Konichiwa!

Hi there!

I am sitting in Matt and Jess’s (my sister and husband check out www.mattandjess.blogspot.com for their adventures in Japan) awesome little place looking out the window onto the real Japan :) It’s really beautiful where they live, right near an awesome garden. It’s very peaceful and surprisingly quiet since I arrive. Their house is small but so lovely. Its very new and has lots of mod cons (to me anyway!) like an awesome temp selection controlled heated bath (which I used last night for my 43 degree soak!)

My flight was ok, an overnighter which has pro's and con's. Was sitting next to a old Japanese man and it was a bit uncomfortable as I was trying to be really aware not to end up leaning on him!

Leaving home was weird; I have been to the international airport so many times for friends, church and others that I felt like I was there for someone else not me! I was in the end, able to get my head around this thought "yeah ok, I am going on a holiday to Japan to see my sister" but sitting on the plane I was still not able to fully comprehend this thought "I am relocating for a year and not going to be seeing my family and friends for ages!". That thought might take a long time to get used to, so for now I will deal with one country at a time ... starting with Japan!

Since arriving in Japan, jess and I caught the train to Ichikawa which is her town and then a taxi to her house. It took about 1.5 hours. The trains were ok this day as it was Saturday as they were surprisingly quiet, in relation to the people but not the trains themselves! Everything has a sing song when ever anything happens. The doors are closing and it’s not just a beep or ding, it’s like a whole song and dance! What’s more, they have sounds to allude to thing that aren't there e.g. birds singing (which I fell for at the train station). I stopped, and jess was like "what is it Mel?". I said, "I am just looking for the little bird up there" (i have an interest in animals and at times like to talk to them!) Moving on, I felt a bit silly.

Driving in the taxi, the man didn’t even help us with the bags. Thought we were silly gaijin (foreigners), then jess prattled off in Japanese (its so cool!) and he began to change his tune. That is he got out of the car to shut the boot after we lugged all the stuff out! Nice. The roads are so small and are unmarked. It’s like a rabbit warren and you just need to know where you are going! Crazy driving and no seatbelts! (Though they have the strap there for them so it is kind of just teasing!)

I got to matt and jess’s and had a shower, only to find I couldn't open my bags! My lovely cousin Cas had done lots of my packing while I raced around like a crazy person and I did not over see how the combo locks worked. Anyway, Matt broke into them by listening out for the clicks in the numbers (nice and secure hey!) and the numbers were actually different to those we had programmed! Go figure. Anyway, matt the Houdini saved the day.

Then it was off on the bikes to a lunch thing. All they have is bikes for transport and I truly love doing active things like riding, so yeah it was great! It was cold, 7 degrees. Its weird coz its cold but the sun is out and there is no rain. So just cold. (I have a weirdness that rises in me when we put the heater on during the day, as I can hear mum saying 'you can’t have the heater on in the day when the suns out! Put on another jumper’ Maybe this is true in Perth, but not here!’ Sorry mum x

So it’s cold, I have the whole kit, you know gloves, jacket, scarf and hopefully soon a beanie as my ears sting on the bikes as we ride! We went to Jessica’s seni's house for the graduation of her cram school students. They were to practice their English by teaching me how to do Takoyaki (its a weird kind of ball shaped pancake tasting thing that you make in a special communal pan with lots of dipped holes). It was fun with three rooms of people, about 25 in total. They were so cute and lovely. I ate fermented bean curd, go me!

Not so much of a highlight on my first day was getting groped by a Japanese man while riding my bike. I got off to go around a corner and he just grabbed my butt. I yelled out, "how bout you don't grab my ass" (sorry kids don't repeat). Jess was going to have a go at him but we were all so shocked and it was a bit of a kafuffle of a situation as we were lost and trying to turn around and not get hit by cars and he walked off. Apparently it is a real problem here. Hmm, pretty dodgy. Next time I will just kick them where it hurts! (Maybe)

We watched the bright red sun set next to Mount Fugi at 4.30pm and it was dark at 5pm. It was a magnificent sight! I enjoyed a hot (nearly passed out it was so hot) bath and then lay it bed for a while. Well, a long while as jess returned from the shops with tea and I was sleeping still. Like a great sister she rugged me up and left we to sleep! I feel very refreshed now!

I do not know what today holds, as matt and jess are still Zzzzzzzzzzzzing but I am sure it will be fun! It is New Years Eve which is exciting, however in Japan, this is more of time to be indoor with family, than to party hard. I think we have a dinner planned with some neighbors. So, Happy New Year to you, I pray you have safe celebrations tonight and that 2007 is a great year for you all!

Will keep you updated, and will post some pics when Houdini matt, who is also very skilled at computers gives me a lesson. :)

Much love to you all

Melissa

Bye! Love Mel x

Hi folks,

Just wanted to say “bye, I will miss you!”, as I am officially leaving Perth today. Very weird experience, as I am totally not comprehending that I am really going (and for a while too!)

Thanks to all those peeps that made it to the cott on wed night. I enjoyed your company!

Will update soon!

Keep safe and keep in contact

Love Melissa x

Count down!

