A few random things

Hahaha! This sign cracked me up! As if I didn't already know what to do in case of a fire! I would hope, though, the staff would notice the flames or smoke or the fact that people are running for their lives! haha!

The magical vending machine! haha! People in Japan consider it rude to walk around and drink or eat while they shop, so they have sitting areas (where the vending machines are located) where people can sit and enjoy their refreshments. I just had to make a video of this, hehehe...

A rainy saturday in Nagoya

I finally had a chance to head out and explore the city!! It was raining pretty hard all day, but I still managed to see some pretty cool things.

My friend Becky (she is the 4th grade teacher at the school) and I stumbled upon an outdoor televeision show going on and these people were performing some dance thing. The Japanese do not let rain stop their broadcast! The show must go on and on and on and on.....hahaha, they never stopped!

Here's a picture of Nagoya from a buliding 52 stories high! I was inside the "sky promanade"

A random picture of a street in Nagoya.

Kelli-son "Go"!

So I have been trying to learn a little Japanese seeing that it is very difficult to always communicate by hand gestures and pictures! Also, I don't want to be giving the wrong hand gestures, so here I am learning some Japanese! This is what I've learned so far...Japanese people add the "son" onto a surname which represents Mr. or Mrs. So in my title I wrote "Kelli-son" which translates into Miss Kelli. It's a respectful thing to do just like in the States. The word "Go" I learned means language. So basically my title for this blog post means Ms. Kelli's language! My co-workers were joking that since I pronouce a lot of Japanese words with a Spanish accent I am making up my own language, so they say "Kelli-son, go!" I think it's pretty cool! I've also learned how to say, "Excuse me, I don't understand the Japanese language..." Then I say the word "english" in Japanese and hopefully the clerk will speak English or get someone who can speak English. I haven't tried it yet, but plan on trying it out tonight! hahaha, it should be interesting!

Japanese Frosted Flakes! Different language, but same GRRRREEAAT taste!

I was so happy to find this precious little box of sugary goodness at an international market named effe! Not sure what it translates into, but whatever, they have cereal! I did an extensive search in every aisle and found that they do not have Fruit Loops, Cheerios (which I already suspected), Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, Rice Krispies...honestly the list could go on so let me list what they did have! They had granola (Dad you would like that), a version of Coco Krispies (my next purchase) and, well, that's it! Sad selection to say the least. I've decided I am going on the noodle diet for 2 reasons: 1) I have no choice! Japan is a noodle country. 2) It's the only thing I know I like so far. I miss my mexican food, pizza, spaghetti, and hamburgers! Oh, I did venture out to a McDonalds yesterday and tried ordering a Big Mac but ended up with some Quarter pounder thingy because of this lame language barrier!! However, I ate it and it was hamburger heaven! Plus the french fries were what really brought me in there to begin with :) I've also started drinking this Milk Tea thing and I like it (shockingly to my surprise).

School is going great! I really enjoy my job. I technically don't start teaching PE until next week, but I have spent my time this week working in the office and introducing myself to the kids. The school is K-8th and they are all very enthusiastic about PE! I have been going to recess with the kids and have already been playing tag, jump roping, and sliding down the slide! So much fun! I'm still adjusting to the idea that this is my temporary home, but when I go to work everything seems worth while!

Just in case you don't know, I live on the 3rd floor of my apartment with the #33 directly across the hall!!! Praise the Lord for the simple things! Everyday I walk out my front door, I see the blessed number, thank the Lord, then smile and go about my day. I feel it's God's way of reaching down to me and saying, "Kelli, I love you. I know this move is a difficult one and you have sacrificed a lot. So here is a little something to remind you of my love and everything will be alright." Thank you, Lord!

Oh My Gosh, I'm in Japan!

Ok, so I am having a hard time believing that I'm living in Japan now! I feel like I'm going to wake up one morning and realize this whole thing was a dream. It's crazy.

