Well hello my friends.

It has been quite some time since I have posted on here.

Lately, I have been enjoying my time at home with loved ones. I have been soaking it all up so, I have forgotten about my blog. Just being honest.

Things that I love about being here in America with my family; My sister coming into my room and jumping on my bed, like a crazy person, for 30 seconds or more before we even say a word to each other. Getting to pet and love on my cat whenever I want. Having home cooked meals (I haven’t cooked a meal in almost 3 weeks :]). Sleeping in my marshmallow bed. Seeing all of my wonderful friends. Telling people about how Jesus changed my life this year and in a way that I was totally not expecting. Hearing amazing testimonies of friends coming back to Jesus.

As all of those things are truly wonderful but, I miss Japan. I miss the wonderful people who I work with. I miss my dear friend Danielle more than words can say. I miss Sunrise Court 203. I miss all of my precious students saying, “Ms. Maroli”

Why do we always have to be missing something? Why can’t we be content in our current situation? Don’t get me wrong, I love being here in America. But no matter where I am in the world, I will be missing something or someone.

The answer is that this Earth is not our home. Our home is in Heaven.

And today, I am longing for heaven.

Home

As time grows closer to returning to America, my heart and brain are thinking about what I am going to say and do to respond to people.

A lot of people don’t understand why I am here in Japan for a second year. They don’t understand the love that I have for the Japanese. They don’t understand that my heart longs to see my Japanese friends come to know Christ.

When I was 15 years old, I felt the Lord telling me that I need to surrender my life to foreign missions. If this means telling people about Jesus for the first time or helping evangelize an area, I will do it. I know that I am not called to live the American dream in America. I don’t feel called to live in America. I don’t want to live in America.

I understand that people miss me and they want me to be close to them. But, to be very honest, I am tired of hearing “come home”.

I am home.

Home is Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.

So, if you feel like I should be in America, I want you to really pray about it. Pray that the Lord would help you understand why I am here in Japan. I will be praying that the Lord would be with you and that he would help you understand as well.

Hmmm

Well here I am back in Japan.

I am here for only 3 more months. I cannot believe that it is really about to end in just a few months. I only have around 11 weeks left with my kiddos. WAHHH sadness.

Going home was great. I loved seeing my family, friends and eating delicious food that I didn’t have to guess what it was.

But…

I kinda wish that I didn’t go home.

I know… I was SOOO excited about going home.

Why do I wish that I didn’t go home?

Because it was hard to leave. It wasn’t as hard as the first time because I didn’t know when I was going to be back. But it was hard to leave because I didn’t want to think about packing stuff up for just 3 months. It wasn’t hard to leave my family because they will be here in 29 days!

It was hard to get to reknow people after 11 months of not seeing them and then having to leave and not know them for another 3 months.

But, I guess that this is going to be the story of my life.

I know that I have been called to Africa.

I think about her daily.

I talk about her daily.

I dream about her daily.

I think that the Lord has given me a gift when it comes to saying “Goodbye.” I am pretty good at it and I know that I will see people again and I will talk to them again.

But for now… I must LIVE up these last 3 months here in Japan. I know I will miss Japan land once I am gone.

Laughter

In my family, we like to make fun of each other.

It is just something that we have always done. We laugh at each other and laugh at the stupid things that we do.

Since being home I have laughed until I have cried a few times.

It has been marvelous for my soul.

Here are some quotes:

My dad ::on the cat running around the house on Christmas morning with a paper bag trapped around her middle :: “It sounds like there was a thousand midgets running around up here! What are you and your Mom doing?”

Me: Dying laughing

My dad has a cold and is losing his voice. He was explaining to my mom and me about how he couldn’t swallow and his mouth was really dry. He said that he got up at 2 am and went into the kitchen.

I’m thinking.. Okay to get a drink of water.

My dad: “Well I opened up the pantry and sprayed some PAM in my throat to help moisten it.”

Me: Choking on my food while laughing so hard no noise is coming out.

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In my family there are 2 things that you will notice right away.

