Tsukareta....

So...I am always tired, it seems (as my title says), but! I wanted to share a little bit with all of you because I can see that so many people read my blog, so I want to keep you up to date with prayers, thus....

If you do not know if you are on my email list, please send me your email either as a comment on this blog, or email me at SuzEQ1717@yahoo.com with your email...because I would really like to send out an email update soon (I have had just such a difficult time gathering my thoughts and trying to plan out what to say!)

Well, we are continuing to bond with students through various activities....on Tuesday Kev and me found an interesting sight...."American coffee" in a vending machine along our walk....:


And we went to dinner and karaoke with Tomoko, Sae, and Miki...
(the dinner pictures didn't work out well.....so here are the karaoke pictures!)
Here's Tomoko! She is so cute and so much fun!


And here's Sae, Miki and me! They are so much fun! I really loved spending time with these girls!


A few quick prayer requests:
*Please pray that Shaberanaito tonight would be a great time of bonding with each other, and also that our discussions would just be planting seeds and stirring deep thinking...
*Please pray that I will have energy!!!!!
*I am going with a bunch of girls to Harajuku and Shibuya this Saturday, so please pray that that will be a good time of growing friendships!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers!!!

That's all I have for today....so send me your emails if I don't already have it :)

Back from Kyoto!

So, this past weekend we took an overnight 6 hour car ride to Kyoto and stayed there for the weekend sight-seeing as a big BEST club event. Thank you so much for your prayers -- I really started feeling better AND it was an amazing bonding time! The trip was a lot easier for me, because it felt like a lot of the pressure to make friends and connections and whatnot was off, and we could have fun together viewing ancient Japan. (I have an insane amount of pictures, by the way...I'm going to narrow it down the best I can...)

First, we walked through the bamboo forest...and got some great ice cream beforehand...

(Walter, Kevin, Saaya, Ashley, Liz and me at the ice cream place...)


(Ayumi and me in the bamboo forest!)


(Kev and me...same place)


(Daijo, Tomo, Ross, David & Chris play a bamboo game...)


(Chisato, me and Ikumi)


(Nanako and me)


Then we walked by a river that runs through Kyoto...
(Ken, Masashi, Ty, Mikkun, and Yasushi)


(me and Saaya)


(Kev, Ross, Tatsuya, Ashley, me and Saaya)


Then I went with the group going to Kinkakuji (It's the golden temple you see in postcards)...


(Kev and me)


(Kyle and Jennifer plus...Witthoft number 3! ^^)


(me, Saaya and Aiko)


And then we went to what I'm pretty sure was called Ryoanji (a famous temple with a rock garden)

(Saaya with the rock garden)


(the guys being weird....)


And on Sunday we went to more famous places...I'm getting tired since it takes forever to upload these pictures, so pictures are going to be more limited...
(Chisato and me)


(some of the guys)




(Aiko and me with some pretty flowers...)


So...picture time is over...and I actually have things to do, so I can't write too much...but maybe tomorrow :)

またね！

Kyoto

2 things:

1 - I am kind of sick, though not as bad as yesterday
2 - We are taking an overnight trip to Kyoto and staying there this weekend

Please pray for health, energy, and bonding... :)

That's about all...

There was an earthquake yesterday 昨日、地震がありました。

Yesterday there was a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Morioka up north near Sendai, and we definitely felt it here. I was sitting at the table eating breakfast when it happened, and it lasted nearly a minute. We were a little scared, even though it was only about a 3 magnitude in Tokyo. It reminds me to trust God, because dangers can be everywhere. Tokyo is overdue for a large earthquake, and I'm terrified that it will happen while we are here. Perhaps that is selfish...
昨日、　盛岡で7.2マグニチュードの地震がありました。　八王子市では震度３の揺れがありました。　ちょっとこわかったです。。。　　いつか、東京で大きな地震があると言われています。　きっと、こわいでしょう。。。　　何が起こるか分からないから、神様を頼ることを思い出します。

A few days ago, I met with one of the freshman girls, Naoko for dinner, and we met up with Ashley, Ikumi, Yuri and her boyfriend Kuri by a complete coincidence, so we took purikura pictures...which is probably one of my favorite things to do in Japan! So, here they are....






