Getting Settled in Japan

Church

We were all very excited to meet our new ward, knowing that they would become our family.  Our church is just a few miles away.  It takes about 10 minutes to actually drive but it isn't far.  Another ward family was kind enough to let us follow them to church.  I must say that having gone to the Charlestown branch helped us to be prepared for this ward building!  If we would have just come from Utah we would have been shocked but instead it felt normal.  It is a tiny two story building but it is a church with a steeple sandwiched between other buildings...because that is how buildings are here!  Gotta use up all the space and fit in as much as we can!  There is only one entrance and one set of bathrooms.  No gym and the rooms are tiny....makes me think of that first Sunday in Indiana!  There isn't a lot of people in the ward but you can tell that the members are all very strong and committed!  The kids all liked their classes and Karlee stayed in nursery great!  Makelle is the only girl in her class so I was kind of sad about that but she seems fine.  Zak was able to go to cub camp the first week we were here.  He went for 2 days here on base and go to shoot guns and do archery.  He had a great time with kids from the base.  Some from church, some from school and some just from the base.

We got callings this Sunday.  I am 2nd counselor in the YW and John gets to teach Zak's primary class.  We get to speak in church in two weeks.  This Sunday we go to church at night for just testimony meeting.  It is the Air Show here on base and all active duty has to report to work.  This will be the first time John has ever had to work on Sunday.  Not that he really has to work but he has to report to work.  Since it is a military ward this affects most of the people so we just go for Sacrament meeting in the evening.

Driving
A week after being here I was able to get a sitter and walk myself to the driving class.  I got a hundred percent on my test and got a card permitting me to drive in Japan...Scary!  Just because I passed the test doesn't mean I should drive here!  Despite my reservations, just hours after getting my license I loaded the kids and we drove off base.  A friend let us follow her to one of the local markets.  There was also a little petting zoo out front so the kids liked feeding the pony, bunnies, and goats.  We go to go in and buy fresh fruits and veggies.  We are loving the markets.  The kids are liking the Japanese pears the most.  I am loving the corn, tomatoes and peaches and the cheap prices!  Markets are about the only cheap thing!

The next day a friend from the ward took us out for the entire day.  She let me follow her to several places.  We hit  a huge dollar store that had anything you could think of for only a dollar...it was AWESOME!  I mean not the dollar store...the 100 yen store!  Then we went out for lunch at a sushi place.  The kids and I all had some sushi.  Everyone calls the place conveyor belt sushi because different sushi just goes around on a belt and you take what you want.  I was very proud of myself for trying different things and I actually liked one thing a lot.  I don't love the seaweed rolled around it but I do like just the stuff on a pile of rice.  I liked the filleted shrimp on rice with avacado and mayo on it.  After lunch we went to a local grocery store to look around and then the kids all got to choose an ice cream cone.  The Japanese stores don't sell tubs of ice cream...just individual things.  They are amazing though...an ice cream cone with a slush underneath it..that kind of amazing!  Then we went to a park with a zipline  and then ended at another market just outside the gate from the base.  It was a long busy day but I was so happy that someone took me around to show me how to get to all of the basic places.  It turns out that our town is really small and everything is very easy to get to and not far at all.   Driving on the wrong side of the road really isn't all that hard after a day or to.  It is crazy to think how fast you get used to it.  I still get in on the wrong door a lot though and I still turn on the windshield wipers when I am trying to blinker!  I still have a few times where I hesitate to turn or I think a car is coming in my lane, but for the most part it is natural now.

Our car is a red van that seats 8. It is pretty old school!  It only has 3 doors as most of the vans here do.  It is really tiny.  The cars are all scrunched and narrow as to fit on the roads here.  When we are all in the car we are REALLY close to each other.  I am sure you can imagine how fun that is.  The tanks are tiny  about 12 gallons.