Hey everyone,

I’m sorry for the delay in writing up a new blog post. I had a few down along the pipeline, but with lectures starting and life in Tokyo starting to settle in, it’s been a bit difficult for me to sit down and pump something out. Writing this blog, for me, is like having a conversation with someone at home – except that the conversation is kind of one-sided. If anything I write prompts you guys to respond, I hope that you do so through one avenue or another. It reminds me to “keep it real” – not to take myself too seriously, and to remember that wherever I am, there are people at home who love, support, and are praying for me, and (as per Joshua 1:9 and my Instagram post) my God “will be with me wherever [I] go.”

みなさん、お元気ですか？

この間何にも通告できなくてごめんなさい。授業が始まったばかりので、もう大変になりつつあるのです。生活にもなり始めたのですが、いっぱい慣れてないものもありますので、最近の気分が混雑になってしまうときもあります。それでも、うちのみなさんとこのチャンネルに通して自分の経験をシェアできることは本当に嬉しくさせます。みなさんはぜひ、私の書いたことを読んで、何か感想や反応ができたことになったら、遠慮なくどんな方法を通しても私に告げてください。これで落ち着けさせる上に、神様はいつも臨在であることをインスタの掲載どおり覚えさせます。

School

Lectures are in full swing here at Keio. After a somewhat harrowing course registration process (I was chatting with my friend from rival school Waseda, where the process is largely the same, and with regards to the process back home and not getting your classes, she said, “That’s so stressful!”), I ended up taking courses in Japanese linguistics, early modern history and literature, and religious thought. Everyone says school is supposed to be easy, and it really could be when lecture consists of 90 minutes of the prof delivering information. (The girl behind me in one of my lectures was fully asleep the entire time.) But of course I have a language barrier (regardless of its size) to take into consideration, and I really, really want to get this content down. Sometimes I don’t really know what to do when I’m caught between hanging out with new friends, trying to read the one-too-many books I’ve bought, or trying to work through content that sometimes really is a little over my head. I’m hoping I’ll get the swing of it soon.

授業のリズムは段々激しくなっていきます。複雑な授業登録して終わった後、結局日本史、論理思想、文学、語学に関する授業に登録しておりました。みんなは「日本の授業は何とかラクの方が多いかな」って、授業９０分に渡って先生の説教のみ聞くことは本当にそれを確認するかもしれません。（前回後ろに座っていた女子が全授業ぐっと寝ていたのです。）でも日本語で授業をとるのは、日本の学生と比べる私は劣っていた状態になりますよね。課題を本当に理解したいところで、毎日の生活の中にどこでどのぐらい頑張った方がいいのかよくコツはまだ捉まってないと思いますけど…「何とかやれる」と思います。

Church

Church family at home, please be assured that I am being blessed beyond anything I could have expected. There’s so much I want to tell you about my church here – the worship is superb, for both the musicians and the congregation; the fellowship is warm and welcoming; there are so many opportunities I’ve found through the church’s different ministries – Bible study, dance ministry, on-the-spot interpretation, you name it – that have profoundly touched me and made me grateful to be here, grateful for the support network of fellow believers I don’t know what I’d do without. I’m even more excited to know that God is turning your eyes and hearts toward this country. I’m waiting in anticipation, and striving every day so I can bring good news back to you.

うちの教会の皆さん、私はここに本当に嬉しくて、恵まれています。賛美する時も、音楽員も信者の皆さんたちも惚れている気がするし、兄弟姉妹たちと仲良くして、食事や礼拝後コーヒー集まりもしてるし、教会の別々の活動によって感動させています。皆さんが応援しているだからこそ毎日頑張る力を出すことができます。皆さんが日本に目線と心を神様の恩典によって向かっていることがゆえで、本当に喜んでいます。これからいいことが告げられるように期待しています。

Dance

The caliber of training here is so very high. I’m going to my church’s Gospel dance workshop every Tuesday night, organized by a friend from church, and being exposed to a lot of different styles. There are still a few studios on my list I need to hit, but there are so many opportunities for training that I really, really want to take – would appreciate some prayer for that.

トレーニングの水準が高くて驚かせます。火曜日教会のゴスペルダンスWSに通っているゆえで、様々なスタイルと接触することができます。この東京には多様なスタイルのスタジオが存在していますので、まだ全部行っていませんから、祈って下されるなら本当に感謝します。