Another hour apart

For your general knowledge, Japan does not observe daylight savings time. Thus I am now 15 hours ahead of most of you (CST).

See if you can work this tidbit into conversation today. You'll sound so smart and cultured. :)

Oh yeah, it's Halloween...

I woke up this morning feeling plenty of leftover funk from last night. Perhaps the funk even multiplied in my sleep. I felt sick, I didn't want to walk in the rain to church, and I didn't want to do much of anything in general. However, I was teaching class this morning, so I truly had no choice but to go anyway. And once upon a time I remember being taught that the times you don't want to go to church are usually the times you need to go the most.
As I sat at the bus stop in the rain, I thought back to the verse I quoted last night about God's mercies being new every morning and scoffed as I thought of waking up in a nasty mood. Thus I entered into a round of culture stress. I bemoaned everything about Japan on the bus and train ride, consumed with the idea that this is not where I want to be. First rate pity party. And for the record, the intellectual knowledge that you are going through culture stress does not make the process any easier.
But I made it to church, said my ohayo gozaimasus, and tried to mentally prepare myself for class. Then, of course, the Lord provided, and class turned my mood around completely. I thought of the people in class-- Mizumi, a non-Christian woman who comes every week and is truly seeking to know God; Sho, a junior high boy who answers every question in class and says the closing prayer each week (one of the most precious people I've met here!); Yusuke, a high school boy who made it a special point to come to class today even though he had to leave right after and spend all day working at school; Jun, a Japanese Christian who has become a powerful witness at Ibaraki Christian High School and is so encouraging each week... and they all touched my heart. These people are devoted to coming, despite inconvienence or busy-ness or effort. They come because the church is a priority.
The church. I have such a newfound appreciation for the church. My brothers and sisters. They are my family here. Before I came here I would seek comfort in the verse, "everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life" (Mt. 19:29). Leaving family and friends behind is hard (understatement of the year), but God's promises are true. The Christians here are amazing people. I wish I could list by name the people here and tell you about them, but that would be tedious and ineffective, I think. Perhaps instead you will hear snippets about different people and get to know them gradually.
So tonight, I am thankful. Funk over. :)

Wrong side of the bed?

Today was really a great day. I went to Japanese class this morning, met some cool new people. The Kikuchis had me over for an amazing lunch, and they are always wonderful company. Then tonight I got to have some much needed, high quality conversation with a great friend. A day of blessings, really.
So tell me then, why am I in a funk? Maybe it's the rain, maybe it's the cold. Maybe because I didn't want to leave Mito. Maybe it's because I didn't get enough sleep last night. Maybe homesickness or culture stress or frustration with communication limitations with friends back home. Maybe misplaced expectations, disappointment in myself, or this notion of the depravity of humankind that has been haunting me all week. I don't know.
Maybe I should just go to bed and start over tomorrow. His mercies are new every morning; great is His faithfulness. Oyasumi.

Minor issue

Does it bother anyone else that it says "1 comments"? Hasn't computer programming technology advanced us beyond this point?

Unauthorized

Bush Campaign Site Inaccessible Abroad

I can testify to the truth of this article, because I, in fact, cannot access the George W. Bush campaign website. It tells me: "You are not authorized to view this page. You might not have permission to view this directory or page using the credentials you supplied." My credentials being that I am in Japan? Guess they don't want my type. :)

So much for non-political blogging... :)

