I hardly know where to start when posting today. We have had some pretty rainy and windy weather here for the past several days, but even given that I have been very busy. It kind of looks like a typhoon tore THROUGH my apartment instead of just sending wind and rain our way. The typhoon never actually hit here, but we did have some of the effects of it. Today, however, it looks very beautiful outside. It is sunny and bright, like usual, but we still have some strong winds.
Friday, after class, I actually worked for quite a while in my classroom. We had a faculty "party" that evening where we had sushi at a local conveyer belt type of sushi restaurant. After that, we took silly pictures in the local picture booth and ended the night with Karaoke. It was a good bonding time for those who were able to attend.
Saturday, three of the current missionaries here at the school had to leave for different summer activities. I drove along as we dropped the current elementary principal and his wife off at the airport. I had actually done a lot with that couple as they were here, so after only knowing them for 3 weeks Heidi said to me, "I feel like I have known you for a long time." I feel the same way. I feel their absence this week now as they are not here. After dropping them off, my friend Jess and I found a local second hand store. I found myself lost back in the music department (believe it or not) and found some very high quality saxophone reeds for a very inexpensive price. They were new, but cheap. I tried to buy a box of them in Duluth last spring and was shocked at the price tag - somewhere around $100 for a box. Here I got half a box of the same reeds for 100 yen! I was happy as a clam! After my huge find, Jess and I met my former student Maasa Migita and another missionary who was on her way off island for lunch. Following lunch Jess and I explored Kokusai/Heiwa dori for the day (that is the huge shopping market area here on island).
Sunday was full of church followed by meeting up with Maasa and her brother Hiromu for lunch. It was such a blessing to get to reconnect with these amazing young people and hear how God is working in their lives. It is fun to know them as friends and family in the Lord!
Monday, yesterday, was my birthday. It was a very full day of activity after activity. The kids learned it was my birthday and they were lead to sing to me after recess. My student helper had all of them sign a card for me. That was very special. I wound up working for a while at school yesterday, however, because I got a brand new student that day. The poor girl has missed three out of four weeks of summer school. I had to grade some papers that her classroom teacher had asked her to complete and evaluate her current abilities so I could try to help her these last four days.
After work, Jess and I drove over to the lighthouse for lunch. I have never paid the money to go up into the lighthouse and look around. As someone who has learned about lighthouses for my summer job in MN, it was very interesting for me. The view from the top was beautiful as well!
After lunch I opted to ride bike up to Maeda and hike around on the trails up there.
I then rode home to drive over to my friends, Max and Aidy Cruzado's home for a birthday dinner. Aidy is an amazing cook and had gone way out of her way already to make me feel special. She had asked about three months ago if I would come to their house for dinner that night. When I got there, I saw three places set and I was content knowing that I would have a quiet evening with some very dear friends. After I had been there for about 6 minutes, however, the doorbell rang. It was Naomi Oeschle and Hazel (Max and Aidy's daughter)! Aidy had surprised me by inviting these former students over. It, again, we wonderful just getting to reconnect with these amazing people. Such a blessing to spend time with them!
Upon my arrival home last night, however, I noticed I was feeling "itchy" again. It was a rather rough night. I tried showering, I used medication, I took my Benadryl, but somehow I must have gotten exposed to something again. My arms, neck and face have broken out in a red - hive - like rash again. I have little blisters everywhere and I itch. Even while sleeping I would awaken itching something. I have NO IDEA what causes this, I only know it is not fun to deal with.
Today, with my lack of sleep, was a harder day with the kids. My 4th graders were completely out of sorts. I stopped to pray and wondered if it was me, but they were just crabby. They were mad at each other, testy, unwilling to work, and several just kept saying that they were having a bad day (and this was all before we even got to the classroom today.) I talked with them a lot about allowing the circumstances in our life to consumer us. We talked about Phil 4:8 and keeping our thoughts positive. I don't know that it helped them, but I maintained a positive attitude - or tried to anyway. The fifth graders were much better, as far as attitude goes, but they were quite excited and easily off task today.
Today is the day our grades were all due. I have been coming in early in the mornings to try to write personal messages to each of my students on post cards that I had purchased in the states, MN. I finished those this morning, but then had to do the mathematical computations. The school was trying to use a new grading program this summer, but it really tanked out on everyone. Most people wound up having to type comments in a different document and then calculate grades by hand. I did the same. I used the grading program for some things, but then did much of it via a spreadsheet. I submitted all grades and all comments for the kids shortly before starting this "catch - up" for you.
I know tomorrow will be my last contact day with some of the students. I will have to "say good-bye" to them at that time, so I have to be all ready for that. Making worthwhile work for the kids the last two days and continuing to encourage them along the way is something I will attempt to do!
Now, with my itchy arms, the task is going to be getting lunch and making use of the rest of my day. I do not want to lose a beautiful day on this beautiful island, but I also want the itchy arms to get better! The new pastor at Central has invited me to his home tonight for dinner. I am looking forward to going.
Monday, July 11, 2016
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Morning, Thursday, July 7
Good Morning! I am still in my apartment, before school, at the time I am writing today. I can hear the cicaidas "singing" like crazy wherever I go. They are very loud, but amazingly "restful" as long as I don't have to try to compete with them to be heard. Many people have wondered how we are doing with our first typhoon of the season. At this time, our Typhoon decided to take another course. It is over on top of Taiwan now instead of going by us. We will probably be getting some rain and "stormy" weather on and off for the next few days as a result, but really, we are fine! It is very dark and rainy-blue out over the ocean as I type, but the sun is still shining here.
The kids are supposed to have a "pool day" for their afternoon classes today. I have my bathing suit on at the moment. We don't have any way to predict what the weather will actually be like by afternoon. We are all going with a "wait and see" attitude. We only have one more pool day, on the last day of school, and I decided that if I am going to go to be with the kids I should probably just make today the day. Time will tell if it can actually happen, or not.
Coming back after having a Monday off has been rather different. This week has FLOWN by. The kids are really excited this week and the volume levels are much higher than they had been in earlier weeks. Some of this can have to do with the fact that they are all trying to talk over the cicaidas too? I think they are just excited - then factor in a possible typhoon? Yeah, that's a recipe for some jumpy kids. :) They are doing pretty well, however.
Exactly one week of school left! I feel like some of my kids still really need the time to grow. I hope they are making progress, but at least I'm giving them some practice.
My itchy-ness seems to have returned. While the rash isn't visible where it was before, I still seem to itch - a lot. Sleep has been hard to come by the past couple of nights, so I went back onto the higher doses of Benadryl and made another oatmeal mixture yesterday.
I have spent the past two days alone, in the afternoons, exploring the Yomitan area and enjoying just being a part of the culture.
The kids are supposed to have a "pool day" for their afternoon classes today. I have my bathing suit on at the moment. We don't have any way to predict what the weather will actually be like by afternoon. We are all going with a "wait and see" attitude. We only have one more pool day, on the last day of school, and I decided that if I am going to go to be with the kids I should probably just make today the day. Time will tell if it can actually happen, or not.
Coming back after having a Monday off has been rather different. This week has FLOWN by. The kids are really excited this week and the volume levels are much higher than they had been in earlier weeks. Some of this can have to do with the fact that they are all trying to talk over the cicaidas too? I think they are just excited - then factor in a possible typhoon? Yeah, that's a recipe for some jumpy kids. :) They are doing pretty well, however.
Exactly one week of school left! I feel like some of my kids still really need the time to grow. I hope they are making progress, but at least I'm giving them some practice.
My itchy-ness seems to have returned. While the rash isn't visible where it was before, I still seem to itch - a lot. Sleep has been hard to come by the past couple of nights, so I went back onto the higher doses of Benadryl and made another oatmeal mixture yesterday.
I have spent the past two days alone, in the afternoons, exploring the Yomitan area and enjoying just being a part of the culture.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Tuesday, July 5th
A "good time was had by all". I kind of recall hearing that in smaller towns, years ago, news paper articles would detail the smaller happenings of a town. One article I read talked about so-and-so pouring the tea and that a "good time was had by all." I don't know why I'm sharing that, but it what popped into my head when I think back on my weekend.
Saturday -
I did end up going North to the Japanese bath house with a friend. I was able to swim laps in a salt water pool, then enjoy numerous different "healing" tubs of water. They even had a waterslide that I was informed I needed to experience. O.K., I've done that now. The slide was nothing to write home about, but everything else was very enjoyable. 
On the way home, we stopped at some fruit, vegetable, and flea market stands. This may be a tropical island, but I tend to forget how expensive tropical fruit can be here; truthfully, fruit of any kind. Apples are about $2 - $3 each. A watermellon in the grocery stores is about $15 (and people, they are the SMALL ones we get in the states). A single mango at a good price is $8.00. Forget even finding berries to buy. I mention this because at these markets I was able to buy a watermellon for $8.00 and wound up getting 4 pineapples for a total of $6.00 - the pineapples were very little compared to US standards, but so much tastier than anything we can get. I considered that day a huge success! I also got my first taste of Okinawan purple sweet potato when I bought a "zen zai" treat: sweet adzuki beans, fresh cream ice cream, sweet potato puree, whipped cream, (no mochi in this one), a cookie stick, and some sweet potato powder. I had a belly ache when I had finished all I could eat, but it was fun. I love the Okinawan purple sweet potato (beni imo).
After getting home, I wound up going to an evening church service with some fellow missionaries and then going out for supper at Co-Co Curry.
