July 26-27: The Longest Day of our Lives

         HI EVERYBODY BACK AT HOME!!!!!!!!!! WE GOT HERE SAFELY, VERY SAFELY AT THAT. ANYWAYS, BEFORE WE LEFT TO JAPAN WE HAD A TON OF PEOPLE SAYING GOOD BYE. THE ENTIRE TEAM WAS A LITTLE SAD THAT WE WERE LEAVING BUT AT THE SAME TIME VERY EXCITED. BOARDING THE PLANE WAS JUST LIKE ANY OTHER PLANE RIDE WE HAVE TAKEN (INCLUDING THE SMELL). 10 HOURS ON A PLANE WITH PEOPLE WHO'M WE HAVE KNOWN FOR THE MAJORITY OF OUR LIVES WAS VERY INTERESTING. THE GUYS (ME AND SHUN) WERE PLAYING OUR GAME BOYS WHILE THE GIRLS WERE WATCHING MOVIES, SLEEPING, AND SUDOKU. MIYOU DECIDED TO TAKE THE ENTIRE ROW AND ENDED UP SLEEPING WITH HER FEET PARTIALLY ON EMI'S LAP. THE FOOD WAS GROSS AND SOME OF US DIDN'T BOTHER EATING AT ALL.

           LUCKILY WHEN WE FINALLY GOT OFF THE PLANE WE WERE RELIEVED TO GET OUT OF THE CRAMPED SEATING AND THE SMELL OF A PLANE. UNFORTUNATELY WE WERE EMBRACED WITH A VERY WARM WELCOME OF THE HUMIDITY AND THE HEAT, AND IT ONLY GOT WORST AS WE WALKED OUTSIDE FROM THE AIRPORT. ADMIST THE HEAT WE WERE VERY HAPPY TO FINALLY BE IN JAPAN AND SEE MANY OLD FACES. AFTER THE PLANE RIDE WE ALL SQUISHED INTO 2 CARS (7 PEOPLE IN ONE AND 5 ON THE OTHER) ALTHOUGH, THE CAR RIDE WAS ALOT MORE COMFORTABLE THEN THE HUMIDITY AND HEAT OF JAPAN, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A 3 HOUR DRIVE TO JONATHAN'S. JONATHAN'S IS KIND OF LIKE A DENNY'S, EVERY YEAR WE STOP THERE FOR DINNER.  AT THE END OF OUR MEAL ALL OF US WERE PRACTICALLY FALLING ASLEEP.

          WHEN WE FINALLY GOT TO THE CHURCH WE WERE SURPRISED THAT AYA TAKEMOTO CAME TO WELCOME US. WE WERE GIVEN A FULL TOUR OF THE ENTIRE CHURCH. LATER THE MAJORITY OF US (ME, SHUN, JENNY, JEN AND PARTIALLY MIYOU) RAN UPSTAIRS ONTO THE ROOF AND PLAYED BASKETBALL FOR A GOOD 10-20 MINUTES UNTIL SHUN AND I FELT LIKE WE JUST TOOK A SHOWER IN OUR OWN SWEAT. AS SOON AS WE FINISHED THE GUY'S WENT DOWN TO THEIR ROOM AND PLAYED SOME MORE GAME BOY AND FELL ASLEEP, AS FOR THE GIRLS; EMI, SATOMI, AND JOANNE WERE KNOCKED OUT AT 10 AND THE REST OF THE GIRLS SNUCK INTO THEIR ROOMS VERY QUIETLY AT AN UNKNOWN TIME. HOPEFULLY THE REST OF OUR NIGHTS IN JAPAN WILL NOT REPEAT THE FIRST NIGHT WE HAD. WAKING UP AT 2 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING SWEATING AND THEN WAKING UP AGAIN AROUND 5 ONLY TO NOT BE ABLE TO GO TO SLEEP WAS A TIRING EXPERIENCE. LUCKILY THOSE OF US WHO WOKE UP AROUND 5 SEEM TO ALL BE SLIGHTLY ENERGIZED AND AWAITING THE REST OF THE DAY. TODAY WE WILL BE HAVING A VBS MEETING AND A PRAYER MEETING AS WELL, BUT OTHER THEN THAT WE HAVE FREE TIME TO WORK ON OUR SKITS OR NAP. I GUESS THAT IS ABOUT ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED SO FAR ON OUR MISSION TRIP.

       THE BIGGEST HURDLE THAT WE ALL HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IS SHUN'S GREEDYNESS IN HOGGING ALL OF THE COLD AIR. OH YES AND OF COURSE THE HOT AND HUMID WEATHER. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR PRAYING AND SUPPORTING US, PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR OUR HEALTH AND THAT THE WEATHER WILL NOT BE A HUGE DISTRACTION IN TRYING TO REACH OUT TO THE CHILDREN HERE AT KOGANEI CHRUCH. OH YES AND ONE LAST THING THAT I FORGOT TO SAY, PASTOR NOBU WAS VERY VERY HAPPY TO FINALLY BE GETTING A GOOD MEAL.