What Christmas Looks Like in Japan

Recently some friends were asking us about our Kentucky Fried Chicken plans for Christmas. They had heard about this Japanese tradition and wondered if it was really true. So instead of a long Facebook reply, we are putting this on the blog because others may find this interesting, too. KFC ( known simply as Kentucky here in Japan), is THE place for your Christmas meal here in Japan. However, as far as we know, most people don't actually eat at the restaurant on Christmas.
This tradition appears to have started in the mid-seventies, when they started promoting Christmas meals apparently after some foreigners ended up at KFC on Christmas day when they couldn't find turkey in Japan (it is still hard to find turkey, but in recent years we are seeing it in a few more stores).
Christmas is not an actual holiday in Japan. Most people work on the 25th and in recent years the Japanese school year starts their winter break after Christmas. In Japan, New Years is the big family holiday. Everyone comes home for New Years. Christmas was often thought of as a romantic date night. It is still popular for couples today.
Young families began celebrating Christmas in the Western way (North American and UK). The image of Christmas is chicken and Christmas cake. (Subject of a whole other blog). An added bonus is that starting in December, the statues of the Colonel outside most KFC restaurants are dressed up like Santa.
KFC is now the standard for Christmas meals, offering a decorated bucket of chicken with salad, Christmas cake, biscuits, and a collectors plate. These buckets are so popular, you can begin making reservations early in December.
Since we moved to the town we are living in now and have a KFC less than a 5 minute bike ride away, we have started doing this tradition again. Our family likes KFC, but most of the year the meals are just chicken and fries (and a little pricy for fast food). So we reserved a bucket, and on Christmas day, at the appointed time, someone will bike over and pick it up.

Moving and Trusting God

When we returned to Japan after our summer in North America last year, we knew that the big house we were moving into was temporary and we would have to move out by mid July. So we kept our eyes open for places to live. This past January we found out that a missionary family that lived very close to the school was moving. We looked at the place and became very excited about the possibility of living there. It seemed perfect for our family, a good size, a minute from the school, three minutes from the train station and many of the conveniences of a western style house.

We asked about it right away, but they said they needed to decided what they were going to do with the place. In March we were told it was not available. I was disappointed I wanted to live like so many of the other missionaries I knew. I felt we had lived in a small Japanese apartment far from the school for too many years. The boys commuted 2 hours a day for three and a half years. I felt the boys deserved to live close to the school. I thought I was finally going to get my dream of having a washer and a dryer like so many of my expat friends. I asked about a few other missionary houses but we were told they were all unavailable.

It seemed nothing was available, so we began looking elsewhere for a place to live. We found a house that seemed promising and compared it to a few others that were available. There were things we liked and things we were worried about, but we decided to look into it. Unfortunately, something was lost in translation and things began happening faster than we wanted. We thought we were just expressing interest, but less than a week later we got a call saying we had the place and could move in by the next week. Our friends were a great help in getting us into this place. It went pretty smoothly but any move is challenging.

On Friday, May 1^st, the last of our boxes and things were moved from the old place. It was a little overwhelming. There were boxes everywhere. It didn't seem like we would ever find a place to put all of our stuff. I went to bed exhausted. Terence came to bed a little later. He woke me up to share an e-mail he had just gotten. It was from the person in charge of the house we had wanted from January. The people who were going to move there had backed out and it was available if we wanted it. We really wanted that place, so I considered taking matters into my own hands and getting what I wanted no matter what the cost. We sent an e-mail to see how much it would cost to get out of the contract. I began to plan how to make it happen. We could just leave all of our boxes packed and have a moving company come move them. We could pay the money to get out of the contract. We could stay here for a few months and then move to the better place. As we began adding up all the costs involved, I had to admit that it was neither wise nor practical. I gave up moving but I didn't give up my desire yet.

I was very angry at God for a few days. I knew what I wanted, and God knew what I wanted. Why was God so mean? Not only did we have to settle for our second choice but then we had to know that the place we wanted was available and we still couldn't have it. It took me a few days to stop acting like a stubborn, spoiled child. I realized that God was wise and there must be a reason why we were where we were. I also realized that I had to trust God. I might never know God's plan but I know God's character so I can trust him. By trusting God I was able to give up my stubborn desire.

Of course there is more to the story. We are settling into our second choice house. It is becoming home to us. It is really a good size for us, bigger than our apartment and smaller than the big house we were in. It is a two story duplex. We have the right side. It also has a parking space (for when friends visit) and a small backyard with trees. It is convenient for shopping. On the down side it is near a busy street and a gravel parking lot where people repair cars or pack work trucks at 6:00am. Also our neighbor is a serious smoker and sometimes the smoke comes in our open windows. It had a plumbing problem but we think that is fixed now. We are pretty much unpacked. A bit after we were settled God blessed us with information we never thought we would know. A friend of ours sent us a link to a blog. She found out who would be moving into the house we had wanted.

