SPECIAL REPORT: Some of you may have heard reports that Okinawa experienced a 5.3 earthquake on the evening of January 15. It was my first earthquake. Coming as it did, just days after the big quake in Haiti, it made me more than a little nervous. Fortunately, there was no damage. Then, at 5:30 this past Friday, we were rattled out of bed by another earthquake ~ this one 7.0 magnitude occurring 50 miles off our coast. Again, there was no reported damage but pictures on our walls were tilted and items fell from shelves. I'll be the first to admit I found the experience unnerving.
Today there was an island-wide tsunami alert triggered by the deadly quake in Chile. Water levers were expected to rise as much as 2 meters. Anyone within 30 feet of sea level was evacuated to higher ground. That did not affect us, however we were involved in notifying our missionaries to remain on high ground for a few hours. We also drove to high ground just as a precaution. As far as I know, no significant rise in the sea level ever materialized. The warning expired without incident. We are grateful for the prayers and concern shown by family and friends. God bless us, every one!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
An Okinawan Spring
It's only the end of February, but it's springtime in Okinawa. Our brief "winter" consisted of 6 or 8 weeks of temperatures in the mid 40s to mid 50s, grayish skies and frequent drizzle. Considering the high humidity and building construction (little insulation), that was cool enough. I was much more comfortable once we learned to use the Japanese heater to warm our apartment. Temps now are in the high 70s. Yea!
The cherry blossoms have already bloomed and flowers are beginning to appear everywhere.
Our days are growing busier and more productive. We have begun to settle in to a useful pattern of activities, service and teaching. In January we started a program for Young Single Adults every Monday night on Camp Foster, one of several American military bases on Okinawa. We always share a spiritual message followed by games and snacks. Our numbers are growing as word spreads. We are exploring the idea of starting a monthly social for the spouses of deployed military personnel.
Our responsibilities here are rather unconventional, as missionary assignments go. We drive the only Church-owned vehicle on Okinawa. It's fortunate that Phil enjoys driving because we spend a great deal of time traveling up and down this island. Our little band of young missionaries consists of 30 on bicycles, 4 of whom are young women. They all work very hard in the service of the Lord. Transfers occur every 6 weeks when "the deck is shuffled", so to speak. A few missionaries are moved around the island, some are moved up to mainland Japan and some come to Okinawa from there. When transfers occur, we are busy 2 to 3 days moving missionaries, their bags and bikes. We also make several trips to the airport in Naha city. Transfers are always a time of high excitement. Soon after transfers we all come together for Zone Conference, a time of instruction and sharing. This Conference we had some special guests from our Asia North Area. As you can see, Zone Conference is also a time for building camaraderie and a wee bit of tom foolery.
Culture Corner: Shurijo Castle
We had the opportunity to visit the reconstructed castle built around the 14th century. Before Okinawa was part of Japan, it was known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. Shuri was its political and cultural center for approximately 500 years.
Shurijo Castle was destroyed in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, but rebuilt and restored in 1992. Today it is the symbol of Okinawa.
The grounds and structures are magnificent.
Traditional and cultural dances of the Ryukyu Kingdom and the people of Okinawa.
The king presided from this incredibly ornate throne. Here we are with Elder & Sister Brown, the medical advisers for the church for all of North Asia.
The cherry blossoms have already bloomed and flowers are beginning to appear everywhere.
Our days are growing busier and more productive. We have begun to settle in to a useful pattern of activities, service and teaching. In January we started a program for Young Single Adults every Monday night on Camp Foster, one of several American military bases on Okinawa. We always share a spiritual message followed by games and snacks. Our numbers are growing as word spreads. We are exploring the idea of starting a monthly social for the spouses of deployed military personnel.
Our responsibilities here are rather unconventional, as missionary assignments go. We drive the only Church-owned vehicle on Okinawa. It's fortunate that Phil enjoys driving because we spend a great deal of time traveling up and down this island. Our little band of young missionaries consists of 30 on bicycles, 4 of whom are young women. They all work very hard in the service of the Lord. Transfers occur every 6 weeks when "the deck is shuffled", so to speak. A few missionaries are moved around the island, some are moved up to mainland Japan and some come to Okinawa from there. When transfers occur, we are busy 2 to 3 days moving missionaries, their bags and bikes. We also make several trips to the airport in Naha city. Transfers are always a time of high excitement. Soon after transfers we all come together for Zone Conference, a time of instruction and sharing. This Conference we had some special guests from our Asia North Area. As you can see, Zone Conference is also a time for building camaraderie and a wee bit of tom foolery.
Culture Corner: Shurijo Castle
We had the opportunity to visit the reconstructed castle built around the 14th century. Before Okinawa was part of Japan, it was known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. Shuri was its political and cultural center for approximately 500 years.
Shurijo Castle was destroyed in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, but rebuilt and restored in 1992. Today it is the symbol of Okinawa.
The grounds and structures are magnificent.
Traditional and cultural dances of the Ryukyu Kingdom and the people of Okinawa.
The king presided from this incredibly ornate throne. Here we are with Elder & Sister Brown, the medical advisers for the church for all of North Asia.Monday, February 1, 2010
January Activities
I can hardly believe another month has past. Now that we have been on Okinawa for more than three months, we feel we're "hitting our stride." That is to say, we are making our own way and developing a pattern of service based on direction from our leadership and the inspiration we receive from prayerful consideration.
