Monday, January 30, 2006

"Tokyo Tour" Natsumi style...

This is Tokyo Tour ~Natsumi style. Natsumi is a second year student at Chuo University. Natsumi, Ayano, and Yukari (all BEST club students) organized a tour of Tokyo.
Join me, won't you as we travel through Shibuya, Tokyo Tower, and Shinjuku?

Not the most flattering picture but here is our little group; Holly, Ayano, Jo, Natsumi, and Yukari!

Natsumi making "okonomiyaki" it was delicious (oishi) Whoa doggie! That is one big parfait!! But it was sooo good. This is Natsumi's tradition, to take the American girls to the parfait shop. She orders the "rocky mountain" which is a combination of almost everything on the menu.

Oh we are so sad, it's empty!
I totally have a drummers heart. Ayano and I are playing an arcade "drum" game. Doesn't this look like fun... all those years of "air-drumming" are paying off. YATA!!
Gap's sale! (?)Natsumi and I are sooo excited to be in Shibuya!!
This is Tokyo Tower. We are like King Kong here.
Tokyo Tower is in the center of Tokyo so when you reach the top you can see all around you.


Isn't this cool? There are so many people in Tokyo. Wow! See the heart design on the top of the building? I have no idea what it is but I really like the whole picture of the city and traffic and then those cute hearts. Maybe they are here for Valentine's Day?

Fuji-san! Can you see it there on the horizon?
I like this picture of Yukari, she's just looking down on the city with the city lights shining on her face. Isn't that cool?
Natusmi and I having fun in the train station. Am I saving her or pushing her? hmmmm... :)
Holly and I in downtown Tokyo (Shinjuku).

Yukari and I eating nabe. It was oishi. Yum! Yum!

Just needed to know


*Cast your cares on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.*
Psalm 55:22
"I love when the Bible says God will do something cause that means I can underline it and take it to the bank..." Drew Fraser
Thank you Lord for the promise that You will sustain me. Wow, I needed to know that tonight!

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

January 25th, 2006

*Satisfaction! That's what I feel today Lord! I am full! Satisfied in You. You fill my cup and cause me to overflow!
I am satisfied!
You sustain me and strengthen me. Thank you for bringing me to this place. Thank You for contentment that is solely from You.
I am satisfied!
Grateful that You have brought me to this place, knowing I don't dersve Your grace but satisfied. Lord, You are my Rock, my Foundation! I will not be thrown in the storm because my trust is in You. You give me peace, a contentment, a joy that is beyond expression. You meet me here and restore my heart. Your Spirit washes over me and I am in awe.
I am satisfied!
I am not skinnier, prettier, smarter, funnier, etc. today than I was yesterday but You love me so! Your love is not based on appearance or performance. You are my Creator. You have made me. You have taken delight in my eyes, my ears, my toes, my heart. Oh Abba, I desire You so and You do not disappoint.
You satisfy!
And I am satisfied only in You!*

Holding my hand
I look to see,
Your hand fits mine so neatly.
You're not a man,
nor a thing to be described.
But the way You make me feel,
I belong to You so,
completely!

Monday, January 23, 2006

Yes I am aware of the fact that I am not "normal"

This blog is in response to my father's comment on January 20th.
When he was "complimenting me" he mentioned my "webbed toes"
and apparently my Mother was upset that he would make public such a private situation.
Luckily!! He couldn't erase it. So I would like to share my toes with you all and the following comment. READ ON!!

Let the record show the I am SO confident that I have the cutest toes that I will NOT erase my Father's previous comment. It is not exactly true that they are webbed... they are in fact, as my brother Jeremy referred to them, "stemming from one trunk" and not all of them but just two of them. I would feel completely normal and mediocre if my toes were just like everyone elses. I do not care about my toes. Do not forget, I am fearfully and wonderfully made... by Someone who knows how much I would love my little tootsies. World, don't hinder me with your standard of toe shapes!! I refuse to give in!!I love my toes and will let them shine!!!!

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Books

Three books recommended by my director, Mark Rood.
The book I just finished...


The book I am tackling next, "If" by Amy Carmichael, is her poetry.

And the book that sits on my desk waiting to be read...

Saturday, January 21, 2006

It feels like home...

It's starting to feel more like home... Holly and I are starting to settle into our surroundings. Tonight we hung out with friends...

this is us, eating "okonomiyaki". It is SO yummy!! I love it. Oishi!

The reason it feels more like home today, is because it SNOWED! SNOWED! SNOWED! today! I was so excited. The children made an igloo today. This is looking out from the railroad station that I go to almost every day.

Isn't the snow beautiful? It definitely looks more like Illinois or Wisconsin! Holly and I feel more at home with all this beautiful snow. This is Tomo and I.

Yeah, anyone want to send me "White Christmas" on DVD? ha ha

Snow! Snow! Snow!