It turns out it was very important that the other family have a house near the school. They were praying about this situation. Shortly after the prayer they found out that the place we couldn't take was available. So they were able to take it. You can read their side of the story by following this link.

http://thevanclaninjapan.blogspot.jp/2015/05/jehovah-jireh-our-provider.html

I am happy for this family. I look forward to getting to know them. I am thankful to have the opportunity to know a little of God's plan. I can see that their family needs that location more than we do. I am also excited about what God has in store for our family in this new neighborhood.

Maybe next time I won't be so stubborn and trust God sooner.

By the way this picture is our family on the second story balcony of our new house. 

The Big Picture

The boys weren't with me on this adventure, but I like the picture

I had an unexpected adventure today. I decided to blog about it because I learned something from it and because my husband gets to be compared to God in the story. I love my husband very much and think he has some great gifts, but it is not often I get to compare him to God. 

I started off this morning with plenty of time. I left nice and early because I decided to try a new way to work. Since we moved, the school that I go to on Tuesday is a challenge to get to. Terence goes there too, so we have been experimenting with different routes. Driving is the easiest option, but without traffic you can expect it to take an hour. And driving is really not an option for us because we have no license and no car. The train would be the next choice, but that is not easy either. There are several options but they take from a hour and a half to two hours with multiple transfers and walks between stations. So the option I was going to try today was biking. The ride was about 10.6 miles each way. With traffic, yes even on the sidewalks, and crossings and hills we figured it would take around an hour and a half. I reviewed the route on Google Maps and asked my dear husband to print it our for me in close-up sections so it would be easy for me to look at while biking. I did fine until page four. Page four had the difficult turn, the place where five roads intersect,. It was five miles into my journey. I got that segment of the map turned around. The segment was so small that the major train station I had just passed was not on the map for reference. I turned the wrong way. I followed that road for another 2 miles until Terence called me between classes to check on my progress. I was doing good. I had ridden seven and a half miles and had been biking less than an hour. 

Of course, that is not the end of the story. Terence had the big picture. He had the entire map pulled up on his computer. As I continued riding I tried to tell him the places and roads I passed. It wasn't long before he realized I wasn't doing so well. He finally figured out where I was. He discovered that the wrong road I took back at the difficult intersection actually was taking me back closer to home. I had made a big triangle. It would be another 9 miles of biking to get to school or I could take the train. Either way I was going to miss two of my three classes. I called the school and offered to come after lunch and nap time, figuring I surely could make it by then. Yet the head teacher kindly said I could just be absent today. 

So the moral of the story is, as much as you think you got all the details, as much as you think you are in control, it is the one who has the big picture who can help you when you are lost. This summer we shared in churches and we talked about how only God knows why we have to wait. Sometimes we must wait for answers; wait for results. I thought about how God has the big picture, yet sometimes we forget about our connection. 

When I was going along feeling good with no idea I was going in the opposite direction, it was then that Terence called me. He was concerned and decided to check on me. He stayed on the phone with me, following my path until a solution could be found. I was in constant contact with him. The day ended up ok. I didn't make it to work but I got to discover some places that will be useful in the future and I got to have a lunch date with my husband. Maybe that was part of the big picture. Today I was lost, but I was never in danger. I was not hurt and there is no lasting damage from my big adventure. 

My thoughts turn to my aunt, who is half a world away. She too is struggling with the big picture. Her questions are more significant. The pain she feels, the pain she sees, is real. She sees a baby boy who died of whooping cough. She sees a young mama who grieves his loss while holding tight to his twin sister. My aunt also sees seniors living out their last days with pain and suffering. She asks why. I don't know what to tell her. All I can say is that God sees the big picture. Life doesn't always make sense. It is unfair and it hurts. Yet, I want her to know that even when it is hard to see God working, she always has a connection. God will listen as she calls out questions and frustrations. God will walk this path right along with her through all the hard days and the easy days. Our God will be with her and bring her safely home. May she help bring God`s comfort and presence to all in need. 

Not the Saturday I Was Hoping For

This wasn't the Saturday I was hoping for. First it was a school day for Xavier. An open school day, which means parents are invited (expected) to come and watch. So we all got to go to school on Saturday. We also got a message that a friend needed to go to see a doctor. They are new to Japan and have not found a doctor near them. We offered to help them see a doctor in our area, but they had to drive over an hour to get to our area. I called our doctor and found out that she closes at 12:00 on Saturday and we didn't think they would be able to get here in time. We got them there at a couple minutes after 12:00, but our doctor was still able to take them in, which saved a lot of time. Our plan B was to take him to the hospital, which would have been more complicated. After Terence successfully helped them at the doctor and the pharmacy, we went back to tackling the list of things we needed to do today.

