1 Year

Today was my one-year anniversary of living in Japan.  It was a good day.  Actually, I lived in Japan for 9 months before (2007-8) and my neighbors at that time are the biggest blessing ever. 

Today, we had soft cream at our favorite little shop.  Then they invited me back to their house, where I was told to relax because it is also my home.  Thank you Keiko and Minori for celebrating with me and giving me sweet presents and being like family to me!!!

Identitiy Check

So, I'm going to church camp tomorrow.  I've never really been nervous for that sort of thing, but I can't sleep and I'm pretty scurred. 

The thing is that I don't know if there will be any other foreigners or not.  The language barrier is a bit nerve-racking, but the cultural differences are what really gets me.  But my friend just reminded me the other day not to worry about making mistakes.  And the truth of the matter is that I'm prideful and need to check where my identity comes from.  I like how one of my new favorite songs puts it:

I am His, He is mine. Bought with the blood of Christ. (Hello by KB)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9ORUsOPF4I

Tono and Tokyo

This week I got to spend a lot of time with people living in temporary homes.  We mostly just talked, and occasionally made a craft.  I loved meeting the local people and the other volunteers.

It's still heart-breaking to see the piles of wreckage, and this time some of the mounds were unbelievably high.  Overall, those who suffered loss are able to laugh and have a good time though.  One man's experience of the tsunami was unreal, but he told it without a trace of fear and without tears.  I guess time brings healing, but this man lost both of his brothers, and found the body of one of them hanging when he returned after escaping.  Also, his wife and him helped many kids from a near-by junior high get to the mountains, but the whole group was not able to make it safely. 

I can't imagine what these dear people went through, but God seemed to be showing me something this week.  I am just like these people, because I need God's grace every single moment. 

On a lighter note, I've been back in Tokyo for approximately 24 hours and I've:

• been to one wedding
• had two people fall asleep on me on the train
• eaten tiny squid pasta thinking it was parmesan cheese

comma

I think the word for "lost and found" in Japanese is the most boring thing possible: 　おわすれものとりあつかいじょ、,  which basically means "the place for handling lost things." 

Please note that I used two commas above, to demonstrate that I learned how to write a comma in Japanese this week.

Perhaps future posts will be more interesting than this one, because I started taking an Intercultural Communications class which, if I am correct, has some serious potential for blog material.

cherry blossoms

さくら(sakura) are truly a source of national pride and joy in Japan. However, I find it ironic how many people complain during this season. If you want to know the whole truth behind the cherry blossom in Japan, here it is. The vast majority of my Japanese friends are experiencing severe hay fever. Also, the train stations and streets near large parks are ridiculously crowded (no fair or anything I've experienced in America compares.)

However, I went outside of Tokyo to visit a friend on Saturday and peacefully enjoyed the sights. Early mornings and the area where I usually go running are also perfect for お花み (ohanami, or cherry blossom viewing.)

Although there are some frequent complaints lately, I can see why the Japanese love this flower. When you're below the tree with the blue sky as a background or beside some low branches, the sakura are breathtaking.

Saturday

Not the greatest meet-up spot.

Beach

I love the ocean so much! And I had the chance to go on Tuesday with my classmates and teachers, thanks to the spring equinox national holiday （春分の日）in Japan! Understatement: I really enjoyed being by the ocean. It took a little bit of courage, but I also ate hijiki, a type of seaweed apparently loaded with minerals.

Update on the CHANGE conference. Thank you so much for your prayers! It was an incredible time of worship and fellowship!! The students loved time together and were courageous to share their faith as well. Pictures to come in my monthly prayer letter.