Friday, January 20, 2006

Times change...

"May 14, 2001
Dear Joanna Kay,
Goodness I cannot imagine me reading this at the elder age of 23! YUCK I am old! I don't want to be old. Am I still afraid of turning thirty? BOO!...
...Have I gotten married yet? I always thought I would be married now with maybe a baby a long the way? I want five children... Have I bought a DVD player yet? I really don't want to have to buy all my movies again on DVD but I probably did. If I have any cute clothes or my VCR or something KEEP THEM! My children will probably love them when they are teenagers. Gosh, I just can't believe my prime is almost over. Boo! I am sorry I am probably making myself go into a mid-life crisis!... I demand that I not be a loser. Okay? Now, I love you! It's okay that you are old... Good luck!"

So what's this, you're wondering? It's a letter I wrote myself five years ago that my English teacher Mrs. Hughes wrote me. It's pretty pathetic. It makes me think a lot and makes me sad. Not sad like cry your eyes out sad but sad I had such different priorities in life.

Plus, it doesn't make me happy that fiesty 18 year old Joanna thinks 23 year old Joanna is old. Um, excuse me?!

Ha ha!! The people who I wrote about, who were important to me have changed and I wonder if that is my fault or just a part of life. I don't know what to think about this letter.. part of me is saddened by it but part of me just knows that I was different then.

I never thought I would be in Japan... that's for sure.

This letter was a good idea, even though I am different now. It's like a visit with an old friend...

hmmmm.....

Monday, January 16, 2006

R-to-the-oods

Mark, Jin, and their children come home tonight. I couldn't be any more excited... even if this bag Holls and I recieved were still full and not empty lying in our garbage.

WELCOME HOME ROODS!!!

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Shizuoka: January 2006


(Keiko, Jo, and Kanako~ they picked me up at the station!!)

Where does a lonely girl go?
To a place she loves and can be loved.....
SHIZUOKA!!!
Shizuoka is the "birthplace" of my heart and love for Japan.
To know and love me is to know and love Japan; especially Shizuoka!
The first time I visited Japan I came on a summer trip in 2003.
And I came to SHIZUOKA!! The people that I met and the friends I made are lifelong.
So when I was homesick, I thought, "I should go visit my friends in Shizuoka!!"
So here is "Joanna's Adventures in Shizuoka: January 2006"
The above picture is the view from the house I stayed in (with Amy Hatcher) "Lighthouse"
(above)Shizuoka friends: Keiko, Jo, Nami, Shige, and Kanako
So we had dinner at the guys house "Joy House"
and a lot of students came to visit with me again and hang out.
Then, in true Japanese fashion, we headed off to KARAOKE!!
(above) My friends~ Shige, Ayaka, Nami, and me
(below) What can I say about this guy? :) This is my good friend Hidekazu Koshi
or as most call him, Koshi. Koshi lived in JoyHouse when I was a
summerworker (Nav. term for summer missionary) so my friend Amy and I got to hang out
with him, and the three other guys~ Taka, Ura, and Shigeo so much.

Aw, Shige!! You are such a great singer... and so stylish!
The next day, after Kanako and I slept in, I went to lunch with Keiko, Kanako, and Shigeo
and then I went to Nami's for tea and "hang out" time. It was
so much fun to catch up with my Lighthouse roommate.
Isn't she sooo cute?
I think so!!
Okay, so I want to tell you a story about my good friend Kanako Suzuki!
Kanako and I were making Japanese food (2003) and in exchange she asked me for something American, to which I replied, "I can't make anything."
She gently and ever so kindly told me, "Joanna, a woman who can cook is loved by all!"
And I have taken those words to heart. ;)
So fast forward to this visit: Kanako and I decided to make breakfast for some of the fellas.
So I thought, "Great! I can show Kanako my new skills!"
Unfortunately I am but a humble chef and so I burned the "volcano pancakes"!
Sad!!
It wasn't even bad tasting (underneath the burnt stuff~ ha ha)
but it was SO ugly. I couldn't even put a picture on the website. It's just not cool!
ha ha
So, we had breakfast at Shige and Kuma's apartment. AT 7:00 AM
no joke!
The food was delicious and Kanako even let me be in charge of scrambling the eggs.
It was so much fun.
I think that my Shizuoka friends are some of the funniest people I know.
No joke!
They have so much energy and are always laughing.
It's great cause I love to laugh.
These students are a joy in my life... even if I have to get up super early. It is still fun!
(above top) Joanna's tired eyes and Kuma
(above bottom) "Coffee please!" Shige's coffee was oishi! So good.
Wonder if he would have enough skills to work for Ebbers in Nebraska?
I think so!

