Things You Take For Granted

Things you take for granted –

So I know this may sound silly but I wanted to share some of the day to day experiences of living in Japan as well as the amazing sightseeing and friendships we are building. The past few weeks I have been grateful for my Crest toothpaste. Now before you say really, of all the things, toothpaste?!

Well, I tried a few kinds of Japanese toothpaste and they were just not my Crest toothpaste. Sometimes it is the simplest and most basic things we experience every day that bring us comfort and joy. So…I asked my mother to send the a few tubes of my favorite Crest toothpaste. She did and I was so happy to brush my teeth with the familiar flavor and consistency of my toothpaste.

My favorite toothpaste

My family said they were fine with the other brands but I guess it may be like your favorite pen or your favorite pair of socks and how they feel on your feet. There are some things you just can not replace and I am here to tell you I really appreciate my toothpaste. Several mornings now over the past few weeks I have been grateful to see my familiar tube of Crest in the medicine cabinet when I brush my teeth. It brings me joy and I am grateful presently for my toothpaste.

Stephanie's Admirer -

We were all bit surprised when Stephanie received a custom box of chocolates from a little first grade boy at her school. He happens to live in our neighborhood so she and Bob have walked by his house and taken him to the park to play a couple of times. Appears he is a bit smitten with her. 

Customized chocolates from an admirer

So cute, although I see just this past week he appears to have found another little girl more his age who he is interested in. We were pretty sure the interest was not going to last... 

Alex’s Birthday

We celebrated Alex's birthday with cake, ice cream and presents and are awaiting the arrival of his much anticipated long board from the states. His grand parents sent him American candy and a cool cross necklace and Reiko down the street gave him an amazing three D light up globe for his birthday. 

Alex's birthday cake

Alex's birthday celebration

I can hardly believe Alex is graduating junior high and will soon be heading to high school. He is now quite a bit taller than I am and reminds me of it regularly when we share tallest to smallest at the dinner table. He thinks this is great fun and looks more and more like a high school kid every day. He received many birthday messages from friends and family letting him know they were thinking of him and wishing him a happy birthday.

Light up 3-D globe from Reiko

Bob Sick Over Spring Break -

Thank you to many of our supporters, family and friends who prayed for Bob when he was sick. He had a cold for a couple weeks, then caught influenza B which pretty much put him on his back for a full week during spring break. He was in pretty bad shape and we are grateful he is better now.

He indicated that was as sick as he has ever been and even appendicitis and kidney stones once diagnosed, were dealt with and had a faster recovery time than the flu. Apparently the flu hits foreigners harder than locals because we are not accustom to the strains of flu for the region. 

Bob is still dealing with ear issues stemming from an ear infection he caught when he had the cold/flu three weeks ago. Please pray his hearing returns to normal in the near future. He went to an ear, nose and throat doctor this past week to get some relief.

Futsal Tournament at Osaka International School -

KCS played their final futsal tournament of the year a couple weeks ago at OIS. It was a beautiful day and the boys played well winning some and losing a few as well. They placed 6th out of 12 schools represented which is a great showing for our school.

KCS vs. MC Perry

KCS vs. Nagoya

KCS vs. Nagoya

Some of the schools which attend this tournament boast student bodies upwards of 300+ students and we are about 1/6 of those numbers. I am proud of the team and their achievements this year as well as the great attitude with which they represent our school Great job boys and congratulations!

Thank you -

Thank you to all our of faithful supporters, family and friends. I know I say it a lot, but thanks to you we get to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those around us here in Japan. We appreciate your generosity and are honored to be here serving Christ in this amazing and wonderful community.  

In His Service,

K. Chadduck

Kimonos with Saito Sensei and Kae –

Shakespeare  As You Like It Globe Theater Posters -

So I gave my class a Shakespeare assignment to generate a play poster (think movie poster) for the Globe Theater. Students were to make posters advertising Mr. Shakespeare's upcoming play, As You Like It.

Shakespeare's As you Like it Movie Poster 

They were instructed to entice patrons to spend their hard earned money, provide details regarding the play, introduce the cast, type of play, include one advertisement and write an editorial review after the first nights showing.

