Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, September 18, 2008
My Beautiful Best Friend!
This is my beautiful best friend! The one that I love to talk with, laugh with, and play with. I'm pretty much head over heals in love with her. I praise and give thanks to God for this wonderful blessing in my life.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Sorry!!!
Okay. Sorry it's been such a long time since my last post. I was under the weather for most of the month of July, and I got behind on a lot of things during that time. I got sick while I was in Thailand, and then after getting back here to Utsunomiya I got a pretty bad head cold and then an outer ear infection. All of that in turn kept me from staying fully on top of my language studies and other responsibilities. This month has been a lot better though. I've been able to catch up on a lot and get into my Japanese language study a bit more.
In addition, last week I took a week of vacation. I went and spent a few days down in Tokyo with some fellow missionary friends. It was great to spend time with brothers and sisters in Christ and just hang out for a while. Some highlights of my time in Tokyo: Had my first taste of Mexican food in 4 months (side note/question: is it wrong to want to be a missionary in Central America just because of the food?), stayed at Starbucks until 1AM in the morning talking with a friend, ate at an Outback Steakhouse, finally saw the The Dark Knight, rode on trains for hours on end, did some research on my love language, hugged missionary Linda Morman twice, and defeated my best friend in cards over and over again....among other things.
For those of you who knew me back in my teenage years, I was able to meet up with Tomoko, the young Japanese girl who stayed with my family in the states as an exchange student back when I was in high school. Tomoko invited me and a friend of mine over to her family's apartment for dinner while I was down there last week. It was good to see her again after so many years.
I'm back to language study in Utsunomiya now though. I'm currently memorizing my first two Bible verses in Japanese. In the next month, I'll also be putting together a simple and short personal testimony in Japanese as well. Please pray that God helps me to stay focused on my studies during this time. My first two months here I began falling into the trap of looking ahead in the ministry God has placed me in here, to the neglect of my language study responsibilities. However, what God has given us today is of far more significance than what might lie ahead in the future. If I don't put in the effort now to learn the language it will only hinder my ability to communicate clearly and effectively later on down the line. So please pray with me to that end if you will.
Finally, I have yet to pass my driving test. I'm taking it for the 5th time this Friday, August 22. I have not been able to take it for the past month, and in all honesty it has been such a huge relief not to have had to worry about it during that time. Please pray that God's favor will be with me this Friday. Since it doesn't matter in the least how well you actually drive, please pray that the instructors will be friendly and respond favorably to the joy and peace I have within me because of Christ Jesus. May I reflect Jesus in all that I say and do.
Here are some pictures from the past month:
Earlier this month I had a chance to visit Nikko. Nikko is a famous historical and religious destination up in the mountains to the northwest of Utsunomiya. It was really beautiful and green there!
Beautiful nature in Nikko.
This is Drew, one of my fellow IMB laborers serving here in Japan. Drew actually played the Incredible Hulk in a musical back in high school.
Tokyo in the afternoon.
Street festivities during a local Shinto festival.
I have no idea what this was, but it was one of the stranger things I've seen during my time here. These men would walk down the street carrying this thing you see above and every few blocks they would stop, yell, and shake it vigorously. Strange, but quite entertaining!
Neighborhood children overjoyed at having met me.
I appreciate your prayers. I can't tell you how much it means to me to know that you are going to the Lord on behalf of myself and the people of Utsunomiya.
I love you all!
May Christ be magnified and God be glorified!
In addition, last week I took a week of vacation. I went and spent a few days down in Tokyo with some fellow missionary friends. It was great to spend time with brothers and sisters in Christ and just hang out for a while. Some highlights of my time in Tokyo: Had my first taste of Mexican food in 4 months (side note/question: is it wrong to want to be a missionary in Central America just because of the food?), stayed at Starbucks until 1AM in the morning talking with a friend, ate at an Outback Steakhouse, finally saw the The Dark Knight, rode on trains for hours on end, did some research on my love language, hugged missionary Linda Morman twice, and defeated my best friend in cards over and over again....among other things.
For those of you who knew me back in my teenage years, I was able to meet up with Tomoko, the young Japanese girl who stayed with my family in the states as an exchange student back when I was in high school. Tomoko invited me and a friend of mine over to her family's apartment for dinner while I was down there last week. It was good to see her again after so many years.
I'm back to language study in Utsunomiya now though. I'm currently memorizing my first two Bible verses in Japanese. In the next month, I'll also be putting together a simple and short personal testimony in Japanese as well. Please pray that God helps me to stay focused on my studies during this time. My first two months here I began falling into the trap of looking ahead in the ministry God has placed me in here, to the neglect of my language study responsibilities. However, what God has given us today is of far more significance than what might lie ahead in the future. If I don't put in the effort now to learn the language it will only hinder my ability to communicate clearly and effectively later on down the line. So please pray with me to that end if you will.