Then at about 4:30 Xavier called to tell us Tai fell at the neighbourhood park. He said his arm was weak. After we got him home and looked at his wrist we knew we were going to have to go to the hospital. Willem used his boy scout skills and did some first aid. He made a splint out of a sushi roller and a couple of boy scout neckerchiefs. We called the nearest hospital and were told we had to call the special phone number to find out which hospital ER to go to. (There is a system where different ER's see different patients after hours). We had to deal with this last August when we took Willem to get stitches on his birthday. Turns out the ER for us was the one we called first, the one closest to our apartment. It is about a 15 minute walk from our house, or a five minute bike ride. So we called the ER and found out that he had to be there by 5:00, which gave us about 10 minutes to get him there. This is a time where bicycles as our only form of transportation prove an extra challenge.  There was not enough time for a taxi to come, and our friend with a car was working. So bicycle was our best option. He couldn't ride his own bike* with an injured wrist so he went on the back of one of our bikes and we headed down the hill.  We made it right at 5:00 and finished right at 6:00.

We were pretty impressed with what they got done in that hour. The nurse came to look at him and they took him back to see the doctor.  Then he got x-rays, went back to the doctor to put his dislocated wrist back in place, and had a quick cast put on.  Then it was back for follow-up x-rays, along with a back x-ray to check his back which he decided then to tell us also hurt.  We then discovered the wrist was still not exactly right so they gave him a CT scan.  After that it was back to doctor for results, a referral and a prescription for pain meds. We then paid the full amount (most will be refunded on Monday) and got the prescription filled from hospital pharmacy.

The results were that he had a dislocated wrist and small bone that was shattered. We go on Monday for a surgery consult as they think he needs a pin put in. The surgery might be that day, too. We are a little worried about the overnight situation at the hospital. If one of us stay overnight with him we have to get him a private room which we would have to pay a lot extra for. The problem is, he will not be in the pediatric ward. If he was there he would be ok having him stay by himself but none of us are comfortable with him being in a room with three other male patients. Pray that we can work something out.


*When Willem cut his head he had to take about 45 minutes worth of train to get home because it would have taken much longer for us to go get him. We planned to take him to the nearest hospital but found out he had to go to one in a neighbouring town because he couldn't make it by 5:00. So he had to ride his bike with us for 15 minutes to another train line and then take another train to the right hospital.

Missionary Fail

I got this.

When your ministry is with a small congregation in a country that does not experience rapid church growth, you are always looking for ways to invite and attract people to your church. I had been toying with an idea for months, actually. It is something that I had seen done by some of our sister congregations in Japan.

You see, the Japanese have a holiday in November. It is called Shichi-go-san or 7-5-3. When girls turn 3 or 7 and boys turn 3 or 5 they are dressed in elaborate kimonos or fancy western clothes and taken to visit a shrine. This is usually one of the times that formal portraits are made of the children.

So we decided to have a special service/celebration. We would combine the idea of a fall festival with a service of blessing for children. Our church members thought this sounded like a good idea. Our plan was to have fall festival games for the kids during Sunday School time. Our service would be kid friendly with easier songs and a more interactive message. During the service the children would be called up, blessed by the pastor (me) and given a small gift. After the service, the kids would make commemorative hand prints in a traditional Japanese style. Then everyone would enjoy a potluck lunch. A big event for our church, but nothing I couldn't handle. I got this.

We prepared posters and flyers to hang at the preschool and to give to English classes. The preschool was very supportive about helping us advertise. The weeks before the event found some of our regular members absent. No problem, people were stepping-up. One member donated the special cards for the handprints. Another member took them home and beautifully wrote the church name and date. Our translator would be back for the big service. We found out our worship leader and piano player would not be there, but we adapted.

It was all coming together. The projector was arranged, the message was done (ahead of schedule even). The perfect gifts were found, small Bible story picture books. The cupcakes for the Sunday School party were baked. I was feeling good about the whole thing. I got this.

At nine o'clock pm the night before I got a call from a church member. “Are we starting an hour early,” she asked? “No,” I said. “Why would we?” That was when we discovered our error. Somehow we totally messed up the time on the posters and flyers. We had the event starting an hour early and, perhaps even worse, we had the worship scheduled for an hour and a half. Now for some of you an hour and a half of worship every Sunday morning might be a part of your normal routine, but keep in mind that these are people who have probably never attended a service before, and they are expected to sit through it with their children.

I was so frustrated. I felt like such a failure as a missionary and a pastor. I didn't have this at all. What would we do? We barely make it in time for Sunday School as it is. We were going to be gone all day for various events. Now we had to get there an hour earlier and plan to fill an extra hour in case someone came at 9:00. We couldn't just start the event earlier because our church families would not be there until the regular time. Then I was frustrated because I was sure all the extra work I did would see no results. The church would be frustrated and not willing to try something like this again. I so did not have this. I was frustrated with myself because I knew I hadn't put much prayer into my event planning.

After my moment of panic, peace set in. I remembered I serve a great and mighty God who can do great things in spite of my inadequacies. Yes, I was frustrated with myself, but now I was excited. I knew that whatever good came from that day would be all God. I didn't have it, because at that moment I gave it away. I should have given it to God from the beginning. How thankful I am for God's grace.