And yesterday we did the Tama Center hide and seek, which was hilarious. All of us foreigners dressed up in weird costumes and rode the monorail to Tama Center, where we also ate in costume at the Wendy's.... (by the way...I'm supposed to be a rock star...notice the cardboard guitar)






And then we found Kitty-chan.... (here's Tomo and David with Kitty-chan)


Here is what I made students do when they found me...:

The latest events...

Sorry I haven't posted anything...I have been quite busy and trying to get to know a lot of different people!

Getting to know people has been rather slow. I must admit that I expected that, but being an introvert and very shy myself is making it extremely challenging. Often I find it very difficult to be myself because I am constantly so nervous, tired, frustrated, etc. I constantly feel pressure that I should be connecting with students, and yet I cannot feel these connections, as such things really take time.

My quiet times, however, and times just by myself doing nothing have been quite refreshing. I realize the importance of prayer and how little of myself I give to that. It is so hard for me to do this when I am not alone. And yet, if I want to live like a Japanese, perhaps I need to learn what it means to usually not be able to have that alone time! :)

And now, I bring you some pictures from this week...

Here are some pictures from our day off when our team went to a Korean BBQ place:
(Aiko, Ashley, David)

(Kevin, Ross, me)


On Tuesday I had coffee with Nanako and Chisato, who are both really sweet girls!


And later we had volleyball...


Wednesday we had a team/staff meeting, prayer, and food-making! :D
(Kyle, Mitsuru & Masashi grilling some yakitori)


(Aiko & Jennifer cooking)


(Kev and me chillin)


Today Kev, Ross, Kyle and me went to Shuto University for the English conversation table there, where we talked with Tomo and Daijo. Later Kev, Ross, Daijo, Daijo's friend who we call Morimori and me went to look at the puppies and kittens (adorable...and also funny that a bunch of guys went there with me/suggested the idea in the first place), and then to rent and watch Batman Begins. What we kind of hilarous was that we had to end up watching the moving on Daijo's laptop in the entrance to a convenience store right next to the vending machines. It was really funny :D...so I took a picture:


Later I hung out with Naoko, and we happened to go to the SAME restaurant as Ashley, Ikumi, Yuri & Kuri, and the waitress sat them next to us! It was awesome...so then we went to the purikura...and I would love to share those pictures, but I don't yet have them on the computer.....oh, but I will definitely share them when I get them.... :D hehe

(By the way! I need to give you all a funding update - I am currently at 55% of my funding, which is great, thank you! I still need to raise $2,225, so if you would like to donate, I have a link on the right-hand side of this page!)

Lessons and pictures

I hope you all don't mind if I blog basically.....every day.... haha. I can't help it! I just want to share!

Yesterday was Joanna's farewell party, and I thought it was beautiful. I loved to hear what all of the students had to say about her. I could tell that every person there really cares about her a lot.

(at the party)


Later, Aiko, Ashley and me went grocery shopping because we were out of food!!! And Aiko taught us how to make okonomiyaki...which is SO GOOD (maybe it's just because Aiko cooked it.... ^_^)

(okonomiyaki)


(Aiko with okonomiyaki)


Today we had a big group shopping day planned with some of the girls. There were about 10 people there... Me, Ashley, Aiko, Naoko, Ikumi, Chiemi, Ryoko, Misaki, Nanako, and Saaya. It was so much fun! I was so happy to have something much more relaxing and rejuvanating to do with the girls. Because of this, we had much more time to bond, and it was a very good time!

