And it's not even November yet. But seriously, this is the theme for me this week. It's only Tuesday, so I can't speak for the rest of the week, but I've been reminded of what it feels like to be appreciative of the small things, and to just generally be thankful for this life. Thankful for my family. Thankful for my friends back home. Thankful for my friends out here. Thankful for the blood of Christ. And thankful for the Church.
I was able to go to church this past Sunday, hallelujah! A family who lives not too far away graciously picked me up and drove me to the church. The church is definitely one of the most non-traditional Japanese churches I've been to. Actually, it does have a lot of Western influence and the service felt like one I would be at back home. Lots of foreigners as well, mostly American and Filipino! But of course, the majority of the church members are Japanese. Some of them are very good at English, though! The founding pastors/missionaries of the church went back to the States for their health, but their family is kind of crazy, in a really good way. The parents are a Caucasian American couple who have five biological children and have adopted two Korean children and four Japanese children. The wife in the couple that picked me up is one of the adopted kids. And if they're married, each of the children have at least three kids of their own. Not all of them are married, but that was so amazing to see! The church itself also places much emphasis on family, so there are a lot of kids and even some preteens and teens, which is pretty unusual for a Japanese church (as the majority of consistent church-attending Christians across Japan tend to be the elderly, or older adults). Lord knows Japan needs more Christians in each generation, and more children in general. I was able to meet a lot of new people and sing familiar praise songs and partake in a celebratory potluck after the service. I actually ended up leaving my current home at 8:50 and arriving back at home at around 6:30 or so. Not gonna lie, it was a little tiring, but it was so, so worth it. And so I'm thankful for Christian community.
I'm thankful for my friends back home, who think of me and pray for me, and who even keep in touch with me. I love you guys a lot and miss talking with you. But I'm also very thankful for my friends out here, who are basically made up of just my coworkers. We've been hanging out outside of work and as I get to know each of them and their quirky and unique characters, I find myself laughing and having so much fun, both in and out of work. They really care about what they do and about each other and for us, for me. They may not be Christian, but I'm also thankful because they care enough to ask about how church went and what happened and what church is like. Their openness to listen is the first step, the sublimely significant first step. I even found out that one of the teachers has actually attended the church before, and at the church, I was able to meet the person who's been slowly witnessing to this teacher. It's a small world, is it not? And God is so good, is He not? Plus, I will (hopefully) attend two hanamis this week! They are basically flower viewing ceremonies that you can attend with friends and family, a celebration of the passing of winter and the flourishing of nature (not just the sakura trees). I will definitely take pictures if I can!
Finally, I'm thankful for family. I don't believe I've felt truly homesick thus far, but every time I call home and talk to my family members, the conversations end with the bittersweet coupling of a deep joy and a fleetingly painful twinge of longing. For the sake of keeping a long post medium length (heheh Walk on Water, anyone?), I'm going to write another post in more detail about this, but that feeling has been termed different things by romantics, authors and poets, across generations and across countries. Anyway, that's what I feel; it's a similar feeling to the one you experience when the prospect of heaven remains a prospect no longer but becomes an eventual reality in your mind and heart and you long to be there but you cannot. C.S. Lewis has written on this much more elegantly than I, and so I will save the quotes for the other post. Forgive the tangent, I'm almost done! Finally finally, I'm thankful for my family members who love me though I have not met them many times. My aunt sent me an incredible package containing some sorely needed and sorely missed things from Korea which I am and will be eternally grateful for (literally, I believe I'll still be thanking her in heaven). Instead of rattling off the names, here are the pictures!
I was able to go to church this past Sunday, hallelujah! A family who lives not too far away graciously picked me up and drove me to the church. The church is definitely one of the most non-traditional Japanese churches I've been to. Actually, it does have a lot of Western influence and the service felt like one I would be at back home. Lots of foreigners as well, mostly American and Filipino! But of course, the majority of the church members are Japanese. Some of them are very good at English, though! The founding pastors/missionaries of the church went back to the States for their health, but their family is kind of crazy, in a really good way. The parents are a Caucasian American couple who have five biological children and have adopted two Korean children and four Japanese children. The wife in the couple that picked me up is one of the adopted kids. And if they're married, each of the children have at least three kids of their own. Not all of them are married, but that was so amazing to see! The church itself also places much emphasis on family, so there are a lot of kids and even some preteens and teens, which is pretty unusual for a Japanese church (as the majority of consistent church-attending Christians across Japan tend to be the elderly, or older adults). Lord knows Japan needs more Christians in each generation, and more children in general. I was able to meet a lot of new people and sing familiar praise songs and partake in a celebratory potluck after the service. I actually ended up leaving my current home at 8:50 and arriving back at home at around 6:30 or so. Not gonna lie, it was a little tiring, but it was so, so worth it. And so I'm thankful for Christian community.
I'm thankful for my friends back home, who think of me and pray for me, and who even keep in touch with me. I love you guys a lot and miss talking with you. But I'm also very thankful for my friends out here, who are basically made up of just my coworkers. We've been hanging out outside of work and as I get to know each of them and their quirky and unique characters, I find myself laughing and having so much fun, both in and out of work. They really care about what they do and about each other and for us, for me. They may not be Christian, but I'm also thankful because they care enough to ask about how church went and what happened and what church is like. Their openness to listen is the first step, the sublimely significant first step. I even found out that one of the teachers has actually attended the church before, and at the church, I was able to meet the person who's been slowly witnessing to this teacher. It's a small world, is it not? And God is so good, is He not? Plus, I will (hopefully) attend two hanamis this week! They are basically flower viewing ceremonies that you can attend with friends and family, a celebration of the passing of winter and the flourishing of nature (not just the sakura trees). I will definitely take pictures if I can!
Finally, I'm thankful for family. I don't believe I've felt truly homesick thus far, but every time I call home and talk to my family members, the conversations end with the bittersweet coupling of a deep joy and a fleetingly painful twinge of longing. For the sake of keeping a long post medium length (heheh Walk on Water, anyone?), I'm going to write another post in more detail about this, but that feeling has been termed different things by romantics, authors and poets, across generations and across countries. Anyway, that's what I feel; it's a similar feeling to the one you experience when the prospect of heaven remains a prospect no longer but becomes an eventual reality in your mind and heart and you long to be there but you cannot. C.S. Lewis has written on this much more elegantly than I, and so I will save the quotes for the other post. Forgive the tangent, I'm almost done! Finally finally, I'm thankful for my family members who love me though I have not met them many times. My aunt sent me an incredible package containing some sorely needed and sorely missed things from Korea which I am and will be eternally grateful for (literally, I believe I'll still be thanking her in heaven). Instead of rattling off the names, here are the pictures!
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Praise the Lord for delicious instant noodles. |
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Thank God for various Korean sauces. |
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Blessed be His name for electric heating pads. |
이모, 이 모든 것을 보내 주셔서 너무 감사합니다!
My bad Korean aside, I hope you enjoyed my rambling. I hope some days you find yourself in grateful wonder at the breeze and green grass, at major and minor chords, at coffee and tea, at the ocean and the changing seasons, at cars and freeways, at food and family and friends. You are loved much and worth much.
I'll stop talking now. See you again soon! Ja mata!
Time for you to get a kotatsu.
ReplyDeleteIf only...
DeleteYAY the package you've been wanting~
ReplyDeleteI guess you have enough 고추장 for now LOL
There's never enough 고추장.
Delete