In 2005 I remember passing by a dog store in Bell Mall here in Utsunomiya where the display dogs were wearing a tuxedo and a wedding dress. Now if that is not ridiculous, just wait to hear what I found out tonight.
I went to dinner with my roommate Yoichi and afterwards he turned on the evening news. They had a special on dog accessories. I will work my way up from the not so amazing to the 'you have to be kidding me' items.
1) The dog stores in Japan have clothing for there dogs to wear, which is not uncommon since America has started the same trend. They also have specialty food items for dogs that cost $20-30 for one dish of food. I might as well go buy a steak from the grocery store and let my dog eat it.
2) There are dog restaurants in Japan. People actually take their dogs into the restaurant, sit them in a chair next to them and the person orders food for both of them. So imagine a very nice and clean restaurant where half of the customers are dogs.
3) Birthday parties for dogs. There are also restaurants where you can invite other peoples dogs and the people sit there and let the dogs eat Birthday cakes and they sing happy birthday to the dog. If you ask me, it seems that dogs are starting to replace children.
4) The most amazing thing I saw tonight was contact lenses. That's right. Contact lenses for dogs. They go in to an optometrists and get there eyes examined, somehow, and the optometrists then puts contacts on the dogs and gives the owner replacements. Only in Japan and probably soon in the US.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Frustrated?
Over the past 4-5 days I have become frustrated little by little by so many things because ultimately it seems I can't do anything right. I will name some of them to let you have an idea.
One of those is language. Whether it be language class or talking with friends, I will say something and there response is,"I understand but it is either to formal, to informal, just doesn't sound quite right to a natural speaker." Sometimes, there are two ways to say the same thing but it always seems that I end up using the one that doesn't fit the situation quite right. I don't know.
Second would be all those small details of life that don't seem like a big deal. I will take the example of cooking. So the vegetables here are probably the cleanest vegetables I have ever seen. The carrots look spotless and the potatoes don't have a speck of dirt on them. It seems that the carrot must be peeled. The funny thing is you can't tell were you have already peeled because there is no difference but you must peel it. The potatoes also seem to be one of those things that you must peel. So I peeled the potatoes and they had those small dots where an indentation was that still had skin on it, so I thought no big deal. Wrong. No skin anywhere.
Another thing is language study has been pretty lonely during the week. I live with one staff and two former students who work about 12 hour days 6 days a week. If I see them for 10 minutes during the week, that is a lot. So it is pretty much Tomo and I but Tomo is often gone from the house during the day, so studying can be pretty boring after a while. I came to realize this week that I don't have anyone to talk to during the afternoon and evenings while studying. Not English or Japanese. On my trips here before I have always had someone close by who I could speak English with and talk to at anytime but I don't have that now.
During the last couple days God has been teaching me a lot about relying on Him. It is so easy to rely on friendships and relationships and kind of rely upon God. So during the last week, I started to feel that I couldn't do anything right which is very frustrating and humbling. Imagine going through a 3 day time period where 90% of everything you do isn't quite right and you get corrected for it and you can't speak English back to them. That is the way I have felt. Almost nothing you do is the way you are used to doing it.
But God has shown me once again that these times of trials are to help me conform into the image of Christ. Even the small little things of everyday life for when I am weak, then I am made strong. Our Awesome God who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, He who is so great and myself who is so small is right here next to me helping me see the truth in this situation. Through all these difficulties and frustrations of the past week, he has been drawing me closer to Himself and showing me his great power with one arm and his great tender care with the other.
I have some ideas of things I can do where I can meet with students and still study Japanese full-time. Please be praying for me that I will be using the Japanese that I have learned while making deeper relationships with the students.
One of those is language. Whether it be language class or talking with friends, I will say something and there response is,"I understand but it is either to formal, to informal, just doesn't sound quite right to a natural speaker." Sometimes, there are two ways to say the same thing but it always seems that I end up using the one that doesn't fit the situation quite right. I don't know.
Second would be all those small details of life that don't seem like a big deal. I will take the example of cooking. So the vegetables here are probably the cleanest vegetables I have ever seen. The carrots look spotless and the potatoes don't have a speck of dirt on them. It seems that the carrot must be peeled. The funny thing is you can't tell were you have already peeled because there is no difference but you must peel it. The potatoes also seem to be one of those things that you must peel. So I peeled the potatoes and they had those small dots where an indentation was that still had skin on it, so I thought no big deal. Wrong. No skin anywhere.
