A Perfect Night by Candlelight

Since I have taken residence in Japan I have been struggling with being disconnected from people. With the exception of a few friends, I feel as though I’ve been cut off from everyone and thrown into a land where relationships are prohibited by an ever pervasive language barrier. I understand that with time this barrier will slowly dissipate, but for the moment it is a bit daunting. These severed relationships not only stem from moving away from Rogers, Arkansas but also from leaving my last home, Valparaiso University. I never realized how nourished my spiritual life was there or how strong my relationships were until they were not physically present everyday.

With all that being stated; last night we visited the Lutheran Seminary here in Tokyo for an evening prayer service. I asked various questions about what the service would entail. Would it be in English? Who would be there? How long would it last? Then someone told me in was the Holden Evening Prayer service, “do you know it?” they asked. I almost had tears in my eyes when I replied yes. Something I once took for granted has come to mean more to me than I can verbalize. This prayer service has been my weekly routine for the past four years. At Valparaiso every Sunday night at 10 pm we have our Candlelight service, which is the Holden Evening Prayer. This service is something myself and my sorority sisters, close friends, classmates, teachers, and a large portion of campus would attend. This service became tradition throughout college, something that has been fulfilling for me spiritually, something that connected us as a campus and something to begin our week. As I participated and sang loudly last night (for the first time in Japan the hymns were in English!) I closed my eyes and felt those connections. The hundreds of friends I left behind in Valpo going through the same service, the same songs, the same… We might not have had candles, and granted the music was done on a harp instead of a piano…but it was the same. I could feel the tears swelling up as I realized that although I may be 7,000 miles away from home I am still connected. The similarities in some experiences I’ve had here and my experiences at home sometimes even surprise me.

To all my Valparaiso kin, know that next time you are at Candlelight service, I very well may be participating in the same service thousands of miles away. Whenever we feel as though we are separated from everything and everyone we know and love, take a breath and realize it’s all the same…just a different location. This really has put some situations in perspective for me; it was just what I needed. No matter how disconnected I may feel from someone or my “homeland” God gives me those reminders…you are still home.

My New Home in Tokyo

This blog entry is way over due, my apologies for taking so long to update! It feels as though these past two weeks have just flown by. To begin with my trip here: My dad, two brothers, and grandparents dropped me off at O’Hare airport on Sunday morning. The day started off to a good start when I wasn’t charged for my over weight luggage, which is a good thing because it was WAY over weight. This meant I was off to a good start. I then wandered around the airport, since it is my favorite place, and met up with Doug and Sue. We boarded the plane and I had a seat open next to me which was really nice. I was able to stretch out on the flight and get slightly more comfortable, I think the man next to me enjoyed the extra space as well. The flight was just around 13 hours…so not much longer than my drive from Rogers to Valparaiso. The flight was really smooth and the movies kept me occupied. We landed at Narita and waited in many long lines to get through immigration, customs, for our luggage, and then another line I’m not quite sure what we did. I was FINALLY greeted at an airport with a sign, something I’ve also wanted to happen! We met our hosts and were picked up and taken to Tokyo. Some of our luggage had to be shipped to us because between the four of us we had probably 13 suitcases. We then traveled by van to our new homes in Adachi-ku. We unloaded in our apartments and tried to get settled in. We then went down the street for dinner and received some more information, and schedules for the following weeks.
The apartment is what you would generally expect for an apartment in Tokyo. It is small but manageable; after all it is just me. This apartment will be my home until March at which point I will move to another part of Tokyo before I start teaching. We spent the next few days trying to get settled, setting up bank accounts, applying for alien registration, buying cell phones, getting commuter passes for the train, meeting people at the Japanese Evangelical Lutheran Church headquarters as well as the Japanese Evangelical Lutheran Association. Cindy, the J3 coordinator, has been MORE than helpful with making sure we knew what we were doing, where we were going and making sure we were well taken care of. I cannot imagine trying to do any of this without her. We also started language school last week, we have begun by learning Hiragana and Katakana, I’m glad I started studying those this summer it put me a leg up and I feel I was better able to catch on. We have also begun learning different beginning phrases and greetings; everything in Japan is so formal! But overall class is going well, we meet 4 times a week for 3 hours. I hope that I will begin to pick it up quicker because not being able to communicate has probably been my biggest problem. I’m so used to being able to communicate with those around me, I forgot how much of a language barrier there really is. Not as many people speak English as I would have imagined…I think I ran into more people who spoke English while I was in China.
My adjustments and first impressions…. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting when I moved to Tokyo…I guess I was kind of expecting it to be like China, and it is not, at all. That is not a bad thing; I think I was just basing my expectations on the only other Asia country I’ve visited…which I think is normal. I really am enjoying Japan thus far. Tokyo is a VERY large city and I have much to see, weekends are spent traveling around whether it’s the next train station over or exploring aquariums in far off areas of Tokyo. I’m still trying to adjust to the cost of living over here; it is very expensive, once again nothing like China. Other than that I would like to think I’m adjusting well. Jet lag has been a bit of a problem and I often wake up at 4 am, but thanks to Skype I can always find someone to talk with for hours until I actually start my day. As the days go by it is becoming easier to sleep in, but I still find myself waking up in the middle of the night and trying to force myself back to bed. I could keep typing about my experiences but I will try to save something for next time, and hopefully I will start posting on a more regular basis.