So what happened? No one came at 9:00am. A girl in our Sunday School came at 9:30 with a guest who had visited before. Then, close to ten another church family came with two friends who had never been to church before. Then, in walked a boy who has been a few times, and both of his parents were with him. Usually just one brings him. We had plenty of activities to keep the kids busy. We ended up with twelve kids, a good biblical number. The service was about 40 minutes and all the kids participated. All the church members helped in many ways. Lunch was delicious and there was plenty of it. The very best part was when I got to put my hands on the heads of twelve precious children of God and bless them. Especially the little boy, who giggled and giggled the whole time.

Things We See

"When you go out into the world it is best to hold hands and stick together." - Robert Fulghum - All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.

In an effort to be more active on our blog, we are going to try to post a new picture more often.

This picture was taken just after Xavier's school entrance ceremony in April. I love this picture because when we told them to get ready for the picture they instinctively held hands. The two girls are Christy's former students, the only two from their preschool going to this elementary school.  The two boys are Xavier and his new buddy, whom he just met that day, but discovered they are the only English speakers in their class (possibly the school).

Rajio Taiso (Radio Exercies)

Willem and Tai are back in school this week, but Xavier is still on summer holidays until the beginning of September.  But one thing I am discovering about the Japanese schools system is just because you are on summer break doesn't mean you don't go to school.

We didn't sign him up for summer school (which appears to put him in a minority.  Most kids go to summer classes at school), but his school did provide times when they could come and swim in the pool, which he did participate in.

And now, for the past three mornings, Xavier and I have rushed the 200 yards to his school to join other parents and kids in the traditional Japanese experience of rajio taiso, or radio exercises. This was not a required event from the school, so when I saw that it started at 7:00 am I wondered just how many people would be there.  It was less difficult for me because I was already up getting Willem and Tai ready to go to school.  I don't know if I would have crawled out of bed for it if they were still on their summer break. But sure enough, as Xavier and I arrived a minute or two after 7 (fashionably late?) there were already about 150 kids and parents spread out on the field in front of a raised platform and PA system. I guess the fact that everyone from the school lives within walking distance of the school probably was a factor in how many people came.

The familiar tinkling piano music that everyone in Japan knows as the rajio taiso music was just starting and one of the teachers was up on the platform leading everyone in the stretches and jumping.  After that song came the Shioryama taiso - (Shiroyama is the name of the elementary school).  This was the school's special taiso music and stretching routine. As an added bonus on the second day they had a special sports mascot visit and lead the kids in exercises, too.

As soon as the music was done all the kids rushed for the tables to the left of the platform.  There, parent volunteers were handing out stamp cards that the kids could bring each day to be stamped.  They also got a little gift each day, a piece of candy, some stickers or a pencil.

As the children and parents drifted off the field to their homes it was clear that everyone had enjoyed themselves, and now that everyone and done their exercises they were full of energy and ready for whatever they day would bring.

The Importance of Business Cards

In Japan, business cards are a big deal. There is a special protocol for giving and receiving business card. Business cards are treated with great respect. For example, always take the card with both hands. Never just put a card in your pocket. Examine the card carefully when it is given and try to ask a question about it. These are just a few of the etiquette rules.

Xavier, our youngest son, is attending first grade at the neighborhood elementary school. He enjoys it a lot but it has been an adjustment for Terence and me. Many parents complain about all the papers their kids bring home from school. It becomes even more challenging when you can't read 85% of what comes home. Another challenge is adjusting to the differences in education styles. One example is school on Saturday. Our neighborhood is lucky in that the kids only go to school on one Saturday a month.  Sometimes school on Saturday is for special events like sports day, but other times it is a regular teaching day. Parents are invited, well encouraged, OK actually expected to come and observe. There is an attendance sheet for parents to mark outside the class door.

I went to watch on one of the first Saturday school days. I was thankful to see what went on in the classroom and to see how Xavier was adjusting. I was surprised when the kids got out their business cards and did an activity where they walked around the room giving out their cards. They had made these huge, notebook paper sized cards the day before. The cards had their names and their school address (grade and class number).

At first I was a little dismissive. Why was it important for my six year old to learn business card etiquette? This was probably fuelled by my irritation that Xavier had to attend school on Saturday and my annoyance at having to attend school on Saturday as well. Then I realized it was actually a good way to use a social tradition to give the kids practice writing their names and meeting their new classmates.

In the last few weeks I have been thankful for my business cards. We made up cards that have my name and address and contact numbers on one side and information about the church on the other. It includes worship times and a map from the nearest train station. Due to city layout and the dependence on public transportation, maps are vital. Recently, I have met three people out in our area and had the opportunity to invite them to church. Two of them were new to the area and looking for a place to worship. Without the business cards it would have been hard to explain all the details to them. In a society where business cards are so important in daily life, it is good to be able to use that tool in evangelism.