There was also a lady with a monkey doing tricks outside...:


On the way home, Ashley and I saw Nanako on her motor bike! So, we all got to walk home together because she lives very close. Annnd we took some pictures!!!!:

(Nanako and me!):



Umm....and here are some more pictures I didn't post from before....
(Shinjuku...from when we were on the train to Tama...oh, and Ashley making a funny face ^_^)


(Tama Center stores)


(Yes, Tama City is Hello Kitty's home...)


(After Shaberanaito, we hung out for a little while, so this is one of my roommates, Ayano, me, and Ayumi)


:)


Oh, and for lessons...I may have promised that...

Two things that I have been learning. One is that maybe I am not incompetent...or maybe I am, but God inside of me is not, and has a purpose for me being here and being on this team. Often I feel quite discouraged at my weaknesses and inabilities and cannot see my strengths. However, my roommates are very encouraging :). I have also been learning a lot about humility. I think I have learned so much about that here... I have learned about myself that usually when I am uncomfortable in situations and don't want to do things, it is not because they are bad things, it is because I am prideful and trying to avoid humility. This is a difficult lesson, but I continue to see it in many things I do and think, and I am quite convicted to change somehow...or perhaps watch as God changes me...

These verses have stood out to me recently:
Matthew 26:41 (Jesus is talking to the disciples as they wait for Him when He prays at Gethsemane, and they keep falling asleep)
"'Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation The spirit is willing, but the body is weak'"
*I have been thinking about how weak my body is. I am very tired, and consistently feeling very prone to sins of pride by means of self-pity. However, God gave me this verse that I want to memorize to pray that I do not fall into temptation to give up pursuing Him.

John 13:17
"'Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.'"
*I think that speaks for itself... ^_^

Mata ne!

Shaberanaito and English Conversation Table

Today we finally met the students!!! I'm sorry that I don't have many pictures right now...I will try to upload some later...

We had the English Conversation Table which was supposed to start at 12, but it really started at 10am... :) We sat in Chuo University's AMAZING cafeteria while BEST club students came to talk with us to improve and practice their English, so we all got to know each other very well, and also make some plans. Later, we had Shaberanaito, which is our weekly meeting on Friday nights, where we were introduced. I was SOOOOO nervous! I am very shy, so meeting new people is very nerve-wracking for me... So, we had an American student with about 6 people per American student, and the students just ask questions about us to get to know us. They could definitely tell I was nervous! haha, but we had some good conversations. Later, the staff had us introduce ourselves with a two-truths-and-a-lie game, and telling why we were interested in Japan. Being up in front of so many people for me being shy was quite stressful...but I made it! Then, we did some skits to get to know some Japanese and American culture stories. The skits were VERY funny. The Japanese have an amazing sense of humor! :) Tanoshikatta....

I have really been running out of energy as an introvert with all of these activities with lots of people...please pray that I and the rest of our team will have energy to be with students...We have a lot of activities planned, so please also pray those go well, including individual appointments with students...

Sorry I don't have pictures right now....I will later, promise! I just wanted to tell you right now about our first day meeting the students!!!

:)

I'm in Japan! Whoa!

Hello, everyone! I am now writing you from Japan! It's a day ahead of America, so it's currently June 4th here.

It's been already both very challenging and very exciting to be here! We will be doing more orientation to Tokyo today, but tomorrow we will meet the students! Please be praying for that meeting, as we will be just starting to get to know each other and trying to build deep relationships. Please pray that we will be led to people with whom God is wanting us to build these relationships.

Now, here are some pictures...

Kevin trying natto....:


Ashley with the AWESOME VENDING MACHINES WITH TEA!!! I LOVE TEA!!!


Tokyo girls (one more to come! ^_^)


Tokyo guys (one more to come!)


Tokyo team! (we still have two team members coming - Walter and Liz!)


Please be praying for Walter and Liz, also...they will have a long flight ahead of them, and please pray that they will be harmoniously integrated into our team when they come here!

Right now I personally am a bit jet-lagged...I keep getting very, very tired at 10/11pm and then waking up on my own at 6:30am (my parents know that this is a very, very unusual occurence....).