Two Months Today

Quick recap.
Monday morning I ran to Mito to get my visa adjusted so I can re-enter the country after my visit home for Christmas, which was mostly a beaurocratic inconvienence (and not cheap). That afternoon I received two great packages from home which absolutely made the world a better place. :) Thank you mom! I spent Monday evening cooking a Brazilian/Mexican dinner for my co-workers and then playing hostess all night. I thought Jared was going to have a coronary when he saw pinto beans. Not to brag, but those beans and rice tasted wonderful after two months of not having them! It was great fun, but boy was I worn out by the end of it.
Tuesday was a cold day. I spent most of my time at work shivering, and vowed to never go to work without more than one layer on ever again (until May at least). Then the Hitachi group all went out to a local club where several of our own were singing that night. I was so impressed at the talent that we have pooled here! The sense of community here is awesome. That was great, but made for another late night.
Wednesday. Once again my 3-8 class made my day by giving me little paper flowers they made. They now decorate my desk at school. Have I mentioned how much I love those kids? It's strange to not go to church on Wednesdays. Makes you feel a little pagan, a little lost, a little empty, but I suppose it's part of the package I accepted when deciding to work here. Thankfully, I got to have a good talk with a faithful friend here who I hadn't gotten to have a good talk with in a while. It's always good to compare notes and check up on each other.
Lately I've been thinking (already) about what to stock up on when I go back home for Christmas. One primary thing is music. Internet radio is okay, but there is some stuff that I want to listen to. I'm going to get Chris Rice's first album (the only one I don't have), some worship CDs, maybe a Beatles CD, and probably some of Caedmon's Call's stuff. Hmm, I'll probably get some classic Acappella, too. Their early stuff still moves me. Anyone else have any suggestions of quality CDs worth my investment? I especially need input for the worship stuff. I'm probably going to try to order them online while I'm here so they will be at home when I get there. Same goes for books, but they have to be really good books. Donald Miller ("Blue Like Jazz") just came out with a new book, so that is definitely on my list. Let me know your input. I respect the opinions of those who read my blog, because you obviously have great taste. ;)
Song of the moment: Wedding Dress by Derek Webb.

Finally...

...a candidate I can get behind. I would like to come out of my non-political closet and publicly join the Brits in endorsing Homer Simpson for president. See story here.
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My genius idea

Today on the way to church I had a genius idea inspired by the upcoming election. Well, perhaps genius isn't the correct word, but I think it would be fascinating. What would the democracy be like today if every person were given a vote-- that means parents would be able to place votes for their children under the age of 18. I think it would be a very interesting political study to see the results. What do you guys think would happen? Has anyone else had similar thoughts, or am I the only crazy out here? :)

Sweet Taters

I have never thought of myself as a city girl, but today I learned that I am definitely not meant to work the earth. After church a group of about 12 of us went to a church member's field to help him harvest his sweet potatoes. I had envisioned this in a romantic autumnal sense... simply scooping up nature's bounty into baskets. But instead I found out that it was hard work! There were bugs and dirt and stubborn roots to contend with. :) I had a blast, but now I have a much deeper respect for anyone who works the earth in any form. We got to end the day by taking home as many sweet potatoes as we wanted and snacking on freshly baked sweet potato. Yum... I just hope the man invites us back to help harvest his strawberry field in a couple of months. :)


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Praying Mantis in Japan

I saw this today and had to post it in honor of one of my blogger friends, Praying Mantis. :)

PS- Ben and Monica, next time it rains on Sunday, guess who will be honored? ;)
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Okay here...

Just in case you've seen this headline: Major Japanese Earthquakes or this headline: Major Japanese Typhoons, I just wanted to assure you that I am okay. People keep telling me that the weather (do earthquakes count as "weather"?) is really not normally like this, but since I've been here things have been a little nuts. I don't know whether to take that as a good sign or bad sign. :)
Isn't it strange and somewhat disturbing how much I talk about the weather?

Autumn Festival

Ann and Ayaka
Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but kids are becoming more and more adorable to me. Especially cute little Japanese kids in Halloween costumes. Today I helped out with an Autumn Festival that the McClain's school (World English Center) was hosting in Mito. In case you're wondering, I was Boo from Monsters Inc. :) I got to be the group leader of the black cats, which included a photo scavenger hunt and a carnival. It was a blast to get to play around with the kiddies all day, and I got to meet a lot of great new people. I look forward to helping again next year!
If anyone wants to see all the pictures from today's festivities (including the photo scavenger hunt results, which were too cute), then click here.
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One more down

Well last night I made it through another typhoon. It was loud, but I was tired, so I slept through it. I hear another one is following closely behind it, but I also heard that the second one might skip us and hit Taiwan. Of course I don't wish that on the Taiwanese, but a break sure would be nice! :)

More than you'll ever know...

