Japan State of Missions -

Chicken Noodle Soup -

My 11th/12th grade English Literature class celebrated the end of our Shakespeare unit by watching As You Like It and eating chicken noodle soup or (CNS) as my students have lovingly nicknamed it. Some of the students had never eaten chicken noodle soup and had been asking me to make it for a few months.

It took me te better part of an evening to make a roaster oven of chicken noodle soup. I peeled and diced five carrots, three onions, a bunch of celery and boiled and picked nine chicken thighs/legs. Also added almost a whole bag of noodles to make enough soup to feed fifteen. We polished off the better part of a Costco box of saltine crackers as well!

Chicken Noodle Soup in a roster oven! I love this thing!

Chicken noodle soup or (CNS) as my students nicknamed it, is served!

Japan State of Missions Infograph –

I found this infograph recently from another mission organization serving in Japan but wanted to share the specifics of missions work in Japan. I knew some of these statistics but now they are indicating Evangelical Christians represent less than .5% of the population in Japan. Please take a minute to read the Infograph and pray the Lord will open hearts and send missionaries to this great country.

Christian Dating and Marriage -
Bob and I had the privilege of sitting on a Q & A panel of Christian Married couples at the February Hope English service. The service was advertised as a Hope English relationship service focusing on “Love” since it was February and everyone was thinking about Valentine’s Day.

The panel consisted of three Christian married couples ranging from five to eighteen years of marriage experience. Some couples have college age children, others teenagers and one couple has toddlers. Attendees consisted mainly of junior high, high school and college age students.

The emcee encouraged guests to ask questions regarding marriage, finances, dating and even sex or purity. Guests were told this was their opportunity to anonymously ask difficult or embarrassing questions they typically would not get to ask.  Questions were then drawn randomly and posed to the panel where each couple could respond.

What followed was a huge blessing. It occurred to us many of these students come from non-believing families where Christian marriage and dating relationships are not modeled or discussed. I was blown away by the student’s sincerity asking personal questions they are wrestling with in their faith. Questions like is it ok to date non-Christians? Should you even date in high school if you have no intention of getting married soon? How do you know when you meet the right person?

We answered questions as a panel for roughly 45 minutes but once we were dismissed from the panel, the emcee encouraged guests to approach each couple with additional questions. All three couples spent the next two hours with small groups of students posing questions listening to each other’s questions and concerns about dating, marriage and purity.

I was so amazed and blessed to be a part of this service. I was encouraged to see so many students desiring God’s design for this season of their lives. What an honor and privilege it was to share God’s blue print for dating, marriage and purity. Thanks to Hope Chapel for hosting this wonderful evening and allowing us to be a part of this great event.

Hope Chapel's Relationship Service

I am overflowing with joy at the privilege we have to be in Japan teaching and sharing God's message of salvation. Thank you so much for partnering with us financially and praying for open hearts and minds to receive God's Truth. We appreciate your support and hope you realize you are a huge part of what God is allowing us to do here.

In His Service,

K. Chadduck

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

Christmas in Japan

Kure, Japan the Yamato Museum –

The latter part of our short trip we went to Kure, the largest ship yard in Japan and walked the grounds of the Yamato Museum.  We were unable to enter the museum because it was a Japanese national holiday. But we were able to observe some of the submarines outside on the grounds and read about the Japanese naval achievements including the building of the Yamato and its history.

Yamato Museum - Kure, Japan

Submarine at the Yamato Museum

Matsuyama City -

We stayed in Matsuyama City and you could see Matsuyama Castle from out our hotel window. The castle was beautiful at night all lit up and glowing on the top of an island surrounded by a mote.

Matsuyama Castle - Ehime, Japan

Grounds surrounding Matsuyama Castle

Entrance to Matsuyama Castle - Ehime, Japan

The streets in town were all lit up with beautiful Christmas lights and ornate designs for the holidays. We enjoyed the Christmas music in the shops and holiday scenery a lot.

Christmas lights of Matsuyama, Japan

We road the Ferris wheel in the background perched upon the 10 story building. WOW what a view!

While in Matsuyama we toured the local shops surrounding the very popular Dogo Onsen. An onsen is a public bath house or hot springs and is very popular in Japan. There are gender specific bathing areas and the waters of the hot springs are often known for their healthful and healing properties. Most onsens have pretty strict rules and bathing suites are NOT part of the attire for visiting an onsen.

Our Dogo onsen experience...maybe someday

Dogo Onsen - Ehime, Japan

I have been invited many times to attend the onsens in our region but have not been able to get past the required attire - oh yeah - NOTHING! I continue to hear how this is one of the most amazing experiences in Japan and how when it is so cold and you just cannot get warm going to the onsen is wonderful.

I guess I just have to take their word for it because thus far I have not been able to bring myself to go. Many people have teased me and said oh yeah, like it must be a westerner thing and they think it is just too bad that I am missing out. Maybe one of these days I will get the courage to try it.

Christmas in Japan –

We had our first Christmas in Japan and thanks to Bob and my parents it had many of the same elements from the states. We skyped with my parents so they were able to see the kids open their presents and we were all able to wish one another Merry Christmas.

Christmas tree and a crackling tv screen?

We met with a few other missionary families and celebrated our savior’s birth with a wonderful potluck dinner and good fellowship. We are grateful for so many wonderful friends and family who have been so kind and generous to include us in their plans. Actually, we were really busy with Christmas activities during the month of December. KCS had a large Christmas program, Hope Chapel had Christmas caroling and we also had Christmas festivities at the Clark’s International Night.

