1049pm JST (6:49am PST?)
Wow... today was busy. Woke up several times last night. Was wide awake @ 1:30am (which would be 9 or so back home) and forced myself to go back to sleep. Finally got up around 5:45 and headed to breakfast with the girls, where we talked to Brian (from Aldergate church in Texas) - he's pretty cool, digs anime and manga much like me. He seems to like our team and he's a pretty funny dude.
After breakfast I think we wandered around and went to the gift shop, where I bought a bag of yogurt candy and shared a laugh with the clerk lady when I almost left it behind. I also discovered that the toilets in the hotel will automatically provide a seat cover for you at the push of a button! (video)
Training was good today too - lots of lessons in TESOL ("Teaching English as a Second Language" - I don't think I will ever be fully comfortable with it) and discussion on Japanese culture. Mappe, one of the Asian Access staff, is cool, he's TALL (probably the tallest Japanese guy I've ever seen) and funny and makes the training interesting. Dorrie is also awesome.
(I forgot to mention I forgot to say goodbye to our team coordinator Reiko in the airport in LA! I shuttled through security and realized she couldn't come in after I was through :( )
I've yet to try out the laptop here...
Anyway we did some training, then went on a prayer walk outside (with airplanes screaming overhead), crouching in a wooded area next to an old well and praying for Kaminoyama church, the people of Japan, and our team.
It was more training after that and then another visit to the hotel onsen - much less stressful this time :) I sat all the way under the hot pool (well, up to my neck anyway) for as long as I could take it and developed a killer headache, but in all it was another lovely experience.
Time for bed now - tomorrow we ride the Shinkansen to Kaminoyama!!
Maureen's blog post from this day: (here)
We have been having a great time! Tomarrow we finally get to go to Kaminoyama and the whole team is so excited to meet the people in our church. Hopefully after tonight we will get over our jet lag, with help of the hot springs at our hotel. God has been blessing us so much!
