(More poems about the connections I've made with new Japanese friends since January. I'm scheduling this to post while we are somewhere in the Pacific.)
It was so good to be back at Friendship!
Already, after my first day back,
I feel like I've made better connections
than in the previous entire year I served
I re-connected with several familiar faces
like Ria, whose kids go to Summit, where I used to teach
and Katsuko, who I met up with at the library to learn some Japanese basics
and Maho, who I'm glad I recognized after meeting her "randomly" at Central
I had a great table discussion about sports
with Megumi
Ayana
Nanako
and Eriko
I used a lot of Japanese all morning,
even commenting on how the bathroom line was "nagai"
And then I played Mexican train dominoes
with Natsumi
Yoshie
Mai
Ai
and Sunny
The games group is perfect
because I like games
there are many Japanese ladies in there
it's informal, and we can really get to know each other
And then I get to connect with fellow moms
when I pick up my boys
SO GOOD!
3-28-26
My cup overflows...
For months, I had prayed
for a "nihongo tomodachi" (Japanese language friend)
to help me practice Japanese
Now, I have too many to count!
Maho, who I helped to get a library card
Nanako, who has given me famous Japanese pop songs to learn
Honami, who met up with me at the park to sing
Yuria, who introduced me to "melon pan"
Shiori, who I got to introduce to Friendship and friendship
Erina, who I recommended St. Louis as a destination
Ibuki, who said she's "not a Christian yet"
Asami, who brought her oldest son to a game night
Sunny, who is moving to Osaka in April!
Natsumi, who we got to celebrate her birthday at our house
Sanae, who is from Ikebukuro, where the Kettemans are planting a church
Eiko, Chiaki, Marie, Saori, who live in my in-laws' neighborhood
Ayana, Maika, Mariko, other members of the Fab Five I'm meeting with this week
Ena, who I connected with "randomly" at the park before she even moved here
Nao and Hiroka, who are in my games group and came to the park meet-up
Kazumi, who I met at the library
Katsuko, who helped in my first language foibles
Miyuki, who I saw at the Asian market, and the other Miyuki, who both came to the park meet-up
Yoshiko and Yuki and Ria, who are in the 1% minority of Japanese Christians
Chihiro and Eriko, who have kids that I do music time with
Haruka and Eri, who will hopefully come to the next play date
Mai and Mariko and Yoshie and Yuki, who are the my games group
Megumi, who I met on my first day at Friendship
Naoko, who I remember from my last time volunteering at Friendship
Tomoe and Yukino, who I serve with in childcare
It looks like You've answered my prayer!
Consecrate it all, Lord!
Use every interaction
conversation
connection
Some plant
Some water
but You bring the growth!
4-8-26
I was stressed out beforehand
thinking about the cleanliness of Japanese homes
compared to our home
with its carpet stains
and wall markings
and the notion that our house "isn't inviteable"
But I can't wait around until it's perfect
So I spent hours on Saturday and on Sunday afternoon
cleaning and tidying (and shoving) and prepping
and it all came together
8 guests didn't even feel as crowded
as I had expected
There was a bounty of food, including 2 Japanese dishes
Everything worked out
The language barrier was overcome by a combo of my Japanese
their English
working together
and Google translate
We visited and conversed and laughed
I bumbled along in my broken Japanese
The fellas went downstairs for Smash Bros
The gals (and little girls) stayed upstairs for music and dancing
I sang Japanese kid songs and pop songs
We snapped a timer photo
Lucas gave magazines and books as parting gifts
Yuria's face said it all -- "so happy"
My words are limited, too, but I was "hontouni ureshi" (really happy)
Our family was a team--prepping, interacting, serving
A "sutekina ban" (lovely evening) indeed
9-10-26
It really couldn't have gone any better
(aside from maybe having some deeper conversations,
which is hard to do with 10 children running around!)
24ish hours together
24ish hours together
Two families (one Japanese, one American) joining us for their first camping trip
Beautiful drive, scenery
Extended time to chat, relax, play
Taking over all the shelter tables
Hike down to the lake to explore, skip rocks
Lots of time around the campfire
Hot dogs and corn-on-the-cob and marshmallows over the fire
Onigiris, ramen, and yakiimo
Night games and shadow puppet stories
Mercy Watson by flashlight
More stars than the city lights let us see
Surviving a night in the tent
Lots of caterpillars (big, fat ones and little, fuzzy ones) and a dead snake
Next day - impromptu lake swimming in clothes
Inter-mingling families, helping each other out
No ticks!
Only $8 per adult
No minimum-night restrictions like Labor Day weekend at the state parks
Room to spread out and roam
Some of my favorite people --
Naho, Akihiro, Hiroto, Shoki,
Sarah, Brenden, Marley, Auggie, Emmett
Carter, Calvin, Cooper, Colson, Chance
Thanks be to God!
9-21-26
An Early Thanksgiving
My heart and belly are full
Uncle Norman's 3rd Thanksgiving with us
This time, we celebrated 2 months early and spent the whole day together
Family indeed
or, as he would say,
he's my "pecan-tan brother"
Introducing Norman
to two Japanese families I love
was a delight
He learned some Japanese language and culture
They got to break bread with an old black man from the Jersey ghetto
Giving my Japanese friends
a literal taste of an American holiday,
not just at an event somewhere
but in our home
Taking turns around the table
sharing 5 kernels of gratitude
Eating a bountiful feast of all my favorites
then talking and laughing and playing games together
I'm a connector, at heart,
and this was a divine connection
We didn't want the night to end
because that meant this beautiful one-night-only connection
with these specific people
was over
We're leaving soon for Japan,
and both families will have moved by the time we get back
I took Norman home 12 hours after I picked him up
A little wistful, but mostly grateful
Use it all, God!
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