I have always and will always maintain that God blesses me more than I could ever deserve through the amazing people he puts in my life. Here is a brief, non-exhaustive list of things that remind me how gracious God is to me.

I love...

• my family because they always sound so happy to hear my voice when I call.
• my friend who will take on the entire Honduran government to be able to work with her kids, if she has to.
• my former professor who will go to the trouble to mail me a quick note to let me know he's thinking about me, when it would have taken 30 seconds to shoot it off in an email.
• my friends who always IM me and ask me what time it is here. :)
• my friends who may not agree with my views, but always respect me and engage me in lively debate. ;) Iron sharpening iron...
• my extended family who print off copies of my blog and pass them around for everyone to read.
• my professors who will read and respond to my emails when I have concerns or things I want to talk over with them.
• my friends here who I can call at any time for anything.
• the church members here who will walk with me the second or third or tenth mile to help me settle and feel welcome.
• my mom who knows exactly what to put in my care packages.
• my co-workers who have welcomed me into their group of friends with open arms and have also helped me with all the logistics of moving to a new place.
• people who stumble onto my blog and leave encouraging notes that make my day.
• my connection group in OKC that prays for me every week.
• my dad who emails me stories and pictures and new bits that he knows I would want to know about.
• my friends who write things like, "I pray for you everyday" and remind me that "friends may come and go, but they don't have to."

God, I am so blessed.

Back to the point

It seems like lately I haven't actually been posting much about life in Japan, so I will try to catch up on that some today.
Well first of all, we are bracing for another typhoon. CNN even pities us, see the story here: Japan Prepares for Tenth Typhoon of Season. There is a perk, in that typhoons make the weather slightly warmer. And while we're on the topic of weather, it is starting to get cold. It would be perfectly lovely if we had the luxury of only being in the "crisp air" between buildings and our car, but no... despite all of its technological advances, Japan lacks central heat AND insulation. Which means it gets pretty nippy at nights and in the mornings. I currently sleep with 3 blankets on my bed, and I just bought an electric blanket today. Pretty soon we'll be going to the gas station to buy kerosene for our heaters and such. I am going to be a tough chick after I survive the Japanese winter. :)
I reserved my ticket to come home for Christmas today. I'll be arriving in OKC on December 16th, Lord willing, and returning from Little Rock on January 5. That'll be some nice time home. When I get back I want to go straight from the airport to Ted's Cafe Escondito. YUM. You see, Mexican food is a rarity in Japan. What I wouldn't give for some of that queso on a flour tortilla right now... Okay, I've got to stop talking about that. :)
School is great. On Mondays we ALTs (in Hitachi, at least) don't go to our junior highs, instead we take turns going to different kindergartens, elementary schools, and special needs schools. In a couple of weeks Ian and I are going to a special needs high school, and so one of the teachers came by today to talk about the lesson plan. Guess what I get to teach them! The "Boot Scoot Boogie"! :) Of course it will be highly simplified and I will throw some hand motions in there, but I think it'll be fun. Hey-- they wanted an "American folk dance," so I am going to deliver the best I know how! :)
Thank you to everyone who's been posting comments and sending emails. They're so encouraging! It's nice to have reminders of friends and family when you're far from home.

Hail to Oklahoma Christian...

I love my alma mater, Oklahoma Christian University. And apparently somebody out there loves me. I would like to give thanks and a shout-out to my wonderful department, Language and Literature (also home to STD), for featuring me on their new blog!
And I would also like to humbly ask the marketing department to forgive me for ripping off the logo. :) I believe there is a handbook that regulates logo usage, and I just may be in violation.
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Sunset over Nihon

This picture doesn't do it justice, but tonight we had a beautiful sunset. Many thanks to all those who prayed for a clear day in Japan, because the last 3 days have been great!!!
By the way, since I've gotten the internet in my apartment I've been listening to sermons online. Does anyone have any good or favorite websites with sermons on them? Please leave them in the comments! I really appreciate it!!!
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Something to think about

