RheAnn in Japan

Pausing to reflect: One of my early solo wanderings in Japan

September 7, 2010—Tomorrow will mark five months that I’ve been in Japan!!!! Is it odd to say that even with all the illness and confusion that this time has really flown by?? …Because it really has! It is strange to think that it was five months ago that I stood in a triangular and tear-soaked hug with my mom and sister in the St. Louis airport feeling absolutely unready to be where I am now.

Triangle of Love: My sister, me, and my mom at my commissioning service at Brenthaven (My good friend gave me her kimono, but no one knew how to tie the obi and it kept falling off! HaHA!)

Two Girls On the Open Road...with Lollipops!: Zoe and I drove all night and laughed the whole way (even in Kansas.) ;)

And I spent five AMAZING weeks in a training program for missionaries, that provided me not only with top-notch language learning and cultural adaptation skills, but also with friends in my field who are now missionaries ALL OVER THE WORLD! It’s a beautiful and meaningful network!

"The Family": We share a very sacred bond...

The MTI GIRLS:  These beautiful ladies and I spent two weeks together learning how to learn...and loving every minute!

I also had time over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays to be with my family and friends to celebrate these occasions together for the last time for at least three years.

Home for the Holidays: With my Uncle Andy at New Year's

An on-again-off-again-turned-long-distance relationship of over two years ended unexpectedly in December and blossomed into one of my healthiest and most valuable friendships AND completely freed me to bring my whole self to my life and work in Japan! (VERY synchronistic!) :)

Yesterdays and Used-to-be's: Back in snowy Boulder, back in the day, with my dear friend Michael

I spent the early part of this year travelling around my country seeing familiar faces and places, but also meeting new people and going places I’d never been. In more ways than one, this was a VITAL part of my journey. I simultaneously managed to have meaningful goodbyes with my loved ones AND to intertwine myself into a community of faith.

Small Town Girl: Morgan was in The Youth ROCKS! youth group of which I was the leader for 4 years. Now she's a student at Bethel University!

Hometown Girls: Ethiopian dinner with some of my best friends from high school-- Karen, Jamie, and Bryan (not pictured)

New Girls: I visited Milan CP Church and met these amaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing youth! (We're connected for life.) :)

Heart Hug: This is my dad's younger brother and my beloved uncle, Dan, at my early birthday/going-away celebration!

And in arriving here five months ago, I adjusted quite naturally to being led from place to place and introduced to hundreds of people. :) It has been difficult at times—studying the language, finding allergy-friendly VEGETARIAN foods, picking up on and understanding cultural differences, finding the right doctors, establishing routines and relationships, and being far away from my mom, my siblings, my friends, and my niece and nephews (!!!)—but overall, I just like my life. …Yeah. I really do! :)

The Boys Who Have My Heart: My bestestest friend Cliff with my sooooooooooo cute nephews--Karson and Creson

Bumpers!: We may not be the best bowlers, but we're the best of friends! :) (My niece Abbi and I had an entire day of fun together.)

Tonight as I was walking home after teaching my children’s English class at Ebina Zion Hill Church and eating dinner alone at Big Boy in Seya… (Yes. You read that right: Big Boy. They have a lovely salad bar!) :)…I started thinking about just that—my life…and why I like it so much. …Here’s my theory. If I had studied education in school, I’m not sure I would enjoy teaching as much as I do now. …It’s just my personality, really. I love teaching, because I’m discovering HOW to do it and that I’m GOOD at doing it AS I do it!! Haha!! It’s true! I’m drawing upon some unknown arsenal of tools, techniques, information, energy, and ability! I don’t have notes or handouts! I don’t have pre-made lessons! I’m just doing this!! It’s part acting and part improvisation, teaching…for ME anyway. I find what the needs are and look within to find a way to meet those needs. Each class and each student is so different, so I have to manifest a means of teaching them all, in the way(s) they learn best. Sometimes it doesn’t work, and I can FEEL it…so I come at it from a different way until we find the right path. It’s fun and exciting! It feels AMAZING when it “works” and the students begin to understand. I really, really enjoy it! (I really think that if someone taught me how to teach, I’d get lost in the “right” and “wrong” of it, and miss out on this amazing voyage of discovery!)

With mostly everything I do, I find I like it more when I approach it from a place of curiosity or uncertainty. I like the newness of things. If I understood Japanese better, I probably wouldn’t enjoy learning pottery as much. If I thought I could get by just speaking English, I probably wouldn’t like studying Japanese. If I didn’t make up games to entice myself up the big hills of my neighborhood, I’d probably trudge along and meet each hill with dread. If I didn’t move my furniture around in my apartment, I’d probably start to feel too settled. If I was afraid of not being accepted or not being able to communicate, I probably wouldn’t be having so much FUN making friends!

Ready, Aim, SMILE!: At the Tanabata Festival with Anna

Indeed, finding the newness makes even the ordinary extraordinary. So, I say: Go ahead! Walk around in the new! :)

"Come On Shake Your Body, Baby...": Performers in the 5 hour Samba Carnival parade in Asakusa.