Christmas in Okinawa

How to make an Okinawan snowman: Paint pumpkins white and stack them!


To see snapshots of our December activities, visit my web album

http://picasaweb.google.com/savagetribe/2009ChristmasInOkinawa?authkey=Gv1sRgCPnH6oDymeHrZQ#

Our December was busy with activities both fun and spiritual – service projects, a missionary conference, the community choir concert, Japanese/American dance party, holiday gatherings and much more. We celebrated Christmas with lessons and visits, a baptism at the ocean’s edge and gifts we delivered all over the island. There is no end of opportunity to serve and no One better to honor than the King of Kings, Christ Jesus. Most importantly, we paused to reflect that the Babe in the manger in Bethlehem is remembered because of His life, His suffering in Gethsemane and His resurrection from the empty tomb. These are the true gifts of Christmas.

Early in the month, we helped with a service project for a Japanese orphanage in Naha City. The women and young women of one of the American branches of the Church collected toys, clothes, furniture and much more for a private orphanage which cares for more than 50 children from age 18 months to 18 years. In Japan, children are sometimes given up by teenage mothers or parents unable to care for them. They are also taken away if parents are sent to prison, and they are not returned.

Church members from the military community were very generous to our 30 younger missionaries. They provided gifts of American products, special treats, new socks and a new shirt to each of our young missionaries of Okinawa. We had the great privilege of delivering these gifts. From Nago on the north to Naha on the south, we made a stop at every missionary apartment to deliver what Santa’s elves had lovingly gathered. It took two days and gave us much pleasure.

Of course parties and celebrations are a traditional part of the Christmas season. We were fortunate to attend several such events, if only for a few minutes on some occasions. Each one was delightful in its own way.

On Christmas Eve we attended a party where neighbors and military families brought together traditions from around the world. It was an outdoor event, and the temperature that evening was a balmy 70 degrees. We aren’t missing the Colorado snow at all! In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit it rained all day on Christmas and for a few days thereafter. On Christmas Day some of the missionaries made their calls home using our computer. While they visited, I made waffles for them and our neighbors. It was a fun time.

We are blessed to have access to the internet and Skype to stay connected to family back home. [Skype = computer software which allows users to make video and voice calls over the internet. It is absolutely the best thing for keeping in touch from half way around the world or just around town.] We are so grateful to live in this day of modern technology. On Thanksgiving Day our 6^th grandchild was born – Dean Phillip Savage. Before he was 12 hours old, we saw him via Skype from his hospital room in Colorado Springs. It was such a joy!

Sadly, the computer I brought with me to Okinawa has died – or, at least, it’s in a coma. Three weeks after the warranty expired, so did my computer! Fortunately, we each brought a laptop. At this point, we are sharing Phil’s, but I sorely miss having my own. And, if it cannot be resurrected, I will miss pictures and other data that died with it. I haven’t given up hope, but it’s looking pretty bleak at this point.

Another bit of sad news – now don’t laugh – is my strange new hair color. It’s no secret that I color my hair. Though I’m not one to spend much time or effort (or money) on my hair, it seems harmless to camouflage the ever-increasing population of grey strands. Concerned that I wouldn’t find my usual product here, before we left I asked the advice of my hairdresser in Colorado. Unfortunately, the drugstore product she recommended is also not available here so I bought what I thought came the nearest to ideal. Well, to make a long story short, I am now sporting the most awful shade of brassy auburn you’ve ever seen. It’s not a very dignified shade for a missionary. Don’t expect any pictures – I’ll let you use your imagination on this one! I did get a great haircut from a delightful Japanese hairdresser.

Culture Corner: Only a small percentage of the Japanese population is Christian. Yet Christmas decorations and celebrations are common here. Perhaps more marketing than anything else, lights, trees, snowmen and Santa are everywhere along with traditional Christmas tunes.

May you always have love to share, health to spare, and friends who care. Until next time, Happy New Year.

Here We Are In Okinawa, Japan

I’m a little embarrassed that I haven’t posted anything since we arrived on Okinawa on October 20^th. We have been so busy, and so much has happened, that it seems like an overwhelming task to choose what to write about and how to share our experience. I’ll try to post more regularly in the future.

We are having a wonderful experience here. Our assignment, by our choice, is for two years. By then our love for the people and the area will have grown so that it will be hard to leave. Our primary assignment is to be Military Relations missionaries. There are four branches (congregations) of the Church here serving a large English-speaking population, mostly American military personnel and their families. There are also many Department of Defense civilians and contractors. These individuals and families are far from home, and often one spouse is deployed for an extended period of time. We are finding many ways to be of service to these good people. Many are members of our church, and many are interested in learning more about our church. There is no end of opportunity for helping others, and no one more deserving than the dedicated men and women who wear the uniform of our country.

We also have a support role working with the 30 young missionaries on Okinawa. We are the only senior couple missionaries here. They are a delight and we enjoy our association with them.

Everything in Japan is expensive. The current exchange rate is about 90 Yen to the American dollar. We are very blessed that as retired military folks (Phil served a total of 27 years in the Navy, 7 on active duty and 20 in the reserves), we have access to the exchange and commissary and gas station on the bases here. Our military ID cards are worth OUR weight in gold!

