Welcome 2013!

So I don't know exactly how it became over a month since my last post.. but lets move on to what has happened since then! December was quite a busy month filled with the usual classes, friends and visits to church. Ryan and I were baptized with 8 other brothers and sisters on December 16th. We were glad to be able to share that special experience with our family there. This way we will always remember them and the role that they all had in building up our faith. Its comforting to know that any time we do spend apart we are connected by the Spirit and can look forward to the time we will all spend together again instead of thinking of the short time we are apart. We went out to the famed Golden Pavilion temple with our Japanese friend Koki and Bathishig our Mongolian friend. It was truly blinding! We also had the interview for our internship in February. That should be a fun experience as well! We will be aiding the English teachers in the classrooms as well as tutoring the teachers and other staff outside of class.
Break started from the 24th and we have been enjoying the time at the apartment mostly. Christmas was fun we were able to spend the evening at church eating and playing 20questions with our Japanese and Korean friends. Ryan and I spent Christmas Eve together at the apartment eating a delicious feast we prepared and watching movies. The morning after Christmas we had a Video Chat lasagna party with John, Colette, Nikki, Dan, Kara, and Ashton for their Christmas dinner. I made a rice, seaweed, ground pork, and cheese 'lasagna'. A few days later we went to Osaka with Pastor Noh and our best buddy Seung-kyu. We went our for delicious french food, visited the Osaka Yohan Christ Church, and went to the Osakan History Museum and Osaka Castle. We finished the night at a famous Udon restaurant where Ryan and I had a beef-rice bowl (no wheat). Other than that we did not really go out much, mostly due to the fact that we are out of funds until the 7th. I think we needed the time to be at home for a while, or at least I did. I finally was able to get over a cold I have been battling for weeks!
We spent New Years sleeping at home. We decided to celebrate it during the next day when it turned in Chicago. ;-P
Speaking of New Years, this year will bring a lot of changes. Graduation, getting married, moving, and finding a job. Its all starting to seem closer now that the New Year has come. Part of me wants to fast forward to the wedding and skip these next few months. In the mean time, I have a calendar of final project and paper deadlines to look forward to. That okay though, something has to get my butt back in academic gear! As they say in Japan, "がんばります(ganbarimasu - to do one's best)!" So everyone this 2013 がんばりましょう！

Just About Halfway There!

I cannot believe that it has been almost three months already! There are only five weeks of classes left (out of fifteen) and after that we will do a month long internship right up until we leave. I feel like there is still so much to do and see but I am aware of the reality that I will surely not be able to do and see everything and that's okay. The only travel time we will have is during the Christmas/New Years break perhaps we will make it up to Mount Kurama during that time but I don't know for sure. Anyway, now that Christmas season is upon us we are severely missing home. Thanks to my mom for sending cans of fake snow to add a little seasonal spice to the apartment. I find myself listening to Christmas music daily missing the baking of seasonal sweets, and decorating the tree. I do suppose it is good to be away being that I haven't endured a Christmas yet in which I had given up flour. So I guess being here helps me stick to that. Although I am now determined to invent primal substitutes for my favorite Christmas treats. I do enjoy the questions we get about Christmas..like how we celebrate it. I get the strangest looks when I say we have a Birthday cake for Jesus ;-P.  Most people in Japan don't know the holiday as the celebration of the Christ the Savior's birth (heck people in America don't really know it that way either these days...) so it can turn into a pretty interesting conversation.

I don't quite feel like it its my senior year of college and I probably wont until I start back at NCC in the spring for my final term. I feel like I just moved into Rall yesterday and now I will be graduated in about six months and married in about seven! I think I am just about ready for a change though life was starting to get comfortable lol. Yes I have finally uploaded photos onto facebook so if you use it please check them out. Love and Blessings!

I am thankful for...

Well seeing as it was just Thanksgiving in the States I thought I might make today's post about things I was grateful for this week. First of all I am thankful for the Grace, mercy and love of God because we would all be miserable and lost without it. Truly all things come from Him to begin with so really the following are just a few of God's blessings I am specifically greatful form right now. I am most thankful for my wonderful husband to be. Truly without him I would be freaking out all too much, worrying about everything, and surely straying from the spiritual path far more often than I do. I am thankful for my friends and family at home who have been so loving and supportive of me these past few months even while web are half a world apart. I am also grateful for the wonderful "family" of my brothers and sisters in Christ at the church (and boy was I really glad to have them yesterday, but I will get to that later). I am grateful for  beautiful scenery of Japan and the opportunity that I have ton see it. I am grateful for heated floors and hand warmers when it is cold. Finally, I am thankful for my health which is returning!

