Way too much to tell...

As the soft rain falls in the background i find myself trying hard to summarize the last few days.  It's hard to believe i've been here for less than a week and i already have a life time of experiences.  Well anyways this past weekend was one of the greatest of my life.  On saturday Matt and I spent the day with my new friend Kanako who took us around the city.  We visited so many kool shops and and places to eat.  some of both you can see in the new pictures i added.  The last place we went to on saturday was named Harajuku.  This apparently was a huge fashion place, makes you wonder why i was there but just wait, where Kanako bought Matt and i t-shirts.  Matt's says samurai or warrior and mine says, "Me." pure and simple.  (I told you you'd see why i was there.)  After touring the city for awhile we went to lunch at this Japanese pasta place which was good.  But the best part of the day was when we went to this plum wine restaurant.  We sat on the baclony and had one of the most amazing views i have ever seen.  for about a day it was the greatest view i had ever seen but that was before Rappongi.

Anyways on sunday we went to church at St. Paul's International Lutheran church for both the english and Japanese service.  Even though i was so lost in the Japanese service i still enjoyed it.  And afterwards when we were introduced to the congregation they blessed us with Japanese hymnals.  In Japanese of course, so i cannot wait to learn how to read mine. :P  After wards we went to lunch with Yukie and Carol, a fellow VYMer, at an Indian restaurant.  Following lunch we went and toured a portion of the emperor's gardens.  It's so beautiful in Japan you can't imagine.  OH!  I forgot to tell you that before we went to church Matt and I, having gotten to church over an hour early, toured a shinto temple just down the road from St. Paul's.  I felt so sad that such beauty and time is wasted on a belief that is meaningless.  

LAter on sunday Kanako, our amazing tour guide, took us all, me, Matt, Kim, and lauren, to Rappongi.  this is apparently the international center of Tokyo.  After having tea, we went to a spot where we were going to see a nice view of Tokyo, however, we discovered that there was a sky aquarium in one of the taler buildings so we went there instead.   Let me tell you, the view from this building was the greatest i have ever seen, especially at night.  I wish my pictures had turned out better so you could understand but you'll have to accept my feeble attempts to capture the beauty of Tokyo.  

ANd now today, on our day off we spent time with Matt's friend from the lutheran college here in tokyo.  We rode lots of trains and went bowling here.  i didn't know they had bowling here but they do and it was a blast.  it was here that Matt's friends became my friends also.  After bowling we had dinner at an Outback Steakhouse, I know right?!?!  Outback in Japan, but here it is and it was one of the most fun nights i have had.  I'll never forget the time spent with (sorry if i spell their names wrong but how are you guys gonna know anyways.) Matt, erika, Seiko, Shoko, Maika, and Youskei.  They even surprised Matt, Youskei, and myself with birthday greetings, since our birthdays are all in September.  They even gave us all picture frames with pictures of our group.  I feel so blesed to be accepted so quickly into a group of amazing people.  God has truly been with me here in Japan and i cannot have chosen a better place to serve the Lord.  Till next time with hope in Christ.

Cultural Enlightenment

As my roommate takes his first nap of our journey i decided to write my first blog from Japan.  As i'm sure you're expecting it's sooooo much different here than it is in the United states.  Oh, and yes, we made it safely and are all set up for the adventures to come.  Anyways, I love this place and the culture here.  Their history matched with their modernization creates an amazing dynamic that i think people often miss because they focus too often on one or the other.  But let's start with what i've been up to.

My first day her the thing i noticed most were the trains....holy cow the trains!!!   everywhere is gotten to through train travel.  I've decided i don't like the trains a whole lot because no one says anything.  people travel hundred of miles by train and no one says anything.  And on a more serious note; you can see how lost and hurting people are when you watch them on the trains.  there have been two different times in the last two days where i have prayed that the Lord help these people because you can just see the hurt in their faces and it breaks my heart.  Speaking of trains i love being taller than most of the people here because that means i get air conditioning and fresh air from my extreme vantage point.  Even one of the american girls here remarked how tall me and my roommate Matt are.  

Another thing that i found astonishing about being here are the vending machines.  There is a vending machine on nearly every corner.  They sell tea, coffee, and my personal favorite: Diet Coke!!   However, with as many vending machines as they have there are very few garbage cans.  They recycle a lot but their recycling and garbage cans are few and far between.

