The Newest Little Missionary

Nozomi Marie Roth
was born
October 25, 2013
@ 8:34PM
Tokyo, Japan

3480 gram, 48 cm
(7.6 lbs, 19 in)

She likes sticking her tongue out, sitting in her bouncy chair, eating,
sleeping, cuddling, and the Green Bay Packers.

No Boundaries

Today I had a horrible, no good, very bad day.

My doctor is on vacation this week, so I had to see a different doctor for my weekly check-up.  Monday was a holiday, so the hospital was closed which means Tuesday was very busy.  I had to wait almost two hours to see the doctor.  Then, when I finally did get to see her, she continuously lectured me about my weight gain...even though I have only a few weeks left before baby comes.  She never asked how I was feeling or told me how wonderful baby is doing.  My own doctor is an older Japanese man who smiles and laughs through our visits and constantly says things like "baby good" and "no problem."  I was feeling pretty awful after my long wait and visit.

I then had to wait another almost 3 hours to meet with the midwife to discuss any concerns.  I had to wait a very long time because I had to wait for the translator who was out to lunch.  Leaving the hospital to go home I was emotional, tired, and hungry.  I went to the bus stop and I had just missed the bus so I had to wait another 15 minutes.

Then it started to rain.

And I didn't have an umbrella.

It was light at first...but then it picked up.

That's when a wonderful lady made my day a little bit sunnier.

An Obaasan (Japanese for grandmother/old lady) offered to share her umbrella with me.  We then had a conversation in Japanese.  I honestly have no idea what we were talking about. I told her about the baby and how I was studying Japanese, but it was hard. And I think she said something about Australia.

Then the rain stopped and the bus came.

When the lady got off the bus she waved and smiled to me.

I really felt that in my moment of need, God was present.  I know nothing of this woman, except her kindness.  It didn't matter that we were from different countries and generations, or spoke different languages. God's presence knows no boundaries.    

Pre-natal Doctor Visits in Tokyo

We're just a little over a month away from the arrival of Akachan (Japanese for baby).  The summer has been terribly hot.  It's always around 90 degrees with extremely high humidity.  The city just traps the heat, too.  I've spent most of my time indoors staying cool.  I try to only go out in the early morning or evening and only when I have to go to the store or something.

Today we went to the doctor for our bi-weekly check-up.  This is my first pregnancy, so it's hard for me to compare my care with care I would receive in the US, but many people have asked so I thought I'd share some things about my experiences so far.

When we found out we were expecting, we went to the Shinjuku-ward and registered our pregnancy with the local government.  At the office they congratulated us and gave us a Boshi-Techo.  This is a book you take with to all your appointments and use for baby's first years.  The doctors and nurses fill it in.  They gave us the book in Japanese and the same book with all the English translations.  The English translation book also has helpful medical phrases.  We also got a packet full of information in Japanese and I got my little badge to wear on my purse.  They gave us coupons that discount our visits.  These are given to all pregnant woman.  (Japanese health care does not cover pregnancy.  They instead issue coupons and once the baby is born, the family receives gift money from the government that about covers the labor and delivery.)

Our hospital is a short 12 minute bus ride away.  We walk the 5 minutes to the bus stop and then ride to the hospital. The bus is all in Japanese, so we have learned to read the Kanji (Chinese characters) for the hospital.  The hospital, Seibo, was a Catholic Mission Hospital after WWII.  It's also known as St. Mary's Catholic Hospital.  There are still adorable Japanese nuns.  There is also a wonderful lady, Sister Barbara, that helps translate.  She is very helpful and her face lights up around babies and children.  She truly is a gift from God.

When we go to the hospital, the first thing I do is put my hospital card into the reception machine.  I then go to the OB/GYN section of the hospital.  I put my card into my doctors mail slot and my coupons into another mail box.  I then go weigh myself, check my blood pressure, and pee in a cup:)  After I do that, I wait with Erik until my name is called.

