As close as I will get to the Ozarks for a while!

This is a station that I pass thru a lot and evey time I see it, I think of the Ozarks. So one day I took a picture of it! I love it!

Off to camp!

Hey,
I just thought I would leave you with a quick update. I got back from my "vacation" on Monday and I have been getting ready to leave for camp again. Today, was my English Bible study. There were fewer people there this time. It was probably because of the holiday. However, it provided a great time for some one-on-one attention with the unbelievers. I really enjoyed it. I also received some great packages in the mail! They came from Nokie, Erica, and my family. Thank you all for the awesome packages. They made my day even better! Also, thank you to Aunt Betty who so faithfully writes to me! The letters mean so much! I have finished packing for camp and I will leave around 7:30 in the morning. It will take about 2 and 1/2 hours to get there so it will be a long train ride once again. It will be at camp for four days. I am going to be an English teacher and an assistant counselor. I am teaching first-level senior high students. I am really excited about the camp. Camp is always a great time for me and I meet so many great people. I will head back on Saturday afternoon. I am not going to take my computer to camp this time because it is too hard to carry everything with me so I wanted to give a quick update on what is going on. Pray for camp and the 24 Junior/Senior High kids that will be coming. It is going to be a blessed week!

Thank you for all your love and support. I will update about camp when I get back!
Love,
Amanda

Mt. Fuji

I know many of you have heard about my adventure climbing Mt. Fuji. It was quite the adventure and I am so glad that I got to do it! I am not sure if I would ever do it again, but it was a wonderful time. I went on Tuesday(8/11) with 4 friends. We started climbing the mountain about 8 at night and arrived to the top at about 3 in the morning. We started early so we could make our way up to the mountain at a slow pace and not be rushed. It worked pretty well for all of us. All 5 of us arrived at the top so it was a successful trip. Once we got to the top we rested for a while and ate so food. Then it was time to enjoy the sunrise! It was beautiful!!!! The pictures will not begin to show the beauty of God's creation. We stayed at the top for a few hours just resting and enjoying the scenery. We then began to head down the mountain about 7:30 or 8. It took us about 3 hours to get down the mountain. The worst part of the whole trip was the WIND and the COLD!!! It was freezing and then the wind just made it so much worse. During the trip up the mountain it was all I could do not to get blown off the mountain. It was kind of scary, but I tried not to think about it too much! The wind actually blew me over once and my knees are proof of it! haha All in all, it was a great time and I did better than I even thought I would. I am so glad I got to experience it. Enjoy the pics!

Caleb, me, Tariho, Brandon, and Alisha before we started climbing.



Brandon, Caleb, me, Tariho, and Alisha after we arrived to the TOP!

Me, Caleb, and Alisha passed out at the top! haha

The beautiful sunrise.

Tariho and I in the clouds!

Pray for Me!

Hello Dear Friends,

I just want to send out a prayer request. I am exhausted!!!!!!! I am sure it is a combination of many things. It is very hot here and most of the day there is no relief. I am sure the stress of just EVERYTHING is weighing on my body. I am not able to rest at night. I sleep about 7 to 8 hours a night, but I am tired much of the time. So please pray that I can get some rest. I am headed to my supervisor's home for the week. A friend and I are going to housesit for his family while they are on vacation. I always am able to relax and get great rest there. So pray that is true for this week. I am frustrated because I am not doing so much that I should be tired, but I am exhausted. So just pray for my body that it can rest so that I can do the Lord's the best I can.

Thank you so much!
Amanda

It is a HOT Friday in Japan!!

I do not think I will ever appreciate A/C like I do in Japan. When I am in a house with A/C, it is a miracle! haha I never really thought that homes in Japan would not have A/C. I just assumed they would. I mean Japan is a well developed country with many people, right? Yes, but they do not have A/C like we do in America. Most homes will have a unit or two, but it does not quite do the job that central air does. haha However, I am very thankful for a roof over my head and my own room where I can have some privacy.

Yesterday, I had English class again. I always love the days when I have class so that I can continue my relationships with the members. Mr. Ichimura went with me to English class so he heard the gospel again. He also brought a friend who had not really heard the gospel before. So it was a good day. The members of the class always love to hear about America and how Americans do things. They sometimes are shocked at the differences, but it is fun to learn about the different cultures. I really enjoyed it. After English class, I started home. This journey consisted of a 10 minute walk to the station, a 10 minute train ride to the next station, and then a 30 minute walk home. I could ride a bus instead of walking from the station to home, but I enjoy the fresh air and exercise. Plus, it is less stressful for me because I always just pray I am getting on the right bus! haha A couple of time I have not, but I have always figured it out. Mrs. Ichimura came home yesterday afternoon from her vacation so that was nice. We cooked dinner together which is one of my favorite times of the day because I learn so much in the kitchen and it is good bonding time!