Sunday - I was able to play a saxophone with the worship service at Central Baptist Church. I had brought my own mouthpiece and some reeds along over here, and borrowed a horn from a friend over here. While I cannot play it as well as I can my own, I was richly blessed by getting to participate in the worship experience. Through that,I was able to connect with more people. The pianist and her husband are the ones who saved me last week by purchasing me some Benadryl and delivering it to my home. That immediately endeared them to me, but I have to say that the heart of the people at Central . . . well, it is a sweet taste of "home" for me. Really, they make me feel like my church family at Palisade (in Silver Bay) makes me feel: important, like I belong, and above all welcome!
It is "PCS season" over here, so there are may people (military related) that are making the transition to leave island. One such family at Central had their last Sunday this week. Almost the entire church family went out for lunch together to celebrate this family and send them off.
After church, I learned that there was going to be a Hawaiian Festival and fireworks display up at a resort about 15 minutes North of the school. My friend, Jess, invited me to go back to her house that she is house-sitting and paddleboard before we made our way to the festival. We managed to paddle almost all the way to Maeda Point and then turned back towards home. I was feeling quite confident in my abilities and kept scooting backwards on the board (making it harder to balance.) Unfortunately, I was over-confident in my abilities (which really are rather laughable at that) and I flipped right over. Jess heard my saying, "Oooh, well, I guess I'm going in" right as I flipped off the board and into the ocean. I managed to lose my ever-so-expensive $1 sunglasses in the process. I learned I know how to climb back onto a paddle board after falling in this way.
Some other friends from school, Brad and Heidi Jernberg, drove up to meet us before we all went up to the fireworks show. The Hawaiian music was supposed to start at 6:30 and the fireworks at 9. We were there around 7. We had great spots on the beach to watch the fireworks. We stayed there for about an hour until ALL of us got restless. We then moved up to an outdoor pool area where we had great lounge chairs to recline on. We listened to the music, explored the resort, and watched the huge fruit bats fly from tree to tree until about 9:30. At that time, we were all very tired. They didn't look like they were anywhere close to fireworks time (in actuality, I learned the next day that the fireworks interrupted the show and just started in the midst of an act). Anyway, we stopped about half-way home and watched the fireworks from the road. Probably beat a ton of traffic that way, however.
Monday: Independence Day here on Okinawa was celebrated with a day off from school. While we are an International School, we run on an American calendar, so we could have the day off. Max took Brad, Heidi, Linda and I out on his boat. We snorkeled around Sand Island and Mai Jima (about an hour boat ride out into the ocean). The water was crystal clear and it felt as though we were swimming right inside an aquarium. The corals were vibrant and alive; the fish abundant and varied, and the water cool and refreshing. I went ashore on both islands to claim some shells/coral to bring home. My snorkeling bag was so full of "stuff" that Heidi said it looked like I was swimming with an anchor. The freedom and relaxation that being on Max's boat gives pretty much surpasses almost anything else I can say. I love it out on the boat!
That evening, I was invited back to my new friends from Central's home for an Independence Day party. Several families/couples from church were in attendance and we had a traditional 4th of July menu. We ended the evening with a game of Settlers of Catan, at which point I was defeated. :( I'll blame it on the incredibly full days that I had before that night.
Today- Tuesday: I just finished school and the prep work I needed to do to get ready for tomorrow. The kids were pretty wound up today and it was hard to settle them into routine. Eventually we got on track and had a great day. One of the 5th graders just got back from Greece and brought the class treats from there. That was pretty exciting for them.
On a different - perhaps deeper - note. I just finished a Bible Study on the book of Nehemiah today. The last two days have been very near and dear to my heart. One of the things I was asked to do today was to compare the city of Jerusalem in Nehemiah's day (and his descriptions) to that of the "New Jerusalem" in the New Testament. I guess I have spent quite a bit of time this weekend wondering about how I can feel so "at home" here on Okinawa and with people here; some I have known for 20 years, some that I have only known for 2 weeks! I guess I'm being reminded that my citizenship is not here on Earth. It isn't in MN, or Silver Bay, or Fergus Falls, or Yomitan, Okinawa... I am a child of the King! I am a citizen of Heaven - "This world is not my home; I'm just passing through . . ." Because of Jesus, I am at home with fellow citizens of the "New Jerusalem!" The family of God. I am blessed, indeed, to be a part of that family.
Saturday -
After getting home, I wound up going to an evening church service with some fellow missionaries and then going out for supper at Co-Co Curry.
That evening, I was invited back to my new friends from Central's home for an Independence Day party. Several families/couples from church were in attendance and we had a traditional 4th of July menu. We ended the evening with a game of Settlers of Catan, at which point I was defeated. :( I'll blame it on the incredibly full days that I had before that night.
Today- Tuesday: I just finished school and the prep work I needed to do to get ready for tomorrow. The kids were pretty wound up today and it was hard to settle them into routine. Eventually we got on track and had a great day. One of the 5th graders just got back from Greece and brought the class treats from there. That was pretty exciting for them.
On a different - perhaps deeper - note. I just finished a Bible Study on the book of Nehemiah today. The last two days have been very near and dear to my heart. One of the things I was asked to do today was to compare the city of Jerusalem in Nehemiah's day (and his descriptions) to that of the "New Jerusalem" in the New Testament. I guess I have spent quite a bit of time this weekend wondering about how I can feel so "at home" here on Okinawa and with people here; some I have known for 20 years, some that I have only known for 2 weeks! I guess I'm being reminded that my citizenship is not here on Earth. It isn't in MN, or Silver Bay, or Fergus Falls, or Yomitan, Okinawa... I am a child of the King! I am a citizen of Heaven - "This world is not my home; I'm just passing through . . ." Because of Jesus, I am at home with fellow citizens of the "New Jerusalem!" The family of God. I am blessed, indeed, to be a part of that family.
Friday, July 1, 2016
July 2, Saturday Morning
I am on a real computer today and actually know the date. I think I was off before.
We are officially half done with summer school. I was sharing some of my antics with my students with my parents and they asked if I was taking pictures. I said that I was taking pictures, but I don't think I should legally post them on facebook without parental or student permission. The same comes here. I am cautious about what I share just due to what is right for the kids. However, that said, I can give you a little of the flavor of my classroom so you can know what it is like.
The mornings at school start with one 2 teachers and some student helpers on recess duty. The kids are dropped off by the busses or by parents somewhere between 7:30 - 8:20 AM. Our littlest kids (3 - Kindergarten) play on the kindergarten playground, and the older kids (1st - 5th grade) play on the elementary playground. This past week I had recess duty two of the mornings. I love watching the kids play. They form these little groups and everyone has their own thing that they like to do. One group plays over on the slide. A couple of groups of kids like to play four square. Then there is the lego contingency this year. The kids bring huge sets of legos and play in the breezeways many mornings. Finally there is the bug collecting group. The kids run around and collect everything from cicada bug shells (they can't seem to catch the real bugs - at least not that I've seen yet), grasshoppers, roly-poly's, to pointing out the dreaded caterpillars. For the most part they all seem so happy. My heart, however, has gone out more and more to the very few kids that seem withdrawn and not connected with someone else. I have one extremely shy 4th grader that doesn't seem to play with anyone. She sits by herself most of the time, so lately I have gone to sit with her. She told me she really isn't quiet but is very noisy at home. I don't see that at school, however. I think she's a little hesitant with her english and just doesn't say much here. (I can relate to that on a very personal level.) I pray for her to feel comfortable and accepted every time I see her. She seems happy, but I want her to feel connected.
From recess the kids all go to chapel. The current music teacher of the school leads the kids in singing a couple of songs followed by a Bible story. They are learning aboaut the book of Acts this summer and I am always surprised by how much the kids remember and retain from the stories. Lately, they have set up chairs for the 4th and 5th graders to sit in. One of my 4th grade girls prefers to sit on the floor with the 3rd graders, and I'm fine with that. The rest of the kids all sit in the back on the little chairs. Then, after the younger kids are dismissed the 4th and 5th graders are supposed to pick up their chairs and put them away. All week I wathed one of my 5th grade boys voluntarily (without being asked for even hinted at) willingly pick up three extra chairs just to help out. He carries them over and puts them away without a single word. Then, he happily gets back in line and proceeds. I have made a big deal to try to commend him for it the past few dyas too.
After chapel we walk the kids up to their classrooms for class. I meet first with my 4th graders. I do only have 5 kids in that class. They are a good group of kids. I have one little live-wire who always keeps me laughing. God intentionally made him as cute as a button, with huge dimples on both cheeks, because he knows how to walk the line. He does EVERYTHING in fast speed. He lines up fast, he gets a drink fast, he uses the bathroom quickly, he reads fast, he completes his math fast, he talks fast. Everthing is fast! I would slow him down, but he's accurate and usually gets 100% on all he does too, so my challenge is to keep him busy. One day as we were walking to class he announced to me, "I like to talk," his huge grin splitting his face. I looked at him and said, "I can tell." He always has some sort of story for me, and it makes me smile. My other students in that room are much quieter and more thinking than acting. My one young boy, the one who had behavior challenges during the school year, has been a real treat in summer school. He really does seem to love Jesus, and asks some very good - thinking questions after chapel. Three of the kids in the room are just great at math and could really be doing some upper level math acceleration, but the other two are struggling with the basics. My challenge with them is to keep them all happy and learning.
At 10:00 I send the kids downstairs for recess break and a chu-chu (a frozen juice popsicle). When they return at 10:15 the kids switch rooms. I get the 13 5th graders in my room at that time. The energy level does increase with the additional bodies. It is amazing how much difference a year does make, academically speaking and in size of the kids. This group of students has to work hard to listen to and follow directions. Several of them are talkers, like my one 4th grader. Also, similar to the 4th grade class, I have a range of abilities. This class could easily be split into 3 sections. 3 - 4 of the kids struggle with basic math facts, about 3 are performing at grade level, and the rest are really high fliers. I try to give each group a little something to keep them learning.
