X-Men and spreading the Gospel

X-Men 3 just got here to Japan and I saw it last week. I really like the X-Men movies...out of all the comic book/superhero movies, X-Men is my most favorite. I want to be a X-Men, a mutant. And I don't want to be the X-Men that merely does good, but that also uses their mutation to honor God and to make His Name known. So, after much thought, I decided that if I was to be a mutant, I would be "Plethora". I would be able to remember and apply everything I read, see, and hear. For instance, I would have started talking the day I was born because I would hear people talking and I would immediately know how to talk. I could read a book on car mechanics, and forever, I would know how to fix cars. Apply this to the mission/ministry world, I could read a book on the Japanese language, and I could speak it. Or I could merely immerse myself in the language and I could speak Japanese in a matter of hours. There are hundreds of languages/tribal languages/dialects the Bible has not been translated into...I could live with those people who speak that language, learn their language, and then sit down and translate the Bible for them. And if I ever get cured of my mutation, like in X-Men 3, I still have all the knowledge I had accumulated, I just lot my ability to remember and apply everything I read, see and hear. Thus, I would be "Plethora".

Liz says she would like to be in more than one place at once, so she could get more done (she would be "Busy Body" or "Busy Betty"). Chi said she would like to just think about a place and she would be there.

So, what mutant would you be?

Introducing New Prime Minister Abe

Today Prime Minister Koizumi (perhaps you remember him dancing to "Elvis" with Bush in Memphis a few months ago) stepped down from his position of 5 years, and Shinzo Abe (I think it's pronounced like "ah-bay", not like "Abe Lincoln") was elected the new PM of Japan. According to the papers, his challenges as the new leader will be improving Japan's bad and shaky relationship with China and South Korea, dealing with the problems that have arisen from a rapidly aging population, and, as with every country, something about economy. He's 52 and the youngest PM ever in Japan. He has a wife, but I haven't found anything about kids or not. Let's pray for Prime Minister Abe. Filling Koizumi's shoes is a feat in itself, but being the leader of a Japan, a big boy, is a huge task. "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4

A lesson on American girls vs. Japanese girls

A lesson on American girls vs. Japanese girls. Please notice my purse compared to Yumi's purse. Mine is about ten times larger than hers, but we're carrying about the same amount of stuff. Japanese girls are notorious for being "Mary Poppins"...carrying the smallest bags but unpacking a truckload of stuff. In Yumi's purse, I know she has a wallet, a camera, a cell phone, and various make-up supplies. Me, too...but I need the big purse to carry all of it. Also, Yumi's purse is subtle, an accessory, and from a name-brand designer. My purse, on the other hand, is pink, large, weighs about 1/5 of me, and was bought for $10 at a second hand store. Our purses match our upbringings.

What kind of American English do you speak?

I feel like I have standard American English. My dermatologist here in Japan told me he couldn't understand me sometimes because I spoke English with an accent. Liz, from Missouri, and I, from Tennessee, have different vocabulary and phrasing every once in a while. I say "mess-pot" and she says "mess-cat" (as in, "My roommate is such a mess-pot"). I call every dark carbonated drink "coke" and Liz calls it "pop". I say "y'all" and have taught Japanese to say "y'all". According to this quiz, I do mostly have standard American English with a dose of twang and a random touch of Upper Midwestern. Not really sure where the Upper Midwestern comes from. Is it bad if I say I'm relieved there's no Yankee in my accent? :)

Your Linguistic Profile:

60% General American English

25% Dixie

10% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

0% Yankee

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

The Happy Little Imperial Family

Here's little Hisahito, future emperor of Japan, leaving the hospital with his dad, Prince Akishino, and mom, Princess Kiko. She looks great after having given birth a week earlier. Prince Akishino will never be emperor because he is the second son, but because his older brother did not produce a male heir, little Hisahito will become emperor after his grandpa and uncle.

Meet the Machiya's!

This weekend, Chi invited her roommate, Takako, and me to come to her house in Niigata, a town about 9 hours north of Osaka. We took an overnight bus to her hometown and stayed at family's house for three days. Here are the Machiyas...Mom, Azumi, Rai the Dog, Lin, Chi, and Yuki. Mom is a major Olivia Newton John fan, loves to cook, and takes as many pictures as the paparazzi. Azumi is the second oldest, lives near Tokyo, and loves to dance. Rai the Dog lives with Azumi, has a wardrobe of clothes, is bilingual, and loves edamae. Lin is the youngest of the four, the only son, lives away at school about an hour away from Niigata, and has no underarm hair. Chi is the third child, has the same face as Lin, lives in Osaka, and often invades my house. Yuki is the oldest, lives with Mom, has a handsome boyfriend, and is a musician.

