Japanese festival in Inuyama

The Japanese people love celebrating tradition through festivals. I was lucky enough to be able to join Emily and her family for a festival in Inuyama. There, I was able to get a small glimpse into the culture of Japan. It was an amazing experience that I will remember for years to come. At this particular festival, they built mobile wooden shrines. On the very top, they build puppets that move to the beat of traditional Japanese music. The puppets tell a story through their movements. Here is a picture of one of the shrines. The puppets on top are controlled by men who are positioned underneath. The men must time the puppet's movements with the music. Very tricky and difficult, but amazing to see.

The front of the temple leading up to Inuyama castle.

The view from the very top of Inuyama castle! Japan really has beautiful landscapes.

This is Inuyama castle.

Putting the lanterns on the shrine thingys. At night, they light all the candles inside the lanterns and it looks so pretty!

This is a picture of me with Emily's family! Emily is on the left of me, then her sister is on the right with her dad and mom. Very nice family...it was good to be with them. They made me feel very welcomed.

The lanterns all lite up at night...very cool.

A few recent pictures, hehehe

The view from my apartment balcony! In the distance there is a huge ferris wheel. The Japanese people love ferris wheels...I'm begininng to think there are more ferris wheels than Starbucks in Japan!

After a hard day of teaching PE, I decided to climb on top of the 4th grade teacher's bookshelf and take a nap! Becky (the 4th grade teacher) took a picture of me while I was waking up, hahaha! Gotta love my confused face!

Typical street sign where I live. Thankfully, some street signs (like this one) have English words underneath.

Sports Day

Sports Day 2008 was a success, PRAISE THE LORD! I was extremely nervous and excited knowing that it was my responsibility as the PE teacher to plan our school's annual Sports Day. This is a day all the kids and staff look forward too, so I felt a tremedous amount of pressure to not let anyone down! Furthermore, Sports Day is not just for our International School, but a BIG event for all the Japanese schools as well throughout this country! A BIG DEAL! With the Lord's guidance and God-given gifts he has given me, Sports Day was well planned and organized to the point where I sat back and watched everyone enjoy the day. For the first time, I felt as if the Lord had been preparing me for this day with all the job experience I've had working with kids. All the experience the Lord strategically planned over the past decade of my life proved to be the tools to help plan such a well organized and fun day for everyone! Job experience such as Prince of Peace where I was the Before and After School Director; My job at the YMCA as the Sports Director Assistant; My coaching experience and my years as an athlete during Jr. High and High School were so resourceful in thinking up sporting events and games for all the kids of my school to enjoy! I am truly humbled and thankful for all the Lord teaches me as I walk through this journey/season of my life. I am really seeking to see God in everything...that nothing is a coincidence and everything in my life has a purpose for the worship and glory of God...God causes everything to work together for His good (Romans 8:28)!

Sports Day Pics!!

Becky and I at Sports day. Becky flashing her gang sign, and I painted my face with the four colors that represented the four teams...Blue, Yellow, Orange, and Green! Any excuse I have to paint my face and I'm all over it!!

YAY for games!! The kids are doing a water relay race! I love watching kids as well as adults having FUN!

This boy David is in Kindergarten and he had an amazing jump!

The little kids being measured for their standing long jumps. They did so great!

The Director/Principal of our school is in the red shirt. He was about to pray for our day.

I'm giving instructions for the day's events and games

Our group photo at the beginning of Sports Day! We had such beautiful weather. I praise the Lord so much for the awesome, FUN day He gave to us.

More pics...

Rice fields that I walked past on the way to Torami beach in Chiba. So funny to see countryside with the ocean being about half mile away. It reminded me of Arroyo a little bit.

Black sand beach!

Me and Emily at Ichinomyia Beach. Very windy. The air was cold but the water was warm! The temp was about 75 degrees....ahhhh, so nice :)

Chiba Coast!

So as "Endless Summer" so eloquently quoted the phrase, "You should of been here yesterday," so I discovered the same issue when I arrived at Ichinomyia Beach. All the locals said, "You should have been here yesterday!" I missed the fun swell by a day! However, there were still some fun waves that came through and I enjoyed surfing! I couldn't help but think that this beach looked so much like the beaches in California...like San O! It was pretty crowded. But I am discovering that Japan has crowded surf...it is afterall a very populated country!!