Christmas day at the Sainio's with Mikako and Anniinia

We kept up a few of our family traditions by hanging a Merry Christmas sign on our front gate, stringing lights along our front flower bed and baking several kids of cookies and taking them to our neighbors. I even took a bag to the local post office workers who I interact with regularly. We were blessed by the opportunity to meet and talk with many neighbors as we delivered the treats. Many people were very surprised to get a gift and it was really fun to share a little bit of our family Christmas traditions.

Update Regarding Stephanie's Ankle Injury -
Thank you so much for your prayers and e-mails regarding Stephanie's biking injury. She is healed now and running again at full speed. It warmed my hear to see her take off across the open fields in Hiroshima running full speed without any pain or limping. I am still praising God for his mercies and that her Achilles is intact and she is able to run, dance and jump to her hearts content. This is a pretty recent picture of the injury. The top of the scar is filling in daily and is almost completely filled in as you can see.

So here is her ankle all healed and looking the best it has since the injury.

Once again, so much to share but too much for one entry.We are blessed to be a part of what God is doing at KCS, Hope Chapel and in Japan. Thank you for your words of encouragement, support and prayers. I am regularly overcome with emotion when I think of how God transplanted us here to KCS to invest in the lives of students for His greater purposes. To God be the glory, great things He has done for sure!

In Christ,

K. Chadduck

Hiroshima, Miyajima Island and Matsuyama

Ride on the Shinkansen -

We did some traveling over Christmas vacation to Hiroshima, Miyajima and Matsuyama to visit historic landmarks and take in a few of the top Japanese tourist sights. We took our first ride on the Shinkansen or bullet train out of Osaka and really enjoyed the experience.

First ride on the Shinkansen traveling at 150 - 200 mph

We could not believe how quiet and smooth the ride was even though we were traveling at speeds of 150 – 200 mph.  The inside of the cars look and feel a lot like an airplane without the uncomfortable takeoff and landing. You could barely feel it glide to a stop and it seemed to start as effortlessly. There was not much of a view from the train because you are frequently traveling through tunnels and the track is partially enclosed for noise reduction through the cities. It is a fun trip, very comfortable ride and great way to travel a long distance in a short amount of time.

Picture with the world famous bullet train

Picture of the front car of the Shinkansen

We stayed in a traditional Japanese hotel with futons and tatami mat floor. I thought some of you might enjoying seeing the table and layout of a Japanese hotel.

Someone pretending to be asleep

A little Japanese TV anyone?

Hiroshima Peace Memorial and Peace Park -

We toured the Hiroshima Victims Memorial, Peace Park and other historic landmarks within Hiroshima city. We knew this visit would be somber and I am really glad we went. We all learned a lot touring the memorial and Peace Park and it had a profound impact on us all. 

Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall Peace Park  Hiroshima, Japan

Memorial Cenotaph in Peace Park with  the Peace Flame and A-bomb Dome in the background

Picture in Peace Park with A-bomb Dome in the back ground 

A-bomb Dome before and after

Closeup of the A-bomb Dome

The A-bomb Dome is a World Heritage Site and is the most famous landmark in Hiroshima. It was originally built as the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall in 1915. The dome was 328 feet from what would become ground zero on August 6, 1945 at 8:15 am. As you can see from the pictures, most of the building was destroyed in the blast.

Hiroshima is now rebuilt and Peace Park is beautiful. There is an awareness and commitment not to repeat history. The day we were there high school students were in the park near the memorial collecting signatures to abolish nuclear weapons worldwide. They were planning to send the signed petitions to the United Nations. A very memorable trip and one well worth making.

Miyajima Island -

Miyajima is a small island less than an hour’s ferry ride outside of Hiroshima. It is most famous for its giant orange torii gate which appears to be floating on the ocean at high tide. Miyajima is ranked among one of the three top views in all of Japan and is closely associated with its main shrine Itsukushima, which like the giant torii, is built over water.

Miyajima O-torri Gate

Low tide in front of O-torri Gate in Miyajima, Japan

Five story pagoda on Miyajima Island

We had a great time on this island hiking the ocean beach, petting the tiny deer, perusing the small gift shops and sampling a variety street food. There were many beautiful buildings and it was a really nice combination of beauty and culture.

Famous O-torri floating Gate on Miyajima Island at high tide

There was a sign at the entrance to the park warning tourists about the deer eating paper and being generally pesky. I was taking a picture of the torri in the water and a deer came up beside me and grabbed my park map. I was not willing to give it up that easy and yelled, “Hey, dumb deer, give me that!” My family thought this was hilarious and teased me about my half eaten map the rest of the day. The dear happily ate the other half and we joked about whether or not it would give him a stomach ache.

Dumb deer ate my park map!

The deer ate the most useful portion of the map leaving me with only the legend.

 Miyajima Island was my favorite place to visit on this particular trip. We had a great time as a family exploring the islands and interacting with Japanese culture. I have a lot more to write but will save the rest of our trip and Christmas in Japan for next week. 

Thank you as always, to our friends, family and supporters both near and far. We really appreciate you and enjoying hearing how you are doing via e-mail and letters.    

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and we wish you a wonderful, Christ centered 2016.

K. Chadduck