So, let me fill you in on what I've experienced thus far! After 5 cokes (praise the Lord for caffeine) and 6 movies later, I managed to stay awake on both of my flights so I could adjust quickly to Japan time. I'm 16 hours ahead of California and 13 hours ahead of the East Coast (sorry Sarala, had to call it that, hehehe). Upon arrival, I was exhausted and was ready for bed! I was greeted at the airport by my boss Duane and the business manager Mike. Mike has lived in Japan for 9 years with his wife (who is Japanese) and Duane is new to Nagoya. Both of them are very nice and were super accomodating to the fact that I MUST be exhausted from my travels. I met my roommate Deb also and she is very nice. I think her and I are going to get along just fine which is a VERY good thing for those of you who know my past roommate "issues". I live on the 3rd floor of our apartment building (Yes #3) and across the hall from apartment #33!! hahaha, so everyday when I step out my doorway, I will see the GREATEST number in the World!! Unfortunately, I live in #35, but I am just excited I get to see the number! It's the Lord's way of reminding me that he loves me and all the little things that matter to me. So I will smile and say thank you Lord when I see that number :)
I don't exactly live in Nagoya like I thought. I live in a suburb called Nagukute (still learning how to say the name). It's just outside Nagoya and is pretty. Lots of rice fields! Haha, so weird! I met a couple of my co-workers today and they are really nice people. A girl named Emily, who grew up in Osaka, took me and my roomie around the town (it's called a town not a city) and it was fun! I fell in a bush and almost got run over by a car! I was riding her bike and wasn't paying attention (go figure) because I was telling or joke or something and ran straight into a bush! She started laughing and was like, "Oh gosh, are we going to have watch out for you?" And of course I answered, "Yes! You have no idea!" Anyways, she took me and Deb to the this mall thingy which has 5 levels! On the bottom level is the grocery store; the 2nd and 3rd level are clothes; the 4th level are resturants and food; and the 5th level is electronics. We ate lunch at this Japanese resturant where they have mini hibachi stoves...bascially you cook your own food at the table! That was fun and interesting! I ordered noodles and shrimp (because that was the only thing I recognized on the Japanese menu) and Emily ordered some Kimichi which I ate, and I have no idea what it was but I tried it and it was...interesting, hahaha. Squid is a BIG favorite here (not my favorite) as well as mayonaise and eggs (interesting combo). I am WAY outside my comfort zone for foods and was already missing my cereals and ice cream!! Although, I had green tea ice cream for dessert and that was really good! They serve all their ice cream with frosted flakes...super funny! The cereal is on the bottom and the ice cream is on top...it was pretty good! I will probably be eating a lot of that! Also, the Japanese drive on the opposite side like Europe and Africa. Emily told me that I could probably get a Japanese license if I wanted to and then I could drive those Vespa scooters. I got all excited about that. Things are very expensive here. For example, I noticed an alarm clock was about $20-$30 bucks for a cheap one. Glad I brought mine :)

So my apartment is small but nice. All of our doorways are short so I am constantly ducking! So how it looks is like this: I walk out of my room, I have to duck. Then I go into the kitchen and have to duck. Then I go into the bathroom and have to duck! I will post pictures soon. There are 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. Oh and the shower thingy is interesting...I'll take a picture because it'll make more sense then if I were to describe it. My bed is just long enough praise the Lord!

I'm just soaking everything in right now. There is a lot to process. School starts on Monday so I have to be prepared for that. I don't feel qualified to do what I'm about to do, but the Lord reminded me that he loves to take the unqualified and make them quailfied by His power and strenght. So if I do anything good or right, it's all because of Him! It's always been because of Him!

I miss home a lot. This is going to be hard, but I'm going to take things a day at a time. I trust that the Lord WILL see me through!

I will post pictures soon so you can have a visual of what I see. Continue to pray for me as I make this transition, but also be praying the kids of Japan with whom I will be working with. Some do not know the Lord so I pray that I will love on these kids with the Love of Jesus. May they see Jesus through all the teachers at ICAN (International Christian Academy Nagoya). Thank you all for your support!!!!! It means so much just to know I have people back home thinking of me and praying for me!!

How in the World do you pack for Japan?

I'm beginning to see the Biblical truth of Jesus' words when He said, "Sell all your possessions and follow Me." How does one really pack to live overseas? I am no expert, but I'm learning that simplicity has a lot to do with it! After several packing attempts (and finally the help of my amazing Sister-in-Law Becky who is the packing champion), I managed to get all my neccessiates into 3 big bags and 1 small carry-on. Right now, I am feeling the sadness of leaving my loved ones and stepping out into the unknown, but the Lord reminds me not to "worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand." Phil. 4:6-7 AMEN to that and PRAISE the LORD! So if you are reading this, I ask that you pray for God's peace to rule in my heart asI fly over to Japan and excitedly anticipate all that the Lord is going to do!

"To see God in everything is the GREATEST adventure there is!" -anoonymous
Adventure, here I come!

Let the Adventure Begin!

Upon several requests, I have decided that starting a blog is a rad idea to keep people connected to the ministry the Lord is leading me to become apart of in Japan. I am just 2 days away from my departure date and can't believe how fast it has arrived. A wave of emotions has already swept over me quite intensely this past week, but the Lord has revealed His faithfulness and love. I have had a GREAT summer of traveling (Africa, wahoo!) and spending time with amazing friends (Hide n' Go seek in Target is high on the list!). But now it's time for a new chapter in my life to begin and I will faithfully step out and experience the Lord in new ways. As scary as this is, I am excited for the new adventures that await. I mean, if I can bungee off a 400 foot bridge in Africa then I can certainly take a leap into the depths of a new country!! WAHOO!! I greatly covet your prayers and thank you for partnering with me on this journey. " To all my nieghbors who got much flavor, this is how we do it!"

"God did not promise us a quiet journey, only a safe arrival," -anonymous