Because of his practice writing his name at school, Xavier was able to write his name on this card he painted.

Serving, Elementary School Style

I have no doubt that as Xavier continues attending Japanese elementary school we will come across many things that are different from what we are used to in the North American school system.  One of those differences occurred during the second week of classes.

I volunteered to help oversee the kids in Xavier's class as they learned  how to be lunch otouban, or lunch leaders.  This is not the line leaders most people think of when they think of first grade in North America.  The children are served lunch in their rooms, and it is the job of the otouban to serve the food to the rest of the class.  When I arrived, each of the otouban put on their white jackets, cap, and face mask.  Meanwhile, a long, low table was brought to the front of the room.  On it were set plates, bowls, and large containers of the lunch food.  The day I went it was rice, simmered vegetables and chicken, and mabodofu (spicy tofu and vegetable stew).  There also was some grapefruit for desert and a crate full of milk cartons.

Each of the otouban stationed themselves behind the table with the helping parents behind them to help where needed.  As the rest of the kids lined up with trays, the otouban would take a plate or a bowl, dish up a serving of food and then place it on the tray.  The last otouban was tasked with passing out milk.  The kids did a very good job of estimating what a good sized serving was, although at the end they almost ran out of rice and vegetables (this would not have been good since the teacher was the last to be served).

One thing I had worried about was that there would not be enough food for the otouban, but what I hadn't realized was that one student from the group where the otouban sat went up a second time to get the food for the otouban.  All in all, the kids did a great job of serving up the food for their classmates.

Serving lunch for your classmates is a daily job for the kids in Japanese school.  The students take turns being the otouban for one week (and at the end of the week they bring the hat and jacket home to be washed and brought in the next week for some other child).  I think it probably couldn't hurt for kids in North American schools to learn how to serve lunch to their classmates like this too. For Americans it seems unusual, but here in Japan it is a normal part of school life.

Nyugaku - Starting School

     This week, Xavier began Japanese elementary school. I think Christy and I were more nervous about him doing this than he was. Several months ago he wavered somewhat about whether he wanted to go to Japanese school or Christian Academy in Japan where his brothers go, but for the last month or two he has been quite excited about going to the local Japanese school. We decided to send him to Japanese school because CAJ is about a 1 hour commute each way, which would make for a very long day. The local elementary school is very close to our apartment. A typical day for the brothers at CAJ involves leaving home at 7:15 am and getting back around 4:45 pm. A typical day at Japanese elementary school has him leaving home around 8:15 am and returning around 2:45. Much easier on him.
      As the day approached, he watched his pile of equipment for school grow. His randoseru - the hard leather backpack all students use through elementary school; his pencil case full of writing equipment; his sportswear; his bosaizukin - the silver, padded head covering that hangs from the back of every student's desk in case of an earthquake, and so much more.
      April 8 was the entrance ceremony. This is a big event for families in Japan, so Christy, Xavier and I all dressed up neatly and headed over to the school. The first blessing for us came as we walked into the school. We were handed a sheet with the list of children in his class and were surprised to see that there was another child who was not Japanese. We soon met his parents. His father is an American from California and his mother is Japanese. The boy, J, speaks both English and Japanese, and Xavier and J hit it off almost immediately. Meeting J's parents was a blessing for us as well because one of our greatest worries is the amount of paperwork and announcements that will be coming from the school. Usually we need to bring our papers to one of the preschools to have them translate them. Now we have someone who is in Xavier's class who is willing to tell us of any important announcements that come from the school.
      The kids were all taken to their room to meet their teacher and prepare for the ceremony and we made our way into the auditorium for the ceremony. Soon the classes entered to auditorium each boy hand in hand with a girl. They entered with great pomp and ceremony. Once they were all settled into their seats the speeches began. Not just one speech, but many speeches by various important people from the school and from the district. Interspersed were various introductions of teachers and other dignitaries as well. Near the end the second grade students came in to greet the new students and perform some songs they had learned in music class last year. The whole ceremony was a few minutes shy of an hour long.

 
     Once the ceremony was over, it naturally was time for pictures. Each class came and were arranged with their parents for the obligatory group picture. Xavier ended up sitting front and center, right next to the principal. After the first picture was taken, we were somewhat alarmed to see one of the teachers on the side lines run up to Xavier and repeatedly say in English "Open your eyes! Open your eyes!" Xavier never did give us a satisfactory answers as to why he had his eyes closed during the photo session.
      Next it was time to return to Xavier's classroom. Each of the students were already sitting in their desks. The teacher called out attendance. Then she proceeded to explain some of the procedures for the class. She also had a large stack of papers for the parents to deal with at home. Each student also had a box full of supplies and a stack of books as well. At the end of the class, which lasted about 30 minutes, we piled all of the supplies into the large bag we had brought with us and hauled it home. Every item, right down to each individual pencil and eraser needed to be labeled with the student's name, grade and class. It took a while to finish, but we did manage to get everything labeled.
      The next day, Xavier didn't want me to come with him to the school He wanted to walk there by himself. I walked with him as far as the sidewalk to the school, but that was as far as he would let me take him. From there on he was on his own. He walked by himself all the way to school on his own (all 200 yards). And each day, after school, a teacher from the school walks groups of kids from the same apartment complex back to their homes.
      It has been a couple of days now that Xavier has been going to school. At the moment he is only going for a couple of hours at a time, but slowly they are making the days longer and longer. By the Beginning of the third week he will be up to the full length day from 8:30 to 2:30. But for now the short days are giving him a chance to get into the swing of things at a Japanese school while still giving him ample time to play with his friends from our apartment complex that he is making while he is at school.
      We plan on having Xavier go here for at least first grade before switching to CAJ, but already he is asking if he can go to the the school for second and third grade as well.

