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| tadaima! Back in AmericaApparently there are people who still check my blog, so it's about time for me to update this thing...
After 2 years in Japan I am finally back home...
It's only been a few days, so i'm still a bit jet-lag. I'm still getting readjusted to the time change, and experiencing mini reverse culture-shock. I love my family and the familiarity of home, yet at the same time, I really miss Japan and especially my community in Tokyo.
This is absolutely one of my favorite photos. It's my 2 worlds (Japan & family) coming together.
March 2008 at Ueno Park:
My heart still is being pulled in 2 directions. I feel like I have 2 homes... Japan & California. I don't know where to go from here...
I'm spending this time to figure out what God's will is for my life:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and he will make your paths straight."
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
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| Christmas is almost here, so I thought I better give an update!
The weather: The temperature has significantly dropped since the end of
November, right around Thanksgiving. It doesn't really snow at
all in Tokyo, but I have become a pro at layering and trying to stay
warm.
Spiritual climate: When I compare this year to last year, it seems like
Japanese university students are a lot more receptive to the
Gospel. Especially during the holiday season, it's easier to talk
about Jesus and the real meaning of Christmas. The other day I
got to watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (a classic) and was reminded
that sometimes we over-commercialize Christmas. In Japan,
Christmas has somehow become a couple-y holiday. However, the real
meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus!!!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!!
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| Halloween in Tokyo...
(sorry it's turned side-ways... but like the cool color accent function?)
Our theme of the nights was... "The Masks we wear"... One of the STINT
leaders shared his testimony along with the Gopel. Many students
resonated with his life story and the theme of the night. How
often do we pretend to be something that we're not in order to be
loved? Why do we hide our true selves?
There is so much freedom in being fully loved & fully accepted by
God. You don't have to worry about what other people think.
I pray that more people would take down their "masks" and be their TRUE
self!
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| It's so crazy how one day I can wake up in San Francisco... surrounded by familiarity, family, friends, fog, ocean...
Me & the Girls (Jockettes) Reunited!!! Congrats to MeL who just got engaged =)
Golden Gate Bridge in the FOG...
on a clear day just at sunset with Fumi (my friend from Kyoto) and Jon
Jon took us to his farm and gave us the grand tour. A beautiful place off Highway 1. What a view...
My new favorite "tea" shirt!!!
And now...after flying through the clouds...
I wake up today and I'm back in Tokyo... back to the busy, crowded,
trendy, efficient, lonely, BIG city I call home for the next year:
My first day back, there was a typhoon! Fortunately, it has
passed and now it's HOT and HUMID. note to the reader: don't come
to Japan in the summer time (especially in August) if you want to avoid
heat stroke or this heat rash that I think I'm developing.
I'm still a little disoriented with my time zones.... I've been waking
up in the early a.m. hours the past couple of days. I'm in
transition now. Living out of my suitcase and old apartment until
they give the Okay for us to move into our new place. I have 2
roomates now, for a total of 3 of us, thus- the move... I'm
excited!
After we settle in (the Re-STINTers), we will help welcome/receive the rest of our teammates who will arrive on the 21st.
japanese lesson of the day: Mushi-atsui (hot & humid)
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