Now on to the latest happenings. Recently it seems my health has been taking a hit. I guess it is just further proof of the temporary nature of things but being that I have never been sick or injured often it is quite the challenge. For the past few weeks I had noticed a slight cold lingering probably from biking to and from school everyday in the cold. But I am far too cheap and stubborn to stop biking because of something like that (we save 10$/week/person biking). So then my right knee began to bother me And of course me being me I ignored it until I found that I could no longer sit with my knees folded with my feet under my butt (this is called seiza) which I must do for my traditional culture practice class. So after some googling I figured the problem sounded like tendonitis above the knee which can be brought on by biking especially when you didn't often do so before. So it is back to the bus at least for three days a week. But that works out OK anyway as it is getting colder as well. Finally we have the trip to the hospital yesterday early morning. We had stayed Thursday night at the church because we were going to join the trip on Friday to Shirakawago. We were leaving early 6:30am so we would stay the night. To my very unpleasant surprise the next morning I had found that a nasty Bladder infection must have set in. Serious enough to need antibiotics but other than that not a major problem. But thanks to Gods plan I was at the church where many people were there to help. Within one hour I was taken to the doctor, checked out, and received the medicine from the pharmacy and all with Japanese/English/Korean speaker Eunyoung to help! I made it back in time to go to the trip to Shirakawago (a beautiful historical village I will post photos on facebook later) and got lots of rest during the eight hours of driving there and back. Please don't worry as I am alright and in good hands! Have a great week! And Thank the Lord!

Well Now This is Embarrassing!

Yes it really has been almost a month since my last post. I apologize for the lazy posting but it only attests to the fact that life here is just as busy as at home! We are now just over two months into our six month stay and there is still so much to do and see. Our one year engagement anniversary passed (and mama's Birthday!). Reality is setting in again and I am remembering that there is going to be a whole lot of stuff to do when we get back. You know like graduating college and getting married! Yikes! But truly I am excited for what is here in front of me now and what will come in the future. I know God is teaching me many things through this experience to prepare me for life in a spiritual, relational, and practical sense. I have come to miss home quite a bit and have gained a warm appreciation for things I don't think I could have appreciated before. Its not an attachment or a longing for those things per se, its more of a recognition of Gods perfect blessing upon my life and the gift that those things are. So I guess I am a bit excited to get back and appreciate those things. Before then, however, I am sure I will have many more lessons to learn! God Bless you all! :D

柿大好き！

Hello Everyone! Welcome to week five of our Japanese adventure. That's right we have been gone for over a month already. Miss us yet? :P So here is what has been going on lately... we have gotten set into a nice routine and are adjusting well to the classes. I have to be honest that they are still pretty difficult especially the second Japanese language class and the Japanese culture class. We got our first care package from John and Colette (<3 Thank You!!). I must say we are loving the nuts and jerky from Trader Joe's. There is one thing that I have come to love in Japan and that is the kaki. [Note the title of this post 柿= Japanese persimmon　大好き=love] I am fairly certain that I had never had a persimmon in my life before coming here and wow are they delicious! They are a Japanese late summer/fall fruit and they are everywhere right now. speaking of fall, I am seriously longing for some pumpkin pie, apples and cinnamon. The reality that we are not going to be home for the cozy holiday season with all its tasty food and warm company is a bit saddening to say the least. However, we have found a very welcoming and warm group of people that we spend Sunday with: the awesome folks at ヨハンキリスト教会(Yohan Christian Church).

First a brief summary of the church's organization and set up...This church is part of a large network of small Christian churches throughout Japan. This particular branch is located in Gojo (an area in downtown Kyoto) and about a one hour commute from Kameoka. The building is a small 5 story apartment-like place each floor has one large sized room or two smaller ones. The first floor is the sanctuary room, the second is the dining/meeting area, the third is half kitchen and half male living area, the fourth is female living area and honestly I have never been to the fifth floor so I don't know whats up there but probably more living space. It is a bit hard to imagine so I'll see if I can take a video and upload it here sometime.
It is headed by a lovely female minister Noh-Sensei who is a native of Korea. The staff there is a mix of Japanese and Korean people so the church conducts a morning service in Japanese and an early afternoon one in Korean (both services hold the same content and are given by Noh-Sensei who is fluent in both). The average attendance is about 35-50 people each service (some people stay for both). After service they prepare a meal and feed everyone while catching up about the week and welcoming new visitors. Post meal Bible study time is next. Basically we break up into small groups and read a passage together and talk about the meaning God is speaking to our hearts. This part is especially difficult to do in Japanese when its a more complicated passage... After that, the Japanese staff helps prepare for the Korean service (cooking, setting up, ect. as the Korean staff did before and during the Japanese service). Many people spend all day there and a lot of the week too! It is an entirely different experience than the larger organized churches we are used to in America. They are a strong bunch dedicated to spreading the Word and conveying the love of God to a people who know little of him. Truly I am blessed to know them.

