A Year in Japan

This past Sunday, March 31st, we celebrated our first anniversary of moving to Japan! The girls just finished their first year of school and it is はるやすみ (spring break)! For two weeks we have NO plans and NO schoolwork, and it is our first real break since moving here. We are staying up late, sleeping in, watching too much tv, spending time with friends, and participating in おはなみ (flower blossom viewing) of the cherry and ume trees. It is so nice to pause our minds and bodies, to rest and be carefree.

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We have come a long way since this time last year, and so many things have become easier and more manageable. Also, such is life that when you start to get the hang of things, God continues to nudge you forward. In a few weeks Kitty will be transitioning to a new school and all of the girls will be getting new teachers. This month Loren also changed to a new work group, which is both exciting and a little sad. The first group of coworkers embraced us so warmly and really cared for our whole family. We are also getting a new Pastor at our church, and one of our only English-speaking friends at church is moving with his family to New Zealand. Soon our American friends who live down the street will be moving away also.  

But we are learning that Spring in Japan is a time of transition for most, and that it brings rest as well as change. The school year ends late March and starts again the first week of April. There are graduation and entrance ceremonies to attend and moms have a short time to prepare for back to school. It is also very common for companies to move employees to different facilities around this time, so many people are relocating. Even the school teachers get moved to new schools and classrooms. Also this is a special year, as Emperor Akihito will abdicate in April, bringing more changes in this busy time.

Recently, I have been reading about the journey of the Israelites in the Bible. God frees the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and promises to bring them to a new land that is blessed and bountiful. Long story short, they rebel against God and the journey that should have taken 11 days turns into 40 years of wondering through the wilderness. At the end of the 40 years, right before God brings them into their new promised land, He has Moses recount every detail of their journey. He speaks to the people for chapters and chapters in the book of Deuteronomy. He recounts where they have been, what they have done, what God has done, what God has promised, what God has said…name for name and place by place. Among Gods promises and commands, in Deuteronomy 2:7 Moses tells the people:

“For the Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these 40 years, the Lord your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing.”

This reverberates in my chest .

You have lacked nothing.

Japan at times has felt like wondering through a strange wilderness. I think many of us have also found ourselves walking though the wilderness, getting cut by thorns or parched from the heat. But I think that God is bringing us through difficult situations to teach and strengthen us, and through these journeys we lack nothing. I have found this to be so true regarding our first year here. Learning from Moses, I think it is also important for our family to reflect on this last year. I do not think we can fully enter into the place God wants us to be be unless we know all He has done for us and where we have been.

Before coming to Japan, there were so many unanswered questions. We had no idea what to expect. We picked our house two months before we moved, and after we had packed and shipped our boxes from home. We did not know how the local schools would react to taking in American children who did not speak any Japanese. We came here without any support system, knowing we would be living in a city far from the other American expats. Factor in the Japanese language and the cultural differences, and there were so many adjustments our family had to make. But we have lacked nothing. The city we live in, the house, the neighborhood, the new friends, the new job—all hand-picked by God and just the right fit.

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Recounting the past year, I can see how it all came together. The fact that Avalyn’s school had a Japanese program, and that her teacher spoke enough English to help her throughout the year. I remember dropping Kitty and Sonia off at school every morning, in the beginning so exhausted and overwhelmed. Some days I was close to tears, but the ladies were always so sweet and their warm greetings strengthened and uplifted my spirit. There were also so many people God placed in our path, whom I am so grateful for. A coworker who came over to help cut trees and delivered watermelon to our doorstep. My friend I met walking the kids to school, who showed me how to hem Sonia’s school dress and fed me beautiful sushi. My Japanese teacher who enjoys having a two-year-old in her class and teaches me not only the language, but also about Japanese food and culture. My friend at the school bus stop, who answers all of my questions (in English!!) and whose daughter is Sonia’s very best friend. My neighbor and friend who helped me find Avalyn when I lost her the first day of school, who also has four children and is a nurse. Our American neighbors who have four young children, who were sent to us at the perfect time to provide encouragement and companionship. Our church family, letting us join right in with open arms. Our Japanese friends in America who connected us with people they knew in our new city, who have helped babysit our children and made us feel welcome. Also, all of the support we received from Michigan before we left was so helpful.

Yet to be honest, I don’t think I have ever been so tired in my life. At times it was overwhelming, some days felt like groundhog’s day, and some days felt impossible. I am not a very motivated or organized person, and the fact that the kids have adjusted so well and that Loren and I have held up under the stress has nothing to do with me or our own effort– but only because God has walked with us every step of the way. I can also say that nothing happened by chance, and everything that happened has been through answered prayer.

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Living in Japan this past year has been such a unique experience, and I am so grateful for it. Last week it seemed so surreal to sit at Kitty’s Yochien graduation a year later from her first day, and see all the progress she has made and how much everyone has learned. I have loved experiencing all of the new activities in Japanese kindergarten and elementary school. The kids participated in running competitions, swimming, jump rope competitions, sewing, advanced arts and crafts, concerts with instruments, and full plays. I have watched in amazement as Avalyn has slowly learned Japanese and how she can now understand her homework better then me. I can still picture her face on that first day of school, when we sent her alone to her class 4 days after arriving in Japan. She was so brave. I have enjoyed traveling Japan, cooking and eating new foods, and learning about a new culture. I have loved all of the people we have met, and their kindness. We look forward to the next year with hope and excitement. We will continue to keep everyone updated, thank you for reading!

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You can read about our first week in Japan here. Or you can learn about our early Japanese school experiences here.