Finally, I have yet to pass my driving test. I'm taking it for the 5th time this Friday, August 22. I have not been able to take it for the past month, and in all honesty it has been such a huge relief not to have had to worry about it during that time. Please pray that God's favor will be with me this Friday. Since it doesn't matter in the least how well you actually drive, please pray that the instructors will be friendly and respond favorably to the joy and peace I have within me because of Christ Jesus. May I reflect Jesus in all that I say and do.
Here are some pictures from the past month:
Earlier this month I had a chance to visit Nikko. Nikko is a famous historical and religious destination up in the mountains to the northwest of Utsunomiya. It was really beautiful and green there!
Beautiful nature in Nikko.
This is Drew, one of my fellow IMB laborers serving here in Japan. Drew actually played the Incredible Hulk in a musical back in high school.
Tokyo in the afternoon.
Street festivities during a local Shinto festival.
I have no idea what this was, but it was one of the stranger things I've seen during my time here. These men would walk down the street carrying this thing you see above and every few blocks they would stop, yell, and shake it vigorously. Strange, but quite entertaining!
Neighborhood children overjoyed at having met me.I appreciate your prayers. I can't tell you how much it means to me to know that you are going to the Lord on behalf of myself and the people of Utsunomiya.
I love you all!
May Christ be magnified and God be glorified!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Failed Again!
Hey all!
Let me state out front how much I love the Japanese people. I really do. The Japanese people have a way of getting inside your heart and just setting up shop there. More importantly, God loves the people of Japan. So God loves the Japanese people and I love the Japanese people. Regardless of what is said in the next paragraph, please don't forget that.
This past Thursday I took my driving test for the third time. I wasn't able to sleep at all the night before the second exam because I was so anxious about that one. And then they failed me for chewing gum that day. Well this time I was able to get a little sleep the night before. I was still pretty anxious all throughout the night though, but I was finally able to get some sleep. So I went last Thursday, payed my money, did my paperwork, and then sat around for 2 hours until the actual exam started. I proceeded to knock it out of the park. I mean I just knew I was going to pass this time. So as I pulled up and parked the car after taking the exam, the instructor proceeded to tell me that I was waiting too long after turning on my turn signal to change lanes. The first week he told me that I didn't wait long enough. You are supposed to have 3 seconds between the time you actually flip on your turn signal and the time you actually move over to the other lane. He told me that I was waiting 4 seconds, which obviously is not 3 seconds. He then proceeded to tell me that I failed because of that and I would have to take the exam again.
It's hard to explain what was going on inside of when I found out I was failing the entire exam because I was off by one second in my lane change technique. There was a mixture of anger, sadness, confusion, shock, disbelief, and resignation inside of me at that moment. Things weren't helped when I walked into the center to set up my next attempt at passing the exam when two Chinese nationals living here in my city told me that they had just failed for the 15th and 17th times respectively. I have come to the realization that no matter how good I do it doesn't matter. They are just going to look for anything to justify failing me.
Please pray that someone at the center will show me favor the next time I take the exam. I'm taking it again next Friday, July 18th. I want to be a good ambassador of Christ to all those around me, but the people at the driving facility have gone beyond irritating me, and so therefore it has been difficult for me to see these people in a positive light. Please pray for God's patience, love, and humility to be evident in my thoughts, actions, and words as I continue the process of getting my license in Japan. Thank you so much.
in Christ's love,
jarod
Let me state out front how much I love the Japanese people. I really do. The Japanese people have a way of getting inside your heart and just setting up shop there. More importantly, God loves the people of Japan. So God loves the Japanese people and I love the Japanese people. Regardless of what is said in the next paragraph, please don't forget that.
This past Thursday I took my driving test for the third time. I wasn't able to sleep at all the night before the second exam because I was so anxious about that one. And then they failed me for chewing gum that day. Well this time I was able to get a little sleep the night before. I was still pretty anxious all throughout the night though, but I was finally able to get some sleep. So I went last Thursday, payed my money, did my paperwork, and then sat around for 2 hours until the actual exam started. I proceeded to knock it out of the park. I mean I just knew I was going to pass this time. So as I pulled up and parked the car after taking the exam, the instructor proceeded to tell me that I was waiting too long after turning on my turn signal to change lanes. The first week he told me that I didn't wait long enough. You are supposed to have 3 seconds between the time you actually flip on your turn signal and the time you actually move over to the other lane. He told me that I was waiting 4 seconds, which obviously is not 3 seconds. He then proceeded to tell me that I failed because of that and I would have to take the exam again.
