Tonight will be my fourth New Year celebration in Japan. It hasn't gotten easier. Although at home in America the changing of the year is often a "party" holiday, in Japan it is a family holiday (more akin to the style of our Christmas). It is steeped in tradition... in which we have yet to participate.
Not that I totally mind... New Year's Eve is spent primarily cleaning the house and preparing for the festivities the next day. Not a bad tradition, in my mind, although not very fun. I think starting the year fresh (including the cleanliness of the house) is a GREAT idea. Pretty sure that will never take off at home though! :o) And for us, as Christians, there would be a fine line to walk between the family traditions and the religious traditions of the holiday - although, honestly, I would love to attend a midnight Buddist temple bell-ringing ceremony as an observer with my camera in hand. And I think it would be fun to learn the traditional New Year's games that families play or practice shodo (calligraphy) on what is thought of as the best day of the entire year to do it.
However, every year we are in Japan for New Year's, I am reminded of our isolation here. Despite the many friends we have made over the years, we have never been invited to join their family for mochi (a traditional New Years food made from pounded rice). While we might not have spent New Years with family at home, I am firmly reminded that we are far away from the familiar and alone here - and we are once again on the outside. For that's what "gaijin" means - "outside person."
So tonight, Dan and I will probably just hang out as usual, eating our conbini (convenience store) food and ring in the year of the Water Dragon a few hours early and go to bed. Perhaps we'll show our Japanese friends up and have traditionally good luck dreams of Mt. Fuji, hawks, and eggplants! And I could get up and watch the first sunrise of the year over the Pacific ocean too.
Oyasumi to 2011. Here's to a blessed 2012.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Gatekeeping
Being a gatekeeper is a very difficult job. On the one hand, we have an amazing opportunity to meet each person to come through the center's door and show them love and help them rebuild their lives. On the other hand however, we see the varying levels of hardship and sort through how much to help an individual based on that perceived need. This struggle is a judgement call, often hindered by language obstacles. It is perhaps the hardest part of our job here and we deal with it every day.
There are the easy cases... the people who have truly lost everything, have no blankets on their beds and are struggling to make ends meet. When they are willing to admit their dire situation, we are able to give them quilts that they most desperately need. Their happiness is our greatest joy here.
However, our biggest challenge has been when the clear-cut lines of need are blurred. There are many individuals in Kessenuma that fared OK through the disasters and still live in their own homes (about 30% of the city was destroyed in the tsunami... a large amount, but thankfully still a minority of the population). Dan and I struggle with our human emotions revolving around "fairness," the inborn desire to judge levels of need and motivations behind coming to the center, and the frustration of living in a passive aggressive culture that would never directly point out someone's wrong-doing. There are points in every day that we feel at a loss as to what to say or do (in another language, no less) to keep the balance and make sure that we are able to help those truly in need vs. those who might use a new blanket, but don't really need a new blanket.
We have to remember there are other factors to consider... 1) Even if their house still stands, their job may have been eliminated by the tsunami and wouldn't have as large of an income to be able to purchase the things they need as easily (kerosene, additional blankets, etc.) 2) They may not be taking the blanket for themselves. Many people have asked to take additional blankets to those who can't come to the center (a problem expressed in Tanaka-san's report). This will distribute the quilts further than we would be able to ourselves. 3) For the Christians living in Kessenuma, this may be an additional way to witness to their friends, by showing Christ's love through the women who made the blankets for this community.
We are constantly reminding ourselves (or each other, as the need arises) that the ultimate goal is to share God's love through this project which should not be limited just to those most directly affected by the disasters. There is 99% of the population in Japan who don't know our Savior. No amount of blankets will ever save their souls. However, our family is the ambassador to the Truth, perhaps the first they've ever encountered... maybe the only they ever will encounter. So to turn them away based on our human discretion ends up being a moot point because God is efficient. He can still work through the generosity shown by people half a world away in hearts of those a bit more short-sighted or just plain selfish. Is it hard to not have enough to share with those truly in need? Absolutely. But for now we must do our best to explain that the quilts were donated to those who need them and leave the decision to take one or not on the individual's conscience and trust God to do His work. Each quilt has a label with information about the church body here in Japan... perhaps down the road they may seek to find out more. That's where our prayers lie now.
We have only 16 quilts remaining (of the 135 we had Wednesday morning, in addition to the 44 that was completely depleted from the first batch). I pray that they we are able to give these last quilts to those whose lives both physically and spiritually will be changed the most and that the hearts of the citizens here may be filled with God's grace.
There are the easy cases... the people who have truly lost everything, have no blankets on their beds and are struggling to make ends meet. When they are willing to admit their dire situation, we are able to give them quilts that they most desperately need. Their happiness is our greatest joy here.
However, our biggest challenge has been when the clear-cut lines of need are blurred. There are many individuals in Kessenuma that fared OK through the disasters and still live in their own homes (about 30% of the city was destroyed in the tsunami... a large amount, but thankfully still a minority of the population). Dan and I struggle with our human emotions revolving around "fairness," the inborn desire to judge levels of need and motivations behind coming to the center, and the frustration of living in a passive aggressive culture that would never directly point out someone's wrong-doing. There are points in every day that we feel at a loss as to what to say or do (in another language, no less) to keep the balance and make sure that we are able to help those truly in need vs. those who might use a new blanket, but don't really need a new blanket.
We have to remember there are other factors to consider... 1) Even if their house still stands, their job may have been eliminated by the tsunami and wouldn't have as large of an income to be able to purchase the things they need as easily (kerosene, additional blankets, etc.) 2) They may not be taking the blanket for themselves. Many people have asked to take additional blankets to those who can't come to the center (a problem expressed in Tanaka-san's report). This will distribute the quilts further than we would be able to ourselves. 3) For the Christians living in Kessenuma, this may be an additional way to witness to their friends, by showing Christ's love through the women who made the blankets for this community.
We are constantly reminding ourselves (or each other, as the need arises) that the ultimate goal is to share God's love through this project which should not be limited just to those most directly affected by the disasters. There is 99% of the population in Japan who don't know our Savior. No amount of blankets will ever save their souls. However, our family is the ambassador to the Truth, perhaps the first they've ever encountered... maybe the only they ever will encounter. So to turn them away based on our human discretion ends up being a moot point because God is efficient. He can still work through the generosity shown by people half a world away in hearts of those a bit more short-sighted or just plain selfish. Is it hard to not have enough to share with those truly in need? Absolutely. But for now we must do our best to explain that the quilts were donated to those who need them and leave the decision to take one or not on the individual's conscience and trust God to do His work. Each quilt has a label with information about the church body here in Japan... perhaps down the road they may seek to find out more. That's where our prayers lie now.