Another thing is language study has been pretty lonely during the week. I live with one staff and two former students who work about 12 hour days 6 days a week. If I see them for 10 minutes during the week, that is a lot. So it is pretty much Tomo and I but Tomo is often gone from the house during the day, so studying can be pretty boring after a while. I came to realize this week that I don't have anyone to talk to during the afternoon and evenings while studying. Not English or Japanese. On my trips here before I have always had someone close by who I could speak English with and talk to at anytime but I don't have that now.
During the last couple days God has been teaching me a lot about relying on Him. It is so easy to rely on friendships and relationships and kind of rely upon God. So during the last week, I started to feel that I couldn't do anything right which is very frustrating and humbling. Imagine going through a 3 day time period where 90% of everything you do isn't quite right and you get corrected for it and you can't speak English back to them. That is the way I have felt. Almost nothing you do is the way you are used to doing it.
But God has shown me once again that these times of trials are to help me conform into the image of Christ. Even the small little things of everyday life for when I am weak, then I am made strong. Our Awesome God who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, He who is so great and myself who is so small is right here next to me helping me see the truth in this situation. Through all these difficulties and frustrations of the past week, he has been drawing me closer to Himself and showing me his great power with one arm and his great tender care with the other.
I have some ideas of things I can do where I can meet with students and still study Japanese full-time. Please be praying for me that I will be using the Japanese that I have learned while making deeper relationships with the students.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Pictures
I realize that some of you by now are wondering where my pictures are. I am trying to figure out a good way to publish my pictures. I am open to advice. I am seeing if there is a way to directly use blogger and do so or I know you can use other websites. If you have any ideas let me know. Thank you.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Update on New Family Member
So I had a chance to talk to Tokusan tonight. I had heard that she initially told someone she had a new boyfriend as her way of saying that she is now a follower of Jesus Christ. So when I saw her tonight, I said, "I heard you have a new boyfriend." She had a huge smile on her face and pulled me aside and she told me that last night she decided to follow Jesus Christ and prayed with Gibbs, Keith, and Wachi.
When our team was here in 2005 for two months, she was a sophomore interested in the Bible and learning more. Over the last two years, people kept wondering when she would believe as she had an understanding but something kept her from believing. Through God bringing in people in different places she said that she thought she believed in Jesus but really wanted to be sure she did and last night during the SLT meeting we looked at Ephesians 1:15-19 and she wanted to have the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of God. During that discussion she said she realized the only way to get to know God was to believe in Him, as she has been trying to know God completely without believing.
There is joy in heaven before the angels of God over Tokusan who is no longer lost and there is much joy here between believers.
When our team was here in 2005 for two months, she was a sophomore interested in the Bible and learning more. Over the last two years, people kept wondering when she would believe as she had an understanding but something kept her from believing. Through God bringing in people in different places she said that she thought she believed in Jesus but really wanted to be sure she did and last night during the SLT meeting we looked at Ephesians 1:15-19 and she wanted to have the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of God. During that discussion she said she realized the only way to get to know God was to believe in Him, as she has been trying to know God completely without believing.
There is joy in heaven before the angels of God over Tokusan who is no longer lost and there is much joy here between believers.
Speaking of Family
So as I had just talked about our spiritual family, there is some rejoicing today for a new member. Tokusan is a new sister in Christ. She is a senior who has been one of the students leading the Freshman Bible Study.
So last night as we were at the Student Leadership Team meeting, we split up into two groups to pray at the end of our time. We both finished but the one group seemed to be just talking and it was getting late so some of us left to go home. It turns out that Tokusan officially trusted in Christ last night. Man, I wish I could have been there. I will have a chance to see her tonight at Buff's going back to America party. I look forward to hearing her story.
So last night as we were at the Student Leadership Team meeting, we split up into two groups to pray at the end of our time. We both finished but the one group seemed to be just talking and it was getting late so some of us left to go home. It turns out that Tokusan officially trusted in Christ last night. Man, I wish I could have been there. I will have a chance to see her tonight at Buff's going back to America party. I look forward to hearing her story.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
SLT - Student Leadership Team
Tonight, we had our student leadership team meeting. During the week there are Bible Discussions Monday through Thursday Night and it is exciting to see that some of the students are leading Bible Discussions. On Tuesday and Thursday night is B cubed. 5 students from BEST Club lead a Bible Discussion for Freshman and they have been having around 15 students come to their study which is totally awesome. Tonight, Wachi said that the Freshman class reminds him a lot of the way his class (currently seniors) was when they were Freshman. How encouraging to hear that as the current senior class will be missed greatly when they graduate next March. It is encouraging to meet with student believers as a group and see how God is challenging them in teaching other students the Scriptures.