Today, I am going to attempt to write my newsletter for all my supporters. We will see if it gets done! ;) Then tonight, Mrs. Ichimura and I are going to dinner in Yokohama with some friends. Hopefully, it goes well! I hope you all have a great day!

Happy Birthday Kaylee and Claire!

Today is a very special day that I am very sad that I am missing. Kaylee is my amazing niece. She is turning 5 today! Claire is one of my best friends and my long lost sister! She is turning the big 21!!

This is Kaylee and me. This picture was taken Spring 2009 and she has already grown and changed so much! Kaylee, you are so very, very special to me! I am so glad that I got to live with you and your Mommy and Daddy for over a year because we now have a bond that cannot be broken. Even though you are not my daughter, you taught me how to love! I never knew I could love someone so much until you came along, Kaylee Girl! I can only imagine how much I will love my own children. I miss you more than you will even know. I cannot believe you are already 5. That is a whole hand! You are an amazing girl and will one day be an amazing lady. Thank you for loving me no matter what! Love, Aunt Mandy

This is Claire and me. Claire and I met at church. We bonded over a pillow on a 16 hour trip to Corpus Christi in March of 2006. That was one of the best weeks of my life! We made so many amazing memories that week and it was the start of a great friendship. Claire, you may not know this, but you were one of the first people to really inspire me about missions. I remember you telling me that you had given your life to missions and I thought well that is great for her, but not for me. haha Little did I know that I would be in Japan 3 years later! I am so grateful for our relationship. You know like not many people do and you love me anyways! Your family has meant the world to me the past 3 years. I love all of you. I am excited to see where God leads you in the years to come. You are going to make an amazing nurse/doctor (where ever you decide to stop at. lol)! God is going to use you in a mighty way. Thank you for all the laughs! Thank you for all the support! Most of all, thank you for your inspiration and love. Miss you so much and see you soon!

This is Claire and Kaylee. They love each other!

Japanese Cemeteries

So because my family was in charge of taking care of the Bado Cemetery, we all pay more attention to cemeteries than normal people. :) So, I love looking at them in Japan. They are interesting to me. Because of the lack of space in Japan, virtually everyone is cremated. People do not have a choice usually. So the lots are smaller than the cemeteries in America. Also, there is no grass! No mowing, Dad! Wahoo! haha Here is a picture of a cemetery I pass on the way from my house to the station in Chigasaki:

I know that not many people will find this interesting and some may find it really weird, but I thought it was interesting so I shared it.

Most things are going good here. Today was prayer meeting at church. I always enjoy this time because it is an intimate setting with a few people in the church and we are able to get to know each other better. Meg (the pastor's wife) and I went into Yokohama and ate at Friday's and did some shopping. It was fun to get to know her better. I have started on my gifts for everyone and their brother back home! haha I really enjoyed buying the them today though! Tomorrow is English class. Mr. Ichimura (the person I stay with) is going to come to English class and he is going to even bring a friend. This is another opportunity for him to hear the gospel. When I asked him if he enjoyed church last Sunday, he said, "Yes, church is always nice, but I have a hard time understanding God." Please pray for him as he has many opportunities to learn about God. Thanks again for all of your love, support, and most of all PRAYERS. I think I may not have lasted 6 weeks if was not for them. Love you all!

A Blessed Weekend!

This past weekend was amazing. I had two very fun filled days that were very different from each other. On Saturday, I met up with a missionary family and spent the day with them. We spent time in Tokyo for a while and then traveled to their home for some good conversation. Then, we headed over to one of their friend's homes to enjoy the attraction for the evening - FIREWORKS. The fireworks were a little different from America, but it was pretty close. They were really pretty and it was great fellowship. After the fireworks, I got on a train for a two hour ride home and arrived home about 12:30 am. Long day! haha However, it was a great day!

On Sunday, I went to my church in the morning and Mr. Ichimura came with me so that was a blessing. After church, we had lunch at church with other members. I am finding that bringing a lunch and eating it at church after the service is very common here. In the afternoon, I went with a friend to an English church service. It was an amazing blessing! The pastor and his family were from California. It was an international church so there was people from the States, China, Africa, and Japan of course. There may have more by I am not sure. There was a worship band and they did a great job with the worship songs. The message was great and then they had a dinner afterwards, too. I met a lot of great people. One girl, Eriko, is actually moving to Missouri in a year because her fiance (an American) is working in Kansas City. She was so excited to meet someone from Missouri! haha

Today has been cleaning day and catch up day. I am getting ready to work on my newsletter so that will be coming out before the end of the month. So I just wanted to update you on my great weekend! Hope yours was as good as mine!