4 Days and Counting!!!!

I leave in four days…wow where did the time go?! This past month I continued to put off everything I was suppose to do, like packing, saying goodbyes, canceling phone plans, etc., until this week hit and all of a sudden I realized that I’m actually leaving…crazy thought. I’m moving to a foreign country for a few years: that statement is packed with anxiety, fear, joy, and the knowledge that I’m leaving behind some of my best friends physically, but they will sure be in contact thanks to the power of technology. But I also have friends who are anxiously waiting for me to arrive in Japan which is really neat. There is a whole community of people praying for me, preparing for my arrival, a friend who is anxiously waiting to go sight seeing with me once I get there, and a new church family to welcome me with open arms, and for that I am excited and thankful.

This past Sunday I had my commissioning service at my church, I spoke at all of our services and inform the congregation of the new adventure I’m about to embark upon. It is exciting to share my calling with those I am close to, but even more exciting to open up the eyes of others who may not have known much about global missions. I am really excited to share everything I’ve been going through with my church family and all my mission supporters. I was commissioned by my interim Pastor who seemed very excited to hear all about my journey, as we worked together on the service. We sang Hymn #808 (Thank you Mark Nygard!) which is a very inspiring hymn for me to think about and all the implications that I will soon understand. I was sent off with the blessing of the church and the knowledge that I will be representing the ELCA to my new community, to which I plan on sharing my experiences with. The commissioning really marked for me a transitioned; I am being sent by the church to go somewhere.

This is no longer just a trip for me, but it is truly a calling and a need to fulfill. I am going to Japan with a full heart and a willing attitude to do whatever it is they are calling me to do. I am prepared that the move with be different and challenging at times, and would ask that you all keep me in your prayers as I embark on this journey this weekend. I am sure the next few days will fly by, and hopefully I will get everything done I need to and still have time to spend with my friends and family before I hop on that plane at O’Hare. Please pray for my strength and energy, as the trip there is going to be a long one, pray for patience and understanding in a new surrounding and pray for those I am leaving behind and those I have yet to meet. Next time I post something on here I will be in Japan, CRAZY!


Also for those of you who have been asking my new address is:

Dana Dutcher
#303 LeoPalace Koemon-1
1-21-3 Chuo-honcho, Adachi-ku
Tokyo 120-0011 Japan

This is good from September 28th until sometime in March, I'll keep you updated on my move!

Why serve others?

Although I was not at the recent youth gathering in New Orleans, I'm always excited to hear stories of those who did attend. I unfortunately was unable to serve due to my training, which is a blessing in itself that I was learning how to serve better in my capacity as a missionary while 37,000 youth were serving many for their first time down in New Orleans. This is an article a friend who did serve down there posted for me to read and I thought I'd share it with everyone on here. This is powerful writing, and a powerful witness to why we serve others. Stories such as this one reaffirm why I am going to serve for the next three years.

AUGUST 3, 2009
Gratitude for the Lutheran teens who visited New Orleans
The Kindness of Strangers

The end of July brought the biggest convention to town since Hurricane Katrina, but it wasn't doctors, lawyers or other professionals. In fact, it wasn't even adults. It was 37,000 teenagers and their chaperones from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), who filled hotels all over town for the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering, which they called "Jesus, Justice and Jazz."

  Besides their worship events at the Louisiana Superdome and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the teens spent much of their five days in New Orleans performing some 200 community service projects, including hosting a health fair in New Orleans City Park, building a two-mile hiking trail around the park's Goat and Scout Islands and adding new plants to the Botanical Garden. Elsewhere, they held reading fairs for children and painted and cleaned houses and schools. Some boarded buses and headed to the Falgout Canal marina to replant marsh grasses; others converged on Holt Cemetery to weed, seed, restore tombstones and, in some cases, rebury the dead. At the end of their busy days, many of them found time to donate blood to the Red Cross. In all, our Lutheran visitors from all over the United States contributed a quarter of a million volunteer hours to the people of New Orleans — and, in many cases, thanked us for the chance to have done so.

  We're humbled. Humbled at their generosity. Humbled at the sight of so many young people traveling so far to do so much hard work during their summer vacation. Humbled that the "Katrina fatigue" felt by so many Americans was replaced, for a few days, with an enthusiasm even some of us find hard to muster some days. Regardless of your faith, or lack thereof, these excited young volunteers were an inspiration, and just one of them accomplished more good than all the preachers and politicians in the world who saw Katrina as either perverse justice or crass opportunity.

  Among the many small moments of grace between our young guests and the locals came last weekend at Betsy's Pancake House in Mid-City, which had its usual mix of Sunday morning regulars — sleepy folks with Saturday night faces and regal African-American churchwomen in their Sunday finery. Into Betsy's dining room came nine teenagers, led by a pastor and two chaperones, looking friendly but shy and a bit out of place. Tables were rearranged; coffee was brought. The waitress, with little prompting, welcomed them and told them the tale of the coffee shop during Katrina. The kids were more curious about grits. They opted for white toast instead.