My 5th graders really wanted me to bake them something as a treat last week, so I made a loaf of bread to share with them on Friday. They really seemed to appreciate it and were thankful and kind. The anecdotes they tell me every day keep me laughing. I have quite a mixture of kids in that room, but the majority speak Japanese at home. I have one girl with some sort of Slavic heritage, one American, one Chinese, one Korean, and the rest - I think are Japanese/Okinawan.
I work with the 5th graders until 11:30 and then I walk them down for lunch. One of the kids in that class is only half day, so she heads home at that time and the rest are in the lunch room. Each teacher has lunch duty once a week. My day is Thursday, but the challenge with Thursdays is that the kids head to the swimming pool on Thursdays at noon. I have to encourage them to eat quickly and then chaperone little energetic bodies as they attempt to change clothes to put on their bathing suits. At noon, the offical hand-off to the afternoon staff takes place. My kids want me to go with them to to pool next week, however, so I may join them for one week.
That's pretty much what the days at school are like - it may guide in knowing what I am doing?
As for outside activities? I have been staying busy. I have taken my friend Lisa's electric assist bike out to use a few times this week. Once I biked up to the pottery village and yesterday I biked up to Onna Village where a friend is house-sitting at a place with paddle boards.
I went Snorkeling from land on Wednesday after school with a group of people, at Maeda Point (for those familiar with the area). It is amazing to see God's creative handiwork undewater. Every color of fish and creature possible!
Thursday, I went by boat with a different group of people up to the same area to snorkel again. We went a bit further North so I was able to see even different sea life. Max, the friend who owns the boat, caught a puffer fish for us all and we kind of played with him in his puffed up state for a while. He deflated and swam on his merry way after a while. On the boat home we watched the sun set around us. Again, what an artist our Lord is!
Friday, I biked up to go paddle boarding and then was going to go night snorkeling. I guess I missed my group by a matter of minutes. They were late, I was early . . . whatever the case. I missed out on that opportunity, but I had an amazing and full day anyway.
Now today is Saturday. I am sitting in my kitching writing now. I just went out for breakfast with one of my friends who works in the office. We were able to reconnect and share stories from the past several years to catch up. Now, I am just keeping my eye on a baby gecko that is on my counter here in the kitchen. He knows I'm not overly keen with having him here, but it is preferable to have geckos to roaches, so I know I"m supposed to leave him alone. I just don't like seeing him! I keep telling him to go away, but he's not listening.
The rest of the day? I have been asked to go to an American style bath house up North with a friend. I have been informed I get to keep my bathing suit on the whole time, so . . . I think I will give it a try. It is a beautifully sunny day and I would hate to waste a moment of it!
My itching continues, but it is so much better. The redness has almost disappeared entirely. I still take allergy medication at night and rub some medicated ointment on two or three times a day. It seems to keep the itching in check.
Other than that, I pray that I continue to live in the moment. Savor each day that the Lord gives me and do His will as He requests.
We are officially half done with summer school. I was sharing some of my antics with my students with my parents and they asked if I was taking pictures. I said that I was taking pictures, but I don't think I should legally post them on facebook without parental or student permission. The same comes here. I am cautious about what I share just due to what is right for the kids. However, that said, I can give you a little of the flavor of my classroom so you can know what it is like.
The mornings at school start with one 2 teachers and some student helpers on recess duty. The kids are dropped off by the busses or by parents somewhere between 7:30 - 8:20 AM. Our littlest kids (3 - Kindergarten) play on the kindergarten playground, and the older kids (1st - 5th grade) play on the elementary playground. This past week I had recess duty two of the mornings. I love watching the kids play. They form these little groups and everyone has their own thing that they like to do. One group plays over on the slide. A couple of groups of kids like to play four square. Then there is the lego contingency this year. The kids bring huge sets of legos and play in the breezeways many mornings. Finally there is the bug collecting group. The kids run around and collect everything from cicada bug shells (they can't seem to catch the real bugs - at least not that I've seen yet), grasshoppers, roly-poly's, to pointing out the dreaded caterpillars. For the most part they all seem so happy. My heart, however, has gone out more and more to the very few kids that seem withdrawn and not connected with someone else. I have one extremely shy 4th grader that doesn't seem to play with anyone. She sits by herself most of the time, so lately I have gone to sit with her. She told me she really isn't quiet but is very noisy at home. I don't see that at school, however. I think she's a little hesitant with her english and just doesn't say much here. (I can relate to that on a very personal level.) I pray for her to feel comfortable and accepted every time I see her. She seems happy, but I want her to feel connected.
From recess the kids all go to chapel. The current music teacher of the school leads the kids in singing a couple of songs followed by a Bible story. They are learning aboaut the book of Acts this summer and I am always surprised by how much the kids remember and retain from the stories. Lately, they have set up chairs for the 4th and 5th graders to sit in. One of my 4th grade girls prefers to sit on the floor with the 3rd graders, and I'm fine with that. The rest of the kids all sit in the back on the little chairs. Then, after the younger kids are dismissed the 4th and 5th graders are supposed to pick up their chairs and put them away. All week I wathed one of my 5th grade boys voluntarily (without being asked for even hinted at) willingly pick up three extra chairs just to help out. He carries them over and puts them away without a single word. Then, he happily gets back in line and proceeds. I have made a big deal to try to commend him for it the past few dyas too.
After chapel we walk the kids up to their classrooms for class. I meet first with my 4th graders. I do only have 5 kids in that class. They are a good group of kids. I have one little live-wire who always keeps me laughing. God intentionally made him as cute as a button, with huge dimples on both cheeks, because he knows how to walk the line. He does EVERYTHING in fast speed. He lines up fast, he gets a drink fast, he uses the bathroom quickly, he reads fast, he completes his math fast, he talks fast. Everthing is fast! I would slow him down, but he's accurate and usually gets 100% on all he does too, so my challenge is to keep him busy. One day as we were walking to class he announced to me, "I like to talk," his huge grin splitting his face. I looked at him and said, "I can tell." He always has some sort of story for me, and it makes me smile. My other students in that room are much quieter and more thinking than acting. My one young boy, the one who had behavior challenges during the school year, has been a real treat in summer school. He really does seem to love Jesus, and asks some very good - thinking questions after chapel. Three of the kids in the room are just great at math and could really be doing some upper level math acceleration, but the other two are struggling with the basics. My challenge with them is to keep them all happy and learning.
At 10:00 I send the kids downstairs for recess break and a chu-chu (a frozen juice popsicle). When they return at 10:15 the kids switch rooms. I get the 13 5th graders in my room at that time. The energy level does increase with the additional bodies. It is amazing how much difference a year does make, academically speaking and in size of the kids. This group of students has to work hard to listen to and follow directions. Several of them are talkers, like my one 4th grader. Also, similar to the 4th grade class, I have a range of abilities. This class could easily be split into 3 sections. 3 - 4 of the kids struggle with basic math facts, about 3 are performing at grade level, and the rest are really high fliers. I try to give each group a little something to keep them learning.
My 5th graders really wanted me to bake them something as a treat last week, so I made a loaf of bread to share with them on Friday. They really seemed to appreciate it and were thankful and kind. The anecdotes they tell me every day keep me laughing. I have quite a mixture of kids in that room, but the majority speak Japanese at home. I have one girl with some sort of Slavic heritage, one American, one Chinese, one Korean, and the rest - I think are Japanese/Okinawan.
I work with the 5th graders until 11:30 and then I walk them down for lunch. One of the kids in that class is only half day, so she heads home at that time and the rest are in the lunch room. Each teacher has lunch duty once a week. My day is Thursday, but the challenge with Thursdays is that the kids head to the swimming pool on Thursdays at noon. I have to encourage them to eat quickly and then chaperone little energetic bodies as they attempt to change clothes to put on their bathing suits. At noon, the offical hand-off to the afternoon staff takes place. My kids want me to go with them to to pool next week, however, so I may join them for one week.
That's pretty much what the days at school are like - it may guide in knowing what I am doing?
As for outside activities? I have been staying busy. I have taken my friend Lisa's electric assist bike out to use a few times this week. Once I biked up to the pottery village and yesterday I biked up to Onna Village where a friend is house-sitting at a place with paddle boards.
I went Snorkeling from land on Wednesday after school with a group of people, at Maeda Point (for those familiar with the area). It is amazing to see God's creative handiwork undewater. Every color of fish and creature possible!
Thursday, I went by boat with a different group of people up to the same area to snorkel again. We went a bit further North so I was able to see even different sea life. Max, the friend who owns the boat, caught a puffer fish for us all and we kind of played with him in his puffed up state for a while. He deflated and swam on his merry way after a while. On the boat home we watched the sun set around us. Again, what an artist our Lord is!
Friday, I biked up to go paddle boarding and then was going to go night snorkeling. I guess I missed my group by a matter of minutes. They were late, I was early . . . whatever the case. I missed out on that opportunity, but I had an amazing and full day anyway.
Now today is Saturday. I am sitting in my kitching writing now. I just went out for breakfast with one of my friends who works in the office. We were able to reconnect and share stories from the past several years to catch up. Now, I am just keeping my eye on a baby gecko that is on my counter here in the kitchen. He knows I'm not overly keen with having him here, but it is preferable to have geckos to roaches, so I know I"m supposed to leave him alone. I just don't like seeing him! I keep telling him to go away, but he's not listening.
