Advent versus Christmas

I love to travel; I think that is of no secret to anyone who knows me. For as long as I can remember I have loved being on the move and going to new places. When I was younger we used to drive from Wisconsin to Arkansas to visit family, but my parents were smart and did it at night while we were asleep. I also remember driving around Wisconsin and Michigan with my grandparents in their motor home. Also, taking into consideration I lived in Arkansas and went to college in Indiana, I’m pretty sure I could do that drive half way asleep and still make every turn on that 10 hour journey. Most families in America take road trips, and it’s become some what of a past time. After all getting there is half the fun right?

Well…actually…. I am not one who subscribes to that philosophy of life. I do not enjoy long road trips; I enjoy getting to my destination in a fast, efficient way. Maybe it is because I’m impatient, maybe it’s because I become bored easily if I’m not driving, maybe it’s because I am in charge if I’m driving and there is too much to worry about. For me, getting there is a hassle not an enjoyment. To the chagrin of my best friend Valerie, I absolutely love O’Hare airport, the hustle and bustle of the people there, the different languages that are spoken, and most importantly the massage chairs at Brookstone in concourse C. I have my flying routine down, my frequent flier miles on several airlines, and have probably been to every major airport in the Continental United States, yup that’s me, I love flying. I love getting to the destination in under 4 hours, and I love the window seat. I am not one who enjoys the journey.


With that stated, I have always loved Christmas. Advent was just a season where I got to tape up my animal up on our family’s advent calendar (I always had the cat on the third day) and eat my piece of Advent chocolate. Advent was something that was a chore, until the blessed day of Christmas when I got to open my presents. Advent was the journey and Christmas was the destination. I therefore looked forward to Christmas and counted down the days impatiently like most children do.

Christmas has a tendency to be quite commercialized these days. The Christmas ornaments, the Christmas lights on the house, who sent or received the most Christmas cards, the perfect stockings hung by the fire place, the candy canes, visiting Santa at the mall, the Christmas music constantly playing since the Friday after Thanksgiving….I think you get the point. We have successfully almost removed everything from the Christmas season that we are supposed to be celebrating, the awaiting and the birth of Christ.

Christmas here in Japan has definitely taken on a different role for me, the commercialization is still here but in a form that is different from my usual traditions so the impact is slightly less. (But don’t worry Mariah Carey’s All I want for Christmas is You plays in EVERY store here) Christmas is a very important holiday but without the tree, presents, warm fireplace, and family it has taken on a new role for me. The holiday season has become much more about Advent for me. The waiting and the preparation for the coming of Christ. Much like the excitement when someone is expecting a child, we are expecting Jesus. The journey of Advent has meant more to me here in Japan, despite the fact I still can’t understand the Sunday sermons, you can feel the difference in the church. The advent wreath is lit with such reverence here, and the church color of purple is every where in my church. A color that symbolizes hope, the hope that our Savior’s birth is coming soon, a hope that we hold dear the true meaning of Christmas.

So this year especially, it is about the journey for me. It’s about advent, and being with friends, decorating offices and churches, and spending time together. Having end of the year parties, as we await the New Year and the coming of Christ. This year Advent holds more meaning than Christmas Day will, for my Christmas Day will be spent in an airport…fitting, right? So this Advent I ask that you wait with me and look forward to the joy of our Savior’s birth, enjoy the journey.

I’m thankful for Retreats and Thanksgivings!

Although Thanksgiving is technically over, I am still reflecting on what I am thankful for this year. This November flew by before I knew what was happening. However it is interesting to look back and reflect on how this November is different from last November, and how I’ve grown and changed from then. Last year I was struggling in language class, unaware of what the next year would bring, homesick, and did not have so many friends in Japan. I had only been living here for a few months and was not completely confident in navigating my way around Tokyo. NOW however, I feel confident in my Japanese language abilities to manage a simple conversation with most people, I can navigate my way around just about anywhere in Tokyo, I have plenty of friends I can call on to hang out with when I need it, and I haven’t been so homesick lately. I have traveled to several different countries, as well as traveled to quite a few places in Japan. This past year may have flown by but I have changed and grown so much in these past 12 months, its kind of surreal.