The first time I am called, I go to the nurses' room and give her all the slips for my urine sample, weight, and blood pressure.  She writes these in my Boshi-Techo and my file.  Sometimes she gives me information or asked questions.  I then go back to the waiting room with Erik and wait to be called for the doctor.

We are called to the exam room.  Erik sits by my head and the nurse prepares me for the sonogram.  We get a sonogram every time.  The doctor checks to make sure everything is okay and answers any of our questions. He prints out a picture of Akachan and gives it to us.  Our doctor is an older Japanese man that usually just says everything is okay.  He makes me feel relaxed.  On some visits I've had to do the Glucose test or have blood draw, etc.

After our visit with our doctor, we go back to the waiting room and wait for our papers.  There's been a couple times we've meet with a midwife and Sister (who translated) to get all the information about the hospital, paper work, and delivery. Sister even took time to give us a tour. (I think the hospital is quiet and charming).

Our name is called one last time and we get our papers and go to reception.  We hand our papers to the cashier and then go to the pay machine.  I insert my card and it tells me how much to pay.  For a regular visit with no extra tests, it cost us $3.50.  Yep, $3.50 without insurance.  Our most expensive visit was for the Glucose test and that was $70. Health care is very affordable here and so far, I feel like I have been taken care of very well.

Our entire outing to the doctor and home takes us about 2 hours.

Blessings,
Tauna

A Visit to the Tokyo Dome

The Tokyo Dome looks just like the Metro Dome in Minneapolis.

Last weekend I went with many of the students from Hongo Student Center to the Tokyo Dome to watch my first Japanese baseball game.  Baseball is called Yakyu  (Yah-Q).  I have a lifetime goal of going to all the Major League Baseball Parks, so I was excited to see what Japanese baseball would be like.

The Tokyo Dome is built almost exactly like the MetroDome in Minneapolis.  When I lived in the Twin Cities, I pretty much spent my summers watching the Twins play in that beloved bubble. Love it or Hate it, I had a special relationship with the MetroDome, so I was very excited to see the Tokyo Dome.  The most obvious difference between the two domes is that the Tokyo Dome is designed just for baseball...there is no big blue wall in right field.

Inside the Tokyo Dome.

Going to the game was pretty much the same.  I used to ride the bus to the Twins Games or drive when I went with friends.  This time I took the train.  I still had to wait in line to get in and they searched my purse.  I was given a free poster and coupons once I was through the door.  (If I had been a child, I would have gotten a fun paper Pikachu hat).

I walked about checking out the concessions.  I ended up getting some Peanut M&Ms and a Fanta.  All the concession boards were in Katakana and it takes me forever to read Katakana, so I decided not to even try.  But yes, they did have hotdogs, fries, popcorn, and pretzels.  They also had soba, sushi, and yakitori (meat on stick).

Japanese Concessions at the Tokyo Dome.

Finding my seat was a little bit difficult...and I don't blame this one on language.  Things just were not labeled very clearly.  There were also so many people.  And it was loud!  American Baseball games are quiet and relaxing.  I usually just sit and keep score (I didn't see anyone keeping score at the Tokyo Dome, or find a scorecard).  It was seriously ridiculously loud.  I couldn't even hear the person next to me.

I also noticed we did not sing the Japanese National Anthem.  There was a Japanese flag hung, but it was smaller than the team flag.  Each team's fans had special cheers and chats for each player as they came up to bat.  During the 7th Inning Stretch there were cheerleaders and mascots dancing and singing.


The other thing I noticed was the vendors.  In the US most vendors are older men.  Here they were young pretty girls wearing short shorts/skirts and make-up.  There were also selling competing beers and sodas.  At an American baseball game it would be rare to have a Pepsi and a Coke vendor.  Most stadiums are contracted out by one company.

I left the game early because I didn't want to have to deal with crowds on the train.  It was a great experience, but I think I prefer the quiet slow pace of American Baseball.

