packing in the adventures

Alaska is an amazing place to live and that was so evident this weekend. We had some amazing 73-78 degree weather that provided ample opportunity for outdoor adventure.
Anita and I climbed part of the Pioneer Peak trail on Saturday. After the climb we headed over to our friends' house to top the day off by the lake. I am going to miss this place!

the beginning of the end

Tonight was my last youth group. Not nearly as emotional as yesterday or Sunday, but it is sad. If you had told me 6 years ago when I was beginning this job that it would be this hard to leave, I don't think I would have believed you. But this job has been a large part of my identity here.

So this week has been the beginning of the end of a season of my life. A very rich, amazing season and I will mourn its passing. It is facinating to me to look back on the journey of my life and see the path that God has chosen for me. And to look forward and wonder where the next bend will take me. I have my moments of panic when I wonder what in the world I am doing by leaving all that I have here. But then I rest in that knowledge that God has the next season under control and I have only to be willing and available to what he places in my life.

Thus the beginning of the end has begun... with its emotions and turmoil. But I see the new beginning and I am excited about what it will bring.

goodbyes are hard

I am tired of crying. I am not normally an emotional person but the fact that I am leaving soon really struck me this morning. It was Senior Sunday, when we honor the graduating seniors and they are apart of worship. I basically cried for 2 hours this morning. I think it freaked a lot of people out because I don't usually cry in public.

I feel the tidal wave of emotion coming. I don't really like being that out of control... but one of these days I am just going to be standing somewhere sobbing. Something fun to look forward to.

Family...

I came across this adorable picture of my older brother and I the spring of 1976. Aren't we cute?! Two things were quite amusing to me about this picture. The first one is that my mom still has the afghan and curtains in the picture and could find them at a moments notice if needed. The second one is that my brother in the picture has two kids and sits them on his couch exactly the same way for pictures. Family...

Nothing much new in my life these days. I have been trying to purge my stuff and that is where I came across the picture. But I am mostly trying to do my normal everyday work and prepare to hand my job over to someone else. There have been a couple of people interested in my job, but no one hired yet. It is interesting to think about someone else doing my job because I am the only one who has ever done it. I made up a lot of what my job is and have it organized to my way of thinking. It will probably drive someone else nuts.

It helps to know that my neice Elizabeth is quite smitten with me and talks to her mom about me every day. It is fun to know that An-tairwy(Aunt Carrie) is still on her mind. We are going to have a lot of fun this summer.

Peter's Post

I neglected my dear brother-in-law in my last blog and must redeem myself by telling all those who read my blog that 1) he was there that weekend 2) I totally enjoyed hanging out with him too 3) he is way cool and if you don't know him you are missing out.

If I had a picture of him on this computer I would put it here...

Hope this heals all wounds, Peter.... ;-)

Finally...

Hello all my faithful friends...
I know I have been bad about keeping up with my blog. This whole transition thing has kept me pretty emotionally drained. I just haven't taken the time to write.

So to update you on the things. I went to Boise for Easter. It was so fun to play with my niece and spend some quality time with my sister. It also freaked me out a little. It was much more real and I kept swinging from the excitement of moving to feeling like I had really taken an unwise leap of faith... still don't exactly know where I am going to land. I did not job hunt. At this point I am not planning on getting a job until the fall. Not that I know what in the world I am going to do with the rest of my life... but that will have to be another blog.

I have been encouraged, however, by the support of my friends and family. Everyone is quite positive about the move over all... except for the tears that tend to leak out every once in awhile. I will miss my friends here and the fimiliar ruggedness of Alaska.

I'm Back

Ahhh... where to start?

My dad is doing great! He will have to stay home and not drive for about 6 weeks. I am amazed everyday at how quickly he is recovering. Thank you to all who have been praying.

Now onto other things in my life. About a month ago I felt like God was telling me to move on... really it was more like kicking me in the butt. So I began to pray about what that move would be... I knew very quickly that I wanted to go be with my sister in Boise and be a blessing to her when she has her twins this summer. I talked to her and to my parents and they were all excited... to quote my mom 'I see nothing negative about this decision'. Almost two weeks ago I told my boss that I would be leaving this summer. We agreed that it would be best to wait until after our big event last weekend to make it public knowlege. So Tuesday it went public.

