Beware; Blonde Girl on a Bicycle!

Or, the aforementioned bicycle post.

     So it appears my main mode of transport here is to be a bicycle.  Sapporo is actually a very flat city, so getting around by bicycle is a fairly sensible mode of transportation. Also, everyone cycles on the footpath so it’s relatively safe (for the cyclists at least).

     Thus it was decided, on my first Friday here, that it would be sensible to procure a bicycle that I might use.  Fortunately OMF have a good number of bicycles which they lend to short-termers, so it was decided that Karin would call in to the Language Centre on her way home and organise a bike for me.  Meanwhile I would ride Karin’s bike to the Centre so that we could swap bikes and cycle home together.

 Whilst I am here, this is to be my bicycle. We've decided 

to consider the damaged basket and mud-guards 

as 'anti-theft devices'.

     That was the plan at least, the reality turned out to be somewhat different.

     It should be a fairly simple jourey to get to the JLC however, as those of you who know me are most likely aware, my sense of direction is somewhat lacking.  The inevitable happened, and somewhere along the way I took a wrong turn.  It was not long before I became hopelessly lost.  After about 45 minutes of cycling I came to the conclusion that finding the JLC was now most likely out of the question, and I should focus upon at least finding my way back to the house.  I also thought it best to contact Karin to let her know I would not be joining her to cycle home.

     It was at this point I discovered that the phone lent to me by OMF had not in fact been registered with a network and as a result I could not contact anyone.  To make matters worse, it was swiftly becoming rather dark (Sapporo gets dark around 6:30pm).  Consequently I found myself lost in a foreign city, in the dark, unable to speak the language or contact anyone I knew for help.  I was also drawing rather a lot of attention to myself; not only because I was a gaijin (a foreigner, and a blonde one at that), but also because I no longer own a bicycle at home and so was making a rather bad job of riding one (I had one or two much-too-close encounters with walls and sharp corners, fortunately no cars or people).

     After asking a man for directions, using only the phrase “Kita Ni-jyu” (North 20) and the ‘international language of mime’, I knew I was at least cycling in the right direction.  However it was not until I saw the giant, glow-in-the-dark bowling pin which sits atop the bowling alley beside our house that I knew I was, in fact, almost home.

Never has a girl been so happy to 

see a 15ft tall bowling pin!

Fortunately Karin had also decided to make her own way home, so everyone was reunited.  I did however work out that, all in all, I’d been lost for over two hours.

    Thankfully subsequent bike journeys have not been such great adventures and I am becoming much more accustomed to finding my way around.   

 Next task, learning how to take one hand off the 

handlebars while cycling!

Yesterday I was able to successfully navigate my way to both the university and the JLC without any detours. I am also becoming much more confident at riding a bike round a city and so no longer have to use my feet as additional brakes (though this may also be aided by the fact that we took the bike to a repair shop and it now has two mostly-functioning brakes).  Riding in a dress is an interesting challenge, however as I mostly packed dresses it is one I have had to swiftly overcome! Fortunately (and much to everyone's amusement) ever the lady my natural cycling style is to somehow ride with my knees together. This traps the skirt down and so prevents it from getting caught in the chain (or flying up).

However any prayers that I would be able to safely find my way around Sapporo would be very much appreciated!

General Overview of a Week.

     Although every week is different, and there are certain events which only happen once or twice, this is a general overview of the things I am involved with every week.

     On Mondays Delia, Alyssa and myself all go to the ‘English Speaker’s Society’ (ESS) at Hokkudai University.  ESS is a club at the university for Japanese students who wish to practise speaking English.  We go, as English speakers, to support them and so that they might practise with us.  Being involved with ESS provides a lot of opportunities for meeting and getting to know students.

 ESS have been preparing for an English Competition;

they are performing Snow White. It's actually very

 good and funny, though I don't recall the original 

ending with a Pokemon battle... 

     On Tuesdays we all go to SACLA, which is also held at Hokkudai University.  SACLA stands for ‘Studying All Cultures and Languages Association’.  Unfortunately SACLA and ESS do not get along with each other, so it is very unwise to mention that you attend both!  A number of international students also attend SACLA, so it provides an opportunity to reach non-Japanese students.  On Tuesdays I also meet with a girl individually.

