All day it has been raining. It has been refreshing and relaxing. I love the sound of rain and the musical pitter-patter it makes. Besides it cooling down the temperature and making it comfortable, it also washes away the grime, makes things fresh and new, and enables things to grow.

Today was the last day of summer vacation. That meant it was time to finish any lesson planning I had put off (for a rainy day), write Bible studies, nap, journal, relax. Tomorrow will be the start of the second term. In some ways we will be picking up where we left off and in other ways it will be a fresh start. I pray that I will be able to encourage my students to learn, think, and grow in the term ahead. Most of all I pray that I will be a light among darkness, that I will be God's instrument willing to be used.

Ruthie, the new English teacher from NWC, has arrived. It is hard to believe that I have been in Japan over one year now, that last year I was in her position. Nick and I gave her a whirl wind tour of Shimonoseki on Monday. Tuesday we did some more grocery shopping and tonight we gave her a brief interactive presentation on life in Japan. We also loaded her with information about Baiko and classes. I'm sure that she feels overwhelmed now if she didn't before. It actually isn't too bad, it just sounds that way initially.

It has been a busy time. I’ll gradually try to get you caught up. Last week I went to South Korea with three friends (one American and two Japanese). We had a wonderful time traveling in Seoul, Gyeongju, and Busan. There is a ferry that travels between Shimonoseki and Busan daily.

Places we went in Seoul: Namdaemun Market (one of the oldest tradition markets in Korea), Yoido Full Gospel Church (the largest church in the world with over 750,000 members), Hangang River, Changdeokgung Palace (built in 1405), Insa-dong Street (known for traditional goods), Seoul Tower.

Seoul Tower was hands down the most memorable. It is in the middle of a park. Thinking that since it was in the middle it should be about the same walking distance from any side, Lena and I decided to use a different subway stop than the one recommended. We soon discovered why you don’t want to go the way we did. We climbed stairs for over 45 minutes to get to the base of the tower! (The recommended way you take a bus to the base.) We definitely got our aerobic workout that night. We got to the top of the tower and just sat for about 10 minutes to let the sweat dry and our heart rates return to semi-normal speeds. The view from the top was beautiful with the lights illuminating the city. On the windows it has distances to cities around the world. We were 190 km from North Korea and about 10,000 km from Denver, Colorado.

Gyeongju: Poseokjeong pavilion (a circular stone water course, where kings would drink at banquets in the 5th century), Royal tombs (buried with goods, a layer of rock, layers of dirt that turns into rounded grassy mounds), Bulguksa temple (from 528), Folk craft village (watching people make pottery and brass-wares), gardens and parks with 23 tombs, an astronomical observatory from 634, Imhaejeon palace and Anapji pond, and the Gyeongju National Museum.

I loved walking through the parks, enjoying the flowers, looking at the mounds, etc. After being in Seoul it was nice to see a little more country and space.

Busan: Beaches, markets, and Mt. Geumjeongsan Fortress.

My favorite part was taking a cable car up to the fortress area. We had to do some hiking to get to the walls and guard towers to see them. This area has been fortified since the 5th century but the present walls were built in 1703. During Japanese invasions much of it was destroyed, but there are still certain areas where you can see parts of the original walls.

In the context of world cultures, Korea is pretty similar to Japan. Of course, this is probably due to the many times Japan invaded Korea. They took many of the arts and brought them to Japan.

Art and buildings: They are very similar. Old buildings in Korea have similar structures but are painted with reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and blues.

Food: The food has flavor! Japanese food is bland and Korean food has some spice. It's not as spicy as Indian food, but similar to Mexican spiciness (not flavor). They eat with metal chopsticks.

Driving: In Korea they drive on the right side of the road. In Japan they drive on the left.

Military: Japan only has an army for defense purposes. In Korea they have a regular army and all males have to serve for two years. I saw lots of guys in uniform. And policemen were actually carrying handguns as well. (It’s been a while since I’ve seen this.)

Cost: Everything is affordable! It was wonderful:)

People: The main difference that I could see was people. They are bigger, taller, wear colors and bright things, many people have glasses, etc. I felt pretty normal. In Japan, I usually feel big. I think it would be easier to "blend in" and be a foreigner in Korea vs. Japan. Style, size and haircuts are similar and you can get lots of foreign foods easily. They are also a lot more affectionate. It was very common to see friends holding hands, especially girls and mother/daughter pairs. It was refreshing to see.

It was fun to see another place and culture. It is also nice to be back in Japan where I can say more than thank you:)

Right now, we are in the eye of a typhoon. It sounds pretty impressive but it's really not. The wind and rain are fun to hear and watch, but it's nothing like a Midwestern thunderstorm. That's much more impressive. I'm really thankful for the typhoon because it has cooled down this part of Japan. The heat and humidity are not nearly as oppressive. Lord, thank you for your small mercies!

Yesterday I returned to Shimonoseki from Mie prefecture where I went to a church camp. Eight people from my church went there for a church camp. Mie is near Osaka, so we took an overnight ferry and then drove a couple of hours to get there.