These are the stoic details... but emotionally I have been leaking tears at the drop of a hat. The thought of leaving my close friends and world here is going to be very hard. I had to tell my youth group girls that I have been working with for the last 4 years on Tuesday because I didn't want them to hear about it from anyone else... that was killer. It is so bitter sweet... I am thrilled for the new adventure and to see where God will take me... but leaving those that I have shared my life with for the last 7 years will be very very hard.

I have begun the enormous task of sorting through my stuff at home and making checklists for my job. This is going to be a wild and crazy ride.

I will try to keep you updated as things progress.

Update

It is time for another update on Dad. Overall he has been doing well and recovering quickly. He was able to have all but one tube removed today. But today was not a great day. He had low blood pressure, was anemic and had to have a blood transfusion. But once that was done he was doing much better. I was in to spend some time with him this evening and his attitude is good. He is hoping to do well enough to come home on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Thank you to everyone for your prayers, emails, calls, and comments. I have the most awesome friends all over the world! I am definately blessed!

Hearts and knives

This week has been nothing of what I planned or expected...

Monday at noon my mom called me at work to tell me that my dad was in the ER with symptoms of a heart attack. I drove home and picked her up and we went into the hospital on Elmendorf Airforce Base. Dad was hooked up to all kinds of machines and sheepishly told us that he had been having pain in his arms and chest for 2 weeks. Mom was livid.

He stayed two nights there as they did tests and observations. They didn't have a cardiac unit so they were unable to make a total diagnosis. They sent him to the big hospital in Anchorage where he had an angiogram and they admitted him for a triple-heart bypass to be done in the next 48 hours. He wasn't allowed to leave the hospital. So Thursday night my grandma and aunt flew in from Kansas and we woke early this morning to see him before he went to surgery. He was done by 11am and it was good. They only did a double bypass and it went very well. I went into recovery as he woke up and talked to him. He was very lucid and acknowleged everything I said to him. I knew he would be ok when as I was leaving at 3:30pm he was telling jokes.

God had been very good. Thank you to all who prayed for us. Today was a little surreal and much easier that I ever expected. I know that God had his hand in it all.

Won't it be interesting to see what God brings next week...

Sadie

This is Sadie, our dog... and the 5th child in the family. She is cute, smart and high maintenance. I can't wait until she grows out of the puppy stage...

Welcome Home

This is my car when I arrived in Alaska at 8am on Sunday morning...
Welcome home...

Friends

In reflection of my adventure I have to say that it is the friendships that made it so rich.

Thank you to all of my dear friends. Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for your bottomless love. Thank you for laughing with me. Thank you for sharing your lives with me. I am honored to call you my friends.

Mahalo

My last day of vacation... it is always sad to see my adventures come to an end.

We had a leasurely morning and then headed Honolulu. Rachael had a class and I was going to spend the day on Waikiki by myself. She dropped me off and went to meet up with Zach for the kid switch. I wandered along the beach and made my first calls back to Alaska since I left. It was a little hard to believe that in less than 24 hours I would be back in the snow and cold.

I found some lunch and people watched for awhile. Then I staked out a spot in the grass and pulled out my book. I spent a lovely afternoon with a book and the sun. It was nice not to go or do anything for several hours. Once the book was finished I meandered back toward the crowds and the live music that had started. Overall, it as a satisfying afternoon.

Rachael picked me up and we headed home. I spent the rest of my evening packing and cleaning up. It was time to say goodbye once again. Zach took me to the airport about 10 to catch my midnight flight.

The sun is out... time for the beach

It was beach day. After breakfast we packed our bags and headed for the beach. Being a local now, Rach new of a great lagoon that was perfect for the kids. We played in the water and sand all morning. Sophia loves to make friends and we had lots of little kids joining us ... Rachael said that I was a kid magnent as she was chasing Jenz around. I told her that it was because I wasn't a mom and they could tell. It is the 'cool single girl' factor.

On the way home the kids fell asleep so we decided to drive to the end of the road on the north shore. When the kids woke up we went to the famous Matsumoto Shave Ice shop. I had the very tropical passion fruit flavor and the kids chose the every popular rainbow flavor.

Once home we walked as the kids rode bikes around the neighborhood. Then Zach came home and Rachael and I made a quick exit. We went out for Thai food and then to the local gym for a yoga class. It was my first experience to do yoga and I managed not to make a fool of myself. Once home we finished the evening with laughing at the olympic comentators.