     Once a month there is an FM Zero party on a Tuesday night.  FM Zero is the name for OMF’s work with students and young people in the Sapporo area.  This once a month party provides something that we can invite the contacts we’ve made to.  The usual format is to base it around a country (usually one of the countries which someone serving with OMF is from) and have a fun night finding out about that country’s culture through games, quizzes and food.  Towards the end of the night there is also an opportunity to speak about God, either through a short message or Testimony.  

     This month’s party will be happening tomorrow (Tuesday 29^th May) , so we have been busy preparing for that.  The theme is Romania, which has actually proved quite convenient for me!  I have been asked to use my knowledge of Romanian to provide team names....so team ‘Wardrobe’ and ‘Spirit-level’ it is then...  Bianca, a deaf girl from Germany, who was born in Romania will be sharing her testimony, so please pray for her.

     We hold a Bible Study in Basic English for anyone who is interested on a Wednesday.  It has been really encouraging, even in the two weeks I have been here, to see 4 new people start coming (three of whom were from ESS or SACLA, the other is the girl I have been meeting individually).  For most of the people attending, however, it is largely just another way to learn English and find out more about Western culture (which has been heavily influenced by the Bible).  However I do pray that studying God’s word, even for these reasons, will plant a seed in their hearts which might cause them to become interested in finding out more about God.

 Currently we are studying Daniel chapter 2 

(King Nebuchadnezar's dream of a terrifying statue).

     Thursdays are the day when all the OMF missionaries in the area meet up to worship God and pray for each other.  It’s been great on these days to hear how God is working throughout the Hokkaido area.  I’ve also been asked if I can help with childcare on some of these days, though I haven’t been requested to do so yet.

     Friday is my main English teaching day.  There is a group of young people which Karin has been teaching, and which I so far have been helping out with.  However Karin says that she would like me to take over this group. 

After class these three decided to give me a guided 

tour of a nearby botanical park.

Afterwards I have been helping Alyssa out with her English class at the University.

    We should have Saturdays off, however so far we have been having ‘Open House’.  As the others have just moved into this house they have been inviting everyone round to visit.  Consequently I have introduced everyone to the great Northern Irish delicacy which is the Fifteen. 

 Dear Japan, meet the Fifteen.

 So far they have been successful (the Open House that is, not the Fifteens, though they have also gone down well) and we have had a good number of people come.

    On Sunday we have Church.  I have been attached to Sapporo International Church (SIC).  As suggested by the name, this Church is attended by people from a large number of nationalities.  Consequently there are at least 4 services on a Sunday; Japanese, Japanese with simultaneous English translation, Japanese with simultaneous Korean translation and Chinese.  Once a month there is an English service (with Japanese translation I believe).  Translation for the service is provided by the way of a small radio, which you can listen to with earphones.  After the service the congregation stays behind for lunch. Different groups provide the meal each week. On my first Sunday it was Delia's group, so I helped out too.

 Preparing and serving the meal at SIC.

After lunch there is an English Speakers Fellowship, which is a Bible study with people from various different English speaking countries.

    After ESF Delia (who also attends SIC) and myself make our way across the city to have Japanese lessons.  These free lessons are provided by five young adults who want to teach Japanese, so they are practising with us.   

 Delia and her teacher.

Currently there are only three students, considering my level of Japanese is so low, this means I get two teachers all to myself!  All in all Sunday is quite a busy day!

     Well, this has been just a brief introduction to things.  I hope to be able to provide more information about each event and ministry as I become more acquainted with them, and more involved with mission here in Japan.

Giving my Testimony at Chitose Church; an Update

 The Church in Chitose.

     I just wanted to say thank you all for your prayers; yesterday I was able to give my testimony in Chitose Church.  I am quite relieved that I got through my testimony without becoming too upset or frightened to speak.  It was the first time I’ve given my testimony so I was still rather nervous standing up at the front, however I also found it a very encouraging experience.

