Kumamoto city government gave permission to Jikei Hospital to create the nation's first baby hatch, called Stork’s Cradle, at which parents who cannot care for infants can leave them anonymously. A small door was installed in a wall of the hospital, opening up an incubator where babies can be placed. Sensors alert nurses who can immediately attend to the baby. Jikei Hospital said it has set up a hotline for consultations and would immediately contact the authorities and police, when an infant is left at the hatch. Mr. Koyama, the mayor said that the hatch would help save babies' lives, and does not violate the law. “Our only concern is that the number of abandoned babies may increase,” the mayor said. “It will save the lives of babies, but it might encourage people to relinquish their responsibility to raise children.”
Source: Yomiuri News, 2007-05-02
Monday, June 25, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
No Way!
"In their ever continuing effort to re-educate the world about the wholesome nutritional value of their produce, McDonalds [has] taken a step forward in Japan and applied a clever bit of technology to bring the nutritional label into the 21st century.
They clearly have nothing to hide here and will gladly tell you the nutritional information of the cheeseburger you are eating as long as you have your cell phone to hand. Luckily since this is Japan, everyone has their phone to hand, and with a quick scan of the burger wrapping they can connect via the handset and read the online information about the food they are eating.
Each burger now comes equipped with its own QR Code printed on the wrapper, a barcode-like symbol which when scanned with the camera of your cell phone, navigates you to an online site where you can see the amount of calories and fat you are consuming.
This is a good way to utilize a technology which has become almost common place in Japan and it provides a great means for the McDonalds corporation to keep their information up to date without having to do costly printing runs. It is also a nice little marketing tool bringing consumers online to re-enforce their brand image and to promote the ‘healthy’ aspects of their produce."
They clearly have nothing to hide here and will gladly tell you the nutritional information of the cheeseburger you are eating as long as you have your cell phone to hand. Luckily since this is Japan, everyone has their phone to hand, and with a quick scan of the burger wrapping they can connect via the handset and read the online information about the food they are eating.
Each burger now comes equipped with its own QR Code printed on the wrapper, a barcode-like symbol which when scanned with the camera of your cell phone, navigates you to an online site where you can see the amount of calories and fat you are consuming.
This is a good way to utilize a technology which has become almost common place in Japan and it provides a great means for the McDonalds corporation to keep their information up to date without having to do costly printing runs. It is also a nice little marketing tool bringing consumers online to re-enforce their brand image and to promote the ‘healthy’ aspects of their produce."
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
interview
I will be driving to Anderson, Indiana on June 29th to interview for the SAM position in Japan. I've been in contact with the young woman who is currently serving in the position and have been encouraged by our emails. While I am in Anderson, I will get to meet a woman who has been serving in Japan with her husband with the Church of God for over 20 years. I'm curious to get to know the insider's point of view of missions with this denomination that I grew up going to but seldom heard about. I wonder why that was?
If everything continues to be positive on my side and their side, I could be leaving for Japan very soon! There's a lot to do between now and August to make it happen...
If everything continues to be positive on my side and their side, I could be leaving for Japan very soon! There's a lot to do between now and August to make it happen...
Monday, June 11, 2007
a new thing
Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19
God is doing a new thing in my heart. He's putting a new song in my mouth. I turn my face to the sun, close my eyes, and thank God for the way He has sustained me through the wasteland.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
retro HoneyRock reflections
I found some emails that I sent out to friends summing up some my HoneyRock experience. It may not mean a whole lot to many of you, but I wanted to post it here mainly for my own benefit. Sorry! Purely narcissistic motives!
(dated 6/01/05)
Like many other late nights in recent history, Japan is on my mind. I was cruising the Asian Access webpage and happened upon a fun picture of myself and my fellow soul caregivers last summer. Take a peek:http://www.lifejapan.org/heds/hedstory_041103.html I have sent in my application for the church planting program and am scheduling a phone interview this week. It's been such a long process so far that at the present it feels like Japan was a dream, and I'm remembering a faint whisper of a calling. Pray for that I will remember (with vigor), those in Japan that had such an impact and those who have yet to hear and follow in obedience our Risen Savior.
I am currently sitting in my parent's guest room, listening to Shawn Colvin (a new favorite), attempting to reflect on 3 months of a long winter's service inWisconsin. This is my desperately needed spring break (2 weeks long!). The last that you heard from me was at the beginning of the winter season, I believe. There's been so many EVENTS and THINGS happening--it seems as if I've missed the SPIRIT of it all. Where has Christ been walking alongside me on this road to Emmaus? Have I missed Him this time around? Was my heart burning within me? I'm not even sure.
