JAPAN Day 3

Melbourne.... THE SUN STILL EXISTS. it's okay!
Yes we have had a beautiful sunny 25 degree day here in Japan. So amazing to feel some sunshine on our skin.  

Today Jess and I started the day with Prayer. We both woke up feeling pretty sore after our second night on the floor... and our day of walking yesterday. Pretty small room we are in! God told me to read James 5:10. Which was pretty fitting to our circumstances. 
James 5:10-11

Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You’ve heard, of course, of Job’s staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That’s because God cares, cares right down to the last detail.

Makes us think how lucky we are. And to go through things with God by our side. We should continually honour him throughout every season. No matter how sore we are! 

This is the view from our floor in the hotel we are at. 

Today's adventures. 

Last night we planned what we were going to be doing today. We decided to stick local! So in the morning we went to the Yokohama (Docklands) area... as we like to call it!  We did manage to find a more normal breakfast today! Yoghurt... yum!! 

We then got to explore a ship called 'NYK HIKAWAMARU' Built in 1930. 

We paid 300YEN to get aboard. Which is around 3.50 Australian. It was filled with old school rooms and it's original furniture. It almost felt like exploring the titanic.  Except smaller. Not that I've done that... but you get the idea! 

 Before we went aboard. An Asian peace sign photo is in order.

 Jess looking out of the ship window.

 This was on the 'first class deck' we felt posh.

 All aboard.

 The view from where the ship is permanently docked.

 Out one of the ship windows.

 Jess walking into 'The captains room'

In the engine room.

After exploring the ship and reading historic things, we then walked to Red Brick Warehouse. Which is known for it's shopping and restraunts. It used to be an old customs building. 

A few shots of the Red Brick Warehouse, in Yokohama. 

After shopping and having a drink we then caught a train to TOKYO the capital here in Japan. We went to a place called Shibuya.. which is the shopping district of Tokyo. It was incredibly busy. Full of people, shops and colours. 

 Shibuya

 Shibuya crossing in Tokyo

Shopping capital of Japan. 

We the found this under ground place for lunch. Which was worth travelling to Tokyo for. It craps all over Melbourne Japanese food. Its SO AMAZING! 

We also got to watch them make it. We ordered whiskey and soda, and Jess had this Japanese Sake -which tasted like straight vodka. So we didn't finish that one! 

We were pretty overwhelmed with Shibuya. But it was awesome to see it. Would be good to see the crossing at night. So we plan on going back there with the others when they get  here. 

We then headed back on the train to Yokohama where we are staying. And man, Japanese trains get packed full... and it wasn't even peak hour. Crazy!

Jess and I have managed to get used to this insane public transport and lucky found it easy enough to get around. Thank God!! 

Another mention... Jess's quote of the day was "I ate my lunch with a knife and fork and it felt weird". 

Just shows how pro we have become at using chopsticks here. 

We also started counting the amount of white people we see. Cause there isn't many... it's a little "spotto" game Jess and I have going. Today we spotted 25! Yesterday was 6! 

Until Next time friends! 

Kath xx

JAPAN Day 2

Hello from Japan. Or should I say Kon ni chi wa!
Yes Jess and I have picked up a few words.
We are also getting used to the Yen (money) and local area. Had a few miracles while we have been here. Last night Jess had lost about half her money here (around 250 dollars). We prayed God would provided and find it or somehow we would get it back. And after spending more money today... Jess has counted the money she had left, and it has doubled to what it was last night when she counted it! SO CRAZY! We are both shocked! God is SO God.

Today we ventured through China town in Yokohama.
If you thought China town in Melbourne was awesome. This is a whole new level.
We were up pretty early after sleeping 12 hours.
By 8:30am we were up and about!

 All the little officers and road workers have cute little outfits here!

 For breakfast I had some sort of thing. Was nice! I dropped one on the ground though. But I loved the fact it came in a little boat. Yes I used chop sticks for breakfast. Kate- be proud!