The rest of the day? I have been asked to go to an American style bath house up North with a friend. I have been informed I get to keep my bathing suit on the whole time, so . . . I think I will give it a try. It is a beautifully sunny day and I would hate to waste a moment of it!
My itching continues, but it is so much better. The redness has almost disappeared entirely. I still take allergy medication at night and rub some medicated ointment on two or three times a day. It seems to keep the itching in check.
Other than that, I pray that I continue to live in the moment. Savor each day that the Lord gives me and do His will as He requests.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Morning of Wednesday, June 28th
I think it is the 28th? I realized that I don't really know the date at all. I do, however, know it is Wednesday and I have about 18 minutes before I have to be downstairs for devotions.
I saw the red dots of itchiness in my last posting. My legs still look like that, but my arms have faded away now to nothing. They do, however, itch again today, but I forgot to take my Benadryl last night, so I will remember to do that tonight. It is a "normal" itch today, however and not the painful kind where I wanted to rip all of my skin off.
Due to my fear of these hairy caterpillars my explorations have been extremely limited. As a matter of fact, I can't tell you when I have spent this much time in my apartments here in Okinawa. I'm afraid to go out and get a reaction again. I know that I should not live in fear, but it was quite miserable. Tomorrow morning, however, I MUST get out and work out again. I hope to get out this evening as well - it is too hot in the middle of the day for a work out.
School is going well. There are a couple of other people that were attacked by the hairy caterpillars like I was, so they are dealing with the whiplash from that. I can empathise. We also have some sort of illness that some of the kids and a couple of teachers are fighting. Seems odd to deal with that when it is so obviously summer here, but they are pressing on.
Academically we are progressing in my classrooms. My 4th graders are learning how to round numbers. I didn't remember that this was a hard concept to grasp, but apparently it is. Both 4th and 5th are reviewing long division and then rounding to the nearest ______. I've also started one 4th grader and most 5th graders on some upper level order of operation problems. I try to give them some variety to make the days go by faster. All of the kids are also still working on increasing their fact recall with multiplication.
I did have one 4th grader yesterday who just would NOT work. I had to make her stay in at recess because she just didn't want to do what she was being asked to do. I found it amazing that what she couldn't accomplish in 50 minutes of class, suddenly was done in 6 minutes of recess. Amazing how that happens, right?
The "newness" of everything is gone for the kids. They are showing their true colors and we are learning every day. I'm grateful for the kids I get to work with. They are a great group of young people and I have grown to love them.
On the first day, they asked what my hobbies were. I mentioned that I liked to bake or cook. Of course, they then wanted me to make something for them. I am very restricted here because sugar is off limits for elementary students. Last night, I made some homemade bread for the kids and I will reward them at the end of the week(s) with a piece of that. It is better than nothing, and I'm unsure what else to offer. Hopefully that will keep them happy.
Beyond that, due to my more quiet personal activities I don't have a whole lot of stories or anecdotes to share. I have to share devotions on Friday with the staff so I've been spending some time getting that ready. Hopefully, my next post will be more "newsy". I appreciate your continued prayers.
I saw the red dots of itchiness in my last posting. My legs still look like that, but my arms have faded away now to nothing. They do, however, itch again today, but I forgot to take my Benadryl last night, so I will remember to do that tonight. It is a "normal" itch today, however and not the painful kind where I wanted to rip all of my skin off.
Due to my fear of these hairy caterpillars my explorations have been extremely limited. As a matter of fact, I can't tell you when I have spent this much time in my apartments here in Okinawa. I'm afraid to go out and get a reaction again. I know that I should not live in fear, but it was quite miserable. Tomorrow morning, however, I MUST get out and work out again. I hope to get out this evening as well - it is too hot in the middle of the day for a work out.
School is going well. There are a couple of other people that were attacked by the hairy caterpillars like I was, so they are dealing with the whiplash from that. I can empathise. We also have some sort of illness that some of the kids and a couple of teachers are fighting. Seems odd to deal with that when it is so obviously summer here, but they are pressing on.
Academically we are progressing in my classrooms. My 4th graders are learning how to round numbers. I didn't remember that this was a hard concept to grasp, but apparently it is. Both 4th and 5th are reviewing long division and then rounding to the nearest ______. I've also started one 4th grader and most 5th graders on some upper level order of operation problems. I try to give them some variety to make the days go by faster. All of the kids are also still working on increasing their fact recall with multiplication.
I did have one 4th grader yesterday who just would NOT work. I had to make her stay in at recess because she just didn't want to do what she was being asked to do. I found it amazing that what she couldn't accomplish in 50 minutes of class, suddenly was done in 6 minutes of recess. Amazing how that happens, right?
The "newness" of everything is gone for the kids. They are showing their true colors and we are learning every day. I'm grateful for the kids I get to work with. They are a great group of young people and I have grown to love them.
On the first day, they asked what my hobbies were. I mentioned that I liked to bake or cook. Of course, they then wanted me to make something for them. I am very restricted here because sugar is off limits for elementary students. Last night, I made some homemade bread for the kids and I will reward them at the end of the week(s) with a piece of that. It is better than nothing, and I'm unsure what else to offer. Hopefully that will keep them happy.
Beyond that, due to my more quiet personal activities I don't have a whole lot of stories or anecdotes to share. I have to share devotions on Friday with the staff so I've been spending some time getting that ready. Hopefully, my next post will be more "newsy". I appreciate your continued prayers.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Saturday, June 25th
What a day! I awoke to my lovely rash spreading. Is it bugs? It is heat rash? It is an allergic reaction - I DO NOT KNOW! I can only tell you that now, at the end of the day, it is still worse and I have not been home for it to be something in my house. I think I am going to take it easy. I guess one of our students has a dad who is a dermatologist down the hill. If I am not better on Monday, it has been determined that I will be going to see him - even without Japanese health insurance. I'm praying that I am better.
I rushed home for music practice only to learn that practice was canceled. I was fine with that, however, as I felt pretty horrible with all the itchy - rashes whatever. While I was outside cleaning up my snorkeling equipment a gal I had never met before pulled into the parking lot. I was able to meet Irina. Irina is of Ukrainian/Russian heritage. We were able to share first our memories of Ukraine and experiences there. She shared with me her faith history and we wound up sharing over 3 hours together. Our hearts connected in a way I never expected. Maybe God allowed the itchies just so I could meet and pray for her and her family. We did pray together before she went back upstairs to her family and apartment. A great conclusion to a special evening.
Now, I have my sheets and bed pad in the drier (that is a treat over here as "true missionaries don't use the driers") to try to kill anything that may be living there. I have a brand new futon that I could be sleeping on from my friend Aidy's house and a clean pillow that I can try. I pushed everything out of my kitchen and may set up my bed in there tonight. I'm also staying 100% out of the sun tomorrow to try to continue to heal. I will see what happense with all of that. (I have completely disassembled the bed. I do not see ANY signs of potential bugs in there. It is a CLEAN mattress, the walls are clean, the box spring is clear . . . I see no signs, so I don't think it is bed bugs. However, I will be taking it easy - just in case.)
Friday, June 24, 2016
Friday, June 24th
Well, week one has come to an end. It is official that I have been on island for one complete week.
1. School went OK today. I wanted the kids to get the feeling of rejoicing over it being the last day so foolishly I thought they could handle learning math via stations of various games. In a classroom full of active, talkative, unfocused yet highly enthusiastic 5th grade boys, that was a bad call on my part. Over the weekend I need to develop a new plan and flesh it out. This is going to involve a lot more curriculum development on my part. There is a "Math in a Box" summer school curriculum I could resort to, but I very much dislike it and would prefer to actually adress the needs that I know the class has. The problem is, HOW! In my high school rooms, I could split them into groups and hopefully attend to one group at a time, but in this crew? (OK, I take that back. I have one class in high school that I know I couldn't leave in groups either - it would end with a very crabby me.) I haven't had time to train them on my expectations and requirements. It is nice to have enthusiasm from the kids, however, so I will try to work with it.
2. My "Bradly" had his first episode today. He chose to have it as he was coming into chapel first thing. I very badly did NOT want to give him attention for his behavior - nor did I want to deal with it during chapel. I had every intention of getting to him as soon as chapel had come to an end, when I could speak with him alone. He was not causing a disturbance and he was on the end sitting right next to me anyway, however, the elementary principal (who had also warned me about this young man) opted to deal with his situation for me. I still talked with the young man before class started and we had a great day. I will remain alert to potential issues, however.
3. I have had a migraine for the past two days, so sleep has been in short supply - again. I took a larger dose of medication after school today and I feel great right now, as far as my head goes. Hopefully that remains true throughout the night.
4. My head may feel great, but somehow I am covered from HEAD to TOE with little gnat/flea/itchy red bug bites of some sort. There is a lot of discrepency over at school over what they are. A large group of people thinks that it is from the hairs off of what they call "hairy caterpillars". I guess they are very "poisonous" and cause some pretty bad allergic reactions for people who encounter them. I complained and said that I haven't been around that many hairs! They told me they are minute and airborne - especailly in the wooded areas where I have been walking every morning. Option 2 (which I tend to agree with) is that they are "no-see-um bites". One of our kindergarten aides (who everyone says is the expert) sent me down to the store to buy a spray that I was supposed to put on all the furniture in my home - then vaccuum. Well, the vaccuum in this apartment doesn't work so well - welcome to OCSI. I have, however, spent the majority of my day cleaning the apartment quite completetly, washing all my bedding, and clothing. I am going to take a benadryl and pray that the itching and irritation goes away tomorrow, or at least improves. Otherwise, I don't know what I will do. I will also alter my course of travel while working out for a few days; I will give up my training on the "steps" at the castle for a few days.