Learning our way around the island has been a challenge. To begin with, in Japan they drive on the left side of the road, steering wheels are on the right side of the car, windshield wiper and turn signal controls are reversed from American cars, while the gas pedal and breaks are in the same position. Street signs are mostly in Japanese (kanji) characters, but major road signs are in English too. Streets are narrow, cars are small, and driving customs are different. Good maps are available, though learning to use them is an acquired skill. Phil has done a remarkable job of adapting to all of this and manages to drive us all over the island with ease. He even enjoys the challenge! I have been nearly hysterical with fear at times, but am learning to calm down and take the whole thing in stride…. mostly.

There is so much I’d like to share that it would be impossible to cover it all without rambling. I’ve decided to include in each post a Culture Corner where I’ll write about a particular aspect of our lives here. Keep in mind, I’ll be talking about Okinawa specifically which is not necessarily representative of Japan as a whole. Also, I’ll be sharing just our observations and experiences, which may not be universal.

Culture Corner: Plastic Food

Many eateries showcase their menu selections with plastic replicas of foods, full size and in exquisite detail. What you order will look EXACTLY like the plastic representation in the window case. It’s a great way to order if you can’t read the Japanese menu. Everything you see in this picture is plastic. To see more pictures like this one, copy and paste the link below into your browser to view my web album page.

http://picasaweb.google.com/savagetribe/PlasticFood?authkey=Gv1sRgCL39pOnv4dT15AE#

This is our "class" of 81 senior missionaries at the Missionary Training Center this week.

In our group are 39 couples and three single sisters. We will serve in distant lands as well as close to home. Assignments among our group include New York, California, South Carolina, Colorado and Utah, Finland, Germany, the Marshall Islands and the Canary Islands, the Philippines, Ireland, Kenya, Armenia, Samoa, Madagascar, Puerto Rico, Shanghai, Tahiti, Malaysia, Greece and Australia. And Japan, of course.

What a fantastic experience we are having here!

Do You Believe Fortune Cookies?

Tucked inside my fortune cookie this weekend was a small slip of paper which read "You desire to discover new frontiers. It's time to travel." And that is exactly what we're ready to do. After a long summer of preparation and anticipation, we're finally on our way!

The plan is as follows: On Friday, Oct. 2nd, we fly to Salt Lake City. We're excited to attend General Conference for the first time just before we report to the Missionary Training Center on Monday, Oct 5th. Phil has already begun honing his skills in Japanese via lessons over the telephone! I, on the other hand, am waiting to come face-to-face with my tutor. We are scheduled for two weeks of training, orientation and final instruction. On Friday, Oct 16th, we fly to Los Angeles, then Tokyo and on to Fukuoka, Japan. There we'll meet with our mission president and receive further instruction from him. Also, I hope, we'll have time to recover from jet lag and 22 hours of travel time. Did you know that 6:00 PM Mountain Standard Time is 8:00 AM the next day in Japan? Somewhere in that long day and night of flying we cross the International Date Line. We presume we'll have a couple of days in Fukuoka to catch our breath before continuing on to Okinawa. We'll be sure to stay in touch.

We've only just begun...

We are excited about our call to the Japan Fukuoka Mission. Our primary assignment is to work as military missionaries on the Okinawa military installations. On October 5^th we will begin 10 days of orientation and training at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. After that we will be on our way to Japan for 23 months. We look upon this experience as a great privilege and blessing.

We’ve been learning about Okinawa from the internet and from correspondence with the missionary couple we are replacing . We have also exchanged emails with our Mission President and others who have offered a warm welcome, encouragement and much helpful information.

Some of what we have learned might also be of interest to you:

* Okinawa is located in the Pacific Ocean, south of mainland Japan between Japan and Taiwan, nearly 1,000 miles from Tokyo.

* Okinawans drive on the left side of the road.

* The average annual temperature is 72 degrees F. Even during the winter, the temperature averages 61 and never dips below 50.

* Since Okinawa is in "Typhoon Alley," high winds and rain can descend upon the island between July and November.

* Because of its geographical location, Okinawa has been influenced by many cultures. The most prominent of those are Japanese, Chinese and American. Subsequently, Okinawa has developed its own unique history and culture.

* The primary influence on Okinawan life comes from mainland Japan, since the island is Japan's 47th prefecture [sort of like a state or territory]. Okinawan business, fashion and social behavior are similar to Japanese.

* Okinawans have intertwined the cultures of the Chinese and Japanese into their own, producing a multitude of colorful holidays and festivals.

* The most prominent custom on Okinawa is bowing. Bowing is an Okinawan greeting having the same meaning as shaking hands in America. The deeper the bow, the greater the respect.

* Okinawa's population is estimated at about 1.3 million people. The U.S. population in Okinawa approaches 80,000. Nearly 30,000 are active-duty military people from all four branches of the armed forces. Fourteen-hundred Department of Defense civilians, 700 DoD Dependents Schools teachers and staff, and almost 25,000 U.S. family members make up the military community.

You can see why we are so anxious to begin our mission. We are told this is a very busy assignment and that our personal time will be at a premium. Please forgive us if we are not able to communicate directing with each of you or always answer your correspondence. We will do our best to keep you up to date on our experiences and adventures through this blog. Remember that we miss you, and that you will be in our thoughts and in our prayers.