We have only 16 quilts remaining (of the 135 we had Wednesday morning, in addition to the 44 that was completely depleted from the first batch). I pray that they we are able to give these last quilts to those whose lives both physically and spiritually will be changed the most and that the hearts of the citizens here may be filled with God's grace.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Arigatai, na.
I know I've said this in earlier blog posts, but I wish SO much I could share the gratitude of the recipients of these quilts. It goes beyond words... some things can only be captured through non-verbals.
Dan learned a new Japanese phrase this trip. "Arigatai, na." It breaks down like this: "Arigato" is "thank you." The "tai" part when added to a verb indicates that they want to do that action. The "na" is an indirect way of saying "I wish." So when these people say "arigatai, na," they are saying, "I wish I could tell them thank you."
This morning when we arrived at the center, I noticed an elderly couple near the bus stop just outside the front door. As we drove by, I made eye contact with the woman and gave her a half bow and a smile, as to say, "Good morning." A few minutes after we opened up the office, we heard the squeak of the downstairs door and went to welcome the coming guests. Sure enough, it was the couple, in their early- to mid-eighties coming up the steps. They had heard about the center from one of the fliers the young guys from Tokyo distributed yesterday and decided to come check it out.
Many of the people coming to get quilts live in one of the several "kasetsu jutaku" around Kessenuma. These pre-fab temporary housing units have been set up on the sports fields at the schools and in parks around the city. They have multiple units hooked together of varying sizes to accommodate the different family sizes, but as a rule, they are very small, drafty, no-frills living spaces. The communities are row after row of aluminum-sided buildings with sliding front doors and single-pane windows in the back. Their living area also serves as a sleeping space. We've heard of many cases where two people share a one-person unit or three people in a two-person unit. These people may or may not have a kerosene or ceramic heater for the space. Some have kotatsu (a short table with a heater on the bottom, typically used with a blanket to trap the heat and the person's legs are kept warm while sitting at it), but some do not. It sounds like many of the quilts will double usage on their futons at night and kotatsu during the day.
The level of poverty affecting the families in these communities varies greatly, particularly related to the age of the inhabitants and if they are able to keep a job. We met a woman today (Yukiko Ono) who works as kimono maker. For many months she had to walk back and forth from her home to her job (quite a far distance!), sometimes wearing her kimono until her daughter was able to purchase a car, so now they have a driving schedule which makes it easier. However, they still do a lot of walking (she walked down the mountain to the center today) even at 62 years old. The ability to have a job allows them to rebuild their lives more quickly and purchase the things they need as they earn more money. However, the very large elderly population is really struggling to make it, especially if their children live far away and aren't around to help.
The couple that came this morning had lost everything. They were quite open about all that had happened to them, perhaps because they just wanted someone to listen. When the earthquake struck, they were away from home, on higher ground. They watched from above as the water came rushing in and demolished everything in its path. As the wife put it, when they returned to their home, they "didn't even have one pair of underwear left" after the tsunami. Everything had been destroyed and washed away. Even their most basic, primal needs could no longer be found. She mentioned over and over that there was "nothing left." Sadness echoed through her words, recalling that terrible day.
The couple had come today to see what we had available, with the impression that there would need to be some money exchanged. Their faces fluttered through an onslaught of emotions when we told them the quilts were all free and the people of America and Canada had made them to help the people of Kessenuma. The end reaction is the one I will carry with me for the rest of my life, however, because her response triggered the same in me: tears. Her ancient eyes swelled with tears of gratitude and joy, relief and astonishment that people so far away would want to help them through this nightmare. She understood the time and effort it took to make a quilt and the resources it must have taken to get them all here and for us to come from America to distribute them. She sat in silence for a time, absorbing the good news we had shared with her.
She and her husband still have so little even nine months later... this gift of a quilt was a life-changing gift for them at this point in their lives. When asked if they had a blanket or quilt for their bed, the answer was no. They sleep on top of their futon, cover with a sheet and dress in as many layers as they can to try to keep warm (today they wore no coats and the layers they wore weren't overly thick). They do not have a kerosene heater. They do have a kotatsu, but it isn't enough to keep the room warm, and do they have a blanket on their kotatsu to trap the heat underneath. They are always cold in their drafty aluminum "apartment," but are much too old to get a job to earn more money. I'm not sure to what extent their two children are able to help them financially and both live fairly far away.
After a few minutes, the woman rose and looked at the quilts we had left. I had found one large quilt mixed in with the child-size quilts late yesterday afternoon, so although it was a nice quilt, it hadn't been selected yet. I have no doubt that was a God-led mistake! The bright greens and blues and yellows combined into cheery patterns and the woman and I both expressed how much we liked the fabrics chosen for the quilt. She found another smaller quilt to take along too to help keep warm during the day. On her way out, she reached out and touched Dan's arm (very unusual in Japanese culture, reserved for familiar relations, friend to friend), looked at him and said, "Thank you so much. We'll be more comfortable and warmer at night." I could see a few tears in her eyes as sincerity poured out of her and her "arigatai, na" was verbally and visibly evident. They left to go back to their car and returned a few minutes later with three large apples and an orange that her relatives in Nagano prefecture had sent to them for New Years. They wanted to give us what they could to say thank you for the difference we had made in their lives. It was perhaps the best apple I've ever eaten, mostly because I know how much it meant to them. The parable of the widow's mite came to mind (Luke 21:1-4).
When people come in from the kasetsu jutakus around town, it reminds me how much was lost here in Kessenuma. Over 1800 people died that afternoon and in its aftermath. When driving through the disaster zone, as I did today with some friends from Misato, I have to remind myself that the small, bare foundations found everywhere were once houses with families living inside them. Most of what's left (partially) standing are the remains of industrial buildings, so it is easy for me to depersonalize the situation, lamenting the hit the economy took, but denying the pain of the human experience. The faces that come into the center tell a different story, and although the Japanese people are very resilient, they still have needs, pain, and individual stories that ache to be told. As Takaka-san (one of the women from the Tokyo church) expressed in her report, the disaster victims need outsiders simply to listen... the people here all lived through it; they yearn for people with a neutral stance to listen and allow them to sort through the difficult emotions they struggle with, even now.
Dan, Kai, Niko, and I are in such an amazing position here. Everyday we have the opportunity to make a difference, even if it is as small as sitting down with a cup of tea in a warm room with these people.
And I can already feel my own pain starting to build, knowing we are leaving Kessenuma in only a week. Sure, we are going to go have fun and meet old friends in our former hometown, but our one month in Kessenuma was much too short. We barely scratched the surface and are finally starting to get our feet under us, just in time to leave. It will be difficult to return to America to our regular life where we live in a large house, have more than enough money every month, and have very few natural disasters to worry about. It doesn't seem fair. But we have to return and wait to see what God has in mind for us next. Perhaps this is just preparation for the next "big adventure." Who knows. Today, and for the next week, we will absorb as much as we can, love these people in every way we can, and help them where we can. One week to make a difference in a few more people's lives - please pray that our work is fruitful during our remaining time.