~Tauna

The Things We Carry

Erik always tells me I have too much stuff in my purse.  I disagree with him.  Everything I carry is very important.  The things I carry in my purse tell you a lot about the city I live in, so I thought I would share these with you.


Mother Child Badge: I carry this badge on my purse.  It is a polite way to let people know I am pregnant and they should give up their seat for me on the train.  Most of the time it works.  I find that women, regardless of their age, are more likely to offer their seat.  I hardly ride the trains during rush hour, so it's not really a problem.  Although one day I was tempted to hit the young man listening to his iphone while sitting in the courtesy seats with my umbrella.  I restrained myself and found another place on the train.

Kleenex w/Advertising: Someone is always standing outside the station gate handing out these little pocket tissues.  They use them for advertising and promotions.  Great for runny noses and when the bathroom doesn't have toilet paper.

iphone 5 w/earbuds:  This was a splurge when we arrived in Japan.  In the US we had very basic call/text only phones.  The iphone is a must here.  We use the map Aps frequently.  Sometimes I use the dictionary/translating Aps at the store.  It's also nice to listen to music while riding on the train.

Suica card & keys:  To ride the train, I just scan my Suica card.  If you don't have a card, you buy a ticket.  You can also use the card at some stores and vending machines.  I only use mine for work transportation, it makes it much easier to keep track of expenses.

Hand Towel: Many public restrooms do not have paper towels or hand dryers.  Carrying a small hand towel or handkerchief is very handy.  It's also good for those days when it's super hot and you are sweating.

   120 Yen: I always make sure I have coins in my purse.  There are vending machines everywhere!  A bottle of water, can of coke or sprite usually cost 120 yen, or about $1.20.

Water Bottle: Erik said I needed to stop going to the Vending Machine so much, so I started carrying a water bottle:)

Rockstar Vicar

Tauna is finishing up her last week of teaching English at the Hongo Student Center.  She is very excited to have some time off to rest and start preparing the nursery for the arrival of baby in October.  Summers in Tokyo are very hot and humid...more hot and humid than the Midwest. She plans on putting her feet up and sitting in the A/C while watching movies.  Perhaps she might venture out the departo (Department store) to do some shopping and eat Gelato.

Erik has been super busy at Tokyo Lutheran.  He has started to preach very short sermons in Japanese.  He has given the message at the children's service and the weekly prayer service.  Twice a month he makes dinner for the small group that attends the prayer service.They really enjoy Erik's cooking and an opportunity to taste "American" food.

This weekend we gathered for a July 4th/Tanabata Day BBQ.  Tanabata is celebrated in the 7th month on the 7th day.  The story goes something like this: The Sky God had a daughter who was a great weaver.  However, she was too serious.  He decides to set her up with a cow farmer who is also serious. The weaver and the cow farmer fall in love and start to neglect their work.  This makes the Sky God upset.  He then separates the two of them on opposite sides of the milky way.  Only on the 7th Day of the 7th Month can they see each other.  On this day people write out wishes and tie them to bamboo.

In front of Tokyo Lutheran, a woman writes out a wish
to put on the tree  for Tanabata Day.

We went to the doctor and everything is well with our expected baby.  We found out that Akachan is going to be a girl!  We're both excited but a little nervous about what to do when she becomes a teenager someday.

The other day we were both watching the BBC News when Tauna saw Pastor Sekino on TV.  Pastor Sekino is an rock band.  The sanctuary in the beginning is Tokyo Lutheran Church.  Here's the clip for you to enjoy!

Vacation!

Recently we were blessed with the opportunity to take a vacation and explore this great country we are living in.  We decided to ride the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto and Nara.

Kyoto was once the capital of Japan and has over 3,000 Shinto and Buddist temples.  The city is considered a UNESCO site.  Riding the city bus is like taking a guided tour as it points out fun historic facts about each temple you pass.  We stayed in the guest room of one of the Lutheran churches.