When's the last time you were intimate with someone? When's the last time you laid your heart on the line - not just skimming the surface of your struggles - but revealed the ugliness, the sickness that is inside your heart? Because if you strip away the facade, the layers of callouses built up from years past - you'll find out that as different as we seem, we're just the same. We're all fighting a fight, we're all seeking for answers, and we all just want to be loved.
So what's keeping you from being intimate?
--ripped off of Nina's AIM profile

3-8

I completely forgot to mention one of the brightest spots of my job-- class 3-8. In the true manner of "The Wayside School," there is no class 3-7. All I knew before teaching in this class was that 3-8 was for special needs students, which my teachers translated as "emotionally disturbed." I was envisioning this class to be all of my shaved eyebrow gang that I mentioned before, that likes to cause trouble for the teachers on a daily basis.
Imagine my surprise when I get to class and see the sweetest little 7 smiling faces you've ever seen. Only 7 kids in this class, out of a school of 700. I'm not sure how that works. I heard a rumor that in Japan parents have to consent to putting their children in a special class, and many will refuse to do it. I can't swear to that fact, though. Some of the kids in there act just like "normal" kids, except you get the impression that much has never been asked out of them. I finally asked one of the teachers today how a child is chosen to be in the 3-8 class, and she told me that they scored as "unteachable" on an IQ test. An IQ test determined the course of the rest of their life. You see, compulsory education ends after junior high in Japan, so since these kids have been separated and pretty much babysat through school. So the chances of them making it into a high school are virtually non-existant.
The kids are fabulous. They know no English whatsoever, other than hello and goodbye, but I really think that they could get all the basic greetings down if they would just let me work with them some. Don't get me wrong-- there are some troubled kids in there. Maybe some of them can't learn. I don't know. But they are the sweetest children you'll find at Namekawa JHS. When I taught them last week we played a game of Uno, and my teaching consisted of me saying the number and color of the card in English. Of course they were doing the same for me in Japanese. :) By the end of the game they were doing pretty good on their colors and numbers!
The kids there are so sweet! Whenever one does something good they all rejoice with them with clapping and high fives. The brighter ones help the more troubled ones play their best cards. They seem to really love each other like a family. Their teachers in that class are just as awesome. At the end of my class with them they all walked me back to my desk at the office to make sure I made it back okay. :)
Ever since my first class with them I have made a point to walk by their classroom as much as possible, hoping to catch the door open so I can wave at them and say hi. Today I got to play with some of them after school. Just seeing any of them makes my little heart so happy it could burst.
I never thought I would enjoy or be good at working with special needs kids. I thought it just wasn't my cup of tea. But these kids have already taught me great lessons in loving and potential, and I can't wait to see what else they teach me over the next two years.

Fair Warning...

Hear ye, hear ye, consider this fair warning for my politically motivated friends out there. Perhaps you have noticed the lack of any political statements on my blog, even though the election is approaching quickly. Well that is purposeful. I feel that, at least in my situation and circle of friends, politics is devisive and discussing it is like chasing after the wind. So this is my statement about my lack of statement on politics.
Here is the warning: any emails of political nature, especially those deliniating how one candidate is clearly from God and the other is a tool of Satan, will not be tolerated. This includes stupid petitions to your senator or representative or grandmother or whoever else you're sending them to. You have two strikes, then you are out. The first one I receive from you will be ignored and trashed, the second one will put you on my spam email list. Some of you already have one strike! I know this sounds harsh, but this is an area of great irritation for me.
Call me crazy, but it is my belief that God is not a democrat or republican. I also believe that neither dems or reps are seeking to do the will of God in all circumcstances, so it is equally crazy for Christians to tow party lines. I have seen more Christians reduced to hateful behavior and comments over political issues than any other. Suddenly people think that in the political arena it is okay to be judgemental and crass. That is ridiculous and embarrassing, and I won't stand for it taking up space in my email inbox.
Thus ends Ann's official statement regarding politically motivated emails. Have a nice day. :)