Dan learned a new Japanese phrase this trip. "Arigatai, na." It breaks down like this: "Arigato" is "thank you." The "tai" part when added to a verb indicates that they want to do that action. The "na" is an indirect way of saying "I wish." So when these people say "arigatai, na," they are saying, "I wish I could tell them thank you."
This morning when we arrived at the center, I noticed an elderly couple near the bus stop just outside the front door. As we drove by, I made eye contact with the woman and gave her a half bow and a smile, as to say, "Good morning." A few minutes after we opened up the office, we heard the squeak of the downstairs door and went to welcome the coming guests. Sure enough, it was the couple, in their early- to mid-eighties coming up the steps. They had heard about the center from one of the fliers the young guys from Tokyo distributed yesterday and decided to come check it out.
Many of the people coming to get quilts live in one of the several "kasetsu jutaku" around Kessenuma. These pre-fab temporary housing units have been set up on the sports fields at the schools and in parks around the city. They have multiple units hooked together of varying sizes to accommodate the different family sizes, but as a rule, they are very small, drafty, no-frills living spaces. The communities are row after row of aluminum-sided buildings with sliding front doors and single-pane windows in the back. Their living area also serves as a sleeping space. We've heard of many cases where two people share a one-person unit or three people in a two-person unit. These people may or may not have a kerosene or ceramic heater for the space. Some have kotatsu (a short table with a heater on the bottom, typically used with a blanket to trap the heat and the person's legs are kept warm while sitting at it), but some do not. It sounds like many of the quilts will double usage on their futons at night and kotatsu during the day.
The level of poverty affecting the families in these communities varies greatly, particularly related to the age of the inhabitants and if they are able to keep a job. We met a woman today (Yukiko Ono) who works as kimono maker. For many months she had to walk back and forth from her home to her job (quite a far distance!), sometimes wearing her kimono until her daughter was able to purchase a car, so now they have a driving schedule which makes it easier. However, they still do a lot of walking (she walked down the mountain to the center today) even at 62 years old. The ability to have a job allows them to rebuild their lives more quickly and purchase the things they need as they earn more money. However, the very large elderly population is really struggling to make it, especially if their children live far away and aren't around to help.
The couple that came this morning had lost everything. They were quite open about all that had happened to them, perhaps because they just wanted someone to listen. When the earthquake struck, they were away from home, on higher ground. They watched from above as the water came rushing in and demolished everything in its path. As the wife put it, when they returned to their home, they "didn't even have one pair of underwear left" after the tsunami. Everything had been destroyed and washed away. Even their most basic, primal needs could no longer be found. She mentioned over and over that there was "nothing left." Sadness echoed through her words, recalling that terrible day.
The couple had come today to see what we had available, with the impression that there would need to be some money exchanged. Their faces fluttered through an onslaught of emotions when we told them the quilts were all free and the people of America and Canada had made them to help the people of Kessenuma. The end reaction is the one I will carry with me for the rest of my life, however, because her response triggered the same in me: tears. Her ancient eyes swelled with tears of gratitude and joy, relief and astonishment that people so far away would want to help them through this nightmare. She understood the time and effort it took to make a quilt and the resources it must have taken to get them all here and for us to come from America to distribute them. She sat in silence for a time, absorbing the good news we had shared with her.
She and her husband still have so little even nine months later... this gift of a quilt was a life-changing gift for them at this point in their lives. When asked if they had a blanket or quilt for their bed, the answer was no. They sleep on top of their futon, cover with a sheet and dress in as many layers as they can to try to keep warm (today they wore no coats and the layers they wore weren't overly thick). They do not have a kerosene heater. They do have a kotatsu, but it isn't enough to keep the room warm, and do they have a blanket on their kotatsu to trap the heat underneath. They are always cold in their drafty aluminum "apartment," but are much too old to get a job to earn more money. I'm not sure to what extent their two children are able to help them financially and both live fairly far away.
After a few minutes, the woman rose and looked at the quilts we had left. I had found one large quilt mixed in with the child-size quilts late yesterday afternoon, so although it was a nice quilt, it hadn't been selected yet. I have no doubt that was a God-led mistake! The bright greens and blues and yellows combined into cheery patterns and the woman and I both expressed how much we liked the fabrics chosen for the quilt. She found another smaller quilt to take along too to help keep warm during the day. On her way out, she reached out and touched Dan's arm (very unusual in Japanese culture, reserved for familiar relations, friend to friend), looked at him and said, "Thank you so much. We'll be more comfortable and warmer at night." I could see a few tears in her eyes as sincerity poured out of her and her "arigatai, na" was verbally and visibly evident. They left to go back to their car and returned a few minutes later with three large apples and an orange that her relatives in Nagano prefecture had sent to them for New Years. They wanted to give us what they could to say thank you for the difference we had made in their lives. It was perhaps the best apple I've ever eaten, mostly because I know how much it meant to them. The parable of the widow's mite came to mind (Luke 21:1-4).
When people come in from the kasetsu jutakus around town, it reminds me how much was lost here in Kessenuma. Over 1800 people died that afternoon and in its aftermath. When driving through the disaster zone, as I did today with some friends from Misato, I have to remind myself that the small, bare foundations found everywhere were once houses with families living inside them. Most of what's left (partially) standing are the remains of industrial buildings, so it is easy for me to depersonalize the situation, lamenting the hit the economy took, but denying the pain of the human experience. The faces that come into the center tell a different story, and although the Japanese people are very resilient, they still have needs, pain, and individual stories that ache to be told. As Takaka-san (one of the women from the Tokyo church) expressed in her report, the disaster victims need outsiders simply to listen... the people here all lived through it; they yearn for people with a neutral stance to listen and allow them to sort through the difficult emotions they struggle with, even now.
Dan, Kai, Niko, and I are in such an amazing position here. Everyday we have the opportunity to make a difference, even if it is as small as sitting down with a cup of tea in a warm room with these people.
And I can already feel my own pain starting to build, knowing we are leaving Kessenuma in only a week. Sure, we are going to go have fun and meet old friends in our former hometown, but our one month in Kessenuma was much too short. We barely scratched the surface and are finally starting to get our feet under us, just in time to leave. It will be difficult to return to America to our regular life where we live in a large house, have more than enough money every month, and have very few natural disasters to worry about. It doesn't seem fair. But we have to return and wait to see what God has in mind for us next. Perhaps this is just preparation for the next "big adventure." Who knows. Today, and for the next week, we will absorb as much as we can, love these people in every way we can, and help them where we can. One week to make a difference in a few more people's lives - please pray that our work is fruitful during our remaining time.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Why use only 4 coins when you can use up 19?