Giant Budda at Todai-ji Temple

We spent a lot of time walking around the much quieter city of Kyoto.  We visited Ginkaku-ji (Silver temple), Nijo-jo Castle, and Kinkaku-ji (Gold Temple).  We walked the Philosopher's path and visited the many temples/shrines and shops.

A couple junior high groups came up to us to practice their English.  They were adorable.  The kids were very shy and nervous as they read the questions from their notebooks.  After we answered them in English, we impressed them with our minimal Japanese skills.  There are not very many teens in the church, so we welcomed the opportunity to interact with these bright young people.

Kinkaku-ji (Golden) Temple

We were very impressed with the many Japanese students we saw. They all seemed very well behaved.  All students wear uniforms.  Their teacher or guide would lead them by holding a flag with their group number.  I was impressed because there would be about 30 students and only 3 teachers!  If I had tried that with my youth group back home it would have been chaos.

After our adventure in Kyoto, we rode the train to Nara.  We stayed in the historic Nara Hotel where famous people like Helen Keller and Albert Einstein have also stayed.  Nara has "tame" wild deer that you can feed and pet.  We spent a large part of our time there feeding deer and sitting in the park (and eating ice cream everyday).  We also visited Todai-ji Temple which has a giant Budda. The temples and buildings are so impressive.

We very much enjoyed our relaxing get away from the big city.

Nara Hotel

Pastor Erik and his new herd.

Clink Here for More Pictures.

Jesus' Candy

Last Tuesday I was disappointed that I only had a couple students show up to my (Tauna) late night English conversation class.  To be fair, it was the day after Golden Week ended (a week were several Japanese National Holidays are in a row). Most of my students were out of town or spending extra hours at work to make up for lost time.  Whenever I have only a few students, class is usually boring because there is not much conversation, but on this particular Tuesday, I had my best class yet.

One of my students had seen a movie in which one of the characters was Catholic.  He asked me why in the movie did the priest put candy on the tongue of the child.  The other student that was present is Catholic, so in Japanese he explained that it wasn't candy, it was bread.  We then had a brief discussion about sacraments and what communion is all about.

Then the student asked why in the movie did the mother want to know if her daughter was marrying a Catholic or a Protestant.  I really go excited at this question.  I told him all about Martin Luther and the Reformation and the small differences between Catholics and Lutherans.  I was thrilled to give a Christian History Lesson.

I love pop cultural references to Christianity because they create questions.  I can pretty much credit Dogma, The Simpsons, and Family Guy for my desire to go to Seminary.

But I can't stop thinking about how he called communion candy.

Candy!

What a great word for communion. Jesus' love and forgiveness for us is indeed sweet.

Communion is indeed sweet!
(Picture from http://catholiccuisine.blogspot.jp/2011/04/bread-of-life-first-communion-candy.html)

Here Comes Aka-Chan!

We are happy to announce that we are expecting a new missionary to come live with us at the end of October.  We feel very blessed and we ask that you keep us in your prayers as we prepare for baby's arrival.

So what have our experiences been like expecting a baby in a foreign country...Well, thanks to the countless blogs by expectant expat mothers we have found a hospital 12 minutes from our house where they speak English!  We also took a trip to our local ward office to register the pregnancy.  Tauna got a fancy key chain that she wears on her purse.  It says she's pregnant.  The idea is that people see it and they give up their seat on the train for you.  (Tauna has also found that people will be extra nice and carry things for you.)

One of the traditions in Japan is that pregnant woman go to their hometown to give birth to their babies.  Tauna gets asked frequently if she will be having the baby in Japan. This seems like an odd question to her, because "I live here, where else would I have my baby?"  To the Japanese it seems perfectly logical to leave your husband for a few months to go give birth.

The hospital system is different here.  Instead of making an appointment and it being on time and fairly quick, you make an appointment and then wait around until your turn...and it seems like the doctor spends little time with you.  We've learned to make our appointments super early so we have less waiting.  We do feel confident about our hospital  They have a good reputation and Japan has the one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world (lower than the US).  We also have coupons from our local government office for each appointment. It only cost us $50 a visit, and that's before insurance.