5. Tomorrow is a work day at the Baptist Camp up in a Northern part of the island. I will be driving a friend up there so we can help out for the day. It is a long drive (around 1.5 - 2 hours) but it is one of the prettiest drives on island. Hopefully we can be of some use to the camp in our service.
Thank you all for praying.
1. School went OK today. I wanted the kids to get the feeling of rejoicing over it being the last day so foolishly I thought they could handle learning math via stations of various games. In a classroom full of active, talkative, unfocused yet highly enthusiastic 5th grade boys, that was a bad call on my part. Over the weekend I need to develop a new plan and flesh it out. This is going to involve a lot more curriculum development on my part. There is a "Math in a Box" summer school curriculum I could resort to, but I very much dislike it and would prefer to actually adress the needs that I know the class has. The problem is, HOW! In my high school rooms, I could split them into groups and hopefully attend to one group at a time, but in this crew? (OK, I take that back. I have one class in high school that I know I couldn't leave in groups either - it would end with a very crabby me.) I haven't had time to train them on my expectations and requirements. It is nice to have enthusiasm from the kids, however, so I will try to work with it.
2. My "Bradly" had his first episode today. He chose to have it as he was coming into chapel first thing. I very badly did NOT want to give him attention for his behavior - nor did I want to deal with it during chapel. I had every intention of getting to him as soon as chapel had come to an end, when I could speak with him alone. He was not causing a disturbance and he was on the end sitting right next to me anyway, however, the elementary principal (who had also warned me about this young man) opted to deal with his situation for me. I still talked with the young man before class started and we had a great day. I will remain alert to potential issues, however.
3. I have had a migraine for the past two days, so sleep has been in short supply - again. I took a larger dose of medication after school today and I feel great right now, as far as my head goes. Hopefully that remains true throughout the night.
4. My head may feel great, but somehow I am covered from HEAD to TOE with little gnat/flea/itchy red bug bites of some sort. There is a lot of discrepency over at school over what they are. A large group of people thinks that it is from the hairs off of what they call "hairy caterpillars". I guess they are very "poisonous" and cause some pretty bad allergic reactions for people who encounter them. I complained and said that I haven't been around that many hairs! They told me they are minute and airborne - especailly in the wooded areas where I have been walking every morning. Option 2 (which I tend to agree with) is that they are "no-see-um bites". One of our kindergarten aides (who everyone says is the expert) sent me down to the store to buy a spray that I was supposed to put on all the furniture in my home - then vaccuum. Well, the vaccuum in this apartment doesn't work so well - welcome to OCSI. I have, however, spent the majority of my day cleaning the apartment quite completetly, washing all my bedding, and clothing. I am going to take a benadryl and pray that the itching and irritation goes away tomorrow, or at least improves. Otherwise, I don't know what I will do. I will also alter my course of travel while working out for a few days; I will give up my training on the "steps" at the castle for a few days.5. Tomorrow is a work day at the Baptist Camp up in a Northern part of the island. I will be driving a friend up there so we can help out for the day. It is a long drive (around 1.5 - 2 hours) but it is one of the prettiest drives on island. Hopefully we can be of some use to the camp in our service.
Thank you all for praying.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Thursday, June 23rd
The past two days at school the kids have been a bit more antsy and a bit harder to keep on track; I think they are getting comfortable with the situation. Perhaps too comfortable. :) I felt kind of badly coming down hard on some of them both days, but they really haven't seemed too bothered by any of it. I guess that's good.
My classes continue to go by very quickly. I feel like my time with the kids barely starts and then it is time to send them either down to recess or to lunch. I do know that I have three kids that I am worried about math skills for them. The rest are fine, or well above fine. They are in Summer School for the English and continued practice, not the math.
Yesterday, during chapel the kids were learning about Jesus' teaching and his being taken up to heaven in a cloud. However, before covering that story, our speaker talked about how Jesus commissioned his disciples to serve in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. We talked very literally about that that meant with the teacher showing a map of the area for the kids. When I brought the kids back to my room, however we had a good talk about what that call could mean for each of us too. I drew it on the board and then transitioned that into a lesson on Venn Diagrams for the kids. It made me think of my pastor in MN sermons before I left. :) Isn't it neat how God ties everything together?
Yesterday, Wednesday, after school I ran some errands around town and ended up at the vegetable market above the school. My plan was to buy the ingredients needed to cook my first meal over here (outside of breakfast that is.) I loaded up my basket and did the math - it would come to around 1,500 yen (about $15) then I turned the corner and they were marking pre-made bentos on sale for about 100 or 200 yen (1 - 2 dollars). Um, I made a quick decision that I would NOT be cooking. All my meals will be eaten in bento format for the next three weeks. It is far cheaper that way, but when I get home I may be craving a good salad of some sort. :)
I came home by around 6 PM yesterday and proceeded to fall asleep on a chair. I was basically asleep from 7 PM - morning. I was up for about and hour or two in the middle of the night, but that was my first good sleep in a while. Hopefully tonight can be a repeat? Thank you for praying.
Today, after school, I have a friend who is house-sitting/cat sitting at a place up North just a little ways. The house is right on the ocean and they own two paddle boards. We went up mid afternoon and spent the day up there. It was a fun way to relax this afternoon.
My only big prayer requests at the moment are for my 3 children who are struggling with math and that Jesus remain real to the kids. Today marks the anniversary of the end of WW2 - or the surrender of Japanese troups here on Okinawa. Apparently in the Okinawan religion/superstitions this is a day that nobody should be in the ocean. They believe you can/will die if you are in the water. We were supposed to have a field trip today, but due to some legalities with paperwork it had to be postponed a day. The kids who spoke to me were sure it was because of the water death situations. I told them that if we believe in Jesus, we don't have to be afraid of that situation. Every year this comes up during summer school and every year it leads to long discussions with the kids. I never remember what day it is, but they always bring it up in class. They obviously hear about it a lot at home and it remains in their thought processes at school. So far, I really get the feeling that my students love Jesus. They are very well educated in the Christian faith at school; I only hope it remains real for them. That they understand they don't need to fear all of the spirits and things that the people of Okinawa often do.
My classes continue to go by very quickly. I feel like my time with the kids barely starts and then it is time to send them either down to recess or to lunch. I do know that I have three kids that I am worried about math skills for them. The rest are fine, or well above fine. They are in Summer School for the English and continued practice, not the math.
Yesterday, during chapel the kids were learning about Jesus' teaching and his being taken up to heaven in a cloud. However, before covering that story, our speaker talked about how Jesus commissioned his disciples to serve in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. We talked very literally about that that meant with the teacher showing a map of the area for the kids. When I brought the kids back to my room, however we had a good talk about what that call could mean for each of us too. I drew it on the board and then transitioned that into a lesson on Venn Diagrams for the kids. It made me think of my pastor in MN sermons before I left. :) Isn't it neat how God ties everything together?
Yesterday, Wednesday, after school I ran some errands around town and ended up at the vegetable market above the school. My plan was to buy the ingredients needed to cook my first meal over here (outside of breakfast that is.) I loaded up my basket and did the math - it would come to around 1,500 yen (about $15) then I turned the corner and they were marking pre-made bentos on sale for about 100 or 200 yen (1 - 2 dollars). Um, I made a quick decision that I would NOT be cooking. All my meals will be eaten in bento format for the next three weeks. It is far cheaper that way, but when I get home I may be craving a good salad of some sort. :)
I came home by around 6 PM yesterday and proceeded to fall asleep on a chair. I was basically asleep from 7 PM - morning. I was up for about and hour or two in the middle of the night, but that was my first good sleep in a while. Hopefully tonight can be a repeat? Thank you for praying.
Today, after school, I have a friend who is house-sitting/cat sitting at a place up North just a little ways. The house is right on the ocean and they own two paddle boards. We went up mid afternoon and spent the day up there. It was a fun way to relax this afternoon.
My only big prayer requests at the moment are for my 3 children who are struggling with math and that Jesus remain real to the kids. Today marks the anniversary of the end of WW2 - or the surrender of Japanese troups here on Okinawa. Apparently in the Okinawan religion/superstitions this is a day that nobody should be in the ocean. They believe you can/will die if you are in the water. We were supposed to have a field trip today, but due to some legalities with paperwork it had to be postponed a day. The kids who spoke to me were sure it was because of the water death situations. I told them that if we believe in Jesus, we don't have to be afraid of that situation. Every year this comes up during summer school and every year it leads to long discussions with the kids. I never remember what day it is, but they always bring it up in class. They obviously hear about it a lot at home and it remains in their thought processes at school. So far, I really get the feeling that my students love Jesus. They are very well educated in the Christian faith at school; I only hope it remains real for them. That they understand they don't need to fear all of the spirits and things that the people of Okinawa often do.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Tuesday Evening, June 21st
This is why my posts get so long, I'm sorry. I should be posting every day -
Sunday: I was able to attend church at the "new" Central Baptist Church. The church I attended while here on island recently moved from a city quite a ways away from the school to just down the road. It actually bought out a former store that I used to shop at and converted the building into the new church. I was sceptical and worried about what I may find, but wow! It is a beautiful new building. I am happy for them for that, but even happier because this church has been having some issues finding a long-term pastor. Actually from the time I lived here (in the early 2000s) until now the poor congregation has really hopped from one preacher to another as they saught the right fit for their congregation. Sunday, marked the installment of their new missionary pastor and his wife. It was a precious ceremony and I truly pray that this new pastor will be a good fit for everyone. It was an exciting day!
