Open doors and windows

Coming into a new site is a little weird, because there are no "regulars." At the other schools where I have taught, there has always been at least one or two families that one could count on to attend events, support the school, etc. Here at the Fukushima and Koriyama schools, we just don't really know who will show up where and when--even for class!

While that drives me crazy sometimes (I really like being orderly--especially when I'm trying to be academic and a good teacher!), it's also been really fun to watch God open doors in the neighborhood and city for new connections with new people.

Fun example:
There are two cheap restaurants with drink bars (free refills, basically, on many kinds of drinks) not far from our apartment, and these are the types of restaurants where junior high and high school students hang out. When Cindy and I walk into anywhere together, people immediately know we are present--two tall Americans speaking English to each other is hard to miss...not to mention the fact that Cindy is usually brandishing umbrellas and I've been wearing a pair of bright-yellow shoes...I often wonder if we scandalize all those around us :)--and the students take note of our presence. We say hi to people wherever we go and have had a lot of random conversations. Tonight we actually had a group of students come up to our table and say, "We saw you guys the other night! Are you English teachers? Where are you from?" The conversation ended with us passing out fliers, exchanging cell phone info, and laughing.

While this might not seem like such a big deal, it is a huge deal in terms of making connections! Japanese students are very loyal to their class or club, and they'll often do things together. In terms of spreading the gospel, students are much more likely to take God at His word and promise rather than view Christianity as a foreign religion from the outset. Many younger students have told me that they don't believe in the older gods of Buddhism and Shintoism, because they have seen that their prayers at the temple don't make a difference.

We have a true, real, living God--bigger and crazier than I could ever imagine. I could not claim Him as mine, but I've been promised that He has claimed me...and that is grace. How I pray that these students would be claimed by Him as well...not drawn into a foreign religion, but learning about the real God naturally, in their groups of friends and social networks as they get unlimited refills from their local restaurant and hang out spot... :)

I also pray for eyes to see the open doors and windows that God keeps placing in our paths, as we walk with yellow shoes, scary umbrellas, and the Holy Spirit to guide our steps... :)