The other issue Tauna faces is her size.  Japanese woman are not allowed to gain as much weight as woman in the US, so she expects to be continually reminded of her weight the whole pregnancy.  (While researching cultural differences she found that in England they don't track your weight!).  Since Tauna is bigger than the average Japanese woman, it's been slightly difficult finding clothes...and maternity clothes here are very expensive.  Thankfully Old Navy ships internationally:)  

Kawaii かわいい

かわいい (Kawaii) is one of my favorite things about Japan.  A quick look at wikipedia will tell you it means  "cute, lovable, adorable."  Kawaii does not apply just to young children, but to everyone.  The other day I saw an older gentleman dressed in a suit with a Spongebob Square Pants charm attacked to his leather briefcase.  Our Japanese teacher grades our papers with a Tokyo Disney pen.  Nearly everyone has some adorable charm hanging from their cellphone.

 

Isogashii (いそがしい)

Isogashi (いそがしい) means busy.  Tokyo is a very busy city, and Japanese people work very hard.  We have also found our lives have gotten much busier.  Here's what a typical week during Lent looks like for the Roths:

Sunday: Time to start the week off by worshiping God.  Erik leaves first to walk the 20 minutes to Tokyo Lutheran, usually arriving around 9am.  Japanese Children's service is at 9:30 AM.  Tauna attends this service.  It's a great opportunity to worship in Japanese and it's short enough that she doesn't get overwhelmed.  Next, the 10 AM English Worship Service. Since the Japanese worship service starts at 11:00, the English worship has to conclude around 10:50. Then, we all go downstairs for coffee, tea, conversation and various amazing treats from other countries (Chinese candy, German Cheesecake, or Reeses Peanut Butter Cups!)  After coffee hour a group usually goes out to lunch.  Erik sometimes has a council meeting or other meetings.  These meetings can last hours.

Monday: Day of rest.  We have Mondays "off." We spent our morning skyping with friends and family (Monday morning = Sunday night in the US).  Tauna plans for English classes and writes a weekly Bible study for the Hongo Student Center.  Monday evening is when we do our Japanese homework.

Tuesday: Japanese class from 10am-Noon.  Quick lunch (usually at the Japanese Italian Restaurant Saizeriya).  Then Tauna rides the subway to the Hongo Student Center where she teaches English to children and adults until 9:15pm.  She doesn't return home until after 10pm. Erik has office hours at Tokyo Lutheran for the afternoon.

Wednesday:  Every first and third Wednesday, Tokyo Lutheran hosts "Pastor's Cafe." Basically, "Pastor's Cafe" is an invitation for anyone from the surrounding community to come and learn about Christianity. Both Erik and Sekino Sensei greet everyone and engage in conversation. A local organization that assists people with mental disabilities brings coffee, fresh bread and pastries to sell to those who attend. After  a few hours, people are invited to attend a short prayer service in the sanctuary. After Pastor's Cafe, Erik meets with a small group that is interested in working on hobbies together. Erik does his flat-plane wood carving and other people bring their favorite hobbies such as calligraphy and origami.

This year is the first year that Tokyo Lutheran has offered a mid-week Lenten worship service. Every Wednesday evening people from the congregation gather for a Lenten worship followed by a community meal. Erik and Sekino sensei have been taking turns presiding and preaching at the service. Since Ash Wednesday, Erik has been making food for everyone after the service. On average, 20-25 people attend.  

Thursday: Japanese class from 10am-Noon.  Erik has adult Bible study in the evening. Tauna does more prep.

Friday: Japanese class from 10am-Noon. Tauna has another busy day at Hongo and comes home after 10pm. Friday is the day that Erik tries to devote to finishing his sermon for Sunday. However, that is what he tries to do, but other things or ministries usually intercede.