It was nice to spend time with Japanese Christians around my age. With their English skills and my limited Japanese we were able to communicate pretty well. The theme was peace, so of course we talked about peace related issues. I think that one of the hardest things is actually figuring out what we can do to promote peace. Unfortunately, we didn't really come away with any answers. This is a common problem. The Japanese talk a lot about peace but individually they don't do anything about it. It's just this idea that is floating around out there. I also think one of things that is important to remember is that peace is not God but that peace comes from God.


Besides talking about peace we had times of worship, prayer, fun in a nearby river, relaxing in an onsen, making food and eating together, doing fireworks, and making new friends. We had a great time and God was good!

Miho, a good Japanese friend, is moving to the Tokyo area next week. We decided to one more day trip together before her move. We went to Tsuwano, a cute little town that is nestled between mountain valleys. Sometimes it is known as "Little Kyoto". This town greets you with a huge red tori gate that you drive through before your way down the mountain. Once you get to the actual town there are several quaint places to see and visit.

First we visited Taikodani Inari Jinga Shrine. It sits on the top of a little mountain opposite of the mountain you drive down to get into the city. It is pretty impressive. It's famous for the 1,045 tori gates you walk through on your climb up the mountain. It's a nice little jaunt up there, but worth the view at the top!

We also walked the old streets, saw samurai houses, lots of carp, museums, temples and churches. We went to the Hokusai Museum of Art. Hokusai is famous for his woodblock prints, especially the 36 with Mt. Fuji in them. A book of original sketches were found in Tsuwano, and thus the museum came to be. Now they have about 60% of his works there. It was really interesting to have the woodblock process explained. For each color there was a different woodblock, so if there were seven colors there would be seven blocks. Each time they had to make sure that the paper was in the exact same place so everything would line up. Very interesting! (Picture from http://www.andreas.com/hokusai.html)

I was most interested in Otometoge Maria Seido Chapel and the Via Dolorosa footpath. In 1865, 150 Christians from Nagasaki were transported to Tsuwano. 36 were eventually killed for their beliefs. The chapel was built to commemorate the martyrs. The six stained glass windows told some of the stories. One of the most poignant was of a five year old girl who had sweets put in front of her. If she renounced her faith, she could eat the sweets. Instead, she said that taste of heaven is sweeter. Wow! The Via Dolorosa is a path from the chapel that leads to the burial place of the 36. Along the winding footpath through the hills there are stops to read the Stations of the Cross. At the burial spot there is a Christian grave but also a shrine as you enter the area. I don't understand.

We finished our day at an onsen. It was a wonderful way to feel the tension in my body melt away. I was curious to see what an onsen would be line in the hot summer since the water is hot as well. It still felt good, and at the end there was a tub of cold water to dip into. It was very refreshing!

At 11:02 am, 61 years ago, an atomic bomb was dropped over Nagasaki. This a picture taken at the hypocenter four days ago. I wonder if some of these people are survivors.

For the past five days, Larry and Marlys, family friends from home have been visiting me in Japan. It has been great to see familiar faces and be able to catch up with some news from home. While they were here we spent time in Shimonoseki, Mojiko, Chofu, Nagasaki and Fukuoka. We visited a several places, and a few that I hadn't seen before. Here a few of the new sights for me:

Meganebashi (Specacles Bridge): This bridge was built in 1634 and is the oldest stone arch bridge in Japan. The name comes the fact that the two arches and their reflection in the river look like eyeglasses. Of course, I had to walk across the bridge and back just to say I did it:)

Hakata Ningyo (Hakata Dolls): We went to a gallery where they have lots of dolls on display for purchase and a man painting the dolls in the back room. For this excursion we relied on facial expressions, hand motions and my limited Japanese to communicate with people. After arriving at the train station, we tried to figure out the Japanese map. We started walking but after a few steps I decided to ask an older lady along the sidewalk. We were going in the completely wrong direction. Thankfully, she was willing to help us. I'm convinced she would have walked us to the gallery if I hadn't told her I understood where to go now. She was one of the many sweet and thoughtful older ladies in Japan. They are always more than willing to help. The old man in the shop was also fun to be with. He pointed out different dolls, pictures of the process in making a doll, and eventually showed us the man painting dolls when I asked about it. These dolls are not my favorite Japanese craft, but I do have a much greater appreciation for it now.

Chofu Gardens: I have been to the gardens several times but never in August. This time I was able to see lotus flowers and lily pads. It was fun to experiment with my camera a little bit.










The Wilsons left this morning heading back to Osaka via local trains along the west coast. It was fun to show them around this area of Japan and share my home with them. I often wonder if I remember how things in America really are. For example, is Japan that much hotter and humid than Minnesota or have I just forgotten? I find myself forgetting words or expressions because I never use them here. Without a doubt, my vocabulary has shrunken. Basically, if English words have more than three syllables I haven't used it in almost a year.

Having guests here shows me ways that I have assimilated to this culture. Things that were once foreign have become familiar. For example, train employees bowing when they enter and exit a train car, going in the back of the bus and paying at the front of the bus when we exit, having things wrapped and bagged many times. At the hotel, the man who was in charge of making sure everything was stocked at the continental breakfast was wearing a three piece suit. This seemed totally normal to me.

It is good to have people visit. If any of you are ever in the area, you are always welcome.