 After wondering through China town WE FOUND COFFEE. obviously one of the most important things. It is hard to find GOOD and NORMAL coffee in Japan.

 China Town

 Loving the streets of China Town Yokohama.

 We found a temple in the middle of China town. It looked pretty amazing. We didn't end up going inside because we got some weird vibes.

It started to rain here in Yokohama so Jess and I bought an umbrella each for 400yen. Thats around 5 bucks!

We decided to then walk 5ks to the Yokohama Sankeien Gardens. Which are full of temples and old buildings dating back to the 1600's or temples even earlier.
We had lunch there, walked and explored. Was amazing to see the Japanese history and culture!
The Gardens was a very spiritual place. We could defiantly tell there was a lot of ancestry bonds there. But it was such a beautiful place to walk around though!

 Found my first Japanese CAT! Meow!

 We shared this amazing meal. And sat next to other Australians. Was good to hear some English!

 Lunch spot. Which included tea of some sort.

 Fish in the water. There were so many!

 On the way to the Gardens. Local Japanese street. Looks so different! It was awesome being able to walk the streets of Yokohama and see all the different areas up close. Most of the locals in Japan are either really old or kids. There isn't many people our age here. Jess and I have noticed that a lot of the people here seem rather sad or depressed. No one really smiles! It's actually hard to see. So we try and just say hi to a few people as we walk!

 Nice street in Yokohama.

 Temple in China town. Built 1600 AD.

 Temple in the Gardens 735AD.

 As we were walking through the gardens we found a Japanese bride and groom having their photos done. Was cool being a wedding photographer to see a Japanese wedding shoot in action.

 Old Japanese house.

 Jess and the Japanese house.

 Old school Japanese building.

 Jess and I walking around the Japanese gardens. We met these two ladies from Korea who took our photo after we took theirs. They were so friendly!

 Around the park the Japanese would sit and draw. Often for hours at a time!

 Side and inside one of the Japanese tea houses.

After our adventuring we then walked the 5k back to China town where we got more coffee and some snacks. Did some shopping! Its funny how many people stare at us here. We just smile and wave!

And then we ventured on Home to our little wardrobe. It's amazing how you become so comfortable in such a small place.

Bye or Sayonara... from Japan
Kath

JAPAN- Day 1

Well, as many of you know I am in Japan for 3 weeks doing mission and travel. Super excited as it is my first overseas trip since I was 8. 
 I plan on blogging a few times. I'm not sure how that will go, but I shall try Mum.

I have discovered so far, that I'm not good at sleeping on a plane overnight. So Jess and I hardly got any sleep- But we did manage to get 2 seats each, so we were able to squish up and lay down most of the flight (which was amazing).

The first day should be interesting! We are just hoping they speak more English then we do Japanese, and that we make it to the hotel in Yokahama okay.

The things I'm most looking forward to?

The authentic Japanese food and the fact its going to be above 10 degrees here. Yay for sunshine! The culture is probably going to be amazing and different to what I expect, but I'm excited to see past the land of Oz and see all new things. And I'm looking forward to telling people about Jesus. Exciting times to come friends.

We managed to escape the airport with everything in hand. Now travelling on a bus to Yokahoma where we will be staying.

In Japan it is also classified rude to chat on public transport, so Jess and I just make eye contact and point. It's the best we can do!

Also, I cant trust my instinct here. If it looks like apple juice- it most likely isn't!

So we are at the hotel. It took us a while. After our maps stopped working properly,and we went a few different directions. We ended up just catching a taxi instead of lagging our stuff around.
We have also discovered how kind the Japanese are. We had a man help us get to our train, and showed us all the way. A man helped Jess carry her bag, and we had an older couple stop and try help us with directions. They seriously go above and beyond just to help. It made me think how little we often stop and just simply "help". Everyone is so polite.
Our hotel room Or should I say room which is about 2 meters by 1.5 meters. We don't have beds, just blankets. Our kitchen is in our door way (which consists of a bar fridge). We are sleeping right next to the door and we just manage to cram all of our stuff in. And we are nice and cosy.
It's not close to amazing at all, but we wanted to see the real Japan. We got it!
We have been overwhelmed so far. Not just by our sleeping conditions, but the culture. Just by getting to our hotel.
Before we went for a walk to hunt down some kind of supermarket. Along the way we were greeted by a few people who simply just wanted to chat. We are definetly feeling like we are out of our comfort zone.
Shall be an interesting few weeks!
Lucky we laugh instead of cry, and feel blessed to even be here. WE'RE IN JAPAN!
time for sleep.