Saturday: We usually volunteer or socialize on Saturdays.  Once a month we prepare and serve food at Second Harvest with other people from Tokyo Lutheran. There are three shifts at Second Harvest. The first shift prepares the food (This is Tauna's favorite.  She is becoming the expert at cutting fruit).  The second shift serves food to people in need (mostly men) at Ueno Park.  The people receive rice, veggies, sandwiches, fruit, and soup.  It's quite the operation.  We prepare the food at Second Harvest, load a truck, unload the truck at Ueno Park and set up, serve the people (with real dishes) and then load everything back up in the truck to go back to be washed.  The third shift is doing the dishes.  We both like enjoy shift 3 because it is a time to get to know other volunteers.  Volunteers are mostly young people (under 30).  It's a mixture of English and Japanese speakers.  Even though we don't all speak the same language, we are all able to communicate and serve others.

If we don't volunteer at Second Harvest, we usually have a party to attend or go out for dinner.  A few things we've done the last few Saturdays include; hosting a taco party and taking our Japanese friends out for Chicago Style Pizza.

And of course, Saturday night Erik actually finishes his sermon:)

Those are just the scheduled events during the week.  In between we study Japanese, make daily trips to the grocery store, and do normal household things like the dishes.

Life in Japan: Groceries!

A recent conversation in our house:
Tauna: Can you pick up some eggs and milk from the store on the way home?
Erik: Yeah.  It seems like we just went to the store yesterday.
Tauna: We did.

That's right, we go to the store everyday in Japan.  It's such a change from what we were used to "back home."  Before we left we were staying in Door County, WI, a very rural area 30 minutes from the nearest large town.  Grocery shopping included a long drive, a list, a cart and car with a big trunk.  We usually bought enough food for two weeks.

But here there are no carts and there is no parking lot at the store.  Nearly everyday we make the 5 minute walk to our Super Market.  We pick up a little basket and pick out the things we want to eat that evening and maybe the next day.  We then carry it all home.  We usually go together, because four arms are better than two.  We also frequent our neighborhood vegetable & fruit store.

It's taken some getting used to (and we are definitely getting a bicycle to make the job easier) but the great part of going to the store everyday is that we waste very little food.  Hardly anything ever spoils in our fridge.  We also eat a lot healthier: no box meals or frozen dinners here because there is no room at home.

On Saturday, Tauna took a trip to Costco.  She took an empty suitcase with to fill with food.  Successfully, she bought home cheese, sausage, peanut butter, granola, oatmeal and other goodies.  Costco is very cheap compared to our local Super Market.  And the best part, they have huge blocks of cheese and peanut butter. It took her over an hour to get home with the suitcase of 50+ pounds of food.  She had to take four different trains, and at one station there was no elevator.  The extra effort makes the cheese taste 100% better.

Say Yes!

I went to the Lawson 100 (Convenience Store) to pick up some milk and orange juice.  As I was waiting for the clerk to finish bagging my items, he ask me a question in Japanese that I didn't understand.  Trusting the clerk, I just said はい (Hai= Yes).  Next thing I knew, he was putting two long straws into my bag.

I say yes a lot here in Japan.  Would you like to go to a party?  Yes!  Will you help shovel snow?  Yes! Do you want some of this weird looking food?  Um...Yes? Each time I say yes, I have little clue what is on the other side.  I say yes mostly out of curiosity. If I didn't say yes, I would miss out on endless experiences.  Yes opens doors. Yes leads to adventure. Yes sometimes leads to crazy exhausting days.  But if I had said no, I wouldn't know how delicious Japanese food tastes, got to see a Japanese home, learn how great of a hostess a friend can be, or have two giant straws in my kitchen drawer.

The journey to Japan started with a single Yes to God.  Yes, we will serve.  As missionaries (that's you, too!) we are all invited into God's mission.  We are all given the opportunity to say "yes" to Christ's love and go out and serve each other.

Snow!

Snow outside our apartment.