An entertainment story for you - this happened on Sunday. Well, when I lived here before we had been given careful instructions on how to care for our apartments. We had rules on how to clean the air conditioners, how to wash the typhoon bars, and how to wax the floor every year, or at least every other year. I have waxed many a floor in this apartment building. Well, I wanted to try to leave the apartment I am staying in a little better than it was when I got here, and one way I thought I could do that to help would be to strip and wax the floor for them. I was hoping to just tackle the kitchen.
Well, after lunch, I went to Makeman (makumanu) to buy some floor wax and the stripper and whatever equipment I needed. I was recalling the feeling of accomplishment I got after waxing and enjoying that, so I was looking forward to the project. I found the floor wax. I actually had to ask a customer:
"Sumimasen, kore wa waxu?" - that was my version, of "Excuse me, is this wax?"
"Hai, so desu" - "Yes, it is"
I was excited and I remembered that my roommate Jenn and I had used some special spray bottle to remove the wax. It had worked well, so I went up and down the isles trying to find it. Believe it or not, in 20 years, I seem to have forgotten what that bottle looked like, or else they switched lables/artwork/colors. So, after much searching and attempting to reach my Japanese, I found a gal who worked at the store:
"Sumimasen, waxu desu?" - This is wax - I held up the bottle and showed the woman.
"Hai,so desu" - yes, it is.
"Strippah, ga arimasu?" - my attempt at "Do you have any stripper?"
At this point, I got a very odd look from the store clerk. I realized, strippah wasn't translating the way I thought. As a matter of fact, "stripper/strippah" may actually refer to a woman who likes to remove her clothing. Quickly, I realized I needed to switch gears!
"waxu - bye bye" -- "wax, bye-bye"
"Mmmmm, lemovah" - "oh remover!"
"HAI! So desu" - yes, that's right!
She then brought me over to the "remover" and I felt complete. Kind of stupid and amused at the events, but complete. 8 hours later, however, I wasn't so sure that was a good idea. How could I have thought I enjoyed waxing? OK, the waxing part is fine, but the stripping? CRAZY!
Monday: First day of school.
I got to meet my kids and we spent most of the morning getting to know each other and I was assessing where they were at so I knew what to try to work on with them. It was a great day with very little to report as far as being great or negative. That's a good sign for a first day! After school, I met up with a couple of the missionaries who live in the apartments now. One of them went to the beach with me and we swam some laps. Then we came back home and picked up the other gal for a dinner down at my favorite little "ramen" shop. A very good day.
Tuesday: Second day of school. I am very much appreciating your prayers, especially for "Bradly". Everything has gone more than smoothly with him. I have had NO ISSUES at all, and I am praising God for that. However, there is one little boy in his class that did get some rather firm correction out of me today. He was enjoying his summer school experience, and the friendly competition that I was bringing to the math experience, a little more than was needed. However, trying to reign in enthusiasm, that's a problem I don't often have to contend with in the secondary realm, so that was a fine thing.
My second group of kids are my 5th graders. They are a widely varied group of kids as far as ability is concerned. I have a high school helper with me in both classes, and I'm grateful. They all seem to need help at the same time, so I very much appreciate her being there to assist. It is nice! I have some little boys in that class that I vividly recall from the last time I was teaching here. One of them was our permanant talker during chapel, recess, or every field trip we took. He always had something to say and some story to tell us. THe moment he walked in the room on Monday, I knew that I recalled him. I even greeted him by name. Of course he had no memory of me, but I smiled thinking "I could never forget you,however." :) He is a bright young boy however, so I have enjoyed having him in class. He is still rather talkative and enthusiastic, but he seems to enjoy math and works hard at it. It is fun getting to know their personalities.
This evening, some of the office staff that I worked with when I lived here took me out for a very special and very fancy Okinawan meal. I was thrilled just to be out with them, but the meal was very special too. It was a fun day!
As far as my current prayer requests go, I am starting to get a little concerned about my sleep. I have been waking up about 3 AM every morning, which is rather normal with jet lag. This morning, I actually thought I could sleep in after waking up. I got up to use the restroom and then thought I'd get a drink of water. I walked to the sink and as I grabbed a cup - zip...a big cockroach ran right under my hand. My heart started pounding immediately and the battle to catch the bugger was one. I did NOT go back to sleep, but that cockroach will not be bothering me, or anyone else, any more. (Funny aside, one of the office staff decided today was a good day to bring in a bag of plastic roaches and just leave them in odd places: desks, offices, bags . . . for her coworkers to find today. I guess a work order was put out to buy some roach traps and the maintenance men were placed on the job. HA! Masako-san brought levity to the day, at least in my opinion she did!) Anyway, I've been averaging about 5 - 6 hours of sleep each night. I actually feel pretty good in spite of that, but I don't want to wear down and get sick. I love getting up in the morning to work out, but I do need a little more sleep too.
Well, after lunch, I went to Makeman (makumanu) to buy some floor wax and the stripper and whatever equipment I needed. I was recalling the feeling of accomplishment I got after waxing and enjoying that, so I was looking forward to the project. I found the floor wax. I actually had to ask a customer:
"Sumimasen, kore wa waxu?" - that was my version, of "Excuse me, is this wax?"
"Hai, so desu" - "Yes, it is"
I was excited and I remembered that my roommate Jenn and I had used some special spray bottle to remove the wax. It had worked well, so I went up and down the isles trying to find it. Believe it or not, in 20 years, I seem to have forgotten what that bottle looked like, or else they switched lables/artwork/colors. So, after much searching and attempting to reach my Japanese, I found a gal who worked at the store:
"Sumimasen, waxu desu?" - This is wax - I held up the bottle and showed the woman.
"Hai,so desu" - yes, it is.
"Strippah, ga arimasu?" - my attempt at "Do you have any stripper?"
At this point, I got a very odd look from the store clerk. I realized, strippah wasn't translating the way I thought. As a matter of fact, "stripper/strippah" may actually refer to a woman who likes to remove her clothing. Quickly, I realized I needed to switch gears!
"waxu - bye bye" -- "wax, bye-bye"
"Mmmmm, lemovah" - "oh remover!"
"HAI! So desu" - yes, that's right!
She then brought me over to the "remover" and I felt complete. Kind of stupid and amused at the events, but complete. 8 hours later, however, I wasn't so sure that was a good idea. How could I have thought I enjoyed waxing? OK, the waxing part is fine, but the stripping? CRAZY!
Monday: First day of school.
Tuesday: Second day of school. I am very much appreciating your prayers, especially for "Bradly". Everything has gone more than smoothly with him. I have had NO ISSUES at all, and I am praising God for that. However, there is one little boy in his class that did get some rather firm correction out of me today. He was enjoying his summer school experience, and the friendly competition that I was bringing to the math experience, a little more than was needed. However, trying to reign in enthusiasm, that's a problem I don't often have to contend with in the secondary realm, so that was a fine thing.
My second group of kids are my 5th graders. They are a widely varied group of kids as far as ability is concerned. I have a high school helper with me in both classes, and I'm grateful. They all seem to need help at the same time, so I very much appreciate her being there to assist. It is nice! I have some little boys in that class that I vividly recall from the last time I was teaching here. One of them was our permanant talker during chapel, recess, or every field trip we took. He always had something to say and some story to tell us. THe moment he walked in the room on Monday, I knew that I recalled him. I even greeted him by name. Of course he had no memory of me, but I smiled thinking "I could never forget you,however." :) He is a bright young boy however, so I have enjoyed having him in class. He is still rather talkative and enthusiastic, but he seems to enjoy math and works hard at it. It is fun getting to know their personalities.
This evening, some of the office staff that I worked with when I lived here took me out for a very special and very fancy Okinawan meal. I was thrilled just to be out with them, but the meal was very special too. It was a fun day!
As far as my current prayer requests go, I am starting to get a little concerned about my sleep. I have been waking up about 3 AM every morning, which is rather normal with jet lag. This morning, I actually thought I could sleep in after waking up. I got up to use the restroom and then thought I'd get a drink of water. I walked to the sink and as I grabbed a cup - zip...a big cockroach ran right under my hand. My heart started pounding immediately and the battle to catch the bugger was one. I did NOT go back to sleep, but that cockroach will not be bothering me, or anyone else, any more. (Funny aside, one of the office staff decided today was a good day to bring in a bag of plastic roaches and just leave them in odd places: desks, offices, bags . . . for her coworkers to find today. I guess a work order was put out to buy some roach traps and the maintenance men were placed on the job. HA! Masako-san brought levity to the day, at least in my opinion she did!) Anyway, I've been averaging about 5 - 6 hours of sleep each night. I actually feel pretty good in spite of that, but I don't want to wear down and get sick. I love getting up in the morning to work out, but I do need a little more sleep too.
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Sunday morning, June 19th
I have a lot of thoughts going through my brain at this time. Early morning walks are a good time to clear them, so I'm going to be taking off here shortly to do that. Before I go, however, I just wanted to give you a little update.
Yesterday morning I took off on my first walk back here in the Okinawan environment. When I left, the temp read as 82 degrees but "real feel" was 102. I learned last night that we hit 90 yesterday with a "real feel"of 120. It makes some of what I'm going to share make sense to me, but it still makes me think. I have two little analogies out of my day.
I have had a relatively sedentary winter. Either due to laziness or business, but I think the latter more than anything. I know I am not in the same kind of shape that I had been in, whatever the case. Be that as it may, I know I have to go on a big mountain hike in August, so I made a vow that every day I was going to go out and try to hike the hills around here, and we have plenty!