Today was a hectic and exhausting day at the center... we arrived early as planned (before 9 a.m.) but had 21 guests come for quilts BEFORE 10 a.m. (our official opening time)!!! We didn't feel right turning them away, particularly because it is a huge effort for most of them to get around town (due to a lack of vehicle post-tsunami), so we postponed our devotion time and did the last-minute straightening up amidst the chaos that ensued as people looked through our freshly arrived 135 quilts.
It was fun to have Pastor Wordell there today, as he got to share in the joy of giving these quilts away to some of those who need them the most. He got to talk with and learn the stories of some of our visitors... he has been hugely instrumental in getting this center up and running, working with WELS Christian Aid and Relief to get volunteers lined up and over here to help the people of Kessenuma. It was also immensely helpful to have the manpower to distribute hundreds of fliers all over the city to let people know we are here! And perhaps best of all, Brianna played and played and played with Kai ALL day, so Kai was very happy. They made two trips to the little park near the office and spent hours bouncing Kai's ball up and down the stairs at the center. I couldn't have asked for a better babysitter! Thank you, Bri!!!
Dan also whipped out his magic skills for the guests. It started off with two girls (pictured at left) and grew to a much larger group. Nene (the younger sister) was adorable and really warmed up as Dan mystified everyone by performing "impossible" feats with cards and mutilating forks (www.MagicianAtPlay.com if you want to book a gig to see for yourself!) Secretly, though, I think Pastor Wordell was the biggest magic fan of the day. He was totally into it! Dan's magic served as a great conversation starter for us and we discovered that Miho's father (our friend from yesterday) does a little bit of magic. We asked her to bring him along to the center some time. It sounds like she is going to be coming back tomorrow with her children to play with our kids as well. It would be a great opportunity for him to come see Dan's magic too!
I made another new friend (Kei-san) today at the center and had a heart to heart (with language limitations, of course) about why we were here and how the earthquake/tsunami had affected Dan and me, prompting us to take the opportunity - even with two young children - to come to Japan to help. Kei (only a few years older than I am) pulled out her limited English to tell me "Hontoni (really) THANK YOU" in my native language to express her sincerity. She pulled out her cell phone to show me pictures of her house two days after the tsunami (a pile of rubble, shards of wood and glass, parts of household objects with sections of the foundation peeking through... akin to the city dump, really.) I watched video her father had taken during the tsunami and saw an entire house go floating by... the images were unreal, like a movie. But the remaining evidence in Kessenuma clearly proves otherwise. Today's "forever moment" that I walk away with was my time with Kei and her humble, deep bow as she said thank you to us for coming to help. I wish I could somehow share that with each individual that made a quilt and has supported this project.
We also had a Taiwanese woman come to the center with her daughters (one of whom was named "Anri" but it is pronounced much closer to "Andi"! I'd never come across anyone with that given name in Japan). Pastor learned after speaking with the mother that she had been a Christian in Taiwan before she got married, but had "assimilated" to her Japanese husband's traditions when she moved to Kessenuma 17 years ago, including religious practices. However, she had kept her Bible, but it washed away in the tsunami. Pastor is going to be sending her a Chinese-language Bible. I hope that future volunteers get the opportunity to study Scripture with this woman (and perhaps her daughters as well!) It was exciting to see the beginnings of the spiritual mission here.
By the end of the day, we hosted over 45 guests and had given away all but 56 quilts... primarily child-size quilts remain. There's a huge need for adult-size quilts here, so they go very quickly when we have them. Like many rural towns of Japan, Kessenuma has a large elderly community, as many of the younger generations move away to bigger cities and start their families there. However, knowing how resourceful Japanese people are, if they really need quilts, they will find a way to make the smaller size work! I would venture to guess that our remaining quilts won't last very long!
Dan and I got the center straightened up and ready to leave at exactly 5 p.m. We were exhausted and ready to have some family time back at the hotel. Dan made up some simple food for dinner and we took it with us... the thought of going to a restaurant seemed like WAY too much work tonight and we needed the break. And Kai got some excellent playtime with Daddy, Niko hung out and watched with Mommy, and an early bedtime rolled around for the boys.
Dan and I decided to "splurge" and buy ice cream from the front desk costing us ¥260 for the both of us. I could have sent Dan down with two ¥100 coins, a ¥50 coin, and a ¥10 coin, but because anything less than ¥1000 is coins, they accumulate VERY quickly if you aren't careful. So instead I opted to use one ¥100 coin, three ¥50 coins, ten ¥10 coins, a ¥5 coin, and five ¥1 coins. Dan wasn't thrilled he had to go down and pay with it, but our coin purse is MUCH lighter! :o) I got rid of an extra 15 coins! Yoshi!! (Yesssss!!)
When Dan came back up, however, the ice cream bar he purchased was a bit different than any I'd encountered and I think perhaps the ice cream maker was feeling a little conflicted the day they came up with this one. I was a bit bewildered on how to eat it... It was a crunchy chocolate-covered ice cream bar on top, and a mini ice cream sandwich on the bottom. Ummm?
I finally grasped it by the sandwich part with my fingers, and ate it down... and it was delicious. Next on tap, a hot bath (pun not intended, yet witty, if I do say so myself!) Oyasumi nasai, all! (Goodnight!)
It was fun to have Pastor Wordell there today, as he got to share in the joy of giving these quilts away to some of those who need them the most. He got to talk with and learn the stories of some of our visitors... he has been hugely instrumental in getting this center up and running, working with WELS Christian Aid and Relief to get volunteers lined up and over here to help the people of Kessenuma. It was also immensely helpful to have the manpower to distribute hundreds of fliers all over the city to let people know we are here! And perhaps best of all, Brianna played and played and played with Kai ALL day, so Kai was very happy. They made two trips to the little park near the office and spent hours bouncing Kai's ball up and down the stairs at the center. I couldn't have asked for a better babysitter! Thank you, Bri!!!
Dan also whipped out his magic skills for the guests. It started off with two girls (pictured at left) and grew to a much larger group. Nene (the younger sister) was adorable and really warmed up as Dan mystified everyone by performing "impossible" feats with cards and mutilating forks (www.MagicianAtPlay.com if you want to book a gig to see for yourself!) Secretly, though, I think Pastor Wordell was the biggest magic fan of the day. He was totally into it! Dan's magic served as a great conversation starter for us and we discovered that Miho's father (our friend from yesterday) does a little bit of magic. We asked her to bring him along to the center some time. It sounds like she is going to be coming back tomorrow with her children to play with our kids as well. It would be a great opportunity for him to come see Dan's magic too!