 On Monday Tokyo received it's first snow fall of the year.  We've gotten mixed reports (and centimeters are still confusing to us) but it looks like somewhere between three and five inches.  Tokyo is at the same latitude as San Francisco  so it is not normal to get snow.  It started Monday morning. As we were skyping with Erik's parents when we noticed the heavy rain started to turn into a slushy snow.  We were really surprised when it started to accumulate.  Even more surprised when we got a call at 6pm from Pastor Sekino who needed help shoveling the sidewalk at the church.  Erik and I bundled up and made the .8 of a mile walk to the church.  It was very amusing to watch the Japanese battle the snow.  There were people trying to ride bicycles.  There were women in heels.  Shopkeepers used square & spade shovels, dustpans, brooms, squidgies, and even a trowel to remove the ice and snow.  And everyone had an umbrella!

Shoveling at Tokyo Lutheran.

Walking down Okubo-Dori Ave after the snowfall. 

Snowman the Hongo kids built after our English Snowman lesson.

Happy New Year!

Just like the Minnesota State Fair!
Vendors sell food on a stick on the way to Meiji Shrine.

Tokyo is a little less crowded these days.  The first few days of the New Year are a huge deal in Japan.   Millions of people have traveled home to spend the New Year with their families.  They will then go to worship at the temples/shrines so they have good fortune in the new year.  We decided to experience a bit of this.  On New Year's Eve we went to Meiji Shrine.  On the way to the shrine the sidewalk was lined with vendors selling food, treats and even beer.  Once we got to the park, there were huge crowds of people.  We never actually made it into the shrine.  We waited with the crowd as we all counted down to midnight.  Then the shrine opened and the line began to move.  We've both been to the shrine on a 'regular' day, so we decided to head home.

New Year's Day we heading to Tokyo Lutheran Church for the New Year Worship Service (all in Japanese).  Along with worship, there are multiple parties during the New Year.  We've been invited to different congregation members homes.  Last night was our first house party.  I've learned that every experience I have in Japan, I really cannot predict.  I really just have to go with it and accept that I don't know what will happen, who will be there, what I will eat, or how long it will last.  I just need to be observant of those around me and listen extra hard for words I do know.

So here's how it went.

We had instructions to meet at NishiOkubo Station.  When we arrived, several other members at the church were there waiting.  (My expectation was we were just meeting the Japanese pastor).  They immediately recognized us, the only Americans in the train station.  This happens often.  As soon as the whole group had arrived, we walked to the couple's house.  The party was hosted by a wonderful older couple, who I have decided to call Obaasan and Ojiisan (Grandma & Grandpa).

We sang a Japanese Hymn and then share what we would do for God in the New Year (I said to work really hard planning/teaching Bible study and Erik said get to know people and hear their stories).  Then began the feasting.  We sat on the floor around a table.  Each dish was passed and we picked up food with our chopsticks and put it on our small plates.  We had many traditional Japanese New Year Dishes which I promise to learn the names of in the future. Most were fish based and tasted salty.  We even had ichigo (Japanese strawberries) and dragon fruit.  I must have felt extra brave, because I pretty much ate everything in sight.  When I was eating my gohan (rice) with kinoko (mushrooms), Erik asked me, "who are you?"

Crowds of people gather outside Meiji Shrine for the New Year.

In the middle of our feast, a story that was written by Obaasan and Ojiisan was read aloud to us.  Through some miracle, I understood that the story was about baby birds that had been rescued by the couple.  The couple saved these birds because it's important to preserve life.  They even have a rescue cat named Gloria.  I felt very much at home hearing the story and being with this couple and their family.  Ojiisan reminded me of my great grandfather John who passed away a few years ago.  My grandfather also had many cats and rescued animals.  In our short time here in Japan, I've met many people who remind me of our loved ones back home.

I know I keep saying it, but that's because it's true.  I feel very blessed to be here in Japan.  I am thankful for the many Japanese who have invited us into their lives and even open their homes to us.  I am also grateful to you: our many family, friends, sponsors and partners in ministry.  Thank you for your support and prayers.

May you each have a blessed New Year!

Blessings,
Tauna & Erik