I hosted a couple of groups that came up to HoneyRock for retreat. They were all so different. The first was from Wheaton COllege. It was the HNGR group (Human Needs and Global Resources) come back from their various internships in third-world countries. This was such a beautiful group of people! So much laughter and comaraderie. I remember one night's bonfire, where stories of God's faithfulness were shared under the canopy of stars and accompanied by the moans of frozen lake (some say it sounds like the songs of whales). The students clumped together for warmth around the fire and shared in their seperate groupings stories of their last 6 months in such a drastically different world. I sat in that circle of nomads and watched the sparks of the fire rise into the air and thought about what joy the Father must have in hearing all these individual stories rise together--thanksgiving sacrifices.
The second hosting opportunity was with Calvary Memorial Church from Oakpark(Chicago). This is a group of "single adults" that have come to HoneyRock for about 15 years now. The same group of adults that started as single adults and have since then become married adults, at least some have. Others are not married, but continue to meet together every year, even after some have moved to other states. Their faithfulness to each other and this common love of their time at HoneyRock was so endearing. They were definietly a unique group of people and were a change of pace from the regular youth group types that came through HoneyRock. Karin, our retreat coordinator, told me that she picked me especially for this group because she "knew I could handle the "quirks" of Ray. Ray is the main contact person of this group. He is an avalanche of a person! I took Karin's comment as a compliment and then I thought, "What in the world have I signed up for?" as I read through the last couple year's reports on the group. I was prepared for the worst. Ray was describes as ecentric, wired, controlling, nitpicky, and domineering. Sounds inviting, huh? In the end, I can say that Ray is a lovely human being and I enjoyed him and this group emmensely! The highlight: square dancing to "Pink Cadilac." You gotta hear the 65 year old woman "call" it first hand to appreciate it fully. I discovered after these two groups that I was officially allergic to lead hosting: I ended both retreats sick and in bed, unable to personally see them off!
Those were the only groups I lead hosted. I was on hosting staff for 5,6, or 7 other groups (they all blend together!). These were all youth groups that came in for the weekends starting after Christmas until the beginning of March. My week shifted around so that Monday and Tuesday became my "weekend" to recover and ready myself for another round of retreats.It was exhausting.
Here's where confession and absolution come in. We were charged with a mission of seeking a "ministry of receiving" based on John 15--the idea of abiding in Christ and receiving ALL things ONLY from Him. I love the imagery from this passage, but I confess, I get lost in the poetry of it all, and I neglect the hard Truth that I can do NOTHING apart from the Father. I brought on myself an unnecessary drought and my roots are parched. I tried to do many things on my own, in my own way, rejecting that which was extended to me. This no doubt, is the source of my disappointment in my time of service as I look back on the season. Why, dear reader, do we scramble to dethrone the One that deserves to be there? A hard lesson to relearn, but I trust in faith that it will prove fruitful for some future happening.
In the midst of this hosting, I continued on as a student, ever reading and writing. And reading and writing... The 13 of us 12 monthers joined forces in a research project on youth culture and curriculum. We observed the youth that came through (about 900 in total!) and put together a 113 page ethnographic analysis of the whole thing. It was really a beautiful thing, all of us coming together to write this monster paper. There were some meetings in the beginning of the project that were not so beautiful. Remember that our 12 month family is learning to love authentically in all our good and bad days? Some of those bad days left me wounded and dragging my injured parts around the camp, wounding others along the way. I was so glad to see the thing finished and out of my hands.
Also in the mix of things was my final comprehensive exam that toke place mid-February. This was a huge hurdle to overcome in anticipation of graduation in May. There were 4 of us that took the test. We will also take part in a retreat the end of April where we will present to all of our professors and fellow-students a case study, of which we have yet to receive and work on. I would appreciate your prayers there.
We made our decisions for our summer positions in Feb. I will be acting as the chaplain for the female staff/students. My co-hort will be Jon Lord--acting as the male's chaplain. I look forward to this summer of serving in this way, anticipating challenges of preaching/teaching (especially in the area of being received as a woman in ministry) and tending to my own soul. A well respected spiritual mother on camp has agreed to serving me as a spiritual guide/prayer warrior for the summer.
(dated 6/01/05)
Like many other late nights in recent history, Japan is on my mind. I was cruising the Asian Access webpage and happened upon a fun picture of myself and my fellow soul caregivers last summer. Take a peek:http://www.lifejapan.org/heds/hedstory_041103.html I have sent in my application for the church planting program and am scheduling a phone interview this week. It's been such a long process so far that at the present it feels like Japan was a dream, and I'm remembering a faint whisper of a calling. Pray for that I will remember (with vigor), those in Japan that had such an impact and those who have yet to hear and follow in obedience our Risen Savior.
