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

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