Hi folks,

The count down is on. Only 6 days to go! I need to squeeze in to that time Christmas celebrations, finishing up my job, shopping for last min things, seeing special folks before I go and packing ... I am sure I will be busy!

I leave December 29 for Japan and will celebrate new years there with my sister and brother in law. I will then arrive in London on Jan 15 to my new home for the next year or so! (And I will finally getting to see Dave after 6 or so weeks :)

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas time with family and friends. And that you take time to reflect on the reason for the season, Jesus Christ. He is truly amazing.

Much love

Melissa x

Exciting times

I think this time of year is exciting! Looking back on the year that has been, seeing all the successes, struggles, blessings and areas of growth that have occurred! Its that whole, ‘hindsight thing and I love it because you can see where you have walked and where God has been with you. For me, I have so much to be thankful for and I suppose, knowing I am leaving soon (11 days in fact!) these things are more heightened! I have had the privilege over the past few weeks to see all that I have been blessed with and how God has answered the prayers of my heart all throughout this year. Even areas where I thought, “I’ll pray, but I am not sure if it will do much!” standing here at the end of the year, I can see HE HAS done so much and I forget sometimes His strong, faithful and faultless love and promises.

So, since this is my blog and well I can do what ever I want on it, here are some things I have realised I am have been so blessed with! (yes it will be long, but worth it!)

My family; who are all together at present with my sister over from Japan for a whirlwind tour. Talk about full house! My brothers are awesome guys who I am so proud of. Bradley, my little yet BIG brother, graduated year 12 last week and starts his apprenticeship in carpentry in 2007. Brad is so kind and such a joker! Ryan is kicking butt working hard laboring, using his skills earlier this year to work of “Habit” building houses in Mongolia. His heart is still there to bless that place, with plans to go back and I so respect that. They are the funniest people and I always love to have a laugh with them. My sister and brother in law are the bravest people ever, living a whole year away in Japan! They are so committed to Gods call on their lives, to teach English and be a light in Japan. They are a beautiful couple who I have a lot of respect for.! And my parents wow. Celebrating 28 years of marriage, as their kid I couldn’t ask for a better example of love. They together are the most welcoming and serving people I know, and separately each has the most brilliant gifts that they daily offer in their personal and professional worlds. I love being able to tell people “these are my parents!”

My extended family also rock my world, I have cousins coming out of my ears and each of them is a total gem. I love each of them muchly and pray for them lots as they grow! My aunts and uncles offer much support, love and example in my life and I treasure all that they put into me in words, prayers and deeds. And my grandparents. There is something so special about grandparents. You don’t get to see them much, but you just know they are always there praying for you and cheering you on. Mine, are some of the most Godly, serving people I know. I am completely privilege to come from a family who loves and honors God.

My friends: Last week I was sitting at a table with 3 of my old school friends and I was so overwhelmed with Gods goodness. In each of our lives we have struggled and grown and God has faithfully keep us on track. Bec, Kel and Bek have done a significant part of life with me and I love them to pieces. We are all at different places in life, but get us together and we still laugh our heads off like we are still in year 9! Go the stanians!

And what a privilege it has been to celebrate the last month of wedding festivities with my closest friends Davinina, Kyla, Tanya, Cassandra. These girls are the one who share my every day and they are the best! The ones that help me laugh and deal with stress, the ones who help me keep on track and who believe in me. I will miss them a million times over!

My job; working at Fusion has been one of the best gifts God has given me I think. It has been a place where I have just had the space and love to find my feet. After finishing uni things were all up in the air personally and professionally. Fusion has grown me, challenged me, loved me and helped me get an awesome perspective on life which allows me to ‘build people up and help people grow, because people matter!’ (well at least try to!). The people I work with (especially Adam and Rose) with have been so encouraging, trusting and inspiring and I am truly thankful for them! Add to that the brilliant live in staff who make up the Hillview Team (Adam, Jeff, Keren & Thirza)! They the most amazingly giving, reliable, welcoming young adults I’ve met. They are the glue of the Fusion Student Housing Service and I take my hats off to these guys. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to serve, they truly are brilliant! I will miss my fusion family muchly!

Add to this mix my very fabulous boy Dave who is out trekking the depths of Peru as we speak. Clearly he is one special guy and I love him lots! But I am not going to tell you all about that coz its private lol!

And then there is a mix of amazing people who I would not be the same without! They have walked with me through life, helping me grow and always standing by. My amazing friend and second mum at times Jill, my youth pastor Grant who I just love!, Emma who ‘just gets me’, Hazel and Richard who have totally welcomed me as I am, Pat Davey who has been a Godsend to me this year and so many others.

This is starting to sound like a speech, but as you can tell I am just so thankful for Gods faithfulness to me through these people!

Also financially with just money for my trip, my car still survivin after 7 years! (Go Effie!), the chance to move out this year into an awesome house etc!

So, with 10 days to go for me till I start something new, and for you who is reading 13 days till the start of a new year, I just want to totally echo to you that God is good, and faithful! Look back this year, see all that He has done and know even if there are still things that aren’t quite there yet, that he will complete the work!

May you find so much joy in knowing He is good and faithful and may it be something that resounds for you all of 2007!

Much love

Melissa x