The Bullet train to Toyko!

My first experience on the bullet train! Seriously, the coolest mode of transportation! It's like riding in a plane that flies on land. Emily and I got to Toyko in 2 hours where if we were driving it would have taken about 6-8 hours!

Samurai Girl!

You better believe I found a REAL samurai sword in a second hand Japanese hole in the wall shop!! It was the coolest thing I found and it was sooooo heavy! You know my name Kelli means "warrior maiden"...I think I am living up to the meaning of my name, hahaha!

Also, I think God finally turned on the Air Conditioner for Japan because the last 2 days we have had NO humdity!! WAHOO!! I've never appreciated California weather more...well except when I lived in North Carolina, BUT the humidity is like 5x's worse here than there. DUDE, I need my dry California air! Now that things are cooling down a bit, I've been hearing that fall is right around the corner. Pretty soon I will be wearing my long sleeve shirts and sweatshirts. NICE! However, the winter will be following and it gets SUPER COLD! Everyone is anxiously waiting to see how I handle living in the cold. I'm wondering how I'm going to handle living in the cold!!!! It'll be a FIRST for me! I've never really had to layer up and wear down jackets and scarfs on a day to day basis so this will be interesting. Now I really can't wait to be home in December and enjoy my warm Christmas!

This weekend I am going on a surf adventure up to the Chiba coast just east of Tokyo. I am super excited because according to the research I've done, there is some world class surfing along this coast and I am anxious to see what all the hype is about. I am traveling with my friend Emily who will be attending a wedding while I surf and find beaches. While Emily is at the wedding, I will be exploring by myself...this should create for some FUNNY stories I'm sure! Stay tuned for when I return from the weekend! Love and miss you all dearly!

The Christian walk requires preparation and MORE preparation!

As Oswald Chambers writes, "God does not ask us to do things that are naturally easy for us- He only asks us to do things that we are perfectly fit to do through His grace."

Even as I become more acclamated to living in another culture, I am still learning about the Japanese way of life. There's nothing rough about living here. I have everything I need at my fingertips (it's just this lame language barrier that makes obtaining the simple things challenging). I have internet connection, I have transporation; the area I live in is extremely safe. I can leave the apartment unlocked for weeks at a time and no one would break in and steal stuff. I've maybe seen one homeless person. The people of Japan are thriving, very much like back home. The challenge in sharing the gospel is the same as back home...how do you get someone to see their need for a Savior when they are not in need?? We just had a gentleman from the NICS (Network of International Christian Schools) home office come visit our school. He was sharing with us what was going on with the other international schools around the World. There's a school in La Paz, Brasil who just recently had a lock down due to violence in the streets; A school in Afghanastan where the female teachers may not go anywhere in public without a secruity escort or a male teacher from the school due to danger of rape or robbery; A school in Kungming, China (the school that originally contacted me regarding a teaching job) where a teacher died (not sure of the details but it was sad to hear). I sat there listening and kept thinking, "Wow, I am very lucky to have been placed in a country where I am safe with minimal threat to my safety, and I am free to represent Christ without worry of persecution." However, I also thought that what I am doing here seems like no big deal because I am not in any threatening situations, and perhaps I'm not a real missionary. Right now, in my life, I want to learn the definition of a missionary and what that looks like. I know you can be a missionary in your home town and do not necessarily need to be overseas. I also know a missionary is not always in a constant state of crisis with the surrounding community. But I pray the Lord shows me what a missionary is and then I want to live it out. I just want to live it out.

Checking out the waves of Irago beach...not very big, but definitely fun since I was surfing in unknown waters with an unknown board!

Stephanie, me, and Becky just being our usual selves!

I was totally enjoying that sugary pastry! This pic was taken while riding back home on the train. It was a little cramed and I was pressed up against the wall, haha! Sad, but I am getting used to being crammed into places. It will be so nice when I return home and I have tons of space!

