Out of town.

So this last week was an ordeal, since Wednesday i have been pretty sick, though Thursday was a lot of fun. I had a bad cough and sore throat until late this weekend. Which wasn't much help in light of the fact that I was at the BEST club sports camp. We played sports all day, and I mean all day, Saturday, and Sunday. Mostly soccer on Saturday and Basketball, Dodgebee (dodgeball with a 2 frizbees), and Volleyball on Sunday. It was fun none the less though, and I feel that I have begun to really develop some friendships with the students. Back to thursday though, we went to a swanky public bath for our team night. They had a bath filled with green tea, one with what we thought was barley tea, and another with really watered down wine. This one was my fave because it was in a barrel, outdoors and i could see the ocean from where I was sitting. Another thing too, is that in the process of having to depend on God so much more while over here, I have found that God has been showing me somethings that need to change. We also have been studying Galatians, and that has been surprisingly applicable to what we are doing here. Anyway, I got to go, I still haven't had a whole lot of time to rest since we got back from sports camp and I am really beat. Next weekend we go to Tokyo for the Mid-term retreat, I can't believe we have been here for a month already.

Grace and Peace,
Dustin

Karaoke!!!

So I had a couple new experiences in the last couple of days. Last night the whole group, minus 1, went to Karaoke last night, and some of us (including me) stayed up all night, not getting home until 7 AM, It was a blast we went out with a bunch of students and stayed up all night singing, this was after I helped with a childrens ministry and went to help out at the BHOP (sp?), the navs community ministry here. It is led by Sugimoto-San and Brendan and I got the chance to eat dinner at his house last Sunday and it was stellar, so much food. We also learned about how to figure out what is good green tea, and how to prepare it at his house. Getting back to the ministry stuff. I helped with children of light kids klub, doing filming and helping keep the kids under control, I think it has confirmed my desire to some day have kids (especially a son, plus I don't really think that desire needed to be confirmed, since I would have kids anyway if I get married). Mark Leis (the leader of the club) had his kids there and his son Benjamin (about 3) is a riot. After the club was done he rode in the van with us back to Joyhouse, and "showed" Mandy and I how to play road bingo. And during the club he would just hang all over me and guide me around. At the BHOP later that night, we went to a sort of hall to help them learn english, and Bryan, Matt, Molly, Tara, and I taught the song Isaiah 43. Then we worked on doing a short scene from "Catch me if You Can" and then we taught them the "Electric Slide", plus I met a couple of students from another university ini Shimizu that want to come to BEST. I thought that was really cool. Then today after I got some sleep (recovering from a night of karaoke) I went at 1 PM to a culture museum and Shinto shrine with Dan and one of the junior high students we are teaching english to at Shoyo Junior High in Shimizu. Then when we got back Caleb and I, with a little help from Koshi and Shigeo, cooked Curry and meat over rice for dinner and it turned out really great!! Anyway I think this is all except, that Thursday night I got to share my testimony, and I think I have found a guy to sort of start to develop a good friendship with. I will talk more about this later, as I still have to take care of laundry tonight. Please keep praying that the Spirit will lead in all situations with the students and the other members of the team, and also that my time with God will continue to be fruitful, thanks a bunch.
Grace and Peace,
Dustin

