So we’ve been learning how to drive here….wow, driving on the left side of the road is quite a challenge!  Not only is it on the other side of the road, but the roads are also more narrow than in the US, and there are various people walking and biking along the side.  It’s been interesting so far and I think Colby and I will come to enjoy it, but starting out has been tricky.  The missionaries have an extra car that they are letting us borrow for the time being until we buy one of our own.  Thankfully it’s a small car and easy to drive.

We have been slowly getting settled into the house we’ll be staying in for a few months.  There are a couple of storage units on the property also that contain a number of things the previous owners left behind.  Colby did a little dumpster diving the other day (which he thoroughly enjoyed) and found all kinds of practical things in good condition that we’ll be able to use.  The Japanese don’t have many stores like the Good Will or Salvation Army and so when they have things they don’t need or want any longer, they usually just throw them away, even if the item is in perfect condition.  This practice of theirs has been such a blessing to all of the missionaries who, like Colby, enjoy rummaging through the trash.  Between this and the things the other missionary couple left for us, we have been very well provided for.

It’s been good to be here finally and begin figuring things out and finding our way around.  There is so much to learn that for me, it seems overwhelming.  It’s good to remember not to expect myself to function the same way I did in America.  While Colby and I are fully-capable adults, in this context, we need to realize that it will be a while until we can operate in that same capacity here.  I keep telling myself that someday, we will know Japanese and will feel more confident.  I have been thinking a lot about Psalm 62 in my quiet times and have been blessed by it.

Please pray for Colby and I for protection over us as we drive and bike around Ube.  Pray that we would continue to depend on God for the ability to adjust to the Japanese way of life.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 20th, 2009 at 1:26 am and is filed under Life in Cross-Cultural Ministry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.