Near Perfect Sunday

　　Whenever we go to church on Sunday we take the train.  First we walk down our hill which takes about 15 minutes, and then we take a train for about 10 minutes.  The church is just a minute or two from the station.  Even when we get a ride home with someone from church it always seems like such a long distance to go.  It never occurred to us to try biking to church.  Willem recently did the biking merit badge with the boy scouts, so we decided we would give biking to church a try. When we checked the map on the internet we discovered it was only about 7 or 8 miles.

　　We first tried the ride about a month ago and were pleasantly surprised at how nice it was.  We live near the Tama river, which has a paved path for joggers and bikers along it.  Probably 3/4 of the ride to church follows this path.

　　Yesterday was a beautiful spring morning, so we decided to make the ride again. One thing we like about riding is that it is much less stressful.  Often we are rushing in the morning to catch our train to get to church on time.  We know we have to leave earlier when we bike, so we are all prepared to get up and get going in the morning.  The boys also are a little more cooperative in the morning when they know they get to ride their bikes.
　　The first time we went, Xavier made it about 2/3 of the way before we needed to lock his bike up at a park and put him in the seat behind Terence.  This time, however, he made the whole trip on his own.  We were very proud of him.
　　At church we had Sunday school followed by our regular service.  During the prayer time one of the prayer requests was for Mr. H.  He is a man who has recently joined our church.  He has been sick and the last we had seen him was at the end of last year. We knew he would be gone for a few weeks, but everyone was getting worried.  One of the people in our church had been trying for several weeks to get a hold of him and finally managed to call him this week.  He reported that indeed, Mr. H. had been sick.  Getting in touch with him was an answer to prayer, but an even greater one happened a few minutes later when Mr. H. walked through the door and joined us for the service.  We all were very happy to see him again.
　　After church we stayed with some others from the church to stuff Easter eggs with candy and make other preparations for Easter. For lunch we ran to a Pizza Hut near the church to pick up a pizza.  We don't have a Pizza Hut near our apartment, and when we told Willem we were having Pizza Hut he was ecstatic.  I think that really made his day.
　　When we finished at the church we made our way back home at a leisurely pace, stopping here and there to get a drink or check out a new store along the way.  We ended up coming home later than we planned, but the time spent together as a family was well worth it.

New Year's Traditions

Another New Years eve has come and gone. We can't watch the ball drop on TV out here in Japan (It happens the next morning for us anyway), but we have begun taking part in some of the Japanese traditions for the New Year. One tradition that we have made part of our family is watching the first sunrise of the new year.  The last two years the boys have really looked forward to our morning outings to see the sunrise. 

Christy had a hard time with deciding to do this tradition this year. It was the one year anniversary of her fathers death. In fact, it was while we were out for the sunrise last year that she found out her father had passed away.  The night before we decided to do it but choose another location.  Her dad, like a typical grandparent was always one for letting the boys do what they wanted to do, especially it it involved adventure. She could hear him say, "Aww Chris, don't be all emotional, just go." So this year it was even more of an adventure because we didn't have a specific destination. The next morning we all bundled up, got on our bikes and headed east, down a road we had never ridden before. We quickly found an overpass from which to watch the sunrise this year.  Then we rode our bikes to a restaurant that featured a breakfast buffet to warm up. We decided to  the long way home exploring as we went. 

The boys have even planned out what they want to do next year. As we rode home we passed a temple nestled in the woods on the side of the hill we live on. Some workers there invited us to come next New Years Eve so we could see the fireworks they shoot off. These are the fireworks Christy and Terence have seen from their bedroom window the last two years. So the boys have planned to go to bed at 5:00pm on New Years Eve, wake up at 11:00, go to the temple watch the fireworks and the bell ringing (temples ring their big bell 108 times at midnight on New Years Eve), go home for a nap or ride our bikes around until the sunrise, then go to the local public bath before we head home. Not sure if all of that is going to happen but it is fun to hear them plan.