Bye friends!

Sometimes, I feel like im Hiding. Other times, I realise I'm hiding only because I can't see the ripple effect of what Love can do in my life. They do say "It's better to have loved, then to never have loved at all"

Before you read this, know that what I'm sharing isnt always easy. Although I'm an honest person, I'll tell you how it is... my hearts intentions is to be real with you. To show you that even though my world isnt perfect, and I have my weakness's. I believe in a God who can overcome all things. Well, I can tell you now; this past month has been an interesting one. Full of suprise's, good and bad. But I'm looking forward.. looking ahead, and looking to God. Have you ever stopped and wondered what it would be like to see you life from a bigger perspective. How small and insignificant all your little issues, all the things you worry about, and all the stress you place upon yourself without even realising it? I was there.

I became over stressed with life and all it seems to be! But God continues to show me His greater perspective and plan for my life. It takes a while to get out of; stress, because healing, processing, and things take time. Normally with myself in general, it starts with one thing. then another and another.. until I haven't processed or rested.. It started when my car kept breaking down. At first, it was something I could deal with... every so often my car began to stop in the middle of driving, sometimes in the middle of intersections.. pretty scary when you have cars coming fast at you and you can't do anything. But lucky, it sorted its self out. I got my car fixed... which means I now have a debt owning of nearly 2000 bucks. To some this may seems small, but with only 15 hours a week of work, and A trip to Japan less then 5 weeks away... money almost got the best of me. But I'm trusting in God. So with that, came job seeking. If you've done it before- you know its hard for a barista or cafe assistant to find work only during the week (with the weekends saved for my photography). Anyway, I had a few trials, and interviews and none of them came through... and so I know I have to still trust God with where I am at right now.. and the time will come soon enough where I move on from my jobs, but for now- I love them. But it had me stressed. It had me consumed. Having moved house last October, I have felt pretty distant from people, from where I called home. And it's fine, because my new house is great, but It also takes a lot to keep in contact and see a lot of my friends these days. Just have to go that extra mile. At the end of last year- God told me to drop all my commitments in church. This was because I was becoming burnt out, and really needed to seek that passion in myself again. I needed to find that desire, to rest in God and just be me for a while. And so I dropped everything. Which may sound simple, but if you know me- you know that I love to do things, I love being involved, and I love serving. I was scared not to be involved, but, what I was more scared of; is missing out on the bigger things God has for me because I'm busy doing what I want to do & not where He wants me. So I stopped. For a while. Although I kept serving,and wanting to do more. I just kept going. So while I was stressed I had a million other things going on in my head. Job seeking, saving, should I cancel my Japan trip? Not sure where my passion was anymore... God knows what else. (Am I making sense or am I rambling... or just annoying you about stressing over dumb things) I know there is a 3rd world. It is easy to be consumed in problems... the devil likes to use them against our freedom. Anyway... It almost got to the stage where I was considering not going to Japan, and getting a full time job. Even though Im sure God wants me in Japan. But it was going to be cheaper for me to cancel my mission trip, I was that deperate. But God pulls through. like a lot of us... not knowing where I am meant to be, even though im somewhere. Figuring out where I am going and trying to trust in Gods purpose and plan for my life. But Ive lesrnt it is where I am right now. Is where He wants me...

