Life

We do alot here in Okinawa. There are times we learn, times we teach, and times we share in both.

Things are pretty small here in Japan, like the ice cream.

But you've just gotta roll with it.

We don't always have the best umbrella's, but we make do.

The sand here is special, its shaped like stars.

and broken pieces of coral.

The fish sometimes die.

We feed our friends snacks we make, while blind-folded.

And they eat them, even when it makes them throw up.

We play games at the arcade, we try to atleast.

We make new friends everyday.

And sometimes literally make them.

We take naps, at the park.

We worship God at the park.

We eat chubs all the time.

Our laptops have family reunions.

We have a great selection of tear-inducing movies.

We see new things everyday.

The wildlife here is unique.

You learn to fly from billboards.

We walk in style over the roads we cross.

We like to share, even if it's just the food in our mouth.

And everyday, we have a balanced breakfast.

Life is pretty great, i couldn't come up with a better one.

Thanks, God. =]

-'manda

Zampa lighthouse, Yomitan village

Last week, we went to Yomitan village, about an hour and a half from Ginowan city.
This is the hometown of Tamiko, one of the local inturns and former bible college student here.

The Zampa light house is located on more of the suicide cliffs, this particular area being one more of where the locals and doctors jumped from the edge (i think, there are so many spots where this happened...).

(this is a cave, its a little hard to see, but it goes straight down into the ground, and was used in the war to hide and different things)

(Rusty has a cool face in this one)

(Who's foot is that?)

(oh i see, it's amber)

There are more pictures i want to put up, but there isn't enough space. So i will post them in another blog.

pray for Japan, pray for Okinawa.

-'manda

Traditional Party!

On Saterday the 14th, we celebrated Hannah Ruiz's 16th birthday with "almost" the whole church. Everyone wore traditional Japanese summer outfits, Yukata's and Jimbei's (girls and guys outfits). There was great food, FUNNY dancing, and lots of enjoyment in fellowship.

Here's some great pics that were taken.


The boy playing cards downstairs, waiting for the girls to get ready...(sorry guys...)







We had two ladies from our church (Sachiko, and Atsuko, i might have spelled that wrong though...)






They were so talented, there is a specific way to put them on. (one of the ladies used to dress the family members of a couple getting married as her job.)






Amber looks lovely!!





The birthday girl making her first appearance downstairs!

So after dinner and all the great stuff, we started the music juice! Everyone was dancing around all crazy.
Here is Amber and Rusty trying out their skills-





Go Ramber go!!





Andddd here is me (and some others) hiding in the kitchen "feigning" cleaning, to keep from getting pulled out on the dance floor (which only lasted so long).





Enjoying the food =]





Even the kids dressed up! (This is Emmy, one of the families kids that live here).





Over all, it was a very, very sweet time. We had lots of fun, lots of food, and lotss of tired people afterwards. ^_^







(this is a picture of me and Megan, the day that our Yukata's came in the mail. Also the day she gave me mine for a belated Birthday gift! Thanks Megan!)


-'manda

Girl's Day

So, on a certain day of the month of March (which my memory has failed to remember), is Girl's Day in Japan. It is a day that the Father and Mother celebrate for their daughters. The tradition is, that they give to their daughters a set of dolls for their happyness.

There is a picture with them, that the impuritys and sins of the daughters can be put on these dolls, which they make out of paper, and they are washed cleaned as they float the paper dolls down the river.

As a Christian, we know that is not correct. But it also kind of shows the thinking of the old Covanent. That we had to put our sins on an animal and sacrifice it.

A lady in our church brought hers over (they are VERY exspensive, and cannot just be bought) and set it up for us in the cafe (we were having a Japanese birthday party that weekend). When we prayed for our meal and before as we were being told the story of the dolls, we were just reminded that Jesus is the only way to heaven. It was pretty sweet.

THEN!!! *Dun dun duunnn*

we had a chub-fest!!! The ladies that brought the dolls came and made us sushi!!! REAL sushi!

IT was delicious. I have never had anything that tasted that good (of that sort of food).

Chirashi zushi (the stuff with the pink on it). Sashimi (the raw fish in the little bowls).

It was a wonderful, blessed day.

-'manda