Futsal Tournament Champions

Bob's Birthday -

We celebrated Bob's birthday by going out to dinner at a local ramen shop and returned home for cake, ice cream and presents. Not sure how it happened, but for the past few years Bob seems to be getting younger while I am getting older. I was not a math mahor in college but something seems amiss with his math...

Bob's birthday dinner at a ramen shop

Cake, ice cream and presents - some how he keeps getting younger...

Valentines Day Hike -

We went on a Valentine's Day hike after church on Sunday, weaving our way to the love lock display and lookout. I cannot imaging the US having anything like this due to the liability. However, here in Japan it is fairly common to have a large tower or in this case a staircase in order to gain a 360 degree view of the surrounding cities.

Pond near hiking trail

Lookout tower on our hike

Cool itty bitty lichen on a tree that look like little red flowers

Futsal at Marist Brothers International School – Kobe

The KCS boys’ futsal team traveled to Kobe to play in the Marist Brothers International School tournament a couple weeks ago. Though the team was missing a couple of players due to illness, they played very well. In spite of only having one sub, they won their first two matches to earn a spot in the championship.

The fields were soaked as it rained most of the day so the AstroTurf was really slick making it difficult for the boys to stay on their feet. They won the championship match going undefeated to win the tournament. This is sort of like David vs. Goliath since our school is really small and Marist has an enrollment of about 300 students. This was a huge accomplishment for our team and they really did a great job.

I had never watched futsal until this tournament but I admit I enjoyed it a lot. It was sort of like soccer but much faster without off sides and the field is much smaller. 

Futsal tournament at Marist Brothers International School - Kobe

KCS vs. Marist Brothers at Marist - Kobe, Japan

KCS vs. Sons of the Light

We continue to feel so blessed and fortunate to be a part of this amazing school. Thank you for following our adventure. Whether you are partnering with us in prayer, financially or just following to see what new and crazy experiences we encounter, we appreciate knowing you are there and enjoy hearing your messages of encouragement.

In His service with gratitude,

K. Chadduck

Gyoza - Authentic Japanese Cooking

Authentic Japanese Cooking -

This is the second dish Hiromi and Mikako taught me how to make when we mt in December. I do not have many Japanese dishes in my cook book but ths is one of my favorite. Some of you may recognize these from the states where they are known as "pot stickers". I am not sure how they got that name other than they will stick to the bottom of hte pan if you do not put a little oil in the pan before you begin steaming them.

These gyoza, as they are called in Japan are one of my favorite foods. I liked them in the state where we bought them frozen from Costco but now that I can wrap my own and put extra ginger in them, they are the best! My whole family loves them and they are really pretty easy to make just like most good food, they take time to prepare.

Gyoza prepared and ready to cook

Can you hear them sizzling?

The table set by Steph -  food is all about the presentation. Oh how beautiful!

Temple –

We visited a temple over the News Year’s holiday. A fellow teacher at the school told us this time of year is great to tour the temples because they are decorated beautifully and filled with people. He noted any other time of year the grounds are usually empty and not nearly as beautiful. This particular temple is in our prefecture and we spent the evening as a family touring the grounds, taking in the cultural experience and eating dinner from street vendors.

You can see from the pictures there are many temples on the grounds and the landscape is beautiful. Really makes for some great discussions with the kids when we interact with the culture like this and note the differences from our own personal experiences in the states.

Outside a large temple entrance - Nara, Japan

Beautifully decorated temple for the New Year's celebration.

Traditional Japanese decoration made out of bamboo and a cabbage type flower.

One of many stair cases throughout the temple areas.

Buddhist priest worshiping at the temple.

Another temple entrance.

I am still not clear about the meaning of these statues or why they have caps. 

Sunday Afternoon Hike in the Sunshine -
Just a few pictures we took on a Sunday afternoon hike. Still strikes me funny how we can be so close to the city and in very little time be in the woods, traipsing through bamboo forests, meandering along streams enjoying the outdoors of Japan.

Leaf covered path along bamboo forests.

Small brook near hiking trails.

We appreciate all of our friends, family and supporters who continue to bless us with care packages from home as well as kind words and prayers. At the risk of saying it too often...I hope you know how much we appreciate your support in its many forms. There is a direct link between our ability to be here and your financial support and prayers. We hope you know you ARE partnering with us in this great adventure. Thank you and God bless you for your generosity and faithful prayers.

In Christ,

K. Chadduck