I made another new friend (Kei-san) today at the center and had a heart to heart (with language limitations, of course) about why we were here and how the earthquake/tsunami had affected Dan and me, prompting us to take the opportunity - even with two young children - to come to Japan to help. Kei (only a few years older than I am) pulled out her limited English to tell me "Hontoni (really) THANK YOU" in my native language to express her sincerity. She pulled out her cell phone to show me pictures of her house two days after the tsunami (a pile of rubble, shards of wood and glass, parts of household objects with sections of the foundation peeking through... akin to the city dump, really.) I watched video her father had taken during the tsunami and saw an entire house go floating by... the images were unreal, like a movie. But the remaining evidence in Kessenuma clearly proves otherwise. Today's "forever moment" that I walk away with was my time with Kei and her humble, deep bow as she said thank you to us for coming to help. I wish I could somehow share that with each individual that made a quilt and has supported this project. We also had a Taiwanese woman come to the center with her daughters (one of whom was named "Anri" but it is pronounced much closer to "Andi"! I'd never come across anyone with that given name in Japan). Pastor learned after speaking with the mother that she had been a Christian in Taiwan before she got married, but had "assimilated" to her Japanese husband's traditions when she moved to Kessenuma 17 years ago, including religious practices. However, she had kept her Bible, but it washed away in the tsunami. Pastor is going to be sending her a Chinese-language Bible. I hope that future volunteers get the opportunity to study Scripture with this woman (and perhaps her daughters as well!) It was exciting to see the beginnings of the spiritual mission here.
By the end of the day, we hosted over 45 guests and had given away all but 56 quilts... primarily child-size quilts remain. There's a huge need for adult-size quilts here, so they go very quickly when we have them. Like many rural towns of Japan, Kessenuma has a large elderly community, as many of the younger generations move away to bigger cities and start their families there. However, knowing how resourceful Japanese people are, if they really need quilts, they will find a way to make the smaller size work! I would venture to guess that our remaining quilts won't last very long!
Dan and I got the center straightened up and ready to leave at exactly 5 p.m. We were exhausted and ready to have some family time back at the hotel. Dan made up some simple food for dinner and we took it with us... the thought of going to a restaurant seemed like WAY too much work tonight and we needed the break. And Kai got some excellent playtime with Daddy, Niko hung out and watched with Mommy, and an early bedtime rolled around for the boys.
Dan and I decided to "splurge" and buy ice cream from the front desk costing us ¥260 for the both of us. I could have sent Dan down with two ¥100 coins, a ¥50 coin, and a ¥10 coin, but because anything less than ¥1000 is coins, they accumulate VERY quickly if you aren't careful. So instead I opted to use one ¥100 coin, three ¥50 coins, ten ¥10 coins, a ¥5 coin, and five ¥1 coins. Dan wasn't thrilled he had to go down and pay with it, but our coin purse is MUCH lighter! :o) I got rid of an extra 15 coins! Yoshi!! (Yesssss!!)
When Dan came back up, however, the ice cream bar he purchased was a bit different than any I'd encountered and I think perhaps the ice cream maker was feeling a little conflicted the day they came up with this one. I was a bit bewildered on how to eat it... It was a crunchy chocolate-covered ice cream bar on top, and a mini ice cream sandwich on the bottom. Ummm?
I finally grasped it by the sandwich part with my fingers, and ate it down... and it was delicious. Next on tap, a hot bath (pun not intended, yet witty, if I do say so myself!) Oyasumi nasai, all! (Goodnight!)
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
English, Backup, Movie Stars, and more English!
Talk about a 180 from yesterday! We had a great day as a family and got quite a bit done for the center today. We had a visitor whom Dan met yesterday while canvassing with Kai. She knew we didn't have any quilts, but wanted to come practice her English. I really enjoyed that... it's been a long time since I've really been able to sit down and "teach" conversational English. Our new friend, Miho, has a 2 1/2 year old boy and a little girl who is one week older than Niko. I believe she is planning to return tomorrow with her grandmother now that we got another big shipment of quilts!
Dan and I folded several hundred fliers for the center to be handed out tomorrow. Pastor Wordell brought up a small army to help us... two high
school students (Yoshua and Brianna), a college student (Naoyuki),
another young man who works as a kimono maker (Taro), and the college
student's father (Sato). They unloaded about 135 quilts and helped me
sort them by size. Tomorrow we are expecting an influx of people at the
center, as word has been spread that we were getting these quilts for
Wednesday. The extra hands also means we will be able to go to each of
the temporary housing units and give out information about hours, etc.
It is going to be awesome to have so much help for a day... they can
only stay until about 3 p.m., but I expect we will get a lot done in
those few hours!
After we got the "shop" set up with the quilts, we headed over to have some udon. Unfortunately the shop was closed tonight, so we tried out a ramen shop at the eatery village. Good stuff. AND they had the signature of Ken Wantanabe on the wall... you know, the famous Japanese actor (The Last Samurai, Inception, Batman Begins)? Well, anyway he had been there about a month earlier and left his signature on the wall (common in Japanese restaruants when famous people eat there). But, it was even cooler because he's designed his signature to look like a samurai! I was VERY impressed. (And I made the restaurant owner laugh really hard when I told her to tell Ken hello for me!) :o)
After we got the boys down, Pastor Wordell came over to our hotel room for a meeting. It was so great to talk face to face (directly, not via Skype!) Tonight was the longest amount of time we've spent with another gaijin for a few weeks. It was nice to not have to think about the "easy" way to say something or search for a Japanese phrase to express our thoughts, be able to voice our concerns, give our suggestions for changes for the center to help upcoming volunteers... I very much enjoyed our hour and a half with him. He's a very easy person to be with and understanding of our struggles and occasional frustrations. It is also very comforting to know his congregation prays for us every week... we are so supported, even by complete strangers. Thank you, God!
Tomorrow morning we will be at the office for set up and a devotion at 9 a.m., so I'm going to keep this short tonight, but I'm excited to see what tomorrow brings...many more pictures and stories, I'm sure! Goodnight, all!
Dan and I folded several hundred fliers for the center to be handed out tomorrow. Pastor Wordell brought up a small army to help us... two high
school students (Yoshua and Brianna), a college student (Naoyuki),
another young man who works as a kimono maker (Taro), and the college
student's father (Sato). They unloaded about 135 quilts and helped me
sort them by size. Tomorrow we are expecting an influx of people at the
center, as word has been spread that we were getting these quilts for
Wednesday. The extra hands also means we will be able to go to each of
the temporary housing units and give out information about hours, etc.
It is going to be awesome to have so much help for a day... they can
only stay until about 3 p.m., but I expect we will get a lot done in
those few hours!