Aloha

Sorry for the delayed blogs on my travels... it has been harder to get to this than I had hoped.

Hawaii... I can't help but love it. And having my good friend greet me with an intoxicating lei, just made it even better. Rachael arrived with little Sophia and Jennison and whisked me away to a Starbucks. We played in the park for a little while and then went to the kids' music class. That was lots of fun. My favorite moment was when Sophia found the conductor's wand in the musical instrument pile and conducted the class.

We went back to the house so I could grab a quick shower. And then headed to the north shore for some alfresco mexican food... which was wonderful. Between entertaining the kids, Rachael and I began to scratch the surface of catching up on our lives. The day was turning out to be a rainy one... but we didn't mind. As the kids napped Rachael and I talked the afternoon away. Zach came and went with work and appointments. And after the kids went to bed Zach, Rach and I watched the olympics and laughed the evening away. It felt so good to finally lay down that night. I don't remember much after my head hit the pillow.

Saying Goodbye

Kim made us apple pancakes on our last morning in Japan. It was a lovely breakfast with sweet conversation. Then the sorting and packing began. Kim had another class so we went to class with her and had coffee with four ladies for about a half an hour. Then Kim continued with class and one of the women took us to a fabric store where we bought Japanese fabrics. Then returned to the class and they took us to lunch. Then it was back to the apartment and the final rush of packing.

We all took a deep breath before begining the adventure of lugging all our luggage (including my futon) on the trains. Kim escorted us about 30 mintues on our train journey to the airport and stood with us on the train platform as we waited for the final train to take us to the airport. This is where we had to say goodbye. And I was a little bit surprised at the emotion of saying goodbye. Kim stood just outside our door and waved until we couldn't see her anymore...I fought tears the rest of the day. It is hard to put into words what an impact this one amazing woman has had on my life.

Lorrie and I ended up standing most of the hour long train ride to the airport. Another downside to having lots of luggage. We arrived and much to my joy, they had free carts at the airport. Lorrie checked in first because she left nearly 2 hours before my plane. Then I checked in and we moved through security and customs. By then we were starving so we found a little shop by Lorrie's gate and sat down for one last meal. And too soon it was time for another goodbye. For the second time that day I stood and waved goodbye to a dear friend until I couldn't see her anymore. I turned and walked to my gate and thankfully lost myself in some olympic snowbording until my plane boarded.

On the plane, I found my seat and relaxed. The plane was quite empty and I had an empty seat next to me. It was a qick and easy flight. I sighed a prayer of thanks as we touched down in Honolulu. After customs and gathering my luggage, I called my friend Rachael Brown. As I waited for her to arrive I changed from my socks and shoes to my flip flops. It was very good to be back in Hawaii. More on that in my next post...

The Final Day

Wednesday was designated as a shopping and museum day.

After a breakfast at Mr. Donuts (another nostalgic stop) we headed for the department store where I purchased the item that I had looked for off and on for the last seven years... A futon. This isn't as ridiculous as it sounds. A Japanese futon is nothing like it's strange American cousin. A Japanese Futon is a 2-3 inch pillow like bottom cushion and a top comforter-type top. With the help of Ryu (who spent 30 minutes stuffing) I was able to bring home my prized possession in a large duffel bag. My Japanese friends thought I was crazy... but I am quite pleased with my find.

After our shopping adventure, we went downtown Tokyo to the Edo Museum. It was huge and very well done. I really enjoyed learning so much about the Tokyo area and how it became what it is today. Of course, the day we were inside for so many hours, it was a sunny 60 degrees outside. Kim took us to Tokyo station where we met up with my friends Keiko and Noriko for dinner. We had some amazing Italian food and dessert. It was fun to laugh with them over dinner and catch up on Noriko's family and travels. After we said goodbye to Noriko, Keiko took us to a nearby Starbucks for a little coffee. It was a little bitter-sweet to hang out for one last time before our journey home. Then it was back on the train to Kim's one last time.

This photo is of the train station from the top of the Edo Museum... not a particularly great one... but it gives you a good idea of the city.

Tuesday in Japan

My apologies for keeping everyone in suspense for the second half of my adventure.

Tuesday morning we moved slow. We slept in a little and took our showers and lingered over breakfast. Then we had the pleasure of going to tea with 3 year old Linturo and his mother. We had green tea at a traditional Japanese tea shop. Then Kim had to leave and asked little Linturo to be our tour guide to a local temple and park. We walked with our little bi-lingual 3-year old (with mom) a few blocks. We followed or little tour guide around the park and then he walked us home. He was adorable and his mother, charming.