As You Like it Movie Poster

They are amazing and came up with some fantastic, funny and beautiful posters for the project. I think you will enjoy their sense of humor. Bob and I even found ourselves part of the cast on one poster!

The caption on this one made me laugh out loud!

Globe Theater Movie Poster

This one was giving away tickets signed by Shakespeare himself to entice attendees

Imazu Lighthouse and Mukogowa Women's University –

We took a trip to Kobe to watch Alex play futsal at the Canadian Academy and after the matches we met up with a couple former Mukogowa students, Yuki and Mikiko. They met us in Kobe for lunch, to see the Imazu Lighthouse and tour the Mukogowa campus as well.

The Imazu lighthouse, which is in the shape of a lantern is an important part of the Imazu port history and is still active today. We wanted to see this particular lighthouse in Kobe because Spokane is a Sister City to Nishinomiya and they are building a replica of the Imazu lighthouse in Riverfront Park in Spokane, Washington. 

We first heard about the building of the Imazu lighthouse replica in Riverfront Park at a Spokane - Nishinomiya Sister City Society Meeting in the summer of 2015. The Imazu lighthouse was originally built in 1810 and was restored to its original state in 1984.

Imazu Lighthouse Built in 1810 and restored in 1984 - Kobe, Japan

Much smaller than I thought it would be for a lighthouse...

Imazu Port Lighthouse - Kobe, Japan

Yuki, Alex and I at the Imazu Lighthouse

The Imazu lighthouse being built in Riverfront Park is part of the ongoing fifty year sister city relationship between Spokane and Nishinomiya. We enjoyed seeing the original lighthouse and experiencing this part of our Sister City heritage.

We also toured the campus of Mukogowa Women's University with Mikiko while in Kobe. It was great to see the campus in Japan which we hear so much about through the Mukogowa Fort Wright Institute (MFWI) in Spokane.

Alex, Stephanie and Mikiko enjoying ice cream on the Mukogowa campus

Mukogowa Women's University - Kobe, Japan

Mukogowa is the largest women's university in Japan with roughly 10,000 students and a satellite campus in Spokane where they host students from the Kobe campus each quarter. They offer a home stay program at MFWI which is how we met many of our friends here in Japan. 

Mokogowa Women's University

Our visit with Mikiko at Mukogowa Women's University

Kimonos with Saito Sensei and Kae –

Over spring break Stephanie and I had the amazing opportunity to dress up in kimonos with Saito Sensei and Kae. Saito Sensei invited us to share in this Japanese tradition and blessed us tremendously by sharing her family kimonos and allowing us to take pictures in these beautiful gowns.

Stephanie and I in Kimono's

Because the kimono tradition is fading in Japan and many in the younger generation are opting for more Western style clothing, the tradition of the kimono as daily attire in Japan is losing popularity. You still see women in kimonos for special occasions including weddings, coming of age ceremonies and special celebrations. However, in the not do distant past the kimono was the daily attire for Japanese women.

Kimono's in Japanese Garden

Because the kimono is worn less frequently today, many women do not know how to wear or dress in the kimono which is very involved and difficult to put on properly. There are classes available to teach women how to properly wear and assemble the kimono. It is an art form and we were fortunate enough to have Saito Sensei and Kae practice their skill as they allowed us to wear these beautiful pieces of Japanese tradition and family heritage.

Kimono's in Japanese Garden

We had a wonderful time visiting and taking pictures with these amazing women. They blessed us with tea and snacks after preparing the kimonos and our hair with traditional Japanese hair clips, shoes and hand bags. We are grateful for their generosity to give of their time and experience in sharing part of their rich Japanese culture with us. 

Saito Sensi, Kae, Me and Stephanie

Kae, Me and Saito Sensi - such a fun day. Thank you so much!

Thank you for checking in again to our blog. Sorry it has been so long since I posted an update. As you can tell from our pictures and activities, we have been busy experiencing as much of this rich culture and wonderful people as we can.

We continue to feel blessed and are regularly amazed we get the opportunity to be in Japan teaching and sharing about the Lord. Thank you for your partnership in this adventure that makes these opportunities a reality. We hope to share with you in pictures our efforts to connect with this culture, students and community for His greater purposes.

In Christ with a grateful heart,

K. Chadduck