Friday, February 21, 2014

Good Morning, Tokyo!

Well, I made it!  It is a miracle that I managed to make my way through four airports, three flights, and a bus ride to Tokyo without being able to sleep on planes.  The Lord was with me is all I'll say on that. :)

And now here I am!  I'm in my apartment, getting moved in, and am conquering jet lag like a champion.  Truly, it hasn't been as bad as I had been anticipating, so there's more good news!  I am getting used to the food, the neighborhood, the trains, and my neighbors.  Honestly, the only thing that has gone wrong thus far has been a painful crick in my neck from trying to sleep on the plane.  A quick stop at the local pharmacy yesterday for a heat pack is fixing that.  Thanking God for my neighbor missionary who speaks Japanese!

This is part of my little apartment.  The kitchen...



and the livingroom/bedroom!


Small story:

On the flight from LA to Tokyo, I sat next to a Korean guy who wasn't very talkative the whole trip until the end when we landed.  I found out he lives in America and is going to visit his grandparents in Korea.  He said the thing he is most excited to do there was visit his church.  I smiled.  I told him what I would be doing while in Tokyo and his eyes lit up.  We had a simple bonding moment of faith that transcended cultural barriers in under 5 minutes.  That's how God works.

Things I got to do yesterday that I sincerely missed about Japan:

Eat curry, ride the train, pay with yen, walk to a convenience store, and walk from Komagome Station to Pastor Shelley's house.

Things I got to do yesterday that I sincerely miss about America:

Drink black tea with cream, put my mini version of Van Gogh's "What Fields" on the fridge (reminds me of the Toledo Museum of Art), unpack my books, and eat peanut butter.

It's the small things that make life grand.

More on that to come!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Departure Time!

I got my visa yesterday!!!  Which means this missionary is off to Japan the 19th - in 6 days! 

My tickets squared away, I now am looking at the daunting prospect of actually packing all the things I have been preparing for weeks.  It doesn't seem like that much until you try to put it in a bag!

Other things surrounding going away for a year are more emotional.  Like saying goodbye to my church family.  Ms. Pat and the other members of the missions committee at my church gave me a lovely going-away party last night.  I was hugged, congratulated, and encouraged more than I can count.  The people of my church are fantastic and I just can't hug and thank them enough! 

Now I'm down to the final count of what must be done before I go.  Truthfully, it seems like a lot in such a short time span, but I know it will all get done.

One thing I have to come back to time and time again is God's faithfulness throughout it all.  He has been faithful in bringing me though the difficult challenges of fundraising as well as the high points of seeing it come to fruition.  I know that now he has a plan for me actually getting to Japan as well as what I will do when I come home.  His ways are perfect and I trust his judgement completely. 

One day at a time, this crazy adventure moves on.  And I cannot wait to share it with you!

Living in His blessings,

Amanda