I am currently sitting in my parent's guest room, listening to Shawn Colvin (a new favorite), attempting to reflect on 3 months of a long winter's service inWisconsin. This is my desperately needed spring break (2 weeks long!). The last that you heard from me was at the beginning of the winter season, I believe. There's been so many EVENTS and THINGS happening--it seems as if I've missed the SPIRIT of it all. Where has Christ been walking alongside me on this road to Emmaus? Have I missed Him this time around? Was my heart burning within me? I'm not even sure.
I hosted a couple of groups that came up to HoneyRock for retreat. They were all so different. The first was from Wheaton COllege. It was the HNGR group (Human Needs and Global Resources) come back from their various internships in third-world countries. This was such a beautiful group of people! So much laughter and comaraderie. I remember one night's bonfire, where stories of God's faithfulness were shared under the canopy of stars and accompanied by the moans of frozen lake (some say it sounds like the songs of whales). The students clumped together for warmth around the fire and shared in their seperate groupings stories of their last 6 months in such a drastically different world. I sat in that circle of nomads and watched the sparks of the fire rise into the air and thought about what joy the Father must have in hearing all these individual stories rise together--thanksgiving sacrifices.
The second hosting opportunity was with Calvary Memorial Church from Oakpark(Chicago). This is a group of "single adults" that have come to HoneyRock for about 15 years now. The same group of adults that started as single adults and have since then become married adults, at least some have. Others are not married, but continue to meet together every year, even after some have moved to other states. Their faithfulness to each other and this common love of their time at HoneyRock was so endearing. They were definietly a unique group of people and were a change of pace from the regular youth group types that came through HoneyRock. Karin, our retreat coordinator, told me that she picked me especially for this group because she "knew I could handle the "quirks" of Ray. Ray is the main contact person of this group. He is an avalanche of a person! I took Karin's comment as a compliment and then I thought, "What in the world have I signed up for?" as I read through the last couple year's reports on the group. I was prepared for the worst. Ray was describes as ecentric, wired, controlling, nitpicky, and domineering. Sounds inviting, huh? In the end, I can say that Ray is a lovely human being and I enjoyed him and this group emmensely! The highlight: square dancing to "Pink Cadilac." You gotta hear the 65 year old woman "call" it first hand to appreciate it fully. I discovered after these two groups that I was officially allergic to lead hosting: I ended both retreats sick and in bed, unable to personally see them off!
Those were the only groups I lead hosted. I was on hosting staff for 5,6, or 7 other groups (they all blend together!). These were all youth groups that came in for the weekends starting after Christmas until the beginning of March. My week shifted around so that Monday and Tuesday became my "weekend" to recover and ready myself for another round of retreats.It was exhausting.
Here's where confession and absolution come in. We were charged with a mission of seeking a "ministry of receiving" based on John 15--the idea of abiding in Christ and receiving ALL things ONLY from Him. I love the imagery from this passage, but I confess, I get lost in the poetry of it all, and I neglect the hard Truth that I can do NOTHING apart from the Father. I brought on myself an unnecessary drought and my roots are parched. I tried to do many things on my own, in my own way, rejecting that which was extended to me. This no doubt, is the source of my disappointment in my time of service as I look back on the season. Why, dear reader, do we scramble to dethrone the One that deserves to be there? A hard lesson to relearn, but I trust in faith that it will prove fruitful for some future happening.
In the midst of this hosting, I continued on as a student, ever reading and writing. And reading and writing... The 13 of us 12 monthers joined forces in a research project on youth culture and curriculum. We observed the youth that came through (about 900 in total!) and put together a 113 page ethnographic analysis of the whole thing. It was really a beautiful thing, all of us coming together to write this monster paper. There were some meetings in the beginning of the project that were not so beautiful. Remember that our 12 month family is learning to love authentically in all our good and bad days? Some of those bad days left me wounded and dragging my injured parts around the camp, wounding others along the way. I was so glad to see the thing finished and out of my hands.
Also in the mix of things was my final comprehensive exam that toke place mid-February. This was a huge hurdle to overcome in anticipation of graduation in May. There were 4 of us that took the test. We will also take part in a retreat the end of April where we will present to all of our professors and fellow-students a case study, of which we have yet to receive and work on. I would appreciate your prayers there.