We saw so much of Niigata while we there...we ate yummy Niigata food, walked around the town, went to a park, went to the Sea of Japan, went to a second hand store, rode a two hour ferry out to Sado Island, dug for gold, stayed up late having a pajama party, went to an art museum, and ate lots of edamae. I took so many pictures, so here's a slide show of my trip to Niigata. Thank you, Chi-chan, for inviting me to see your family and hometown!!!

Introducing Prince Hisahito!

No pictures yet of the little bundle of joy, but in an official naming ceremony yesterday, the newest prince of Japan was named Hisahito. He is third in line to become emperor of Japan after his grandfather and his uncle. I've been keeping up with the news surrounding the birth of this baby, and it's funny because my friends here seem disinterested in little Hisahito's birth. I, on the other hand, have become somewhat obsessed with him. I am praying for this little baby so hard...praying that someday God will place someone in his life who will share the truth with him, praying that someday he will come to understand what Christ did for him on the cross, praying that God will use him to bring other Japanese to faith in Him. Little Hisahito is a precious gift from God...and I believe God placed him in the family he is in for a reason. So, I pray for little Hisahito.

Sometime during my youth group days in church, someone said it was important to pray for people in positions of influence. Since then, I have had numerous "obsessions" with praying for people in government and in entertainment. I have regularly prayed for Bill Clinton and then for George W. and Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. I still regularly pray for Prince William. I've went through spurts of praying for Jessica Simpson, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Nicolas Sparks, Clay Aiken, and Beyonce. Currently, besides little Hisahito, I have an urge to pray for Dan Brown and Anna Nicole Smith. Mostly I pray that God will reveal Himself to them in a mighty way and that they will ache to know the Truth. I kind of have a tendency to get obsessed with people, too :).

Frisbee Fun!

Finally the weather has cooled down and beautiful autumn is on the way! We took advantage of the sweat-free afternoon and played a little Frisbee by Biwa Lake (fyi, the largest lake in Japan). We only had a small patch of grass to play in and there were trees in the way, but super fun anyway. Hajime using her go-go Gadget arm.

Here's Liz, of course, catching the Frisbee. Liz is Miss Fitness America and rocks at every sport and totally throw the Frisbee to the exact person she is aiming at.

And Okie...he was so patient with Hajime and my fumbling.

Here's me...I look like a real athlete, don't I?

Hajime has skills...Frisbee skills.

An unfortunate aim with the frisbee and the fountain.

Liz, Hajime, Okie, and me on a beautiful September day!!

Parked Cars and Old Prom Dresses

I know I have grumped about parked cars before, but recently I have just been more aware how tight and crowded it is. I've caught myself humming the Dixie Chicks song "Wide Open Spaces" several times. Last night, this car was parked in front of Liz and my house. The car is seriously ten inches away from our living room window and it's totally up in our bushes. We knew the person who owned the car so it's totally fine they parked there...only in Japan. Msn.com has an article about how to look ten years younger. Guess what their #1 tip is? Not drinking water, not exercising, not seeing your doctor regularly. Their #1 way to look ten years younger is to always maintain the weight you had when you were 18. And a good measurement is to always be able to fit into your old prom dress. Riiiight.

We have a male heir!!

Princess Kiko of Japan, who's married to the emperor's second son, gave birth today to the first male heir in Japan's Royal Family in 40 years. It's huge relief for the Royal Family, because the emperor has two sons and those two sons have only produced granddaughters thus far. And since women aren't allowed to take the throne, the birth of this little boy is exciting news in Japan. No name yet, but he's third in line to become emperor. Pray for this little boy today. Even though the Royal Family in Japan is more like the Royal Family in Britain, this little boy will someday have influence over the country. "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone-for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." Hebrews 2:1-4

A Rundown of Randomness

• Blogger has recently become Beta Blogger...not really sure what that implies, but I do know that now Blogger has lots of fun new options to make your blog a little more personalized. I changed a few colors and other little details, but mostly I stayed with the same 'ole format...I like blue.
• Me and Adele have been having problems lately (Adele is my laptop...she's a Dell...get it, a Dell, Adele...hehe, I crack myself up). So for the first time since January 2005, I defragmented her and did a disk clean-up. She defragmented all night long and the next night she cleaned-up for a few hours. Let's just say that Adele and I are again friends.
• So, Mr. Bradley Mayse made me some pictures and made my dream come true to be Deb. Here's me and Napoleon at school while he waits for his uncle to pick him up.

• And Bradley made this picture of Napoleon and me. I've told Napoly over and over that I am in Japan doing missions, not modeling.

• And Saturday I went to Colin's, the missionary kid next door, basketball game. His team won and it was so much fun. We had to take off our shoes before going into the gym, both teams bowed to each other before the game started, and then the teams bowed to the coaches, the refs, and to the audience when the game was over. And Colin did so good! Here he is in his uniform...Inano is the name of our train station. And in the other pic, he just scored for his team!

Undignified
Totally crushing on Napoleon Dynamite...makes me wish I was Deb. Here's a little Napoleon and David Crowder combo.