settling in
August 31, 2019
KYLE
KYLE
We haven't started our main ministries yet. Christ Bible Institute (CBI), along with all schools in Japan, are off for the month of August. Brett, the director of CBI, told us that this was perfect for us as they recommend newcomers to take the first few weeks in Japan to simply get settled in anyway. So that is what we have been doing.
The first few days were a bit overwhelming, exhausting, and a little depressing. We really felt the weight of this transition and the good things we left behind in America. But after a couple good nights of sleep, we made it our mission to make this new place feel like home. We ordered furniture from IKEA to get delivered to us, we bought bicycles to explore the city, and we set out to find some good restaurants nearby. Slowly but surely, our 6th floor apartment in Nagoya began to feel more homey and the circumference of what is familiar is expanding every day.
Last week, we traveled a bit to get to know different parts and aspects of this country that we are serving in. We zipped up to Tokyo via the shinkansen (bullet train) for a few days. There, we went to Disneyland, visited the National Museum, ate some goooood ramen, bought some Japanese literature, stumbled across an odori matsuri (dance festival), and rested under the shade of trees at some parks. Our biggest highlight of Tokyo though was meeting up with a friend from San Clemente who is currently living in Tokyo. For the most part, we have not spent time with other people. It's just been us. So to sit down and have meaningful conversations over coffee with a familiar face was more life-giving than we expected.
Almost as life-giving as our time in our next destination, the Hida Mountains. We took a train and a local bus to make it up to the mountains to escape the heat and the concrete jungles. We stayed at a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) in a small mountain town called Hirayu Onsen. An "onsen" is a hot spring bath, and these ryokan typically have one. Nearby, there is a place called Kamikochi in the Northern Japanese Alps. Surrounding us were enormous mountains blanketed in lush green trees. There were so many nature trails to explore, and explore we did. After walking several kilometers and climbing several flights, the onsen welcomed and relaxed us. Resting in the cool mountain air and rain was just what we needed. We have decided that we will need to take a weekend getaway once a month to slow down and get into nature.