This last week and a bit has probably been the most eye opening. Not just for me- but my whole family. My sister was in a major car accident. I remember driving to work after finding out she was rushed to hospital. (Not the call you want to ever get) Everything in me just wanted to make sure she was okay, even though I knew she was going to be. Long story short- life seemed more fragile again. And I was thankful for the simple things. And all of the worlds issues, my issues and everything imperfect seemed insignificant now. God was teaching me how insinificant my "big" problems are. I was thanking God that day. It made me realise how much I need to be thanking him everyday for the little things in life that we can take for granted. God is teaching me a lot recently. Of His grace... of His power... and of the way He works. And you know what, I can't understand it. All I can do, is obey.

I have found God likes to use you in the middle of your own troubles. Although sometimes it is easy to be the hands of God. This particular day- it honestly wasn't. The same day, when my mind was consumed with family and getting home, getting ready for my German friend to come over, after having a stressful two weeks.... About 20 minutes before I needed to leave work this guy came in to the cafe. He sat down, dumped his things on one table. Sat down on another, and asked where the nearest powerpoint was so he could charge his phone. I didnt think much of it and just said where the powerpoint was. Side note: Something my manager and I have been learning at the moment is seeking out God and His kingdom in the cafe. We want not just to "work" there, but love and do His works. So there we were. Packing up, the cafe was quiet. And we had this random dude sitting there. After about 20 minutes, he wanted to buy a can. And didn't quite have the right amount of money, both my manager and I felt to just give him food and drink. So to his suprise, we said "you have have it for free". confused he said "uhh really!?" We just explained its because God loves him. Something this guy hadn't heard before. He asked "He does"? And we just simply said yes.. After he finished his food and drink, he turned to us and started asking about Jesus. Being in a Christian book store... we were kinda in the perfect environment. So we started having this massive conversation about God, and the spiritual world. He said he felt 'lead to the store'. That he was at ringwood station & $2.90 had fallen out of a vending machine. He was on his way to meet a friend in blackburn but couldnt find or get in touch with her. He t saw the sign that said "shops" which lead him to caring, lead him right to where God wanted him.

Soon we found out that he (Harley) was very open spiritually being open to paranormal events and things he has sort out in his past. He used to seek out paranormal activity and believed in ghosts and evil spirits. I instantly felt I need to pray for him. I asked if he had gotten anxiety or spiritual attacks... He said "Anxiety is the thing I struggle most with" After he shared about a few things. Both my manager and I lay hands on him, and we prayed. He said he had so much peace after he prayed.

He also felt extremely arkward... not because of us, but because he felt like people were watching. Which I honestly couldn't care less about. I ended up giving him a bible and another book on life. And then...I actually had to rush off... because I needed to pick up my German friend from the station.. which I was now 20 minutes late for. So I quickly got my things and rushed off. As I was leaving... a lady in the store pulled me aside and said... "Thankyou, that was beautiful, I loved watching God work through you and through simpleness" I saw in her eyes how much it encouraged her. This wasnt an act from me. This was an act of Grace. 

God through me! I haved loved seeing how when you give your time to God and when you allow him to work... He does amazing things... Although Harley walked away feeling loved, blessed, and cared for... I loved seeing the affect it had on that lady. Who already knew God. It also encouraged myself ad my manager, to see how even though we are both there to work, God can still work through us. And even though we are going though so much, God can still use us if we're willing. 

We could of shrugged him off, thought he didn't belong here... Instead we loved.  

How amazing to know that when life throws all sorts in out faces, Im cometely stressed on the inside. God rocks up and uses me, makes me realise what my purpose is, and re aligns my thoughts with His again. A few weeks have gone past... and although more thing have happened. I trust whole heartedly in the one who goves me stength when I need it. Provides and gives me provision for my future. And when I feel like my purpose is running dry, all i need to do is to look and rest in His presence. How good is God!

I hope this chapter of my story has encouraged you. Even though my brain my be overloaded or you might not understand half the things I have said, We're all human, all have one creator, and all have one AWESOME God.

And as he continues to show me how much He has, and how little I do. My greater perspective continues to make me realise how He has already overcome my problems, that may seem big. But really- they are small.

Peace readers.