Straight out the gate from school I went up the hill towards a castle that sits on one of the highest overlooks. I found myself thinking, "Oh, this really isn't so hard." Yet, when I attempted to hold things I realized that my hands were just one big sweaty mess. Then, I realized that my hair was starting to drip (beautiful picture, I know). My arms and legs "glistened" and my shirt wasn't quite as "fresh" as it had been 10 minutes earlier.
Once reaching the castle grounds there is a section of the trail that is, well, for those from the "North Shore Area", kind of like the Split Rock Lighthouse stairway multiplied. There are some wooden platforms and stairs connection this trail as it progresses up and down through some deep "jungle" area. I was beyond out of breath by the time I reached the old cobblestone stretch back out of the valley and up to the castle. Reaching the castle grounds, I was winded and reflecting on the fact that it barely phased me before.
I then thought about that when compared to our walks with Jesus. If I do not remain disciplined, focused, and make the effort to spend daily time in His Word and with Him, then I spend my day - the beautiful days that He gives us - winded and under-prepared for them. I can still enjoy them, because I truly enjoyed my hike, but I was NOT prepared in the same way I used to be. It took me longer and I wasn't as efficient. I pray that I don't do that with my real days. I want to efficiently deal with and respond to situations/darts thrown my way. I need to remain in His word!
My second musing comes from that stretch of wooden stairs through the woods, that I mentioned above. Before I started yesterday morning, I had reminded myself that I needed to remain alert for spiders along that trail. I recalled that it is less often used than some others and often the webs are build all across the trail. Well, that reminder didn't last while I was plodding along the way. I walked right into not just one, but TWO webs, upsetting the big spiders and causing them to flail around dangerously close to my head. After those two, I was more alert and was able to only graze the other webs I found.
Well, that got me to thinking again. We can know the struggles we are going to face. Sometimes we know what bumps will be in our path, but unless we remained focused and remind ourselves to maintain that focus - we are going to fall right into the traps set out for us. I do NOT want to do that!
I want to know where God is working here. I want to be prepared. I want to be patient and helpful and serve our Lord with gladness. I can already tell you some of the things that are going to try to trip me up along this journey. I want to remain focused on Him and let Him use me even when my own selfish ways want me to just throw my hands up and say, "whatever!"
That leads me to my prayer request. Right now, I am seeing more and more ways the school - the make up of the school and priorities and operations - has changed. It is a very different place from the one I used to serve. I need to remember that change is not bad. I need to remain open, go with the flow, and serve where I am. As I type I have one of those pictures in front of me that reads "Bloom where you're planted." Well, I am planted here, and I want to bloom!
Yesterday I spent the morning working at school and trying to plan my first day of lessons. Until I know the level my students will be at, it is hard to plan beyond that one day.
In the afternoon, I ran some errands to pick up some things I need in my classroom and I tried to find some fun "Japlish" or "Engrish" shirts. Unfortunately, I struck out on that one.
The evening involved a church service at Koza Baptist with some of the missionaries here at school.
Yesterday morning I took off on my first walk back here in the Okinawan environment. When I left, the temp read as 82 degrees but "real feel" was 102. I learned last night that we hit 90 yesterday with a "real feel"of 120. It makes some of what I'm going to share make sense to me, but it still makes me think. I have two little analogies out of my day.
I have had a relatively sedentary winter. Either due to laziness or business, but I think the latter more than anything. I know I am not in the same kind of shape that I had been in, whatever the case. Be that as it may, I know I have to go on a big mountain hike in August, so I made a vow that every day I was going to go out and try to hike the hills around here, and we have plenty!
I then thought about that when compared to our walks with Jesus. If I do not remain disciplined, focused, and make the effort to spend daily time in His Word and with Him, then I spend my day - the beautiful days that He gives us - winded and under-prepared for them. I can still enjoy them, because I truly enjoyed my hike, but I was NOT prepared in the same way I used to be. It took me longer and I wasn't as efficient. I pray that I don't do that with my real days. I want to efficiently deal with and respond to situations/darts thrown my way. I need to remain in His word!
My second musing comes from that stretch of wooden stairs through the woods, that I mentioned above. Before I started yesterday morning, I had reminded myself that I needed to remain alert for spiders along that trail. I recalled that it is less often used than some others and often the webs are build all across the trail. Well, that reminder didn't last while I was plodding along the way. I walked right into not just one, but TWO webs, upsetting the big spiders and causing them to flail around dangerously close to my head. After those two, I was more alert and was able to only graze the other webs I found.
I want to know where God is working here. I want to be prepared. I want to be patient and helpful and serve our Lord with gladness. I can already tell you some of the things that are going to try to trip me up along this journey. I want to remain focused on Him and let Him use me even when my own selfish ways want me to just throw my hands up and say, "whatever!"
Yesterday I spent the morning working at school and trying to plan my first day of lessons. Until I know the level my students will be at, it is hard to plan beyond that one day.
In the afternoon, I ran some errands to pick up some things I need in my classroom and I tried to find some fun "Japlish" or "Engrish" shirts. Unfortunately, I struck out on that one.
The evening involved a church service at Koza Baptist with some of the missionaries here at school.
Friday, June 17, 2016
Friday, June 17th? Is that the right date?
I am quite unsure what the actual date is, but I am 90% sure that it is Friday evening/night here. I am so appreciative of all the prayers of those of you who prayed for me on this journey! I needed them, especially today. To be very honest, my personal irritations wanted to overtake me all day today: call it fatigue, call it stress, call it travel "fun", but all I know is I do not look back at my attitude with much happiness. I need to ask for forgiveness for it.
My trip from Vancouver to Shanghai actually went very smoothly. The plane boarded and took off on time, but I wound up sitting next to a little Asian lady who seems to think that she payed for half of my seat as well as her own. First, she had a plastic black top hat that she placed on the arm rest between us. It was positioned so that the brim of the hat stuck straight into my rib cage. When it would slip, I would get a sharp jab. I did get ornery a few times and I just locked my arm in place so that she couldn't push the hat into my side.
When, she wasn't using the hat, she got out her extra large purse bag thing and placed that on the arm rest to sleep on. Again that pushed into my seat. I guess every time I started to nod off, I got a sharp jab. One time I actually jumped and made noise. It didn't work. She continued. Then, if it wasn't her "stuff" on me it was literally HER. I was more than happy when that flight ended. I did get a few hours of sleep, but they were spread out over the 12 hour flight.
My hotel transfer went smoothly as did getting through customs and security. I had forgotten how pushy and aggressive the crowds at the airport in Shanghai were. I was very glad that I had written communication from my hotel because everyone who wanted to "help" me gave me a different story about what I needed to do, or how I couldn't get a transfer to that hotel. I continued, very bluntly I am sorry to say, to respond that I did NOT need their help and that I could take care of it. Glad I did. My transfer arrived early and I made it safely to my hotel.
This morning, I was able to go for a short walk around the neighborhood, looking for a huge park I had walked through last time I stayed there. Unfortunately, believe it or not, I was not given accurate directions from the hotel staff and I gave up my search after a while. I had one little rickshaw driver who kept smiling at me and following me around, however, to his credit at least he smiled at me. Everyone else just stared at me; I guess I kind of stood out as a foreigner though.
The hotel had suggested that I get to the airport 3 hours before my flight. I reluctantly did so, not looking forward to the wait at the airport again, but I'm glad I did. I spent every single moment of those 3 hours in a some line of some sort. It was actually quite frustrating and my patience was tested beyond measure. First, I was dropped off at the wrong end of the building and all of the entrance doors were locked shut. I had to drag my luggage all the way to the other end of the airport to get in. (And this after attempting to convince the hotel staff that I really did need to go to terminal 1. They believed me eventually and I'm glad they did!)
Once getting through the doors, I followed signs for the "China Eastern Airlines" international counters. I found one and stood in line for 35 minutes. I got up to the front to find a tiny little sign that said if I was flying to Japan I needed to stand in a different line. I switched lines, only my new line stretched through two different sections of the airport and was twice as long as what I had already waited through!
Finally, I got up to the counter, checked in via computer and then waited in line for another huge chunk of time just to drop off my luggage.
That line was followed by the line to go through customs, then security. I think that wraps up the lines.
Then, I finally got to my gate just about the time we were to begin boarding only to learn that there was some sort of air traffic control issue. Flights were delayed indefinitely. I had no way to connect to my ride in Okinawa to tell them. I had no chair to sit on - as they over-pack their airports in Shanghai apparently. I sat on the floor after a while and didn't care at all if it was culturally inappropriate or not. I still can't honestly say I am sorry for that.
When we were finally given the go-ahead to board the plane it was an all out pushing/shoving match just to get there. They have to shuttle us out to the planes via buses. (Oh, the day before we were unloaded in the craziest/wettest/tropical rain downpour I have ever encountered off an airplane.) I finally got to the plane to see that I had a window seat with two Chinese young men already in the other two seats. Of course instead of getting up to let me get in, they just expected me to climb over/around them. About then was when my facial expressions were probably less than ideal. My struggle to be a light for Jesus was a losing battle at that moment.
When I finally got to OCSI (at 6 PM) I was greeted by a nice note tucked under a plant on my front steps. Linda Griffith was inviting me to supper. I realized that I had no money and no food, but I should probably go anyway. I had my first bowl of Okinawa soba and opted to just come home and unpack for the rest of my night.
Now fed with real food for the first time since Winnipeg, I am feeling better and more able to face the days ahead. A little more sleep will help too. :)
The only updates that I have for school are as follows:
1. Praise - I know how I can print items for summer school on Monday
2. Praise - I have a friend who has a master key and can let me in to do the work!
3. Request - I learned I have a very challenging young man who will be my student in 4th grade. I will call him Bradly (obviously not his real name). Bradly, from all I am hearing, has some pretty severe autistic tendencies and behavior issues are abundant with him. Please pray that we can transition smoothly and have as few episodes as possible in class.
