by Whitey | Jun 7, 2009 | Life in Japan
It occurred to me today that It’s been quite a while since I blogged about my language studies. Actually, I haven’t blogged about much of anything; I’ve posted lots of pictures and stuff but haven’t shared many thoughts or stories lately. I’m going to try to get back to more regular blogging, especially now that I’m officially only updating one blog (this one) instead of two. By the way, if you’ve just joined us from JapanLog, welcome!
Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah — languages studies…
Studying Japanese has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Seriously. A linguist I am not. I was horrible at French back in high school, and remember practically nothing. My spelling’s also pretty bad, though it has improved with some help from a little thing computers do called “spell check”. So it should be no surprise that Japanese would be a challenge. Also, rote memorization is tough for me, and with language study there’s a lot of that.
People talk about “hitting the brick wall” in their studies. I feel like I’ve hit several of them over the past year and a half. But, the good news is, I am improving. Maybe not as quickly as I’d like to be; but improving nevertheless. I’m encouraged by those “a-ha” moments that happen once in a while, when something I didn’t for a long time get suddenly clicks.
I’m also encouraged in those the moments when I actually stop and think about where I am compared to a year ago; when I see how far I’ve come rather than just seeing how far I’ve got to go.
This morning in church, I had one of those moments. We were singing a song and I realized that I actually understood almost all of what I was singing. It helped that today was one of our less-traditional services. Usually we sing from a hymnbook; like English hymnbooks, Japanese ones use a lot of out-dated language and “churchy” language. Today’s songs were more modern and thus used more common language. And I realized all of the sudden during one of those songs that I knew just about ever word. I looked the one up that I couldn’t, and understood.
It was a nice moment. I find I’m having more of them lately. Sometimes it’s when I have a good conversation with a friend. Or when I’m sitting in a meeting and understand the gist, even if I don’t get every word.
Though I’ve got a really really long way to go before I’m even close to fluent, I’m thankful that I can look back and see some real progress.
by Whitey | May 15, 2009 | Brain Dump
Tried to go to sleep early tonight. Like 10:30. It didn’t work. So here it is, 11:20, and I’m blogging for a change of pace from that. Some thoughts:
1. Just finished a great week with a couple of Canadian friends visiting me here in Japan for some travel and ministry. It was really tiring… but at the same time refreshing. We shared a lot of laughs, had some great ministry experiences, and learned some stuff too. I felt blessed by the experience.
2. I’m really in love with my church here. They made me proud with the hospitality they showed by Canadian Brothers, and with how they stepped up to the plate to partner with us in some ministries this past week. Sometimes I think I could stay here in Nagoya with them forever.
3. Meanwhile (on a more superficial note) back in the West, the season finale of Lost aired this week. I’m not all caught up yet, so don’t tell me how it ends. It’s been an interesting season, though, with some really good writing. I wasn’t sure when this year’s started, but it’s turned out to have been a good ride. I’m hoping it ended on a good note. Only one season left after this.
4. I have some catching up to do: on studies, on work stuff, and on the personal/creative front, too. No time to get bored these days… and lots of reason to work on my time management skills. Which always need work. I’m easily distracted. What was I saying?
5. I have way too many photos to sort through, edit and share. Like 400+ from the past week alone (including some I got from others, not just my own). And like a zillion (that’s right, a zillion) from the previous few months. I need like a month off just for that. But instead it’ll probably end up being a “a little at a time” project…
6. Speaking of projects, the Doodze webcomic has been put on hiatus due to my recent bout of busyness. I do hope to get back to it soon, when I have some free time, but I probably won’t start posting right away. Instead I’ll work on building a buffer, some lettering fixes on previous pages, and getting the official site ready to launch.
by Whitey | May 1, 2009 | Ministry News
Hi Everyone,
This Sunday the Immanuel Nagoya Church hosted our annual Kids Festival, featuring music, prizes and of course food! 21 kids came, and they all had a great time — and so did the grown-ups. Best of all, 12 of the kids who came were newcomers. Praise God for new connections with the community!
Other than that, the past month I’ve kept busy with Japanese studies, teaching English, and preparations for a short-term mission trip I’m hosting/leading just a few short days from now.
Please pray for my friends Mike and Nick, who are coming here from Canada to travel and do ministry with me for about a week. They’re scheduled to arrive on Tuesday afternoon (May 5), and flying out on Wednesday, May 13. Please pray for safe travel (both to and in Japan), fruitful ministry and for our physical and spiritual strength during this busy time.
Thanks as always for praying!
by Whitey | Apr 8, 2009 | Brain Dump
I’m becoming such a slogger (slacker+blogger=slogger; thanks, Brew) lately. Seems like all I post are photos and toons… and I even missed this week’s Photo of the Week. My bad. I’ll try to write more of my actual thoughts and experiences soon. In the meantime, another brain dump before I retire for the night…
1. I’ve had a headache all day. It’s not fun.
2. I’ve also been struggling with mornings all week. I think the 2 1/2 weeks without language classes threw my internal clock out of whack. Maybe by next week I’ll be back to normal.