Ryan and I have taken to spending most of our day there too. We attend service at 10AM and after stay for food and study time (until about 1:30ish). Then we usually go out to the nearby shopping area and walk around. At about 3:30 (after the Korean service ends) we return to do an English conversation table for the Japanese and Koreans who know some English and wish to improve their language ability. We end up leaving at about 5pm or so each time. Its a long day but nothing is more fulfilling. This small church family has truly taken us in and made us feel loved. Just goes to show you that God's family is everywhere in the world and wherever you are you can be apart of it too.

So we power through the hardships of the week, classes and studying looking forward to spending our Sundays at church. Mallory Out. (^.^)v

Okay, so...

I apologize for my truancy here, but I've never really been the type of person to journal regularly-- it's just not a habit I've built up. Anyway, Japan so far has been a total blast. I just can't quite describe how blessed the two of us are to be here and be so well taken care of. We've made so many new friends lately, and it has been great getting to know them and spending time with them all. It's also been a blast exploring Japan (specifically the Kyoto area) and seeing what sights it has to offer.

As Fall rolls around though, I'm really beginning to miss home, its tastes and smells, and our families. I miss the fresh garden harvest, the sight of pumpkins, and apple cider. I miss chili and Mexican food too. But in any case, I'm hoping to make the most of Kyoto's Autumn season, which is supposed to be basically the most beautiful time of year here. Until I can come back though, I'm eagerly awaiting a supply drop of some of our favorite South African spice, maybe some pumpkin candles, and dried pepper flake from the garden.

In other news though, last night was a ton of fun. We got six of our friends together and had a party in our room where Mallory made us some Thai curry with rice and veggies, then we snacked a bit and watched Inception. Pretty much every group we've hung out with has had great chemistry due to personality overflow from a certain person who shall remain unnamed. Definitely looking forward to hosting more get-togethers here in our spacious apartment.

Until next time, take care everybody! For now there's some Japanese homework calling my name...

Whirlwind

So since I last left you all it has been about a week! Time sure flies just as fast here as back home, if not faster. Last Thursday we went to Uji (famous for tea) and had many macha (concentrated green tea powder stuff) infused foods/drinks/treats. Of course we bought some to bring home too. While there, we also saw the Byoudoin (a famous Buddhist temple). The grounds and museum were beautiful but unfortunately the main building itself is under restoration and therefore covered in scaffolding. We were able to meet up with our friend Mitch (a recent NCC grad) who is doing the JET program in Uji. We ended the night with some delicious okonomiyaki which is essentially like a savory pancake thing... All this new food is quite delicious but most certainly bad for you! I was thinking that the food would be overall healthier but I am pretty certain it is just that the portion sizes are smaller and the people move around alot! On the average day Ryan and I walk about 8,000-10,000 steps. Another side comment about food, fruit is crazy expensive! I miss eating grapes and apples all the time :(. On the upside, fish is pretty cheap and super fresh of course so i suppose its give and take.
Friday, we went out with our friends to Kawaramachi again (we seem to be frequenting this place) for more food and fun!
Sunday we went to a Japanese Christian Church in the Gojo area of Kyoto with Seung-kyu. I have to say I did not understand much, but what I managed to pick up on was inspiring and whether you speak the language or not it was clear these people were full of love and light. We made some new friends there (from Korea) and one of them even brought us to the nearby famous temple Kyoumizudera! There were tons of people there and it would have been nice to take more time to enjoy it, but I am told there is really no good time to visit that place as it is always full of people.
And then Monday came around... lets just say that I completely understand why the Japanese go out all the time on the weekends. The first full week of classes was very hard to understand and we did not even discuss much more than introductions and the syllabus. Each day I felt a little more defeated. Sometimes I wonder how I am possibly going to do this but I suppose doing my best is all I can do. Lets just hope my professors will give A's for effort... (or at least passing grades). Everyone seems to tell me that the professors don't expect us to be fluent or anything and that in the end if we attend and show effort there will be no problems. However its still hard not to be able to be as good a student as you know you could be if you were at home.
Writing this and looking back on the heaps of fun we have going to new places and hanging out with friends its worth the trouble. Time to get ready for class again! Later.
がんばってねえ～！