"On Mission" and "Japan is Calling"

9-24-26 - On Mission

On past mission trips

    to teach English in Thailand

    to partner with a church in Salt Lake City

    to aid in hurricane-ravaged Mississippi

        my mission began

            when I arrived

But here I am

    a week before leaving for Japan,

        and my mission has already begun in full force

It began last November

    when our years-long dream of "someday"

    turned into actually booking specific dates

That's when

    my language-learning went into overdrive

    my prayer for "a Japanese friend" prompted me

        to volunteer at Friendship International

        instead of waiting for one to come to me

    I started gaining confidence to go up to Asian moms at parks and libraries

        on the chance there may be a Japanese connection

    I started spending regular time praying for the nation

And the sowing has already started...

36 Japanese moms have come to 11 park play dates I hosted over the spring and summer

16 came to at least one of three bilingual preschool music times

10 have come over for lunch

6 have come with their families for dinner

I've helped one family in particular

    to experience the American culture

        of hosting a lemonade stand

            going tent-camping

            sharing a Thanksgiving feast

            participating in a church youth group

In other words, 

    I'm not waiting

        until I arrive on Japanese soil

            to learn

                connect

                share

                shine

It has already begun!

And it will continue when I get back!

Better than an isolated "mission trip"

    is living "on mission" every day!

9-24-26 - Japan is Calling

"Japan is calling!"

Lucas and I have been

    saying that phrase to each other

        for several years

    whenever life here feels too hard

    or we're frustrated by America's political climate

    or when when we feel like we need a fresh start

    or when adventure is preferable to mundane

    or when our kids are driving us crazy

Japan is calling!

We say it as if Japan 

    will magically solve all our problems --

        as if everything is better

            in Japan

But as we drove home from youth group last night,

    and our boys were LOUD

                                and bickering

                                and CRAZY,

    it was a not-so-gentle jolt back to reality

Japan is not a cure-all

Our loud American kids will be loud in Japan, too

    (and in fact it will be MORE stressful for me there

        because LOUD is not a value of the Japanese!)

The same problems/issues/struggles I have here,

    I'll be taking with me there

Sure, life is hard here in America

    but at least I'm fluent in the language

                                            and culture

                                            and transportation

                                            and cooking

                                            and stores

                                            and measuring systems

                                            and currency

                                            and expected behavior

Japan will be an adventure

    but it will not be easy

I'm delusional is I think

    it will solve all my problems

        (because it will add to my problems!)

I'm wondering if two months

                        is long enough

                        for the honeymoon phrase

                            to wear off --

                        when the stress of a new culture

                            (with 5 kids in tow!)

                                doesn't feel worth it

Regardless of what may happen,

    Japan is calling

Ready or not,

    here we come!