Hello from Japan!

I have made it safely and so far I am having a great time. My flight was uneventful. I was able to meet some European guys. I didn't sleep much. I did finish reading the book What a Girl Wants by Kristen Billerbeck. If you want to understand how I felt this last semester, ready this book. There are differences, but our general attitudes are the same. :)

When I got off the plan I purchases my bus ticket to Tama Center, where Joanna and the entire H family picked me up. I actually am staying with Joanna at the house of another American missionary family here. She was going to live with them until her partner Mary came, but due to family circumstances, they have not yet returned from furlow. It is a comfort to live with Joanna. She cooked me my first Japanese meal last night.

The H's are great. Big J, Lil J and I are just as cute in person as they are in pictures. I am going to make Big J teach me Japanese, he is four and speaks it well. Joanna and I took J and J to the park yesterday to let mamma H rest.

Joanna took me to the Tama Center last night. There are many shops there. It is all decorated with Christmas lights and is beautiful. We spent some time reading and studying at the Starbucks (sounds like America right?!). She worked on her Japanese and I spent some time in Luke. It is refreshing to read about the birth of Christ at Christmas time. I was encouraged by Mary's song:

Mary's Song (Luke 1)

⁴⁶And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
⁵⁰His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
⁵¹He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
⁵²He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers."

Oh how I wish I could honestly call myself a humble servant before our Lord!

I am posting very early this morning. I went to bed at about 10:00pm last night, and woke up at 5:00am. I have not quite adjusted to Japan time, yet. 5:00am is not that bad though. The only problem is it is so cold! Japan does not have central heat. There are small heaters in each room and you only turn on the one you need at a time. It takes a long time for a room to heat up. It is a good thing that I am from Iowa! If you have heard that the toilet seats are heated, it is true. But, with the toilet rooms not being heated, it is more of a neccessity than a luxury.

I'm not sure what they day ahead holds for me. Please pray that I would adjust to the time and that I would be a humble servant of the Lord for the H's.

Email me with any questions! (hollybartlett@gmail.com) I will try to post some pictures later.