Konnichiwa from Osaka!
It's been three weeks since I arrived in Japan! So much has happened it's hard to put it all into words. I'll share some experiences along with some pictures - several have slideshows so scroll to see more photos!
A Few Highlights
I got to participate in the team’s English conversation club, where I met many new Japanese friends. We dressed up in kimonos and talked about Japanese culture.
We visited Nara with a Japanese friend. Nara is famous for wild deer that you can feed!
One of my favorite moments since being here was getting to meet my friend Sunny. We’ve done regular zoom calls for the past two and a half years, to help her practice English. We even started reading Genesis together. We've never met in person until a couple weeks ago! We got coffee together and then she came to our small house church gathering. It was so special for both of us to get to meet in person. Later after church, she messaged me saying how much she enjoyed church and that she’s more interested in Christianity now. I was blown away by her bravery to even come to church, let alone to see how God is working in her heart! She wants to come back to our house church next Sunday and I look forward to having continuing conversations with her about Christianity!
Cultural Experiences
Transportation here has been a culture shock! I was not prepared for the physical effort of walking and biking so much, especially in hot humid weather. Riding a bike on narrow roads with cars, other bikes, and pedestrians was an experience in itself! Navigating the busy train stations is also challenging, but I'm getting a little more comfortable using public transportation on my own! I’m staying about a twenty minute train ride from Umeda, which is one of Osaka’s largest and busiest train stations.
I got to visit a couple different Shinto shrines. In one of the pictures you can see a tree “god” with prayers tied to ropes surrounding the tree. I was struck by the natural beauty of the shrines, yet saddened by the fact that the Japanese people worship creation rather than the Creator God.
I've tried lots of yummy food! Everyone has been amazing at helping me find gluten free food options. We’ve had several get-togethers where we made gluten free dishes at home, including tempura, okonomiyaki, and takoyaki (famous Osakan food).
The Team
I've loved spending time with the Higbys and Malaraes! It has been such a blessing to be welcomed here by them, and to already feel like part of their community. So far, I feel that the team and their vision for ministry could be a good fit for me.
We just got back from a mini retreat to Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest freshwater lake. It was such a refreshing time getting to spend quality time together and be surrounded by nature!
Another cool thing is that the team just rented a building for a ministry center/church/office space. After praying for this space for a long time, it was amazing to get to be here and see how God answered this prayer! There is still work to do to get the space furnished and up and running for events, but I’m glad to be here for that and excited to see how God will use this space for building community.
Something That’s Been Difficult
One of the reasons I came on this trip was to see if this is the right team and location for me to commit to long-term. So far, the location is not my favorite. I knew coming into this trip that I don’t like living in the city, and that it would be a challenge to live in Osaka with nearly 20 million people.
The past week, I’ve been staying by myself in an apartment, to experience what my life would be like if I do move here. The first couple days were really hard for me, being alone in the middle of the city, in a foreign country. After settling into the apartment, I went grocery shopping and felt overwhelmed by the fact that even though I was passing people on the streets, I didn’t know anyone and would have a hard time communicating even if I wanted to.
The city of Osaka feels very different than any of my previous times visiting Japan, where I stayed in the countryside. This is also my first time living alone - even though it’s only for two weeks, when I think about living here long term it feels challenging. This trip in general feels more weighty than previous trips, as I consider moving here.
We got to go to the observation deck of the tallest building in Osaka, and this is the view from the top. Imagine seeing this view in all four directions, and you’ll get an idea of how big the city is!
This is the view from the 8th floor apartment I'm staying in. If you look closely you can see/hear the train!
Prayer Requests:
Please be praying with me as I seek clarity from God about moving here long-term. Specifically that it would be clear if the city of Osaka is the right place.
Pray for my friend Sunny as she seems very open to learning about God and wanting to be part of our Christian fellowship! I have plans to see her a couple times this coming week.
Pray for connections with Japanese friends as we have more English conversation nights and I host a game night at my apartment this Friday!
Pray with us as we set up the ministry center and get ready to start hosting church and other events there.
Continue praying for the Japanese people to know God's love and find their satisfaction in Him!
Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” -John 4:13-14