 

Inside the Church, this church was originally an 

OMF Church plant.

     Chitose Church is quite small, however it had a lovely, friendly attitude. Everyone was very welcoming.  After the service the congregation had lunch together, most people had brought their own but Karin and I were given a (rather large) plate of sandwiches and salad each.  I was very touched by the effort they made to make me feel welcome; the ladies even gave me a cup of English tea (with a saucer) and a fork to use.

     Whilst we were eating a number of ladies spoke to me and said, via translation, that they had been very moved by testimony.  Some shared with me some of the struggles they and their families had been having. It seems my prayers were answered and God was able to use my story to encourage them.

Earthquake

     We've all just been woken up by an earthquake. It's only been very minor in Sapporo (by Japanese standards) but the epi-centre was further south and it was above a 5 in Aomori.

 

The red X shows the epi-centre, the red box with 5 in 
shows Aomori which seems to have been worst hit.

     The house shook for quite a while but there was no damage done, the news stations aren't even mentioning Sapporo so I think that means everything's fine here. Things are occasionally shuddering slightly from aftershocks though.


    We all rushed to turn the TV on to find out what had happened, and if everywhere was okay. Footage of Aomori is being shown on loop, and it looks like things shook a lot there. The news stations do however report that there should be no tsunami following and that the Nuclear Power Stations are undamaged. This is my first earthquake so I don't really know how bad a 5 is; according to the others it's quite big but fairly common in Japan. Most buildings are built to withstand this size without difficulty. They do however say that it may have been sufficient to cause some damage.

 

 Aomori on the news, I think, I can't read anything.

     I guess, seeing as I'm not used to them, this earthquake has shook me up in more ways than one (hence I cannot now sleep and am typing this blog post). I know they are common, and part of life in Japan but I've never really felt one before. I suppose I just hope and pray that no one was hurt.

I'm going to try to get some sleep now. Night all.

Giving my Testimony in Chitose Church

I have been asked to give my testimony in a church in Chitose this Sunday.  I have never really given my testimony to a group of people before so I find the prospect quite daunting.

I began typing up my testimony this morning. The version I began typing is what I tell most people when asked how I became a Christian; that I believed in God from a young age but when I was 14 I was attending a youth event at 1st Saintfield. At that event (the Star Wars one, for those who know Saintfield) I felt as if God was telling me there was more to being a Christian than I currently understood. On that night I consider that I moved from simply having a faith to owning my faith.


This is a true and accurate account of how I 'became a Christian', but (often for brevity's sake) it is lacking in some details, and one in particular which I've never shared with anyone before. Whilst I was typing I felt as if God was prompting me to share some of these additional things with the people in church on Sunday. This terrifies me, but the testimony I have typed up at the moment includes these details. I am stepping out in faith on this one.

I am worried though that I will become too scared to speak or that I will begin crying (that I was such a damaged person and God saved me so completely). So please pray for me. That I will have the courage to speak bravely and clearly about the great work Jesus has done in my life. Please pray my testimony will be glorifying to God, that it will be a good witness and that it might be of some encouragement to the people who hear it.


Thank you.

An Introduction to Sapporo

Well, I have been in Japan for a few days now and am beginning to get settled, so I thought I would write up a brief introduction to the area I am staying in.  The city I am living in is called Sapporo; it is the 4^th largest city in Japan and the capital city of the northern island of Hokkaido.  Hokkaido is roughly the same size as Ireland, with a similar population.

Whilst here I will be sharing a typical Japanese house with 3 other missionaries; Karin, Delia and Alyssa.  Karin and Delia are from Germany and Alyssa is from Kansas, US.  Karin is the ‘Onee-san’ (older sister) of the house whilst Delia and Alyssa are much closer to my age (20 and 24 respectively).

                                         This is our house; it was built in the 1970s and as such

                                                    is considered quite old for the area.

