En Fin

Tokyo, Japan -- So, it's my last night in Japan, and that's kinda pretty sad. It's been a great trip and I've had so many experiences, so much to observe and learn and hear and see and... I don't even know if I can come up with a key word or a good way to describe it. So, the next step is to analyze, evaluate, and pray. A lot of that-- and we had a good prayer night tonight. They have a meeting every week on Friday evenings and at the beginning, it was just so sweet to just shut up and be silent before God... not asking or wondering, just being with Him.

Also among nice things today has been the meeting with Tim and Christine. We talked about the trip, about future possibilities (God willing) and I asked all the questions that I hadn't gotten an answer to and ran by my observations to see if I was on track or not.

It was a very productive meeting... and a productive trip as well.So, I said I would write some fun things and that I shall do. So, here we go.

Most "ehh??" thing about Japan:

The bathrooms. I don't like to do bathroom talks really. But, they are just so odd. And each one is different. Many times I have asked myself... Hmm... Ok, so how do you flush this one? Some are squatty style, some are Western style. Some have these machines that make running water sounds. Some of them flush automatically (like, the flush handle moves by itself, which freaked me out the first time). On one of them, Fumiko told me that she walked in and the toilet seat rose up automatically. She looked at it quizzically and said, "I can do that myself. Why do they make that?" And then there are the toilet seat warmers. And some toilet seats have buttons so you can choose if you want the water stuff, how warm you want the seat... it's insane.

Three foods I didn't particularly care for:- Uni. You read about that one in the last blog. It tastes like what open sewers smell like.
- Nato. It's fermented soy beans, if I remember correctly. Actually, the taste isn't too bad-- it just looks really, really gross. And supposedly doesn't smell too well either.

- Actually, I can't think of anything else that I didn't like. Some things I didn't mind, but didn't care for the texture. But, all in all, everything was pretty good.

Three places you should definitely see if visiting Japan:

- Kyoto. Obviously. There is a lot of history there, it's beautiful, the people are friendly (well, not overly friendly). I recommend Kinkakuji. Don't go to Kyoto without seeing it!

-Shinjuku. The view from the observatory towers is amazing.

-I'm vieing for either Harajuku or Himeji. Himeji is a nice city too, and the castle is amazing-- but Harajuku has the cosplay, which is just interesting to see. (These suggestions are based only on my visit... not for all of Japan. If you're super serious and have money... well, do some more research).

Three Difficult things to Adjust to:

- Not being able to read. Feeling illiterate really makes you feel out of place and kinda unsure of yourself at first. After that it can be fun. Learning Hiragana will help.

- Making sure to follow the rules. There are rules for everything in Japan. And often they are clearly marked. Walk up this side of the stairs and down that. Stand at the yellow arrows to wait in line for the train. Don't eat and walk (that one's not written). At first, it's a bit overwhelming, but before you know it, you're already catching on and just doing it.

- Space. It's all SO small here, and you really have to take advantage of every inch of space you have and multi-use everything. That's efficiency-- but sometimes you feel like you're banging into everything.

Most important word in Japanese:
I'm choosing 2:
-Sumimasen-- excuse me. You can and should use it for everything.

-Arigatou Gozaimasu- Thank you. Again, use it repeatedly all the time.

Three Things I will miss about the house here:

- Breakfasts. Toasted rye bread with strawberry jam and granola with soy milk. Breakfasts were good!- Sleeping on the floor on my little bed.

- The atmosphere. I just liked it.

Three People who Impacted me the most:

- Tim and Christine. Their story is amazing and just seeing their dedication and commitment to the people and to God has been inspiring. I was also just impressed by their dedication to prayer.

- Yasu and Abbie. I really liked them-- they are quiet, firm and generous. They have just a real sweet spirt about them and are very sincere, you can see.

- Marcelo and Erika. They are the pastors of the Brazillian church. Wow, incredible people with a passion for God and real concern and care for the people.

Three Reasons why I want to come back:

- The need. Less than .4% of the population are evangelical Christians.

- The people. Even though they are shy and it takes a long time to develop relationships with them, I still really like the Japanese people! I really want to just show them Jesus!

- A vision. I have a heart to see Japan come to Jesus. I love the place and being here, but how I want to see them have Jesus. I want to see young people, dressed like goths or all pink and frilly or on the high end of Tokyo fashion coming together with a fire for God! Woo-hoo!

Of course, that is subject to God's will. So, we'll wait and see what He says.I've been trying to write this, and I find myself sitting here with my eyes closed and dozing off. So, that's probably a good clue to get to bed. If you remember, please pray for me while I'm travelling... for safe travels, and the works. Thank you for being a part of this trip. It's been incredible. But I couldn't have done it without your support. Thank you SO much.