The Japanese Driving Test... Attempt #1: failed :(

Today Jamie, Elbert and I took our driving tests for the first time. (yes...there may be many times when its all said and done!) We all passed the written exam, and all failed the driving course exam. I think I did really well, only making one main mistake. When preparing to turn a corner, in Japan, before you reach the corner, you are to signal and drive as close to the side line as possible. Something about avoiding bicyclists and pedestrians. Elbert, Jamie and I all made that exact same mistake- thus we will all be returning soon to try again. In Japan, rules are extremely important, and getting your license is more of a miracle. So...we're going for round 2 on the 4th of July!On the way home, we stopped at Starbucks for a delicious beverage- a sort of reward for an intense day at the DMV! Once again, chai makes everything better!

God is beautiful!

Recently God has been showing me his beauty here in Japan. Prior to that, culture shock had kept me from enjoying the beauty in God's creation here, and had just made me long for the flat, wide open prairie that I miss back in Nebraska. Not only am I seeing God's beauty in the land here, but also in the relationships he has blessed me with. Praise Jesus for his awesome creation!


Our staff teams recently met in Tokyo to welcome this year's summer teams. About 30 American college students are spending their summers with 5 different BEST Clubs throughout Japan. We are excited to have them here!
Fellow staff members: Ruth Ann, Joanna, Me & Jennifer.

Joanna recently finished her term in Japan and is now back in the States. I miss her greatly, as God blessed us with a very fun friendship these past 8 months. I am excited for Jo as she begins to minister now in California. I love you Jo!!

Freshmen Camp was a great place to continue getting to know our new freshmen friends in BEST Club, as well as having fun with the old gang.


The sophomores presented me and Elbert with our very own jerseys. At sports activities we're now one of them, which is pretty fun! Elbert and I both teared up, agreeing this is the best gift we've received in a long time!


Playing Princess Monopoly with Brianne & Sarah while babysitting. Who knew Princess Monopoly could be so much fun!!!

Introducing: Aki, my newest roommate! Aki and I were close friends three years ago during my summer trip to Japan. She recently returned from studying abroad in the U.S. We had a great reunion after being apart for 3 years!

Saturday the BEST students gathered at the beach for a BBQ and games all afternoon. What a beautiful place to have so much fun!



Sarah Butler came to visit last week. What an encouragement she was! She was a mid-term worker just like me three years ago, and helped lead my summer team in Japan. We enjoyed karaoke, a visit to the onsen, and Starbucks while she was here. Thanks for visiting, Sarah!!

Eating dessert with the freshmen girls in my Friday English class.

Two of my favorite friends here: Jamie & Jones!


Dinner with Elbert, Wakki & Misa. My favorite: this chocolate cake!

Thank you Brother!!

Yesterday was fun - I got a package from my brother and sister-in-law, complete with (among other things) a beautiful watercolor from my near 2 year-old nephew Elliott (I'm quite a proud aunt!), and two delicious monster cookies from Stefanie. Though they were slightly on the crunchy side, they tasted SOOOO good! Thanks Stef!!!

Freshmen BBQ (Japanese style BBQ) hosted by the VanZantes the second week of the semester. It has been fun getting to know all of the new freshmen the past few weeks.

Eating at a local restaurant, Mariyama, after sports time with a group of BEST students- many of whom are new freshmen. I always order Curry doria - it's amazing!

Last week after a few days of rain, apparently there was a bit of a mini land slide down the block from my house. On the top of this hill, the ground shifted just enough to uproot a few huge trees, sending them over the wall, closing the street for several days. Praise Jesus I wasn't biking past at the time!

Kyoto

Last weekend two BEST students, my teammate Aileen & I went to Kyoto for sightseeing. We had a great time together, and the shrines, temples and castles were SO beautiful, especially as the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. For more pictures, check out my web album: http://picasaweb.google.com/mbalcom





I'm so thankful for the time with Aileen and our friends Emi and Yuka on this trip. It provided such insight into Japanese culture and religion, and it was good to be able to talk about such ideas with the BEST girls. Praise God for such an amazing trip and such a good time with these friends!

SWANKY JAM

Last week we stumbled upon this store in the local mall. The name of the store is: SWANKY JAM. Yes, SWANKY JAM. The logo reads: "Welcome the article which is pleasant to a SWANKY JAM". weird.

Sakura Season

The Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) are in full bloom in Shizuoka for a few short weeks, and they're SOOO beautiful! I took an afternoon to enjoy God's beautiful creation at a park downtown this week. I think part of what makes these trees so beautiful is the intricacy and delicacy which characterizes each blossom. God is such a creative Creator!

Random Snapshots of my Life in Recent Days...

THE MUCH ANTICIPATED HAIR CUT:
Before
During
After
Praise Jesus for Jamie and her hair-cutting skills!


RELAXING ON A THURSDAY NIGHT:
Last night I made nachos (my favorite!) and watched The Three Amigos. I had forgotten how funny that movie is!


FRESHMEN GIRLS MOVIE NIGHT:
Freshmen Girls Movie Night was great! We made collages to describe ourselves, ate some homemade cookies (thank you Margery!), and watched Ever After.
Ayaka and me showing off our sweet collages.


THE O'DONNELLS ARE HERE!!!
I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO thankful for them! I am still amazed at God's great plan to put Jamie and I in the same neighborhood at the same time. What a blessing to have such a close friend here with me!
Jones and I enjoyed playing at the park yesterday while mom and dad were busy unloading the moving truck. He seems to make friends quickly with the locals!
Cute little guy!
I'm seeing plenty more moments like this in the future!


BEST SKI/SNOWBOARDING TRIP:
We had a great time hanging out and enjoying the snow. There was plenty of it as a blizzard kept us off the slopes the first day.
Why wouldn't there be a creepy life-size carousel off the side of the road when we stopped for a rest break? really?


THE JOY OF SIGNS:
I've decided to start keeping a photo album for all of the crazy English we see here. For example...
I think the idea was to be careful skiing/boarding into the lift area.
Run Attention: seeing this sign, would you understand that you're about to drop off a cliff onto a crazy black diamond, endangering your very life? I just feel like some of the meaning may have been lost in the translation. There seems to be a lot more communicated in Kanji. The drop off is intense, and I'm not sure "Run Attention" really cuts it, but then who am I?


TIME WITH THE LORD AT THE BEACH:
Yesterday I enjoyed some time in the Word and prayer from these rocks. Staring out at the ocean and listening to the waves reminds me of how big and awesome God is.

Hugging the Beach: it was so freeing just to sprawl out on the rocks and listen to the waves.