Lows and Highs in Shizuoka

Wow these last few days have been a lot like the terrain in Shizuoka, a deep ocean on one side and high mountains on the other. Until last night, I was feeling so lonely that I felt I had no one to go to except God, i felt like an outcast within the team and I was pulling away from relationships with students, but thankfully I did go to God, or else I would still be a wreck, yesterday morning we had our team time and I was feeling like I could weep at any moment, and then it happened, bryan (our leader) called on me to share what I was struggling with, and the floodgates opened (at least as much as they open for me). My eyes teared up and I cried, sharing what I felt and how I thought it was the toughest time I have ever had emotionally. Then we went out to get lunch and discuss the bible study. After that the team split up and I felt very alone again, little did I know what the team and God had in store for me. After spending some alone time with God and venting in a couple of emails, I was feeling a bit better. And that pretty much ends that day. This morning I woke up semi-realizing that I was indeed 22 years old (though my birthday didn't officially start until about 6 hours later due to the time difference). I got in the shower, then went back up stair to get ready for our first day of teaching english, when I came back down, I was surprised to find the girls and most of the guys in the kitchen preparing banana-chocolate chip pancakes, and everyone greeting me with a Happy Birthday! Then while eating they sang to me, took pictures and gave me a present and a card that everyone signed, I will have to take a picture of it and post it somehow. Brendan even made me a hat to wear out of the newspaper, that i wore to school actually! Btw, they bought my gift when we split up after lunch the day before, when I was still feeling awful, so even though I felt horrible, they really were thinking of me. Anyway we went to school and I taught english to a bunch of 9th graders all by myself which was really fun! Then we came home, by this time I was ready to spend some major time thanking God for what he had done,which I did, and then spent some time in his word studying 1 John 3, and meditating on what it meant to be a son of God, to be set apart, chosen, to be his! Then I went to this really small, hard to find, Christian bookstore and got the story of Christ in manga (japanese comic) form to read with a student. Then I came back to Joyhouse, the house I am staying in, (this title definitely has new meaning for me now). When I arrived Shigeo, a friend that visited us in Lincoln this semester, had a gift stashed away for me in the pantry to find, it was a big pillow that looked like a burger to fit my new nickname, "Dollar Burger". Earlier in the day, Bryan had asked me if he could hang out and get dinner tonight, so we went out to a place called Cappacino (sp?) and met the owners, friends of Bryan, and really got to spend some quality time with Bryan, something I haven't really had a chance to do as of yet. After a couple hours of great food and conversation, we came home to the rest of the guys watching kickboxing, which was amazing and the guy who won was this ginormous black guy from america, he really put the beat down on his opponents. Anyway while watching this the girls trickled into the house in pairs and then we left to get ice cream at Baskin Robbins (yes they have those here), where Sarah (the girl's leader) payed for me, and I promptly dribbled ice cream on my shorts during the car ride home. Oh yeah and Jeanette gave me a card b4 we left for ice cream since she was feeling bad this morning and wasn't able be at breakfast. So then we all just sort of hung out and watched "Tommy Boy" and talked. So that was my shift from being in the depths of the ocean to the heights of Mount Fuji (which btw I will be climbing near the end of the summer, and I found out that it is over 12,000 ft high and we will be starting a sea level, for those who are hikers). Anyway I should be getting to bed, it is 1 AM here, everyone has been in bed for about an hour at least. But, one final thing, for those of you on my team that may be reading this, I don't really know how to express my gratitude to you for all that you have done to serve me. I pray that God will use me to bless you as much as you have blessed me, and more. I don't think I have ever been loved as much by the body of Christ as you have done today. I love you all so very much!!! And then to those at home I miss you guys, David and Kelly, I hope you had a great time in CO. So, I guess that is a wrap, tomorrow is our day with God (we get that every Wednesday, YAY!!!) So until next time,

Grace and Peace to you,

Dustin

In Japan...

Well I'm finally in Japan. I have had a few days to get over jet-lag, but I don't think I have yet. I got up at 7:30 this morning not because I wanted to, but because I couldn't stand laying in bed any longer. It has definitely been a jam-packed time so far until about 3 PM yesterday we were in Tokyo for orientation. I have already discovered a couple things that I like to eat, Tsukiyaki (basically you cook the beef yourself and the veggies in this sauce and then dip them in raw egg and eat it) and Curry. I love the curry and it is everywhere here. I was able to meet some of the students we will be ministering too, last night. We had a party for the Japan vs. North Korea soccer game, and about 30 people came to Joyhouse. I have also got a new nickname because Brian Gibbs, one of the staff at orientation messed up my last name once, now the guys are calling me Dahlerberger (as in Dollar Burger). Anyway that is about all I can think of to write right now, but I am sure I will think of something else later. If anyone is reading this say hi! It will be good to hear from you.