| | If my life in Japan were a movie I feel like this whole language school part would be a musical montage, like ok, fast forward from the start to the time when you can do something useful. Agree or disagree isn't really what I'm trying to get at in this post, just a bit of reflection. Today I helped a friend move to his new apartment. I've been seeing this guy every day in class since the new semester started last week, but actually met him at the beginning of the year when I used to hang out with a group of Koreans from my previous class. At any rate, our first stop was basically Tokyo's K-town, where a Korean from another school was moving home and had lot of household stuff that was no longer needed. As my buddy was moving from a furnished apartment to a not furnished apartment he was more than willing to take a few items off this other person's hands. We finally found the place and I realized it was someone I had met some time ago. Seems like I don't remember all the details, but I remember it was a fun dinner with myself and my two Korean friends, this girl and her roommate (who had already moved back to Korea). The things that I remember about that meeting are really more the ambiance, we were all having fun, we weren't using as many utensils as a more formal meal would use, and I remember thinking this girl had a unique way of being forceful and motherly at the same time, and would do a great job taking care of one of these Korean guys should they ever decide to settle down.
Fast-forward to today, and let's put things in context. This whole recession thing, it's bad. I sympathize with all of you, I hope you the best, you know? From what I hear it's much worse in Korea and especially for Koreans studying abroad. When I started school a year ago most of my class was Koreans. Today I noticed the loud English speaking during break time from the level 1 class next door. A longtime classmate also pointed out the shrinking roster for new classes on the school board. So here I was, taking away the household items of a girl who had, after succeeding in her Japanese studies, found herself a week away from moving home to find work in Seoul, no roommate, no future in Japan, and after we left no refrigerator or microwave. I tried to think of something encouraging to say before getting into the moving van, but couldn't think of much, and that was that.
I want to tell all of you that I appreciate your prayers and financial support. I am grateful that God is using all of you as partners in the work to reach Japan, and am especially grateful during this time of economic difficulty around the globe. I find it humbling that I am still in Japan, living in a comfortable apartment with my wonderful wife, while others who are more qualified in a cultural or educational sense are struggling or finishing their tenures in this country. I don't know what God's plan is here, I don't know what part we are to play, either. I have ideas, goals, ambitions, etc., but for now I just hope that for tomorrow we will all be able to soak in the warmth of Christ's love, and that through Christ's love we can all be witnesses to his goodness and greatness wherever we are. And for those of you who are wondering, in my case that means school, meeting with an old Japanese buddy who you would have read about in this blog, and then prayer meeting. Shalom ya'll.
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| | Posted 10/21/2008 7:05 AM - 15 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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