We made our decisions for our summer positions in Feb. I will be acting as the chaplain for the female staff/students. My co-hort will be Jon Lord--acting as the male's chaplain. I look forward to this summer of serving in this way, anticipating challenges of preaching/teaching (especially in the area of being received as a woman in ministry) and tending to my own soul. A well respected spiritual mother on camp has agreed to serving me as a spiritual guide/prayer warrior for the summer.
significance
Don't you love it when something you've learned in school actually shows up in real life? I suppose my degree is applicable to life all the time since it has to do with Spiritual Formation--and you just can't shut off that function.
At my job (working as a barista at a coffee shop), our supervisor recently decided to move back home to South Dakota. This is leaving a spot open for the position and my manager approached me to step into it. My co-workers were all very supportive and were encouraging me to do it. Beware: now's when my pride flares up. I was feeling pretty good about this. In fact, I started to feel like I was the BEST person for this job. God didn't let me live like this for long, thank goodness! I had to check my motives and my heart's attitude a lot. I vacillated in my decision; some days I wanted it, but most days the thought of the added responsibility made me crazy. In the end, I went into my interview praying that I wouldn't get the position because my future departure for Japan might be sooner than later (yeah!) and it wouldn't be in my company's best interest to move me up.
So now, it's 3 am and I'm wide awake from the caffeine I've inhaled/digested today and thinking of a Henri Nouwen article I've read a million times at Wheaton College. Here's a link for the entire article I found on-line: http://www.fbccs.org/resources/papers/soli_comm_mini.asp It's well worth the read. Check it out!
The part that is jumping out to me tonight is Nouwen's idea that we have to be secure in our identity in Christ to minister effectively and this comes out of solitude with Jesus. "...your freedom is anchored in claiming your belovedness. That allows you to go into this world and touch people, heal them, speak with them, and make them aware that they are beloved, chosen, and blessed. When you discover your belovedness by God, you see the belovedness of other people and call that forth. It's an incredible mystery of God's love that the more you know how deeply you are loved, the more you will see how deeply your sisters and your brothers in the human family are loved."
I am significant, not because others look to me for leadership and guidance, but because I am wholly known and wholly loved. I am the beloved of Christ and that is the only identity I need.
At my job (working as a barista at a coffee shop), our supervisor recently decided to move back home to South Dakota. This is leaving a spot open for the position and my manager approached me to step into it. My co-workers were all very supportive and were encouraging me to do it. Beware: now's when my pride flares up. I was feeling pretty good about this. In fact, I started to feel like I was the BEST person for this job. God didn't let me live like this for long, thank goodness! I had to check my motives and my heart's attitude a lot. I vacillated in my decision; some days I wanted it, but most days the thought of the added responsibility made me crazy. In the end, I went into my interview praying that I wouldn't get the position because my future departure for Japan might be sooner than later (yeah!) and it wouldn't be in my company's best interest to move me up.
So now, it's 3 am and I'm wide awake from the caffeine I've inhaled/digested today and thinking of a Henri Nouwen article I've read a million times at Wheaton College. Here's a link for the entire article I found on-line: http://www.fbccs.org/resources/papers/soli_comm_mini.asp It's well worth the read. Check it out!
The part that is jumping out to me tonight is Nouwen's idea that we have to be secure in our identity in Christ to minister effectively and this comes out of solitude with Jesus. "...your freedom is anchored in claiming your belovedness. That allows you to go into this world and touch people, heal them, speak with them, and make them aware that they are beloved, chosen, and blessed. When you discover your belovedness by God, you see the belovedness of other people and call that forth. It's an incredible mystery of God's love that the more you know how deeply you are loved, the more you will see how deeply your sisters and your brothers in the human family are loved."
I am significant, not because others look to me for leadership and guidance, but because I am wholly known and wholly loved. I am the beloved of Christ and that is the only identity I need.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
One step closer, maybe...
My heart is full today as I think about a new opportunity that God has given me for Japan. This is all coming so quickly and it's hard to explain in an orderly way. Here's an excerpt from an email I sent to some friends this week:
"You may have received a letter from Asian Access this last week updating you and my supporters with the latest. As you may have guessed, it wasn't an easy letter to send. God has been doing a lot with me in the whole thing. It's been a roller coaster of emotions. It's a long explanation and the lines are a little blurry, but the short of it is that I am ready to look at other ways to get to Japan than with Asian Access. You may remember that 2 years ago, in the beginning of all this, an option to go with the Church of God (Anderson) was a possibility. I've been in touch with a couple of young women who have been serving there as SAMs (Special Assignment Missionaries) with the Church of God over the last 2 years. I'm realizing that my heart still yearns for Japan and that I am now willing to look at other options. Many people have asked me why I haven't considered other options (going with a denomination or teaching English with a Japanese company) and my answer always was that I am committed to Asian Access and am passionate about their vision for ministry in Japan. I can't say that these things are no longer true. But, I can say that I don't think now is the time for me to "marry" with Asian Access.
