So, this has been a very busy week...

I am now taking the train to four of my locations, and so I'm getting a lot of ground covered. I love to watch out the window as I pass through all the different areas of this part of the Country, and it seems there's always something new to see. I'm looking forward to when I buy my new camera (crossing my fingers for October.. :) ) and then I can take pictures that will really do this place some justice. I'm making a prayer request page! It will be at the top of this screen, next to a tab that says "Home". Thanks!

So tired, after a very long day, a very long week...

Wow. today.

I wasn't sure if the multitude of thundering footsteps I heard were coming from my new class of kids, or the ones that just left. ..

So, today was ridiculous! This is how it went:

It all started when I was in the shower, thinking to myself "It's a good thing I only have to go next door to teach, so I have plenty of time to shower." and then, "NOO!! I TEACH AT KITASHINADA FIRST!!"...which happens to be, about a twenty minute bike ride away. So, the shower ended promptly. No, I did not condition - I barely brushed my teeth (We brush our teeth in the shower here, by the way. Though a bit strange at first, it turns out to be greatly convenient.) So, I spent about a minute getting ready, jumped on my bike, and off I went - panicked that on my first day to this far-away-church, I was going to be late. I biked and biked, and then..."This doesn't look right.." - I had only been there once before, and it was with Charis. So, it figures I got lost, right? At this point, I was ready to cry. I tried calling a few people, and couldn't get through. Figures. Finally, Simon picked up - and led me the right way. (Who knew cell phones were so convenient?..) I got there, and had a lovely couple of classes. Lunch Time! I needed to bike to the grocery store, and as I started out, it began to rain. I'd considered a few days ago, with all this biking we seem to do, "So what happens when it rains? That would be rather unfortunate if I didn't have an umbrella." Do I have an umbrella? No, no I don't. I biked back to get one - I couldn't figure out how to open it, but it had stopped raining by then - so I headed out again. Then it began to rain. Then it began to pour. Figures.

By the time I got inside the grocery store, I looked like I had just gotten into a pool to do a couple of leisurely laps, fully clothed. Awesome. I learned something new today: It can really rain here. Note to self: Invest in an umbrella.

Got back to Kitashinada, ate lunch, then biked up a gigantic hill to a kindergarten class. Was fun. Then, on my way home... "This doesn't look right." - Called Charis - found the right place, and a little while later... "This doesn't look right...Why am I at City Hall??" Called Charis again. Seems someone should have given me a little heads up, that the first day I get lost, it will happen THREE TIMES.

Finally made it home. Went to the post office, then back home, taught two more children's classes, (They were the ones I thought I had this morning.) ate supper, went to Appla, bought a new plant and my very own set of chop sticks.

That, my friends, was my day.

... :) ...

Emerging from the bamboo forest. ..This is down the road from my house. It's full of garbage and random stuff. I wanted to venture further, and as I began, a mouse or something that felt like a mouse, ran over my foot and I jumped onto a bamboo pole and hung on for dear life... Seems this venture requires proper footwear. Or a more courageous person.

These are in a random order, but we had a "family dinner" the other night with the ladies in the dorm and Charis..who is an honorary dorm member. lol. Korean, and Philippino-Chinese food. Awesome.
Very overgrown park down the road.

more dinner stuff. And my first plant I got! I'm going through a plant phase. Note to mom: When you come, bring an EPI pen..haha..

Giant cricket-thing Veronica killed in our dorm. His hind legs are still lying on the floor downstairs..

Japan, I love thee!

Veronica and Charis - Philippina's - V's b-day, wonderful women. They're a blessing.

Many streets look similar to this.
I find it hard to eat Canadian food now.
on my doorstep
view from my dorm window! I live with 3 other ladies. Love 'em.

I love Japan! I have been here now for one week, and I just really..I find it all so intriguing. I love the "newness" of it all. I'm sure there will be days when I wish things were more "Canadian", but today is just not that day! I have been getting settled in, learning different cultural things, trying to pick up on some of the language, and getting a feel for how classes work. - I start teaching tomorrow morning, and I'm pretty stoked. A little anxious, but stoked none the less. So..keep praying, my friends. God bless, and goodbye from my end of the ocean...

Waiting in Osaka Airport

I’m sitting in the Osaka Airport - one of them, at least. It’s about 4 or 5 AM back west, and I’m in a bit of a daze.

As we flew into Osaka, the city lights just kept on coming, and coming, and coming...heck, folks, this is one big city. But then, as I got off the plane and felt the instant moist heat of this foreign land, I said to myself, with a satisfied grin plastered on my face, “I’m home.” For this next year, this is my home. God has shipped me across a country, an ocean, and now across yet another country - and I took a little jump over Alaska along the way. I’m living back where the salt of the ocean can find its way back into my blood, culture like nothing I’ve ever known or imagined, is talking, and walking, and moving all around me. Yes, this is where I am to be.