It's hard to explain what was going on inside of when I found out I was failing the entire exam because I was off by one second in my lane change technique. There was a mixture of anger, sadness, confusion, shock, disbelief, and resignation inside of me at that moment. Things weren't helped when I walked into the center to set up my next attempt at passing the exam when two Chinese nationals living here in my city told me that they had just failed for the 15th and 17th times respectively. I have come to the realization that no matter how good I do it doesn't matter. They are just going to look for anything to justify failing me.
Please pray that someone at the center will show me favor the next time I take the exam. I'm taking it again next Friday, July 18th. I want to be a good ambassador of Christ to all those around me, but the people at the driving facility have gone beyond irritating me, and so therefore it has been difficult for me to see these people in a positive light. Please pray for God's patience, love, and humility to be evident in my thoughts, actions, and words as I continue the process of getting my license in Japan. Thank you so much.
in Christ's love,
jarod
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Trip To Thailand
Hey all! I just got back from spending 12 days in Pattaya, Thailand. I was there for some meetings and some training. It was a good trip in some respects and not so good in some ways too. It was a great time to see friends and to meet new people. The hotel we stayed at was right on the beach and so that wasn't too shabby either. The Thai people were also very friendly and polite. I enjoy experiencing new cultures and seeing new places and so I am grateful to have had the opportunity to visit Thailand.
I've now been to 4 foreign countries in my life: Thailand, Japan, Mexico, and Haiti.
The next 4 countries on my dream list are: (in specific order) Ireland, Canada (only in the summer or early autumn though), Australia and Nebraska.
The only down side of the trip was that I became terribly sick during my last 4 days there. I can't remember ever feeling worse than I did my last day in Thailand. It was pretty bad. I actually don't remember much of anything those last few days there, except that I was ready to get home. Now that I'm back I've already started feeling a little better, having gotten some good rest in my own bed. It's also just plain nice being back in Japan. My language study starts up again in earnest on Saturday. Pray that I'll continue to make strides in the language over the next month and that God will continue to put people in my path who I can be developing relationships with and practicing what Japanese I do have with during this time.
Finally, I took my driving test for the second time two weeks ago. Yes, I failed again. This time they failed me for chewing gum. No other reason given. Just because I was chewing gum. The Bible tells us that love is patient. However, my love for the people at the driver's license facility is beginning to grow thin. Pray that God will continue to give me peace and patience as I go through this process of getting my license. The next time I am to take it is on Thursday, July 10.
Anyway, here are some pics from my trip to Thailand:
Thai people flipping around at a shopping center.
Hotel security at its finest.
The view from out in front of the hotel looking towards the ocean.
The beach at sunset.
Beautiful sunset.
I know the word that you are thinking as you look at this picture: Breathtaking!
I've now been to 4 foreign countries in my life: Thailand, Japan, Mexico, and Haiti.
The next 4 countries on my dream list are: (in specific order) Ireland, Canada (only in the summer or early autumn though), Australia and Nebraska.
The only down side of the trip was that I became terribly sick during my last 4 days there. I can't remember ever feeling worse than I did my last day in Thailand. It was pretty bad. I actually don't remember much of anything those last few days there, except that I was ready to get home. Now that I'm back I've already started feeling a little better, having gotten some good rest in my own bed. It's also just plain nice being back in Japan. My language study starts up again in earnest on Saturday. Pray that I'll continue to make strides in the language over the next month and that God will continue to put people in my path who I can be developing relationships with and practicing what Japanese I do have with during this time.
Finally, I took my driving test for the second time two weeks ago. Yes, I failed again. This time they failed me for chewing gum. No other reason given. Just because I was chewing gum. The Bible tells us that love is patient. However, my love for the people at the driver's license facility is beginning to grow thin. Pray that God will continue to give me peace and patience as I go through this process of getting my license. The next time I am to take it is on Thursday, July 10.
Anyway, here are some pics from my trip to Thailand:
Thai people flipping around at a shopping center.
Hotel security at its finest.
The view from out in front of the hotel looking towards the ocean.
The beach at sunset.
Beautiful sunset.
I know the word that you are thinking as you look at this picture: Breathtaking!Thursday, June 12, 2008
Language Study and Driving Test
Hey all!
So I've begun to settle into a little rhythm here in Utsunomiya. I finally got my apartment setup so that it's a little more livable. I don't need much to live on and so I don't think I'll ever amass too much in the apartment, but at least it actually does look like someone lives in it now. I'm also learning a little more about the city the longer I'm here as well.
I've been in language study now for about four weeks. I've enjoyed getting back into the study of the Japanese language. The sad part though is that in the first three weeks we covered everything that I already knew, and so now we are already into new grammar, vocabulary, etc... I should have worked harder when studying the language in college. The best part about the language study so far though is without a doubt my Japanese language teacher, Takako sensei. I may be a little biased, but I think she's the best Japanese language teacher in the world. In the very least she's the best one I've ever had. She's a believer of Jesus Christ, and she just happens to be one of the nicest people I've ever met. She not only helps me with language study, but she's also helped me with some other things, like knowing what is a bill and not a bill, how to pay your bills, and how to buy a bus ticket to the airport, among other things. I'll take a picture of her soon and post it here on the blog. She's always sooo cheerful and she has made the language study a lot fun.