...And then, my life changed. Semi-Lighthouse Resident Michio
came over to say hello.
There is no easy way to explain Michio. He is a gentleman, he is hilarious.
He often is found sleeping on Lighthouse's sofa.
The summer of 2003, I guess you could say Amy and I "adopted" Michio.
ha! ha! Michio has a lot of good ideas... take for instance, playing Sequence.
Hmmm... that looks totally harmless as Michio plans his next move. But then Michi says to me,
"We should have a penelty!"
And he comes up with the penelty of whoever loses gets marker on their faces...
except what Michio and I weren't expecting was Shige...
Shige joined the game and beat both Michio and I.
Michio had something written on one check and then
"Happy New Year 2007" on the other.
It says 2007 cause I took a picture and will use it for next year.
On my face, Shige wrote across the forehead and chin the two characters for
"SHIZUOKA"
and across my cheeks
"TOKYO"
This way, as I was riding the train home, people would know where I was going.
Yes, riding the train with my face painted was part of the deal...
It was an interesting ride. I had a lot of people do a "double take" of my face.
And a lot of people laughed at me.
Michio and I agreed that spreading happiness was our job. So, if my face painted makes someone stop in their busy day and enjoy a smile... then my day is fuller.
:)
For lunch we went to "Bochan's" which is a summerworker/Navigator favorite. The sign behind my head, "EAT AT BOCHANS" was made by Mark Rood and many people have signed it. (see far below) Here I am, face painted and everything, with my friend Kanako. Isn't she sweet? I adore her. She makes me laugh. Kanako is always singing with me or dances with me. She thinks that I am crazy but I think we are BOTH crazy (heck, i know i'm crazy! ha ha). Kanako is a very loving person. You can see this in her friendships. She was the best hostess, taking good care of me. Kanako also went to PENN STATE ("We are!!") for a year with Shige and has kept in touch with some pretty fun people.
Thanks Kanako for a fun three days!!

On a different note: one of my favorite things is motorcycling (along with other outdoor activities we frequented in the barren tundra of Wisconsin~ snowmobiling, 4-wheeling, etc.)!
But many students drive their scooters/mopeds, etc. to class and their part-time jobs.
So I had the pleasure of riding with Shigeo on the back of his.
Woo Woo!! So much fun!
Shige is driving on the top
Hidekazu is parking below

Shigeo and Jo are actually driving... Shigeo looks scared but I wasn't!! Everyone was so nice to me and took such good care of me. Shigeo often had to pick me up and take me places cause I didn't have a car. And everyone was flexible with plans.
So it was an amazing couple of days.
I really love Shizuoka and just felt a lot of peace being there.
It's so cool to revisit a lot of landmarks I had forgotten about.

This, below, is one of the landmarks I had tucked in the back of my mind. Here is the "Bochans" sign... and there is my name... right below "Jamie Geiger"!
Jame~ I don't know if you are reading this but thanks for the years of friendship and love
you poured into my life.
What a special treat to be able to sign below your name, four years after you. (I signed in 2003 not now) Your constant love and friendship has given me the wings
to soar into new places; like Japan.
You have taught me so much.
Thanks for being my spiritual "Mommy"!!

And Amy, you are never far from my mind as I live in Japan.
Girl, hurry up and get some vacation time!!

That's my story... through pictures. WOO WOO!!!
The ride home was safe and uneventful, except my face. :)

And if you've made it this far... all I want to say is
"Oh yeah....kudon"

Friday, January 06, 2006

It's late and I'm tired so I think I'm hilarious!!

Jeremy, Jordan and Jonah...
Please forgive me for being up too late. I think that I am stinkin' hilarious right now. Gomenasai (sorry)!! But Holly received this e-card and I loved it so much I made her send it to me so everyone can enjoy it. Please follow this link.

http://www.hallmark.com/ECardWeb/ECV.jsp?a=5140561664549M88554557Y

Or . you can follow these steps:
1. Go to our homepage at http://www.hallmark.com
2. Choose "Free E-Cards" under the "Our Products" section.
3. Click the link that says "Pick up an e-card."
4. Enter your e-mail address and this number: EG5140561664549. Click "Display Greeting," and enjoy your e-card.

Enjoy!! And JER, JORDAN, and JONAH YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS ONE!! I laughed so hard. Although this kind of thing might be more Jordan's sense of humor ;) ENJOY!!!

Gambatte (try hard!)
Bean/Jo

The prettiest letters I've ever seen...

Glittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layoutsGlittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layoutsGlittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layouts Glittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layoutsGlittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layoutsGlittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layoutsGlittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layoutsGlittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layouts, Glittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layouts Glittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layoutsGlittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layoutsGlittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layouts Glittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layoutsGlittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layouts Glittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layoutsGlittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layoutsGlittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layoutsGlittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layoutsGlittergraphics.us - Myspace Glitter Graphics, MySpace Graphics, Glitter Graphics, MySpace layouts!