I think that having the stability of a denominational missions program is a good thing for a young, single female just starting out in this field. Choosing the Church of God is comfortable because of my 20+ years connection with them. The ministry assignment is very similar to what I would be doing with Asian Access (teaching English as a means of evangelism with 3 Japanese churches in Kobe and Osaka). I would be in the same area as some Asian Access missionaries that I have started to build relationships with. It's a 2 year minimum commitment with a salary and no support raising responsibilities. I would leave sometime late August or early September.
I feel very excited but still reserved in my celebration. I've had my hopes up so many times before, I'm afraid of being burned again. I just can't ignore this desire to be in Japan when there is this amazing opportunity standing in front of me. For a long time, I gave myself a guilt trip for thinking about taking the "easy way out" by choosing a salaried position. Some how I got the wrong idea that support raising was an ultra-spiritual way to do missions. I am humbled now."
When the letter went out to my supporters, it was a big reality check for me. I realized just how much I was worried about the way I would be perceived. I was worried that they would think I was a flake or not listening to God or something. I'm learning (once again!!) that I can't be motivated by what other people think of me.
So, right now I am back in the application process for this SAM program. If my references go through okay, I should be invited for an interview in Anderson some time soon. I'm guessing that I should know mid-June or so about the final decision. So far, I feel a huge sense of peace to step forward. I just need to think through the details (whether I can pay my student loans with my salary, insurance, ministry philosophy, etc.) Needless to say--I'm excited!
"You may have received a letter from Asian Access this last week updating you and my supporters with the latest. As you may have guessed, it wasn't an easy letter to send. God has been doing a lot with me in the whole thing. It's been a roller coaster of emotions. It's a long explanation and the lines are a little blurry, but the short of it is that I am ready to look at other ways to get to Japan than with Asian Access. You may remember that 2 years ago, in the beginning of all this, an option to go with the Church of God (Anderson) was a possibility. I've been in touch with a couple of young women who have been serving there as SAMs (Special Assignment Missionaries) with the Church of God over the last 2 years. I'm realizing that my heart still yearns for Japan and that I am now willing to look at other options. Many people have asked me why I haven't considered other options (going with a denomination or teaching English with a Japanese company) and my answer always was that I am committed to Asian Access and am passionate about their vision for ministry in Japan. I can't say that these things are no longer true. But, I can say that I don't think now is the time for me to "marry" with Asian Access.
I think that having the stability of a denominational missions program is a good thing for a young, single female just starting out in this field. Choosing the Church of God is comfortable because of my 20+ years connection with them. The ministry assignment is very similar to what I would be doing with Asian Access (teaching English as a means of evangelism with 3 Japanese churches in Kobe and Osaka). I would be in the same area as some Asian Access missionaries that I have started to build relationships with. It's a 2 year minimum commitment with a salary and no support raising responsibilities. I would leave sometime late August or early September.
I feel very excited but still reserved in my celebration. I've had my hopes up so many times before, I'm afraid of being burned again. I just can't ignore this desire to be in Japan when there is this amazing opportunity standing in front of me. For a long time, I gave myself a guilt trip for thinking about taking the "easy way out" by choosing a salaried position. Some how I got the wrong idea that support raising was an ultra-spiritual way to do missions. I am humbled now."
When the letter went out to my supporters, it was a big reality check for me. I realized just how much I was worried about the way I would be perceived. I was worried that they would think I was a flake or not listening to God or something. I'm learning (once again!!) that I can't be motivated by what other people think of me.
So, right now I am back in the application process for this SAM program. If my references go through okay, I should be invited for an interview in Anderson some time soon. I'm guessing that I should know mid-June or so about the final decision. So far, I feel a huge sense of peace to step forward. I just need to think through the details (whether I can pay my student loans with my salary, insurance, ministry philosophy, etc.) Needless to say--I'm excited!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
just around the bend...
props to Alina Croall for the amazing picture! Can't wait to see this in Kyoto for myself...
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
to the zoo
I had the day off of lattes today, so I took the opportunity to join my neices in an outing to the zoo in Nashville. The giraffe was quite taken with me, and I with him!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
heart break
My heart is breaking today. My supporters received a letter this week explaining my present circumstances and how I am taking a leave of absence from active support raising. It feels like the beginning of the end.
I've never experienced this personally, and maybe I'm speaking from ignorance, but it almost feels like a miscarriage of sorts. It's hard to describe.
I've never experienced this personally, and maybe I'm speaking from ignorance, but it almost feels like a miscarriage of sorts. It's hard to describe.
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