Another New Years tradition is the eating of osechiryori.  New years is a 3 day celebration, when people spend time relaxing with family.  Since they do not want to cook, they prepare (or nowadays also buy) special lacquered boxes of prepared foods that last several days without refrigeration. This year on New Years Eve we had some Japanese and American friends over for an interesting fusion meal. We made turkey, dressing, and mashed potatoes and our Japanese friends brought osechiryori and special rice with beans.

On New Years day we enjoyed spending some time with some old friends.  The kids had fun playing together and making cookies.  

In Japan, our life is anything but traditional, however, we like the chance to choose our own, new traditions.

Worship in the Woods

It's not easy having a small church. But one advantage is that it isn't hard for the whole congregation to go on a trip together.

We had the chance to do this just 

this past weekend. We took a trip up to a mountain resort area called Kiyosato, about 3 hours north of Tokyo. The daughter of one of the families in the church works at a place called KEEP, the Kiyosato Educational Experiment Project. 

This is a facility that provides nature experiences for people of all ages. We stayed in a beautiful lodge and had the chance to go out for hikes in the woods, and made crafts from things we picked up. At night, the stars were more brilliant than I had ever seen before.

On Sunday we hiked into the woods to a fire pit. We lit a fire and as we sat around it to have our church service. On a nearby stump we set up our advent candles, and on another we built a small nativity scene with snow, leaves and branches.

The children performed a song on hand bells and we enjoyed a time of worship. After the service we ate lunch – cream stew, rice, cheese and sausages cooked over the fire. We also roasted marshmallows, mushrooms and dried squid.

The children had a great time playing in the snow. Everyone made snow angels and the older children pulled the younger ones on a sled.

It was a wonderful experience to worship surrounded by the beauty of God's creation.

Mochi Pounding

Petan, Petan, Petan. That is the sound of mochi pounding (as any Japanese from preschool age on could tell you). Mochi is pounded sweet rice, and is as much a part of the end of the year and new year in Japan as turkey is part of Thanksgiving in the US.

Most of the preschools we work at have mochi pounding events at this time of year. The school I was at yesterday brought out their big wood mortar and mallets so all the kids could have a swing at it.

After the principal and I had done the initial mashing and pounding of the steamed rice, each of the kids got to swing the mallet for a few times, which can be pretty hard as the mallets are heavy and the rice is very sticky. But all the kids had a great time watching and cheering on the teachers and classmates as they pounded.

Later, for lunch, the kids got to taste the results of their labor with mochi in a special winter soup called ozoni and mochi wrapped around sweet bean paste.

Throwing Beans and eating in silence.

Today, February 3, is Setsubun in Japan. It is also known as bean throwing day since traditionally families throw roasted soybeans at one family member dressed as an oni (demon) and shout "Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi," which means "Demons out, good luck in." This is a way to drive the bad luck out of your house and bring in the good luck. In addition to throwing the roasted

soybeans, each member of the family is supposed to eat one soy bean for each year of their age.

This is a popular festival and most temples will have special guests come to throw beans and small gifts to the crowds who come. This is also a popular celebration for children, and many children will make oni masks and origami boxes to hold their beans.

Recently, however, we learned about a new aspect to this festival. This is something that traditionally is done in western Japan, but recently has been making its way throughout the country (mostly thanks to heavy marketing by grocery and convenience stores). A special rolled sushi, called a Eho-maki is served on Setsubun. Each person is supposed to face toward a particular compass point, depending on the Chinese zodiac, make a wish, and eat the entire, uncut sushi roll in silence.

We got some sushi rolls from Xavier's preschool and decided to try it. Can you see how fun it looks? Our verdict- It definitely seems to be a tradition that would be promoted by a store that specializes in meals for the single person. I think the more exciting tradition is the bean throwing, which the children seem to enjoy.

Family Fun - Japan Style

It's the day after Christmas. The boys are on Christmas break from school, so what do you do to have fun as a family here in Japan? Well, a five minute walk from our apartment is an onsen, a hot spring resort. Usually when we have gone, we just go for the bath, but this time we decided to take our time there and take in some of the other amenities.

When you come in, you put your shoes in a little locker, hand the key to the front desk, and they hand you a little bracelet with a bar code on it. From then on, anything you like you can charge by scanning the bar code. Our first stop was the baths. This onsen has a great selection of baths. After washing, you can enjoy the regular hot baths, the various jet baths, mineral baths, and even a variety of outdoor baths (which are great fun to get to when its cold out). Outside, in addition to the large, natural rock pool, there are individual bowl shaped tubs, and even a large flat stone with a thin film of hot water running down it that you lay on (with a stone pillow for your head). Personally, I like to get in a bath and just sit for a while, but Xavier wants to experience them all, so I spend a lot of time travelling from bath to bath.

Some of the other amenities include a cold bath (I'm not a big fan), a sauna, and even massage services.

After the bath, we donned our "onsen wear," a kind of cross between pajamas and kimono that they provide, and headed down to the restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious Japanese dinner.