I don’t know when my pick-up person will get here, but I figure they can’t really miss me - I’m the only white kid here. :)

12:18 AM

It's 12:18 AM. And as I'm about to fall asleep, it's scary. After I wake up, I will have one night before I head out on the first leg of my journey into the unknown. Some of you may know, or maybe this is the first time you're hearing about it, but I've had a rough year. There has been a lot of pain and a lot of confusion. A lot of doubts and misundestandings, and I've just experienced a lot of things that I hope and pray were a one-time thing. But you know, I'm reading the book of Joel. I just read the introduction last night, and tonight I read the first couple chapters. The whole story is of a man who's watched his country destroyed by locusts and possible drought. The people are hungry and thirsty, the animals are moaning for the loss of their pasturelands, and the people are just in an alltime state of hopelessness. Ouch. But as I've read on a bit, the tables turn - things change, when God answers. This is a big deal! GOD answers. He sees the pain, the dry and thirsty land, and offers hope for a change. I feel like He's talking to me. I've been dreading Japan, in ways, because I know in the pit of my stomach...this year is going to be hard. One of the hardest, in fact, that I'm going to have to face. And as I've been looking back at this past year, it leaves me uttering "why, God, must this continue on? Why am I constantly needing to learn things the hard way?" and the thing is, I don't. Even though this past year was hard, God heard my cry. And now, as I look back and truly consider the past, I can't help but feel the corners of my mouth turn up in a smile. Things have been hard, but God has poured down His blessings in such real, tangible ways - He gave me you. I have a hard time knowing how to let people go, and as I've been leaving Bible school I'm torn between the excitment of growing up, and the bitter sad of leaving people behind whom I've loved and have loved me. I love you, and am so thankful for the love you have poured back in return! Thankyou for being there when things were so dry in so many ways. I feel like when I wake up on Monday and prepare to fly out, I'm leaving behind some pretty crucial things - and one of those things, as God promised His people in Joel, is a dry and desolate land. I needed that place, to see where I really stand. I am so week, so feeble, in reality. But I am so blessed, so honored, to be remembered by our Dear and Holy Father, and He's the one who's taking me away from the past. He's grasping my hands, proclaiming "Fly, Susan. Fly into the unknown and feel the wings of change and growth!"...so that's just what I'm doing. - With fear, trembling, but a hop in my step, I, am taking flight. :)

"Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees..." - Hebrews 12:12 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9

Rodent Girl

There is a little girl whom I have taken to calling Rodent Girl. I won't mention her name, just in case she learns to read one day and might find reason to doubt my love for her. She's a monster sometimes, a downright monster. But when she's not a monster, she is one of the most adorable human beings I've ever met. She has bouncy, dark curls and a round baby-doll face. She is four.

One day at lunchtime, she asked for more milk. We only serve milk once, then water after that - so I said no. She proceeded to scream at me, demanding that I give up my menacing ways and hand over her well-deserved milk (She used slightly different words, of course). I bent down so I could look her in the eye, and tried to talk things through. She slapped me in the face. I grabbed her hand, and she proceeded to slap me with the other one. I grabbed that hand, and of course, stupid me, she began to kick me. ... Hence the birth of the name, "Rodent Girl". Well deserved, non?

It seems to me, that as I am working with toddlers, I am faced with the bruit force of what human beings are naturally inclined to do. Unlike us "educated" folk, preschoolers haven't yet learned to cover up their character - they haven't yet learned to mask their sin. Little boys scream in my face, demanding that I hold their hand. I try and understand why a child would expect me to want to even be in the same room as them, while they're screaming at me, but, this, is the human nature. Little children only wish to serve themselves - and even though us adults have learned to pretend otherwise, last I heard, we were little children once, too.

The other day I was reading in ...Okay, I can't remember which one, but it was in one of the Gospels - I think Luke. I came to a parable that Jesus was telling, and I didn't quite understand how it applied to me. Jesus asked the people, if a servant came in from working all day and began demanding that his master begin waiting on him, would that be right? Well, I didn't get it. So the next day as I was reading, I came to the story again... and, it hit me.

I am a servant of God - not the other way around.

It seems I'd gotten into the habit of asking God for things constantly - it says in God's word that we should be paraying and asking God for things all the time, but still - that's different than what I've been doing. When the paperwork that would enable me to go to Japan wasn't working out, I was upset with God that He wasn't making things go more smoothly. I was frustrated that things were not going accoring to my plan, that God wasn't doing as I had asked of Him, and I even felt justified in my feelings. Eeesh...shame, much?

Another day this week, I was writing each kid's name on their craft in a bright blue marker. Rodent Girl asked so sweetly if she could write her own name (even though we both very well knew she doesn't know how) and so, once again, stupid me, I said yes. She took the marker from my hand, and with a menacing grin, jumped up, and ran away from the table. I followed, and as I got close, she turned around, and with a giggle, proudly drew two lovely lines on my jeans. Thanks a lot, Rodent Girl.

It seems to me, though, that I am Rodent Girl. And, well, so are you.

God has incredible, magnificent, infalliable, perfect plans for each part of my life. Yet, every once in a while, I decide that I can play God's role in my life, and I "ask" Him if I can give His plans a try. He very lovingly allows me to. ...and I don't think I have to elaborate on how that story ends. God and I both know that I am not even the least bit capable of spelling my own name - of playing out my own fate - but I only think about me. I am human, I am but a small child, trying to do things the way I think is best for me. I, am rodent girl. ...and when I screw up, sometimes I even scream at God, demanding why He isn't there, holding my hand.

(The truth is, God is there. I just pushed Him out of my sight. So don't think God isn't there when you're screaming at Him, either. He's better than we are at holding tightly to His spoiled children.)

In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge;

let me never be put to shame.

Rescue me and deliver me in Your

righteousness;

turn Your ear to me

and save me.

Be my rock of refuge

to which I can always go

...for You are my rock and my fortress.

..For You have been my Hope,

O Sovereign Lord,

my confidence since my youth.

From birth I have relied on You;

You brought me forth from my mother's womb.

I will ever praise You.

Psalm 71:1-6

Photos.

Let the morning bring word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You.

let everything that has breath, praise the LORD.

the sun is beautiful, even in a worn out, family cottage.