I figured that if I sit close to the TV, I might be able to understand Japanese drama shows! But nope, it doesn't work. I'm also wearing the traditional Kimono thing (can't remember the technical name) but the thing was amazingly comfortable!!

Becky and I were sad because we were told the ice cream shop was closed. This was very disappointing, hehehe.

Pictures of my Irago Beach Adventure!

Our ferry ride we took to get to other side for more surfing! Wahoo!

The beds we slept in! SOOOO comfortable!

Our hotel room! This is where you sit and drink tea. The room was on the 18th floor with a breathtaking view of Irago Beach. At about 8pm at night, the hotel staff comes in and transforms the room into a bedroom. So COOL!!

Decent beach break at Irago Beach!

Irago Beach!! Very rocky...and the left point break was just around the corner. Such a fun adventure, and it was great to see the Pacific Ocean!

When in Japan, do as the Japanese do!

So everyone knows the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans," well I have decided to adopt that philosophy in Japan! Believe it or not, I ate this Sashimi (raw fish) for dinner! It was the most authentic Japanese food I ever had in my whole life! Did I eat the head? HECK NO, but I did the rest of what you see on this plate and it was GOOD! Japanese people do not really eat fish heads, it's simply presentation. I really have to say that I am completely enjoying my new experiences! The sights, the smells, the atomosphere, the food (no matter how strange it seems), everything!! I do miss my American food, though. I've only been here a little over three weeks so it is no surprise that I find myself craving my cereal when I wake up in the morning, not lobster miso soup!!

So this weekend three of my friends and myself decided to be spontaneous and travel to a new destination that no one we know has been too! Due to the a generous gift of a surfboard by a girl's father at my school, I really wanted to go surfing! Well, three of my friends were up to the challenge in helping me get to a beach. The closest beach where good waves are to be found was a place called Irago beach (about 4 hours southeast by 2 trains and a bus). With limited knowledge of where this place was, and a friend who could speak Japanese, and a lot of laughing we made it to this gorgeous beach!! Not only that, but it was the Pacific Ocean! The familiar ocean of home! Since it took us so long to get to this beach we ended up staying the night at this REALLY GREAT hotel! We had Japanese rooms where we slept on the floor and it was AMAZING! We drank tea before going to bed and wore these Kimono looking things. It really was the coolest cultural experience thus far! Despite what you might think about the "floor beds", it really was super comfortable and the BEST sleep I think I've gotten since I've arrived! I am hooked for life on these style beds and hope California sells them somewhere because if I move home I want a Japanese "floor bed"!! I will post more pictures after I download them because I took pictures of the beds and the room we slept in. Furthermore, the surf was fun and the water was warm! I learned how to say "surfboard wax" in Japanese and spoke with some of the locals. I surfed a left point break that pretty much has fun waves all year long. However, during typhoon season (which is now) the waves can reach up to 12ft when the thypoon swells come in that direction! Pretty crazy!! Needless to say, I had another awesome weekend of exploring, seeing and trying new things, and spending some great quality time with the new friends I'm getting to know! Praise the Lord for being my Provider!! Oh, and the by the way, Nagoya did not experience earthquake thankfully. But please keep praying for the devestation that some people are facing in the locations where there were earthquakes. Much love to you all!!

Earthquakes and Japan

Recently, there have been a series of earthquakes that affected Okinawa and some prefectures northeast of here (instead of counties, they call them prefectures). I have not been affected by these earthquakes. However, many people in this area say Nagoya is due for a very large earthquake. They are predicting it will happen this Saturday, September 13th. Whether it happens or not is not the point. God holds the future. I would ask that you pray for the people who have been affected by the recent earthquakes that have killed some and injured a significant amount of people. May this be an opportunity for people to come to know the Lord.

I might be having a "LITTLE" too much fun!

This is Port Nagoya! I was so stoked to see the Pacific Ocean!! Myself and three other girls took a day trip to the Nagoya Aquirium and it was fun. I'm going to be loving my weekends!

Becky, Me, and Stephanie laying on top of Antartica! The Aquirium of Nagoya!! Such a fun day. And it was great to see the ocean!

