Monday, March 16, 2015

March 1, 2015 Letter


1300 hours the melting iceberg

It’s defrost time with lots of wind and slushy rain and sunshine!

We love snow, but we love bikes most, so, we are down with anything.

Culture point:

I think this is less Japan and more just bigger city culture maybe. I don’t know. Since the people are a lot more packed it seems that when it comes to elementary school, students all walk home. I say this because if you time it right (depends on the school what time) but if you go in the area around an elementary school in the midafternoon you will be surrounded by an army of them going home. They all have the same backpack and all genki and draggin their hands in the snow and when they are in large groups like that, they are a lot braver about shouting "hello" in English. We shout back and then 50 of them shout hello back and pretty much we become super cool to the 3rd graders... also if you say just "konichiwa" you will very much impress them how you speak Japanese. Pretty much if you need a pick me up, they got your back.

Fun food fact:

This is something I think I mentioned a while back, but I want to capitalize on it because I have been watching for it lately. When you are served a big meal in Japanese style normally there will be about 20 smallish dishes and you take a small amount from each one. (Normally is about 5 dishes but I have actually seen twenty once) and so you get a serving of each one. I never did this consciously and its not super clear cut, but, I think I generally ate a whole something then moved on. I ate my roll then I ate my potatoes as I was getting to the end of my potatoes I might take some meat and put it in the same  gravy a little out of order but generally I finished the potatoes. In Japan they eat like one bite of one thing and then a bite of something else that looks good and then get a drink then something else. It’s all spread out whatever sounds good at that second and generally at the end it’s like one bite of each thing left and it all ends at the same time. I don’t think one is better than the other buts it’s just funny how clear the difference is. I have been comparing all the American missionaries too and they all eat like I eat! Crazy stuff. haha

Spiritual thought:

I want to just share an experience today. Missionaries do this thing called exchanges where we switch who we work with for 24 hours just to mix things up and learn from each other and to make sure everyone is doing well. So I went on one of these Saturday and we decided that our goal for the day was to find a good chance to just serve someone. So we planned some times where we would be walking through areas that might have people out working, we called up some people we thought might be able to use our help, then we prayed really hard for a chance on Friday night. Then prayed hard for a chance the next morning. Then when we opened the door to go out our apartment on Saturday morning we had to wait because our neighbor was waddling down the stairs with a huge box. After a bit of talking we found out he and his mom were moving that morning and they actually could use some help with the bigger stuff. We get what we desire and God answers prayers is my thought today! Keep praying for that chance you are looking for it will come!

Funny story:

This funny story has been one that has the story of my last 3 months with Macnab Choro. He is from Arizona and new and speaking frankly (in his own words) "he is one who has always enjoyed simple tastes" he was supposedly in the words of his mother on Skype "the pickiest eater ever" BUT in his defense he has not refused to eat anything served him and if we were in public places he will always smile and say he either likes it or that it is still new and he will like it soon. He is just a total trooper and all the people totally love him for it and when food scares him they love him more for it. Anyway... he never says anything negative BUT sometimes things are just going to be scary in a different country. So a couple weeks ago when we went to that seaside shop and a friend bought us scallop ice cream and I told Macnab Choro what is was and as he was holding it and waiting for others to get their ice-cream I took a quick sneak shot of him holding it. He said out loud he was so grateful for the treat and it sounds exciting but his face. The picture is not posed it was just his face... I die every time I see the picture of him holding it... scallop ice-cream.

Love each other for me!

I love you all!

Law Choro

No comments:

Post a Comment