As Military Relations missionaries, we find great joy in working with our American military personnel and their families. We have the highest regard for the work they do serving our country as well as the other nations of the world. They sacrifice a great deal, and for the most part they do it with honor, pride and integrity.
We have just started a Young Single Adult program on Monday nights for the many unmarried military men and women stationed here. Our group is small now but we anticipate its growth over time as word spreads. Transportation is a problem for many because military bases reach from an hour's drive north to nearly as far south. Marines under a certain rank are forbidden to drive, and the shuttle bus service is slow and inconvenient. These are some of the obstacles to be overcome. Nevertheless, we are happy to have this new program underway at last.
One of our new assignments is to periodically inspect the 13 missionary apartments on Okinawa (not including our own). This is not as simple as it might sound. "Inspection" means more than checking for cleanliness and order. It means verifying that every light fixture, window screen, appliance and furniture item is in good repair. It means ensuring that there is an adequate amount of furniture, kitchen items and bedding -- acquiring what is needed while disposing of accumulations of unusable items. It means teaching basic housekeeping skills and home repair to young missionaries from a variety of countries, cultures and family circumstances. We will repeat this process every 12 weeks. We know we'll learn much as well as teach.
It was rather chilly during most of January, but there are already signs of spring! The cherry blossom season has already begun. Okinawa is replete with cultural and natural attractions. As time and opportunity permits, we fit in brief excursions to interesting places. If you have not looked at our pictures of the Okinawa Churaui Aquarium, be sure to check our web album.
http://picasaweb.google.com/savagetribe/2010Aquarium?authk
ey=Gv1sRgCKWPtvOq_oqsrwE#
We also spent a couple of hours at the Okinawa Peace Memorial Park and Museum which tells the story of the Battle of Okinawa, one of the bloodiest battles of World War II.
We are having the most marvelous experience here. We give thanks every day for the opportunity to work and to serve the Lord in this choice location among such wonderful people.
Culture Corner: Laundry
Everyone it seems hangs their laundry on their balcony or porch. When it is humid or raining, it takes a long time for clothes to dry.
The Japanese are very frugal and very conscious of power consumption.
As far as I know, clothes dryers are rare.
We have a very nice laundry room, with both a washer and dryer. Japanese appliances are much smaller than their American cousins. The washer is connected to a cold water faucet only; there is no hot water hook-up for laundry.
Our drying rack.
As Military Relations missionaries, we find great joy in working with our American military personnel and their families. We have the highest regard for the work they do serving our country as well as the other nations of the world. They sacrifice a great deal, and for the most part they do it with honor, pride and integrity.
We have just started a Young Single Adult program on Monday nights for the many unmarried military men and women stationed here. Our group is small now but we anticipate its growth over time as word spreads. Transportation is a problem for many because military bases reach from an hour's drive north to nearly as far south. Marines under a certain rank are forbidden to drive, and the shuttle bus service is slow and inconvenient. These are some of the obstacles to be overcome. Nevertheless, we are happy to have this new program underway at last.
One of our new assignments is to periodically inspect the 13 missionary apartments on Okinawa (not including our own). This is not as simple as it might sound. "Inspection" means more than checking for cleanliness and order. It means verifying that every light fixture, window screen, appliance and furniture item is in good repair. It means ensuring that there is an adequate amount of furniture, kitchen items and bedding -- acquiring what is needed while disposing of accumulations of unusable items. It means teaching basic housekeeping skills and home repair to young missionaries from a variety of countries, cultures and family circumstances. We will repeat this process every 12 weeks. We know we'll learn much as well as teach.
It was rather chilly during most of January, but there are already signs of spring! The cherry blossom season has already begun. Okinawa is replete with cultural and natural attractions. As time and opportunity permits, we fit in brief excursions to interesting places. If you have not looked at our pictures of the Okinawa Churaui Aquarium, be sure to check our web album.
http://picasaweb.google.com/savagetribe/2010Aquarium?authk
ey=Gv1sRgCKWPtvOq_oqsrwE#We also spent a couple of hours at the Okinawa Peace Memorial Park and Museum which tells the story of the Battle of Okinawa, one of the bloodiest battles of World War II.
We are having the most marvelous experience here. We give thanks every day for the opportunity to work and to serve the Lord in this choice location among such wonderful people.
Culture Corner: Laundry
Everyone it seems hangs their laundry on their balcony or porch. When it is humid or raining, it takes a long time for clothes to dry.
The Japanese are very frugal and very conscious of power consumption.As far as I know, clothes dryers are rare.
Our apartment was built more or less to American standards, due to the fact that many Americans live on Okinawa. A laundry room is a rare luxury in Japan.
We have a very nice laundry room, with both a washer and dryer. Japanese appliances are much smaller than their American cousins. The washer is connected to a cold water faucet only; there is no hot water hook-up for laundry. 
Our drying rack.We do some of our laundry in our apartment. The rest -- typically sheets, towels and underwear -- we take to the laundromat on the base. We are extremely fortunate to have these options.
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