3. My Sister is blogging again after like a year’s hiatus: Go HERE to read her new blog. (Note: Kelly may not actually be related to me.)
4. I’ve really been enjoying the warmer, spring weather this week. The sakura (cherry blossoms) are in full bloom now, too. Spring seems to have come late this year, but now it’s here in full force.
5. I had to write a short essay for Japanese class today, and decided to write about U2. It brought back memories of when I was in junior high school and had to do a speech in French class, and I talked about my then-favourite band Stryper. I posted this to my Twitter/Facebook feed, and my brother (note: he’s actually related to me) replied that Stryper is doing a 25th anniversary reunion tour. I feel old.
6. I showed up a half hour early for prayer meeting tonight because I thought it was at 7 when it’s actually at 7:30 every week. Hmm, maybe I really am getting old. Or this headache is worse than I thought.
7. Still thinking and praying about what’s next. Sometimes it feels like my heart is pulling me in multiple directions at the same time. There’s so much I could do, so much I would like to do, and so many question marks about what actual opportunities I’ll be able to pursue.
8. Imitation Frosted Flakes + banana + strawberries = a good, late supper. My bowl is now empty and my stomach is happy.
And with that, I bid you good night. おやすみなさい。
by Whitey | Apr 3, 2009 | Ministry News
Hi Everyone,
I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying Spring wherever you may be. The streets of Nagoya are lined with Sakura (cherry blossoms) now, which is a sure sign of Spring in Japan.
This month I had a 2 1/2 week break from language school for Spring Break. I wasn’t on vacation, however. Besides spending time reviewing my Japanese, I also continued teaching English, did some music ministry, and helped out with Sunday school here at the Nagoya Church. And last week, I was in Yokohama for a few days for the Immanuel Church’s national annual conference. It was a good opportunity to catch up with some friends and fellow missionaries, as well as to connect with the Japanese church on a larger level.
Thank you for your prayers over the past month. Here are some things you can be praying with me about in the weeks to come:
1. Language studies — I’m back to school for another 6-month term of learning Japanese.
2. English class — My weekly English lessons continue to be well-attended. This month we are making some changes and doing some promotion to hopefully attract some unchurched people to the class. Please
pray that God will use this to help us build bridges with the community.
3. The future — I’m well into my second year of my two-year internship with Global Partners. So it’s time to start praying and planning for what comes next. I definitely plan to continue living and ministering in Japan, but the details of where and in what capacity are yet to be figured out. Please pray that God will lead me to the right opportunities for next year and beyond.
Thanks again for praying!
by Whitey | Mar 29, 2009 | Brain Dump
I woke up at like 6 this morning, and couldn’t get back to sleep. Too much on my mind, too much light and noise outside. So it turns out I have time to blog before taking off for the morning. My lack of sleep is your gain… If you consider reading my brain dumpings a gain…. Hurm…
1. Thinking a lot about the future lately. I’m at that point in my 2-year term here where I have to start planning. So I’m dreaming, praying, talking to people… and needing direction. It’s exciting and scary at the same time.
2. Last week I was away at the Immanual Church’s national annual conference thing (Nenkai) up in Yokohama. It was good catching up with some friends and connections. Heard some preaching in English (in person) for a change. Had some good conversations with fellow missionaries. Went into Tokyo and hung out in Shibuya. Ate some really good Turkish food. It was good for the most part, but it was good to get back home to Nagoya. I was pretty tired from some long, all-Japanese “business” meetings, and glad to get out of my suit after 4 days straight.
3. I go back to school on Wednesday. I’ve been trying to do lots of review the past two weeks, and did OK the first week off, but being away last week kind through me out of the routine. I’ve told myself to pretend I have a test on Wednesday and study accordingly. I really want to do better this term.
4. I’m hosting a two-man mission “team” here in May. It’s gonna’ be a lot of fun, but I’ve got a pile of stuff to get ready before they get here, and their visit is going to through my study routine off again. Hopefully I can stay on top of everything; it’ll be worth it when they’re here.
5. I’m eating breakfast as I type this. It looks a lot like last night’s super late supper. Strawberries + banana slices + imitation Frosted Flakes = Yummy. And good for you, too.
Well, I need to get going, and on with my day. Consider my brain dumped.
by Whitey | Mar 21, 2009 | Brain Dump
1. I am officially on spring break from school. However, I decided not to take off somewhere and use up my vacation time. Instead, I’ve been using the time to do some much-need Japanese review. It’s great to have the extra time to study alone and to focus on the things that I have the most trouble with.
2. I’ve also been cleaning house, planning for a visiting short-term mission team (and by “team” I mean two people) and generally just getting caught up on stuff, while at the same time taking it slower than usual. It’s great when you can be productive but not feel rushed all the time, eh?