I've also begun the process of taking the exams to get my Japanese driver's license. I took the driving test today for the first time and failed colorfully. The typical number of times I hear it takes a foreigner to get their license here in Japan is between 4-6 times. They are very strict and I'm sure this is there way of sticking it to the foreigners. It's just another in a long line of "You're not Japanese, and we are here to remind you of that fact" moments that one experiences in Japan. I think I actually got marked down today for sneezing while driving. Out of the 35 people taking the test today, 2 lucky ones passed. 32 of that 35 were there taking the test for anywhere between the 2nd and 8th times. One of the people who passed was a young American girl from California. She told me not to get too down, because although she passed today, it was her sixth time taking the test. So please pray that I'll pass the test soon. Every time one goes and takes the test you have to sign in at 9:30, register between 10-11, and then you can't take the actual driving test until between 1-3. So it's a full day of sitting at the facility, just to fail. If I don't pass for a while please also pray that God will give me patience in dealing with the people at the facility. I'm taking it again next Thursday (6-19). I'm sure I won't pass, and if I don't I'm looking at taking 3 weeks off before taking the test 3 weeks straight beginning in mid-July.
Finally, our region for the mission board has meetings in Southeast Asia beginning next week. I'll be out of Japan for 12 days, so please pray for safe travel and good fellowship with other missionaries during that time.
Here are some pictures for your enjoyment:
Here is a side view of the Utsunomiya Castle grounds. It's very historic, having been constructed way back in March of 2007.
The castle with the moat surrounding it.
My apartment living room. It's not much, but it's all I need.
Huh?
So I've begun to settle into a little rhythm here in Utsunomiya. I finally got my apartment setup so that it's a little more livable. I don't need much to live on and so I don't think I'll ever amass too much in the apartment, but at least it actually does look like someone lives in it now. I'm also learning a little more about the city the longer I'm here as well.
I've been in language study now for about four weeks. I've enjoyed getting back into the study of the Japanese language. The sad part though is that in the first three weeks we covered everything that I already knew, and so now we are already into new grammar, vocabulary, etc... I should have worked harder when studying the language in college. The best part about the language study so far though is without a doubt my Japanese language teacher, Takako sensei. I may be a little biased, but I think she's the best Japanese language teacher in the world. In the very least she's the best one I've ever had. She's a believer of Jesus Christ, and she just happens to be one of the nicest people I've ever met. She not only helps me with language study, but she's also helped me with some other things, like knowing what is a bill and not a bill, how to pay your bills, and how to buy a bus ticket to the airport, among other things. I'll take a picture of her soon and post it here on the blog. She's always sooo cheerful and she has made the language study a lot fun.
I've also begun the process of taking the exams to get my Japanese driver's license. I took the driving test today for the first time and failed colorfully. The typical number of times I hear it takes a foreigner to get their license here in Japan is between 4-6 times. They are very strict and I'm sure this is there way of sticking it to the foreigners. It's just another in a long line of "You're not Japanese, and we are here to remind you of that fact" moments that one experiences in Japan. I think I actually got marked down today for sneezing while driving. Out of the 35 people taking the test today, 2 lucky ones passed. 32 of that 35 were there taking the test for anywhere between the 2nd and 8th times. One of the people who passed was a young American girl from California. She told me not to get too down, because although she passed today, it was her sixth time taking the test. So please pray that I'll pass the test soon. Every time one goes and takes the test you have to sign in at 9:30, register between 10-11, and then you can't take the actual driving test until between 1-3. So it's a full day of sitting at the facility, just to fail. If I don't pass for a while please also pray that God will give me patience in dealing with the people at the facility. I'm taking it again next Thursday (6-19). I'm sure I won't pass, and if I don't I'm looking at taking 3 weeks off before taking the test 3 weeks straight beginning in mid-July.
Finally, our region for the mission board has meetings in Southeast Asia beginning next week. I'll be out of Japan for 12 days, so please pray for safe travel and good fellowship with other missionaries during that time.
Here are some pictures for your enjoyment:
Here is a side view of the Utsunomiya Castle grounds. It's very historic, having been constructed way back in March of 2007.
The castle with the moat surrounding it.
My apartment living room. It's not much, but it's all I need.
Huh?Thursday, May 15, 2008
Toilet Educational Video
Just so you all know, I wasn't using the toilet during the making of this video. I was sitting on it, but not using it. Just wanted to clarify that.
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