Hello to all who are enjoying the summer sunshine. I love summertime, but I have decided that the sun is what makes the 90% humidity feel awful. Without the sun, it doesn't feel so bad. When the sun is behind the clouds, it's almost bearable. Elder Nelson taught me a Japanese phrase. Atsui desu, which means it's hot. One day this week, the heat index was 117 degrees. Not my favorite.
When we arrived almost 18 months ago, we were introduced to a gal who knew the Phillips (our predecessors), and she told us that they had helped with VBS (Vacation Bible School). Her name is Tara, and she is a delightful person. She asked us if we would please help with VBS, and of course, we said yes. Last year, we helped at both Atsugi and here on Zama. This year, we had just Zama to help at, and we said we would do whatever they needed. For Elder Nelson, that meant he would be behind his camera, taking pictures of adorable children. In my case, they asked me to be the Craft Lady. I didn't have to decide on or order any of the craft kits, just be the one who facilitated the class. This meant teaching a new craft every day, Monday through Friday, from 1-4pm, every 25 minutes to children ages 5-12. Gratefully, I had three awesome teenagers who love kids and crafts, and we made it through the week alive. In addition to teaching the craft, I also had to share a scripted Bible story with a theme for the day. That was probably my favorite part. Only a few times did anyone say they didn't want to make the craft, and they were given the opportunity to draw. The kids also decorated a large bulletin board in the back of the class. (See picture) Our Garden
VBS began on Monday afternoon, and I helped get all the little darlings signed in at the registration. With name tags and string backpacks, they all set off for a great adventure. The theme was Magnified, seeing God in the little things. Each day was very busy, and Elder Nelson and I pretty much needed naps when it was over. On Monday evening, we joined with two of our YSA for a dinner at Mikes, a Tex-Mex restaurant nearby. Neither of them had ever been there, and so we trained it there and then got a ride home from one of them. We enjoy sharing time with them. They are such great guys. We have one new guy who just moved here, so now we have three active YSA's.
On Tuesday morning, we decided to head to a large train station to buy our Shinkansen tickets for our Hokkaido trip at the end of the month. This was a lesson in Japanese culture and their incredible ability to remain unfazed by long lines. We arrived about 15 minutes after the office opened, and we were number 32 in line. Each person sits quietly waiting for their number to be called. No one talks. We figured if each person took at least five minutes, we had a fairly long wait. As it turned out, it was only about an hour, and no one there was concerned about the time it took, except these two old people. But, alas, we now have our Shinkansen (bullet train) tickets to Hokkaido. We are really looking forward to that trip. Our mission president approved our request to leave the mission for a few days to go to Hokkaido, where Elder Nelson served as a missionary 50 years ago. Now that makes one feel old.
That morning, I also found a very large moth hanging out by our elevator. After googling it, I determined it is called a Luna Moth. They are native to this area and grow very large. They only live for 7 days, and this one looked like he was on his way out. But, I was able to take a picture of it to show my VBS kids the next day as we were making bug jars. Always nice to have visual aids.
Each morning, I have been taking long walks to try and get at least 10,000 steps a day. There are quite a few strange bugs and things I see each morning. The cicadas are out now, and they grow very large in Japan. I took a picture of one next to my thumb to show how big it was. Bugs are not exactly my favorite things, but I am intrigued by some of the unusual ones I see here.
Wednesday evening, Elder Nelson joined in on a Zoom discussion with a fellow from Africa whom the young missionaries have been teaching. They have had several lessons, and he likes asking Elder Nelson deep questions. When Elder Nelson told him that we would be leaving soon, he asked if he could please meet with us in person. Hopefully, that will happen soon. His name is Pascal and he is probably about the same age as we are. He is here working, but before he came here, he taught Physics. He is a very smart man. We have shared our testimonies with him and hope he will be willing to join our church soon.
On Thursday morning, we assisted with the Camp Zama Newcomers Orientation. We help set up the classroom and sign people in. It has been a great way to meet the new folks who have just arrived. The community is small, and we often run into them again. We love it when people recognize us and remember that we helped them in some way. The opportunities to serve on this mission have been endless and rewarding.
Friday morning found us on another train headed to our last Zone Conference with the young elders, sisters, and the mission president. We enjoy gathering with them and being uplifted by the training. We couldn't stay for the whole thing because we had to get back for VBS, but we were glad we could make it. It was our last day for VBS, and the Craft Lady was ready for the crafts to be over. The kids all did really well, and the volunteers really helped things go so much more smoothly. I think they had a total of about 90 kids and 60 volunteers doing various assignments. We had a good time serving with all of them.
Saturday left us with a decision to either stay at home and start getting ready to de-junk the apartment or go sightseeing to a place we hadn't been to. We chose to hop on another train, but this time we paid a little extra and rode what they call the Romance Car. Basically, an assigned seat with lots of leg room, a smoother ride, and fewer stops. We went to Hakone. It is a resort area up in the mountains near us. It has a large lake, hot springs, hiking, and outdoor activities. We chose to take a "pirate" ship ride around the lake. You could get off and on at three different stops. Each one was just beautiful. The mountains here are covered in dense forests and thick greenery. I'm sure the very wet, humid climate contributes to that. Elder Nelson took some great pictures, and we took another Romance Car train ride home. We decided to visit our favorite ramen shop, Rai Rai Tai, for dinner. It had been quite a while since we had been there. Can I just say that we are going to miss the ramen here? Two amazing bowls of ramen for 2600 yen total, about $18 USD. Not going to find that price in the States.
On Sunday, they asked all the VBS volunteers to come to the final service at the base chapel, so we attended and enjoyed the meeting. They followed it up with some pizza and cookies. We have now "been there, done that, got the t-shirt." Lots of great people and memories to help fulfill our mission experience.
The time is going fast now, and we are doing a lot of things for the last time. We love all that we are having the opportunity to do and appreciate all the love and support from home. Kourtney informed us today that Max and Charlotte have made a countdown chain until we are home. It's definitely getting to be real now.
Love to all,
Elder and Sister Nelson
No comments:
Post a Comment