How cool is this?? The prettiest school of fish I've ever seen on display! The fun little tide pool where we could touch star fish, crabs, sea slugs, and all those harmless animals in the ocean.

After we stuck our hands in the tide pool (picking up star fish, sea slugs, etc.) we had to wash our hands. These were the only sinks around! They were soooooo small haha!

The Dolphin show we watched at the aquirium. Reminded me of Seaworld except I'm in Japan!

Here's a video of the subway...my other mode of transportation if I am going somewhere that is too far to ride my bike too. The subway is way fun to ride!! And if you notice, it's nice and crowded...not for the clasterphobic person!

A few more faces...

Your typical Kindergarten class...doesn't matter where you are in the world, kids are still kids and they are soooooo cute!! Hopefully, I will get some of me on video teaching P.E. to these little nuggets because it's funny to try and watch them run without running into each other!! haha (and you better believe I introduced "What time is it, Ms. Fox? to them and they love it!!) I finished my first week of teaching and it was a rough one. Some of my classes are great, but some classes are proving to be a challenge. I am a "first year" teacher, and after talking with a few friends, I was reminded that the first year is usually the hardest. I came home in tears on Wednesday because I was so frustrated with the unpredictable weather, lack of space for P.E. classes (Our school does not have a gymnasium or grass field), and disrespectful "little angels" (as Aryn calls them, haha). But by the grace and kindness of our Lord, and the answer to prayers, I finished off the week well! I just need to hang in there, not give up, and depend on the Lord's wisdom daily. I am going to be learning and growing so much! But Praise the Lord for friday nights and friends!! After a crazy week of school, it is so nice to be surrounded by fun people. Here are a few pics of some of my new peeps that I'm getting to know! We are a great bunch aren't we?..........A great bunch of nuts! I guess you kind of have to be a little crazy to be a teacher in a foreign country :) Stephanie is in the middle (she's from Canada, eh?), and Becky is on the right (she's a native California girl! APU alumni.....go A-PU!!)

The three of us trying to take a silly one but Stephanie didn't get the memo and I was on the verge of laughing (what a surprise)!

These are two of my students! They noticed I am VERY animated and talk with my hands so we just had to take a couple of pictures where we are using our hands to communicate! Trying to teach them the "Yo, what up homie?" gesture! hehe

I cooked Mexican food!!! There's an international market near my house and they sell Tortillas, salsa, and beans!! I was so overjoyed that, YES, I cooked a meal for some of my new Japanese friends!! Guess what we had??? Burritos (of course)!!! And Tacos (Can't leave those out). To my surprise, the dinner turned out great and Mexican will be a once a month theme! Praise the Lord for great food and great company!! Emily is the girl in the black shirt...she is the 3rd grade teacher at the school and has been such a blessing in helping me get settled here in Japan!

I just want to take a sec and thank you all for your prayers and your support as family and friends. Words really can't express the gratitude I feel in my heart for the encouraging, uplifting comments you've left on my blog. Not only are these new friends helping me in my adjustment, but you play a big part in it as well!!! Your love and support help me when I am feeling homesick or discouraged. Keep writing and keep praying! Japan will taste the "salt of the earth" and see "the light" in such a dark place because of Jesus moving through His people!

Pictures!

Here I am in the hallway leading up to my apartment!

Me, Mike (the business manager) and 2/3rds of my boss Duane ducking in my hallway, hehehe.
I've also "survived" my first day of teaching! I teach three classes a day in the afternoons, and let me tell you, it is blazing HOT! Actually more humid than hot...so it makes things interesting to say the least. The kids and I drink lots of water! I teach K-8th grades which is quite extreme. I go from little nuggets who love everything I do to kids who think they are too cool for school! I've never had to mentally switch gears before regarding a wide variety of dvelopmental ages. It's like I witness all the stages of child development in one day! Overall, I am VERY thankful for this job and am going to learn a lot. I still very unqualifed, but as some of you reminded me, the Lord delights in turning the unqualified into the qualified! So if any good comes out of my teaching, and these kids experience the love of Christ it will be because of what the Lord has done through me!