3. Tonight I’ve been pre-posting some stuff here on the blog. I’ve got weekly SkitZo MaN posts lined up from now ’till June. That’s right — June. Of course it helps that this is stuff I’m re-running…
4. This coming week I’m going to be in Yokohama for the church’s annual conference (nenkai). That means four days in a row wearing a suit. But it also means a good time of connecting with Believers from across Japan, as with some fellow-missionaries who will be there.
5. I’m getting sleepy…
Brain dumped. Good night.
by Whitey | Mar 6, 2009 | Brain Dump
Here’s what’s on my scattered brain this Friday afternoon…
1. I’ve recently instituted an “office day”… actually more of a “desk day” since I don’t really have an office exactly. But I’ve set aside a chunk of time each week to get work-stuff done that’s hard to focus on during the week because of Japanese studies. I chose Friday afternoons because there’s no pressure to get homework and stuff done for the next day. However, Friday afternoon is a hard time to work… because, you know, it’s Friday. In fact, part of the reason I’m blogging right now is to try to get my brain in gear doing something that at least feels productive.
2. Tomorrow I’m going strawberry picking with a group from my church. Weather permitting, of course. Today’s been rainy all day. But even without the rain it still feels way to early for strawberries. It’s technically spring here now but it doesn’t feel like it… well, maybe a Canadian spring…
3. My buddy AJ is blogging again after a short hiatus. This is a happy thing.
4. Doodze may be late or not-at-all this week. I have a big to-do list I’m supposed to be working on at this moment, and the aforementioned strawberry picking going on tomorrow. And next week is a crazy test-full week at school, so…
5. Speaking of school, I did my speech today, and it went pretty well. Didn’t win any prizes or anything but I remembered most of what I’d written, more or less.
6. Not looking forward to the multiple tests next week. Totally looking forward to the couple of weeks after that without any classes at all.
7. My grades have been way less than stellar, but I had dinner at the home of a family from our church last night. The pastors were there too. And none of them speak English. But I had a good time, and though I didn’t understand every word they said, I did manage to communicate and understand when the conversation was coming in my direction. So, that’s one sign of progress anyway. School can be discouraging sometimes, to be honest, but it’s real life where the language skills matter. I have a long long way to go, but I’m thankful for the progress I’ve made, and for nights like last night that remind me of that.
Brain dumped. Back to work now…
by Whitey | Mar 1, 2009 | Brain Dump
Here’s what’s going on in my life and what’s on my mind… At least what’s worth sharing. Numbered for your convenience. Special thanks to Kevin, from whom I stole the term “Brain Dump” and plan to use on a regular basis now.
1. As I write this I’m listening to my latest iTunes music store purchase: Johnny Cash’s At Folsom Prison (Legacy Edition). Folsom Prison was already a classic album. This version includes basically all the stuff they recorded during his two shows in the prison; 51 tracks (including some intros and stuff) for only about 11 bucks. Not bad.
2. I posted a new prayer letter to my missions blog, and you can go there to read it if you’re interested.
3. Do you all back up your hard drives? I do, and I’m glad, because with my previous computer I had a hard drive die on me. I think a lot of people put it off until it’s too late. Why do most of us wait until there’s a crisis before we think of such things? Of course I’m talking about life as well as computer use. I think too many followers of Christ wait until they’re at a crisis point before they ask for help — from God or anyone else. Maybe that’s why there are so many cases of spiritual leaders failing and losing their ministry. Fellow-Believers, let’s not wait till we’re in trouble to seek the Lord, read the Word, or pray for each other.
4. The new U2 albums hits this week. Ask me if I’m excited.
5. I am.
6. Apparently I inspired the next episode of JaviLand with my previous post about my artistic philosophy. I consider this a pretty big honor, ’cause I’m a fan of the show. Check it out if you’re an artsy type, especially a comic creator.
by Whitey | Mar 1, 2009 | Ministry News
Hi Everyone,
As I reported in last month’s letter, I’ve recently started teaching a new English class at my church. Thank you for praying with me about that. We’ve now had classes four weeks in a row, and it’s been a lot of fun. The challenge has been in figuring out what level everyone is at and trying to teach accordingly. Adding to the challenge is the fact that so far there has been a different mix of people every week. On the bright side, this shows that there is a lot of interest; only time will tell who will keep coming back regularly, though.
Please pray with me about the following things this week and throughout the month to come:
1. Please continue to pray for me as I teach English, and pray that this will be a good “bridge-builder” between this church and the community.
2. Pray for my continuing Japanese studies, which are a huge challenge for me. I have definitely made progress in the past year, and I am thankful, but still have a long way to go!
3. The national Annual Conference (Nenkai) of the Immanuel Church is taking place in Yokohama from March 23-26. I will be attending and bringing greetings (in Japanese). Please pray for this event, as many from across Japan gather for worship, and our pastors and leaders “do business” and receive their assignments for the coming year.
4. I’m also getting more involved in some other areas of church life, mainly involving music and youth ministry. Please pray for these opportunities as well.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support on my journey so far! You are definitely appreciated! May God bless you as we enter Spring together — a time of new life and new beginnings!
– robin