Then Lorrie and I ventured into town to do some exploring and find lunch. We wondered through the local department store looking at everyday Japanese stuff and shopping for souvenirs. Then we wandered around until we found a restaurant that looked interesting. We had a yummy lunch of Ramen (way better than the cup noodle kind) and some other rice and meat dish. We met Kim for coffee and then went shopping for dinner. We were to make something American for another dinner with some of her students. So potato soup was on the menu.

We went back to the church and began cooking as the students arrived. We provided them a good opportunity to speak English. So we talked of travels and jobs and home. A bright spot in the evening was the chance to see another friend, Fumie.

It was another day of blessings.

Homecoming

I am back to Kim's and computer access. It has been quite a whirl wind the last few days. We were up early Sunday morning to take the train about and hour and a half to my 'home town' of Totsuka. It was a little surreal walking to the church as so much was the same with a few changes here and there. It has been such a long time since I thought about my neighborhood and the shops that I walked past almost daily for two years.

As we climbed to the third floor I heard the worship team practicing and I couldn't help but smile. Suzuki Sensei, my pastor, greeted me at the door with a hug and his wife right behind him. Then it was a frenzy of greetings and introductions. As the service was starting Suzuki Sensei asked me to talk about my job now during the sharing time. I knew I would be asked to speak at some point during the service and it was nice to have a direction. Then the music began and I smiled to see a familiar face up front but also 5 new faces singing and playing instruments. Totsuka Chapel is growing and changing and it is exciting to see.

As the music played I sat composing my testimony for these people that invested so much into me as a young person. I knew by the shuffling in the back that some of my former English students had arrived. All of them still unbelievers. And I wanted to say so much to everyone. I don't know if I communicated all that well... but I think they were encouraged. When the survice was over I was instantly enveloped by a dozen former students. They were so kind to come and most stayed for lunch with me at the church. As I began to talk to them God gave me back a lot of my memory so I could ask about children and events by name. Things that I had totally forgotten for so many years. They stayed for about an hour and then everyone left. It was only Suzuki Sensei, his wife, and a church elder that stayed to sip coffee with us for a couple of hours. Suzuki Sensei called Nate, my teaching partner for two years, and I was able to talk to him for awhile. It doesn't seem right to be here without him, somehow.

The afternoon ended with Lorrie and I hiking up the hill to my old apartment. It was fun to be in my old neighborhood and show Lorrie my life here. We went back to the train station and went a couple of stations to Kamakura. A good friend and former student, Keiko met us there. We went out to eat for gyoza(pot stickers in american-ese ... but better). Then walked to her father's hotel where we spent the night.

We woke up to a rainy Monday. We bought some bright umbrellas and made the best of it. We went to a famous temple in Kamakura before hopping on a train for a very modern shopping area that I used to spend a lot of time in. It had an English bookstore and Eddie Bauer... so when I needed a little bit of home I spent time there. We shopped the day away and had some wonderful Tonkatsu for dinner before getting on a crowded train back to Kim's. Praise God we got seats early on the ride! But we were glad to get back to Kim's and soak in her Japanese tub.

That is the brief version of the last few days.... I started this last night and couldn't finish it then... so you get the summary this morning. More later...

Day 2

Day 1 seemed to fly by in a bit of a fog at times. Waves of jet lag seemed to come and go as the day went by. Kim arranged for 3 of her students to make lunch for us and let us try on summer Kimonos. It was very fun and delicious. Then after a strong americano we made shabu shabu for dinner with some other students. I am sure I ate way more than was healthy for me.

Lorrie has been a trooper with all the strange food and languages. She is attempting to learn a few phrases and tries at least some of everything.

I am amazed at how quickly my Japanese has returned. Really, I thought it would be way more difficult to remember. But I am loving speaking and listening to the familiar sounds.

So far the worst part of the trip has been that I have a cold. But I have lived through many of those and it is only a bummer that I have to mess with it while traveling.

Tomorrow we are going to my 'home town' for church and seeing old friends and students. It will be a long and people-filled day. I just hope I have the energy and stamina to make it through.

I am off to take some cold medicine and crawl into bed.

Blessings to all...