My trip from Vancouver to Shanghai actually went very smoothly. The plane boarded and took off on time, but I wound up sitting next to a little Asian lady who seems to think that she payed for half of my seat as well as her own. First, she had a plastic black top hat that she placed on the arm rest between us. It was positioned so that the brim of the hat stuck straight into my rib cage. When it would slip, I would get a sharp jab. I did get ornery a few times and I just locked my arm in place so that she couldn't push the hat into my side.
When, she wasn't using the hat, she got out her extra large purse bag thing and placed that on the arm rest to sleep on. Again that pushed into my seat. I guess every time I started to nod off, I got a sharp jab. One time I actually jumped and made noise. It didn't work. She continued. Then, if it wasn't her "stuff" on me it was literally HER. I was more than happy when that flight ended. I did get a few hours of sleep, but they were spread out over the 12 hour flight.
My hotel transfer went smoothly as did getting through customs and security. I had forgotten how pushy and aggressive the crowds at the airport in Shanghai were. I was very glad that I had written communication from my hotel because everyone who wanted to "help" me gave me a different story about what I needed to do, or how I couldn't get a transfer to that hotel. I continued, very bluntly I am sorry to say, to respond that I did NOT need their help and that I could take care of it. Glad I did. My transfer arrived early and I made it safely to my hotel.
This morning, I was able to go for a short walk around the neighborhood, looking for a huge park I had walked through last time I stayed there. Unfortunately, believe it or not, I was not given accurate directions from the hotel staff and I gave up my search after a while. I had one little rickshaw driver who kept smiling at me and following me around, however, to his credit at least he smiled at me. Everyone else just stared at me; I guess I kind of stood out as a foreigner though.
The hotel had suggested that I get to the airport 3 hours before my flight. I reluctantly did so, not looking forward to the wait at the airport again, but I'm glad I did. I spent every single moment of those 3 hours in a some line of some sort. It was actually quite frustrating and my patience was tested beyond measure. First, I was dropped off at the wrong end of the building and all of the entrance doors were locked shut. I had to drag my luggage all the way to the other end of the airport to get in. (And this after attempting to convince the hotel staff that I really did need to go to terminal 1. They believed me eventually and I'm glad they did!)
Once getting through the doors, I followed signs for the "China Eastern Airlines" international counters. I found one and stood in line for 35 minutes. I got up to the front to find a tiny little sign that said if I was flying to Japan I needed to stand in a different line. I switched lines, only my new line stretched through two different sections of the airport and was twice as long as what I had already waited through!
Finally, I got up to the counter, checked in via computer and then waited in line for another huge chunk of time just to drop off my luggage.
That line was followed by the line to go through customs, then security. I think that wraps up the lines.
Then, I finally got to my gate just about the time we were to begin boarding only to learn that there was some sort of air traffic control issue. Flights were delayed indefinitely. I had no way to connect to my ride in Okinawa to tell them. I had no chair to sit on - as they over-pack their airports in Shanghai apparently. I sat on the floor after a while and didn't care at all if it was culturally inappropriate or not. I still can't honestly say I am sorry for that.
When we were finally given the go-ahead to board the plane it was an all out pushing/shoving match just to get there. They have to shuttle us out to the planes via buses. (Oh, the day before we were unloaded in the craziest/wettest/tropical rain downpour I have ever encountered off an airplane.) I finally got to the plane to see that I had a window seat with two Chinese young men already in the other two seats. Of course instead of getting up to let me get in, they just expected me to climb over/around them. About then was when my facial expressions were probably less than ideal. My struggle to be a light for Jesus was a losing battle at that moment.
When I finally got to OCSI (at 6 PM) I was greeted by a nice note tucked under a plant on my front steps. Linda Griffith was inviting me to supper. I realized that I had no money and no food, but I should probably go anyway. I had my first bowl of Okinawa soba and opted to just come home and unpack for the rest of my night.
Now fed with real food for the first time since Winnipeg, I am feeling better and more able to face the days ahead. A little more sleep will help too. :)
The only updates that I have for school are as follows:
1. Praise - I know how I can print items for summer school on Monday
2. Praise - I have a friend who has a master key and can let me in to do the work!
3. Request - I learned I have a very challenging young man who will be my student in 4th grade. I will call him Bradly (obviously not his real name). Bradly, from all I am hearing, has some pretty severe autistic tendencies and behavior issues are abundant with him. Please pray that we can transition smoothly and have as few episodes as possible in class.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
I did it! I found a way to log in again! - - I forgot the horrid formatting of this site. I have used paragraphs and punctuation better, but this site gets rid of it all. Sorry.
For those of you following my progress in my "trip" this summer, here is my current update for you.
#1 - I have two days of school left this school year (not counting today - Wednesday)- one with students one as a teacher workday.
#2 - Tomorrow after the school day is over, I will be driving to Brainerd to pick up my nephews and then returning to Silver Bay so they can have "camp Amy" before I go.
#3 - Sunday, after church, I believe that Janice Skillman and her mother are coming to stay at my house for the night. I haven't been able to reach Janice in a week to confirm, but that was the most recent plan. Hoping that I can enjoy my visit with them and that my nephews can still enjoy their time as well.
#4 - Monday, June 13th, all of us will leave my house mid morning. I will have to make up a chore chart and have the boys help me get my house in trip ready condition. They don't usually have to "work" at "Camp Amy", but I know they are capable, so I may employ their help in this case. I will take the boys up to Fargo (a 6 hour drive) so they can get to baseball practice that evening, and then I will try to get to Fergus Falls in time to get my car "tuned up" so that Lisa (a friend/missionary on furlough from Okinawa) can use my car while she is in MN.
#5 - Tuesday, June 14th, I will pick up Lisa at the bus depot in Fergus Falls (HA! Olson's Oil gas station) and we will start the drive up to Winnipeg Canada.
#6 - Wednesday, June 15th, I fly out from Winnipeg at 6:50 AM. Lisa will then take ownership of my car for the next 4 weeks and I will catch a shuttle to the airport. That afternoon, I will have a several hour layover in Vancouver, Canada, and then that evening I will fly to Shanghai China.
#7 - Thursday, June 16th, I will hopefully be landing in Shanghai, China at around 4:35 PM - that is 2:35 AM for Central Time Zone people. I have already arranged to meet the hotel shuttle at 6:30 PM, so I'm hoping to clear security and customs in time to reach it with ease. However, I'd like to not have to sit and wait for a long time after my two day journey. Please pray that they don't hassle me over not having a visa to enter China. Also pray that the shuttle is easy to find and that I don't have to wait too long. I have spent time this week trying to get all of this arranged, but it will be a relief to make it (with all my luggage).
#8 - Friday, June 17th, I will catch the last leg of my flight and journey from Shanghai to Okinawa, Japan. I believe my friend, Ruth Jerome, is going to be picking me up from the airport in Okinawa, but by the time I am "home" I think I'll just be happy to be there!
Stay tuned as I will update you on prayer requests and daily happenings. I covet your prayers and will do my best to keep everyone posted.
For those of you following my progress in my "trip" this summer, here is my current update for you.
#1 - I have two days of school left this school year (not counting today - Wednesday)- one with students one as a teacher workday.
#2 - Tomorrow after the school day is over, I will be driving to Brainerd to pick up my nephews and then returning to Silver Bay so they can have "camp Amy" before I go.
#3 - Sunday, after church, I believe that Janice Skillman and her mother are coming to stay at my house for the night. I haven't been able to reach Janice in a week to confirm, but that was the most recent plan. Hoping that I can enjoy my visit with them and that my nephews can still enjoy their time as well.
#4 - Monday, June 13th, all of us will leave my house mid morning. I will have to make up a chore chart and have the boys help me get my house in trip ready condition. They don't usually have to "work" at "Camp Amy", but I know they are capable, so I may employ their help in this case. I will take the boys up to Fargo (a 6 hour drive) so they can get to baseball practice that evening, and then I will try to get to Fergus Falls in time to get my car "tuned up" so that Lisa (a friend/missionary on furlough from Okinawa) can use my car while she is in MN.
#5 - Tuesday, June 14th, I will pick up Lisa at the bus depot in Fergus Falls (HA! Olson's Oil gas station) and we will start the drive up to Winnipeg Canada.
#6 - Wednesday, June 15th, I fly out from Winnipeg at 6:50 AM. Lisa will then take ownership of my car for the next 4 weeks and I will catch a shuttle to the airport. That afternoon, I will have a several hour layover in Vancouver, Canada, and then that evening I will fly to Shanghai China.
#7 - Thursday, June 16th, I will hopefully be landing in Shanghai, China at around 4:35 PM - that is 2:35 AM for Central Time Zone people. I have already arranged to meet the hotel shuttle at 6:30 PM, so I'm hoping to clear security and customs in time to reach it with ease. However, I'd like to not have to sit and wait for a long time after my two day journey. Please pray that they don't hassle me over not having a visa to enter China. Also pray that the shuttle is easy to find and that I don't have to wait too long. I have spent time this week trying to get all of this arranged, but it will be a relief to make it (with all my luggage).
#8 - Friday, June 17th, I will catch the last leg of my flight and journey from Shanghai to Okinawa, Japan. I believe my friend, Ruth Jerome, is going to be picking me up from the airport in Okinawa, but by the time I am "home" I think I'll just be happy to be there!
Stay tuned as I will update you on prayer requests and daily happenings. I covet your prayers and will do my best to keep everyone posted.
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