The house is well situated; the centre of Sapporo is only a short subway journey away and Sapporo International Church (SIC, the church to which I have been attached), the Japanese Language Centre (JLC, a building owned by OMF where the weekly prayer meeting is held) and Hokkudai University are all a short bicycle ride away (ah yes, cycling...I rather fear this will be the theme of a further Blog post). We are also within walking distance of a good number of convenience stores (I feel ‘food’ and ‘shopping’ are worthy of their own posts so shall not mention any more here, suffice to say I have already tried to drink the dish-soap and do the clothes-washing with the sugar).

In many ways Sapporo is like any city, there are many tall building and shops.  However the city was designed by an American architect and consequently is built as grid; from north to south, and from east to west.  Once you have learnt the appropriate symbols for these directions it does make finding your way about slightly simpler.  I have also been fortunate to catch the tail end of the Sakura (Cherry Blossoms), in some areas it can be very beautiful:

It is currently Spring in Sapporo, the weather when I arrived was rather chilly (and rainy, so quite like home really!) however, even over the course of this week, it has been becoming progressively warmer.  Fortunately (for me, at least) the weather in the summer is much cooler than in the South.  Folks keep complaining that it doesn’t get very warm here; I, for one, am quite happy with this fact!  However, by ‘not very warm’ they do mean in the region of 30 degrees.  I hope I shall be able to continue to cope with the weather into the warmer months.

Sapporo is not a particularly common destination for tourists in Japan, let alone for foreigners; thus I have managed to confuse a number of people as to my purpose here.  Many of the Japanese are curious as to my reason for being in Sapporo; however I have to be careful when I answer this question.  Christianity is largely unknown and misunderstood within Japan; many Japanese therefore view this ‘foreign’ religion with a high degree of suspicion. My ‘official’ answer is that I am a tourist (for three months...without travelling to any of the common sight-seeing areas...) and that I wish to learn more about the country and the culture.  This is particularly important whilst on the University Campus, where Christianity is viewed as a cult and so cannot be talked about freely.  Thus much of our work is building relationships with the people we meet, so that we can invite them to other events and occasions where we can openly discuss the love of Jesus with them.

Prayer Requests:

~ Praise God that I arrived safely (along with my luggage) and was able to pass through immigration without any difficulty.

~ Please pray for the four of us now sharing a house together, Karin, Delia, Alyssa and myself. Please pray that we will all gel well together quickly and will be able to work effectively to further God’s Kingdom.

~Please pray that God will lead me to the people which He wishes me to get to know, and pray that I will be able to invest into their lives in a manner which is meaningful.

~Please pray for courage, that I will be brave in stepping out in my faith and will not shy away when an opportunity arises for me to share God.  Please also pray for prudence; that I will know when it is not appropriate to speak.

Thank you.

I've Arrived!

Just a very quick update to say that I have made it to Japan. Thank you to everyone who prayed that I would arrive safely; I have! (Though there were a few hairy moments in Frankurt and Tokyo, more on the journey to follow at a later date) About to head to bed now to try and get over the jet-lag (9 hours ahead so I've essentially lost a night).
おやすみなさい
(Good night!)

Initial Prayer Points

Just a few prayer points. I will be adding more later when I know more clearly what I will be doing:

~ Please pray for the full time OMF Missionaries already living and working in Japan.  Pray that I will be able to integrate and serve well with them.

~ Please pray for journeying mercies; as I make my way, on my own, through Gatwick, Frankfurt, Tokyo and Sapporo Airports.

~ Please pray that the relationships started through English teaching might prove fruitful in leading people towards God.

~ Please pray that God will go before me and lead the way; that the hearts of the Japanese might be opened.  Pray that all I do might serve to glorify Him.

A Thank You

I wanted to start this blog with a massive thank you to everyone who has supported me this far, not only for the incredible financial support, but also for the prayers, the notes of support and kind words.  I have been truly blessed and overwhelmed. So thank you, thank you all so much.

“May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”  Ruth 2:12.

Beginnings

Hello and welcome to my first attempt at a blog post! I will (D.V) be leaving for Japan very shortly to serve God with OMF. Thus, I am hoping to use this blog as way of keeping friends and family informed.
I hope I shall be able to use this blog to share some of the exciting things God is doing with you all; perhaps I may even have the opportunity for some musings.
Love and prayers,
Rosslyn