one year ago
One year ago, I was in Japan.
Two years ago, I never ever would've imagined that was where God would send me. と私は日本を愛します！Makes me look forward to the years to come. I was just telling Jeanette earlier today that our understanding is like a little kid's. We're only disappointed when He says "no" to our whims because we haven't yet realized that He's got something better to give.
Labels: japan, life, memories, okinawa
airport
We'd been planning since Halloween to dress up like Pastor Tom for the last day of school. So we did. And the results were amazing! Some were accurate and others ridiculous...yet still amazing. He posted the
pics. They're pretty funny.
At the airport I had this incredible entourage, and Natsuki was running around taking these pics like paparazzi. And as tempted as you are to comment on how stunning I look with that hyaku-yen beanie and two hours of sleep...please resist the urge.
Kayo!
I am so good with babies, you have no idea. (That's the Velarde's cute lil guy, who also left that morning.)
And, for fun, here's Natsuki and I before the Iie Island trip.
I can't begin to describe all the things that God taught me in Okinawa, and what a huge blessing our Okinawan family was (and still is!) It's my prayer that nothing, not the flesh or the principalities of darkness, would make any of us forget what we've learned! May we stand strong in Jesus Christ always!
Labels: friends, goodbyes, mustache, okinawa
sayonara okinawa...or maybe matta ne!
I am at a lack for pictures, because I was too busy soaking up every last moment with the Oki crew. Our last night all together a few of us stayed up until Joanna had to come down and put us to bed, just hangin out and procrastinating with the goodbyes. Then the next day I was the first to head out, 7:00 in the morning.
JAL told me I didn't have a ticket, which was a slight problem. But Kayo and Natsuki were there, and they pretty much saved my life even though I did miss my original flight. でも、I got to hang out longer with them and take purikura から いい でした！ And I still got to Tokyo on time! I was trying to wait up for Shannon and Michelle in Tokyo so we could ride the bus from Haneda to Narita together, but I looked up the wrong flight (doh). So I went ahead and bought my ticket, pretty bummed out. Then as the bus pulled up I hear a distinctly American voice go "Yo what the!" and to my utter jubliation it was none other than Shannon and Michelle, who had boarded the bus at the previous terminal.
God was totally with me, guiding my steps, so I didn't end up in Africa.
I've since stuffed my face with food, including ocha and homemade unagi sushi from ba-chan. We had fun speaking in Japanese, or more like she had fun laughing at mine and my mom's ridiculous Japanese skills.
More pics later, as I eventually get them from other peeps.
Labels: family, friends, goodbyes, okinawa
taiko
This taiko game...
...is flippin sweet.
Labels: friends, okinawa, taiko
dinner faces
Monday night we went to dinner with Brent Long. The katsu curry was amazing...but not as amazing as these guys' faces. They put the eous in hideous.
Group shot, wooo!
Labels: faces, food, okinawa
cliffs
Oh yeah...we went here before the pineapple park.
Besides the view nothing too great or significant happened here, except maybe when Brad sliced my finger with a piece of grass.
Labels: cliffs, okinawa
pineapple park
Monday Pastor Tom took us all out to Nago to the Pineapple Park! Dude, so much fun for a park dedicated to fruit.
Pinapple carts!
Nicky fell out.
This was supposed to be her sitting on her throne, but it looks more like that clam is about to take a chunk out of her oshiri.
The best part of the park = endless free samples of pineapple cake, pineapple chocolate, pineapple cookies, pineapple pies, pineapple pineapples...some of us went through the line more than once. But at the end they had this soba that you had to put oil on. So Aaron and I tried it, and I saw him put some oil on it and decided that, although he put a lot on, it still didn't look like enough, so I doused mine too. But neither of us noticed the two little chili-peppers floating around in it, and the guy standing there
didn't even say anything. My mouth almost caught on
fire, I kid you not. One side of Aaron's mouth went numb and we're all drooling and running around frantically for the drink machine. Here's a reinactment...
The sandal pimp's Marine Evangelization Program. (You can ask Shannon about that nickname)
Poor Keegerz...
Labels: food, friends, okinawa