1. We yell a lot to communicate that dinner is ready or that we are leaving to go somewhere.

2. We LOVE to laugh.

 

Have you laughed today?

So Good

It feels so good to be home.

It still kind of feels like I am in a dream and I cannot wake up.

Landing at the Kansas City airport I was so excited.

Hearing “Here she comes!” from my dad and to hear everyone scream and holler and wave their poster around was awesome.

Running through the security and crying my eyes out was awesome too.

Hearing all of the people who were waiting for their flight say “Aww she’s crying” was awesome as well.

Hugging my mom and my family and friends for the first time in 11 months is way more than awesome. It was so good. So good for my heart, so good for my soul and so many tears running down my face.

It is so good to be home.

“Home”

I have been thinking about this for a while now.

The one place that I want to be right now, besides home in America with family, is in Africa.

I want to experience more of her culture.

I want to be “home”.

When I went to Africa 2.5 years ago, I fell in love.

I fell in love with the people.

I fell in love with the realness that is happening.

I fell in love with how much passion they have.

I fell in love and I want to go “home”.

 

Anticipation

Every morning when I wake up, I roll over and look at my phone. I go and look at my countdown app.

Today it reads 37 days until I’m home for Christmas.

HOLY EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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In 37 days I will be on a bullet train bound for Tokyo. I will have slept hardly at all because I will be so excited. That morning I will have shoved last minute items into my bags.

On the bullet train I will not be sleeping. I will be updating from my iphone as much as possible and documenting my trip home to America.

I MIGHT stop in Tokyo for some shopping but probably not.

Getting to the airport I will check in and I might be squeeling from excitement.

Okay… fast forward 15 hours. I will be getting ready to land in Houston. My first time in America in 10.5 almost 11 months. Party in the USA will be playing on my ipod.

Seeing America out of my window (I only sit in window seats) I will have tears running down my face.

After I land, I will be RUNNING FRANTICALLY to get my bags, go through customs, recheck my bags and then try to find my gate for Kansas City!

Hopefully around 4:48 I will be landing in Kansas City.

I will be crying. (Like I am now from the anticipation.)

I will see my mom for the first time in 10.5 months.

I will be home.

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Oh my heart. Until then I will be waiting and listening to Christmas music and drinking tea and blog stalking. Oh and the occasional work. :]

100

It has been a long time coming, but I have finally made it to post 100.

I have had this blog since May 2009. I created it right after I graduated college. I wanted people to stay updated on my life after college.

Because life does go on right?

Over the past 8 or 9 years, I have had many blogs.

I had two or three Xangas. I had a blogspot and now here I am at wordpress.

I feel like I have finally planted my roots here and this is the longest that I have ever stuck to one blog. Usually I get bored and then move on. But for now, I will call this place home. I’m trying to figure out a name for this blog. When I talk about my blog I want it to be a place where I can hang out and meet up with people. “Head on over to New Life” hmmm just doesn’t ring a bell.

Here are some of my thoughts…

1. The Gaijin(foreigner)

2. uh… yah that is all that I have.

Let me know what are some of your ideas for naming this blog.

Happy Blogging!

Until next time,

Home.

Culture Shock…

Well I have been in Japan for quite some time now.

I got to see a few of my friends from America a few weeks ago. It was funny to watch them take pictures of vending machines and laugh at the way that people dress or fall asleep on the train. It was also funny to watch them use chopsticks.

These things are all normal to me. They seem like a part of life and I cannot imagine life without it for some reason. I cannot tell you the last time that I used a fork before this morning. I would much rather use chopsticks over a fork.

Vending machines are a way of telling people how to get to your house. Turn right at this vending machine and then take a left at this one and then I’m at the end of the road by the other vending machine. This is true.

Sleeping on the train or subway is a nice way to relax.

With all of that mentioned above, let me continue.

After I got off of the Shinkansen, bullet train, at Sendai Station. It felt like I was home. That feeling of traveling and finally being back to your home town. Yah. I had that feeling. It was kinda weird to feel that way in a foreign country, but it is true. That is how I felt.

I wonder if I will feel that way when I land in Kansas City in 6 months for Christmas?