about using the subway system, trains and navigating the stations. Thankful for teammates here and again, for Bryan.
The first official meal I tried to cook in Japan had me in tears. I'd gone to the market and purchased all the ingredients. It took me a long time those first trips to the store. Rice with meat and veggies couldn't be that hard, until I discovered I couldn't read any of the packaging's instructions nor the rice cooker. We somehow got through that first meal and those first few months...but I know it was because of His help.
His help...allowed us to have our first teacher and friend. Since that time, we've had a combined 9 teachers between the two of us. We must be problem students. I don't want to forget how I felt that saying "thank you" in Japanese was the longest and most difficult word ever. How we didn't even know how to order water or buy toilet paper...He helped. He sent people to help us, graciousness from others when it shouldn't have been extended, and led us down a path of learning.
Within the first year God allowed us to see two people come to Christ, neither by really our own doing. Do you know the Scripture, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."? We were truly watching this Scripture unfold before our eyes as two ladies on separate occasions trusted in Christ after being poured into by others for months. We were in awe and rejoiced at being allowed to be just a small tiny part of their journey to Christ.
I'm hopeful to add more to this later, but I don't want to forget all the little things that were hard and the things that brought us joy. I don't want to forget His gifts.
Beautiful Feet
In our old city, the center of town on the west side of the train station is really the hub of the city. It was where we stayed for the first 3 or 4 days when we arrived in Takasaki. Our house wasn't ready and we had no heaters in the house. So the Hotel Washington was our home. That area still holds a special place in my mind and heart. It was tiny, with over priced breakfast, which we made the mistake of eating one day thinking it was included with our stay, and had the weirdest toilets I had ever seen. So after that first morning we would cross the street to the local mall...which included a grocery story on the bottom floor and dine on breakfast and sometimes lunch. It was also the hotel we chose to stay at the night we left Takasaki to move to Osaka.
For 3-4 days we pretty much lived off of that grocery store and a convenience store. Bryan would eat sushi (no judgement, the sushi from the grocery here is amazing...or so Bryan says) and I would eat either a ham and cheese sandwich or egg salad sandwich. It is those moments I just refuse to forget. Everything was new, we were in complete awe and had no choice but to trust the Lord fully.
Everywhere I went, I marveled at the clean bathrooms, quiet streets and the fact that I could not find a garbage/trash can ANYWHERE. Not at the entrance to the grocery store, not in the mall, not even at the convenience store. Oh, I'd see a few recycling bins but never a trash container. I still marvel at this but have pretty much decided the Japanese feel it is your responsibility to take care of your own garbage...wherever that might be.
However, our first "real" meal was in a corner cafe on the 5th floor of a mall/department store. We were amazed at the large portions of food. I'd always thought Japanese people ate small amounts of food. Not so. Many places offered free refills on items like cabbage and ramen. This southern girl always assumed that Japanese feasted on mostly sushi and veggies, boy was I wrong. Our first meal consisted of pork cutlet, cabbage, rice, soup and a few pickled veggies. I was not surprised though to find that everything was in individual containers or bowls.
When we finally were able to move into our home, we had no beds yet so we slept in the tatami room (or a room with bamboo mat flooring) on real futons. Futons here are not a metal framed couch that folds out to a bed, no these are actual padded mats that lay on the floor. That was an interesting experience for us both, but they were comfy enough just difficult to get up off the floor in the mornings, hah! The electric wall heater worked fine and I was incredibly thankful that Bryan had requested an electric blanket as an early Christmas present.
Eventually we bought actual beds as well as additional heaters and wall units that are capable of AC. Our washer came almost two weeks later! And our clothes from the flight smelled so bad. Silly me had no thought of looking for a laundromat. (Laundry mats happen to be one of my favorite places due to the fact that I can get my clothes dry in an hour, something my washing machine/dryer doesn't have the capability of doing. 4 hours later, my clothes are still damp.) We will blame that one on the jet lag. I was never so happy to do laundry.
We learned that I wasn't very good at riding a bicycle and that you really can forget how to ride after 20 something years. I'm thankful to say I've gotten a bit better.
The people stared, yet refused to look us in the eye...I couldn't quite tell whether I was seeing hopelessness, oppression, fear of a foreigner or a combination of all of the above. Even today, a Japanese individual will chose another table, seat of even stand on the train rather than sit by me. It still boggles my mind.
I was shocked that I could drink the water in Japan, out of the tap! After living in another East Asia country years ago and knowing that if I drank the water there I'd probably be sick for weeks, I was in awe.
Bryan discovered really quickly that "jaywalking" no matter where you were or how empty the streets were was not to be taken lightly. A police officer on a megaphone, even if you have no idea what he is saying, will quickly stop you in your tracks. Somehow megaphones communicate in any languages.
I learned my sense of direction had somehow become even worse than it was 10 years ago in living in East Asia...how was that possible? But, that my husband was a rockstar at locating places and finding our way back. It is amazing how God places two people together to help one another. When we moved to Osaka, I was clueless about using the subway system, trains and navigating the stations. Thankful for teammates here and again, for Bryan.
The first official meal I tried to cook in Japan had me in tears. I'd gone to the market and purchased all the ingredients. It took me a long time those first trips to the store. Rice with meat and veggies couldn't be that hard, until I discovered I couldn't read any of the packaging's instructions nor the rice cooker. We somehow got through that first meal and those first few months...but I know it was because of His help.
His help...allowed us to have our first teacher and friend. Since that time, we've had a combined 9 teachers between the two of us. We must be problem students. I don't want to forget how I felt that saying "thank you" in Japanese was the longest and most difficult word ever. How we didn't even know how to order water or buy toilet paper...He helped. He sent people to help us, graciousness from others when it shouldn't have been extended, and led us down a path of learning.
Within the first year God allowed us to see two people come to Christ, neither by really our own doing. Do you know the Scripture, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."? We were truly watching this Scripture unfold before our eyes as two ladies on separate occasions trusted in Christ after being poured into by others for months. We were in awe and rejoiced at being allowed to be just a small tiny part of their journey to Christ.
I'm hopeful to add more to this later, but I don't want to forget all the little things that were hard and the things that brought us joy. I don't want to forget His gifts.
Beautiful Feet
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