After we got the "shop" set up with the quilts, we headed over to have some udon. Unfortunately the shop was closed tonight, so we tried out a ramen shop at the eatery village. Good stuff. AND they had the signature of Ken Wantanabe on the wall... you know, the famous Japanese actor (The Last Samurai, Inception, Batman Begins)? Well, anyway he had been there about a month earlier and left his signature on the wall (common in Japanese restaruants when famous people eat there). But, it was even cooler because he's designed his signature to look like a samurai! I was VERY impressed. (And I made the restaurant owner laugh really hard when I told her to tell Ken hello for me!) :o)After we got the boys down, Pastor Wordell came over to our hotel room for a meeting. It was so great to talk face to face (directly, not via Skype!) Tonight was the longest amount of time we've spent with another gaijin for a few weeks. It was nice to not have to think about the "easy" way to say something or search for a Japanese phrase to express our thoughts, be able to voice our concerns, give our suggestions for changes for the center to help upcoming volunteers... I very much enjoyed our hour and a half with him. He's a very easy person to be with and understanding of our struggles and occasional frustrations. It is also very comforting to know his congregation prays for us every week... we are so supported, even by complete strangers. Thank you, God!
Tomorrow morning we will be at the office for set up and a devotion at 9 a.m., so I'm going to keep this short tonight, but I'm excited to see what tomorrow brings...many more pictures and stories, I'm sure! Goodnight, all!
Monday, December 26, 2011
Parenting Lessons on the Go
There are some days that you look back on with pride and contentment... and then there are those that you really don't. Particularly when you are a parent. There were definitely times today that felt like Battle Royale with Kai in one corner and Mommy and Daddy in the other. I'm not sure if it was let-down/exhaustion from the weekend, but it was a tough day.
I've really discovered in the last four years that when things start to take a turn for the worse, we go tumbling down hill at a breakneck speed. Pretty soon it seems everyone is yelling or crying and it's really easy to let the emotions in the room take over. It's a tricky trap to fall into because someone has to back off at some point and try something else. Unfortunately for this strong-willed Mommy of a strong-willed little boy, I have had to make a conscious effort to let go of my will to be "right" all the time. I've learned with Kai there's a point that punishment (although deserved) actually makes the problems worse. It takes a lot of self-control on us as parents to take a deep breath and stop the chaos.
I've found that this trip has presented many challenges in this arena, primarily because of the lack of privacy our family faces. Don't get me wrong. Our accommodations and work space are more than adequate and we live fairly comfortably here. But when you have an all-out tantruming three-and-a half-year-old, there's not a lot you can do to "hide" it. It's incredibly embarrassing knowing that anyone at the hotel knows that it's my family that has apparently lost control of itself (honestly, how many other rooms have screaming nearly-four-year-olds, much less, English speaking ones!?) I hate that there are days that this is the reputation we are bringing on behalf of Americans and in some cases, Christians. At that point, what do we do?
I guess it is just a piece of the bigger picture as far as our life goes here. I'm so keenly aware of how we are presenting ourselves. I try to control as much of it as I can... My sleep has been affected quite a bit because I know since I can hear snoring on the other side of the wall, surely they can hear Niko when he wakes and cries. Up I get as quickly as I can and nurse, nurse, nurse. Kai is constantly testing his boundaries everywhere we go, running ahead at the grocery store, breaking rules to get a reaction, or just plain ignoring directions to be quiet while Daddy and Mommy try to concentrate while speaking with a Japanese guest. While I know these are the same issues we deal with at home, I feel like we are scrutinized more closely (perceived or real, I'm not entirely sure). At home, if Kai needs to spend 30 minutes in his room screaming, I know it isn't bothering anyone else outside our family. We just don't have that option here. It's been hard.
Combining that with Kai's hesitancy to interact with the adults that are so intrigued by him (to the extent that he physically hides behind us at times - very uncharacteristic for him), I think our biggest challenge hasn't been so much cultural or lingual, it's been familial. I foresaw this as a challenge, so it didn't exactly blindside me, but I hoped that by this point in the trip (two weeks in) we'd be primarily past some of these challenges. But evidently not yet.
That being said, Kai is starting to understand the nature of our work here. He's able to tell us what the quilts are for and is starting to wrap his head around the notion of these people losing so much "in the big wave." He went along and helped Dan knock on doors and distribute about 50 fliers for the center today, despite the cold, windy weather. He has expressed an interest in telling people that come to the center, "Jesus loves you!" and perhaps will sing his songs from school... we'll see if we can actually get him to do it when the pressure is on! Getting Kai directly involved with helping (like every other aspect of his life) has lent itself to more success, but as a parent it so often is easier to just do it myself. A flaw in me that needs to change, I know. Many prayers for both ends of this parent-child team need to be lifted up... none of us can make these improvements with out help!
So although there were several meltdown/fights over the course of today, I can hang on to my proudest moment; Instead of letting the anger take the reigns, I handed Niko off to Dan, took off my shoes and joined Kai in his tent and held him on my lap to look at books. I know in my heart of hearts that Kai needs some serious attention.. it's just a sacrifice on our part to give it to him at times. This small abdication turned everyone around for the rest of the evening and we ended with happy children and happy parents, all winners at the end of the day!
I've really discovered in the last four years that when things start to take a turn for the worse, we go tumbling down hill at a breakneck speed. Pretty soon it seems everyone is yelling or crying and it's really easy to let the emotions in the room take over. It's a tricky trap to fall into because someone has to back off at some point and try something else. Unfortunately for this strong-willed Mommy of a strong-willed little boy, I have had to make a conscious effort to let go of my will to be "right" all the time. I've learned with Kai there's a point that punishment (although deserved) actually makes the problems worse. It takes a lot of self-control on us as parents to take a deep breath and stop the chaos.
I've found that this trip has presented many challenges in this arena, primarily because of the lack of privacy our family faces. Don't get me wrong. Our accommodations and work space are more than adequate and we live fairly comfortably here. But when you have an all-out tantruming three-and-a half-year-old, there's not a lot you can do to "hide" it. It's incredibly embarrassing knowing that anyone at the hotel knows that it's my family that has apparently lost control of itself (honestly, how many other rooms have screaming nearly-four-year-olds, much less, English speaking ones!?) I hate that there are days that this is the reputation we are bringing on behalf of Americans and in some cases, Christians. At that point, what do we do?
I guess it is just a piece of the bigger picture as far as our life goes here. I'm so keenly aware of how we are presenting ourselves. I try to control as much of it as I can... My sleep has been affected quite a bit because I know since I can hear snoring on the other side of the wall, surely they can hear Niko when he wakes and cries. Up I get as quickly as I can and nurse, nurse, nurse. Kai is constantly testing his boundaries everywhere we go, running ahead at the grocery store, breaking rules to get a reaction, or just plain ignoring directions to be quiet while Daddy and Mommy try to concentrate while speaking with a Japanese guest. While I know these are the same issues we deal with at home, I feel like we are scrutinized more closely (perceived or real, I'm not entirely sure). At home, if Kai needs to spend 30 minutes in his room screaming, I know it isn't bothering anyone else outside our family. We just don't have that option here. It's been hard.