Moving on to living, Matt and myself live in the seminary dorms called Luther House.  We live with two seminarians for a total of four of us in a house.  I love living here because it's quiet and there is a woman who makes us breakfast every morning.  This is good because with the way money goes right now i'll need the free meal.  Right near us is an amazing park that Matt and  discovered and explored today!  And they have one of the greatest ice cream flavors i have ever tasted: Cantaloupe!!  Although here it's called Hokkaido meron.  And one of the koolest things i've noticed here in Japan is that while no one really has a yard there is so much green.  The landscape is beautiful and the buildings just seem to fit in some how like the island is living in and around the buildings.  It's so beautiful.  Also today we applied for our Alien Identification cards which will allow us to get bank accounts and prove that we are who we say we are.  I love the food here, however, the only thing i cannot bring myself to eat is Tofu (sorry Megan, it's not good!).  

We also toured the church where we will be receiving our language classes and the area around Chiyoda.  Meeting the staff there was one of the most awkward experiences of my life, although they tried and i think it was more us americans that felt out of place.  Yet we did get a nice giggle out of Katrina who thought it was hysterical.  I'm excited to meet the rest of the VYMers who are here.  I think they will be a big encouragement.

Well that's enough for now.  I'll post pictures soon and if you want to know more you can facebook, skype, or AIM me and talk whenever i'm available. 

Prayer List:

1.  People of Japan that their loneliness and despair can be cured with the love of God.

2.  Me so that i can find my way around the city and not miss home as much.

3.  My fellow VYMers that we may encourage one another and support each other with the love of Christ.

4.  My friends and family back home who are struggling with my absence.

5.  The work God intends to be done in Japan so that i can help to further that to His ultimate glory.

More to come...

Lord's workmanship

BEginning at 9:00 am tomorrow i will be on my way to Japan.  Please pray for me.

Tests that have weird grading scales...

the Lord really knows how to test us when we're really gonna need it. Right now his tests consist of letting go. This week i am saying my first final goodbyes. Everytime I leave a friend's apartment or am going to my car, I know the look or the hug that is coming is meant to be the last one. However, I always say I'm here until... and then say we'll see each other again before i leave. I can't let go. I want to go to Japan desperately (especially considering the amount vaccinations have cost) yet i don't want to leave things here. I want to load up my airline Uhaul and fly to Japan with all of my stuff. Yet, I know that the true test from the Lord right now is to let things go. He's trying to show me that stuff doesn't matter and to trust in him. And it's really hard for me!

I think the hardest things to let go of are my friends and family. Not that i'm never going to see them again necissarily, just that i must leave them here as i go forward. It's a journey i want to take but one that will be tought simply for the fact that i am so attached to everything i have here. Oh well, i guess i have to trust in him infinitely more than i already do. Pray for that if anything. Oh, that and fundraising.

And you can take 70 pound dogs with you to Japan right? If not my puppy needs to find a good home. Please let me know if you know of one.
With hope in Christ.

Times are "a-changin'"...

This past week has been amazing and yet awful at the same time.  More awful than amazing.  Here's what happened.  I have been feeling recently that I'm totally unprepared for Japan and should not go.  Along with that my fundraising hasn't been progressing as well as i had hoped, in fact, hasn't progressed at all in the past week.  (please don't take it as a plee for more fundraising just a comment on how things are going.)  Now along with this i have a ton of bills coming up that i do not have the money for and my home life is becoming stressful.  In line with this i have to give my dear sweet puppy up for adoption because my parents are over stressed and cannot take care of her the way ether of us want to.  So, this is my stressful situation as it stands.  I hate writing these type of things because i know that there are people out there that are more stressed than i am but i need to vent and since the one above my chin doesn't seem to work i use the printed word.  

Anyway with all this stuff just stressin' me out there have been some great things happening.  Like when my brother and sister and i go to Ihop for breakfast every Sunday after church, or the fact that i meet with my pastor every week at a Wendy's just to talk, and today i went out to dinner with my family and we had the best time, my nephew's screaming not included.  But going to dinner and then going back to my grandparent's house was awesome.  I helped my grandpa with food and just sat and socialized; for the first time in a long time i felt like i belonged there.  Then on the way home my brother, sister, and i sang country songs in the car.  IT was an awesome experience!  I am so thankful to the Lord for how he is providing for me lately. Maybe not with money and fundraising, but with friends and family.  He has even given me a partner in fighting against my sinful nature.  Something a friend said to me once has just been coming back to me and convicting em of my sin so that when those sins return i think of her and am strengthened!   He is so great and i am so anxious to see the plans he has in store for me.

Prayer requests:

1. My family so that they can overcome the difficulties they are facing.
2. Fundraising, in all it's forms.
3. My walk with the Lord
4. Preparations for Japan
5. Guidance