Christy, Willem and Terence all needed haircuts, so we headed up to the hair salon next. While we waited for our names to be called, we all relaxed in lounge chairs and either watched the big screen TV or read books. Once we were neatly trimmed, we headed back to the baths for another soak.

When we were done we tossed our onsen wear into the laundry bins at the exit and headed down for a last ice cream cone before we walked back to our apartment, clean, coiffed, and relaxed.

In spite of all that we did, there still are a lot of things available to do at the onsen that we didn't try. For an extra charge you can get a different set of onsen wear that gives you access to some other areas with extra baths and amenities. Also available are various massage options and some traditional medicine.

God's Sense of Humor

Our schedule can get quite busy with our teaching responsibilities at several preschools and our responsibilities at church. On top of the regular activities we have special events that we are invited to by the pre-schools. We try to go when we are invited and our schedule allows to show our support.

We were invited to a sports festival on Sunday. We figured as it was within walking distance of the church we could squeeze it in. On Thursday night I received a call from one of the teachers apologizing that she had forgotten to give my my official invitation with the map. I wasn't worried as it was at the same park it was at before.

So our plan was to stop by the sports festival before church then return after for the rest of the activities. Getting out of the house with three boys, a Sunday school lesson, a sermon and a computer for the children's message took longer than expected so we missed the train we wanted to take. Not a problem, the next train would still get us to the festival just 10 minutes later. So we headed to the park, where the festival was before. “Before” was almost nine years ago. We could not find that park. We walked and walked, dragging the boys along.

Finally we phoned a church member who could give us the name of the park. We asked around and found someone who knew where the park was. They sent us in the wrong direction. Someone else sent us back. After about 45 minutes of walking and searching we were close. We could hear the kids just around the next corner. That is when we heard a thud and Willem turned around to Tai and said “Hey!, what was that.” A bird decided to relieve its self right above us. It got Willem and Terence and Christy in one shot.

We stopped and took some time to clean up and then headed to the sports festival. We arrived in time for Terence and the boys to stay about 5 minutes before they had to leave for Sunday School. Christy and Xavier stayed a bit longer before she had to go and preach the sermon she had prepared, which began with Philippians 4:4. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Oh the irony. Nothing like a fresh sermon illustration.

Typhoon Damage

We were at work yesterday when a typhoon came through. On our way home the upper level walkway at the station was closed because the wind had blown down the railing (as you can see by this picture).

All the trains were stopped when we arrived. Fortunately, we were able to walk to one of the other daycares we work at. There were still a few teachers there who were also stranded. The head of the daycare was kind enough to let us wait there until the trains came. They even got us some food for supper and then the assistant principal offered to drive us and another stranded teacher home. We arrived home a little later than we had planned, but not overly late.

The Christmas Sweater and other Festival Fun

At the beginning of May in Japan there are four national holidays usually in the same week. Many people travel at this time of year, but since the boys are on the American school calendar they had classes that week. Terence, Xavier and I had a chance to spend some time at the local festival, just across the street from our apartment.

We really enjoyed the flea market where we got some great deals on toys and clothes for the boys, some dishes. Late in the day, this Christmas sweater was marked down to 100 yen (about $1.00), and I couldn't resist getting it. I figured with the trend of tacky Christmas parties (especially in Alabama), one of my friends would love to have this wonderful creation. You can't see it in the photo, but the label in the sweater says "I have a dream, in which 50% of the children of the future will wear I.N. Express by Nobuo Ikeda." I guess you don't want to dream too big. I wonder who's mother-in-law bought this sweater.

There were some other fun things at the festival. Terence got to take a quiz about city laws for dog ownership. The man who gave him the quiz made it very obvious which the correct answer was. Terence was awarded a small set of paints.

There was a unique mix of performances at the festival, ranging from choirs and classical Japanese dance to kids doing hip-hop dance. There was also a very good drum group. Willem and Tai were happy that they made it back home from school in time to hear them play.

Earthquake Update and Ministry Opportunity

Ever since the earthquake happened we have wondered about the best way we could help. We were able to send a care package to our friend who pastors a church in the area devastated by the earthquake. Their church has been doing a lot of relief work and reaching out to harder hit areas in the neighborhood. One day Christy was reading through some stories of how children's lives have been affected by the earthquake. She was also thinking about how when we were going through stressful times, like moving and packing, sometimes the boys got pushed to the side. We were so thankful when people helped us by doing something special for the boys.

Christy felt that one way to minister to the parents and children up north would be to provide a special event for the children. We contacted our pastor friend in Sendai and she liked the idea and wants us to come and do a VBS program for the children at their church as well as in two other towns that they are ministering in. Our family is looking at going in the middle of August. We will probably be there for about a week. We plan to stay at their church.

Now we are looking into gathering supplies from the US and working out transportation expenses. Some of you have asked how you can help after the earthquake. If you would like to help with this opportunity, please let us know.

We also appreciate your prayers as we prepare for this chance to minister to those affected by the earthquake.