On a different note, I should hopefully be able to cook some meals soon. Currently I can cook curry and rice from scratch but other than that it is either instant or boiled. On Tuesday I will be getting together with Hiroyuki and he will teach me some meals to cook. Healthy Meals! Not ones loaded with salt as a preservative. I have not been able to spend much time with students because of language so I am glad to be able to set up a time with Hiroyuki on a somewhat regular basis.
As I have continued to think more about what it means to be a Christian, I have been encouraged by the Christian family that God has put together. I listened to John Piper's Sermon from 4/29/2007 which was about being single in Christ. The title can be a little misleading as he does talk a little about singleness but he talked about spiritual generations and our spiritual family, mothers, brothers, and sisters and how God originally used generations with Israel through reproduction to how generations are now mostly through spiritual fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters. I would challenge you to listen to this message as it was a phenomenal message. Click Here to go to the page.
What a blessing it is to be able to go practically anywhere in the world and be united with family. The family that will last for eternity!
On a different note, I should hopefully be able to cook some meals soon. Currently I can cook curry and rice from scratch but other than that it is either instant or boiled. On Tuesday I will be getting together with Hiroyuki and he will teach me some meals to cook. Healthy Meals! Not ones loaded with salt as a preservative. I have not been able to spend much time with students because of language so I am glad to be able to set up a time with Hiroyuki on a somewhat regular basis.
As I have continued to think more about what it means to be a Christian, I have been encouraged by the Christian family that God has put together. I listened to John Piper's Sermon from 4/29/2007 which was about being single in Christ. The title can be a little misleading as he does talk a little about singleness but he talked about spiritual generations and our spiritual family, mothers, brothers, and sisters and how God originally used generations with Israel through reproduction to how generations are now mostly through spiritual fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters. I would challenge you to listen to this message as it was a phenomenal message. Click Here to go to the page.
What a blessing it is to be able to go practically anywhere in the world and be united with family. The family that will last for eternity!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
What does it mean to you to be a Christian?
Friday Night during our Bible Discussion, I was in a group with 4 freshman who have probably only had about maybe 6 Bible Discussions maybe more if they go to the Freshman Bible Study night. We looked at the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. Conversation was slower than usual because of the language barrier and because 3 of the 4 students are fairly quiet.
Near the end of the study, one of the girls asked me what it means to me to be a Christian? Simple answer, right? The question seemed to come out of nowhere. I then started to try and explain but I quickly remembered I am talking to students who don't have the background of information that I do. So then I tried to make a broader example of the Bible relating it to the Prodigal Son. I have no idea how effective it was but that simple question has really challenged me. I do not think that I have ever been asked that question. In America, people have stereotypes of what a Christian is so they have no reason to ask because they think they know. Well, here in Japan, there is not a stereotype amongst many students and she really wanted to know.
I pray that the Lord will use that time tonight to bring glory to His name. I am now challenged to come up with a 1-2 minute answer or illustration to help someone understand what it means to be a Christian. My initial reaction is, do you have an hour because I want to explain the whole Bible to you.
So if someone came up to you and said What does it mean to be a Christian, How would you answer them? Assume that they have little to no understanding of the Bible. I would love to hear some comments.
Near the end of the study, one of the girls asked me what it means to me to be a Christian? Simple answer, right? The question seemed to come out of nowhere. I then started to try and explain but I quickly remembered I am talking to students who don't have the background of information that I do. So then I tried to make a broader example of the Bible relating it to the Prodigal Son. I have no idea how effective it was but that simple question has really challenged me. I do not think that I have ever been asked that question. In America, people have stereotypes of what a Christian is so they have no reason to ask because they think they know. Well, here in Japan, there is not a stereotype amongst many students and she really wanted to know.
I pray that the Lord will use that time tonight to bring glory to His name. I am now challenged to come up with a 1-2 minute answer or illustration to help someone understand what it means to be a Christian. My initial reaction is, do you have an hour because I want to explain the whole Bible to you.
So if someone came up to you and said What does it mean to be a Christian, How would you answer them? Assume that they have little to no understanding of the Bible. I would love to hear some comments.
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