Random facts about me...

1. Four Jobs You Have Had in Your Life: 1. Worked as Santa's Elf at Cool Springs Galleria in Franklin, TN...I'm not kidding, I was a real elf 2. Worked at the movie theater in Franklin...wore the bow tie and everything 3. A Gift Wrapper at Parisian Department store during three Christmases during college 4. Now a missionary in Japan!! My favorite job yet!!
2. Four Movies You Would Watch Over and Over: 1. Gone With the Wind 2. Finding Nemo 3. Drumline (I like marching band movies) 4. The Little Mermaid
3. Four TV Shows You Love to Watch: 1. LOST (however, beware of the Season 1 DVD...this show is soooo addicting) 2. Survivor (I know, I know) 3. Amazing Race (I totally want to be on this show) 4. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (I shed a tear everytime I watch)
4. Four Places You Have Been on Vacation: 1. Been to Disney World 3 times 2. Went to Asheville, North Carolina with my family in 6th grade, and our hotel room caught on fire! 3. Took a spontaneous weekend road trip to St. Louis in college with Laura, Stacey, and Crystal...we had no change of clothes, slept on Laura's cousin's living room floor, and a saw a gorilla vomit...it's one of my favorite memories from college 4. Went to Tennessee for Christmas in December to see my sweet family!
5. Four Websites You Visit Daily: 1. yahoo.com 2. hotmail.com (gotta check all my email accounts every day) 3. usatoday.com 4. tennessean.com (gotta know what's going on back home)
6. Four of Your Favorite Foods: 1. Pickles and Olives 2. My mom's green beans 3. Breakfast casserole 4. Chips and salsa

Kaori's Family

This is Kaori (far right) with her mom and dad. Her family was kind enough to invite me to their house on New Year's Day. Kaori is about to begin her fourth and final year of university. She became a Christian this past November and now is being discipled. Kaori has shared with her mom what Christ has done in her life, and her mom has been accepting of Kaori's faith. Please pray for this family. Praise God for Kaori's salvation and desire to know Him more each day. Pray for her parents, that they will see a change in Kaori, and that they, too, will come to faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible has examples of entire families becoming Christians at the same time. Please pray for that to happen in Kaori's family.

BCM Mission Team to Japan!

This past week a team of four girls from the Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) at the University of Tennessee at Martin (the best school in the state!) worked with me and as well as stayed with me. The team included Alyssa Holland, Lexie Cole, Sam Evans, and Amanda Lamberth, the team leader. Here's Amanda, the fearless leader. I thank the Lord for her preparation ahead of time and for her leadership during the week. She is one organized gal. Here's Sam. This is her reaction to Japan :). Here's Lexie. The picture of her and Sam were actually taken when they rode a gigantic Ferris wheel in downtown Osaka. And here's Alyssa...She really enjoyed Japanese karaoke. Here we are with some Mukagawa students and eating nabe, a Japanese stew. Pray for those Mukagawa students who met the team and were able to hear more about the gospel. The girls in Kyoto, the old Japanese capital, with my friend, Hajime. Amanda and Lexie went to Ririko's, center, speech competition. The team was here during Coming of Age Day, a Japanese national holiday for everyone who turned 20 years old the past year. The girls dress up in kimonos and walk about town. Here's two of the many girls we saw dressed up that day. Ah, behold the victorious winners of Cranium. With me, Amanda, and Tamaki on the same team, we are lethal. What a great week with the girls! It was a long, exhausting week, but alot was accomplished, people heard the gospel, and each one of the girls walked away with a new perspective on how God is making His glory known throughout Japan and the nations. An English Party, an English Movie/Discussion Night, prayer walking three universities, house churches, dinner parties, a pajama party with a Japanese friend, morning team worships, sightseeing Kyoto...all these things filled up the week. But those activities are not what make the trip successful or not...these girls were obedient to God's will, sacrificed financially and gave up time from their winter break, and came to Japan to share with those who have not heard, who simply do not know about Christ. Thank you, girls, for coming to Japan!!!

Quotes from the BCM Mission Team to Japan!

You can't possibly spend 8 days with four other girls in another country where you are together every second and not get some great classic quotes. Here's a sample of the craziness and silliness that was a constant part of our week...

• Sam, in the crowded restroom, "I'm going outside." To which Lexie replies, "I wouldn't advise that."
• After turning on the tv and seeing a Sumo tournament on, Lexie says, "They really have this?"
• "I have rice in my hair," Amanda during dinner.
• "Ugg, squatty potties..and they're like 70's squatty potties," Alyssa commenting on the bathroom facilities.
• Katie: "I wonder what the Japanese would think if we wore those chopstick hair things in our hair? I guess it would be like if we saw them wearing forks in their hair in America."
• "I use fork," Alyssa in Japan too long.
• Lexie: "I feel like the theme of the week is...Japan."
• Alyssa: "If I close my mouth and hiccup, I sound like a pig."
• Daishi, a Japanese guy says to Amanda, "Have you experienced culture shock?" Amanda replies, "Well, there's a lot of Japanese people..."
• Katie: "Yall use more ice and toilet paper than anybody else I know."
• Sam, randomly in a Japanese furniture store: "I...like...the...big...dots."
• Alyssa says, "I get homesick being away for one day. I don't know...I'm stupid." Lexie replies, "You're not stupid. You're a freshman."
• "Pause, Jesus," Alyssa, when the cell phone rang while praying.
• Amanda: "This guy said he went to Turkey, and that the turkeys worship..."
• Alyssa to Katie: "I'm really going to miss your shower when I go home...oh, and you, too."

Japan Spiritual Retreat 2006

This week was the Spiritual Retreat for Southern Baptist missionaries in Japan. For three days, we prayed, fellowshipped, studied God's word, worshipped, and renewed ourselves for ministry for 2006. Meeting missionaries serving all over Japan was great, especially hanging out with the three other Journeymen. I also adored being all around the missionary kids, or MKs. And it snowed!! Somehow having snow makes the cold weather so much more bearable!

Here's the beautiful snow and the beautiful mountains! You can see the snow falling! Here's the Japan Journeyman!!! Rachel in Yokohama, me in Osaka, Elizabeth in Nagoya, and Eileen in Yokohama! Those are snowflakes falling in front of my camera. I have never taken pictures before in the falling snow, but, as you can see, snowflakes get in the picture.

Sweet MKs performing a music program at the end of the week. Three of the older MKs...The third one, Hannah, is my neighbor. And Zachary, a MK...Check out his adorable expression!

Tender Tennessee Christmas

Just got back from spending Christmas with my family in Tennessee. I had a wonderful ten days doing all the things I missed while being in Japan these past 9 months. I had lots of Mexican food, lots of chips and dip, lots of my mom's fudge...I basically ate the whole time I was home. And I got my fill of Target, Bath and Body Works, and my hair salon. I also got to see some friends and spend time with people I haven't seen in a long time, and visit my home church, which was so great because I go to house churches here in Japan and definitely missed the worship. It was a nice relaxing trip home, but it went by in a flash. This picture is me with my sisters, Karin, Kristin, and Jamie. Fun fact about my sisters...Karin and Jamie are both 19 right now, but they're not twins and they have the same mom and dad. How can that be? They are only 11 months apart, so for almost one month they are the same age until Karin has her birthday. Happy 2006!!!