Combining that with Kai's hesitancy to interact with the adults that are so intrigued by him (to the extent that he physically hides behind us at times - very uncharacteristic for him), I think our biggest challenge hasn't been so much cultural or lingual, it's been familial. I foresaw this as a challenge, so it didn't exactly blindside me, but I hoped that by this point in the trip (two weeks in) we'd be primarily past some of these challenges. But evidently not yet.
That being said, Kai is starting to understand the nature of our work here. He's able to tell us what the quilts are for and is starting to wrap his head around the notion of these people losing so much "in the big wave." He went along and helped Dan knock on doors and distribute about 50 fliers for the center today, despite the cold, windy weather. He has expressed an interest in telling people that come to the center, "Jesus loves you!" and perhaps will sing his songs from school... we'll see if we can actually get him to do it when the pressure is on! Getting Kai directly involved with helping (like every other aspect of his life) has lent itself to more success, but as a parent it so often is easier to just do it myself. A flaw in me that needs to change, I know. Many prayers for both ends of this parent-child team need to be lifted up... none of us can make these improvements with out help!
So although there were several meltdown/fights over the course of today, I can hang on to my proudest moment; Instead of letting the anger take the reigns, I handed Niko off to Dan, took off my shoes and joined Kai in his tent and held him on my lap to look at books. I know in my heart of hearts that Kai needs some serious attention.. it's just a sacrifice on our part to give it to him at times. This small abdication turned everyone around for the rest of the evening and we ended with happy children and happy parents, all winners at the end of the day!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
I'll be Home for (a White!) Christmas...
Perhaps we didn't head to the home our extended families might have chosen for us, but we did go "home" to our Japanese church family for Christmas!
Christmas Eve, after a Skype date with Dan's entire family, we packed our bags and hit the Tohoku Expressway, south to Ohira, Miyagi, to Gospel Town Tohoku Central Church (ゴスペルタウン, actually pronounced "Gospel Town, for those of you wondering!) They had prepared a room in the guest house for our family to stay overnight (since it is a 2 hour drive and the Christmas Eve service started at 7 p.m.) and we had a few hours to rest and play in a familiar setting before joining the staff and residents (students of their Bible college program) for dinner. There is a living room and kitchen area where we were able to run, wrestle, and play, as well as lounge on full-size couches... it was a welcome respite from the hotel rooms and office, a brief taste of home for us, particularly Kai who could romp and be loud and run off some stink!
During our time living in Japan, our other English-teaching friends told us about this church in (literally) the middle of nowhere that they went to for worship. When we started attending, there were about six of us English teachers on a semi-regular basis. During our four years at the church there were many different gaijin that attended, in part because the head pastor, Nagai-sensei speaks fluent English and the congregation was exceptionally welcoming of us. Many life-long friends were made during those years and a number of tears were shed when it was time for us to move home. To be able to return for such a joyful time of the church year was a huge gift to us and served as a "mini-vacation" in the midst of our work up here in Kessenuma.
The Christmas Eve service is one of my favorites at Gospel Town because it is almost EXACTLY like the Lutheran service we have at home, with the exception of being in Japanese! We sang Christmas classics such as "Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel," "Angels We Have Heard on High," and "Joy to the World" and heard readings from Isaiah, Micah, and Luke. We even ended the service with a candle-lit rendition of "Silent Night." It's like the perfect fusion of worlds to me. As we walked out, the first few flakes of snow were drifting to the ground... we were going to have a white Christmas! Yata (yay)!!
After the service we put the boys down (way past normal bedtime) and they slept together on the same futon for the first time. Up to this point in the trip, Kai slept with his feet to the foot of the bed and Niko slept "sideways" at the head of the bed that they share. Last night, however, they needed to sleep side-by-side, but they did great! And God even answered my 2 a.m. prayer that Niko would sleep another solid five hours (it was Christmas, after all!) and awaken at 7... which he did, to the minute! Thanks, God! No request is too small, I've learned! :o)
When the boys were down, I wrapped the small presents that we had brought for Christmas from America and Dan gave a magic lesson to Nagai-sensei's 16-year-old son. It turned out that when we lived here he was so intrigued by Dan's magic he began studying on his own. So for Christmas Eve, he got a private lesson from Dan. Very fun to sit and watch/listen to. Towards the end, Dan showed him some newer material and I kind of doubt the poor kid got any sleep last night... his brain was working on overdrive trying to figure out what Dan did!
The next morning we got up to a very chilly room (thank heavens for electric blankets... we can't run the kerosene heater all night, as much as I wanted to!) and I went to build a fire in the living room. Yet another of my very favorite things about Gospel Town is that the buildings were built by Americans, so they actually feel like being in America. There is a wood-burning stove in the living room that we got to enjoy. It was wonderful. And Dan and I slept in the same bed for the first time since our first night in Tsuchiura upon arrival in Japan (2 weeks ago!) When Kai woke up we all moved to the living room and opened presents, drank hot chocolate, and ate melon pan and apple fritters (thank you, 7-11.) Dan and I didn't have any gifts to open (we'll buy ours later in the trip!), but the boys enjoyed theirs and Kai was especially thrilled to get Megatron to add to his growing Transformers collection. Sometimes I wish my boys could stay young forever... Christmas is so simple and easy when they are little!
At 10:30 we dressed in our Christmas clothes and walked over to the church for the regular Sunday morning service (which coincided with Christmas morning this year). This service was much more typical of an average Sunday while we lived here (there were a few differences because it was Christmas). It brought me so much joy to worship with my Japanese brothers and sisters in Christ. It stirred so many emotions within me... It can be a very difficult thing to have to worship in a non-native language, especially when you are limited in your knowledge of that language, but I feel that my time in Japan really solidified my WORSHIP relationship with God. Dan was always really good about translating the message of the sermon and helping me read the kanji (written characters) in the songs so my spiritual edification wasn't completely neglected, but over time, I found I connected with God on a very personal, spiritual level through the music of the service. Today was like meeting good friend I hadn't seen for a long time. One of the songs we sang translates to "Lift Up Your Joyful Voice" and that's just what I did. I spent much of the morning in prayer and praise. I have missed this so much! Of course, I get different benefits from my home church in Cheyenne (understanding the words to everything and not having to translate a sermon ranks right up there!), but there is something special about a Gospel Town service. It was perhaps the best Christmas present I could have received today.