This November I participated in two different retreats. The first retreat was the Hongo Bible Retreat in the Okutama Ward of Tokyo, out in the mountains. This retreat was run by the staff and J3’s in Tokyo and the participants were students and church members from Hongo Church. We went out to the countryside and had great fellowship while learning and having discussions about the Bible. Our participants were able to practice their English while getting a better grasp on the English language. Our theme for the weekend was “I am…” and we focused on Jesus’ statements in the Bible, such as “I am the way, the truth, and the life” “I am the bread of life” to name just a few. Our discussions for the weekend were focused on who is Jesus and what role does he play in our lives. We played ice breaker games at the beginner which are always fun, everyone running around, becoming more comfortable with one another and allowing us to bond on a friendship level, as oppose to the usual teacher / student dynamic that persists in most of those relationships. We also had quite time to walk around nature and reflect on our relationship with God, and for those participants who are not Christians, this gave them sometime to read the bible and try to come to understand Jesus. The retreat concluded with a BBQ and great fellowship fishing in a nearby stream. The fall leaves made Okutama the perfect location for a fall retreat.




The next weekend the J3 missionaries had a retreat in Hiroshima. This location was specifically picked by my co-worker Matthew and I because we felt that visiting Hiroshima was very important to us as Americans working in Japan. It gives us a better concept of what WWII means to the Japanese people, and also gave us a chance to read and better understand the dynamics from the war. Although WWII may be a distant memory in most Americans’ minds, it is a very pervasive thought here in Japan that shapes a lot of the way Japanese people view their lives now. It is very much still an important factor in how they view their international relations. I have had many conversations regarding this with my co-workers, students, and other friends abroad, which has brought up an interesting dialogue, which before moving to Japan, I was not fully aware of the drastic dynamics that still exist today. Many Japanese citizens do not know the causes that resulted in the dropping of the atomic bomb, they choose to ignore and disregard what happened in Korea and the Rape of Nanjing in China. Needless to say it was a very interesting and educational trip. It was also nice to see another part of Japan, and have a retreat with my fellow American co-workers. This was a time where we could come together and share our daily struggles, our job duties, how we are ministering in Japan and the joys we share on a daily basis, and we also came together to have English worship (something that has become a rarity in our daily lives). This retreat was a much needed break from the busy working life of a Japanese missionary. Hiroshima also had beautiful Christmas light displays, usually called Illumination in Japan, but Hiroshima calls their “Dreamination” A combination of dream and imagination? Don’t ask why…because there is usually not an answer, but it was beautiful regardless.





I am very thankful for both of these retreats. They allowed me to have time outside of Tokyo to be with friends in a more laid back atmosphere, while learning about the Bible together. It is also nice to spend time outside of Tokyo so I can explore and become more familiar with other areas of Japan, since Tokyo is a whole different thing in and of itself.

This year I am also thankful to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving in a more traditional way, not once but twice this year. Last year, I along with two other missionaries went to Subway and ate turkey subs for lunch, and later that evening had wine and cheese. This year I had a more traditional dinner. I was invited to my friend Katharine’s international church in Yokohama, and Tokyo Lutheran Church’s Thanksgiving. Both places had a mix of Americans and Japanese people, and consequently American and Japanese cuisine. The vast majority of the Thanksgiving staples were present, along with French fries, sushi and a few other things I have never seen on the Thanksgiving table before. It made for a rather interesting dinner. I successfully found all the ingredients I needed to make my favorite dish, green bean casserole, and prepared and brought it to both dinners. It was a great success! Everyone loved it and I had no leftovers. But no worries, I bought enough supplies to make it for myself again! The conversations at both dinners were great; I sat around and made new friends and networked in Yokohama, played card games with children and gave advice on college life to a soon to be graduating American senior who is going to be living in America for the first time. At Tokyo Lutheran I practiced my Japanese and discussed the traditions of American Thanksgiving and we discussed cultural differences that were present during our meal. Both nights were a great success and gave me reasons to be thankful for my life in Japan.




At times I may complain about trivial things here in Japan, but lets face it, I complain no matter where I am. Japan is a great country and sometimes I just need to be reminded of that. I have so much to be thankful for; my life experiences, my friends and family back home, my new friends here in Japan,the experience of living in Japan, and the ministry God has called me here to do. And so it is with this, I begin this December and the Advent season with an open heart a new sense of appreciation for the country I am serving in.