Ice Cream, Knots, & Survival

Cherry blossoms!

Well the last two weeks have been eventful ones. I have been teaching English at St. Luke’s center four days a week and then one day at the youth center. The classes at the youth center are some that I helped teach last year. It was so great to see those kids again. They are a blast to be around. Now that I understand more Japanese, I pick up on more of the silly things they say and ask.

Last week at St. Luke’s center, during one of the songs, the kids were told to run. Of course running for little kids also means screaming. I told them in English not to scream. And what do you think they heard? They thought I said that we were getting ice cream. Which then made them chant, “ice cream! ice cream!” It was difficult to tell them there is no ice cream because boy I wanted to eat it too!

Besides confusing little children in English, I also participated in a youth event at the youth center. About once every two months, the center has a youth event on Saturdays. These events are held to get the kids out of their houses, to play, and to learn new things. Two Saturdays ago, the kids learned how to make bags out of old T-shirts and how to tie a knot.

Let me explain story of the knot a little bit. Japan is and has always been prone to earthquakes and tsunamis. But due to the how much damage was brought on by the disaster 2 years ago, many people are taking the time to learn and be more prepared for mother nature. One of the camp leaders had attended a lecture by someone from Uganda a few months ago. There she learned how to make a sturdy knot at the end of a rope. If a tsunami came and someone was swimming for their life you could potentially save that person’s life by throwing the rope with the knot. After the camp leader learned this she felt that it was important to pass on this knowledge to the kids. We pray that they will never have to use this knot to save a life but it to know than not at all.

Even though I am  in Nagoya, away from the devastated area, I am reminded how much that disaster has effected everyone in Japan. The second anniversary of the disaster was just a few weeks ago but the damage from it is still very much present. During the week of the anniversary the TV was filled with stories of the disaster. While there were many stories of sadness and loss, there was also an abundance of stories of hope and joy that came out of the disaster. Please continue to pray for everyone effected by the disaster. Pray that they may continue to move forward.

Lastly, not only am I excited to celebrate Easter at St. Stephens church in Nagoya again, but I also get to hangout with my brother, Mike, his wonderful wife, Natalie, AND my two favorite Australians! This is all happening in less than 48 hours...Woohoo!

Thanks for tuning in!
Katie