After the service we joined with everyone for lunch, a weekly event in many Japanese churches. The fellowship time is so important for their faith lives, as they are a significant minority here (less than 1% of the population is Christian). Today, since it was Christmas, they had a feast... Japanese style! I can't say I've ever seen most of the things we ate at a Lutheran potluck, but the spirit is the same (minus the green Jell-o... however, Dan just informed me he had purple Jell-o!) I spent the entire time talking with a few old friends and Dan met some missionaries that have been volunteering in the Tohoku disaster region since March. Dan finally had to cut the conversation short after I had talked for nearly two hours because it was still snowing. We had our drive home in front of us and we had no idea how much snow had fallen north of us. It was sad to go again, but we might take the opportunity to return in a few weeks while we stay in Misato. At any rate, it was a great trip "home."
The drive back flew by (the roads were fine) as Dan and I talked and talked and talked. Both boys fell asleep in the back seat so we got to reconnect for awhile as we drove north. Back at the hotel, our Christmas dinner consisted of ham and margarine sandwiches on white bread with mikan (mini-oranges) in Jell-o, but we were all happy. Niko got to enjoy his first non-cereal baby food today too... bananas!
A strange Christmas? Definitely. But one that will be remembered. We knew when we decided to come to Japan over the holiday season that we'd miss out on many of the "normal" aspects of Christmas, but we know we're here for the right reasons. And Christmas had a different focus for our family this year than it would have if we had been home. Plus we got Japanese "Christmas Cake" (since Japanese people think that's what Westerners do for Christmas... a strange mutation of the fruitcake concept, but I think it's somewhat appropriate... we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus tonight with Kai). A very merry Christmas for all!!
Christmas Eve, after a Skype date with Dan's entire family, we packed our bags and hit the Tohoku Expressway, south to Ohira, Miyagi, to Gospel Town Tohoku Central Church (ゴスペルタウン, actually pronounced "Gospel Town, for those of you wondering!) They had prepared a room in the guest house for our family to stay overnight (since it is a 2 hour drive and the Christmas Eve service started at 7 p.m.) and we had a few hours to rest and play in a familiar setting before joining the staff and residents (students of their Bible college program) for dinner. There is a living room and kitchen area where we were able to run, wrestle, and play, as well as lounge on full-size couches... it was a welcome respite from the hotel rooms and office, a brief taste of home for us, particularly Kai who could romp and be loud and run off some stink!During our time living in Japan, our other English-teaching friends told us about this church in (literally) the middle of nowhere that they went to for worship. When we started attending, there were about six of us English teachers on a semi-regular basis. During our four years at the church there were many different gaijin that attended, in part because the head pastor, Nagai-sensei speaks fluent English and the congregation was exceptionally welcoming of us. Many life-long friends were made during those years and a number of tears were shed when it was time for us to move home. To be able to return for such a joyful time of the church year was a huge gift to us and served as a "mini-vacation" in the midst of our work up here in Kessenuma.
The Christmas Eve service is one of my favorites at Gospel Town because it is almost EXACTLY like the Lutheran service we have at home, with the exception of being in Japanese! We sang Christmas classics such as "Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel," "Angels We Have Heard on High," and "Joy to the World" and heard readings from Isaiah, Micah, and Luke. We even ended the service with a candle-lit rendition of "Silent Night." It's like the perfect fusion of worlds to me. As we walked out, the first few flakes of snow were drifting to the ground... we were going to have a white Christmas! Yata (yay)!!
After the service we put the boys down (way past normal bedtime) and they slept together on the same futon for the first time. Up to this point in the trip, Kai slept with his feet to the foot of the bed and Niko slept "sideways" at the head of the bed that they share. Last night, however, they needed to sleep side-by-side, but they did great! And God even answered my 2 a.m. prayer that Niko would sleep another solid five hours (it was Christmas, after all!) and awaken at 7... which he did, to the minute! Thanks, God! No request is too small, I've learned! :o)
When the boys were down, I wrapped the small presents that we had brought for Christmas from America and Dan gave a magic lesson to Nagai-sensei's 16-year-old son. It turned out that when we lived here he was so intrigued by Dan's magic he began studying on his own. So for Christmas Eve, he got a private lesson from Dan. Very fun to sit and watch/listen to. Towards the end, Dan showed him some newer material and I kind of doubt the poor kid got any sleep last night... his brain was working on overdrive trying to figure out what Dan did!
The next morning we got up to a very chilly room (thank heavens for electric blankets... we can't run the kerosene heater all night, as much as I wanted to!) and I went to build a fire in the living room. Yet another of my very favorite things about Gospel Town is that the buildings were built by Americans, so they actually feel like being in America. There is a wood-burning stove in the living room that we got to enjoy. It was wonderful. And Dan and I slept in the same bed for the first time since our first night in Tsuchiura upon arrival in Japan (2 weeks ago!) When Kai woke up we all moved to the living room and opened presents, drank hot chocolate, and ate melon pan and apple fritters (thank you, 7-11.) Dan and I didn't have any gifts to open (we'll buy ours later in the trip!), but the boys enjoyed theirs and Kai was especially thrilled to get Megatron to add to his growing Transformers collection. Sometimes I wish my boys could stay young forever... Christmas is so simple and easy when they are little!
After the service we joined with everyone for lunch, a weekly event in many Japanese churches. The fellowship time is so important for their faith lives, as they are a significant minority here (less than 1% of the population is Christian). Today, since it was Christmas, they had a feast... Japanese style! I can't say I've ever seen most of the things we ate at a Lutheran potluck, but the spirit is the same (minus the green Jell-o... however, Dan just informed me he had purple Jell-o!) I spent the entire time talking with a few old friends and Dan met some missionaries that have been volunteering in the Tohoku disaster region since March. Dan finally had to cut the conversation short after I had talked for nearly two hours because it was still snowing. We had our drive home in front of us and we had no idea how much snow had fallen north of us. It was sad to go again, but we might take the opportunity to return in a few weeks while we stay in Misato. At any rate, it was a great trip "home."
The drive back flew by (the roads were fine) as Dan and I talked and talked and talked. Both boys fell asleep in the back seat so we got to reconnect for awhile as we drove north. Back at the hotel, our Christmas dinner consisted of ham and margarine sandwiches on white bread with mikan (mini-oranges) in Jell-o, but we were all happy. Niko got to enjoy his first non-cereal baby food today too... bananas!
A strange Christmas? Definitely. But one that will be remembered. We knew when we decided to come to Japan over the holiday season that we'd miss out on many of the "normal" aspects of Christmas, but we know we're here for the right reasons. And Christmas had a different focus for our family this year than it would have if we had been home. Plus we got Japanese "Christmas Cake" (since Japanese people think that's what Westerners do for Christmas... a strange mutation of the fruitcake concept, but I think it's somewhat appropriate... we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus tonight with Kai). A very merry Christmas for all!!
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