Japan

It has been officially been about a year since summer break started for me a year ago in Japan. When summer break began, I had so many thoughts about wanting to quit my exchange program and come home early. I now sit before you a year later and all because of a song I hear, and it brings back deep thoughts of Japan. I think of all the beautiful things that I saw there. I begin to think about the start of a daily routine. It's 5:30 and the alarm clock goes off. It is time to go for my daily walk next to the beautiful Pacific Ocean and walk for 2 hours straight, quite unaware of how to hardly speak any Japanese at all. I run into the same faces daily and most of the time in the same spot. They smile at me and just ramble off in Japanese all these things that I do not understand, and then once they finish they smile and bow and go along their way. As I continue to walk, I look East and begin to see another one of the most breathtaking sunrises I have ever seen in my life and become thankful that God has blessed me with another day of seeing his wonderful creation every day. After two hours have passed, I have walked my 10 kilometers and am back in my apartment ready to shower for school in a shower only half my body can stand in because it is so tiny in an apartment the size of a storage room. Now I sit here in an office bigger than my apartment most likely. I get ready and hop on my bicycle. A bicycle I couldn't ride halfway to school on until a month after living there. I ride my bike to school as I listen to my loud headphones playing some sort of Japanese music. Everywhere I look some Japanese is suprised to see some foreigner using a bicycle for transportation and after riding for about a kilometer or two, I arrive at Ibaraki Christian University. I greet may favorite security guard as he smiles and bows as I drive my bike through the gate and continue down the path of the school. I see many of my friends walking left in right and everywhere in front of me. It is great because they are all smiling and just seem so warm and inviting. It is the moment I have been waiting for since I left school the previous day. I am thrilled to see all of my friends and to talk with them and see them smile and laugh once again. I make my way on up to building 5 as I talk to all my friends on the way and prepare for Patrick's class. I park my bike and start walking to building 5. I look to my left before entering the building and see all my friends who smoke sitting in the smoking area, trying to get in one last cig before there 90 minute class. I visit with them and then head into the building. I walk in the building and see so many of my different friends and begin to walk up the stairs as I walk into Patricks classroom. I open the door and see Megumi, Ayaka, Chinami, Wataru and many others as I take a seat and they all greet me with kindness and excitement. A few minutes later, Patrick comes in the front door part of the classroom and begins his class. He asks everyone about their weekend and then we begin the class. After about 30 minutes, Shieri shows up late and Patrick isn't so happy. After all the class has occured, it is time to go to Lindsay's class. We go to Lindsay's class as I sit near the office door and sit by Chinami,Ayaka,Shieri and some others. Mos the time Chinami brought me bread from her workplace. Class begins and Lindsay begins to do her vocab slang words from LOST. All the students fill them out and door vocabulary exercises and then we watch an episode of LOST. Once we finish the episode, it is time for lunch. I walk across the lawn and to the cafeteria. The lawn is filled with real big trees unlike the ones OC has. I walk into the cafetera and begin to see many more of my Japanese friends. I got to the co-op store and buy my usual: 2 Egg Sandwhiches, Water and one Tuna onigiri. If they don't have any of those things, I head into the cafeteria and buy katsu kare. If you are readng this I will continue more later.

A BETTER LOOKING FUTURE

Hello to all. Well it has been one week since I started quarantine. In fact I am able to spell quarantine right after writing it so many times. Well to start out this past week has probably been one of the most boring weeks I have ever had in my entire life. Anywho I have had plenty of time to eat, sleep, repeat and read and kind of just sit and think about things for a while. Although I have hated it for the most part, it has done me some good. It has taught me some patience which I hope will stay with me for a while. I always get patience and then after a while it seems to wear off. Some of you also may be wondering what is the food like. Well to be honest I have had about nothing but cereal and sandwhiches, however I have had a steak dinner whcih is the best steak I have ever had and let me tell you, the milk is so good. I have drank more milk since I have been there then I would in like 3 months in the states. It is so good. Also the sushi and other foods I have had are wonderful. More about taht later. Anyways as far as some good other good things that have happened, here they are:
For one, I have a couple Bibles in my room. I have also had a few visitors in my room that have visited me although I am not supposed to have any. However when these visitors visit me the first thing they see sitting out in my room is my Bible. I don't even have to say anything whatsoever because it is the first thing they see and mention when they come in my room. It is so cool and has brought up many discussions among them. In fact one guy told me that he used to be a Christian but he got in a fight with his mom and thought that if Jesus had anger like his mom did towards him he wanted no part in Christianity because he wanted to live a happy life. Well we got to talking for about an hour and told him that is really not how it is to be a Christian and I have persuaded him to go to church with me on Sunday which is Suogoi which means awesome in Japanese. It is great that I am already starting to do mission work while being qurantined.
For two, I have one of the most generous landlords or people I have ever met. My landlord and his wife makes me dinner every night. He does not expect money or anything in return and he does this for all of the international students that live in his apartment complex. This has been such an amazing blessing to me because it keeps me from having to cook so much. He also has taken me out one time just to have a nice little time outside my apartment and bought me a steak dinner. It was so delicious and the best I have ever eaten in the entire world. I tried to pay but he said he wanted it to be on him. He has really taught me to be more giving with things. I don't know why he is so generous but it blows me away with his way of getting me food all the time and just all the many he things he has done to make me feel welcomed since I have been in qurantine.
Last but not least, I get to leave my apartment out of qurantine Saturday. I also get to start school on Monday. I am so happy and I am looking forward to school once in my life. Most of my classes pretty much occur Monday - Wednesday and tutoring on Thursday and Friday for Japanese. However these classes will be 90 minutes which is a very long time for me. It should become very interesting because 45 minute classes at times are real long for me. However I am really looking forward to it. I will also get to attend church on Sunday and see many people that I have not got to see yet since I have been here. After Friday night, Japan is going to start kicking in gear and rocking so much. I cannot wait.
Well that is about all that is going on right now which is a lot but its not. It is kind of an update on what has been happening in my life since I have been here. I will write more when I am actually free this time becaue I didnt think I would have anything to say until I got out but a lot had happened so I thought it would be good for an update. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers as time goes on with this.

-Jane or (Ja-Nay) which means until later.

CHO TSUMARANAI!!!

If you do not know what cho tsumarana means which I really dont think that you do, it means VERY BORED! I finally arrived to Japan and the last thing you thought I would be was very bored, but I am not lying. I have been quarentinned or however you spell that and I am on my second day. I will have 8 more after today is over. This means I will not be allowed to leave my apartment nor have anyone in my apartment whatsoever at all. If most of you know how I am, I really enjoy being with peoople, in fact I cannot even stand to be alone most of the time. However, I am getting my fair share of being alone and still have a lot more time of it left. I am just so ready to actually to be able to get out and go see people. I do not like being stuck in an apartment. Anyways, I am going to go take a shower and relax but I look forward to being able to go out because that is what will make this trip so much fun. Anyways, thats all of my life for now and the next 8 days. I will write more once I am able to get out.

Twas the Night Before Japan

Twas the night before Japan, I started getting nervous. Ha whatever. Anyways well I will be trying to update this blog as often as I can for all of you who are curious to know what is going on in my life while I am in Japan while there. Please pray for me that I am used as a tool that can shape peoples lives and that I might get a great growing experience out of it as well. God bless you all for your love and support.