  "We could have gone to Burger King, but we saw this and wanted to eat at a place with neighborhood people," said the pastor, the Rev. Dr. Brian W. Armen, shaking hands with people who approached their table. He and his flock were from Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Johnston, Penn. None of them had been to New Orleans before.

  Then, the waitress laid a $20 bill on the table. "That man who just left paid for some of your breakfast," she said, and within a couple of minutes bills were being passed to the visitors from around the room — $10 here, $20 there, and the pastor's wife began to cry, saying "Thank you," to which the morning regulars replied, "No, thank you."

  How do you thank someone for helping rebuild your city? It's a question with which we've all wrestled during the past four years, and the answer is: You can't.But the simple act of buying a stranger a breakfast said "Thank you" in myriad ways: Thank you for coming. Thank you for caring. Thank you for your sweat and your optimism, for your curiosity and bravery in traveling to a place so unlike your own home. And, when many in the rest of the country seem to have "gotten over" Katrina and can't understand why we can't, perhaps the real message was: Thank you for not forgetting.

  Most of all, thank you for reminding New Orleans — a city that's so dependent on the kindness of strangers — that there still are people in this world who come to town and leave behind things more valuable than overflowing cash registers.

This is why I'm going to serve.

Article Posted from : http://bestofneworleans.com

Fill Me Up Lord!

Throughout this new journey my life is headed on, I have been asked several times, “What fills you up spiritually?” I have been told I’m going to need to be intentional about maintaining my own spiritual life while I am in Japan and I was not quite sure how I was going to do that. What truly does fill me up spiritually? Through orientation and since I have been home, I have been pondering this question and realizing that this past month I have been very blessed to have been filled many times over.

Relationships: I need relationships with other strong Christians in my life. People who I can question with, pray with, share meals with, and just be with. Throughout my orientation I have been blessed to find many new friends and to form friendships, which will undoubtedly be long standing. These people truly understand where I am going in life, and the struggles that come along with that. I felt I had made friends over the course of a month who truly understand me better than those who have been surrounding me for years. The Global Mission community is strong and there are many valuable resources and people there. These friendships are so genuine, it is refreshing. They are “my people” as one of them put it. These are my role models for whom I will strive to be like, to maintain that intentional relationship with them and with God.

Music: Despite my denial of it, I love Christian music! The music that is played at retreats that pumps you up, the music that brings tears to your eyes, the music where every musical instrument is played, I love it. There are a few songs on my play list that can always bring me closer to God when I need it. I also have been known to sing in a few Gospel Choirs and Gospel music has power over me, it is so raw and so real, it is truly inspirational. I will be listening to Christian music to maintain my sense of grounding and my sense of calmness.

Coffee: Stay in there with me. Over this past month coffee has come to symbolize so much to me. It is people struggling together, (often to stay awake) it is time to just talk with your neighbor; it is questioning the bible passages and struggling to find their meaning in your life. Coffee is the glue that brings us together in moments where we are not sure we can make it on our own accord anymore. It is sipping the sugared down cup while over looking Lake Michigan and singing Disney songs together. Coffee symbolizes communication for me, and the sustainability of friendships. So when you just need someone to be there, brew a pot of coffee and just be with one another, accompany them if you will.

These things in combination with bible study and daily scripture will fulfill my spiritual life while in Japan, and I ask you to all accompany me and pray with me on this journey!

For God alone my soul waits in silence’ from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress, I shall never be shaken. For God along my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2, 5-6

The Journey is one step closer...

I’m getting really excited about the adventure that lies ahead of me! I am home now but I spent the entire month of July in Chicago going to several different orientations: ESL Training, ELCA Specific Orientation, Ecumenical Mission Personnel Orientation, and finally the Summer Missionary Conference in Kenosha, WI. The people who I have met here are absolutely amazing. It’s a comfort to know that these are the people I will be calling my support system through this new adventure in my life. We have been called to different countries, for different jobs, and for different lengths of time, but we all have been called. Orientation really gave us a chance to get to know one another and to build those relationships that will last through out our mission experience, not to mention we all gave each other awesome places to come visit!

It astonishes me all the amazing places we are going to. Varying levels of expertise required, varying languages to learn, those of us who still are not quite sure what our job is going to look like once we get there, and then there are others who have already been living in their place of call and serving God there. I am very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead of me and all the amazing places I plan on visiting as well. God has truly called me to an amazing job and I cannot wait to start it.

During our Ecumenical Orientation, one of the bible studies consisted of watching this video, and although his purpose was not religious, it still had the power to move many people to tears. I take this video as a sign of what someone can do and where they can go when God is on their side. Also those of us who have never been to the country we are serving, it was amazing to see them in this video, whether its Japan, Hong Kong, or Papua New Guinea they were all there. All the amazing places God has made for us to visit, and wants us to go. I truly believe God wants us to understand and know all cultures and a video like this has helped me to realize that it is possible and can happen. There are people all over the world who need help, and I need the help to understand. God’s work is never done.

Hebrews 13:1-3 Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.

Join the Dance